SDA Threats And Persecution

The SDA church leadership had already told the Holy Spirit to go away and then closed and bolted the door so that He could not get back into the church! (See p Battle Creek Letters, p 55-56). So they would not allow God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit to try and stop this satanic reformation and apostate movement from taking place, and neither would they allow any of their church members to do so either!

The structure of the SDA church is definitely hierarchical (see SDA Apostasy in Organization). A hierarchy is not responsible to the wants and wishes of its membership, but is only interested in unquestioning loyalty and support. All directions are passed from the highest leadership down the ladder through the various levels of church government until they reach the membership. As such, any resistance manifested is regarded as insubordination, and will not be tolerated. Even if the commands of the leadership are completely against Christ, their commands must still be followed, or one is looked upon as a trouble-maker who must be dealt with. And the SDA church is not afraid to say this!

"Leadership will lead in love and understanding, and followership will support the church leadership unfailingly, even though necessarily critical of some decisions of leadership." Adventist Review, October 25, 1979, p 14.

"...the position of the majority group of sane leadership which is determined to put the breaks on any members who seek to hold views divergent from that of the responsible leadership of the denomination." Eternity, September, 1957. (Quoting the stated positions of SDA church leaders)

This was especially true in regards to the independent work being established in the late 1890's and early 1900's, such as Madison College, the Southern Work, etc., which Sister White expressly stated were to remain independent of General Conference control (see Testimonies to Ministers, p 375-384; Manuscript Releases, vol 17, p 221-234).

In the early stages of this SDA hierarchical apostasy, the General Conference leadership were especially upset at the independent Southern Work headed by Ellen White's son Edson.

Edson had started in this Southern work in the 1890's and continued working until the early 1900's. This work was mainly gospel outreach and education for the Black people in the South. Edson started the Southern Missionary Society, established his own small publishing facilities, trained teachers, and established over 40 schools with about 1800 students attending--all this was, of course, not under the control of the General Conference. But this was not permitted to last for long.

The General Conference made a move to exclude Edson from the work of the Southern field by placing the Southern Missionary Society under the control of the General Conference. This, sadly, was successful. The General Conference then removed Edson from his position as member of the Southern Union Conference Committee, and turned over the Southern work to the Southern Union Conference. Within just two years, the Southern work was dismantled.

In complete despair, Edson wrote to Arthur G. Daniels, who was the General Conference president from 1901-21, about all that had occurred to the Southern work during His presidency--especially since the General Conference obtained control of it. Edson states:

"When they took the work, there were about 45 schools and 1800 pupils. These schools were exerting a tremendous influence in the uplifting of the people where established.

"Elders Haysmer and McVagh went through the field like a forest fire. With few exceptions the entire line of schools was closed. The teachers whom it had required years to educate and train were turned adrift....there was no desire of the General Conference to assimilate or cooperate with us. Then I broke down and sobbed like a child." Letter from Elder J.E. White to Elder A.G. Daniels, April 21, 1921, p 26-27, 32.

But this was just the beginning of persecution of those true SDA's who chose to follow Jesus against the devious desires and spurious commands of the General Conference.

During World War 1, German Seventh-day Adventists were called upon to serve. This, of course, involved taking up arms for the purpose of killing--even on the Sabbath. What position did the SDA leadership take on this issue?

"At this time, even though we stand on the platform of the Holy Scriptures and do our best to bring the principles of Christianity into our lives and thus observe the day of rest given by God - Saturday and avoid any work on this day, we none the less consider ourselves obligated at the present militarily serious time and under these circumstances to defend our fatherland with weapons in hand even on the Sabbath....

"We have communicated this fundamental rule [1 Peter 2:13-17] to all of our members, and, moreover, have requested all churches to designate special prayer meetings to pray to God for the victory of our German weapons." Letter from G.F. Schubert, President of the Eastern German Union of SDA, to The Minister of Military Affairs at the Prussian Military Ministry of War in Berlin, Charlottenburg, August 4, 1914.

Just over 6 months later, the president of the SDA European Division of the General Conference, added his support.

