In this issue:
Philadelphia or Laodicea?
David Clayton
The SDA Church and Laodicea
One of the things that is early engraved in the mind of every Seventh
Day Adventist, is the thought that Laodicea is God’s church of the last
days. As soon as a person joins the Seventh Day Adventist church, he is
made to understand that the Seventh Day Adventist church is represented
by the seventh of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation chapters 2
and 3, the Laodicean Church. It is not difficult to support this claim,
because there are many statements in the writings of Ellen White, which
state that the church is in a Laodicean condition, and in which the
Seventh Day Adventist church is identified as Laodicea.
In Adventist thinking the seven churches in Revelation are understood to
indicate seven chronological stages in the history of the Christian
church. That is the way it is explained. The churches are Ephesus,
Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
It is believed, that Ephesus covered the apostolic era from the time of
Jesus, until the time of the death of the last apostle about A. D. 100.
Smyrna would cover from about A. D. 100, to A. D. 313, and Pergamos
would go from about 313 to about 538 when the papacy was fully
established as a dominant power. Thyatira would span the period of papal
supremacy, from 538 to about 1517, when the Protestant reformation
began under Martin Luther, and Sardis would cover the Protestant period,
from about 1517 to about 1833, when the great second Advent movement
began under William Miller. The Philadelphian period, continued from the
time that William Miller started to preach in 1833, until about
sometime in the 1840’s when the Seventh Day Adventist church began. The
Seventh Day Adventist church, would be from the eighteen forties until
the coming of Jesus, which is the Laodicean period.
This is the way it is explained, and if this is the way you understand
the interpretation of the seven churches, then logically if you want to
be saved and be a part of God’s program in the last days, then you will
have to be in the Laodicean, church. Likewise, if you accept that the
Seventh Day Adventist church is the Laodicean church, then the natural
conclusion is that you have to be a member of this church in order to be
saved.
This is the kind of thinking, that has led to statements like the
following, which were taken from the Adventist Review, published a few
years ago:
“It (the S. D. A church) is God’s created, appointed, and only means for the salvation of sinners.”
“. . . . It is the gate of heaven for the sin sick soul.. . . No one
pretends that God’s church is blameless, or that it has no fault, but it
is God’s church and all should stand back and let God deal with his
possession.” Review, February 1995, page 2 (Inter-American edition).
“Many have been tempted to doubt our remnant status or special calling.
They are making a mistake that may last for eternity. Inspiration tells
us, that God will carry the noble ship which bears the people of God
safely into port, and that to enter any new organization would mean
apostasy. Scripture is clear. God has established a remnant church for
these last days. Corporately, No other church body fits the description
but ours, which alone has been given his present truth message.” Review,
Sept. 1994, page 7
This is the kind of thinking that stems from the idea, that the S. D. A
church is Laodicea, which is God’s true church in the last days.
A Sequential Order?
Let us now examine this idea of Laodicea being the last church.
Everything hangs upon the question of whether or not; those seven
churches in Revelation are intended to represent a sequential order in
the history of God’s true church on the earth. When Smyrna comes on the
scene, is Ephesus already gone? Does Pergamos takes the place of Smyrna,
and in our time, When Laodicea comes on the scene, does Philadelphia
cease to exist? Is Laodicea the only church of the seven remaining
today? This is the popular belief of Seventh-day Adventism.
Let us consider a few pertinent points. First of all, Revelation is a
book that is primarily applicable to the end time. Its focus is
primarily to that period of time that the Bible calls “the day of the
Lord,” when God will begin, once again, to mightily intervene in the
affairs of men. It is very clear that Revelation’s emphasis is on the
time of the last great crisis, when we will have the development of
those who receive the mark of the beast, and those who receive the seal
of the living God.
In Revelation 1:11, Jesus is speaking. John says he hears a great voice,
which says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What
thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which
are in Asia, unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto
Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”
Notice that the message is applicable to all seven churches, and was
sent to all seven of them. Notice Furthermore, that all of these seven
churches existed at the same time, and even in the same basic geographic
area of the world. They all existed in Asia.
Another Interpretation
Is it possible that there is another interpretation of these seven
churches? Seven is a symbol of completeness. Do these churches represent
God’s complete church in the world in the end time? Notice that the
lamb in Revelation 5 has seven horns on His head, but it doesn’t mean
that there are seven stages in the power of Jesus, but rather, that He
has complete power. Can it be that the seven churches of Rev. 2 and 3,
really represent the entire Christian church in the world in the time of
the end? It is interesting to notice that Jesus mentions his coming, to
at least three of the last four churches. He mentions his coming in
such a way, that it seems to indicate that these churches will be around
at the time when He returns.
Existing at Christ’s return
In Revelation 2, verses 24, 25, Jesus says,
“But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not
this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they
speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have
already hold fast till I come.” (Rev 2:24,25)
If Jesus says, “hold fast till I come,” it seems to indicate very
clearly, that whomever he is talking to, is going to be around at the
moment when he comes. He doesn’t say (like he says to the people of
Smyrna), “be thou faithful unto death,” but “hold fast till I come.” The
people of Smyrna will die, but the people of Thyatira to whom He is
speaking will be around when He returns, because he says, “hold fast
till I come.”
