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Special Issue -96 (1)
"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)
ADVENTISTS & CATHOLICS TOGETHER
An Update - Page 2
"SAINT ELLEN"
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The POPE and the Near East
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Editor's Preface
The first of two Special Reports in 1995 was headlined - "Adventists & Catholics Together; A 'Strategic Alliance' Anticipated." As the year 1995 closed, further announcements were released giving details of the merger of the Seventh-day Adventist hospital system in Colorado with the Roman Catholic facilities in the same state. These announcements of what the merger will look like and how it will function were given in a "News Release." This, we wish to share with you in this first Special
Issue for 1996.
Things are transpiring with such rapidity that it is with difficulty that we can keep abreast with these events and give you detailed reporting and analysis. Coming to the desk also as 1995 closed was a report from the Columbia Union Visitor of the 90th Anniversary for the Takoma Park Church in Maryland. What this report contained raises anew a "thorny" issue but one which must be
forthrightly addressed, however painful such rethinking might be.
These things noted in the above two paragraphs are matter within the regular Church. The events outside the Church which are of concern to us need to be addressed as well. The papal interest in the Near East involves a crucial issue concerning the day of worship. How will the Papacy relate to the conservative Jewish observance of the Sabbath, and the strict laws in Israel governing its observance. Or put another way, how will
the Jewish Community relate to the Papal emphasis on Sunday? Then there is the Islamic observance of Friday as the "holy day"? What tie is there between Islam and Catholicism that permits a working unity between these two world religions? Then all this much be compared with Bible prophecy so as to know how God views these end-time events.
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"It is the rejection of Bible truth which makes men approach to infidelity. It is a backsliding church that lessens the distance between itself and the Papacy.' The Signs of the Times -1894
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An Update
ADVENTISTS & CATHOLICS TOGETHER
On the next three pages will be reproduced documents detailing the merger of management functions of the PorterCare Adventist Health System, and the Roman Catholic Sisters of Charity Health Services of Colorado. Notice carefully the letterhead and order of signatures on the
form letter sent to the doctors involved. Normally in a combine, the names of the organizations or individuals uniting are listed in alphabetical order. Not so here. It is evident, who is the head and who is the tail. Further, symbolically, the distance between the Adventist logo, and the Papal organizational logo is less than an inch!
In actual functioning, the head of the Roman Catholic Health services becomes the CEO of the new and "unique" structure being set-up which will "consolidate both systems' operations, management and income," according to the Louisville, (CO) Times. (Dec. 16, 1995, p. 10)
Further, it has been revealed that the new management will have "its offices in a Denver facility called Catholic Health Care Initiatives, a 'soon-to-be-consolidated' organization including the Sisters of Charity Health Services of Colorado and two other national Catholic health systems." (ibid.) It also needs to be recalled that in the initial report [WWN, Special Report 95(1)] of the planned merger, it was noted that the Sisters of Charity Health Care System was so closely allied with the Vatican that any major decision of involvement would have to have prior approval by the Pope.
The leadership of the Church became so uneasy over the reaction of what the announcement of the management combine might be, that on the same day that the letter was released to the Physicians, another letter was sent to the Pastors of the Rocky Mountain Conference by the new president, Elder James Brauer. He had hoped to call a special meeting of the ministerial workers in advance to inform them of what was about to happen. Things were happening too fast, so the E-Mail letter to him (pp. 4-5) was given to the workers. In his cover letter, he wrote - "If there are any strong reactions and you need to talk, don't
hesitate to call. My beeper is 528-2394."
Certain statements written in this letter and news release need to be carefully noted. Terry White, President of the Portercare Adventist Health System, indicated there were two Important things to keep in mind: 1) The Church was "not 'selling out'." This is true. It is not a sellout; it is a giveaway! The News Release reads - "The new organization will manage the assets of both systems." And 2) He wanted it to be remembered that the Church is "very strongly committed not merely to
retaining our mission but to improving it." This is delusion of the highest type - self- delusion. Improving the mission of the Church in partnership with the Papacy! This is deception to the "nth" degree.
Among the factors which brought the two Health Care organizations together, White lists "common beliefs... derived from a common Christian heritage." In the "common beliefs" listed, White does not include doctrinal beliefs, but to claim "common Christian heritage" is to overlook basic revelations by God in prophecy as well as the teachings of Jesus Christ Himself.
It could have been said in Christ's day, that both He and the Jewish Church had a "common Old Testament heritage." It would have been a truer statement than White has made in regard to the current affiliation with the Papacy. God through the prophets has given us the source of the Papal heritage (Dan. 7 & Rev. 13). In the times of God's revelation in humanity, Jesus plainly said to the Jewish leadership "Ye are of your father the devil." (John 8:44) There was no "common heritage"! Neither is there any today.
