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ICHABOD !

     "When ye therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand): Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes." Matthew 24:15-18.

     There are many different theories and opinions regarding what the Abomination of Desolation stands for, but to rely upon the reasonings of men is utter foolishness (Jeremiah 17:5; 1 Corinthians 1:19-20, 3:19).  The only words that we can safely rely upon today, with there being so many different "winds" of doctrines blowing, is a plain "Thus saith the Lord."  Does God plainly tell us exactly what is the Abomination of Desolation?  Yes!
     "Jesus declared to the listening disciples the judgments that were to fall upon apostate Israel, and especially the retributive vengeance that would come upon them for their rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah.  Unmistakable signs would precede the awful climax.  The dreaded hour would come suddenly and swiftly.  And the Saviour warned his followers: `When ye therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth let him understand), then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.'  When the idolatrous standard of the Romans should be set up in the holy ground, which extended some furlongs outside the city wall, then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight.  When the warning sign should be seen, judgment was to follow so quickly that those who would escape must make no delay.  He who chanced to be upon the housetop must not go down through his house into the street; but he must speed his way from roof to roof until he reached the city wall, and be saved `so as by fire.'  Those who were working in the fields or vineyards must not take time to return for the outer garment laid aside while they should be toiling in the heat of the day.  They must not hesitate a moment, lest they be involved in the general destruction." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 26-27.

     So the Abomination of Desolation was "the idolatrous standards of the Romans" being seen set up where it ought not to be in a place which was supposed to be holy ground.  And when this sign was seen, then Christ's true followers were to flee "as by fire" and not to remain in that place.
     We are told that this prophecy is "twofold in its meaning" (see 4SP 26).  Thus even though it was already fulfilled nearly two thousand years ago, yet it has another fulfillment.  As this is the case, then what would represent the Abomination of Desolation today?  What would represent the banner or flag of the church of Rome?  Without doubt, the banner of Roman Catholicism would be Sunday worship.  So the Abomination of Desolation today is Sunday worship, and when this banner of Roman Catholicism is seen standing where it ought not--in that which should be holy ground, then all of Christ's true followers are to separate themselves from the place in which they see it planted!  And where should SDA Christians be looking for this Abomination to be set up and planted?  In a church that would be a representation of Jerusalem today--which is their own SDA church! (see 8T 67, 133; 4T 166-167).  But will this banner of Rome--Sunday worship, ever be seen arising within the SDA church and being planted in the place of God's sacred and holy Sabbath?
     Most Seventh-day Adventists have become quite accustomed to seeing and/or hearing of SDA churches following the common Catholic practice of holding Easter Sunday church services.  These Sunday worship services in SDA churches around the world have been regularly taking place since the mid 1980's, and today bring little consternation to the minds of many SDA's.  Even though it is a church service being held to worship God on Sunday and not the Sabbath day, these reason that it is just one Sunday out of the year, and so think nothing more about it.  But what if the SDA church should hold Sunday worship services all year long?  This should awaken SDA's to the fact that there is something seriously wrong, and would surely reveal that the banner of Rome had already been planted within the SDA church!  But would such a thing ever happen?
     In the SDA church magazine of the Pacific Union Recorder, for February, 2000, on page 34-35, there is an article titled "Adventist Sunday Church".  This article proudly proclaims that the Las Vegas Mountain View SDA church is holding Sunday morning church services all year long!  They started holding these Sunday morning church services "on Easter weekend" for the supposed purpose of reaching out to the community, and will continue to worship every Sunday for the next "52-week(s)"!
     Does this worshipping of God in church on both Saturday and Sunday sound like a truly "SEVENTH-DAY" Adventist church to you?  But this is not all!  What kind of message would you think is being preached to those who attend this Adventist church on every Sunday?
     "Each Sunday (pastor Tim) Dunfield presents a clearly Adventist message..." Recorder, February, 2000, p 35.

