I read a lot of books and articles. Some of them stand out for their accuracy, prose and biblical inspiration, and some of them fall flat, like slipping on papaya peelings while attempting to high jump over a large plastic rocking horse. The results aren’t pretty, and that reminds me of a recent Review article that fell flat.
On October 21, the Adventist Review published an article titled Prophetic Denialism. This article by Ivor Myers attempts to make the case that the prophetic voice of our church is changing because certain voices in our church are warning about cultural evils rather than apostate Protestantism.
Populated with vague accusations, his article attempts to unite his favorite hot buttons —Christian Nationalism and Racism—to Adventist prophecy. This leaves many Adventists confused and we heard from a lot of them.
So what is this brother trying to say? I identified ten points in his article, let’s take a look.
1) He asserts (without examples or proof) that the prophetic voice of our church has changed. It is true that in certain liberal enclaves within Adventism there has been an observable shift away from the Advent Message, like the Florida Hospital who as recently as 5-7 years ago said they did not want an Evangelistic series within a certain distance of their hospitals. But that isn’t what Myers is decrying. He says ‘some’ Adventists are warning about significant cultural and worldly evils overtaking our world when they should be warning about other Christians and conservatism—something he scornfully decries as Christian Nationalism. Notice that this is a lamentation over emphasis.
While there are some Adventists warning about Neopaganism saturating our culture (I’m one of them), that certainly does not speak for the whole church. In fact, it is my studied observation that significant portions of the SDA church are oblivious to the danger of this corrupt generation. Warnings are given to protect those who are oblivious to danger.
2) Myers believes that social justice issues are important to Adventism and not evidence of wokeism. Thus, people should not challenge him when he brings political anti-racism into his teachings, as he has done since 2017. It is true that justice is important to God; it is also true that adding a modifier to justice perverts the term. Social justice is the gateway drugs to politics—I can provide a whole series of examples of this.
3) That Christian Nationalism is the single greatest threat to our world. I agree that nationalism is an empty substitute for righteousness. It was inordinate nationalism that caused most of the Jews to reject Christ and forfeit their place in His spiritual Kingdom.
I do not agree that nationalism is the greatest threat to our world. Not hardly. The problem in Revelation 12 and 13 isn't nationalism. That's not even hinted at. It's globalism. The Lamb-like beast will speak like a dragon which will require a very strong neo-totalitarian central government. Things seem to be moving in that direction rapidly.
It is also noteworthy that in our current corrupt generation, Christian believers get caricatured as extremist, alt-right or Christian Nationalist (which usually means ‘white nationalist’). We should be better than that as Adventists, not calling each other Leftist Globalists or Christian Nationalists. When questioned on social media about his new politico-racial hermeneutic, the author often just calls the questioner a “Trump voter/supporter” as if that settles the discussion. It’s even funnier when it is directed to Australians. Or he says “You don’t understand prophecy.” But he does.
4) That denominational revisionism is changing the emphasis of our message. It is, as social-justice aficionados in the church are rewriting Adventist history as activism, and caricaturing our pioneers as SJW’s. The geographical epicenter for this effort is Andrews University (which admittedly sits on stolen land), the ideological epicenter is the NAD.
5) That the second beast of Revelation 13 always spoke like a dragon and not a lamb. That there is no transition where its lamblike qualities give way to dragon verbiage. For Myers, it has spoken like a dragon since its inception. He tries to identify apostate Protestantism as the beast, not America, but flips back to America two times in his article, confusing people.
Interestingly, many notable Adventist authors disagree with him. For them, the 2nd beast represents America and it eventually turns from being a refuge for religious freedom and Christian missionary enterprise, to become a persecuting power.
Marvin Moore, in his book Crisis for the End Time writes,
“Adventists believe God used America to help the woman (church). He raised up this country to be a haven of freedom from religious persecution. We believe God influenced the writing of the Constitution. The United States has become the world leader in freedom and democracy. This nation’s example has made the world a better place to live these last 200 years. Seventh-day Adventists believe this was all part of God’s plan” (page 90).
Eventually, he says, America will turn, and speak like a dragon.
