Are You a Drunken Laodicean?
By John Thiel
Audio: Confusion of Faces
Confusion of Faces
Daniel prayed regarding the condition of Judah and its captivity in Babylon.
Daniel 9:6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
9:7 O Lord, righteousness [belongeth] unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, [that are] near, and [that are] far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
9:8 O Lord, to us [belongeth] confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
9:9 To the Lord our God [belong] mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
9:10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
Here is the plaintive cry of a man who had been richly honoured by God and he expresses inclusive of the confusion of faces that belong to those people. Judah was the professed people of God and indeed God still cared for them but why did they find themselves in Babylon? What was it he was saying? Because they had not listened to the prophets and messengers conveyed to them they find themselves in Babylon, their city and house of God in ruins. Jeremiah expressed the reason for their demise and yet the Lord was still merciful.
Jeremiah 25:4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them]; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
25:8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,
25:9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
Why? Because you have not heard my words.
Jeremiah 29:19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending [them]; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
Why were they in Babylonian captivity? Because God sent them message after message and with all that they had heard, they were not doing it. That was regarded as not hearing even though they heard it. If we do not want confusion of faces as Daniel said was the problem there is a simple answer to avoid confusion.
Proverbs 3:21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
3:22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
3:23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
3:24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
3:25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
3:26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
Do you ever lie down and you are so bewildered by your thoughts that you can’t sleep as you are confused by what is going on? Do you like being in a state of mental confusion? I don’t. Do you have seasons of that confusion and do you avoid the season of confusion by putting it out of sight as it upsets you so much? We want to appreciate where we stand and what is possible for us so we will not be in a state of confusion and stumble because of it. Christianity today is in the same position as was Judah. Where are they situated? Christianity is situated in the time of Daniel in Babylon. To them belongs confusion of faces. The book of Daniel is a book which is written specifically for us. Not just the prophecies, the entire book of Daniel is written of in Daniel 12.
Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
This is our case and the book of Daniel was closed. It could be read but the understanding of it was closed until the time of the end.
Daniel 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
12:13 But go thou thy way till the end [be]: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
Daniel himself is going to stand in his lot at the end of days. Confusion of faces also applies to us as Christianity today is in the same position in reference to Babylon.
Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Who have? All nations just as in the days of Daniel.
God’s People Are Still in Babylon
Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Who? My people. Daniel was God’s son and his friends were Gods people and he was where? In Babylon a captive. For us today these realities are written to wake up to. God’s people are in Babylon. They are to come out of Babylon that they be not partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues. How did Christianity get there? How did Gods people end up in Babylon? Study the seven churches and you will have your answer. God’s people, the Christian company are being spoken to in the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. In fact the whole book of Revelation is written for them. In Revelation 2 the early Christian church finally found itself in Babylon.
Revelation 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
The period of Thyatira is the period of the dark ages. The 1260 years and Christianity found itself in Babylon and it had taken place through the first four churches. Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos and now Thyatira. The decline had taken place and amongst the decline of the church there were a faithful people like Daniel that found itself in the murk of Babylon. God in his love and mercy keeps on talking to her. What does Jezebel do that was in Thyatira interacting even with Gods faithful people? What has Babylon or Jezebel done ever since that time?
Revelation 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
All nations have drunk of the wine of her fornication. She fornicated and the faithful city became a harlot. Why? The same message that Isaiah wrote for the people back there is the history of Gods church that became a harlot and only a faithful few left. What have they been drinking to make them become confused and drunk?
Isaiah 29:9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
It is said today that the Bible is too hard to understand so men interpret the Bible in all the different translations of today as the old King James Version is too hard to be understood. This is written in between the above two texts. It’s too hard many say and that it’s a closed book. What is being taught in one respect or another is the teachings and precepts of men. They teach for commandments the commandments of men and so indeed drunkenness exists. What is drunkenness when a person is drunk? Confused, he can’t see things straight anymore. His brain is befogged and everything is wish washy. In these last days we all have come from churches of this nature. How do I know? Because the word of God tells us. Jesus said in the last days be careful, you are going to be in danger, watch. He talks about the faithful and wise servant.
