ADVENTIST CARNIVALS !

WHEN Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican council in 1962, little did the Protestant world (including Seventh-day Adventists) dream that that council, which lasted about four years, would change the structure of their churches-even of some Adventist churches! "What?" you exclaim, "What has the Vatican Council had to do with Adventists?" We reply, "Very much. "

About ten years after that council was ended, a Roman clergyman compiled a book of over 1000 pages containing many of the various official documents and decisions which were produced during that monumental council, but for whatever reasons, most of us did not know about that book until quite recently.* A perusal of that collection reveals some very startling things, such as, the fact that in those early 1960s Rome planned in detail the birth, promotion and growth of the "Celebration-style" worship! And it has developed and progressed just the way she planned it -nearly three decades ago!

This book containing the documents of Vatican Council II can be purchased from Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 255 Jefferson Avenue S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503-4570. Their phone number is 1-800-253-7521. Ask for the 1975 edition. The cost is $9.95 postpaid. Be sure to designate that you want Volume 1.

An Adventist lay publishing ministry Biblical Studies Institute, of which Bob Trefz is editor,* has conveniently summarized some of the uses of the word "celebration" as taken from the documents in Volume 1, of the Vatican Council II. Brother Trefz recently counted how many times the word, "Celebration" and related words, such as, "celebrant," et cetera were used in the liturgical section alone of the Vatican II document, Volume one. Guess what? He counted over 500 such uses!

With Brother Trefz's permission we will quote a few paragraphs from his interpretive analysis. But first let us make this comment, namely, that in retrospect it becomes clear that the principal purpose of Vatican II was to facilitate the merging of all Christendom, which would include Seventh-day Adventists with the Roman church. We begin our study by listing the following eight points from Trefz's summary analysis:

Liturgical Reform and Promotion the Chief Instrument for Reclamation of The Churches

1) Get the churches accustomed to Celebration terminology and the Celebration concept. Every function of the church becomes a Celebration, from communion to funerals.

2) Get the churches accustomed to a revitalized style of Celebration service. This involves reduction of inhibition, vastly increased congregational participation verbally, and, considered a must, lots of physical gestures, bodily attitudes and movement.

3) Promote, in the Celebration service, dialogue between the celebrant (pastor or priest) and people as "external signs of Celebration in common" and to "engender and foster union between celebrant and people. "

4) Use as much variation as possible in the Celebration services to encourage active, willing participation.

5) Set forth Song or musical Celebration services as the most effective Celebrations, utilizing popular religious songs [quite revolutionary 25 years ago] and relating the music to the various cultures and temperaments of the people.

6) Narrow the gap between the Eucharistic Celebration and the Lord's Supper [soon to be called Communion Celebration in the other churches]; educating the people that this service forms the basis of all Christian unity and fellowship.

7) Demonstrate the inextricable tie-in between the Eucharistic Celebration as the foundation of all unity and the Lord's Day [Sunday] Celebration.

8) Perform any endeavor necessary to promote Sunday observance, involving rest from work.

Regarding numbers 2) and 5) above, we find that even the hand waving and body swaying in unison with the music, as is done in Celebration churches, was planned in Vatican II. On page 84 of the Vatican II documents, the Vatican stressed that Celebration, besides being an "internal participation" should also be "external"; that is, it should include bodily activities as well as vocal exercises in song.

The concept of catering to, and incorporating in church liturgy the cultures and traditions of ethnic groups, such as is mentioned in Adventist Review, November 1, 1990, also comes out of Vatican II. We find that the Vatican documents, volume 1, page 13, advises adapting liturgies that include the "temperaments and the traditions of peoples" of various ethnic cultures. Is this similarity between the Adventist concept and the Vatican concept only accidental?

It frightens one to realize that these eight points as initiated by Rome in Vatican II are now almost all implemented. Rome has succeeded in planting celebration formats in the Protestant churches of the world, and in some Seventh-day Adventist churches as well! All this in just a few short decades!

By promoting a more or less universal liturgy, Rome's strategy is to so strengthen her ecumenism among Protestants (whom she refers to as "separated brethren") that in due time she can take over all the churches, tucking them under her wing, so that finally the pope will have become the one "shepherd" of all Christendom!