Ellen White writes,
“The United States is a land that has been under the shield of the omnipotent One. God has done great things for this country” (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, page 975).
Freedom of religious faith was granted in America, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation” (Great Controversy, p. 441).
Dwight Nelson, in his book Countdown to the Showdown, acknowledges that a shift will occur in America, to become a persecuting power. It will eventually speak like a dragon. That day is essentially here.
6) That warning about the tide of lawlessness flooding into our culture is at best a distraction and at worst clasping hands with apostate Protestantism because some Bible based Christians are concerned about these things too. On the contrary, apostate Protestantism is furthering this tide of lawlessness—that’s what apostates do. Bible based Believers have no fellowship with works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11).
7) That the Puritans with their often hard-fisted ways represent Protestantism as a whole. They don’t. Like the Reformers, these were people coming out of great darkness. We can afford to be charitable with them. There were many wonderful Protestant believers who came to America, such as Roger Williams.
8) That slavery is the unpardonable and unforgivable sin.
This perspective arises from cultural Marxism, not reality. Critical race theory teaches that white people are oppressors by nature, they can’t help themselves. Wokeness is the conversion experience where a person ‘wakes up’ to this reality. Social justice is the mechanism by which these intrinsic oppressions are dealt with through ‘good works’, if you will. Be advised, friend. There is a massive effort to import this false religion into Adventism. It is often packaged very nicely, and seeks to take this church somewhere you won’t want to see it go. It seeks to make the church political (which will ruin our message, not improve it).
Slavery was a bad thing and so are many other evils, particularly ones confronting us today. The thing I like about America is that it has the ability to make positive change, and change it did—at significant price. To keep invoicing the nation long after the price has been paid is cooking the books of generational bitterness
9) That slavery or racism fulfills the prophecy of the lamb beast speaking like a dragon. Myers says,
“And when [slavery] was abolished, it spoke as a dragon through chain gangs. And when those were done away with, it spoke as a dragon through segregation. And when that was outlawed, it spoke as a dragon through redlining and redistricting.”
He also quotes John Loughborough. John Loughborough made his statement in the heat of the lead-up to the Civil war, a war in which America self-corrected the slavery problem.
Myers’ inference that America has always spoken like a dragon because of that temporary period of slavery arises more from partisan pessimism then it does from reality. Slavery was a bad thing, we agree. It also came to an end 157 years ago. Saying that America(ns) committed an unpardonable sin–which is what critical Race Theory demands is nonsense. Unforgiveness can be an unpardonable sin (Matthew 6:14; Matthew 18:32-35).
Claiming that America has always been a liar (which is what speaking like a dragon means in the Bible), is an unusual form of SDA preterism, itself revisionist.
10) That certain Adventists are embracing apostate Protestantism as partners against secularism and socialism. How is this possible? Apostate Protestantism has largely embraced secularism, social justice, socialism and worldliness.
11) There are a small horde of unsubstantiated claims in this article that I place in a bushel basket and address as a unit. My response: They remain unsubstantiated.
What is Wokeness?
As I pointed out in an article in early 2021, wokeism (or wokeness) is essentially a new religion, evangelized through modern activists. Woke activists and social justice warriors are not honest missionaries; they are infiltrators, acting with the specific goal of imposing their views on others. Unlike the evangelists of the Great Awakening, today’s activists do not use simple language to spread their message to sinners in need of repentance. On the contrary, they camouflage radical beliefs in bureaucratic acronyms like DEI and CRT. In the church they use anodyne-sounding terms like equity, justice and Sister White says.
WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO?
There is a great difference between a critic who wishes you well, and a critic who wishes you ill. On the outside, a critic who wishes you well can seem a lot like a critic who wishes you ill. Take fathers or mothers for instance.
If someone says “I thought you were too angry back there” and someone says “Nah, you weren’t angry enough”, who do you listen to? You listen to those who essentially want you to do well, to those who want you to prosper.
If someone says to you “You have no redeeming virtues whatsoever and none of your ancestors had any redeeming qualities”, what do you say to them? Do you say “Thank you, what other advice do you have for me?” (This accusation is what Critical Race Theory says to Caucasian people.)