     But this question comes up: How can a "clearly Adventist message", which upholds God's true seventh-day Sabbath as being Saturday and clearly presents Sunday worship to be the worship day of Satan in every church of Babylon, be preached in a church which chooses to worship God on every Sunday?  How can a "clearly Adventist message", which plainly shows Sunday worship to be the mark of the Beast when it becomes a law, be preached in a church which chooses to worship God on every Sunday?  It can't, and to do so would show that church to be hypocritical to say the least!  Thus a "clearly Adventist message" cannot be preached every Sunday, but a severely watered down "so much in common" message can.  And thus the truth about God's seventh-day Sabbath is cast aside by the very church which was specifically raised up by God to proclaim this vital message to the world!
     Some may wonder how regular Sunday worship in SDA churches could happen all of a sudden?  It did not.  This idea of having SDA churches worshipping on every Sunday to try and attract people from the local community, and beginning these Sunday church services with Easter Sunday, is not new at all!  Over 10 years ago this exact same scenario was attempted in another SDA church.
     "Residents in the Diamond Lake area (of Washington State):
     "Dear Friend and Neighbor,
     "We believe you are all aware of our little church....I would be there to serve you.
     "Another service I would be happy to provide is a Sunday morning worship service.....I am hereby formally inviting you to come to our Sunday morning services at 11:00 o'clock....Easter Sunday would be our first service.  March 30th.
     "Yes, I am very much aware of being different in various ways from other churches, like these other churches differ among themselves.  But let me hasten to add that as Christians we have so much in common...I would like to think of my church as a Community Church, where we can meet Sunday morning...
     "Our first service then will be on Easter Sunday at 11:00 in our humble little church." Diamond Lake Seventh-day Adventist Church, Community Letter of February 25, 1986, Fritz Martinsen--pastor.

     Although this first attempt at weekly Sunday church services in SDA churches failed, mainly because the members of that SDA church refused to allow it to happen, yet it was as seed being sown forecasting that Sunday worship services would soon become common place in SDA churches, as we are seeing taking place today.  But the fact that there is Sunday worship services taking place in SDA churches all year long should awaken every honest SDA church member that the Abomination of Desolation has taken place in the church--the banner of Rome has been planted, and the holy ground of God's Sabbath day has been desecrated!  Thus the SDA church is no longer God's property, but has been betrayed into the hands of Rome!  This reality is clearly seen by understanding the following facts.
     Sunday--the first day of the week is, according to the Bible, a common working day with no sanctity at all.  Yet the Catholic church claims the divine authority to change Sunday into a holy worship day, and to transfer God's Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday.  In fact, Catholicism claims this act is the "mark" of her authority over all those who choose to worship on Sunday instead of the Bible Sabbath of Saturday.  The Roman Catholic church proudly states:
     "Protestants...accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change...In observing the Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church, the Pope." Our Sunday Visitor, February 5, 1950.

     "It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday.  Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church." Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth, N.J. "News" of March 18, 1903.

     "It was the Catholic Church which...transferred this rest (Saturday as the Sabbath) to the Sunday....Thus the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the (Catholic) Church." Monsignor Louis Segur, "Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today," p 213.

     "Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change (from Saturday to Sunday) was her act.  It could not have been otherwise, as none in those days would have dreamed of doing anything in matters spiritual and religious without her, and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters." Letter from H.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons.

     So for any church to hold Sunday worship services means that they would be paying homage to the Pope, accepting the authority of the Roman Catholic church--or the Beast of Bible prophecy--over them, as well as recognizing this mark of the Beast's power to altar God's holy law.  As this is the case, then why would the SDA church leaders allow Sunday worship to take place in SDA churches?  Why would a Saturday Sabbath-keeping church choose to also worship on Sunday and thus pay homage to anti-christ and the Roman Catholic church?
     "The religion of Jesus is endangered.  It is being mingled with worldliness.  Worldly policy is taking the place of the true piety and wisdom that comes from above, and God will remove His prospering hand from the conference.  Shall the ark of the covenant be removed from this people?  Shall idols be smuggled in?  Shall false principles and false precepts be brought into the sanctuary?  Shall antichrist be respected?  Shall the true doctrines and principles given us by God, which have made us what we are, be ignored?  Shall God's instrumentality, the publishing house, become a mere political, worldly institution?  This is directly where the enemy, through blinded, unconsecrated men, is taking us....and when men begin to talk of changing these principles (the advocacy of the Sabbath), they are doing a work which it does not belong to them to do.  Like Uzzah, they are attempting to steady the ark which belongs to God, and is under His special supervision." Counsels to Writers and Editors, p 95-97.

