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EXCERPT FROM WWN XXX - 10(97) “Watchman, what of the night?” "The hour has come,
the hour is striking and striking at you,
AXIOMS AND POSTULATES
Coming into the homes of the members of
the Adventist Community is a vast amount of printed material via the Postal
Service. This is not counting the TV, Video, and Short-wave propaganda which
many tune into on their own volition. The question which Pilate asked Jesus
cries out for an answer - "What is truth?" (John 18:38) It is obvious that the mass of that which
is being published cannot be truth for two reasons: 1) It is contradictory;
truth is not; and 2) It is confusing; truth is not. Truth may be divisive, but
it does not confuse. What answer can be found? In High School,
I enrolled in classes both for Plain Geometry and Solid Geometry. In fact, if I
were to be asked to draw up a curriculum for an undergraduate student desiring
to enter the ministry, I would require, at least, that such a student take a
course in Plain Geometry and pass it with no less than a "B" average.
Why? Because a student in such a class, in working out the theorems required,
"develops a habit of thought which is invaluable to him."
While
students should be trained to be thinkers, this training should not cease when
formal schooling ceases. The adults in the pews of the Church, or in the
atmosphere of a "home church" should likewise be taught to think and
not be mere reflectors of other men's thoughts. But for a teacher or a pastor
to lead those under his care to think, he must himself, likewise think. What is happening is very different from
this. A "parrot" ministry has developed in the Church.
The local
pastor "parrots" what the conference says, which in turn has parroted
the Union Conference leadership, which but echoes the Division mouthings, which in its turn reflects the General
Conference position. This same "parrot" mentality dominates most of
the "independent" ministries who instead of thinking through what the
Bible teaches, quote the Writings without considering the "must"
imposed by Ellen White herself - "time and place must be
considered." (SM, bk I, p.57) This is compounded when these
"voices" refuse to recognize the clear counsel - "The truth is
an advancing truth, and we must walk in the increasing light." (Review & Herald, March 25,1890)
Instead, they remain in "historic" Laodiceanism. In Geometry, theorems are worked,
conclusions are reached and proven. Basic in this process are axioms and
postulates. An axiom is a proposition regarded as self-evident. As an
illustration, we note from a Solid Geometry textbook the axiom - "If
equals are added to equals, the sums are equal." A postulate is an
hypothesis advanced as an essential premise of a train of reasons.
An
illustration of a postulate is given in the same textbook - "One straight
line, and only one, can be drawn through two points." If such clear-cut
perception would dominate the theological thinking of the Adventist Community,
we wouldn't be plagued with three positions on the Incarnation. God has set forth by His Word certain
"axioms" and "postulates" so that truth, pure and
unadulterated, can be determined. Regardless of all the theorizing, there are
absolutes; and Biblical truths are a part of those absolutes. By being guided
by Biblical axioms and postulates, we can stand on these absolutes - the Rock,
a solid foundation - amid all the confusion, which is nothing less than
capaticity to Babylon.
One area of prime confusion today is in
the realm of Bible prophecy. What methodology is to be used - historistic,
preteristic, futuristic, or the allegorical? To add to the confusion, Dr.
Desmond Ford introduced his theory known as the apotelesmatic
concept. To compound the confusion, some, such as Larry Wilson, use one
hermeneutic for the book of Daniel and a different one for the prophecies of
Revelation. We set forth the "theorem" that
the only valid method of prophetic interpretation is the historistic. The proof
is found in the basic introductory prophecy of the book of Daniel itself. In
the dream given to Nebuchadnezzar, he was told, "Thou art this head of
gold." (2:38) There was to come "after" him another kingdom, and
a "third," to be followed by a "fourth kingdom." History
but responded to the voice of prophecy. In a vision given to Daniel himself, he
was plainly told by Gabriel that the "ram which thou sawest having two
horns are the kings of Media and Persia." (8:20) Does this method of interpretation apply
to the book of Revelation? In speaking with Daniel, Gabriel had informed him
that as far as "the scripture of truth" was concerned,
"none" except "Michael your prince" held with him in these
things. (10:21) The same "two" are introduced in the very first verse
of Revelation - "Jesus Christ" and "His angel." Nowhere in
the book is an indication that a different methodology would be followed than
had been set forth in Daniel. Returning to our illustration - Geometry - the
textbook being cited observed that; "postulates of plane geometry are
equally applicable to solid geometry." Perhaps Larry Wilson and those who
are parroting him, might better take a course or two in Geometry and thus learn
to think consistently. Early in human history, God set forth a
postulate. To Noah, He declared - "My Spirit shall not always strive with
man." (Gen. 6:3) A time was set on the activities of man. There is a
corollary to this. This postulate applies equally to nations, corporate
entities as well as to man as an individual. Israel is an illustration of this
postulate's all encompassing Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the
ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, ... if those
ordinances depart from Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall
cease from being a nation before me for ever.
(31:35-36) Based on these promises, the leadership of
Israel presumed themselves eternally secure. "They defied earth and heaven
to dispossess them of their rights." (COL,
p. 294; see also DA, p.106) Yet God
through the prophet Daniel warned them that they would be called into account.
