THE MASTERPIECE OF
DECEPTION
And it shall
be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and
serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall
surely perish.
Deut.8.19
“There is no excuse for anyone in taking the position that there is no more
truth to be revealed, and that all our expositions of Scripture are without
error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many
years by our people is not proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will
not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine
will lose anything by close investigation.”
R&H
“So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be
impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures”.
GC 593
“Every position of truth taken by our people will bear the
criticism of the greatest minds; the highest of the world’s great men will be
brought in contact with truth, and therefore every position we take should be
critically examined and tested by the Scriptures.”
Letter 6, 1886
“The track of truth lies
close beside the track of error, and both tracks may seem to be one to minds
which are not worked by the Holy Spirit, and which, therefore, are not quick to
discern the difference between truth and error.
RH.1903-10-22.002
“Well would it be for the
church and the world if the principles that actuated those steadfast souls were
revived in the hearts of God's professed people. There is an alarming
indifference in regard to the doctrines which are the pillars of the Christian
faith. The opinion is gaining ground, that, after all, these are not of vital
importance. This degeneracy is strengthening the hands of the agents of Satan,
so that false theories and fatal delusions which the faithful in
ages past imperiled their lives to resist and expose, are now regarded with
favor by thousands who claim to be followers of Christ.”
GC.046.001
“Satan has wrought with deceiving power, bringing
in a multiplicity of errors that
obscure the truth. Error cannot stand alone, and would soon
become extinct if it did not fasten itself like a parasite upon the tree of
truth. Error draws its life from the truth of God. The traditions of men,
like floating germs, attach themselves to the truth of God, and men
regard them as a part of the truth. Through
false doctrines, Satan gains a foothold, and
captivates the minds of men, causing them to hold theories that have no
foundation in truth. Men boldly teach for doctrines the commandments of
men; and as traditions pass on from age to age, they
acquire a power over the human mind. But age does not make
error truth, neither does its burdensome weight cause the plant of truth to
become a parasite. The tree of truth bears its own genuine fruit, showing its
true origin and nature. The parasite of error also bears its own fruit, and
makes manifest that its character is diverse from the plant of heavenly origin.
RH.1895-10-22.003
Index
Chapter 1 The
Capstone ~ the “Mystery of Iniquity”.
Chapter II The
Ladder
Chapter III The
Sabbath and Sunday
Chapter IV The
Trinity, the “one god” of Sunday
Chapter V Lethal deception,
monotheism’s Triune god
Chapter VI The
Controversy - 1 John 5:7
Chapter VII Blue
Laws
Chapter
VIII What is so
spiritually lethal about all of this?
Chapter IX The
Sanctuary
Chapter X
Chapter XI The
Masterpiece of Deception
Chapter XII Conclusion
Appendix
A
Appendix
B
Appendix
C
Appendix
D
Dear Reader
An appeal is
made to you today to prayerfully and carefully consider this manuscript in its
entirety. It is a culmination of much conviction, which has now by necessity
been compiled in answer of the following communication from a respected and
prominent individual within Adventism today who wrote
Dear Brother: You liken the doctrine of the trinity to something like "deviltry." I do not question what you say, but I have requests from people who ask what is there in the doctrine of the trinity that is so devilish, so spiritually lethal to genuine Christian experience. Could you articulate some reasons that would help me reply to others? Robert J Wieland
This manuscript
collates Biblical and contemporary evidence in response to the question raised.
We must ask – Just whom do we worship when we express Roman
Catholicism’s Trinitarian concepts? For there is relevance to the warning of
the Third Angel regarding worship.
The footnotes are
extensive with links to additional study materials to continue individual
research. A word of caution for those prone to skim evidence that you consider
very carefully the entirety of information assembled. May our eyes be opened so we begin to see the
enemies “Masterpiece of Deception” and understand with urgency
how lethal Roman Catholicism’s central doctrine is to the genuine
Christian experience.
This subject is so serious and also a very
complex question. We enter the Domain of The Jehovah’s and thereby we are
utterly helpless and dependent upon the grace of God: for, where we tread
we are on holy ground.
Whenever any attempt is taken to explain the doctrine of God we all
truly need a ‘live coal’ to touch our lips that the ‘calves of our stammering
lips’ can convey a small portion of the revelation of the Gospel.