     Dear brethren, the SDA church has indeed done exactly what they were warned above not to do.  Idols have been smuggled in for our people to worship instead of God--the very SDA church, as well as their leaders, are worshipped more than God and His truth is today (please write for the booklet, "The Golden Calf Apostasy).  Antichrist is indeed being respected by the SDA church leaders.  In fact this began long ago--especially when they gave the Pope of Rome a medallion in 1977, which "was a gold-covered symbol of the Seventh-day Adventist Church" (Review, August 11, 1977, p 23).  Thus they gave the SDA church, in symbol, into the hands of Satan's representative (see EW 219)!  The SDA church has indeed ignored and even given up the true doctrines of the three angels' messages which were given us by God and which once made the church what it was (for proof please write for the booklet, "Transmutation of the Three Angels).  What about the ark of the covenant?  Has it also been removed from the SDA church and people?
     The ark of the covenant has always been seen as a symbol of God's presence (see CW 172; Review and Herald, March 20, 1888; Spirit of Prophecy, vol 1, p 346).  Below the mercy seat on the ark were deposited the two tables of stone upon which God wrote all 10 of His commandments.  In the very bosom or center of these laws is found the Sabbath of God.  More than any other commandment, the Sabbath shines with a halo of glorious light (Early Writings, p 32-33; Testimonies, vol 1, p 76), plainly indicating that the last great final test of all mankind will be over the issue of the Sabbath (see EW 42).  Over and over again, the Sabbath and the ark are inseparably connected together (see Signs of the Times, February 3, 1888, January 8, 1894, March 12, 1896, April, 7, 1898; 4SP 273-275; EW 255; Review and Herald, December 18, 1888; Manuscript Releases, vol 4, p 402-403; 5MR 94, 10MR 280).  By God symbolically giving the ark into the possession of the SDA church signified that God was especially giving His Sabbath truth into the hands of this church, and that His presence would be with them and sustain them as long as they lived and proclaimed His Sabbath message to the world.
     But the SDA church has not lived up to her part of the covenant promise with God.  In fact, she have sought to remove this distinctive Sabbath banner and sign or seal of God, and for many years has stealthily endeavored to place God's Sabbath truth in the background and to exalt the sabbath of the man of sin.  And with the SDA church now openly holding church worship services on Sundays should plainly show to all SDA church members that the SDA church no longer has the ark of the covenant in their possession, because God has removed it.  Well might every SDA church member cry "ICHABOD!  The glory has departed"!  Why?  Because "the ark of God was removed from the church; for the holy commandments have been violated..." Review and Herald, March 28, 1893!

     With the removal of God's ark from the SDA church, because of their refusal to exalt only God's Seventh-day Sabbath, would also signify that God's glorious presence has also been removed from the church (see 8T 247-250); that the candlestick has also been removed from the church (see Review and Herald, June 7, 1887; July 16, 1895); and that the kingdom of God has been also taken away from the church--just like it was from the Jews.  Others have now been chosen to receive these blessings and to herald God's last saving message of salvation to the world! (see Upward Look, p 131; TM 300).
     No longer is the SDA corporate church God's true church in any way, shape, or form because she has proved unfaithful to her trust.  And just like the Jewish church before her, the SDA church has become divorced from God, forsaken by Him, is desolate, and is destined to be brought down to hell (see Manuscript Releases, vol 12, p 319-321; Review and Herald, August 1, 1893)!  The church no longer stands as a chosen generation and people; no longer do they represent a royal priesthood (see Manuscript Releases, vol 5, p 210).  The probation of the SDA corporate church is over, and thus the church will continue to do the apostate works of her satanic majesty until Christ descends from heaven with a shout!
     "One thing it is certain is soon to be realized,--the great apostasy, which is developing and increasing and waxing stronger, and will continue to do so until the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout." Special Testimonies, Series  B#7, p 56-57.

     And what is the main reason why the SDA church has been removed from being in any way connected with God's cause and work in these last few moments of earth's history?  Because she gave up the sacredness of God's Sabbath day; she chose to meddle with this ark intrusted her of God, and is no longer only holding forth this banner of God's truth to the world, but is also found holding forth and exalting the banner of Rome!
     "Uzzah meddled with the ark, notwithstanding the plain command of the Lord to regard it with fear and trembling, and to keep it sacred.  He had to be removed from the Lord's work.  God changes not." Review and Herald, September 14. 1905.

     All these things plainly reveal that the Abomination of Desolation has indeed been set up in the SDA church! (For more insight, please write for the booklet "The Abomination of Desolation Stands").  No longer is the SDA church a church of God, but has become an image of the Beast of Rome--or another Catholic organization and church! (For further proof, please write for the booklet "The Image of the Beast").  For those who doubt the truth of this, please allow the president of the General Conference of the SDA church to tell you!  President Neal C. Wilson plainly and boldly declared:
     "...there is another universal and truly catholic organization, the Seventh-day Adventist Church." Review, March 5, 1981, p 3.

