The history of Israel is being repeated today in God’s people.

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History repeats itself. How true! The ancient people of Israel should serve as our example. Not their behavior, but all aspects of what developed between God and His people over the centuries, and what ultimately resulted. God’s actions and intentions, as well as the varying outcomes of obedience and rebellion on the part of the people.

The task was completely botched.

The people of Israel in the Old Testament were a people hopelessly strayed from the Lord’s path. They acted in direct opposition to what God had actually called them to do. God’s people were meant to be the light in this world and to bring this light to the Gentile nations. That is, to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentile nations and, thanks to their own exemplary prosperity and God’s intervention, to provide the necessary motivation. Instead, events took the completely opposite course. Israel did not export the Gospel, but imported the paganism of the surrounding nations. God’s people fell hopelessly into idolatry.

Book of Ezekiel – Highly recommended

The Book of Ezekiel, by a prophet who ministered in Judah precisely when the people were (once again) reaching a spiritual low point, employs some very dramatic imagery. Ezekiel belonged to the group from Jerusalem who, along with King Jehoiachin, were taken to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BC during the second exile. While Ezekiel proclaimed God’s words and warnings in the surrounding countryside during his exile, his contemporary Daniel, who had been taken to Babylon eight years earlier during the first exile, was working directly in Nebuchadnezzar’s royal palace.

The destruction of Jerusalem, including Solomon’s Temple, and the subsequent 70-year exile in Babylon, were ultimately God’s act in response to the persistent, defiant refusal of His people to finally return to the right path. But they refused, as the prophet Jeremiah had already observed (Jeremiah 6:16). And so it came to pass, just as God had foretold.

Those who will not listen must feel

Following the principle that whoever, despite repeated warnings, cannot keep their hands off the filth, will be buried up to their neck in such a mountain of garbage, the deported people of Judah ended up in precisely this situation. Babylon was at the very heart of idolatry, the historical “breeding ground of paganism” in antiquity. Egyptian mythologies, Hellenistic superstitions, and even Far Eastern religions all share the same core originating in Babylon. It was therefore inevitable that such philosophies would also find a home in Rome, from which the first proponents eventually formed the Roman Catholic Church starting in the 2nd century AD (Info).

Ezekiel 6 provides the template

Ezekiel 6 is such an example, in which God has little to proclaim to Israel in its decaying state. The idolatry practiced in Israel is also vividly depicted. It speaks of “altars and pillars of the sun” that will be destroyed. And the slain will sink before the idols. The bones of the dead are to be scattered around the altars they erected. This is followed by execution by the sword, by plague, sickness and death from famine. Finally, the land will be reduced to a desert.

God also announces that the intended goal—to be a shining example to neighboring nations—will be reversed. The Gentiles themselves will warn one another about the abominations of Israel. They are to feel disgust at the wickedness of the people of Israel. All of this reads like a final, irreversible destiny. The result not merely of stubborn refusal, but of open rebellion against God.

Chapter 8 reveals secret activities

According to chapter 8, Ezekiel received a detailed insight from God into the unspeakable, secret goings-on in Jerusalem. In the vision, God led His prophet to the entrance of the temple courtyard. They stood before a wall, and Ezekiel was to cut a hole in it. Thus, the prophet gained access and saw a door. Ezekiel was to open the door and look inside. There, he saw the walls painted with all sorts of images of hideous animals and idols. In front of them stood 70 men, the elders of the house of Israel. They all held censers filled with incense in their hands.

They continued on their way, and Ezekiel saw a group of women sitting at the gate. They were mourning Tammuz, a pagan deity of Babylon. According to legend, Tammuz was the reincarnation of Nimrod through his wife Semiramis. He is the archetype of many other religions, as this constellation can be found in Egyptian mythology with Osiris, Isis, and Horus, and in Hellenistic mythology with Uranus, Gaia, and Oceanus. A still well-known symbol of the “mourning for Tammuz” is the cross of ashes on the forehead. The Church of Rome merely “Christianized” it and gave it the name “Ash Wednesday” (more Info).

The receipt in Chapter 9

In Ezekiel, chapter 9, the plan was finally fulfilled. The sword of God was to come upon Jerusalem, wielded by chosen angels. They began with the elders who were before the temple. And finally, rich and poor, young and old, fell. It was also to strike those who practiced their idolatry in secret, for they knew full well what they were doing. All people? No, not all, for before God drew His sword, He commanded an angel:
“And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” (Ezekiel 9:4).

Those with the mark of God on their foreheads were to be spared. This likely reflects a similar situation to that of northern Israel centuries earlier, during the time of the prophet Elijah. At that time, only 7,000 people in the entire nation refused to bow their knees before Baal (another idol god). Northern Israel, with its capital Samaria, suffered the same fate. It was the Assyrians who razed Samaria in 721 BC and scattered the people to the winds, excluding those who were not enslaved.