"At the beginning of the war the leaders of Adventists in Germany urged their members who are obligated to military service in the entire country that in view of the current disastrous condition of the fatherland that, based on the Scriptures, they honorably fulfill their civil duties even on the Sabbath just as others do on Sunday. As proof of this we present a copy of the deposition to the praiseworthy Prussian Ministry of War of the 4th of August 1914. We confirm this our position taken several years ago and most humbly affix our signatures:

For the European Division, center in

Hamburg, Grindelburg, 15 1,

p.p. L.R. Konradi, president.

For the East-German Union, center in

Berlin, Charlottenburg, Ulandstrasse, 189,

p.p. G.F. Schubert, president.

For the Saxon Union, center in Chemnitz,

Esheshtrasse, 9,

p.p. D. Dringaus, president." Letter from L.R. Konradi, G.F. Schubert, D. Dringaus, to the U.P. General Command of the Army Corps in Dresden, March 5, 1915.

Needless to say, most SDA members chose the position endorsed by their apostate leadership. But praise God that not all of our Adventist brethren were willing to participate in this sell-out of God and His Sabbath. Yet, the numbers of these true SDA's were quite small. But just how many of the German Adventist church members chose to follow these directions, and what happened to those "faithful few" SDA's who chose not to follow but to obey God instead?

"At the beginning of the war our [SDA church] community split into two parties. At that time when 98% of our members, on the basis of Bible study, held the view that it is a conscientious duty to defend the Fatherland with weapons and even on the Sabbath, 2% did not agree with the general position, and it finally became necessary to disfellowship them on the basis of unchristian conduct.* They deceitfully call themselves Adventists and preachers. They are not such, but are deceivers....Our leadership has turned over the surplus of funds of our society as a loan to the military...It is obvious that our members everywhere are fulfilling their duty and helping the Fatherland with indispensable means. Almost all Adventist men are serving in the Army as a fulfillment of their duty and...are anticipating a righteous opinion of themselves upon their return." Dresden Evening News newspaper, April 12, 1918, titled "Adventist Preachers and the Fatherland."(* Note: The disfellowshipped German SDA's decided to form a counter SDA church and organization which became known as the Reformed SDA church. It is not recommended that any consider joining this Reform Movement and church. For one thing, they have adopted a hierarchical church structure, and thus their whole system is Christ-less!)

Here in America during the 1950's, a former SDA conference president named M.L. Andreasen, saw the great denials and changes of our historic SDA doctrines by the church leadership in the book Questions on Doctrines, and strongly objected. He wrote six pamphlets titled, Letters to the Churches, and sent these out to warn our people what was really happening.

In these six pamphlets, he exposes the errors and deceptions of the SDA leadership in their new doctrinal standpoint on our doctrines.

But because Andreason upheld the truth and exposed the work of the SDA leadership in giving up and making concessions of our true SDA faith with the Evangelicals, he was disfellowshipped.

Also during this time, those who refused to follow the directions of the General Conference which conflicted with truth were looked upon as being independent of the SDA church, and were considered rebellious. Verbal persecution began. The SDA church referred to these faithful few independents by various derogatory names, such as the "lunatic fringe," "wide-eyed irresponsibles," "offshoots," etc. Today the labels used for those who are independent of the control of the apostate General Conference and SDA church have become more forceful and intense, specifically "fundamental terrorists," "parasites," "subversive groups," "egomaniacs," "wolves," etc. (See More Adventist Hot Potatoes, p 28-29). This is not the full extent of the persecution however.

In 1983, about 1300 Hungarian SDA's were disfellowshipped and pronounced dissidents because they protested against the membership of the SDA church in the Hungarian Council of Free Churches--which is a member of the World Council of Churches (see Directory of Christian Councils, p 142, published by the WCC in 1985, listing all of its member-units throughout the world). The General Conference considers these protesters to be dissidents even though their position was based on truth, and confirmed as truth by the church's own SDA Encyclopedia! (See SDA Encyclopedia, vol 10 of the Bible Commentary Reference Series, p 410-411, under "ECUMENISM.").