The title of this manuscript is not child’s
play. We are dealing with a very sophisticated enemy to deceive. As John who “fell at His
feet as dead”, we, similarly must bow when we approach the Great “I AM, the
first and the last” … “that liveth, and was dead; and behold, (is) alive for
evermore” our Wonderful God, and Saviour - who alone provides light, knowledge
and complete salvation.
It is our sincere
desire that following your own personal study of this subject you may obtain a
crystal clear picture of the devil’s hidden signature of Romanism, written
today upon our people!
Swift Messenger
Chapter I
The Capstone - the
“Mystery of
Iniquity”
Edgar Allan Poe
wrote that the best place to hide something is where everyone can see it. This
concept is found in his famous story “The Purloined Letter.” Is this idea
original to Poe? No, the enemy of
righteousness has actuated this concept for millennia. The symbol above is an example
of something hidden where everyone can see it. The symbol, known as Triquetra,
is the recognized identity of Roman Catholicism’s Trinitarian Godhead and found
within the covering pages of the New King James Bible.
The complexity of the Trinity and its multitude of Trinitarianism’s
is expansive, subtle, at times seamless yet extremely lethal. What makes
it so ‘devilish’ is that the issue about whom we perceive to be God. It is for
this reason that what one can perceive to be true can be just so close to
truth; and yet, not truth at all.
Therefore, truth about God and worship of God is the foundational basis
for the genuine Christian experience.
We will now discuss some of
The definition of the Trinity as provided in the footnote
[2]
is the capstone of the Mystery of Iniquity. The Ecumenical “Bride” of
Revelation chapter 17 in her synthesis of God - the Niceno-Constantipolitan
Creed declares … 'for there is only one God" [3] and
insists “The faith of all Christian's rests
on the Trinity".[4]
Ex-cathedra she asserts - “The mystery of the Most
Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life.” [5]
This statement for its utter accomplishment is the mind of
unrighteousness: the mind of the Dragon because as we will see it is the
capstone and worship of a false god - it is the Mystery of Iniquity.[6]
Interestingly, the monotheistic Trinitarian belief finds itself as
Article #1 of Constitution accepted by all member churches of the
World Council of Churches. [7]
James White often described this teaching as the “old
trinitarian absurdity” [8]
and wrote: -
“The mystery of iniquity” began to work in the church in
Paul’s day. It finally crowded out the simplicity of the gospel, and corrupted
the doctrine of Christ, and the church went into the wilderness. Martin Luther,
and the reformers, arose in the strength of God, and with the Word and Spirit,
made mighty strides in the Reformation. The greatest fault we can find in the
Reformation is, the Reformers stopped reforming. Had they gone on, and onward,
till they had left the last vestige of Papacy behind, such as natural
immortality, sprinkling, the trinity, and Sunday-keeping, the church
would now be free from her unscriptural errors. [9]
The Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day
Adventist’s replicate the Niceno thrust of One God and unashamedly express
Roman Catholicism’s view of God …
“This
monotheistic emphasis does not contradict the Christian concept of the triune
God or Trinity” … “There is no
distance between the persons of the triune God [10]
Roman Catholicism counsels catechumens -
“The
divine Unity is Triune” [11]
“Now this is the
Catholic faith: We worship One God in the Trinity and the Trinity in
unity” [12]
“There
are not three gods but one God” [13]
This common emphasis to the dogma of the Trinity and especially
monotheism’s [one God] as being the Christian concept and that it does not
contradict a triune God or Trinity, is pure confusion. The implicit worship of “one God”
when there is more than One Identity, is utterly unreasonable.
Sr White does not convey the Triune Monotheistic concept of
The Niceno Constantipolitan Creed commences : - “I Believe in One
God” [15]
“The
confession of God’s oneness … is inseparable from the profession of God’s
existence and equally fundamental. God is unique; there is only one God:
“The Christian faith confesses that God is one in nature, substance, and
essence.” [16]
Then to further confuse - citing St Gregory of Nazianzus, also called “the
Theologian,” informs “the infinite co-naturality of three
infinities. ” [17]
The First Angel’s Message of Revelation chapter Fourteen is
instructive: our Saviour is also worthy of worship.[18]
Trinitarian monotheism creates the seamless worship of “one” who
selfishly wanted to interpose and “exalt his throne … and be like the most
High”.[19] He, of whom the True Witness warns, “All
the world wondered after the beast and they [all the world] worshipped …
the Dragon.[20]
The monotheistic notion that
there is literally One God [21] is a denial of
John 1:1. ‘Oneness” in plurality does
not constitute one Identity. The Jehovah’s are of one will, character, knowing,
desiring, deciding, and act in unison for the purpose of salvation of mankind.
