the loud cry babylon

7/21/2019 The Loud Cry Babylon

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"The Loud Cry"Taylor G. Bunch

The "loud cry" is not strictly a Biblical expression. It is used often in the writings of the

Spirit of prophecy, and is based on a description of the final warning essage dur ing

the latter rain as set forth in !eelation #$ %#&'. Because the angel fro heaen had

"great power," he "cried ightily with a strong oice" and "the earth was lightened with

his glory." (ere is pictured the final announceent of the fall and deon possession of

Babylon, accopanied by the diine call, "Coe out of her, )y people." The

separation fro Babylon is necessary in order to be eancipated fro her sins and to

escape her plagues.

The tie of the loud cry is definitely located. It coes *ust before the close of probation

and the falling of the seen last plagues, in which "is filled up the wrath of God." +ith a

loud c ry or strong oice the call is gien for Gods people reaining in the religious

organi-ations constituting Babylon to separate fro what has "becoe the habitation

of deils, and the hold of eery foul spirit, and the cage of eery unclean and hateful

bird." Babylon includes the other and the large faily of daughters, all of who hae

fallen and been taen possession of by Satanic agencies.

The loud cry is not in itself the latter rain. It is rather the final essage of salation dur&

ing the outpouring of the (oly Spirit in the fullness of diine power, a call which will

bring eery huan being to a final and irreocable decision. The latter rain furnishes

the power so that the essage can be /uicly finished and "cut short in

righteousness." 0s a result, "eery truly honest soul will coe to the light of truth." The

distinction between the latter rain and the loud cry is ade clear by the essenger of

the Lord.

"At that time the 'latter rain,' or refreshing from the presenceof the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the

third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when

the seven last plagues shall be pouredout."Early Writings, p.

!.
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" saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven, descending to the

earth, and again ascending to heaven, preparing for the

ful#llment of some important event. $hen saw another mighty

angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his

voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his

message. . . . $he wor% of this angel comes in at the right time

to &oin in the last great wor% of the third angel's message, as it

swells to a loud cry. . . . saw a great light resting upon them

(od's people), and they united to fearlessly proclaim the third

angel's message. . . . $his message seemed to be an addition tothe third message, &oining it as the midnight cry &oined the

second angel's message in *++."bid, p. -, /talics mine.0

1ote also the following fro the sae boo%

" heard those clothed with the armor spea% forth the truth

with great power. t had e1ect. 2any had been bound 3 some

wives by their husbands, and some children by their parents.$he honest who had been prevented from hearing the truth

now eagerly laid hold upon it. All fear of their relatives was

gone, and the truth alone was e4alted to them. $hey had been

hungering and thirsting for truth 3 it was dearer and more

precious than life. as%ed what had made this great change. An

angel answered, 't is the latter rain, the refreshing from the

presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.' "

bid., p. -*.

"$hen will the message of the third angel swell to a loud cry,

and the whole earth will be lightened with the glory of

the Lord."$estimonies, vol. !, p. +5*.


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The loud cry is so closely identified with the latter rain that it is difficult to distinguish

between the except on the basis of the forer being the essage itself and the latter

the power that aes it effectie.

"$hose who have held the beginning of their con#dence #rmunto the end will be wide6awa%e during the time that the third

angel's message is proclaimed with great power. 7uring the

loud cry, the church, aided by the providential interpositions of

her e4alted Lord, will di1use the %nowledge of salvation so

abundantly that light will be communicated to every city and

town. $he earth will be #lled with the %nowledge of salvation.

8o abundantly will the renewing 8pirit of 9(od have crowned

with success the intensely active agencies, that the light of

present truth will be seen :ashing everywhere.';eview and

, *?5+.

It is eident that the purpose of the loud cry is to call out of Babylon all who had not

preiously ade the separation. This ust be done before probation closes and the

wrath of God is poured out upon the finally ipenitent. The Lord designates those

called out as ")y people." They are *ust as erily (is people een before they hear the

call as are those who are already in 2ion and who are the instruents in the

proclaation of the essage to escape fro the dooed spiritual city.

