“To secure converts, the exalted standard of the Christian faith was lowered, and as the result “a pagan flood, flowing into the church, carried with it its customs, practices, and idols.” –Gavazzi, Lectures, page 278. As the Christian religion secured the favor and support of secular rulers, it was nominally accepted by multitudes; but while in appearance Christians, many “remained in substance pagans, especially worshiping in secret their idols.”–Ibid., page 278.
“Has not the same process been repeated in nearly every church calling itself Protestant? As the founders, those who possessed the true spirit of reform, pass away, their descendants come forward and “new-model the cause. While blindly clinging to the creed of their fathers and refusing to accept any truth in advance of what they saw, the children of the reformers depart widely from their example of humility, self-denial, and renunciation of the world. Thus “the first simplicity disappears.” A worldly flood, flowing into the church, carries “with it its customs, practices, and idols.” {The Great Controversy, pg. 385}.
Think of the many hasty mass baptisms that are conducted on a regular basis. Do you think they are all a blessing from God? Consider the following Words of Inspiration.
“A Weakness in Our Evangelism.–The accession of members who have not been renewed in heart and reformed in life is a source of weakness to the church. This fact is often ignored. Some ministers and churches are so desirous of securing an increase of numbers that they do not bear faithful testimony against unchristian habits and practices. Those who accept the truth are not taught that they cannot safely be worldlings in conduct while they are Christians in name. Heretofore they were Satan’s subjects; henceforth they are to be subjects of Christ. The life must testify to the change of leaders.” {Evangelism, pg. 319.3}.
“Only when the church is composed of pure, unselfish members, can it fulfill God’s purpose. Too much hasty work is done in adding names to the church roll. Serious defects are seen in the characters of some who join the church. Those who admit them say, we will first get them into the church, and then reform them. But this is a mistake. The very first work to be done is the work of reform. Pray with them, talk with them, but do not allow them to unite with God’s people in church relationship until they give decided evidences that the Spirit of God is working upon their hearts.” — Review and Herald, May 21, 1901, Vol. 78, No. 21.
Illustrating this dragon’s flood in the church we further read:
“The church is not now the separate and peculiar people she was when the fires of persecution were kindled against her. How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! I saw that if the church had always retained her peculiar, holy character, the power of the Holy Spirit which was imparted to the disciples would still be with her. The sick would be healed, devils would be rebuked and cast out, and she would be mighty and a terror to her enemies.
“I saw a very large company professing the name of Christ, but God did not recognize them as His. He had no pleasure in them. Satan seemed to assume a religious character and was very willing that the people should think they were Christians. He was even anxious that they should believe in Jesus, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. Satan and his angels fully believe all this themselves, and tremble. But if this faith does not provoke to good works, and lead those who profess it to imitate the self-denying life of Christ, Satan is not disturbed; for they merely assume the Christian name, while their hearts are still carnal, and he can use them in his service even better than if they made no profession.” {Early Writings, pg. 227}.
These are cutting truths, Brother/Sister. These are the truths that the true Elijah’s message entails. We have to hear the worst of our situation; it is not time for flattering or smooth messages. As Joel 2 says, when the trumpet is blown in Zion the members must tremble.
In going back to Revelation 12, we are still faced with a bigger problem. The woman now being flooded, about to be washed away by the dragon’s flood (the unconsecrated tares), needs to be rescued.
“And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.” Revelation 12:16.
Before clarifying this subject any further, let me quote the most popular SDA view on this verse as is outlined in the book, “Daniel and the Revelation”, by Uriah Smith.
“The serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood to carry away the church. By its false doctrines the papacy had so corrupted all nations as to have absolute control of the civil power for long centuries. Through it Satan could hurl a mighty flood of persecution against the church in every direction, and this he was not slow to do.” (Page 513, para. 3}.
“Soon there was enough Protestant soil found in Europe and the New World to swallow up the flood of papal fury, and rob it of its power to harm the church. Thus the earth helped, and has continued to help her to the present day, as the spirit of the Reformation and religious liberty has been fostered by the leading nations of Christendom.” {Page 514, para. 1}.
Verse 13, in no uncertain term stated that when the dragon saw that he was cast out he persecuted the woman. If we should also conclude that the dragon’s flood is persecution, we would have lost sight of the strategy the devil has employed to overthrow the church as is outlined in The Great Controversy, pp. 42, 43, and we are fighting a hopeless battle.
Prior to the children of Israel going into Palestine there was a dramatic cleansing of the camp which is a type of what is about to be repeated in the modern day house of Israel.
KORAH DATHAN AND ABIRAM
“And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for [I have] not [done them] of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; [then] the LORD hath not sent me. But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that [appertain] unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that [was] under them:
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that [appertained] unto Korah, and all [their] goods.
