A Message to Seventh-day Adventists

The "Perfect" Truth

The members at large of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church, and many of them, outspoken and vocal, believe that the alleged papal title; Vicarius Filii Dei, is the interpretation that is intended in the prophecy giving us the number 666.

Many also believe that this interpretation is within the established truths and are foundational pillars of the SDA church.

The origins of this belief is not known by most SDAs and because SDAs are among the foremost in promulgating this, it is believed among most non-SDAs that this papal title interpretation originated from the SDA church.

They are not even aware that the whole process, that involves the conversion of letters into numbers, is not indicated in the prophecy, but is predicated upon the "added notes" of the Catholic bible which reads; "“Six hundred sixty-six. . . The numeral letters of his name shall make up this number.” http://www.catholicfirst.com/TheFaith/Bible/apocalypse.cfm

The Catholic bible footnotes for Rev 13: 1; “A beast. . .This first beast with seven heads and ten horns, is probably the whole company of infidels, enemies and persecutors of the people of God, from the beginning to the end of the world. The seven heads are seven kings, that is, seven principal kingdoms or empires, which have exercised, or shall exercise, tyrannical power over the people of God; of these, five were then fallen, viz.: the Egyptian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian, and Grecian monarchies: one was present, viz., the empire of Rome: and the seventh and chiefest was to come, viz., the great Antichrist and his empire. The ten horns may be understood of ten lesser persecutors.”

The Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church, has responded to an inquiry of their views and it is openly evident that it too is predicated on the Catholic interpretation.

The BRI states: "At John's time five were fallen, namely Egypt, which is mentioned in Revelation, Assyria, ancient Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. One is, which is Rome. John experiences the Roman empire. One has not yet come, which is the Papacy. The ten horn exists at the same time as the last head lives. From John's perspective this was still future."

Notice that there is only one small difference between the BRI and the Catholic view. They inserted the "papacy" as one of the heads. It becomes obvious that the BRI has fallen for the Catholic's "Preterist" interpretation, mingling "Historicism" with "Preterism." (Why does our "LEADING" bretheren "espouse" Catholic teaching???)

The Clear Word bible that many use today has also espoused this view because it includes the interpreted note "within" the text itself.

These specific corruptions of the Sacred Scriptures, are deceptions that are directly targeting the prophecies that apply to the very last days, and many are being deceived, ...EVEN THE ELECT!!

William Miller, who pioneered the opening of the last day message of Christ's soon return, had a dream. In it, he saw a cask of gems that represented the precious truths of the remnant. As he tried to display them for all the world to see, there were others who soiled them and and brought in dirt and rubbish and scattered them around. Then the man with the dirt brush came in and swept away all the dirt, and gathered the precious gems all together again. But now, they were seen as more brilliant than before. Many false teachings have come into the Seventh-day Adventist church, and have obscured the truth for this time, but as this message has unfolded, it has become apparent that it is the new light which was to come, and it sweeps away the false teaching regarding these prophecies. This dirt and rubbish that has come in, that has been added to the truth, is what many SDAs believe as "the old landmarks."

Examine all the research I have produced here. It complements what SDAs have already known, and knits together all the pieces of the prophecy. As for the removing the landmarks, I know that Ellen White spoke against those who accuse others of removing the old landmarks, when it was clear that they had no idea what the old landmarks were. Then she went on to identify the landmarks which she referred to. No, this research does not remove the old landmarks.


The Landmarks Defined.

