God’s Remnant in the Last Days
The last four churches of Revelation 2-3 are described in the quote below with reference link provided:
http://www.end-times-prophecy.org/seven-churches-revelation-laodicea.html
The link above concerning the church of Philadelphia contains the following exhortation:
… To the first three churches, Jesus has no mention of the second coming, as these are the church periods way back in the first centuries after Christ. But to the final four He begins to bring into focus His second coming and the nearness and urgency increases with each church.
Thyatira – “Hold fast till I come.”
Sardis – “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief.”
Philadelphia – “Behold, I come quickly.”
Laodicea – “Behold, I stand at the door.”
So Jesus begins to bring His second coming into focus with Thyatira, and then increases the nearness of His coming and by the time we get to the Laodicean church (THE CHURCH AGE WE ARE LIVING IN NOW), He says He is standing at the door! In other words, we are living in the very last days, just before the second coming.
It is important to note that all four of these churches will exist to the end! A church is not the building, but the people who make up the church. The word temple is another name for a church. 1 Corinthians 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” In fact, it is what we believe that determines what church affiliation we have. We have the freedom to choose which church, that is which core set of beliefs, to receive as the TRUTH in these last days!
The church of Thyatira represents the period of the Dark ages when the Papal led Catholic Church ruled and murdered millions of people who would not accept their false teachings. The Roman Catholic Church in modern times has not changed their beliefs and has a very popular pope who is adored by people worldwide.
The church of Sardis represents the Protestant reformation, which started out good in that it exposed the errors of Rome, but later became a dead church because of differences that began to divide them and they quit the search for important additional truths. Today estimates of the number of protestant denominations worldwide is above 50,000, with a wide assortment of what “truths” are important to each one.
The Philadelphian church is clearly the “true” church that will have a remnant of people who will be called into the heavenly kingdom. We can see this in several verses in Revelation 3:7-13. Here are some excerpts that demonstrate this:
“and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name”
“I will make them (synagogue of Satan) worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee”
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation”
“hold that fast thou hast, that no man take thy crown”
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God”
The Laodicean church, the church age that we are in now, clearly has a lot of issues that Jesus points out in Revelation 3:14-22. In fact, He had nothing good to say about it. Here are some excerpts that demonstrate this:
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth,”
“knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked”
One must correctly interpret these verses to understand how he can overcome the Laodicean condition. He must seek spiritual riches rather than temporary earthly ones, repent so that he may obtain His grace and be clothed in His righteousness, and that he may receive the truth of His word rather than the deceptions so prevalent in the end times. Jesus states that “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne …”
Now, let’s look at another article entitled “Laodicean Condition Claimed by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.” Here are some quotes from that article and the reference link at the end:
Today we hesitate to claim we’re the remnant; but as for Laodicea, that’s us! Us alone! … we’ve become anchored in the view that Seventh-day Adventists are the sole group envisioned in the apocalyptic concept of that term.” Adventist Review, August 28, 2008, p 5.
Who is Laodicea? We have learned already that Laodicea represents Adventists who have had great light and not walked in it, also, professed Adventists, or nominal Adventists. Most who have some background on Seventh-day Adventism already understand who it is that I am talking about. … Today there is another group who know very well who they are, but don’t understand the consequences of who they are. It is the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, an organization that says they are Adventist and are not, an organization of “professed Adventists”.
“I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches. But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant.” (Ellen White Early Writings 261).
“The truths that we received in 1841, ’42, ’43, and ’44 are now to be studied and proclaimed. The messages of the first, second, and third angels will in the future [now] be proclaimed with a loud voice. They will be given with earnest determination and in the power of the Spirit.” {15MR 317.1}
The church has changed its position over the course of time. Slowly and insidiously the Trinity doctrine and all its errors have found their way into the system of belief now professed by the SDA church. Our creed, as evidenced by the book Seventh-Day Adventists Believe, now accepts this abominable doctrine. We have accepted a doctrine that our pioneers would not have tolerated. Famous author and Andrews University seminary professor George Knight boldly admits this fact in the following statement found in MINISTRY magazine, Oct/1993 p. 10.
“Most of the founders of Seventh-day Adventism would not be able to join the church today if they had to subscribe to the denomination’s Fundamental Beliefs.” “More specifically, most would not be able to agree to belief number 2, which deals with the doctrine of the Trinity. For Joseph Bates the Trinity was an unscriptural doctrine, for James White it was that ‘old Trinitarian absurdity,’ and for M.E. Cornell it was a fruit of the great apostasy, along with such false doctrines as Sunday keeping and the immortality of the soul.”
The promise is that the honest will come out of the nominal Adventist churches just before the plagues are poured out and will take their stand with the true Adventists, the Adventist Church of 1844, the one that was in existence more than nineteen years before the General Conference. (*emphasis added with bold text)
Summary:
1. The Shaking commenced before the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists did.
2. The Seventh-day Adventist Church existed before the General Conference did.
3. The shaking is a message to Laodicea
4. Laodicea represents Adventists who have not walked in the light
5. Laodicea represents professed Adventists who are not Adventists at all.
6. Laodicea is called “the synagogue of Satan” and not “the church of God”
7. We are to flee out of the midst of Laodicea and the nominal Adventists and not look back or we would suffer destruction and death.
8. Philadelphia is the true Seventh-day Adventist church of the last days.
Here are some quotes from “Seven Churches – Laodicea“ referenced earlier:
“Therefore, says the True Witness, “I council thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich.” That is, love and faith working together, hand in hand to make them rich in good works, and rich toward God. They are counseled to buy white raiment; that is, to put on a robe of righteousness, or to have their characters conform wholly to the law of God. They are counseled also, to anoint their eyes with eyesalve that they may see. This eyesalve is the unction from on high, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which gives us the true discernment in spiritual things. And God’s people, during this time, will be rebuked and chastened by Him until they become zealous and repent.” (Uriah Smith Biblical Institute, p 250-252)
… So although this church is in a dire state, as long as the people HEED the warning and rebuke, then the lukewarmness can be corrected. But if this warning isn’t heeded and action isn’t taken to correct this awful state, then Christ will “spue” them out of His mouth and they will be thrown into the lake of fire, and forever lost.
“You that hope for salvation, flee quickly, flee, I say, for your lives! You have not one moment to spare. Utter destruction awaits every soul that is found in this Laodicean state.” (Review and Herald, vol 1, November, 1850, #1 “The Laodicean Church”, p 8)
“I tell you now, that when I am laid to rest, great changes will take place…I want the people to know that I warned them fully before my death.” Manuscript 1, February 24, 1915
“The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.” Letter 242, October, 1903, Special Testimonies, Series B#7, p 39-40
The modern day Seventh Day Adventist Church has fulfilled all of these things, except for the sentence above in bold type. Barring a fundamental change in leadership and direction, the sentence in bold type will be fulfilled as well.
Some people argue that you can know about the fallacy of the trinity doctrine, but still remain in the Seventh Day Adventist church. And you can do this while the church fully and unashamedly promotes this pagan and unbiblical doctrine to the world! There are two ways to receive the Mark of the Beast. One is in the forehead. That is to accept and believe the false doctrines. The other is to receive the mark in the hand. That means, as a matter of convenience, just keep quiet about the problem and look the other way. A remnant is being called out of her seed (Rev 12:17) that will remain faithful to the one true God and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. This is when the work of the third angel’s message swells to a loud cry as found in Rev 18:4 and those who don’t heed the call will be spewed out of the mouth of Jesus and lost forever!