In a question and answer forum held with the General Conference president, Neal Wilson, the question was asked regarding the disfellowshipping of the Hungarian SDA's.

President Wilson replied:

"We have advised the dissident group to recognize the World Church Organization, to place their churches in the World Church. But we cannot recognize a counter organization based on false premises." Pacific Union Recorder, February 18, 1985, p 4.

Since when does upholding the truth place you on false premises, and make you a dissident?

But what happened to these disfellowshipped faithful Hungarian SDA's? They were allowed by the Hungarian state to meet freely and conduct church services even though they did not have any permit from the state to do so, until Neal Wilson visited with the Hungarian government authorities in 1986!

"Late in June, 1986, Elder Neal C. Wilson, president of the General Conference, again went to Budapest Hungary....Meetings were held...only with the Hungarian Union leadership and the Hungarian government....

"The Monday following Elder Wilson's departure from Budapest, Oszkar Egervary [leader of those who were disfellowshipped] was asked to come to the state office of religion...[and] told four things:

"1--They must stop all gatherings. No more religious meetings could be held.

"2--They must no longer receive offerings and carry on their religious duties.

"3--No more camp meetings or youth camps could be held.

"4--Certain people would be held responsible if these points were not followed....

"It is clear that the Hungarian Union leadership is determined to stop all separate gatherings by Seventh-day Adventists who remain loyal to the teachings of historic Adventism. They will even use the arm of the State and threatened imprisonment to carry out their objective....

"Over one thousand Seventh-day Adventists can no longer worship God together as a result of Elder Wilson's visit to Budapest." Pilgrims' Rest Tract, WM-140, July, 1986.

Now what kind of power resides in the presidency of the SDA General Conference that he can meet with the leaders of a Communist government and tell them what to do, and the civil government obeys? (Only a power similar to the pope could do that!)

In another incident, on July 5, 1985, five SDA's were handing out papers at the Fifty-fourth General Conference Session at the Superdome. They were trying to awaken their brethren to the apostasy in the church. They were arrested on public property, with the cooperation of the General Conference.

"Five Seventh-day Adventists were arrested on the pedestrian ramp leading from the Superdome to the Hyatt Regency Hotel Thursday night while protesting...the protesters all were attending the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Session in New Orleans...[and] sought a forum at the convention to express their opposition...but have been denied by Neal Wilson, of Washington, D.C., president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist." The Times--Picayune newspaper of Louisiana, July 5, 1985, p A-25.

"Hanson, speaking for the group, said the arrests were used to discredit their protest..." The Times--Picayune, January 11, 1986, p A-22.

But this is not the last incident of a union between the SDA church and the State. The Seventh-day Adventist leadership of the South Kenya SDA Conference called upon the government and the local civil authorities of Kenya to stop certain SDA "dissident" groups from holding unauthorized meetings and from spreading their doctrine. The civil authorities obeyed, and with the names of the "dissident" members turned over to them, over 200 were arrested and sentenced up to 4 months in jail.

The situation was stated in the following letter:

"...we know that the SDA church has turned persecutor against her own adherents.

"In this part we are also facing astonishing persecution from our [South Kenya] Conference of the SDA church....brothers and sisters...have been handed over by our conference leader, and to date, [began on October 13, 1986] over 200 of our brothers and sisters have been turned in while others have been jailed for periods ranging from six weeks to four months. is a pity that it is our spiritual leaders who have turned informers and are telling the police who to pick up.

"Secondly, our conference leaders have issued a directive that no meetings should be held in the name of the SDA church except on Sabbath between 9 AM and 12 noon. No meetings are allowed in the Conference churches past that time or during weekdays. We are also forbidden to have any visitors in our church pulpits who are not cleared by the Conference leaders. Government informers are often among worshippers in our churches and some of our brothers and sisters have been picked up after expressing their beliefs in church.

"The situation here is so alarming especially when we are being ‘given away’ by our so-called spiritual leaders who have united with the civil authorities to persecute us." Letter from Kenya, November 30, 1986.