--In Minneapolis God gave precious gems of truth to His people in new settings. This light from heaven by some was rejected with all the stubbornness the Jews manifested in rejecting Christ, and there was much talk about standing by the old landmarks. But there was evidence they knew not what the old landmarks were. There was evidence and there was reasoning from the word that commended itself to the conscience; but the minds of men were fixed, sealed against the entrance of light, because they had decided it was a dangerous error removing the "old landmarks" when it was not moving a peg of the old landmarks, but they had perverted ideas of what constituted the old landmarks. {CW 30.1}

The passing of the time in 1844 was a period of great events, opening to our astonished eyes the cleansing of the sanctuary transpiring in heaven, and having decided relation to God's people upon the earth, [also] the first and second angels' messages and the third, unfurling the banner on which was inscribed, "The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." One of the landmarks under this message was the temple of God, seen by His truth-loving people in heaven, and the ark containing the law of God. The light of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment flashed its strong rays in the pathway of the transgressors of God's law. The nonimmortality of the wicked is an old landmark. I can call to mind nothing more that can come under the head of the old landmarks. All this cry about changing the old landmarks is all imaginary. {CW 30.2}

She also made reference to William Miller's dream, in which the man with the dirt brush would come in and sweep away all the rubbish that has been brought in that has occluded the gems of truth that we have.

PREFACE

I dreamed that God, by an unseen hand, sent me a curiously wrought casket about ten inches long by six square, made of ebony and pearls curiously inlaid. To the casket there was a key attached. I immediately took the key and opened the casket, when, to my wonder and surprise, I found it filled with all sorts and sizes of jewels, diamonds, precious stones, and gold and silver coin of every dimension and value, beautifully arranged in their several places in the casket; and thus arranged they reflected a light and glory equaled only to the sun.
I thought it was not my duty to enjoy this wonderful sight alone, although my heart was overjoyed at the brilliancy, beauty, and value of its contents. I therefore placed it on a center table in my room and gave out word that all who had a desire might come and see the most glorious and brilliant sight ever seen by man in this life.
The people began to come in, at first few in number, but increasing to a crowd. When they first looked into the casket, they would wonder and shout for joy. But when the spectators increased, everyone would begin to trouble the jewels, taking them out of the casket and scattering them on the table.
I began to think that the owner would require the casket and the jewels again at my hand; and if I suffered them to be scattered, I could never place them in their places in the casket again as before; and felt I should never be able to meet the accountability, for it would be immense. I then began to plead with the people not to handle them, nor to take them out of the casket; but the more I pleaded, the more they scattered; and now they seemed to scatter them all over the room, on the floor and on every piece of furniture in the room.
I then saw that among the genuine jewels and coin they had scattered an innumerable quantity of spurious jewels and counterfeit coin. I was highly incensed at their base conduct and ingratitude, and reproved and reproached them for it; but the more I reproved, the more they scattered the spurious jewels and false coin among the genuine.
I then became vexed in my physical soul and began to use physical force to push them out of the room; but while I was pushing out one, three more would enter and bring in dirt and shavings and sand and all manner of rubbish, until they covered every one of the true jewels, diamonds, and coins, which were all excluded from sight. They also tore in pieces my casket and scattered it among the rubbish. I thought no man regarded my sorrow or my anger. I became wholly discouraged and disheartened, and sat down and wept.
While I was thus weeping and mourning for my great loss and accountability, I remembered God, and earnestly prayed that He would send me help.
Immediately the door opened, and a man entered the room, when the people all left it; and he, having a dirt brush in his hand, opened the windows, and began to brush the dirt and rubbish from the room.
I cried to him to forbear, for there were some precious jewels scattered among the rubbish.
He told me to "fear not," for he would "take care of them".
Then, while he brushed the dirt and rubbish, false jewels and counterfeit coin, all rose and went out of the window like a cloud, and the wind carried them away. In the bustle I closed my eyes for a moment; when I opened them, the rubbish was all gone. The precious jewels, the diamonds, the gold and silver coins, lay scattered in profusion all over the room.
He then placed on the table a casket, much larger and more beautiful than the former, and gathered up the jewels, the diamonds, the coins, by the handful, and cast them into the casket, till not one was left, although some of the diamonds were not bigger than the point of a pin.
He then called upon me to "come and see."
I looked into the casket, but my eyes were dazzled with the sight. They shone with ten times their former glory. I thought they had been scoured in the sand by the feet of those wicked persons who had scattered and trod them in the dust. They were arranged in beautiful order in the casket, every one in its place, without any visible pains of the man who cast them in. I shouted with very joy, and that shout awoke me. Early Writings, p. 81- 83.