"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people," was the message of
God through the prophet. The record of its fulfilment
is left on record for us to take heed. We refuse today to recognize this
postulate and its corollary. Because God bestowed upon the corporate Church in
sacred trust "the most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals ... to
proclaim to the world" (9T:19), we feel that we are exempt from the
postulate and corollary. We fail to recognize that there is an equivalency
between Israel's fate and our own. Israel rejected and crucified the Lord of
truth; today the Church has crucified the truth of the Lord.
A clear warning
has been given. In 1903, the messenger of Lord wrote:
In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day Adventist church is to
be weighed. She will be judged by the privileges and advantages she has had.
... By the light bestowed, the opportunities given, will she be judged.
(8T:247) The consequence of finding the Church
remiss in its sacred trust is plainly stated:
If her spiritual experience does not correspond to the advantages that
Christ, at infinite cost, has bestowed on her, if the blessing conferred has
not qualified her to the work entrusted to her, on her will be pronounced the
sentence, "Found wanting." (ibid.) As if in defiance of the evidence of
apostasy, we hear voices as strident as the Jews of old defying earth and
heaven to dispossess the Church of its trust. Other "voices"
recognizing the facts but unwilling to face them squarely and act accordingly,
declare that they will make the necessary moves when informed by a
"prophet," all unmindful that He who is the source of all prophecy
gave "the Sign" of the close of probation for the Church. This brings
us to the next and a related postulate. Through Amos, God declared that He "will do nothing, but He revealeth His
secret unto His servants the prophets." (3:7) This axiom closely follows the de-facto
assertion of God in the days of Noah. When He determined the Flood, He sent a message
through Noah. When God decided to punish Judah for its apostasy, He sent
Jeremiah. When at last He sent His Son, the way was prepared by John the
Baptist. Now in this final hour, God has refocused the attention of mankind
upon Jerusalem. Jesus had already prophesied
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"Jerusalem shall be
trodden down of the Gentiles [Gr. "nations"] until the times of the
[nations] be fulfilled." (Luke 21:24)
This prophecy has been fulfilled. It has been so recognized in various
Church publications, but when the full implications of its meaning dawned upon
the consciousness of the Church's leadership, it was dismissed by deceptive
interpretations of the Word of God. (See: "Why This Ignorance?" in
WWN, XXX 3 & 4(97); or write for the tract, "Jerusalem in Bible Prophecy") A postulate which is closely linked to
these fundamental axioms is found in Paul's epistle to the Corinthians. He
wrote - "God is not the author of confusion." (I Cor. 14:33) The significance and verification of God
taking singular steps to insure no confusion can be seen in a series of direct
pronouncements in both the Old and New Testaments. To Isaiah, He revealed Himself,
stating unequivocally: There is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none
beside Me. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am
God, and there is none else. (45:21-22) Jesus Christ left no room for doubt or
confusion. He declared: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by Me. (John 14:6) To the apostate leadership of Israel who
had crossed the unseen line, Peter stated: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) Now ask yourself and answer a series of
questions based on Bible revelation: How many arks did God have built and how
many Noah's did God send to the antediluvian world? To how many peoples did God entrust the "giving of the law"
and the sanctuary patterned after Heavenly things? How many Christs did God
send to reveal Him? To how many churches did God entrust the giving of the
Three Angels' Messages? Can you imagine the confusion which would have resulted
had God given the Three Messages to the Baptists and one or more branches of
the Pentecostals? God is not the Author of confusion, and He did not so do.
Neither is He doing so today! Closely associated with this postulate is
the corollary - "Be established in the present truth." (II Peter
1:12)
To every generation, God has a
present truth. This is not a denial of truth from previous ages, for truth is
as eternal as Let us consider one more axiom or
postulate. Paul wrote in Romans: By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight:
for by the law is the knowledge of sin ... Therefore we conclude that a man is
justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Rom. 3:20, 28) Paul is likewise emphatic that there is
only one gospel, and this gospel was the gospel he proclaimed - "a man is
justified by faith without the deeds of the law." To the Galatians, he
wrote: Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said
before so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than
that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Gal. 1:8-9)
God is not the author of confusion. He
does not have multiple ways to His throne, and various gates by which one may
enter the pathway to Heaven. Neither has He provided various
"gospels" by which men can be saved. It is not the Tridentine gospel
proclaimed by Rome and any modification of it to fit a "works
oriented" program. It is justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ
only. He is not only the singular means of our justification, but He has been
"made unto us... sanctification, and redemption." (I Cor. 1:30) We
are complete "in Him." (Col. 2:10) In this hour when confusion reigns supreme
in the community of Adventism and it is difficult to determine what is "babylon" and what is not, we truly need to heed the
admonition given by Paul to Timothy: Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(II Tim 2:15) One can no more rightly divide the Word of
truth, without the Divine axioms and postulates of the Word itself, than one
can work Geometric theorems apart from the axioms and postulates of Geometry.
This is why there is so much confusion in the community of Adventism today,
because that is what is being done. Sadly, many concerned souls not recognizing
or giving due consideration to these axioms and postulates, have
"bought" into this confusion.
(Summary of the Sabbath morning
message given at the 1997 Annual Fellowship)
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