+hy the great urgency to ae the separation3 Because Babylon has becoe

copletely possessed and controlled by eney forces, has fallen to an all&tie low

leel of spiritual life, and is thus a dangerous and unfitting dwelling place for the saints

of the )ost (igh. The sins of Babylon, lie the tower of Babel in ancient Babylon, hae

piled up until they hae "reached unto heaen, and God hath reebered theirini/uities." 4ust as the angels hurried Lot and his faily out of the dooed city of

Sodo before its destruction, so the saints of God ust be hastened out of the final

spiritual city of destruction before the wrath diine brings it to a desered end.

(ow any of Gods true people will still be in Babylon when the loud cry calls the

out3 (ere is the answer%


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"@otwithstanding the spiritual dar%ness and alienation from

(od that e4ist in the churches which constitute abylon, the

great body of Bhrist's true followers are still to be found in

their communion. $here are many of these who have never

seen the special truths for this time. . . . $he time will come

when those who love (od supremely can no longer remain in

connection with such as are 'lovers of pleasures more than

lovers of (od 3 having a form of godliness, but denying the

power thereof.' ;evelation * points to the time when, as the

result of re&ecting the threefold warning of;ev. *+!6*+, thechurch will have fully reached the condition foretold by the

second angel, and the people of (od still in abylon will be

called upon to separate from her communion. $his message is

the last that will ever be given to the world 3 and it will

accomplish its wor%. . . . $hen the light of truth will shine upon

all whose hearts are open to receive it, and all the children of

the Lord that remain in abylon will heed the call, 'Bome out of

her 2y people.'"

"0nd in what religious bodies are the great part of the followers of Christ now to be

found3 +ithout doubt, in the arious churches professing the 5rotestant faith."6

TheGreat Controversy, pp. 789, 7$7.

A Great Multitude Called Out

That those called out of Babylon during the latter rain and as a result of the loud cry

will be a great ultitude is eident fro the Bible and the Spirit of prophecy. In )icah

:%#:we are told that "the renant of Israel" will be a "ultitude of en" ; and

in2echariah :%##it is said that "any nations shall be *oined to the Lord in that day." It

is stated that "any people and strong nations shall coe to see the Lord of hosts,"

and will say to Gods people, "+e will go with you % for we hae heard that God is with
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you." 2ech. $:22, :7. 1o longer do they say reproachfully of the renant, "+here is

their God3" The latter rain deonstrates that the Lord is in the idst of 2ion and in full

possession and control.

In the seenth chapter of the !eelation is a description of the final gospel harest asthe result of the preaching of the threefold essage of !eelation #' while the angels

are holding in chec the winds of war and huan passion. %#7>. They lie through the seen

last plagues because they coe "out of great tribulation, and hae washed their robes,

and ade the white in the blood of the Lab."


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"(od rebu%es


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declare the message from heaven. $he 8pirit is poured out

upon all who will yield to its promptings, and, casting o1 all

man's machinery, his binding rules and cautious methods, they

will declare the truth with the might of the 8pirit's power.

2ultitudes will receive the faith and &oin the armies of

the Lord."Evangelism, p. 55.

The seed sowing in preparation for the in&gathering of this ighty harest will be

accoplished largely through the scattering of the printed page "lie the leaes of

autun." In The Great Controversy, page @#:, we are told that when the fatter rain

coes, the seeds of gospel truth hae been sown and the arguents presented, and

that the purpose of this Spirit isitation is to bring coniction. It is stated that "the

publications distributed by issionary worers hae exerted their influence." 1ote the

following %

"=ur publications are now sowing the gospel seed, and are

instrumental in bringing as many souls to Bhrist as the

preached word. Whole churches have been raised up as the

result of their circulation."Bhristian 8ervice, p. *+!.