“They, and all that [appertained] to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.” Numbers 16:25-33.
“As Moses ceased speaking, the earth opened, and their tents, and all that pertained unto them, were swallowed up. They went down alive into the pit, the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the congregation.” {3 Testimonies for the Church, pg. 349.4}.
“As the children of Israel heard the cry of the perishing ones, they fled a great distance from them. They knew that they were in a measure guilty, for they had received the accusations against Moses and Aaron, and they were afraid that they would also perish with them. But the judgment of God was not yet finished. A fire came from the cloud of glory and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. These were princes; that is, men generally of good judgment and of influence in the congregation, men of renown. They were highly esteemed, and their judgment had often been sought in difficult matters. But they were affected by a wrong influence, and became envious, jealous, and rebellious. They perished not with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram because they were not the first in rebellion. They were first to see the end of the leaders in the rebellion, and have an opportunity to repent of their crime. But they were not reconciled to the destruction of those wicked men, and the wrath of God came upon them and destroyed them also.” {3 Testimonies for the Church, pg. 350.1}.
“In the case of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram we have a lesson of warning lest we follow their example. `Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come’.” {3 Testimonies for the Church, pg. 353.1}.
This is as clear as crystal. Is it not?
In the case of Moses, the earth literally opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood (the unconsecrated rebellious members), and so cleansed the camp of ancient Israel just prior to crossing the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land. Type will meet Antitype. God is again to perform the same act in the antitype to cleanse modern Israel before she goes to the Promised Land. One may try to evade the slaughter of Ezekiel 9, but he cannot escape the cleansing process that is here graphically portrayed in Revelation 12:16 and other Scriptures. Each prophet described the same event of the cleansing in his own unique way but guided by the same spirit. The sooner God’s church realizes this fact, the better it will be for everyone. It is for this reason Malachi 3 verse 2 says:
“ But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap.”
Notice what Isaiah has to say about this same cleansing.
“And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth [shall be] excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, [that he that is] left in Zion, and [he that] remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, [even] every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.” Isaiah 4:1-4.
Isaiah is saying that seven women (all churches) take hold of one man (Christ), but they only want to be called by the name Christian, but refuse to put on the Righteousness of Christ, (His garment) and to eat His bread (spiritual food). When this condition is realized, God will purge and cleanse His church. This is just another way of expressing the “Refiner’s Fire” and the “Fuller’s Soap.” Those who survive this cleansing process “will be called holy, even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 4:3). There is no way of escaping the fact that the Lord is addressing the “Judgment of the Living” in the last day remnant church. Dear friend, what are you going to do with all this abundance of evidences? Are you going to be found among those who are crying peace and safety? Are you going to be among the five wise virgins or the five foolish ones who saw their need of the extra oil when it will be eternally too late or are you going to be among those who will cry and say the harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved?
Please contact us immediately for more vital information on these and other life-saving issues.
NOTE: It is not man’s duty to cleanse the church. We are not saying that we are sealing or selecting the 144,000. This is the work of the Lord and His angels. We are here as instruments of the Lord giving the trumpet a certain sound. Most importantly, though, we are not telling anyone to leave the SDA church, because it is God’s true remnant church. If you leave it you will not receive the seal or the mark of God’s approval.
What event will follow after the Lord removes the tares (the dragon’s flood) from the church?
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17.
We have often taught that the Dragon is now presently angry with the woman and is now making war with the remnant church. Unfortunately, we are presently living in the time of verse 15 of Revelation 12, the time in which the church and the world unite. (See EW 227). There is no need for Satan to be angry and wage war with the church today because it is in the condition he wants it to be. (See 5T:217; EW:228). To declare war against her now would be to wake her up, and drive her to a spiritual revival and reformation. Despite this sad situation there is a remnant whom he will not be able to deceive, they have the extra oil—meat in due season, the very Present Truth. (See Matt. 24:44-48; EW:63).
After God removes the dragon’s flood (the tares) from the church by the death angels of Ezekiel 9, those who are left will incur the wrath of the dragon, then he will make war with the remnant of her seed-those who are yet to join the purified church. Let us remember that after the 144,000 are sealed the four winds will begin to blow. The four winds represent the Sunday Law – “Mark of the Beast” system, which will blow only after the 144,000 are sealed. {According 5 Testimonies for the Church, pg. 152}.
“The time is coming when we cannot sell at any price. The decree will soon go forth prohibiting men to buy or sell of any man save him that hath the mark of the beast. We came near having this realized in California a short time since; but this was only the threatening of the blowing of the four winds. As yet they are held by the four angels. We are not just ready. There is a work yet to be done, and then the angels will be bidden to let go, that the four winds may blow upon the earth. That will be a decisive time for God’s children, a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. Now is our opportunity to work.” {5T 152.2}.