DURING THE first decade of this century, the Seventh-day Adventist Church experienced the Kellogg apostasy. It was described by Ellen White as "the alpha of deadly heresies." —Selected Messages, book 1, p. 200. Assessing not only the damage wrought by this subtle insurrection, but also an even more devastating one yet to come, the servant of the Lord wrote: "Be not deceived; many will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. We have now before us the alpha of this danger. The omega will be of a most startling nature." —Ibid., p. 197.
In the August issue of THE MINISTRY we restated some of the identifying marks of the alpha with its "deadly heresies." It perhaps was somewhat of a prototype of what we may expect will threaten the unity of the church again in the not too distant future. It would be well for every Seventh-day Adventist leader to prayerfully study the subtle plans of the apostate "angel of light" as he seeks to thwart the triumph of the Advent Movement. Get out your Bibles and the Spirit of Prophecy (especially Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 193-200). On your knees consider these startling facts faithfully chronicled by the Lord's servant. By following the warnings of the Spirit of Prophecy the church was saved some seven decades ago. Following the same inspired counsel may well save the church again before the work is finished.
Note well what Ellen White warns could mark the work of the omega:
1. "The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded." —Ibid., p. 204.
2. "The truth will be criticized, scorned, and derided." —Ibid., p. 201.
3. It will "make of no effect the truth of heavenly origin." —Ibid., p. 204.
4. "Our religion would be changed." —Ibid.
5. "The Sabbath, of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it." —Ibid., p. 205.
6. "The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error." —Ibid., p. 204.
7. There would be a "supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith." —Ibid.
8. "A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced." —Ibid.
9. The new philosophy would "rob the people of God of their past experience, giving them instead a false science." —Ibid.
10. It would seek to weaken the preaching of the Second Advent by teaching "that the scenes just before us are not of sufficient importance to be given special attention." —Ibid.
11. "Books of a new order would be written." —Ibid.
12. "A new organization would be established." —Ibid.
13. "Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement." —Ibid., p. 205.
Now go back over those thirteen points. Study them carefully and prayerfully. You may have to meet them sooner than you expect. The seeds of such apostasy are in the churches of Christendom all around us. Before Jesus returns, the Seventh-day Adventist Church may well be confronted with a crisis that will exceed in magnitude the Kellogg alpha apostasy. It "will be of a most startling nature."
Knowing what is ahead for the people of God should keep us as leaders on our knees and alert for every subtle move of the evil one. This is God's church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, but God's leaders must be eternally vigilant.