"'(od will soon do great things for us, if we lie humble and

believing at


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often long delayed; and therefore the teptation to becoe discouraged is greater

than in soe other lines of issionary actiity ; but in the end the harest will be

abundant and certain and the regard great. "(e that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing

precious seed, shall doubtless coe again with re*oicing, bringing his sheaes with

hi." 5s. #:@%@.

The !eelation of 4esus Christ.L. Chaney

From time to time we print articles in this section which are provocative of thought.

This article is from a nonagenarian worker whose mind is keen and whose eye is

largely undimmed. Our readers will appreciate this analytical approach to some

important fields of study.!ds.

)any people loo upon the boo of !eelation as a congloeration of strange

sybols thrown together in a heterogeneous ass, without plan or reason.

Conse/uently, it is thought of as a boo which cannot be understood or interpreted.

Den those who accept it as one of the inspired boos of the Bible hae confessed

their inability to understand it. or exaple, the noted )ethodist writer, r. 0da

Clare, in his preface to this boo in his Commentary, writes as follows%

0s I hae scarcely any opinion to gie concerning this boo on which I could wish any

of y readers to rely, I shall not enter into any discussion relatie to the author, or the

eaning of his seeral isions and prophecies. . . .


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(e clearly recogni-es the fact that time is the great factor in the unfolding of prophetic

truth. or, in his coent on aniel #:%8, he says%

The prophecy shall not be understood, but in its accoplishent; and then the depth

of the wisdo and proidence of God will be clearly seen in these atters. . . . +eust wait "till the tie of the end;" and this, it appears fro the following calculations,

will not arrie before the T+D1TIDT( CD1TE!F. +e here see the reasons why these

prophecies are at present so iperfectly understood. God has sealed the.65age

@#$.

+e are now liing in the twentieth century, to which r. Clare looed forward for the

unsealing of the boo of aniel.

0nd since the unsealing of the boo of aniel furnishes us the ey for the unlocing of

the boo of !eelation, we ust *ustly conclude that if 0da Clare were liing todayhe would re*oice in the nowledge of the light which God in (is proidence has thrown

upon these two boos during the past century. The ob*ect of this wor is to gather up

these rays of light and deonstrate%

#. That the author of !eelation, 4esus Christ (iself, had a ery definite andsyetrical plan in ind when (e gae the boo to the apostle 4ohn, through (isangel.

:. That this plan gies ephasis to the essage that God has entrusted to (is

church in "the tie of the end"; a essage that has been unfolding with eer&increasing light.

7. That when the plan of the boo has been discoered and coprehended, it willbe seen that the plan, in itself, bears witness to its diine origin, lining it with theCreation wee of seen days, and giing additional ephasis to the fourthcoandent as a eorial of Christs creatie wor. or "(e was in the world,and the world was ade by hi, and the world new hi not" ?4ohn #%#9A.

The unrolling of tie is the unrolling of Bible prophecy; hence it ay be truly said of

this generation who see for Gods wisdo, "Blessed are your eyes, for they see% and

your ears, for they hear. or erily I say unto you, That any prophets and righteous

en hae desired to see those things which ye see, and hae not seen the; and to

hear those things which ye hear, and hae not heard the" ?)att. #7%#@, #>A.
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In these words of the )aster we obsere again that it is time that unseals the prophetic

scroll and gies the adantage to those who are liing when the predicted eents tae

place.

The "lan of the #ookIn a general way the boo of !eelation is constructed on the sae plan as the boo

of aniel. In aniel we find a series of prophecies dealing with world eents, and

coering practically the sae period of tie, i-, fro the days of aniel to the second

coing of Christ. In !eelation we also find a series of prophecies in sybolic for,

fie of which coer practically the sae period of tie, that is fro the days of pagan

!oe down to the second coing of Christ; and two other prophecies which carry us

beyond that great eent and into that eternal state descri$ed as the new heaen and

the new earth.

+e hae therefore in the boo of !eelation seen great diisions, or lines, of

prophecy. Taing this thought of SD


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0gain, in the wee, as described in the Scriptures and by the Spirit of 5rophecy, the

day preceding the Sabbath is the day of preparation. (ence, in the antitype we should

find a period of preparation for that eternal Sabbath of rest.