Next, He says to Sardis in Revelation 3:3,
“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a
thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Rev
3:3)
Again, this is very interesting. We have always said, that Sardis
represents the Protestant churches. Now Jesus says to the Sardis
Christians, “I will come on you as a thief if you will not watch.” Every
time in the Scriptures that Jesus’ coming has been compared to the
coming of a thief, it has been in connection with His second coming. In 2
Peter 3:10, it says: “But the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in
the night.” Again in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, it says: For yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. It
also says in verse 4. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that
day should overtake you as a thief. In Matt. 24, Jesus says:
“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch
the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have
suffered his house to be broken up.” (Mat 24:43)
So he instructs us to watch for his return as for a thief’s coming.
In this message to Sardis then, in Revelation 3:3, Jesus’ reference to
coming upon Sardis like a thief, is clearly referring to his second
coming. The church that He is speaking about, is a church that is going
to be around when Jesus comes, but it will be a church that will be
taken by surprise.
Now let us notice something very interesting about the message to
Philadelphia. After Thyatira, there is Sardis, then Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is accepted by all Adventists, as representing the period
of the great awakening, from the time of the Millerite movement, to the
early stages of the Seventh Day Adventist church.
Philadelphia means brotherly love, and those who lived at that time
described that movement as being characterized by great brotherly love,
great affection for one another and a great zeal for the cause of God.
In fact, Ellen White says that it was the greatest awakening since the
time of the apostles. That is a strong statement, but I suppose only
those who lived through it could ever understand what it was really
like. She implies that it was greater even than the Protestant
reformation.
Notice that in Rev. 3:11, Jesus says to Philadelphia: “Behold I come
quickly, hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown.” So
we see, that Jesus mentions his coming to the church of Philadelphia
also. He says: “I come quickly, hold fast that which thou hast.”
Clearly, again, this must be a message that applies to people who are
alive. It cannot be a message that applies to those who are dead. What
would the statement here, “Behold I come quickly,” mean to a person who
is dead?
For all the people who died from the days of Adam down to the very last
Christian who will die on this earth, the time that passes from the time
of their death to the coming of Jesus will appear to have been very
brief. Adam died over five thousand years ago, but when he comes back to
life on the resurrection morning, it will seem to have been just a
moment. The same thing will happen to me if I die today. It will seem to
be just a moment, and I wont know about the passing of all those years
that pass while I sleep. So, when Jesus says, “Behold I come quickly” he
must be talking to people who are able to see that the time is passing
quickly. It will mean nothing to a Christian who dies. So Philadelphia
clearly is a church that is around at the time when Jesus comes again.
We will see this very clearly in just a moment.
Does this mean that the historical interpretation of these churches is
false? The truth is that when we examine the seven churches carefully,
they really do seem to fit into that historical pattern. Can it be that
there is more than one angle from which we should view this prophecy?
During the period of Catholic supremacy, we have the Thyatira period.
Then came the Sardis period when the reformation began. But when Sardis
began, did the Roman Catholic Church come to an end? When the Protestant
reformation began, did it mean that all of a sudden there were no more
Christians in the Roman Catholic Church? Are there Christians in the
Roman Catholic Church today? Did the Roman Catholic Church came to an
end as soon as the Protestant church started, or did Protestantism and
Catholicism continue side by side? The truth is, that they continued
side by side, and even today, Catholicism and Protestantism continue in
the same way.
The same thing happened at the time of the great Advent awakening
movement in 1833. When this movement began, Adventists began to preach,
and the Protestant churches suffered a moral fall. Does it mean then
that there were no more Christians in these churches? Ellen White
herself says that the majority of God’s people are still in the churches
that we call Babylon.
So here we had the Advent movement, the Protestant churches and the
Catholic Church, Three church groups existing together side by side,
with God’s people being in each of these three churches. The majority of
God’s people at this time were inside the Advent movement, but God
still had people in the Protestant churches and the Catholic Church.
A Faultless Church
Out of the last church, will come the 144,000, a people who are prefect,
without fault or spot, without wrinkle or blemish or any such thing
(Rev. 14:5). In the last generation, God will perfect a people who will
experience the completeness of the atonement.
There are only two churches among the seven that could be described as
perfect. These are the two churches with which Jesus finds no fault.
They are, Smyrna and Philadelphia. Smyrna seems to be a church of
martyrs, because one of the things that Jesus says to Smyrna, is, “Be
thou faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life.” He speaks
about Smyrna suffering tribulation for ten days, and counsels, “Be thou
faithful unto death.” For Philadelphia also, Jesus has only
commendation. There is not a single word of rebuke for Philadelphia, and
at the end he says: “Hold fast what you have.” He even says to
Philadelphia: “You have kept the words of my patience.” Bear in mind,
that only the 144,000 will be a perfect people.
In contrast, there are two churches in which Jesus can find nothing
good. One of them is Sardis. The best thing that Jesus can find to say
about Sardis, is that there are some in Sardis who have not defiled
their garments. “And they shall walk with me in white for they are
worthy.” But to Sardis, generally what he says is this, “You have a name
that you live, but you are dead. Awake and strengthen the things that
remain that are ready to die.” But even in Sardis, he finds a few who
have not defiled their garments.
The other church of which He can say nothing good, is Laodicea. We have
been taught to believe that Laodicea is God’s end time church. The
church that will be perfect, the one that will produce the 144,000, and
which will be without spot, wrinkle or blemish, but Laodicea is the
church in which Jesus can find nothing good. In fact, he says very
clearly to Laodicea, “I will spew thee out of my mouth (Rev. 3:16).” Why
does he say this to a church if that church is going to be perfect? If
this church is the church of the 144,000, why does Jesus say, “I will
spew you out of my mouth, because you are lukewarm?” The best thing he
can find to say to Laodicea is, “I counsel you.” He has counseled, but
there is no prophetic word or indication that Laodicea ever comes into
the favour of Christ.”