Matthew 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
24:46 Blessed [is] that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
24:47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming;
24:49 And shall begin to smite [his] fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
24:50 The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of,
24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
There is an evil servant that says something in his heart not outwardly and publically, they are Adventists but in their heart what are they doing? In their heart they say my Lord delays his coming instead of diligently following every word of God and understanding it, they are eating and drinking with the drunken, Babylon. They are in Babylon. Daniel was in Babylon with his three friends. Ezekiel and men of God were few in number and were the only ones that appeared in the vision of the book of Daniel. When the multitudes bowed down to the image, was Gods nation among them? They were all there. A large number but who stood up and would not bow? Daniel was in another place but the great multitude around that image had many captive Jews among them and they all went down before the image and only three men stood up. This is revealed for our time. They are eating and drinking with the drunken and as you study the seven churches, the dark ages concluded in 1798 and the faithful reformers who were in Babylon and affected by it were trying to come out such as Martin Luther and such like. They come to 1798 and what is written of Sardis and that company of Protestants? Are they still confused?
Sardis
Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
He then gives them a bit of hope;
Revelation 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Are the protestant churches in this representation in 1798 to 1833 in a state of babylonish confusion? You say you are alive but you are dead. How confused can you be? I’m not drunk, I’m alive and on fire for the Lord. Isn’t that what a drunken person says? I’m not drunk, I’ve got all my faculties with me. That is exactly how a drunken person speaks. You say you are alive but you are dead.
Philadelphia 1833-1844
What does Jesus say to them?
Revelation 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Here is a little company in babylonish confusion. They made a mistake with the date of 1844 and were themselves under the influence of babylonish belief that the sanctuary was the planet. They were confused. Because of their confusion they wanted to obey exactly what God said but they had a little strength. A person coming out of drunkenness is very weak, they have a hangover but they have endeavoured to keep his word and he honours them. He has nothing to say against them. Only ten years was the period of Philadelphia as they came out of babylonish Sardis. Then came Laodicea.
Laodicea
What is written of Laodicea?
Revelation 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
You knowest not that you are drunk. The drunk says I’m alright. God says I wish you were totally drunk or not drunk at all but you are in a state of such deception that you don’t know that you are really inebriated and neither sober, nor totally drunk. You’ve been drinking the wine of Babylon. Eating and drinking with the drunken and drunk enough to be oblivious of your true condition. How did this come about after Philadelphia? Just the same as with Judah, the early Christians, Sardis, the reformers had the same scenario. The early Christians fell into Pergamos and Thyatira and Sardis or the Reformers fell into Babylon.
What was the origin of the great apostasy? How did the church first depart from the simplicity of the gospel? By conforming to the practices of paganism, to facilitate the acceptance of Christianity by the heathen. {GC 384.5}
They mingled pure truth with falsehood. What is the pure grape juice when it is fermented? It becomes wine. It is contaminated Christianity. How did Christianity become contaminated?
The apostle Paul declared, even in his day, “The mystery of iniquity doth already work.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7. During the lives of the apostles the church remained comparatively pure. But “toward the latter end of the second century most of the churches assumed a new form; the first simplicity disappeared, and insensibly, as the old disciples retired to their graves, their children, along with new converts, . . . came forward and new-modeled the cause.”–Robert Robinson, Ecclesiastical Researches, ch. 6, par. 17, p. 51. To secure converts, the exalted standard of the Christian faith was lowered, and as the result “a pagan flood, flowing into the church, carried with it its customs, practices, and idols.” –Gavazzi, Lectures, page 278. As the Christian religion secured the favor and support of secular rulers, it was nominally accepted by multitudes; but while in appearance Christians, many “remained in substance pagans, especially worshiping in secret their idols.”–Ibid., page 278. {GC 384.5}
Have you heard of substance abuse? In substance they were abusing the substance. They were mingling the substance of paganism with Gods pure substance of truth.