The period of preparation is found and described in chapter twenty. This period isusually called the illenniu, or thousand year period. +hateer ay be our iew as

to the nature of the illenniu, it is perfectly clear that this period is a distinct one. It is

still future and is ared off as beginning with the first resurrection and ending with

the eents connected with the second resurrection. Chapter twenty, then, constitutes

the sixth diision.

Beginning with chapter seenteen and ending with another description of the second

coing of Christ in the latter part of the nineteenth chapter, we hae a clear&cut

diision in the history of Babylon the Great.

It ay be well to note at this point that the ob*ectie and final act in all of the first fie

diisions of the boo is the second coing of Christ, which puts an end to the present

order of things. 0nd this eent is to be considered as the final act in each of these fie

diisions. Chapters seenteen to nineteen, therefore, constitute the fifth diision of the

boo.

+e hae now discoered the first three and the last three clear&cut diisions of this

wonderful boo. 0nd, if our hypothesis is correct, the iddle or fourth diision ust

coer chapters twele to sixteen inclusie.

The /uestion to decide is this% o these chapters present to us a distinct, united line of

prophecy as do the others we hae discoered3 The answer to this /uestion ay be

found in the following stateent fro the Spirit of 5rophecy writings%

In !eelation #', en are called upon to worship the Creator. . . . The line of prophecy

in which these sybols Hthe three angels are found, begins with !eelation #:, with

the dragon that sought to destroy Christ at (is birth.6The Great Controversy, pp. '7>,

'7$.

The first angel announces to the world that the hour or tie of Gods *udgent has

arried and this announceent is but a part of the "eerlasting gospel." It is the sae

gospel that 5aul preached, only in a different tie setting.


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5aul, as he reasoned with elix, warned hi of a future *udgent, a "*udgent to

coe" ?0cts :'%:=A. But this angel or essenger announces that the *udgent has

coe.

The second angel announces what taes place when en re*ect the essage of thefirst angel&they becoe confused, and they becoe Babylon. The third angel tells

these confused ones and all en what will happen if they refuse to worship the Crea&

tor and prefer to worship the beast and his iage, which are a part of Babylon. In other

words, they will suffer the agony of the seen last plagues as described in chapters

fifteen and sixteen. 1ote that the first plague falls "upon the en which had the ar of

the beast, and upon the which worshipped his iage" ?!e. #@%:; see also erses

#9, #8A.

It is therefore ery clear that chapters #: to #@ present to us a distinct and united lineof prophecy, and this /ualifies as the fourth diision.

+e now hae our seen great diisions of the !eelation of 4esus Christ, the Creator

of all things, the ne who in the creation of this world staped upon it and upon this

boo the nuber seen, (is tradear and ar of (is authority as Creator, the

nuber which syboli-es copletion and perfection.

But this is not all. 0s we exaine these great diisions ore closely we discoer that

each of the has seen diisions also. Thus we ay thin of this boo as consisting of

seen olues, each olue haing seen chapters.

The following will illustrate our thought, eeping in ind that lie any boo there ay

be a preface or introduction to the ain thee of the boo.


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. Babylon on the seenth head.


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denoinations3 oes the appearance of another Christian denoination create further

confusion in the inds of people3

The /uestion of identity ust confront each Seenth&day 0dentist. +hy a I an

0dentist3 +hat is our ission3 +hat is the difference between our ission and thatof other Christian denoinations3 The answers to these /uestions depend on the

understanding of our origin and history.

This article will try to probe these issues in the context of the three angelsJ essages

of !eelation #'. +e will show the significance of this essage in preaching the

eerlasting gospel in the last days of earthJs history. +e beliee that the proclaation

of this essage before ChristJs second coing is one of the ost iportant and

exclusie features of the 0dentist Church. This essage directs the undertaings and

is part of the ission of the church.