But here is another question. Laodicea has become synonymous with the
idea of lukewarmness. If you say somebody is Laodicean, what you
actually mean, is that the person is lukewarm, lethargic, self
righteous, not zealous in his Christianity. If somebody is in the
Laodicean state or condition and this person repents, he is no longer
lukewarm; he is now a hot Christian. Can this person be said to be
Laodicean? Is it ever possible for the Laodicean church, the Laodicean
condition to become a hot, vibrant, living Christian church? Laodicea
will always represent that which is about to be spewed out of the mouth
of Christ.
Philadelphia and the 144,000
In actual fact, there is compelling evidence to indicate that God’s
remnant church in the last days, is not Laodicea, But actually
Philadelphia! How do we come to that conclusion? There is much evidence
in the writings of Ellen White and in the Bible, which supports this
conclusion. Let us examine some of this evidence.
In Rev. 3:12, Philadelphia is told,
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and
he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God,
and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh
down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”
(Rev 3:12)
Notice that the Philadelphians will have three things written on them.
(1) The name of God,
(2) the name of the new Jerusalem
(3) Jesus’ new name.
In the book, “Early Writings,” on page 15, and in the little booklet, “A
Word To The Little Flock,” also on page 15, here is what E. G. White
wrote: “ The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their
forehead was written, God, New Jerusalem and a glorious star containing
Jesus’ new name.” These are the same exact things that Jesus promised to
the Philadelphians.
So the144,000 as well as the Philadelphian church each have the words,
“God, New Jerusalem,” and Jesus’ new name written on them. This suggests
that they are the same people. But here is more compelling evidence. In
Rev. 3:12, Jesus says “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the
temple of my God, and he shall go no more out . . . . ” Again, he is
talking to the Philadelphian church. “He will become a pillar in the
temple of my God.” Jesus says of the 144,000 in Rev. 7:15, that they
will serve God day and night in his temple. If the 144,000 serve God day
and night in his temple, and according to Rev. 3:12, Philadelphia will
be made pillars in the temple of God; it seems to suggest again that
they are the same people.
In Early Writings, on page 19, Ellen White says, speaking of herself and the 144,000,
“as we were about to enter the holy temple, Jesus raised his lovely
voice and said: “only the 144,000 enter this place,” and we shouted
“hallelujah!”
So clearly then, only the 144,000 can enter the temple of God, and as we
see in Rev. 3:12, it is the Philadelphians that will be made pillars in
God’s temple. She says again on the same page, “I saw there tables of
stone in which the names of the 144,000 were engraved in letters of
gold.” So it is very clear that the 144,000 are the people who will have
the privilege of serving God in his temple, of being made pillars in
his temple, of entering that temple and of having their names engraved
in letters of gold. The same things which apply to the 144,000, also
apply to the Philadelphians. Clearly, they are the same people.
There is more evidence however. Let us now move on to Rev. 3:9. Jesus is again speaking to the Philadelphians. He says:
“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are
Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and
worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” (Rev 3:9)
Jesus says first of all that there is a group of people, who say they
are Jews, but they are really the synagogue of Satan, they are the
people of Satan, they are the church of Satan. This is quite startling.
Here are people who say they are Christians, they say they are Jews, but
Jesus says they are not. They are liars, who are really of the
Synagogue of Satan. They are really Satan’s people. He says that these
people will come and worship before the feet of the Philadelphians.
Ellen White speaks of this prophecy in Early Writings on page 15. Here is what she says.
“The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads
was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus’
new name. At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would
rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us into prison, when we
would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they would
fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan
knew that God had loved us who could wash one another’s feet and salute
the brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshiped at our feet.” (Early
Writings, p.15)
This is the same exact thing that Jesus says of Philadelphia. Ellen
White says it happens to the 144,000. The synagogue of Satan comes and
worships at the feet of the 144,000. The synagogue of Satan comes and
worships at the feet of the Philadelphians. The Philadelphians and the
144,000 are the same people.
So Philadelphia still exists today! And if we give it a little thought
we should be able to see that this is logical and reasonable. The book
of Revelation is not talking about human denominations, or physical or
organizational structures, If there exists today, people who hold to the
principles of Philadelphia, which are, brotherly love, and zeal for
God’s truth, can we say that Philadelphia has passed away? Absolutely
not. One of the things that Jesus says about Philadelphia in Rev. 3:8,
is this: “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door,
and no man can shut it:” Philadelphia has an open door before it, but
what is this open door? It is the door to the most holy place of the
heavenly sanctuary. It was to the Philadelphian church that the message
of the atonement first came, the message concerning the experience that
was available through Christ’s ministration in the most holy place of
the heavenly sanctuary. There was an open door placed before
Philadelphia. It was the door to the experience of perfection. That’s
what the open door means, the door to the most holy place of the
heavenly sanctuary, the door to the final ministration of Christ. It is
Philadelphia who has this open door, and Jesus says No man can shut it.
Philadelphia has that opportunity, and wherever there are Christians who
believe in this ministration of Christ in the most holy place, there is
still that open door before them, with that opportunity to become
perfect through Christ. As long as there are people who believe this,
Philadelphia cannot pass away.
