XX - 1(87) - Excerpt

“Watchman,

what of the night?”

"The hour has come, the hour is striking and striking at you,
the hour and the end!" Eze. 7:6 (Moffatt)

An Image to the Beast

Findings in Fact by a Federal Judge

(Excerpt from wwn1(87))

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Prophecy is how God views a given event, an institution, a government, which by His divine foresight He reveals will take place or come into existence. Prophecy is God's prejudgment of history. This serves a very specific purpose. When the event or entity occurs or appears in history, the children of God can then know how to react in harmony with God's revelation. Inasmuch as a chief focus of prophecy is to unmask the workings of Satan in and through earthly powers, the children of God can in fulfilled prophecy discern "the wiles of the devil" and sound a note of warning to all who will hear. Those who read, hear, and keep the things revealed in sacred trust need not be deceived by the workings of "wicked spirits in heavenly places." (Eph. 6:11-12 margin)

While any given prophecy is specific and its fulfillment can be discerned because the facts of its fulfillment fit no other event, nevertheless lessons in principle can be learned from a fulfilled prophecy as the cyles of history repeat themselves. Further, while given prophecies may remain as yet unfulfilled, the principles indicated in the prophecies may be applied and understood in events which anticipate the actual fulfillment of any given prophecy.

In Revelation 13, two "beast" powers are symbolized. One through an "image" of the other causes distress to those who did not have either -"the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Rev. 13:17) Certain things have been fulfilled in history which coincide with the prophetic delineation so that the first "beast" can be identified. There are close parallels between this "beast" of Revelation 13, and the seventh chapter of Daniel.

In Daniel 7, there are four beasts - and only four - the lion, bear, leopard and a non-descript animal symbol. These four came up in succession, not simultaneously. The Bible language is too clear to warrant any other conclusion: "The first ... and behold another... after this I beheld, and lo another... After this I saw... a fourth. beast." (7:4, 5, 6, 7) The lion, with eagles wings, the national symbol of Babylon, is clearly identified in the Bible as that power. (Jer. 49:19, 22, 28) The succession follows - Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. From Rome comes forth not only ten horns, three of which are plucked up "by the roots," but a "little horn." It must be kept in mind this "little horn" is ever nurtured by that fourth beast - its roots remain in that beast's head to the end of the "beast."

This non-descript beast with its "little horn" continues till Daniel beholds it given "to the burning flame." (7:11) The other beasts "had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time." (7:12)

This 12th verse of Daniel 7 serves as a preface to Revelation 13, for the first beast of Revelation 13 is pictured as a composite of all the beasts of Daniel 7. It was like a leopard, with the feet of

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a bear, and a mouth of a lion, with itself being non-descript having seven heads and ten horns. (13:1-2) It is significant to observe that here the exact order - only in reverse designation - of the beasts of Daniel 7 are incorporated into this first "beast." Further, there is a parallel between the two non-descript beasts keeping in mind that "the little horn" is ever a part of the fourth beast of Daniel 7. The "horn" speaks "great words against the most High," seeks to "wear out the saints of the most High," being allotted "a time and times and the dividing of time." (7:25) The first "beast" of Revelation 13 has "a mouth speaking great things" against God, makes "war with the saints" and overcomes them" with an allotted time of "forty and two months." (13:5-7) The conclusion is inescapable - the "mouth speaking" in Revelation 13 is to be identified with "the little horn" speaking in Daniel 7. The Papacy is the single fulfillment of both of these prophecies.

The first "beast" of Revelation 13 is likewise both political and ecclesiastical. It is given a "seat," "power," and "great authority" by the dragon - the Devil and Satan. (13:2; 12:9) The Devil boasted to Christ that the kingdoms (governments) of this world belonged to him, and "to whomsoever he would give them." (Luke 4:6) But this beast is also ecclesiastical - worship is involved. (13:4)

The second "beast" of Revelation 13 is likewise both political and ecclesiastical. It exercises all the power of the first beast whose power was derived from the dragon. (13:12, 2) It has ecclesiastical overtones - it "causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast., whose deadly wound was healed." (13:12) But its horns of power are separated - "two horns like a lamb." This power arising out of "the earth" rather than "the sea" has been accurately identified with the American nation. From the United States is to come the suggestion of the formation of the "image to the beast." (13:14)

In the formation of this image which will demand obeisance to the beast through a mark, name, or number is a vital principle interlocked with the Third Angel's Message. The message is - "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark ..." (14:9) This is clearly defined by the "wisdom" of God. Those who accept God's wisdom have "understanding." The text says - "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man." (13:18) The worship of the beast in principle is the worship of man. The image to the beast in principle is the setting up of an organization in which man appropriates to himself that which belongs to God alone, and causes the adherents to that organization to give their allegiance under threat of excommunication.

When God sent Elders A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner with the message of righteousness by faith to His chosen people in 1888, this message was declared to be "the third angel's message in verity." (R&H, April 1, 1890) The reason why this message was sent is twofold[1]. Not only was the message as given in 1888 "to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour" (TM, p. 91); but also it was a message to thwart "Satan's determined purpose to eclipse the view of Jesus" that would "lead men to look to man, and trust to man, and be educated to expect help from man." (Ibid, p. 93) And why?