Constant dripping wears away the stone

Such a fall from faith doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual process. It occurs when one doesn’t remain firmly grounded in God’s Word and stay extremely vigilant. For the serpent’s attacks are ever-present, without pause, respite, or holidays. It is dangerous to stray from the path God has ordained. Even if God’s decisions or prepared paths are incomprehensible to humankind, one should still trust and persevere on them. However, the temptation is strong, even with the “best intentions,” to take a different path that may seem right in the short or even medium term, but then suddenly leads to a dead end or even disaster.

Example: King Solomon

King Solomon, not primarily as the entire nation, but nevertheless as the representative of the still undivided Israel, provides a good example of this. He found favor in God’s eyes. Solomon was faithful to God, humble, and kept all His commandments and statutes. The king amassed immense wealth, and his wisdom was legendary even during his lifetime. He also understood his people’s fundamental task: to spread the Gospel among the Gentile nations.

“Love is blind,” as the saying goes. Solomon decided to marry a woman from Egypt, a pagan woman completely devoted to idolatry—precisely what God did not want for His people. But Solomon stubbornly believed that this would allow him to spread the faith more effectively through closer ties. The king clung to this idea until he had amassed 700 wives and 300 concubines (!), most of them from various surrounding pagan tribes. Since money was no object, Solomon granted every wish so that his wives could continue their previous religious practices. The king even had altars and temples, statues and figures of the pagan gods erected—and not just a few.

This went terribly wrong. Solomon had already incurred God’s displeasure, but the entire affair ultimately left its mark on the people. With the mass introduction of paganism into Israel, the apostasy of God’s people began. This was instigated by their own king, who had also once been blessed by God beyond the “normal measure.” The initial apparent success of spreading the gospel more effectively through his wives turned into a catastrophe.

The present version

The Gospel wouldn’t be the Gospel if such events didn’t repeat themselves in the future. The future of then has now become our present. Solomon himself expressed it very wisely:
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Thus, God still has His people, whose stages, actions, and destinies from Christ’s earthly ministry to the present day are described in the seven letters to the churches (Revelation 2 and 3 – Info). According to this, the “Laodicean stage” has long since been reached. The last people; after this, there is nothing. The blows God inflicted upon the people and also the Gentiles in the Old Testament serve as a type for the anticipated final judgment upon this planet.

When your head spins without thinking

Could such a gradual drift away from the true faith of the people, even one carried out with “good intentions,” occur today? If so, what would it look like in concrete terms? Are there further details that correspond to the historical circumstances? Yes, both are indeed the case. The persistent falling away from the true gospel, the direct suppression of the Word of God, and also the point at which this occurs within the church, all correspond to the historical example shown in Ezekiel.

“The fish rots from the head down,” as another universally true proverb goes. This also applies to the people of Israel, or Judah. ​​Was it the monarch Solomon, and the “leadership,” consisting of the elders? How many elders did Ezekiel see in the secret chamber of the temple, where they were worshipping idols with incense? There were 70 of them. That is, all the elders, without exception! For 70 were appointed by God, as stated in Numbers 11:16.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.“

An illustration

Given the ongoing, sometimes heated, friction within the congregation and with regional leadership, which has now lasted for about two years, several pastors have been silenced. They dared to stand up for the core mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and to continue acting and preaching in accordance with the Gospel. This is a particularly sensitive issue in the USA. One of the pastors who has remained steadfast is Tim Rumsey. He recently addressed the topic in a sermon and presented some very interesting facts for consideration and discussion (Youtube-Source).

Pastor Rumsey presented a chronological development of the Seventh-day Adventist leadership within the General Conference. According to him, there was an effort from this level to obtain official UN recognition of an NGO. This requires not only a formal application but also, beforehand, acceptance of the rules formulated by the UN. These include, for example:

“2. The aims and purposes of the organization shall be in conformity with the spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
3. The organization shall undertake to support the work of the United Nations and to promote knowledge of its principles and activities, in accordance with its own aims and purposes and the nature and scope of its competence and activities.”
(ECOSOC Resolution 1296 (May 23, 1968)

Well-intentioned

All this is based on the assumption, simply accepted as true, that in this way the word of God can be spread even better and more effectively among people via a UN-affiliated network. However, this presupposes—and this much sober realism is necessary—that the machinations and undiminished efforts of the “beast from the sea“, whose fatal wound is healing, must somehow have been forgotten.

Just as King Solomon began to consort with “foreign women” in order to gain better access to the pagan peoples.

UN requires self-presentation from an NGO

To ensure that the UN was aware of the applicant’s intentions, the leadership of the STA issued the following statement in 1985:
“The mission statement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to call all people to become disciples of Jesus Christ, to proclaim the everlasting gospel embraced by the three angels’ messages (Revelation 14,6-12), and to prepare the world for Christs’s soon return“

The application was accepted and since then the church (leadership) has been “muddling along” in the realm of the UN.

Every four years, the UN requires a review of the organization’s recognition, and the organization must explain what its current or future intentions are.