     As the Abomination of Desolation has been set up in the SDA church, what should every SDA church member and every Historic SDA Independent do regarding their membership, connection, and/or association with the apostate SDA--Catholic church?  To separate from it, "as by fire"!  As surprising as this may be, did you know, that the SDA church's course of treason against God and His truth was clearly prophesied over two thousand years ago!
     Ezekiel 8 lists several abominations that took place in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel 9 relates the destruction which occurs because of these abominations.  It also reveals that the people of God are sighing and crying to others about these abominations, and trying to warn the people about what was occurring within the church.  And yes, these abomination are occurring "IN THE CHURCH"!
     "Those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in linen, are those `that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done' in the church.  Their love for purity and the honor and glory of God is such, and they have so clear a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that they are represented as being in agony, even sighing and crying.  Read the ninth chapter of Ezekiel." Testimonies, vol 3, p 267.

     "These sighing, crying ones have been holding forth the words of life; they had reproved, counseled, and entreated.  Some who had been dishonoring God repented and humbled their hearts before Him.  But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel; although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were lacking....They mourn before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light.  They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church....
     "The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were unrevealed.  The great Searcher of hearts knoweth every sin committed in secret, by the workers of iniquity." Testimonies, vol 5, p 210-211.

     The last and greatest abomination committed, before probation closed upon the church and the individual sealing began in Ezekiel 9, was sun worship!
     "...at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about 25 men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the sun towards the east." Ezekiel 8:16.

     These 25 men, who are ministers and leaders in the temple, are supposed to be worshipping God and leading His people to follow Him and His truth.  But what are these men found to be doing?  They are found rebelling against God, turning their backs on Him and His temple, and worshipping the sun in the open air of the temple court.  As these men are openly betraying God and His people, who could these 25 individuals be that turn their backs on God and worship the sun?
     "The executive committee of this (SDA) conference shall be 25 in number..." 1901 General Conference Bulletin, p 379, col 1, paragraph 2, article 4, section 1.

     So this prophecy about 25 church leaders betraying God and openly worshipping the sun instead of only God's Sabbath day applies to the leadership of the SDA church!  Now we are not trying to read into this any more than what it states in Ezekiel, but what a startling fulfillment by the SDA General Conference leadership and church!  The Executive Committee is the power behind the General Conference, "carrying forward its work between the [General Conference] sessions" (1903 General Conference Bulletin, vol 5, #10, col 2, article 4, section 1, April 10, 1903), even advising the General Conference president how to "labor in the general interests of the Conference" (see The Constitution Bylaws and Working Policy of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, article 4, section 2, April, 1959, p 8).  So the Executive Committee, made up of 25 individuals, is the real power behind the throne of the SDA church!
     The 1903 General Conference Session did not change the 1901 plan, but indicated who would make up this Executive Committee (see 1903 Bulletin, vol 5, #10, col 3, paragraph 1, article 4, section 2, April 10, 1903).  And from 1903 until after 1959, the members of the Executive Committee was "not to exceed 25 in number" (See the Constitution Bylaws and Working Policy, article 5, section 1b, April, 1959, p 9).  But sometime after 1959, the General Conference Executive Committee was enlarged beyond the limit of 25 members; and today the number of members is somewhere near 400.

     Some people will point to the significant increase in the number of members in this General Conference Committee as proof that the group of 25 men listed in the prophecy of Ezekiel 8:16 cannot possibly apply to the SDA church today.  But is this Committee still the only power behind the throne of the SDA church?  Or, since it was enlarged, was there another Committee formed that controls the General Conference Committee--making this new Committee the real power behind the throne?
     Obviously, only the General Conference would know; so I wrote to them requesting information on its inner administrative structure, and praying all the time that God would allow whoever answered my letter to be very informative.  Praise God for answering our prayers, and revealing secrets!  The following is the very informative response that I received:
     "Here at the General Conference, the highest decision-making committee, of course, is the General Conference Committee.  There is a committee that we term `General Conference Officers' which is made up of about twenty-five or twenty-six individuals--president, secretaries, and treasurers, with a few other invited individuals.  This committee is a screening committee that determines the items that need to go to the General Conference Committee." Letter from the Office of the President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, B.E. Jacobs--Administrative Assistant to the President, November 1, 1990. (This letter contains the watermark "SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS" with 3 wavy lines crossing the "A").