The 0dentist Church eerged fro fragents of a religious oeent led by +illia

)iller ?#>$:K#$'8A. The driing ideological idea of that oeent was setting a

definite date for ChristJs second coing to earth. The date was based on the

interpretation of the prophecy ofaniel $%#'% MIt will tae :,799 eenings and

ornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecratedJ N ?1I


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his *udgent has coeJ N ?!e. #'%>, 1I


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antitheisticalues, a aterialistic future, and class struggles, leading to a new

deelopent in social&econoic forces.

Communism. The iddle and second half of the nineteenth century signify the

flourishing of socialistic ideas within which pro*ects for the foration of a *ust societywere deeloped through reolutionary refors. Society in any parts of the world

oed to the power of social progress leading to a counist paradise,N without any

reference to God or the spiritual diension of life.

(i$erali)ation of "rotestantism. Leading 5rotestant churches were accepting liberal

theology, which underined faith in a God&inspired Bible and exposed any doctrines

of the Christian faith to rational criticis. 0s a result, 4esus Christ has becoe *ust a

historical figure with nothing in coon with the 4esus Christ of the Gospels.

*arwinism. 5erhaps the ost daunting challenge to biblical faith and alues,

underining the ery core of Christian proclaation, occurred in the id&nineteenth

century when science proclaied the origin of species by natural selection. The

biblical foundation of earthJs creation was at stae, and the theory of eolution

eerged not only as a critical challenge but also as a iable alternatie.

These are only a few arers of the new era, which hae becoe a real challenge to

Christian faith. 0lost all of the are reflected in the bacdrop against which the three

angelsJ essages were to be proclaied. The eternal gospel of !eelation #'thus

calls us to return to the core alues of the biblical essage proclaied fro the

beginning to the end of huan history. The proclaation taes on a new force in these

last days.

Thus, a brief analysis of the historical situation during the id&nineteenth century helps

us understand why the pioneers of the 0dentist Church recogni-ed the eaning of

their earthly ission in the three angelsJ essages. The preaching of these

essages defined the face of future 0dentis. In preaching the three angelsJ

essages, 0dentists found the explanation of their eergence in the arena of history.Seenth&day 0dentis does not lie as *ust another confession, fored as a result of

a schis in an already& existing church. The 0dentist Church eerged during the

prophesied historical period in order to proclai the greatest essage of all before the

second coing of 4esus Christ.

The first angels message


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0gainst this oeriew, the essage of the first angel assues special ephasis. irst

of all, attention is drawn to the appeal of the first angel to fear God and gie (i

glory.N

ear is one of the characteristics that defines huan existence. 0lso interesting to noteis that the so&called scientific religious studies, which deeloped in the nineteenth

century as a ain factor in the eergence of religion, ephasi-ed fear. ear, so

argued the so&called scientists, gae rise to the religious feeling of dependence on

higher powers. But when we exaine the phrase fear GodN in its context in !eelation

#', the eaning becoes clearer. The phrase calling for fear is followed by the

initation, gie (i glory.N To fear God eans to gie (i glory. +e find it interesting

to note that such a parallelis appears seeral ties in the boo of !eelation. or

exaple, M+ho will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your nae3J N ?!e. #=%',

1I%'A. (ere we again see an

exaple of parallelis. To gie God glory, first of all, eans to fulfill (is will, coplete

(is wor, and show obedience and subission to (is will.

(ence, we can conclude that the first angelJs call to fear God,N in fact, eans to obey

and fulfill GodJs will, coneyed in (is coandents. This appeal becoes current in

an era of huanistic and secular alues, in an era where God is excluded fro the

huan ind and affairs. These words hae special significance in the era of

postodernis and a relatiistic attitude of life, aing any oral standards relatie.

The final words of the first angel are highly significant% M+orship hi who ade the

heaens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.J N These words were current in

the id&nineteenth century when a whole chain of discoeries in the fi eld of geology

and biology challenged the idea that God created the world. These discoeries were

the beginning of a serious conflict between science and Christianity.