Has not the same process been repeated in nearly every church calling itself Protestant? As the founders, those who possessed the true spirit of reform, pass away, their descendants come forward and “new-model the cause.” While blindly clinging to the creed of their fathers and refusing to accept any truth in advance of what they saw, the children of the reformers depart widely from their example of humility, self-denial, and renunciation of the world. Thus “the first simplicity disappears.” A worldly flood, flowing into the church, carries “with it its customs, practices, and idols.” {GC 385.1}
Inebriated
Is this true for Seventh Day Adventism today? Is the early Adventist faith still faithfully portrayed today by the Adventists including the Reform organisations? Is it all there or have they all substance abused?
Alas, to what a fearful extent is that friendship of the world which is “enmity with God,” now cherished among the professed followers of Christ! How widely have the popular churches throughout Christendom departed from the Bible standard of humility, self-denial, simplicity, and godliness! {GC 385.2}
All those who claim to be the people of God, the teachers of the truth, the servants of God, organisations under the Adventist message of today whether they be the Adventist church, the Reform organisations or the different individual companies all claiming we have the right thing here have all grown up in confusion of faces. What happened in Babel? He confused their languages and so it is in Babylon. God’s people are in Babylon today. The Adventist ranks don’t want to know this. Do you want to know it? We are the people of God we say. There are total hiccups among the people of God today as they are affected by the confusion of the wine of Babylon. Are you and I prepared to say I am confused? Are we prepared to say that? What does the true witness say?
Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
A mind affected by substance abuse must yield its perception to the council of a mind that is clear. This is the way it is with the people on drugs. They cannot rightly perceive. They think they can, they have such sharp sensitivity and discernment and think they can see straight but they can’t. It is a dreadful condition and it is in regard to substance abuse but we are talking about spiritual wine the doctrine and practises of paganism that are taken as perfectly normal in today’s Christian society. A mind that is affected by substance abuse must yield its perception to the counsel of a mind that is clear. What mind is clear today? Our Lord and Saviour.
Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
God says I know what you are like, my mind is clear, I am a faithful and true witness of those who are Gods people in Babylon. He knows that the angel of the church of Laodicea is drunken and they know it not. People who have grown up with this kind of ministry are drunken but know it not and they stumble and can see there is all this garbage around me and I’m looking at the nonsense of people around me and say I have discernment, I am right but they are wrong. Have you done that? Others are looking at you and saying I’m right but he’s wrong. Everyone says we are right but they are wrong. I see it around me and I see it in myself and I have to acknowledge yes Jesus that I know it not, I am wretched, miserable, poor blind and naked. Things are not as they seem. Men are as trees walking. We have grown up with that and we think that the trees men walking. We’ve grown up under what we esteem as normal and its absolute trash. All our perceptions are absolute trash. I never forget a person in this church who came to me under the effect of drugs who said to me my mind is mush and I need to start all over again. I praise the Lord it is so easy to come away from the mush I perceive but harder to come away from the mush I don’t perceive.
Our Total State of Confusion
This will surely be seen among the people of God, and there will be those who are unable to perceive the most wonderful and important truths for this time, truths which are essential for their own safety and salvation, while matters that are in comparison as the merest atoms, matters in which there is scarcely a grain of truth, are dwelt upon and are magnified by the power of Satan so that they appear of the utmost importance. {Ev 593.1}
Can you see the state of confusion? Things that have so little to do with my eternal salvation I make a great mountain out of.
The moral sight of these men is diseased; they do not feel their need of the heavenly anointing that they may discern spiritual things. They think themselves too wise to err. Men who have not a daily experience in the things of God will not move wisely in dealing with sacred responsibilities; they will mistake light for error, and specious error they will pronounce light, mistaking phantoms for realities, and realities for phantoms, calling a world an atom, and an atom a world. They will fall into deceptions and delusions that Satan has prepared as concealed nets to entangle the feet of those who think they can walk in their human wisdom without the special grace of Christ. Jesus wants man to see not men as trees walking but all things clearly. There is only one remedy for the sinful soul, and unless it is received, men will accept one delusion after another until their senses are perverted.–Manuscript 16, 1890. {Ev 593.2}
Men as Trees Walking
Sr White wrote something that the inebriated mind didn’t pick up.