I want to suggest something else as well. There are still Christians in
the world today who believe what those early Adventists believed. People
who still believe these truths undiluted and unadulterated. They have
not rejected the teachings of the pioneers. It is those who hold to
those same beliefs, including what the pioneers believed about the
nature of God and His identity, who are still a part of that
Philadelphian church, that Philadelphian movement. Those, however who
have embraced the Trinitarian doctrine and have rejected the beliefs of
the Philadelphian pioneers concerning God’s identity, are surely
pressing farther and farther into the arms of something else, perhaps
best characterized as Laodicea. The early Adventist church was
characterized as Philadelphia, a church without fault. Surely those who
have turned away from the beliefs of that church cannot be without
fault.
The True Remnant
This teaching that Laodicea is God’s last day church is a falsehood. The
foundation of this false idea is the fact that Ellen White kept on
saying since about 1852, that the church was in the Laodicean state. If
something negative is said about your behaviour over and over again, you
have a choice. You can either stop your negative behaviour, or you can
adjust your thinking to accept the name that you are being given. If I
say to a pig, “you are a filthy creature,” then the pig could try to
reform. He could try to change himself, but if he will not change, or if
he doesn’t want to change, then what he can do is convince himself that
“filthy” is a good thing. When I say, “you are filthy,” the pig says,
“yes, isn’t it wonderful!” He comes to accept a bad name as meaning
something good.
That is exactly what the S.D.A. church has done. Ellen White kept on
saying that the church was in the Laodicean state, the church was
lukewarm, the church was in a fallen state, and so the Adventist
denomination could not get away from the fact that it represented the
Laodicean state, because it was said so many times. But instead of
changing, what the church did was to deceive itself into thinking that
Laodicea was something good. It has now begun to teach that Laodicea is
acceptable, so to be Laodicean is a wonderful thing. How terrible a
state to be in. In actual fact, it is the greatest of all deceptions.
God’s end-time true church is, in
fact, not a denomination, but the people who continue to hold to the
same faith, the same spirit and the same principles as the early
Philadelphians. It is they who have an open door before them, and it is
they who will finally be perfected. It is from among them that the
144,000 will be produced. These will be the people who enter the
experience of the open door. Look at what it says in Rev. 3:10, speaking
of these Philadelphians of course.
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee
from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try
them that dwell upon the earth.” (Rev 3:10)”
Popular SDA interpretation says that Philadelphia would be kept from
the hour of temptation, because all the Philadelphians would die. The
Philadelphian church would pass away, and in this way would be spared
that great hour of temptation because they had kept the word of his
patience. This of course indicates that it would be Laodicea, which
would pass through, and be purified by the hour of temptation.
However, in the phrase, “I . . .will keep thee. . . “ the word “keep”
is translated from the Greek word “tereo” According to Strongs Greek
dictionary (#5083), it means: “to guard from loss or injury, by keeping
the eye upon.”
This word and a similar idea also appears in John 17:15 where Jesus says,
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. (John 17:15)
The word does not suggest being taken away. It suggests rather, being
kept during the hour of temptation. This indicates that Philadelphia
will be here during the time of trouble, and if Philadelphia is indeed
the church of the 144,000, then this must be the meaning of the verse
which states that Philadelphia will be kept from the hour of temptation.
In Rev. 7:14, it says of the 144,000, “These are they who came out of
great tribulation” or as it should have been translated, “These are they
that came out of the great tribulation.” Philadelphia is kept during
the hour of temptation, the 144,000 came out of the great tribulation.
They are the same people.
The Synagogue of Satan
Let us examine just one more piece of evidence from “The writings of
Ellen White”. We saw on page 15 of Early Writings, where Ellen White
said that it is the 144,000 who will have the synagogue of Satan worship
at their feet. Rev. 3:9 says that they will worship at the feet of the
Philadelphians. In A Word To The Little Flock Ellen White wrote to
brother Eli Curtis, who had suggested that the synagogue of Satan, who
bows at the saints’ feet would eventually be saved. She says,
“You think, that those who worship before the saint’s feet, (Rev. 3:9),
will at last be saved. Here I must differ with you; for God shew me that
this class were professed Adventists, who had fallen away, and
“crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open
shame.” And in the “hour of temptation,” which is yet to come, to show
out every one’s true character, they will know that they are forever
lost; and overwhelmed with anguish of spirit, they will bow at the
saint’s feet.” (Word to the Little Flock, p.12)
There are some striking, powerful points in this little passage. First
of all, she says that these people represent professed Adventists. Now
as we can see, this applies to the hour of temptation, the final great
test which is yet to come. Future in the days of Ellen White, future in
our days, an hour of temptation, which will try the whole world. It is
not here yet, although it is almost upon us. Ellen White applies this
prophecy of the Philadelphian Church to that time, and says that these
people who worship at the saints’ feet, are professed Adventists.
Clearly, in our day, there is only one group of people that would be
referred to as Adventists. In the days of Ellen White, sometimes you had
first day Adventists, and people who came out of the Advent movement,
but in our day, it has come down to Seventh-day Adventists. She says
that these are professed Adventists. What is interesting is the fact
that Jesus says, “They say they are Jews and are not.” Here is a most
remarkable statement, because this is exactly the way the average
denominational Seventh-day Adventist behaves. They are fond of saying,
“We are God’s remnant people.” This could be almost directly a quotation
from the Jews. They believed they were God’s people. “We are Abraham’s
seed,” was one of their favourite phrases. There is hardly anybody else
in the world who has that sense of exclusiveness, that sense of being
God’s special chosen people, as much as Seventh-day Adventists. The two
statements previously quoted from the Review illustrate this point quite
well.