In fact the SDA leaders called the local newspaper to express gratitude to the civil authorities for "containing" and stopping the "dissidents."

"Over 1000 Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church believers assembled at their headquarters in Nyanachwa in Kisii and called on the authorities to probe two dissident church groups which are involved in heretical teachings, the executive director of the SDA church's South Kenya Conference, Pastor Nathan Ogeto, said yesterday.

"He told the ‘Kenya Times’ on telephone that the believers include church leaders from all walks of life, elders, women and group leaders....

"He said the meeting decided unanimously to condemn the groups and disassociated themselves from their misleading teachings and destabilizing activities.

"‘We appeal through the press to the members of the public, the government and the world at large that SDA church believers in Kisii have nothing to do with the wayward dissident church groups’...

"The SDA believers in Kisii, he said, wish to express their unswerving and total loyalty to President Moi, the government and the ruling party Kanu.

"He said the assembly paid special tribute to the Kisii DC, the OCPD, district offices, chiefs and their assistants for their able leadership in containing and salvaging the situation." The Kenya Times, November 24, 1986.

Yet, this is not the full extent of persecution.

In 1981 the SDA leadership decided to trademark the names "Adventist" and "Seventh-day Adventist" (Registration #1,176,153 and #1,777,185; reported in the Adventist Review, November 24, 1983). They did this to gain legal control over the usage of these names, and to prosecute through the civil courts any who used these names without permission from the General Conference. Of course, only those who are obedient to the SDA church are given permission; those who expose the apostasy and refuse to follow the dictates of the hierarchy are refused.

The SDA leadership solicited the services of a trademark attorney named Vincent L. Ramik, who is a faithful practicing Roman Catholic lawyer (see Adventist Review, September 17, 1981, p 3). He was hired to stop, through the civil courts, any and all from using these trademarks without permission.

Over 150 different individuals were threatened with civil court action if they did not sign an 8-page "settlement agreement" written by Ramik. This settlement agreement states that to avoid prosecution, one would have to agree to "destroy all signs, advertisements, books, publications, periodicals, newsletters or the like which contain the name ‘Seventh-day Adventist’..." (Settlement Agreement, p 5).

Whoever signed this agreement would be required by law to destroy all books, magazines, etc., which have the name SDA in them. This would include all of Sister White's books, plus the Review and Herald and the Signs of the Times articles. These would have to be destroyed by law! And before this "settlement agreement" can become legal--the president of the General Conference must place his signature upon it.

In the state of Hawaii, the General Conference, through its attorneys, instigated a lawsuit against a twelve member home-church for calling their meeting house, "The Seventh-day Adventist Congregational Church."

On December 8, 1987, a federal court order was made in favor of the General Conference, "prohibiting the defendants [the 12 member church and their pastor, John Marik] from using the name ‘Seventh-day Adventist,’ and enjoining them to remove the sign, and hand over to federal agents all of their personal books, magazines, and other property that contained the name ‘Seventh-day Adventist.’" (Pilgrim's Rest Tract, WM 194, 1988).

This led to a $500 per day fine and a bench warrant for the arrest of John Marik, the pastor of the little separated church. On December 16, 1989, he was arrested, manacled with wrist, waist, and leg chains, and eventually taken to a Los Angeles prison, with an accrued fine of nearly $300,000 resting upon him. All this occurred because he refused to bow to the authority and demands of the SDA church!

Anyone who pays God's tithe money into the SDA church also becomes responsible for what the church is doing, because the church paid for Ramik's services with your tithe money! (Nearly all direct General Conference maintenance and new activities are funded from a percentage of the tithe received by each local conference! – see Pilgrim's Rest Tract, WM 178, 1987).

When will our people wake up? The church hired a Catholic to persecute, through the strong arm of civil power, any who refuse to bow and worship the commands of the SDA hierarchical church! But we should not be surprised because Sister White already predicted that this very thing would occur!

"The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and in this work, papists are solicited to come to the help of Protestants." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 425.