The answer is given:

For years the church has been looking to man, and expecting much from man, but not looking to Jesus, in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. Therefore God gave to His servants a testimony that presented the truth as it is in Jesus, which is the third angel's message in clear, distinct lines. (Ibid)

The third angel's message cannot be given in clear, distinct lines now without taking into consideration those events involved in the 1888 rejection which culminated in the pragmatic call in 1901 for a "reorganization... to begin at the foundation, and to build upon a different principle." (1901 GC Bulletin, p. 25) While a start was made in the adoption of a new Constitution at that session, "thorough work" was not done, and the tragedy of 1903 followed. (8T:105-106) At the 1903 session another Constitution was implemented. During the floor discussion of this proposed Constitution, P. T. Magan stated:

The proposed new constitution reverses the reformatory steps that were taken, and the principles which were given, and which were adopted as the principles of re-organization, at the General Conferences of 1897 and 1901, and which were incorporated in the constitution of 1901.

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Now I am not here for a moment to state that the constitution of 1901 is a perfect one. To my mind, in many respects, it is very imperfect. To my mind, in many respects it is very clumsily drawn. But I have learned this, that all reforms come gradually; and in that constitution, clumsy though you may call it, defective though you may mark it, there are principles of reformation and reorganization for the head of the work which are right; and those principles are absolutely subverted and swept aside in the proposed new constitution.

It may be stated there is nothing in this new constitution which is not abundantly safeguarded by the provisions of it; but I want to say to you that any man who has ever read Neander's History of the Christian Church, Mosheim's, or any other of the great church historians, - any man who has ever read those histories can come to no other conclusion but that the principles which are to be brought in through this proposed constitution, and in the way in which they are brought in, are the same principles, and introduced in precisely the same way, as they were hundreds of years ago when the Papacy was made. (1901 GC Bulletin, p. 150)

The seed planted in the adoption of the 1903 Constitution has now reached its fruition. In principle an image to the beast was setup at the 1985 General Conference session, and has been so recognized by a Federal Judge in the United States. Judge William T. Hart of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, in an opinion handed down on October 29, 1986 declared in "The Findings of Fact, Section B, Church Objectives and Structures":

Church documents that prescribe the Church's structure and governance confirm that all parts of the Church are parts of a single entity. Next to the Roman Catholic Church, the Adventist Church is the most centralized of all the major christian denominations in this country." ("Derrick Proctor v. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist", Case #81 C 4938, "Findings of Fact," #77, p. 22; Emphasis mine)

What Magan declared was placed in operation in 1903 - the principles of the Papacy - now has become a reality recognized by the Federal Judiciary in 1986.

The Judge deduced very clearly the nature of the structure of the Church. His opinion of fact continued as follows:

The General Conference, as the worldwide governing body of the Adventist denomination, is the Church's highest legislative, judicial and ecclesiastical authority. The General Conference has ten world divisions. The United States is in the North American division. As the Church's highest level of organization, the General Conference may create constituent organizations, arbitrate disputes within and among parts of the Church, establish and revise Church policy, and impose discipline. The General Conference periodically audits the union and local conferences, as well as other church institutions, to determine their compliance with its policies and requirements regarding church and financial matters, and takes action as appropriate to ensure proper compliance. The General Conference also prepares guidelines and structures budgets for the union and local conferences.

Union conferences are created by the General Conference. Union conferences are composed of representatives of local conferences within each union. Each union conference in North America holds a constituency meeting every five years. Any member of the General Conference Committee may attend the constituency meeting of any union conference as a voting member.

Each local conference holds periodic meetings, at which General Conference Committee members and executive committee members of the union conference in that area may attend as voting members. Local conference executive committees follow directives from the union conference of which they are a part. (Ibid, p. 78-80)

What difference remains - except perhaps theological - between the individual member of the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican; and the individual member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the General Conference Committee? Is it little wonder then that within two weeks following the 1903 General Conference session, Ellen G. White quoted the question of the divine "Instructor" whose all-seeing eye penetrated the future to this very hour - "How is the faithful city become an harlot?" (8T:250) In 1903, there was a solution proposed by the Lord's messenger - "Unless the church which is now [1903] being leavened by her

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own backsliding shall repent and be converted..." (Ibid.) It requires much more than merely an acknowledgement of the rejection of a Heaven-designed experience; it requires a "reorganization" built upon "a different principle."

What William T. Hart merely did was to bring "the findings of fact", up to date in regard to the Seventh-day Adventist Church structure. Had his opinion been given prior to 1985, his conclusions could not have been what they were of this date. It was at the New Orleans General Conference session that the papal "image" was completed in principle in the far reaching organizational actions of that session.[2] Thus the Third Angel's Message comes home to each member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church - "If any man worship the beast and his image... the same shall drink ..." (Rev. 14:9,10)