They say they are Jews, but Jesus says they are not, but they do lie,
and it is remarkable how He identifies them. They are really the
synagogue of Satan. Those are such dreadful words, that we should fear
to speak them if the Lord Himself had not said them. Is this how God
really regards many professed Adventists? We had better be very careful
to be sure that we are on God’s side.
This hour of temptation during which Philadelphia will be preserved,
and during which professed Seventh-day Adventists will worship at the
feet of the 144,000, is yet to come. So we see very clearly that the
Bible teaches that rather than Laodicea being the end time people of
God, it is really Philadelphia, which is the end-time church of God. It
is also very clear that in order to be Philadelphian you have got to
hold to the same spirit, the same teachings, the same beliefs and the
same attitudes as those first Philadelphians. The question, brothers and
sisters is this, do you have the same spirit as those Philadelphians?
do you have the same beliefs as those early Philadelphians? Those are
questions we do well to consider.
A Lost Church
Finally, I want to quote two statements of Ellen White. She made many
statements regarding the Laodicean church, but I want to quote just two
of them which I believe sums up what her attitude was to Laodicea. I
don’t believe anybody who reads or listens to these statements can ever
again feel safe in the assurance that “I am a Laodicean.” In manuscript
156, written in 1898, Ellen White says:
“The church is in the Laodicean state, the presence of God is not in her midst.”
So we see very clearly that, if a people are Laodicean, then God’s
presence is not in their midst. What does that make them? Who
controls them? Who rules them? Who guides them if Gods presence is not
in their midst? The only hope is to get out of the Laodicean Church. As
long as you are in that state, God’s presence is not in your midst. And
yet amazingly, it is something that Adventists have become proud of. In
another statement from the Review and Herald of August 19, 1890 Ellen
White says:
“The state of the church represented by the foolish virgins, is also spoken of as the Laodicean state.”
The question is this; do the foolish virgins ever get into the kingdom? Never ever! The wise get in but not the foolish!
These statements make it very clear that Laodicea will never be saved,
and that those who are a part of Laodicea are lost. If you and I want
to be saved, we have got to get out of Laodicea, and we have got to get
among the wise virgins, that is the church that will be saved.
The seven churches need to be studied a lot more and a lot more
carefully, but if we believe that Ellen White was a messenger of God,
and that the visions that she received were from God, then we are
compelled to believe that God showed her very vividly, that the church,
the true remnant church, the church of the 144,000 the church that will
experience the atonement, the church that will be perfect, God’s church
in the last moments of time will not be Laodicea, but Philadelphia. The
good thing for those who are Laodicean is that, Jesus says: “Repent, buy
of me gold tried in the fire.” If a Laodicean repents, it is clear that
he no longer remains in Laodicea but can migrate to Philadelphia. God
bless you my sister my brother whoever you are reading this article. I
pray that by the grace of God you may be one of God’s Philadelphian last
day people.
Florida CampMeeting
The 2002 Florida Camp meeting
was held from January 10 – 13. It was held at the Florida River Forest
Campgrounds somewhere close by Deland and not too far from Orlando.
It was the first time I had been to this part of Florida and I
thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent in the very scenic and peaceful
atmosphere. A river runs alongside the campgrounds and more than once we
saw alligators swimming in the water or else basking on the riverbanks.
The location is secluded and the only disturbances we had was the
occasional hum of a motorboat as it sped along the river. All around us
were trees and the seclusion created an atmosphere of peace, which
greatly contributed to the blessings which we enjoyed for the three days
of the camp meeting.
It was my privilege to meet quite a few new people, some of whom I had
been in touch with by mail. These were mostly brethren from the Orlando
area.
The speakers were, Ben Vela, Lynnford Beachy, Arthan Wright, Willis
Smith, David Clayton, Wilson Corros, and Malcolm McCrillis. The messages
focus on a variety of subjects including health, current events, holy
living and of course, the godhead. The subject of the godhead generated a
great deal of interest as usual and in a couple of cases there was even
some controversy.
The camp meeting program was jam-packed. Each day we had six sessions,
beginning at 6.30 a.m. while it was still quite dark and finishing
after 9.00 o’clock each night. Inbetween sermons we had prayer and
testimony sessions. However, nobody complained. Everyone seemed to be
happy with the program and all the meetings were well attended. We all
regretted when the meetings came to an end and we had to say our
good-byes.
Home Sweet Home
All around us, concerned people
are asking: what makes for a strong marriage? Has the happily married
couple passed from the scene?
Marriage was God’s idea, and the best advice on the subject is still
to be found in the Bible. Happiness and fulfillment – that’s God’s goal
for every couple and those who are willing to live biblical principles
will experience just that.
Opposite Attracts
“What makes people like us marry in the first place?” Asked one
Christian woman after thirteen years of marriage. “We have a hopeless
personality conflict! Both of us can be relaxed and gracious when around
others, but when together we seem to bring out the worst in each
other.” Although this example is more extreme, it has been apparent for
years that opposite personalities attract each other.
To understand why this attraction is true we should be acquainted with
what makes people different. Many suggestions have been offered:
background, training, nationality, education, etc. These things have a
bearing on our differences, but so does our inherited temperament. Here I
will present a condensed description of the four temperaments to show
why opposites attract each other.