This suing of SDA brethren by the SDA church is not limited only to the above incident.

The following suit against SDA members was initiated because independent brethren were printing and passing out the fundamental truths of the three angels upon which the SDA church was first founded. This suit was filed on behalf of the entire SDA church membership! Thus all members of the SDA church were involved in a lawsuit against their own brethren for spreading the messages of God!

The case number is #VG 407 of 1991, and was tried in the Federal Court of Australia, Victoria District Registry, General Division. This case was initiated December 20, 1991 by "THE PRESIDENT, OFFICE HOLDERS AND MEMBERS OF THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH" and "THE AUSTRALASIAN CONFERENCE ASSOCIATION (ACA) LIMITED," who is the legal "corporate identity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church" in Australia.

There were 9 entities sued by the SDA church, its membership, and its corporate identity. Eight were individuals (five of whom were members of the church), and the ninth was a mailing company. These were being sued because of their involvement in spreading about 400,000 copies of The Protestant throughout the 16 million inhabitants of Australia.

The Protestant contained articles identifying the Little Horn of Daniel 7 (Roman Catholicism or the Papacy); the Leopard-like Beast (Papacy); the Lamb-like Beast (USA); the Image to the Beast (Apostate Protestantism); the Anti-Christ and the Man of Sin; the Mark of the Beast and the worshiping on the Sunday-sabbath after it is law versus God's seventh-day Sabbath of the Bible and the seal of the living God; the three angels' messages; exposing the activities of the Jesuits; etc.

The lawsuit was initiated because the SDA church "does have a duty to its members and must take all steps necessary to protect and maintain its good name and integrity within the community" (Letter to Chris Lewin, December 3, 1991, from McCarthy, Palethorpe & Blanch--the lawfirm representing the SDA church). The SDA church also made many apologies to their angry ecumenical partners, as noted in several Australian papers (see The Busselton-Margaret Times, May 9, 1991; The Wimmera Mail-Times, March 22, 1991).

But what about the fundamental historic truths contained in The Protestant? Did the SDA church--representing the entire SDA membership--also distance themselves from these truths? The Director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the South Pacific Division of the SDA church makes the following "authorized" statement in court in behalf of the Church:

"...‘The Protestant’ magazine misrepresents the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church...Further, the damage being suffered by the Church is immediate....The only effective way to stop the damage [to the Church's good name in the public community] is to stop the publication of ‘The Protestant’...The damage being suffered will inevitably adversely affect the public support the Church receives, and the standing the Church enjoys..." Affidavit of Raymond Leslie Coombe, January 3, 1992, p 5-6.

And there have been other lawsuits initiated by the GC against other independent brethren who are preaching the truth, such as Raphael Perez of the Eternal Gospel church in Florida, etc. But all these reports show that the leaders of the SDA church are indeed allowing nothing to stand in the way of their conspiratorial plans, using varying degrees of persecution against those who refuse to blindly follow their directions. The SDA church has even called upon, appealed to, and is having and helping the civil authorities punish and persecute those independent SDA's who refuse to obey, bow down to, and worship the SDA church! This plainly shows that the SDA church has united with various State Governments around the world, and is using the strong arm of civil power to enforce their decrees! And what does it signify when a church unites with the State Government? It shows that church to be Babylon!

"The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of a union of Church and State, the inroads of Spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power,--all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands have never listened to words like these. In amazement they hear the testimony that Babylon is the church, fallen because of her errors and sins, because of her rejection of the truth sent to her from Heaven." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 424.

We have already seen that the SDA church united with the governments of Germany and Kenya, Africa. The following excerpts show precisely how close the SDA church has united itself with other governments around the world.

In Hungary

"A few short comments must also be made about the situation of small Christian denominations [in Hungary] who because of their limited numbers are often more prone to persecution by ‘administrative means.’...

"Finally the situation of the Seventh-day Adventist must be mentioned. Their leadership, hand-picked by the state authorities, carried out the measures designed to destroy the autonomy of the Church . In their case...the methods of intimidation were often more blatant than those applied against larger groups such as the Catholics. Nonetheless, these are all familiar to those who have studied totalitarian systems. They are always selected in such a way as to make documentation difficult if not impossible. Reminiscent of the intimidation known in the U.S. to those who are familiar with the ways of organized crime...