     Since this General Conference Officers Committee controls the items which come before the General Conference Committee, they are in fact the real power behind the Conference Committee, and also of the SDA church!  And how many members make up this Officers Committee?  "About twenty-five or twenty-six individuals."  This is the exact same language of Ezekiel--"about 25"!
     Hence, there still is a group of "about 25" individuals which controls the entire SDA church.  From 1903 through 1959, it was the Executive Committee of "about 25" individuals.  But when it became necessary to enlarge this Committee, then the SDA church simply formed another Committee, and kept it limited to "about 25" individuals.
     This number is not a coincidence, but is one of the significant identifying marks clearly showing that the prophecy of the abominations of Ezekiel 8 applies to none other than the SDA church, and the 25 church leaders of Ezekiel 8:16, which turn their backs on the Lord and worship the sun, applies to the General Conference leadership!
     Since the SDA church has allowed the banner of Rome--Sunday worship services to take place in SDA churches, clearly showing that the Abomination of Desolation has indeed been set up and planted in the church; that the ark, God's presence, His kingdom, as well as the candlestick, have all been removed; that the SDA church has been divorced from God, is desolate, and is no longer God's chosen church; then what should every true follower of Christ do about these facts of truth?
     "But when ye shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand), then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment." Mark 13:14-16.

     "Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.  For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." Luke 21:21-22.

     Thus it is the command of Christ Himself that all of His true followers, whether they be SDA church members or historic independent SDA's, are to separate themselves completely from all membership and association with the SDA church, or they will be destroyed along with this church!
     "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof....Slay utterly old and young...but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary." Ezekiel 9:4-6.

     "Here we see that the church--the Lord's sanctuary--was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God.  The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust....they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil.  He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment.  Thus `Peace and safety' is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins.  These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God....They were once faithful servants, favored with His presence and guidance; but they departed from Him and led others into error, and therefore are brought under the divine displeasure." Testimonies, vol 5, p 211-12.

     The only people to receive the seal or mark of God, and to escape the destruction of their church, are those who open their mouths and cry aloud--exposing all the abominations being committed in the sanctuary, and also who have no connection what-so-ever with the SDA church!  The leaders of the SDA people are the first to feel the wrath of God, and then the destruction continues with those who remained connected with the church which these 25 men ruled over and involved in their rebellion against God and His Sabbath.
     But some are advocating that you must remain connected with the apostate SDA church and then to sigh and cry from within in order to be sealed.  But this is a specious falsehood and lie of the devil designed to lead all who follow it down to destruction.  This is because no one will receive the seal of God while they remain connected to a corrupt and apostate church!
     "The angel is to place a mark upon the forehead of all who are separated from sin and sinners, and the destroying angel will follow, to slay utterly both old and young." Testimonies, vol 5, p 505.

     "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.  For her sins have reached unto heaven..." Revelation 18:4-5.

     This is plainly revealed when examining the history dealing with the first planting of the Abomination of Desolation.  There was a man who ran up and down the streets of Jerusalem trying to warn the people that destruction was about to occur (see 4SP 31; GC 30).  He warned the people for seven years, but was also destroyed along with Jerusalem.  Why?  Because he refused to obey Christ's command to flee after the Abomination of Desolation was set up.  He had warned the people of Jerusalem for over three and a half years.  Then the Abomination of Desolation was planted, and instead of separating himself from his church and fleeing as Christ had commanded him to do, he decided to stay in and continue to warn the people.  But his message did not change one bit.  He continued to preach about the abominations and the judgments that were to come upon Jerusalem, but he refused to preach to the people that separation out of the church to Jesus--their professed Master and Leader--was an absolute necessity for their salvation because the Abomination of Desolation had already been planted.  And even though he stayed and continued to warned the people that destruction was about to occur, there is no evidence that anyone heeded his message and was saved by fleeing Jerusalem.  So even though he disobeyed Christ and stayed to warn the people, it did no good.  Why?  Because how much effect can your message of doom and gloom towards the apostate church have upon others when they see you remaining in that doomed church yourself?
     Those who stayed within all perished along with their beloved apostate church.  This plainly revealed that their probation basically closed at their decision to disobey Christ and remain within, even though destruction occurred over three years later.  Their probation basically closed the same way as it did in Noah's time, in the broad daylight, and without a cloud of destruction in sight.  Please note this:  The planting of the Abomination of Desolation signaled that the corporate probation of the church was already closed, and that now individual probation was closing depending on how they treated the message to separate in obedience to Christ!  Because this man stayed instead of separating, many followed his example in disobedience to Christ's explicit command, and they also remained in the corrupt and apostate church.
     Now it is interesting to note that this man's name was also called Jesus! (See Jerusalem and Rome: The Writings of Josephus, p 162 (War VI, 5:3)).  But he was proven to be a false Christ.  His message consisted of warning the people about the abominations and corruptions that were occurring in the church, and that judgment was about to fall, yet he refused to give to the people the only message which could have saved their eternal lives--which was to completely separate from the church.  Are we not hearing these same false messages today?  Most Definitely!  We are indeed hearing many of these false christs presenting this same deceiving message.  And these, along with their followers, will go down with their beloved idol-church.
Truly, as God through Ezekiel has already warned us of the apostasy of the SDA church:
     "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls...Her priests have violated My law, and have profaned Mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them." Ezekiel 22:25-26.