Temperament includes the combination of inborn traits that
subconsciously affect a person’s behavior. These traits, passed on in
the genes, include intelligence, race, sex, and many other factors. The
alignment of temperament traits stem from four basic types. Most of us
are a mixture of temperaments representing characteristics of both
parents and grandparents. Usually one temperament type predominates in
an individual, but strains of one or two of the others will always be
found. Extroverts are predominantly sanguine or choleric in temperament,
while introverts are predominantly melancholy or phlegmatic.
The Sanguine Temperament
A person with the sanguine temperament is warm, buoyant, and lively.
He is naturally receptive and external impressions easily find their way
to his heart. His emotions rather than reflective thoughts are the
basis of most of his decisions.
He enjoys people, does not like solitude, and is at his best when
surrounded by friends, where he is “the life of the party.” He has an
endless repertoire of interesting stories, which he tells dramatically,
making him a favorite with children as well as adults, and usually
making him most welcome at parties or social gatherings.
Mr. Sanguine is never at a loss for words. He often speaks before
thinking, but his open sincerity has a disarming effect on many of his
listeners, causing them to respond to his mood. His free-wheeling,
seemingly exciting, extroverted way of life often makes him the envy of
the more timid temperament types.
His noisy, blustering, friendly ways make him appear more confident
than he really is, but his energy and lovable disposition get him by the
rough spots of life. People have a way of excusing his weaknesses by
saying, “that’s just the way he is.”
His weakness of will may make him ineffective and undependable. He
tends to be restless, undisciplined, egotistical and emotionally
explosive.
The Choleric Temperament
The choleric temperament is found in the hot, quick, active, practical
and strong-willed person. He tends to be self-sufficient, independent,
decisive, and opinionated, finding it easy to make decisions for himself
as well as for other people.
Mr. Choleric thrives on activity. In fact, to him, “life is activity.”
He does not need to be stimulated, but rather stimulates his
environment with his endless ideas, plans, and ambitions. His continual
activity is not aimless because he has a practical, keen mind that is
capable of making instant decisions and planning worthwhile long-range
projects. He does not vacillate under the pressure of what others think.
He takes a definite stand on issues and can often be found crusading
for some great social cause.
He is seldom frightened by adversities; in fact, they tend to
encourage him. He possesses dogged determination and often succeeds
where others fail, not because his plans are better than theirs, but
because he is still pushing a head after others have become discouraged
and quit.
Mr. Choleric’s emotional nature is the least developed part of his
temperament. He does not sympathize easily with others, nor does he
naturally show or express compassion. Indeed, he is often embarrassed or
disgusted by the tears of others. He has little appreciation for the
fine arts because his primary interest lies in the utilitarian values of
life.
He is quick to recognize opportunities and equally as quick at
diagnosing the best way to make use of them. Even though he has a
well-organized mind, details usually bore him. He is not given to
analysis, but rather to quick almost intuitive appraisal; therefore, he
tends to look at the goal for which he is working without seeing the
potential to fail or the pitfalls and obstacles in the path. Once he
started toward his goal, he will run roughshod over individuals who
stand in his way. He tends to be domineering and is often considered an
opportunist.
His weakness usually make him a difficult person to live with, for he
may be hot-tempered, cruel, impetuous, and self-sufficient. The person
with this temperament is often more appreciated by friend and associates
than by members of his family.
The Melancholy Temperament
The melancholy person is an analytical, self-sacrificing, gifted
perfectionist with a very sensitive emotional nature. No one gets more
enjoyment from the fine arts than the melancholy.
By nature he is prone to be an introvert, but has a variety of moods
because he is usually dominated by his emotions. Sometimes his moods
will lift him to his height of ecstasy and cause him to behave in an
extroverted manner. However, at other times he will become gloomy and
depressed, and during these times he is withdrawn and can be quite
antagonistic.
Mr. Melancholy is a faithful friend, but unlike Mr. Sanguine he does
not make friends easily. He will not push himself forward to meet
people, but rather waits for people to come to him. He is perhaps the
most dependable of all the temperaments, for his perfectionist
tendencies do not permit him to be a shirker or let down others when
they are depending on him. His natural reluctance to put himself forward
is not an indication that he doesn’t like people, for like the rest of
us, he not only likes others but has a strong desire to be bred by them.
But disappointing experiences make him reluctant to take people at
their face value; and thus he is suspicious when others seek him out or
shower him with attention.
His exceptional analytical ability causes him to diagnose accurately
the obstacles and dangers of any project; he has a part in planning.
This foresight contrasts sharply with the choleric person who rarely
anticipates problems or difficulties but is confident he is able to cope
with whatever problem that may arise. This characteristic often finds
the Melancholy either hesitant to initiate some new project or in
conflict with those who wish to.
Occasionally, when he is in one of his moods of emotional ecstasy or
inspiration, he may produce some great work of art or genius. These
accomplishments are often followed by periods of depression.
Mr. Melancholy usually finds his greatest meaning in life through
personal sacrifice. He seems to have a desire to make himself suffer and
will often choose a difficult vocation involving great personal
sacrifice. Once the decision is made he is prone to be very thorough and
persistent in his pursuit of it and is more likely to accomplish a
great good.