According to the Documents it is evident that it is the intent of Rome that all churches should be gathered together ecumenically under one leader, namely, the pope of Rome. As described on page 515 of the Documents, it is specifically stated that it is their purpose that their concepts should be introduced into all institutions of higher education. The word all would have to include by conscious intent-Adventist colleges and universities.

If all Christian denominations were to accept the same liturgical format, how easy it might be to suggest that "since we are all one in practice, why not join together as one?" And so it will be that "all the world shall wonder after the beast" See Revelation 13.

But, of course, there will be that "little company standing in the light" (see Testimonies, vol. 5, 209), that "despised remnant," which will not accommodate such ideas and we know that their resistance will bring severe persecution upon them.

Evangelicals and Pentecostals were the first to embrace Rome's Celebration ideas. Adventists, in turn, patterned their celebration formats after these Protestant churches. It is openly admitted by our leaders that they have sought to the Pentecostals, "holiness," or other Protestant churches to learn this new science of Celebration worship-all in the name of "church growth!" Seventh-day Adventism was to be included in the overall plan of "reclaiming" all Christendom back into the Roman church.

We digress from our discussion of the Vatican Documents long enough to point out that Adventism did not emerge from Catholicism. We are not an offshoot there-from. Adventists have been called out by God from all peoples. The remnant church is simply God's gathering in of all the faithful from all over the world. We are not errant Catholics. We are God's people, and true Adventists will never be "reclaimed" by Rome. We are the spiritual descendants of the apostolic church that "fled into the wilderness" for 1260 years while the great offshoot from the apostolic church, the papal power, bore sway over mankind.

We have great sympathy for devout Roman Catholics who have been taught that their church is the lineal descendant of the pure apostolic church founded by Christ. They do not realize that their church is really an "offshoot" of the apostolic church and has departed far a field from the doctrines of that pure church. Rather than accepting their errors, we need to gently help our Catholic friends to find their way into the truths of the third angel's message.

Most Adventists are probably unaware of the fact that the "Garden of Prayer" ceremony as used in some of our Adventist Celebration churches comes straight out of charismatic Roman Catholicism. Trefz cites a book by a Roman official, The Pentecostal Movement in the Catholic Church, written by Edward D. O'Connor, C.S.C., which describes on page 117, the "Garden of Prayer" ceremony with all the details including the walking from person to person during prayer and laying on of hands. This ceremony seems nearly identical with that used by some Seventh-day Adventist Celebration congregations. Has this, too, come out of Catholicism?

Celebration services serve to excite the participants into an emotional state of mind. Then when charismatic influences are superimposed, enhanced by the repetitive, hypnotic musical forms, together with flashing lights which are used at times, it raises the excitement even higher. This makes it easier to effect theological and experiential changes. Persons in a hypnotic state of excitement will do or believe almost anything the group leader might suggest.

Hear this: Satan planned it this way millenniums ago. We read from Alexander Hislop's classic Two Babylon, page 67, as follows concerning the ancient Babylonian and Egyptian mysteries:

Everything was so contrived as to wind up the minds of the novices to the highest pitch of excitement, that, after having surrendered themselves implicitly to the priest, they might be prepared to receive anything. After the candidates for initiation had passed through the confessional, and sworn the required oaths, "strange and amazing objects," says Wilkinson, presented themselves. Sometimes the place they were in seemed to shake around them; sometimes it appeared bright and resplendent with light and radiant fire, and then again covered with black darkness, sometimes thunder and lightning, sometimes frightful noises and bellowings, sometimes terrible apparitions astonished the trembling spectators.

Surely the celebration excesses seen in the Adventist churches, while they do not duplicate these ancient pagan demonstrations, they do employ similar hypnotic principles, that can be equally captivating to susceptible minds, "preparing [them] to receive anything."

In earlier chapters we have considered how Celebration-style worship obscures and distorts the third angel's message. Here we will note some problems that concern all three of the angels' messages. The first angel's message proclaims the investigative judgment to be at hand. The Celebration churches teach nothing about that judgment at all!