If somebody says that about your country, “You have nothing good going for you, everything about you is bad and has always been bad”, why are you listening to that person? That person cannot be wishing you well.
If I say nothing good has ever come from China, they are all disgusting and always have been racist and the whole country has to be pulled down, you would say there is either bitterness or xenophobia going on in your heart, or both. Because to make that kind of claim is absurd. You can say that the current regime there has many flaws, and that would be right, but to say that nothing good has ever come from there is to make an argument from hatred.
And that would be true for any country. What has happened in America for two generations now is that people have been taught that their country is uniquely bad. It is irredeemable. This is very popular among the youth and college educated wokesters, giving rise to a new religion where destroying the country is their religious service. I know it sounds strange, but it is reality, friend.
If anyone says that the history of America is only slavery and racism, they do not wish America well. They should not be listened to. They should be pushed back against. If they say there are elements in your past that should be acknowledged and addressed then I say absolutely. If they say America is one of the most tolerant cultures in the world, but there are a few things that should be addressed, I say absolutely. I am ready to listen.
People should not be willing to listen to critics who are fundamentally dishonest. Their arguments, like this Review article fall flat.
Which Protestant Churches are More Apostate?
Those who see the Bible as the Word of God or those who consider it the product of racist, homophobic, misogynistic religious zealots?
Those who recognize Jesus as the only hope of salvation or those who see Him as one of many ways?
Those who believe in a literal six-day creation or those who have adopted evolution?
Those who oppose killing the unborn or the ones that justify it?
Those who do their good works quietly or those that trumpet them through virtue signaling?
Those who reject the occult or those who believe in receiving guidance from their dead ancestors (BLM)?
Those who condemn everything the Bible condemns (e.g. racial injustice and rioting, bullying and homosexual behavior, etc.) or those who glory in what God condemns?
At Fulcrum7, we are warning against apostate Protestantism—those who have repented from good to evil. We also call for repentance to God, faithfulness to the Bible and fidelity to the wonderful Advent Message.
WHAT IS BABYLON?
Babylon is the prototype of rebellion, and the birthplace of pagan religion. In Scripture it is used to signify the corruption of pagan religion. We are told to avoid this pagan mindset in our lives, hearts and families “Come out of her my people…” (Revelation 18:4).
Is PAGANISM a Problem TODAY?
Yes. It is called Neo-paganism (meaning ‘new’ paganism). Many Christians turn to our culture for wisdom without understanding what has been happening in our culture for the last 60 years.
Neo-paganism underpins liberal-progressive Christianity. Neo-paganism is expressed in many ways but it is especially expressed in the issue of homosexuality. This is one area where paganism is making massive inroads into the churches today.
Another Neo-pagan expression is eastern mysticism, which permeates modern churches through progressive spirituality, contemplative prayer, centering prayer, spiritual formation and shared mystical experience. We saw this first in the emergent movement of the early 2000’s which swept through progressive Adventism. One proponent of this spirituality was the One Project, who brought it into the church through the teachings of mystical gurus Brian Mclaren, Roman Catholic mystic Richard Rohr, and Leonard Sweet.
Today, we are witnessing a full-scale onslaught of progressive spirituality and progressive sexuality. Neo-paganism has a coherent agenda orchestrated from a diabolical center, moving and reproducing like algae in a lake.
All these wildfires that are springing up in the culture are actually related by a massive fire burning underneath the surface of the culture. It is a new ideology, a new end time agenda that we call Neo-paganism. So these are not simply unrelated hot button issues, but a full scale alternative to the Everlasting gospel.
CONCLUSION
Remember, we are here for a short while. America is not our goal, we are looking for a better country. We should be using our time as an opportunity to share the Everlasting Gospel.
Nationalism” or appreciation of one’s country is not inherently sinful. Being grateful for where you live is part of living a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands (1 Thessalonians 4) and “living peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18).
However, love of anything over love of The Lord can become sinful. We are called to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:36-37). Converted Christians/Adventists know that politics or patriotism will not be our savior. We only have one Savior in Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
Listen to God, be honest at heart, avoid rewriting your history, or Adventist history.
And avoid politics. Those who don’t will fall flat, like the aforementioned review article.
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