We will see shortly how this Creed removes the very Top Rung
from ‘The Ladder’ of Salvation. [22]
Romanism is
now regarded by Protestants with far greater favor than in former years.
In those countries where Catholicism is not in the ascendancy, and the papists
are taking a conciliatory course in order to gain influence, there is an
increasing indifference concerning the doctrines that separate
the reformed churches from the papal hierarchy; the opinion is gaining
ground that, after all, we do not differ so widely upon vital points as has
been supposed, and that a little concession on our part will bring us into a
better understanding with Rome. The time was when Protestants placed a high
value upon the liberty of conscience which had been so dearly purchased. They
taught their children to abhor popery and held that to seek harmony with
Jesus alerted the beloved in
the end days deception would
be so spiritually lethal - that "if possible would deceive the very
elect." [24]
In other words, “The track of truth lies close beside the
track of error, and both tracks may seem to be one to minds which are not
worked by the Holy Spirit, and which, therefore, are not quick to discern the
difference between truth and error.” [25]
This quote you will recognise concerns the book The Living Temple - the “Alpha of deadly heresies”.
The Lord’s Messenger continued, “The Omega will
follow and will be received by those who are not willing to heed the warning
God has given.” [26]
The issue of the Alpha was about and over God: the Omega is the
capstone of the Alpha.
For example our Lord affirms, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which
shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that
the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest
me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;
and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as
thou hast loved me.[27]
That we all might be of one spirit is
the unity desired for God’s remnant people: revealing unity in Truth, [28] the same will,
character, knowing, desiring, deciding, and They acting in unison working out
our own salvation as The Elohim desired for us all “Christ in you the hope of
glory” [29]
“But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is
Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth.” [30]
Chapter II
The Ladder
Christ is The Ladder of Salvation: He alone
links Earth and Heaven.[31]
For many decades a growing number of people including the 1888 Message
Study Committee are rightly concerned about false views on the nature of
Christ. We know any false view of the Incarnation removes the Bottom
Rung of The Ladder. The Ladder is
the Superstructure of Salvation. Scripture warns with explicit clarity that
when the bottom rung does not touch this earth we do not have a Saviour who was
made in the likeness of sinful flesh; verily we have a “spirit” [which] “is not of God” a false Christ [32]. The Immaculate Conception of Rome attests
this removal.
Bottom Rung
We as a people were clearly warned about the Holy Flesh teaching of
Bridging Rungs
One of the “bridging rungs”
of the Ladder is the Good News of the Gospel of Christ’s Righteousness. This
rung explains salvation is by faith alone, by grace alone, by
Christ alone.
Now, keeping this in mind,
what has been completely overlooked in the need to share the sublime truth of
the Incarnation [The Bottom Rung] what has been disregarded has been to what is
of vital importance - the Top Rung of the Ladder - that reaches into Heaven to
the Throne of Grace.
The Top Rung
The Trinitarian heresy has
severely confused our concept of the Godhead and as a consequence the
appreciation of the Top Rung of the Ladder has suffered. For example, He
who was The Word, The Logos, The I AM - had an eternal self existent Identity,
also as Jehovah.
Whereas the Trinitarian
heresy insists that He was from eternity the “eternal Son
of God” [36] and
“eternally born” [37] and this has been replicated
in the 27 Fundamentals ie., “God the eternal Son” [38]
Catechists are instructed –
“When
we pray to “our” Father, we personally address the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. By doing we do not divide the Godhead, since the father is its “source
and origin,” but rather confess that the Son is eternally
begotten by him and the Holy Spirit proceeds from him ... The Holy
Trinity is consubstantial and indivisible.” [39]
These Trinitarian expressions
and formulation are not Scriptural.
He “was” always; He was - The
I AM: He was “decreed” to be a Son. [40]
For obvious reasons
acceptance and assimilation of Roman Catholicism’s Trinitarian dogma of God
causes angst within Adventism today with those awakening unto righteousness.