     My brethren, it is time to stand up and be counted for God.  It is not time to remain connected with the corrupt church and become "partakers of her sins."  We are corporately responsible for all the sins of the church by just remaining a part of this corrupt system (see principle in Jeremiah 26:11-15; Revelation 18:1-4: 3T 265 & 269, or write for the booklet "Why Are We Held Responsible, for Personal, Social, and Corporate Sins?").
     We must come out and be separate and stand for our God, and warn our brothers and sisters to do the same thing.  We can't follow that man of Jerusalem, whose name was also Jesus, who decided that after the Abomination of Desolation was planted, that he would not obey his Lord and flee Jerusalem.  He reasoned that he would stay within so as to try and warn more people of what was going on.  But he lost his eternal life by his disobedience, and there was not one soul reportedly saved, even though he remained and continued to warn them for many years!  So he died in vain, when he could have obeyed His Lord and separated, thereby showing by his example of obedience the way of life for others to take heed and to follow.  But all were given ample opportunity to escape, and all made their decisions to leave or stay.
     This same situation is now taking place today!  Sunday exaltation and worship has begun by the SDA church.  Ezekiel 9 is beginning to occur, the sealing is starting, probation is closing and what is your decision going to be?  Are you going to follow our Lord out (see Hebrews 13:12-13)?  Are you going to follow His commands and flee the apostate SDA church, coming out and looking solely to Jesus for all your light, knowledge, and understanding, instead of being under that corrupt system and looking to man?  It was only those Christians who proved themselves wise, who left at the command of Christ, when they noticed and realized that the Abomination of Desolation had been planted, that had their lives saved (see 4SP 31).  The rest of the professed Christians remained.  These chose and took a different path than what Christ had commanded them to take, and they stayed and were destroyed.  The man, who was also named Jesus, remained too because he reasoned that he could try to warn more people by staying.  And all their probation basically closed at their decision to disobey Christ by remaining!  Are we are not seeing this exact same sad history being repeated among our people today?
     The Abomination of Desolation stands!  It's time to awake.  It's time to get rid of every sin in your life.  It's time to "prepare to meet thy God".  It's time to obey Christ's command and to "go out of the camp" in order to be with Jesus outside of the church, for our Saviour is coming to claim only those who have proved their obedience to Him and Him alone!  Probation is individually closing now--dear people--upon those who reject the last and final message of mercy (see 6T 19)!
     I warn you all in the Holy name of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, to break off the shackles that bind you to a godless church.  Cast them off, get rid of that idol church that you have allowed to reign in your heart, and join Christ instead.  Join the procession.  Come out, be counted for, and stand with Christ; prove that you are a true follower of God, and are not yoked together with the wicked.  Please follow our Saviour out, and be not cut off in her iniquity.
     "Before the destruction of Sodom, God sent a message to Lot, `Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.'  The same voice of warning was heard by the disciples of Christ before the destruction of Jerusalem...They must not tarry to secure anything from their possessions, but must make the most of the opportunity to escape.
     "There was a coming out, a decided separation from the wicked, an escape for life.  So it was in the days of Noah,; so with Lot; so with the disciples prior to the destruction of Jerusalem; and so it will be in the last days.  Again the voice of God is heard in a message of warning, bidding His people separate themselves from the prevailing iniquity." Patriarchs and Prophets, p 166.