(ence the currency of the essage of the first angel% +orship hi who ade. . . .N

The essage calls people to thin about their origin and reconsider their purpose. The

Bible speas about huan origin% God created an in his own iage; in the iage of
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God he created hiN ?Gen. #%:>, 1IK

:7;4er. :=%#=K:$; D-e. :7%7:K7'A.

In the seductieN politics of the spiritual Babylon, 4ohn draws attention to the act of

receiing a Mar on the forehead or on the handJ N ?!e. #'%8, 1I


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box with passages fro the Torah ?Dxod. #7%#K#9; eut. @%'K8; ##%#7K:#A, is bound to

the forehead and hand. This ritual depicts the conscious acceptance of GodJs will

reflected through (is coandents ?binding on the foreheadA, and the readiness to

fulfill this will in oneJs life ?binding on the handA.

The beastJs ar on the forehead and the hand represents the ar of authority of the

apostate church, the replaceent of GodJs righteous standards with huan standards.

That is why one of the ost iportant characteristics of GodJs faithful people centers

in eeping (is coandents ?!e. #'%#:; #:%#>A.

To draw attention to one of the Ten Coandents is ery iportant, *ust as eeping

it has a special significance in the struggle between good and eil. In the first angelJs

essage ?!e. #'%>, 1I


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So, the nae of the Seenth&day 0dentist Church testifies of two great eents in

world history6the creation of the cosos in the beginning and the launching of the

new heaens and the new earth at the second coing of 4esus Christ. These two

eents6the beginning and the end6are the alpha and oega of earthJs history.

Indeed these two eents, centered in Christ, ae (i declare, MI a the 0lpha and

ega, ... who is, and who was, and who is to coeJ N ?!e. #%$, 1I%:A. ne will finally rest in

God ?!e. #'%#7A, while the other will not rest Mday or nightJ N ?!e. #'%##A. The three

angelsJ essages call eery belieer to choose his or her position in this great

controersy between good and eil, between truth and lie.

Let us draw our attention one ore tie to the phrase the hour of his *udgent has

coe.N The word *udgentN is translated fro the Gree word krisis. This word eans

process of *udgentN ?see !e. #@%>; #$%#9; #8%:A, while a different Gree

word krimaeans erdictN or sentence.N +e indeed lie in a tie of crisis6econoic
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crisis, financial crisis, energy crisis, food crisis, ecological crisis, oral crisis, spiritual

crisis, and so on; all of the are part of life today. The tie of the Second Coing is

near, bringing with it the krima, the tie for the erdict. or this reason, we consider it

of great iportance that we participate in the preaching of the greatest essage of the

(oly Scriptures. It is our duty and priilege6the essence of our ission.

The Babylonian teptation% aing anae for ourseles!einder Bruinsa

Soe ight say that an article about the entality of Babylon hardly fits as a sub*ect

for an 0dentist *ournal for clergy. Because GodJs people of all denoinations, the

inhabitants of 2ion, the citi-ens of the heaenly city, read this publication, this writing

does not target those who belong to Babylon.

True enough. +e want to aintain a safe distance fro Babylon. +e want to call

others6as any as possible6to leae Babylon ?!e. #$%'A. Babylon is bad news. Its

philosophy and lifestyle are godless and addictie ?!e. #'%$A. +e, who hae left

Babylon, ust always be reinded to stay far away fro it, and not to succub to the

teptation to try to stand with one leg in 4erusale and another in Babylon. or that

reason I beliee the story of the Tower of Babel ?Gen. ##%#K8A reains utterly releant.

f course, this well&nown, beautifully constructed narratie was sandwiched between

the stories of 1oah and 0braha and placed soewhat awwardly between the Table

of 1ations of Genesis #9 and the genealogy fro She to 0braha in Genesis ##b. It

tells us how, after the lood, the descendents of 1oah oed eastward, toward the

plain of Shinar. They settled in the fertile )esopotaian lowlands, where they /uicly

learned to aster all inds of technologies. Dentually, they felt confident they could

construct a city with a tower that reacheHd to the heaensN ?. ', 1I


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ters, for (e went downN and put a defi nitie stop to the disastrous enterprise by

confusing their language. Chaos resulted, and the ery scatteringN the people wanted

to aoid was the inescapable result.