Declaration for the period 1990 – 1993

“The mission of the church is to proclaim to all people the everlasting gospel as described in the Holy Bibles.“

Declaration for the period 1994 – 1997

“The Seventh-Day Adventist Church seeks to lead people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and to enhance the quality of life not only for its members but for people in all nations of the world.“

Declaration for the period 2005 – 2008

“The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (GCSA) is the world governing body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a Christian organization that promotes a better life, both spiritual and physical, for individuals and communities.

… The values and principles of the Adventist Church find expression in a wide variety of activities that parallel United Nations goals, including health, education, humanitarian aid, youth training, women’s issues, child development, religious freedom and human rights promotion.“

Declaration for the period 2009 – 2012

“The General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists actively affirms, develops and educates on the principles of religious liberty and freedom of conscience enshrined in the United Nations documents dealing with religious freedom. These include but are not limited to article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion of Belief.“

According to Pastor Rumsey, further statements for the following years are not available online. However, the existing statements were sufficient to form a clear impression. Already in the second statement (the first refresher statement, 1990-1993), the “Three Angels’ Message” was omitted; in the third statement (1994-1997), the reference to the gospel was removed; and in the fourth statement (2005-2008), the reference no longer refers generally to the Seventh-day Church, but to General Conference. Furthermore, “Jesus” is now also missing, replaced by “a better life,” and “values” are emphasized.

In the next declaration (2009-2012), active “cooperation” with UN directives is already clearly evident. This includes a commitment to “human rights” instead of the Gospel, and the promotion of the UN’s message through the media and global campaigns. Some may still remember the “wave of duty to tolerate” that was unleashed. No longer does the good news of the Gospel appear desirable, but rather the well-being of people through the promotion of “civil and political rights.”

Campaigns by the Church

Church campaigns that are in harmony with Articles 18 and 19 of the Declaration of Human Rights:

1995 – Tolerance
1995 – Religious Freedom (in harmony with instruments of United Nations)
1996 – Smoking and Ethics
1996 – Family Violence
1997 – Child Sexual Abuse
1997 – Academic Freedom
1998 – 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights
1999 – Religious Minorities and Religious Freedom
2000 – Well-Being and Value of Children
2000 – Religious Liberty, Evangelism, and Proselytism
2008 – Statement distanced the church from opposition leader (War in Congo)
2009 – Commitment to Health and Healing
2010 – Freedom of Speech and Defamation of Religion
2010 – Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

A fruit that grew from it

Such uncontrolled growth does not remain without consequences. This can be seen in a statement on the topic of “immunization.” It’s as if the Seventh-day Adventist Church considers it necessary to issue a statement on every topic focused on by the UN (and WHO). This clearly precludes them from meeting the requirements for recognition as an NGO.

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church places strong emphasis on health and well-being. The Adventist health emphasis is based on the Bible, the inspired writings of Church co-founder Ellen G White, and is informed by peer-reviewed scientific health literature.

As such, we encourage responsible immunization/vaccination, and have no religious of faith-based reason not to encourage our adherents to responsibly participate in protective and preventive immunization programs
We value the health and safely of the population, which includes the maintenance of what is known as ‘herd immunity’.
We are not the conscience of the individual church member, and we recognize individual choices. These choices are exercised by the individual.
Refusal of immunization is not and should not be seen as a teaching nor a doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.“

Note that this was on April 15, 2015 (the declaration was adopted by the Governing Committee of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Silver Spring, Maryland). – Source)

Are you serious when you say that!!

Yes! It is a matter of conscience and therefore an integral part of true religious freedom. The religious freedom defined by the UN (and the papacy) merely allows for a degree of freedom within a defined framework. “No religious or faith-based reason” constitutes such a denial of free choice regarding the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

The “rest” will also be repeated!

At this point, one can safely assume, calmly and without hesitation, that the further details will also be repeated according to ancient models. This is just the tip of the iceberg, both figuratively and literally. “Those up there” are pursuing their own agenda, considering the financial contributions to the NGO, which is recognized by the UN.

It’s rather strange that such agreements are made unilaterally, because the “communities down there” know (knew) very little about them and don’t communicate such UN Charters. Instead, they adhere, though not all of them anymore, to the assigned task of warning people using the Three Angels’ Message. Many things, who knows what else, for God led Ezekiel in his vision from one abomination to the next even greater abomination, are committed in secret.

Not all!

The angel with the sword of God, who was supposed to ravage the inhabitants of Jerusalem, spared those who had previously received the mark of God on their foreheads. And he began with the elders. It was also the 7,000 remaining members of the former northern state of Israel who were spared God’s wrath.

Yes, this (massive) apostasy exists and is present and very visible. On the other hand, the Gospel nowhere indicates that God called on even one of His people to abandon His people “head over heels.” The cries of turning one’s back are also audible. But where would the Israeli have gone, or rather, where would he have ended up? There is no gray area, no neutral ground.

That’s a calculated move.:
“While men are sleeping, Satan is actively arranging matters so that the Lord’s people may not have mercy or justice”
(Ellen G. White, Counsels to the Church, p. 335)

Bible verses from King James Version (1611)