Americans celebrate the Fourth of July in part to protest Great Britain’s tyranny and subjugation of the American Colonies. The Americans were resisting unjust laws, immoral decrees, and tyrannical rulers.
Even though we are commanded to obey governmental authorities as Christians (1 Peter 2:13–17), even these authorities do not have absolute power. Only obedience to God is absolute. And whenever there is a conflict between the two, God is always superior to the state, necessitating a protest that the state is overstepping its bounds.
The same is true with religious authorities. We are also commanded to be respectful and obey our spiritual leaders (Hebrews 13:17), but even church authority is subordinate to the authority of God’s word (Acts 5:29). We support spiritual leaders when they support the word of God. And when they don’t, a protest urging for a return to God’s word must be heard.
The Gleaner is Jamaica’s oldest daily, secular newspaper. They recently ran an article titled “Controversy as the Vatican flag is flown at SDA conference.” The 61st General Conference Session, the Vatican Flag, Ted Wilson’s reelection, and Advent Messenger are all discussed in this article. The article is being republished in its entirety below. We are making this available on the Fourth of July because, as stated in the article, the protest within Adventism must continue.
The Gleaner published the following:
Controversy as Vatican flag flown at SDA conference
June 26, 2022
The Vatican flag was flown at the Seventh-day Adventist’s (SDA) 61st General Conference (GC) Session in St Louis, Missouri (MO) on June 11. While some church folk are okay with it and have offered stout defense, other members of the church are raising a red flag against the Vatican flag. A vibrant discussion continues to take place across all social media platforms.
One group making its voice heard loudly is Advent Messenger, which has its own online portal, which it says, “provides news and commentary on current events, top stories, social trends and political and religious events”.
In a press release on openpr.com Advent Messenger stated: “The Vatican flag represents the spiritual and political power of Pope Francis and points to the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, the seat of the beast (papal power). On Sabbath, June 11, 2022, the Vatican flag was flown during the Parade of Nations event at the conclusion of the 61st General Conference Session in St Louis, MO, the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s most important conference. According to Ted Wilson’s explanation to the world session, the banner of Rome was flown to depict the nations not yet reached.“
Advent Messenger then quoted, somewhat ominously, from The Great Controversy, a treasured book written by the SDA’s acknowledged prophetess, Ellen G White: “When the idolatrous standards of the Romans should be set up in the holy ground, which extended some furlongs outside the city walls, then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight.” (Great Controversy, p. 26).
PRAISE AND CRITICISM
Ted Wilson, who is the president of the SDA church worldwide – and who gained re-election on June 6, the first day of the 2022 GC Session – is a spiritual leader who, like many others, attracts both praise and criticism. His supporters have come out swinging, while denouncing Advent Messenger.
Under an Advent Messenger YouTube post of the flag-bearer carrying the contentious Vatican flag, one person stated: “This spirit of diverting attention from the achievements of the session is very unfortunate. Your ministry has turned into an ‘opposition political party’ in certain regions of this world where statements are carelessly uttered. What are you preaching here apart from turning away those that admire and are blest by our teachings and the way this Church has been blessed. Your ministry will be irrelevant, no wonder you ‘quarrels’ with a named ministry. Share hope and engage the leadership where you think you are not heard. Pray for the Church and its leadership. We have work to do than just spend time criticizing.“
Another person wrote: “You do know that the Vatican is a country right? Just like all those other flags are representing countries. Sometimes we read way too deep into things and find controversy where no controversy is. Most times, the most obvious answer is the right one.“
A group calling itself Total Student involvement warned: “Advent Messenger, your main aim is to find fault in the GC. If that is your aim, you failed. Don’t allow the devil to use you.“
One church member noted, “The Vatican flag (North Korea etc, etc) and other country flags were there to showcase countries that still need to be brought the Lord’s message. You have to add more context next time, Advent Messenger.“
In direct response to this comment, one person stated, “There is no place for this. This is a GC for the SDA, not the world. Imagine if people brought in idols of other gods to the sanctuary in the Old Testament and it was a sign showing those people who still needed to be converted. Flags are there to be a representation of something or someone. The flag takes their place and represents them. Were there other flags of nations that already have SDA in them, or were they only flags present specifically representing places that SDA has not reached yet?“
In support of Advent Messenger was a GC delegate who had a rather lengthy comment, which is shared in part: “Our Lord and Saviour has given his faithful a command blow the trumpet in Zion, lift up a standard: I’m saddened by those who seek to silence error. Are we now a people that see evil but call it good? Anyone with Biblical sense know that the flag flying is only one of many issues with the GC session. Yes, it was lovely the amount of souls that are being reached. Does that mean it negates the direct abuse of power from the chair, undersecretary and Ted Wilson? No, it does not. They are not the sole speakers for the Church. This is not tyranny. We vote as delegates. We speak on matters that may effect the Church in a negative or positive way. We are headed for Jacob’s trouble and we must come before the Lord and pray for these subtle demonic influences that have entered the church. This session showed us how far we have fallen. The good that has happened will be lost if more don’t speak up.” [1]
Sources
[1] https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20220626/controversy-vatican-flag-flown-sda-conference
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{If any nation might justly be expected to keep clear of Romish influences, the United States of America should be the one above all others,
as it is constitutionally pledged to have nothing at all to do toward “an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Yet this nation is in nowise behind the others in paying assiduous court to Rome.