"In the case of the Seventh-day Adventists. Some of the state ‘appointed’ leaders were so dissolute and morally reprehensible that they eventually had to give up their positions.

"The inevitable results of the state's manipulations was a split between the leadership and a group of preachers and faithful who chose an independent path. Their goal...was to return the church to its earlier, autonomous state. They seek a return to the original principles of their religion..." Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Ninety-Eighth Congress, Second Session, June 12, 1984, p 264-265.

In the Czech Republic:

The president of the Czech-Slovenian SDA Union was Karel Nowak. The "Anti-communist Alliance" in that area publishes a periodical which lists the most prominent agents of the StB--"the Czech version of the KGB" (see The Russian Front, November, 1994, p 3). Karel is listed 84th on their list of StB agents!

"84. Nowak Karel, 10.12.1950, ‘Redaktor’ 19939, ci'rkev advent.7 dne." Noviny Periodical, November, 1992.

In Russia:

"Through the leading agency of a number of preachers of the Seventh-day Adventists in Tula [Russia] the re-election of the senior church official of the Central Region was passed. As a result of this action [KGB] agent ‘Svetlov’ will again be placed in this office." Translated from the Reports of the Fourth Department of the Fifth Directorate of the KGB of the USSR, November, 1986.

Who was the KGB agent that was re-elected as the SDA church leader in the Central Region of Russia? "Mikhail P. Kulakov." This man was the SDA Division president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and also its Ministerial Association Secretary! But that is not the extent of Kulakov's administration positions. He is also one of the eleven SDA vice-presidents of the General Conference! (See Adventist Review, July 26-August 2, 1990, p 4-5).

What does the president of the General Conference of SDA's state about Kulakov being a KGB agent?

"That man [Kulakov] is a man of God, and I [Robert Folkenberg] will stake my own reputation on the trust for that man....

"Elder Kulakov wanted to retire at the time of the [1990] General Conference Session when the [Russian] Division was organized. I asked him to continue for some time longer [as its president] if he'd be willing to. He wanted to retire then...[but] he agreed to stay on..." Robert Folkenberg, "Issues and Interviews" on SDA radio station--KCDS, February 19, 1993.

In the United States:

In 1954, the SDA church made an agreement with the U.S. Government to provide SDA volunteers for the Military's medical experimentation and research code-named Project Whitecoat. The stated objective of this research was for the SDA service-men to be exposed to various infectious diseases. Then in bringing them back to health, "the development of suitable methods of prevention and treatment of infectious diseases" could be obtained. This information would then be released to the medical profession of the United States, and "thus all citizens benefit from the program, not only members of the armed forces" (see The Youth's Instructor, October 15, 1963, p 15).

By the summer of 1970, the General Conference had encouraged about 1500 SDA's to volunteer for "Project Whitecoat" (see Spectrum, Summer, 1970, p 60). The great problem with this "Project" was that its main purpose was for research into offensive--not even defensive--chemical and biological warfare!

Congressman Richard McCarthy investigated into the subject of the U.S. involvement in chemical and biological warfare, and investigated into Project Whitecoat. He states:

"My knowledge of [Project Whitecoat], and I base that on the statements made by very responsible people, is that it is offensive not defensive, and that the Seventh-day Adventists are being duped." Quoted in Spectrum, Summer, 1970, p 65.

Thus the General Conference covenanted with the Government of the United States to encourage and provide their own SDA members for research into offensive chemical and biological warfare, and these SDA members were lied to about it, and deceived into volunteering! The SDA church offered up or "sacrificed" its own members as "guinea pigs" to the god of offensive biological warfare! And many of those SDA's who volunteered for Project Whitecoat have never fully recovered their health.