The root of the probleSeenth&day 0dentists now that the ter #a$ylonstands as the ultiate sybol for

the powers that oppose God and (is people. If we want to now what constitutes the

ery essence of that opposition, we find the answer right here in Genesis ##. #a$ylonis

a collectie nae for all who want to do things without God, who are not intent upon

honoring the nae of God but want to ae a nae for theseles. It is the

unistaable sybol of those who, poisoned by their deilish arrogance, do not now

their place and want to reach into high heaen on their own stea. 0nd it applies, as

we well now, in particular to the end tie coalition of religious powers that will be

intent on destroying GodJs renant people.

This profile of Babylon finds confi ration in another story of city building any

centuries after the construction of the Tower of Babel. Oing 1ebuchadne--ar, the

faous ruler of the 1eo&Babylonian Dpire, anifested exactly the sae spirit. ne

day, when he waled on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, he sureyed the

agnifi cent buildings all around hi and exclaied% Is not this the great Babylon I

hae built . . .$y my mighty power and for the glory of my maesty3N ?an. '%79, 1I


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(ow does it relate to us corporately, as a church3 Let us, first of all, tae a step bac

and reflect on the history of the 0dent oeent. ur church originated on the

fringes of the )illerite oeent. Its beginnings were aong a sall group of

predoinantly uneducated, rural fols whose leaders were ostly young and

inexperienced. They were ridiculed after the #$'' debacle and treated as pariahs on

the 0erican religious scene. Their oeent, at first, grew slowly. It nubered a

ere 7,=99 by #$@76when the Seenth&day 0dentist Church was officially

organi-ed. By #899 church ebership stood around >=,999. 0dentists were long

regarded as a strange sub&Christian sect, and honesty deands to add that, though

we hae now grown into a significant worldwide oeent, we are still regarded as a

sect in any places around the world.

The church has poured a treendous aount of resources into efforts to build its

public iage. +e want to conince the world that we are a Christian church. +e do all

we can to tell the world around us that we are not as sall as any tend to thin. 0nd

we inite the world to loo at what we are doing.

Fes, we want to be recogni-ed as a growing, prestigious religious body. +e proudly

point to our annual statistical report as undeniable proof of steady growth and

extension around the globe, and to our thousands of institutions in oer two hundred

countries. +e proudly proclai that the 0dentist Church presently has about fifteen

illion adult ebers and predict that by :9:9 ebership ay well exceed forty or

fifty illion. )any countries now treat us with respect. +e hae becoe widely

recogni-ed as haing a strong organi-ation and an educated inistry; we hae an

eer&growing nuber of institutions of higher learning, and our 0dentist eelopent

and !elief 0gency ?0!0A continues to be increasingly respected as a global agency

for huanitarian outreach.

But, could it be that we are in danger of placing too uch stress on this desire for

recognition3 0s we grow and deelop, does it reain our sole purpose to honor the

nae of God3 r are we also intent on aing a nae for ourseles3 0nd ight therebe the ris that, in so doing, we follow our own huan strategies rather than the diine

agenda3

These /uestions apply not only globally but also nationally and locally. 0lways and

eerywhere the danger exists that we so focus on the church as an institution, on

growth, on institutional deelopent, on church finances, on a positie iage in the


24/26

press, that we forget the real ission of the church% to preach and reflect Christ. I

would subit that the church exhibits a dangerous Babylonian trait if it is first of all an

institution, a corporation, that tries to position itself as positiely as it can in the

religious aretplace, rather than as a place for spiritual growth and nurture.

This obseration connects with the second aspect% the fortress entality of Babylon.