When the papal delegates came to America bearing to Cardinal Gibbons the trappings of his Romish dignity,
a government vessel was dispatched down New York Harbor to meet them, with the papal flag,
instead of the stars and stripes,
flying from the place of honor.
And at the investiture of Cardinal Gibbons with the purple of a papal prince, President Cleveland sent him a letter of congratulation.
The Converted Catholic says that a larger number of senators and representatives send their sons to the Jesuit College at Georgetown—one of the suburbs of the national capital—than to all the other institutions of learning at Washington, which proves either that the larger number of senators and representatives are Catholics, or that Rome has more influence with senators and representatives than have all the educational institutions in Washington put together.
In view of this fact, it is not to be wondered at that Rome decided to build her national university at the national capital. {GC88 687.1}}
Seems like this kind of thing has happened before,
I’m sure they aren’t flying the 3 Angels banner over at the Vatican, people who thought it was in bad taste to wave a Vatican flag at the GC are right, personally see it more as a signal gesture then it being about Getting People at of Popery,
The Great Hope Project shows they weren’t convicted about Protestantism when they removed all mentions and hints of it from The book.
A flag carries with it in military terms a very significant symbolism. Many a soldier died on battlefields trying to get
their colors into the ranks of the enemy ground to visually communicate to everyone on the battle field that the
flag of their army prevailing,
The symbolism is undeniable in militaristic terms and the Vatican is Religious army with a militaristic army of the Jesuits.
We must as the remnant have complete and total trust in Gods leading of the founders of the faith after
1844 and the prophets of the bible. We are in the antitypical time of being on the borders of the heavenly Canaan as
literal Israel being the type when they returned to the border of Canaan after the Wilderness rebellion experience of
accepting the evil report of the spies. The type of a betrayer of sacred trusts then in the prophet Baalam. They
trusted him and his words because his words were words of the faith and could speak the talk and had walked
the talk up to the time King Barak came calling. We must carefully examine our day today with recent events at GC that
are troubling and really inexplicable to explain in the light of who our enemy is and the actions taken by the President.
We are to follow no man ever but the word eternal Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters by the actions exhibited at
GC 2022 that we have what is plain a deceiver in the mold of Baalam in a the highest trusted position in the church. As
deeply saddening and heart rending as this is to say the facts are incontrovertible that what has occurred is a break
in sacred trusts with the remnant faith by one dismissing a motion to discuss drug mandates and to allow the enemies
flag to be planted in the churches most sacred gatherings being a GC meeting of all the worlds delegates. It can not be
more plain that this man has fallen to the enemies deceiving voice to allow such things to happen.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communication hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”[2 Corinthians 6:14-18] In the grand truths given in the Old and New Testament Scriptures, we hear the voice of God speaking in unmistakable language to the children of men: “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, … and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” RH July 28, 1896, par. 1
Christians, whatever may be their field of labor, whatever part of the Lord’s vineyard is assigned them, cannot be in conformity to the world. The world’s ways are not God’s ways. There must be no obliteration of the line of demarcation given us by Jesus Christ, to separate between Christians and the world, thus bringing down the truth to a common level, and dishonoring the God who has at an infinite sacrifice, sent his Son into the world. There must be no betrayal of holy trust on the part of any who profess to be children of God. RH July 28, 1896, par. 2