"Using human volunteers to test new chemical and biological agents in not without risk....The American volunteers are recruited from the penitentiaries and the armed forces. Many of the human guinea pigs...have been young Seventh Day Adventists." Maclean's Canada's National Magazine, April 21, 1962, p 41-42.

Another incident of SDA church involvement with the U.S. Government:

"In 1981 the State Department's Bureau of Refugee Programs signed one such [funding] contract giving the Seventh Day Adventist World Service Organization (SAWSO) $750,000 for work among refugees along the Thai-Cambodian border. There was a clear secular--though political--objective shared by the State Department and SAWSO: strengthening access and services to forces loyal to Son Sann, one of three factions of the anti-Vietnamese coalition of Cambodian refugees living in the border camps (the other two were headed by Prince Sihanouk and Pol Pot)....

"In the camps, the Adventists were also known for an aggressive brand of evangelism...Therefore, the contract the Adventists signed contained wording that incorporated the ‘no proselytism’ language advanced in contractual guidelines in Washington that same year..." The Uneasy Alliance: Religion, Refugee Work, and U.S. Foreign Policy, p 195, by J. Bruce Nichols.

With the SDA church in union with, and working with, the various State Governments around the world, and even using these civil powers to persecute those "independents" who refuse to obey their decrees, persecution will soon intensify. Yet, this should not take any of us by surprise, because God has already warned His people of this!

"Just as soon as a man separates from God so that his heart is not under the subduing power of the Holy Spirit, the attributes of Satan will be revealed, and he will begin to oppress his fellowmen. An influence goes forth from him that is contrary to truth and justice and righteousness. This disposition is manifested in our institutions, not only in the relation of workers to one another, but the desire shown by one institution [the General Conference] to control all others. Men who are entrusted with weighty responsibilities, but who have no living connection with God, have been doing despite to the Holy Spirit. They are indulging the very same spirit as did Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and as did the Jews in the days of Christ. (see Matt. 12:22-29; 31:37). Warnings have come from God again and again for these men, but they have cast them aside and ventured on in the same course....

"Jesus said, ‘Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.’ This prophecy was literally fulfilled by the Jews in their treatment of Christ and of the messengers whom God sent to them. Will men in these last days follow the example of those whom Christ condemned?

"These terrible predictions they have not as yet carried out to the full; but if God spares their lives, and they nourish the same spirit that marked their course of action both before and after the Minneapolis meeting, they will fill up to the full the deeds of those whom Christ condemned when He was upon the earth.

"The perils of the last days are upon us. Satan takes the control of every mind that is not decidedly under the control of the Spirit of God. Some have been cultivating hatred against the men whom God has commissioned to bear a special message to the world. They began this satanic work at Minneapolis. Afterward, when they saw and felt the demonstration of the Holy Spirit testifying that the message was of God, they hated it the more, because it was a testimony against them. They would not humble their hearts to repent, to give God the glory, and vindicate the right. They went on in their own spirit, filled with envy, jealousy, and evil surmisings, as did the Jews. They opened their hearts to the enemy of God and man. Yet these men have been holding positions of trust, and have been molding the work after their own similitude, as far as they possibly could." Testimonies to Ministers, p 79-80.

So it will be "our own brethren" that will be foremost in persecuting God's true people. But why? Because God's people will hold to and speak the truth, exposing the errors and deceptions that are taking place "under the guise of the General Conference Association," in seeking to awaken the people to what is really going on.

These special messages will be hated by the SDA leadership because it is "a testimony against them." The church refuses to repent, its leadership refuses to obey the first angel's message to give God the glory, vindicate the right and obey a "thus saith the Lord." They refuse to hold to the historic beliefs of Adventism, but instead they "have opened their hearts" to Satan, and will persecute--at first verbally, but then even to blood--God's true people!

"Those who have turned away from a plain, ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ will be blinded in a superstitious faith in every kind of apostasy, and will be led into that terrible iniquity which God's word represents as being drunken with the blood of the saints." [see Revelation 17:6] Review and Herald, vol 3, p 495.