+e should continuously as ourseles the /uestions, Is our church open, outgoing,

attractie to others3 Is it interested in what is going on in the outside world3 Is it

aing an ipact on the world3 r do we prefer a church that anifests itself as a

bastion, a fortress, where we feel safe and co-y as we lie together in our own little

world6en*oying our own peculiar subculture3 0re we happiest when we are at a

considerable distance fro the world and do not hae to ix and interact with others

who are not of our faith3 o we feel ost cofortable when we tal to ourseles, in

our own *argon, focused on our own probles3

If that is the situation, we hae created a little Babylon and we ust expect God to

coe downN and tae a critical loo at us. Fes, we ust een expect (i to shae us,

and possibly een to scatter us fro our 0dentist ghettos, to force us out of our

Babylonian fortress entality.

Sadly, there are 0dentists who want to stay away fro the world as uch as they

can. Studies indicate that ost longtie 0dentists hae few or no friends outside of

the church. It taes, on the aerage, about seen or eight years for new ebers to

lose ost of their non&0dentist friends. Christ was adaant% 0lthough we are not of

this world, we ust be in this world. The church ust hae its windows open to the

outside world. It cannot be reduced to a safe, secure, failiar enironent for those

who already beliee and belong. GodJs children ust not lie in a spiritual ghetto, but

ust be scattered.N They ust enture out, accepting the riss this inoles. Their

ission ust not be to shy away fro the world and to abandon the world. They

should gladly accept the posities in the world and ebrace the good things the world

still has to offer. 5ossibly een ore iportantly, they ust now the language of theworld and be aware of what is happening in the world. They ust now where people

are hurting, and learn how to relate to real people in the real world.

+here is our focus3


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But what about each of us, as indiidual belieers, or, specifically, as 0dentist

pastors3 0re we loyal citi-ens of the heaenly city, or do we continue to aintain an

address in Babylon3 0re we fully focused on honoring GodJs nae and on that

grandiose proise that we will soon bear a new, God&gien, nae3 r are we at ties

still rooted in a Babylonian ode of thought and intent on aing a nae for

ourseles3

The teptation to ae a nae for ourseles neer goes away. I a ery conscious of

that teptation. +hy do I wor for the church3 +hy do I trael, preach, write, wor

long hours, and attend endless coittees3 Could it be that, deep down, I would lie

to ae a nae for yself3 That /uestion reains releant for all of us who wor for

the church, whether eployed by a church entity, or sering as an elder, deacon, or

organist in the local church.

+hat are our deepest ais, our innerost otiations and abitions3 o we want to

be obedient to our calling, or do we siply want to be iportant3 o we strie to be

influential or to be a blessing to others3 Is our abition to lead and to be in charge, or

are we willing to sere3

In todayJs narcissistic culture, people tend to focus on theseles. The ey words are

self&iproeent, self&worth, and assertieness. +e are challenged to exploit our

uni/ue talents and to eep woring on ourseles. +e ust feel good about ourseles.

If we try hard enough, we can do alost anything. So, at least, we are told by the

edia.

)any are obsessed with their wor, their status, their aterial possessions, and the

ery latest gadgets. They are totally coninced of their own iportance. or any,

irtually no liit exists to what they will sacrifice on the altar of success. 0t the sae

tie, any do not want to inest tie, energy, and eotion in deep and long&lasting

relationships.

They see the anonyity of the asses rather than to tae a ore than superfi cialinterest in people and eet the where they are. They feel ore cofortable in

networingN than in establishing real friendships. The story of the Tower of Babel tells

us that God disapproes of this widespread desire to ae a nae for ourseles, and

of this tendency to cocoon in our priate fortresses. God wants us to re*ect this

Babylonian approach to life. (e wants us to reali-e that the deepest eaning of our


26/26

lies does not include how we can ae ourseles shine; it is about how (e can shine

through us.

)aing a nae for ourseles and refusing to be scatteredN so that we can bear our

witness in the wider counity can be identified as a Babylonian trait that should haeno place aong the citi-ens of the heaenly city. 0s a church and as indiiduals we

belong in 2ion. +e belong to that new world with God as the focus of praise and (is

nae honored aboe eery other nae.

the loud cry babylon

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