“Since the article on dress appeared in How to Live, there has been with some a misunderstanding of the idea I wished to convey. They have taken the extreme meaning of that which I have written in regard to the length of the dress, and have evidently had a very hard time over the matter. With their distorted views of the matter they have discussed the question of shortening the dress until their spiritual vision has become so confused that they can only see men as trees walking. They have thought they could see a contradiction in my article on dress, recently published in How to Live, and that article on the same subject contained in Testimony for the Church, No. 10. I must contend that I am the best judge of the things which have been presented before me in vision; and none need fear that I shall by my life contradict my own testimony, or that I shall fail to notice any real contradiction in the views given me. {1T 462.3}
This is a very important lead to understanding our next study. It is a thus saith the Lord on dress and the people were reading it and confused the issue because the brain is under spiritual wine. They take for commandments the doctrines of men. This is our dilemma and this is also the case in health reform and in our spiritual interactions with one another. Everything is detailed and our minds pick it up under the influence. How do you get rid of such a condition?
Alcoholics Anonymous – Admit that You Are Wrong
We have to admit that God is right and I am wrong. What is the first step in alcoholics anonymous? Admit that you are an alcoholic. To admit you are an alcoholic is the first step in alcoholics anonymous. Admit what Daniel said;
Daniel 9:8 O Lord, to us [belongeth] confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
9:9 To the Lord our God [belong] mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
I’m an alcoholic and I do not know it but I am. Ellen White is writing to an inebriated writer;
I have read your articles in the Educator, and am surprised at that which they present. Your minds do not see all things clearly. You see men as trees walking. You grasp and advocate some truth, while in the same article you present that which opposes your own statements. Would it not be best for you to get out of the fogs of your previous education under teachers themselves befogged? This education has not been true and unmingled with error. If I write for the Educator, as I have been and am now doing, my articles would be directly opposed to your human philosophy. Shall there be a yea and nay go forth in the Educator? Or shall I be obliged to issue a paper on true education that will not have in it one thread that will dishonor our heavenly Father? {20MR 194.1}
How drunk can you be? You take some truth and then you write something that confuses the issue and you see men’s as trees walking. How do you get out of it? Get out of the fog of your previous education. Can you not see what people have done with Ellen White’s writings and have combined them with their own ideas and it’s the same as what Sr White wrote here. We have to get out from the education in Babylon. God’s people in Babylon must take the Spirit of Prophecy and read it aright. Do not rely upon yours senses and perceptions. That is the answer to our problem. I’m drunk and I can’t rely on my senses and perceptions. If I admit I’m drunk I have hope. I can’t rely on my perceptions and senses. I will open my mind to the one who is clear in his mind the true witness.
Jeremiah 24:5 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for [their] good.
24:6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull [them] down; and I will plant them, and not pluck [them] up.
24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I [am] the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
When you are in Babylonian captivity you feel something is wrong, I’m not home and don’t people feel it? I want to go home, I want to find my security and people are not aware what their security is. The Lord is saying even though I see you in that condition I want to bring you out of that condition. Come out of Babylon my people.
Isaiah 44:21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou [art] my servant: I have formed thee; thou [art] my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Return to the mind of him who knows our condition. To return to him means to give heed to a thus saith the Lord. As we return to him and we are called upon to submit to a thus saith the Lord, beware even that our drunken senses will blur. I know this to be true and we will see it in our next study. It will be ours to examine this situation when we look at a thus saith the Lord and the apparent contradictions. There appears contradictions to a besotted mind but there are not contradictions to a thus saith Lord. You will read a thus saith the Lord here and there and see a contradiction as the mind is confused. What does Jesus say to those who rely on him? Who are prepared to admit they are alcoholics spiritually who are prepared to say I can’t rely upon my own senses?
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
They will not see men as trees walking. He is the true witness for me to open my heart to in total contrition and Jesus will help me to see straight.
Amen.
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