The reaction is often frantic, so much so, that well-meaning efforts of many to
disassociate themselves completely from this heresy spawn other problems: -
1)
There are those who refuse
point blank to believe anything of
2)
Similarly others in their
rabid rejection of Roman Catholicism’s central teaching resurrect Gnostic One
God heresies – which are still fully Trinitarian. This paper will not cover these aspects. [41]
Roman Catholicism’s Trinity
is extremely lethal efficiently disposing the crucial top rung of the
Ladder of Salvation. When one looks over this teaching it appears to be a solid
viable rung. Interestingly, it drifted into our Church following the death of
Sr White in the 1920’s and 30’s. [42]
Elder Froom had written, “The Denomination
[was] irrevocably committed to [the] basic Christian verities.” [43]
While men did stand forth against this heresy[44]
it still gained such a foothold of acceptance in our denomination until
finally in 1980 it was totally accepted and voted in as true doctrine.[45] The seeds of abomination planted two
generations ago have taken full root. We are now held captive by Roman
Catholicism’s view of God. It is rutted into our thinking as truth and belief.
Every effort to explain or discuss the Godhead is riddled with Roman Catholic
expressions and nomenclature.
The mystery of the Trinity of
the Little Horn “is the central doctrine of
Catholic faith. Upon it are based all other teachings of the Church”. [46]
This central teaching of Mystery
Babylon is the nigh perfect deception: for it is ultimately the worship of the
Dragon. Now we have taught for decades and know conclusively, not one Christian
can reach the Throne of Grace by removal of the bottom rung or any bridging
rung of the ladder. Then, can we vouchsafe to even think that where we restore
the truth corrupted by Rome, and repair it with the truth as it is in Jesus
that we can ignore the critical importance of the top rung and in the process
inadvertently worship whom we know not by holding to her central teaching and
dogma? This holds dire consequences for eternal salvation.
Should we completely ignore the Top Rung of the Ladder? Never! The
forgotten Top Rung reaching heaven implicates the First Commandment. We as a people have placed total emphasis and
are totally engrossed in the change to the Fourth Commandment and we easily
recognize the removal of the Second Commandment [47]
by the Enemy of Righteousness; but as a people we have completely missed the
divisive attack by the enemy of our souls upon God’s First Commandment. In our efforts to defy polytheism we
misapprehend the fact there is more than one God! [48]
It is vital to observe that where any
rung of The Ladder concerning our Saviour’s - Eternal Divinity, His Law, His
Righteousness, His Faith, His Grace, His Incarnation is tampered with or made
faulty or removed we have in our midst a false spirit, a false Christ, and
unrighteousness. More importantly with the Top Rung being ignored for several
generations now, we have drunk from the “golden cup” the “wine of her
fornication” her [polluted doctrines].[49] The consequence being, we express Mystery
Babylon’s graven image of God, her perception of God, a false
god, the god of Sunday worship, and replicated in many forms as the god of
paganism.
May it be repeated – we have the Masterpiece
of Iniquity in our midst! Millions
worship an image of what is perceived to be God. This image of Roman
Catholicism’s Trinity is so close to truth. We are warned "no marvel; for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing
that his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness". [50]
Devilish sophistry
will remove any rung of The Ladder, our only means of salvation and our trust,
the Holy Scriptures alone. Salvation is intrinsically Christ, the central
desire of our hearts. Verily the enemy has sown more than tares; we have gross
heresy in our midst where well-meaning men imitate
Look back to the turn
of the last century, many of our people did not for one minute perceive the
book The Living Temple was the “Alpha of
deadly heresies”.[51] Is it that we who are at the borders of the
eternal world remain ignorant of the Alpha and Omega warning!
The truth of the Top Rung of the Ladder
of Salvation is profound - He, by a great love chose to condescend to the
lowest rung and touch earth to save man as a Servant of servants and voided
Himself of His own Identity as God, who was verily God in the beginning. [52] “And without
controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the
flesh.”[53] Our Saviour was God. It is truly
stated, “In Him is life, original, unborrowed,
underived”.[54]
“Think of Christ's humiliation. He took upon himself fallen, suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin. He took our sorrows, bearing our grief and shame. He endured all the temptations wherewith man is beset. He united humanity with divinity: a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh. He united himself with the temple. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," because by so doing he could associate with the sinful, sorrowing sons and daughters of Adam.