The second angel's message is a call to come out of Babylon and to be separate from Babylonish churches and errors. In the Celebration movement, their leaders, instead of separating from Babylon, have gone unto the churches of Babylon to learn from them their methods of Celebration and church growth (to say nothing of numerous other errors they have adopted). The Celebration movement, coming from such an origin is being used by Adventists as an ecumenical "evangelistic tool!"

Our leading men praise Celebrationism as being "our best evangelistic tool." See Adventist Review November 1, 1990. They seem to have forgotten that the best evangelistic tool of all is truth under the guidance and convicting power of the Holy Spirit. In the Celebration format, it is clear that the second angel's message is far afield from its purpose.

Celebrationism is, of course, being used by Rome (modern Babylon)* for the purpose for which they created it - ecumenism! The Papacy may regard Celebrationism as their best evangelistic tool to enhance their growth-but, should we? Catholicism is using Celebrationism as a vehicle to gather all the churches together as one-under her leadership!

Readers may have noticed that Peter in his first Epistle (see chapter 5:13) refers to "the church that is at Babylon." Scholars believe that he was clearly referring to the church in the city of Rome, for it is doubted that there was an actual Christian church in the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon. Herewith, we offer modern Roman Catholic support for the idea that in early Christian times Babylon was considered as synonymous with Rome.

While serving in the U.S. Array in World War 11, some of us were issued an official Roman Catholic military New Testament, with footnotes. Referring to Revelation 14:8 the footnote comments "Babylon: In Jewish and Christian circles Babylon was a synonym for Rome." This Army New Testament carries the imprimatur of the Bishop of Brooklyn and also carried a signed greeting from the United States President, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The third angel's message includes an implied call to worship God on His Bible Sabbath-the seventh-day Sabbath. By contrast, according to the Vatican II documents, the Celebration concept is established to eventually induce everyone to celebrate on Rome's day-on her Sunday! Throughout the documents of Vatican Council II, it is made clear that the various liturgical functions and celebrations are to focus attention on Sunday as the Lord's day. This seems to be the "bottom line" of the whole plan. (See Vatican II, Volume 1, pages 28-30.)

For many years some Adventists have, perhaps unconsciously, conditioned themselves for ecumenical Sunday worship, as they have joined ecumenically with the Sunday churches in worshiping on Easter Sunday. Worship (usually out of doors) commences as the sun emerges over the eastern horizon, even as pagans have done for centuries! Concerned Adventists have for many years questioned this practice.

What is more, when we observe communion services, our new Adventist Hymnal makes available a hymn (No. 403) where those celebrating communion intone, "When I fall on my knees, with my face to the rising sun, 0 Lord, have mercy on me." Some may sing this ignorantly, not realizing they are in reality singing about Sundaykeeping- sun worship; Baal worship. This is true despite the explanation by apologists that it is "supposedly" based on black culture. What would our pioneers think if they should arise out of their dusty beds next communion Sabbath morning and hear congregations who dare to sing such hymns in a professedly Adventist church?

While wondering what the pioneers would think about the foregoing hymn, we wonder what they would think of Hymn No. 402. The second stanza states specifically, speaking of Christ, that "His broken body in our stead IS here, in this memorial bread." Adventists believe that the broken bread merely "symbolizes" the broken body of Christ. In the Roman Catholic celebration of the Eucharist, when the priest raises the host in the mass, they believe that he actually transforms the wafer (bread) into the literal body of Christ. The objectives of the Vatican are that someday soon all churches shall celebrate their Roman eucharistic mystery.

When the obstacles hindering perfect ecclesiastical communion have been surmounted, the unity of all Christians may at last be restored and shine forth, for all peoples are called to be a single new people, confessing one Jesus, Saviour and Lord, professing one faith, celebrating one eucharistic mystery. Vatican Council II, Volume 1, 515.

Pope Paul VI in his famous encyclical, "Credo of the People of God," promulgated on June 30, 1968, declared that the "transubstantiation" belief (which we have described in the foregoing section on the Eucharist) is "in accord with Catholic faith." Thus the second stanza of Hymn No. 402 is peculiarly Catholic in its dogma and not at all in accord with Seventh-day Adventist faith as once delivered to the pioneers and certified to the church through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We cannot but wonder, what would our Adventist pioneers think of that hymn? More importantly, what do we think of it? Should we use it in our worship?