The weaknesses of the Melancholy individual are numerous: he tends to
be self-contented, sensitive, pessimistic, critical, moody and
revengeful. They often have more problems making emotional adjustments
to life than others, and when overwhelmed by their weakness are consumed
by persecution complexes, excessive guilt complexes, depression,
hypochondria, groundless fears and hostility.
The Phlegmatic Temperament
The phlegmatic temperament is calm, cool, slow, easy-going, and
well-balanced. Life for the phlegmatic person is a happy, unexciting,
pleasant experience in which he avoids involvement with other persons as
much as possible.
Mr. Phlegmatic seldom seems to get ruffled and rarely expresses anger
or laughter. He is the one temperament type that is steadily consistent.
Beneath a cool, reticent almost timid personality, Mr. Phlegmatic has a
good combination of abilities. He feels much more emotion than appears
on the surface and has a good capacity to appreciate the fine arts and
he better things of life.
Because he enjoys people Mr. Phlegmatic does not lack for friends. He
has a dry sense of humor that can have a crowd in stitches while he
never cracks a smile. He has the unique capability of seeing something
humorous in others and the things they do. His intentive mind makes him a
good imitator—and he delights in needling or poking fun at the other
temperament types. Annoyed by the aimless, restless enthusiasm of the
sanguine, he often confronts him with the futility of such enthusiasm.
He is disgusted by the gloomy moods of the melancholy and is prone to
ridicule him. He enjoys throwing ice-water on the bubbling plans and
ambitions of the choleric.
He tends to be a spectator in life and tries not to get too involved
with the activity of others. In fact, it is usually with great
reluctance that he is motivated to any form of activity beyond his daily
routine.
Mr. Phlegmatic is usually kind hearted and sympathetic, but seldom
conveys his true feelings. He will not take leadership on his own, but
when it is put upon him he proves an excellent leader because he has a
conciliating effect on others and is a natural peacemaker.
The Phlegmatic’s chief weakness, and the one that often keeps him from
fulfilling his potential, is lack of motivation or laziness. Content
with watching others play the games of life, he teases them as a means
of protecting himself or conserving his energies. In addition, he is
stubborn, indecisive, and fearful.
He is usually easy to live with, but his careless, low-pressure way of
life can be a source of irritation to an aggressive partner.
Phlegmatics usually make good companions to their children; it is easier
for them to stop what they are doing and play with the children than
for the activist temperaments. Many a hard-driving husband will say of
his phlegmatic wife, “she is a wonderful wife and mother but a lousy
housekeeper. Conversely, the flawless housewife may be a poor mother.
She would like to stop and play with the children, but the floor needs
scrubbing, the clothes need washing, the…. these subconscious reactions
to life situations are a part of our temperaments.
Temperament is important to this study on marital happiness because it
helps explain why people are so different. It also offers a key as to
why opposites attract each other.
Why Opposites Attract
The subconscious mind has far more influence on us than most people
realize. This is graphically seen in the way we usually select our
friends and particularly by our choice of a life partner. The loud,
gregarious, extroverted Sanguine subconsciously wishes he could control
himself better. When he returns from a party, he is often secretly
embarrassed by his endless chatter and domination of conversations.
The sweet, quiet Phlegmatic or Melancholic person subconsciously
thinks, “I wish I could be more outgoing and expressive.” It is very
easy to see why these contrasting types will be interesting in each
other when they meet. He is everything she wishes to be, and she is just
what he would secretly like to be; thus, they seem to naturally
complement each other. This principle is subconsciously at work almost
every time a person singles out one he wants to marry. In fact, no
temperament is subconsciously barred to a person but his own. The
important thing to note is that people are attracted to each other on
the basis of strengths, but each natural strength has a corresponding
weakness.
Weaknesses Appear Later
Most couples are so much in love they see only the strengths of the
other person before they marry. After the novelty of marriage is over
however, each partner’s weaknesses (and every human being has them)
begin to appear. These weaknesses call for adjustment—that is, learning
to live with the partner’s weaknesses. It is important for a married
couple to have the Spirit of God to help so that they might be “gentle,
patient and self-controlled” while adjusting to these weaknesses.
Also, the Holy Spirit helps to turn weaknesses into positive
attributes. Gal. 5:22-23 points out nine characteristics available to
the Spirit-filled Christian: a strength for every natural weakness. A
Spirit-filled Christian attains more enjoyment in his marriage because
he uses the Spirit of God help to overcome his weaknesses; and thus, he
becomes less objectionable to his partner. In addition, the Holy Spirit
gives him grace to overlook and joyously live with his partner’s
weaknesses.
Manage Your Conflicts
Differences between partners need not be fate! No disagreement is a
threat to a marriage; its what a couple does about disagreements that
determines the success or failure of a marriage. Many a good marriage
today once experienced vigorous temperament conflicts.
The following suggestions are given to help you make the right kind of adjustments.
1. When you feel frustration, resentment, or some other form of hostility, stop and take an objective look at what causes it.
2. Pray about it. First, confess your sin of grieving the Holy Spirit
(Ephesians 4:30-32) your peace of mind does not depend on your partner’s
behavior. After facing your inner hostility and anger as sin and
confessing it (1 John 1:9), ask God to fill you with his Spirit (Luke
11:13 then walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). Secondly, pray about your
partner’s actions, asking God to help him see his/her shortcomings and
to lead you in discussing the matter with him/her.
3. Communicate with your partner about his/her fault. This should
always be done “in love” (Eph. 4: 16). Pick a relaxed time when you can
objectively share your feelings without getting overly emotional. Never
speak in anger, and always allow time for him/her to think about what
you’ve said. Then leave the matter up to God.