Still others believe that it is alright to hold on to this papal title theory alleging that there is more than one interpretation for this prophecy.

I assert that the Bible bears an intended interpretation for all prophecies, and all other interpretations are false. Those prophecies that have a dual application, are clearly identified. (Matthew 24) The chiastic link in the Bible itself bears out this same 666 number as demonstrated, and applies it also to the last eighth head that goes into perdition. The Vicarius Filii Dei interpretation makes no connection to this chiastic link.

In this research, I am not asking anyone to discard their cherished belief, without providing it its place, a far more "Perfect" interpretation that is exceedingly better in every aspect, and has its roots in a "Biblical" interpretation only, and is not corrupted with Catholic teachings. It is not predicated in any aspect on Catholic interpretation. The papal title interpretation, though poised at the papacy, is based on the conversion of letters into numbers as written in the Catholic Douay Rheims bible footnotes:

Many who have seen this research, have concluded with absolute certainty that this will set up the Loud Cry (Revelation 18) that is to come, and causes many to pour forth the straight testimony and causes the shaking.

SDAs believe that they are the Laodicean church, yet they do not wish to think that they themselves are Laodicean, while still believing that they are "rich" and need no more new interpretations of prophecy. I ask; What do SDAs believe in that is wrong? (Nothing, because they are rich and in need of nothing, they are blind...) They have their "Vicarius Filii Dei" to believe in.

Though we have an individual work and an individual responsibility before God, we are not to follow our own independent judgment, regardless of the opinions and feelings of our brethren; for this course would lead to disorder in the church. It is the duty of ministers to respect the judgment of their brethren; but their relations to one another, as well as the doctrines they teach, should be brought to the test of the law and the testimony; then, if hearts are teachable, there will be no divisions among us. Some are inclined to be disorderly, and are drifting away from the great landmarks of the faith; but God is moving upon His ministers to be one in doctrine and in spirit. {CET 203.1} It is necessary that our unity today be of a character that will bear the test of trial. . . . We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn. God and Heaven alone are infallible. Those who think that they will never have to give up a cherished view, never have occasion to change an opinion, will be disappointed. As long as we hold to our own ideas and opinions with determined persistency, we cannot have the unity for which Christ prayed. {CET 203.2}

I urge those who claim to believe the truth to walk in unity with their brethren. Do not seek to give to the world occasion to say that we are extremists, that we are disunited, that one teaches one thing, and one another. Avoid dissension.--TM 57 (1893). {LDE 92.2}

Hear Before You Condemn.--When new light is presented to the church, it is perilous to shut yourselves away from it. Refusing to hear because you are prejudiced against the message or the messenger will not make your case excusable before God. To condemn that which you have not heard and do not understand will not exalt your wisdom in the eyes of those who are candid in their investigations of truth. And to speak with contempt of those whom God has sent with a message of truth, is folly and madness. --Counsels on Sabbath School Work, pp. 32, 33. (1892.) {CW 51.1}

The president of the General Conference of SDA has recently called for the ministry of the SDA church to hold the doctrines of the church in unity. Why? Because there is no unity. The Sabbath School Quarterly lesson study guide for June 2002 has direcly refuted the "Vicarius Filii Dei" interpretation for the number 666, yet the evangelists refuse to give this up, and are still preaching it as truth.

This SDA church will never attain this unity, while still espousing these errors. They must yield up these false teachings if they are going to achieve unity.

The Vicarius Filii Dei as the papal title and the letters converted to numbers that add up to 666, is a false teaching, that has been agreed upon by the Sabbath School Quarterly committee and openly rejected it in 2002. To continue using this teaching, is wrong.