It was almost a century ago that the Lord's servant warned that some men in the General Conference were even then "following in the track of Romanism" See Testimonies to Ministers, 362. Earlier she had warned against papal errors:

It is a backsliding church that lessens the distance between itself and the Papacy. Signs of the Times, vol. 3, 99

We conclude from the evidences found in the Vatican II documents and in the Ellen White warnings, that our present-day Celebration churches have surely drastically lessened the distance between themselves and the papal power.

Adventist owe a great debt of gratitude to Brother Trefz in his role of being the first to alert us to the dangers inherent in the Vatican II connection with Celebrationism. The warning has been given. The watchmen on the walls of Zion have blown the trumpet loud and clear! It now remains to be seen whether Adventist leaders and laity alike who have been deceived by Roman Celebration principles, will heed the clear warnings, or whether they will continue on in the Celebration path which they have heretofore chosen.

The bottom line in the entire program that issued from Vatican Council II is to get all the world to wonder after the beast-the man who resides on the banks of the Tiber River desiring to rule the coming new world order. He would then influence all the world to honor his papal sabbath-Sunday! This would prepare the way for Revelation 13 to be fulfilled. May God help His people!

We close this chapter with these descriptive words:

ROME SAID "CELEBRATE!" AND ALL THE CHURCHES SAID "AMEN!" Freedom's Ring, Vol.1, No. 3

ONCE again, as in the earlier fanaticisms, we find that in the present Celebration and related apostasies, some talented administrators are taking a prominent part in their leadership and promotion. All this has been predicted:

Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. The Great Controversy, 608

No superiority of rank, dignity, or worldly wisdom, no position in sacred office, will preserve men from sacrificing principle when left to their own deceitful hearts. Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous prove to be ringleaders in apostasy and examples in indifference and in the abuse of God's mercies.... They were once His faithful servants, favored with His presence and guidance; but they departed from Him and led others into error. Testimonies, vol. 5, 212

The Testimonies have foretold that just before the sealing time, some men who had been "regarded as worthy and righteous" in the church, who had held "positions in sacred office," would "prove to be ringleaders in apostasy." We take no pleasure in quoting such passages, but what else can we do? God inspired His servant to record these words as a warning for us! This warning must be sounded. We must all be knowledgeable as to what has been written for our admonition so that we can be alert to recognize subtle dangers regardless of their source.

Sometimes the people are at fault when church officers lead out in apostasies. Ellen White points out that men today have the same weaknesses as they did when the golden calf was worshiped at Horeb, and that "there are still pliant Aarons" who will not take a firm stand against apostasy. Let us read the inspired testimony:

How often, in our own day, is the love of pleasure disguised by a "form of godliness"! A religion that permits men, while observing the rites of worship, to devote themselves to selfish or sensual gratification, is as pleasing to the multitudes now as in the days of Israel. And there are still pliant Aarons, who, while holding positions of authority in the church, will yield to the desires of the unconsecrated, and thus encourage them in sin. Patriarchs and Prophets, 317

On the basis of sacred history and the warnings from the Spirit of Prophecy we should not be surprised if we find that some prominent church leaders should "prove to be ringleaders in apostasy," and that the majority (multitudes) will be as pleased today as they were in ancient times to "indulge in selfish or sensual gratification" in the name of religious services.

How shall the stranglehold of the Celebration apostasy be broken in the church? There is an important lesson for us in this regard in the Indiana episode. In Indiana it was the Conference officers themselves who were the "ringleaders in apostasy." It was they who led their ministers and people into fanaticism. And it was not until the President of the Conference, a year later, heard Sister White openly rebuke the Celebration-type carnival that he responded to the pleadings of the Holy Spirit. At that General Conference session, he repented and made a public confession:

I am very, very sorry that I have done that which would mar the cause of God, and lead anyone in the wrong way. I have asked God to forgive me, and I know that He has done it. As delegates and representatives of the cause of God in the earth, I now ask you to forgive me my sins, and I ask your prayers for strength and wisdom to walk aright in the future. It is my determination, by the help of God, to join glad hands with you in the kingdom of God. Ellen G. White: The Early Elmshaven Years, 107

Through this historical episode, we note that it was not until the ringleader of the Indiana apostasy freely acknowledged his gross sin that the strength of the fanaticism was broken. This should be a great lesson for us today! As we have noted earlier some repented in the post-1844 apostasy; some repented in 1900; and surely some can and will repent in the 1990s. Would not confessions from our leaders today have the same great effect?