4. Ask God, the giver of love, to fill you with love for Him and for
your partner so that you can genuinely love him/her in spite of his/her
weaknesses. Then look at his/her strengths and thank God for them. (1
Thess. 5:18).
5. Forget past mistakes and sins! “forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. (Phil. 3:14,14).
If you repeatedly follow this procedure, you will find that your
reaction to your partner’s actions will be led by the Holy Spirit and
your love will increase so that, like paint, it will cover a multitude
of weaknesses.
(Compiled and submitted
by Lorraine Sutherland)
6 Keys To Building a Child’s Character
DETERMINATION
When responsibilities seem overwhelming; when opportunities seem
limited; when challenges seem monumental; when crises seem unending…it
is raw determination that separates those who triumph from those who
give up and retreat. This sense of determination enabled the patriarchs
of the Bible to overcome the many obstacles that overwhelmed them. When
Paul was beaten with many stripes, ship wrecked and accused by the Jews,
the love of God and the determination to overcome the difficulties were
some of the things that kept his mind on God. One of the things that
was evident in the lives of these men of God was their determination to
stay with the task of total submission to God. In short, an effective
way to instil determination in children is to urge them to stay with a
task until it is completed.
COMPASSION
Parents should insist that children exhibit a level of caring that
goes beyond the minimum. The best example of this compassion is the life
of Christ and parents can foster such compassion in their children by
looking on the life of Christ and allowing him to do the work in them.
HONESTY
Honesty is not inborn. The nature that we are born with leans to the
way of darkness and only the light of Christ can dispel that darkness.
That is one reason why parents should do all they can to help a child to
cultivate this trait. Parents need to consistently shape their
children’s understanding of the three aspects of honesty. Firstly, there
is the honesty of possessions – not taking what belongs to another
person. Secondly, the honesty of words – learning to speak truthfully.
Third, the honesty of behaviour – not cheating or victimizing others.
INDUSTRIOUSNESS
Many adults complain that today’s young people lack a strong work
ethic, wanting to enjoy life’s pleasures without engaging in the hard
work which those pleasures often require. To be hardworking with the
discipline to see a difficult task through to its conclusion is a virtue
children need to know and see modeled by the important adults around
them.
RESPECT
As early as possible children should learn to respect people,
property, parents, the elderly. A story is given in the Bible of Elijah
and some little children. When the children came out and began to call
the prophet of God, “bald head prophet,” they were actually showing
disrespect to God through His messenger. Though the end result of our
children’s disrespect might not be so instantaneous, the final analysis
will be the destruction of their souls.
We should develop respect in children by extending respect to children and expecting respect in return.
LOYALTY
Loyalty to family, friends and colleagues as well as to country,
church, school and other organizations is a word that has little meaning
to many people. The notion of loyalty has an air of cowardliness to
people and as such they have no dedication to any thing. Even
in Christianity some people might feel it unnecessary to commit their
whole being to the cause of Christ. That would mean being loyal to one
individual and giving the person some degree of control over you. Many
persons cannot wage the battle of faith because they are unwilling to
surrender all. But we should try to instill this trait in our children
by being loyal first to Christ and then to our fellow men.
Of course, no child will learn all these six traits of character
building at once, but as parents reinforce these noble ideas, they
provide the optimum learning atmosphere for these goals to become
realities.
From the Internet
Campmeeting, Spring 2002
Thursday, March 28 – Monday, april 1
Campmeeting this year will again be at Mount Forest in Manchester,
just about a half hours drive away from Mandeville. This campsite
overlooks the parish of St. Elizabeth and the scenery is very beautiful.
The only drawback is that there is no running water although there are
several tanks, which have a fair supply of water.
Directions: When you get to Mandeville, take the road, which leads,
towards Northern Caribbean University (formerly West Indies College).
This is the same road, which leads to Newport. Travel along this road
for approximately 10 miles. Along the way you will pass Knockpatrick,
Newport, Rudd’s Corner and Rose Hill. After passing Rose Hill continue
along the main road for approximately a mile and a half. Look for a
Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom hall on the left side of the road at a place
called Wigton. Immediately upon passing this Kingdom Hall you will come
to a dirt road on the right. Turn on this road and continue on it for
another mile and a half. This road ends at the campsite.
The date for campmeeting this year is March 28 – April 1. It begins on
a Thursday and ends on the Monday following. As always we are trying to
keep the cost to a minimum so that all who wish to attend may be able
to do so. We are asking a minimum contribution of $200.00 per person,
which will cover the cost of camp fees, as well as one cooked meal per
day (lunch). Please notify us immediately if you are planning to attend,
by writing to the address, or calling the number below.
Our main speakers for the campmeeting will be Allen Stump of Smyrna
Gospel Ministries, and Willis Smith of Third Angel Prison Ministry. In
addition we will have the usual contributions from our Jamaican
speakers.
Things to take with you
Eating utensils, Food stuff to take care of your breakfast and supper,
Bedding, Drinking water, Bible, notebook, pen. You may also take a tent
if you do not wish to sleep in the dormitories. There is ample space
for pitching tents.
Open Face is published bi-monthly and is sent free to all who desire to receive it.
David Clayton: Editor and Publisher
P. O. Box 23 Knockpatrick
Manchester, Jamaica W.I.
Phone: (876) 904-7392
email: david@restorationministry.com