If God has called us out of the Babylonian apostasy, there can be no affinity with Babylon.
The eternal God has drawn a line of distinction between His people, and those whose heritage is derived from paganism. "The two classes do not blend into each other imperceptibly, like the colors of the rainbow. They are as distinct as midday and midnight."
What causes the greatest wonder is that many of God's professed people, knowing of the backsliding of the Church toward the Papacy, continue still to support the Church with their tithes and offerings and to use their talents to forward their worship services. How shall they answer to the eternal God who has drawn a line of distinction between truth and error?
When we reject the revelation that God has given in prophecy, we manifest infidelity to Him. By supporting the church as it moves toward the
papacy we are partakers with it in its backsliding.
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"Saint" or "Saints" are good New Testament words. They are translations of the Greek word, hagios, meaning "holy one(s)," and were used to refer to the members of the first Christian communities. Paul addressing the Church at Corinth, wrote "to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints." (1 Cor. 1:2; the words, "to be" are supplied) Some whom he describes in this letter hardly qualify as "holy ones."
The word, "saint," has now taken on another meaning due to its use in Romanism "as one officially recognized as preeminent for holiness through canonization." There are many within the community of Adventism who have "canonized" the Writings of Ellen G. White, if not in word, in use. Now are we to cite references from those writings by noting, St. Ellen, Vol. 8:247, as some do with the Bible, for example, St. John 1:14. When are we going to recognize the Biblical doctrine of Spiritual Gifts as
it is taught in the Scriptures and place the "Gifts" where the Bible places them? We have not sainted Paul so as to reaffirm the gospel he proclaimed. Why "St. Ellen to reaffirm "the role of the Spirit of
Prophecy"? Or is it to affirm a "new" role?
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The POPE and the Near East
In his Encyclical, Tertio Millennio Advenlente (The coming Third
Millennium) released November 10, 1994, Pope John Paul II called for "Interreligious dialogue" with non-Christian He wrote - "In this dialogue the Jews and the Muslims ought to have a pre-eminent place." In a previous Encyclical, Centesimus Annus (May, 1991), John Paul reaffirmed Leo XIII's call for "Sunday rest so that people [may offer] the worship they owe to Almighty God."
In calling for dialogue with Judaism and Islam, he faces two distinct problems - The orthodox Jew observes the Sabbath and the Moslem, Friday. In fact, Israel has very strict Sabbath closing laws. However, a recommendation by Rabbi Schlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat, one of the largest new towns In Judea and Samaria, might bridge this gap. In a speech before an overflow audience at Toronto's Congregation B 'nai Torah, "he advocated concrete steps to end the antagonism [between the secular and religious Jew] by requesting that Sunday, as well as Saturday, be legalized as a day of rest." (The Jewish Tribune, Dec. 7, 1995, p. 14)
What about Islam? Dave Hunt in his book, A Woman Rides the Beast, reminds his readers that Islam's veneration of Mary could be the link by which they could be united into a universal faith. (p. 458) Quoting from Fulton J. Sheen's book, The World's First Love, he noted that Mohammed wrote after the death of his favorite daughter, Fatima - "Thou shall be most blessed of all woman in Paradise, after Mary." Sheen also observes how remarkable it was that Mary chose to appear at Fatlma, named for Mohammed's daughter, and thus became "Our Lady of Fatima." When this statue of Mary is carried in Islamic areas of Africa and Asia, "Muslims turn out by hundreds of thousands to worship her." "African Muslims... are seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary and 'are not required to become Christians' to follow her."
When we realizes that no one is more devoted to the adoration of Mary than John Paul II, who dedicated himself and his Pontificate to Our Lady, one can see how he expects to dialogue with the Muslims. In the new world order, one might see a long weekend for everyone - Friday through Sunday.
How does this relate to prophecy? Gabriel gave to Daniel what was noted In "the scripture of truth." (10:21;11:2) This prophecy was not given in symbolism as had been the other revelations given to him (Chapter 7 & 8). The "king of the north" and "the king of the south" are not symbols but the actual powers controlling the area north and south of "the pleasant land." the context of time in the last part of Daniel 11, both "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" are Islamic. Thus at the "time of the end" these two powers come against "the king" of Daniel 11:36. (See v. 40) What has this king done? He has planted the tabernacles of his palace "in the glorious holy mountain." (v. 45) Can the Lady of Fatima unite "the tabernacles" of the Papacy, and the Mosque of Omar? For how long? (Rev. 17:17) What then? (Dan. 11:45b; Rev. 17:16) Think about it for a while.
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