The Indiana (1900) Celebration apostasy was not stopped until the highest officer in the Conference- the president- confessed and repudiated the whole scheme. We would pray that something similar could happen today. But today the Celebration carnival fanaticism is worldwide! Would it not require public repudiation from the highest officers in the church, whether they have been personally promoting the apostasy or not, to publicly put the brakes on the Celebration fanaticism?

If ringleaders in the present apostasy will not heed appeals for reform, should not the "faithful few" exert their witness at the "grass-roots" level?

How sad will be the day of God's retribution for all who refuse to repent and confess their apostasy. In The Great Controversy we read:

Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them. The Great Controversy, 608

Their wicked course He will tolerate no longer, and in His wrath He deals with them without mercy. It is with reluctance that the Lord withdraws His presence from those who have been blessed with great light and who have felt the power of the Word in ministering to others. They were once His faithful servants, favored with His presence and guidance; but they departed from Him and led others into error. Testimonies, vol. 5, 212

Now this passage:

The people turned upon their ministers with bitter hate and reproached them, saying, "You have not warned us. You told us that all the world was to be converted, and cried, Peace, peace, to quiet every fear that was aroused. You have not told us of this hour; and those who warned us of it you declared to be fanatics and evil men, who would ruin us." But I saw that the ministers did not escape the wrath of God. Their suffering was tenfold greater than that of their people. Maranatha, 271

May all the officers, the ministers, and the people, heed the call of God today to repent and confess, before these terrible tragedies fall upon them. We do hope and pray that the present leaders in apostasy will become converted and repudiate their fanatical idol while the day of probation still lingers.

WHY have we written so plainly and quoted such powerful passages of appeal from the pen of Ellen White concerning the current apostasy in our midst? It is for the reason that we still regard those that have been deceived by the Celebration excesses to be "our beloved brethren." Ellen White regarded those deceived ones after 1844 with their fanatical extremes as her "beloved brethren." See Selected Messages, book 2, 35

She remarks:

These men and women were not bad, but they were deceived and deluded. In the past they had been blessed with a consciousness that they had a knowledge of the truth, and they had accomplished much good. Manuscript Release 1525, 4

Sacred history indicates that not all of the participants of the earlier four episodes were basically utterly corrupt, evil people. Many were fundamentally good, well-meaning persons who were misguided by Satan's agents in human form. Later they repented. Even Aaron was swept into the fanaticism at Horeb, but later repented.

So let us have compassion on these souls, who today are deceived by Celebration enthusiasm. Even though they may be terribly "deceived and deluded," they are yet "our beloved brethren," some of whom may have accomplished much good for God in times past. Jesus still loves them and yearns for their repentance!

The Celebration churches in our midst are verily a sign of the times, showing that the end of all things is upon us. We appeal to all who have become ensnared by the Celebration excitement, or those who are in the valley of decision-wondering whether or not to accept the format of Celebration, to restudy the historical developments of the five episodes of Celebration-type apostasies (Sinai, Baal Peor, post 1844, Indiana 1900, and now-the 1990s) and then heed the warnings of Inspiration to flee from having an active part in the final apostasy that we have been told would occur "just before the close of probation." Friends, that time is now!

We close our book with an earnest message of love borrowed from the pen of God's servant and adapted by us as follows:

Think [us] not your enemy because [we] tell you the truth; let not the words [we] have written discourage you, but let them restore, strengthen, and uphold you. [We] respect and love you [all], and for this reason [we] entreat you to heed the message God has given [through His Testimonies] for you. Do not lightly esteem the voice of the Holy Spirit. God wants you to have liberty in Him, and by placing yourself in His hands you may abound in every good work, and represent Him to the world. In much love, E. G. White. Letter 67, 1896; Manuscript Release 1306, 12

Oh, blessed thought: Together with Christ the saved can celebrate their redemption throughout all eternity! That will be a REAL CELEBRATION

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