Will the SDA church leadership really "fill up to the full the deeds of those whom Christ condemned when He was upon the earth"? Will they kill, scourge, and persecute God's true people from city to city? We were told that if they nourish the same evil spirit from Minneapolis, then they will persecute their true SDA brethren. Can we still see the SDA leadership cherishing the same evil spirit which was manifested at Minneapolis?

In 1984, an advertisement appeared regarding the pre-session of the 54th General Conference Session that was held at the Superdome in New Orleans. This advertisement stated:

"In 1888 the direction of the Adventist Church took an upward turn at the Minneapolis ministerial pre-session....and the church has not been the same since."

"The 1985 World Ministers Council follows in the tradition of 1888." Ministry Magazine, November, 1984, p 22.

Assuredly, persecution of God's true people by their own professed SDA brethren, will increase! Is this any different from the professed Israelites back in the time of Christ?

"As Christ sought to place truth before the people in its proper relation to their salvation, Satan worked through the Jewish leaders, and inspired them with enmity against the Redeemer of the world. They determined to do all in their power to prevent Him from making an impression upon the people." Selected Messages, book 1, p 407.

Why didn't more of the Jews, who heard Christ expose the errors and deceptions being practiced by their Jewish church leaders, accept His words and follow Him?

"‘Because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God’ [John 12:42]. How pitiful is this statement! The maintenance of their dignity was of greater weight with them than the performance of their duty to exert an influence on the side of truth and righteousness." Review and Herald, vol 4, p 238.

"The people had been deeply moved by the words of Christ. The divine beauty of the principles of truth attracted them; and Christ's solemn warnings had come to them as the voice of the heart-searching God. His words had struck at the very root of their former ideas and opinions; to obey His teachings would require a change in all their habits of thought and action. It would bring them into collision with their religious teachers; for it would involve the overthrow of the whole structure which for generations the rabbis had been rearing. Therefore, while the hearts of the people responded to His words, few were ready to accept them as the guide of life." Mount of Blessings, p 147.

That is why persecution of Christ and His followers was so severe from the Jewish church leaders, and that is why persecution by the SDA church leaders will become severe to Christ's followers today.

But what principles could cause the overthrow of the whole Jewish structure? First it was founded on error and not on truth, so God's blessings and protection could not be given. Second, if the people would realize that errors and deceptions were being taught to them by their church, then they would understand that they could not give their tithes and offerings to support this structure and its teachers of deceit and error. Their tithes and offerings would go instead to support Christ and His true followers who presented and upheld God's truth unmixed with error. The same holds true for today.

Where are God's tithes and offerings supposed to go?

"As long as the truth is progressive, the claims of God rest upon man to give of that which He has intrusted to them for this purpose." Testimonies, vol 4, p 469.

"It would be poor policy to support from the treasury of God those who really mar and injure His work, and who are constantly lowering the standard of Christianity." Testimonies, vol 3, p 553.

"There are fearful woes for those who preach the truth, but are not sanctified by it, and also for those who consent to receive and maintain the unsanctified to minister to them in word and doctrine." Testimonies, vol 1, p 261-262.

"All the means is not to be handled by one agency or organization." Letter 32a, January 6, 1908, Spalding and Magan Collection, p 421.

"His [God's] gifts are committed to men as individuals. Every man has been made a steward of sacred trusts; each is to discharge his trust according to the direction of the Giver; and by each an account of his stewardship must be rendered to God. We are responsible to invest this means ourselves." Testimonies, vol 7, p 176-177.

Also, when our SDA people learn that the SDA church is playing the Stock Market with millions of dollars of tithes sent in (see 1983, 1987, 1989 General Conference Investment Portfolio's), and tithe monies have been lost throughout the many years the church has been involved in this speculative gambling (see The Issue of Tithe), our people will wake up and start sending God's tithe monies elsewhere--to those standing for and spreading God's truths unmixed with error!

But as the plain and clear truth continues to go out more and more boldly exposing the errors and the falsehoods being taught to our people by their SDA church and leadership, persecution will continue to grow, and the leadership will definitely "fill up to the full the deeds of those whom Christ condemned when He was upon the earth."