Is There an Eleventh Hour Church?
Consider the following excerpt from the parable of the labourers in the vineyard.
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
- Matthew 20:1-7 (KJV)
So every three hours a new group of labourers is introduced.
Prophetically speaking we know that each group represents a new church movement.
Early in the morning | Israel |
Third hour | Christians |
Sixth hour | Protestants |
Ninth hour | Adventists |
Eleventh hour | ??? |
Twelfth hour | God's Kingdom |
Each movement has three hours, so at a guess I'd say the eleventh hour labourers are still part of the ninth hour church (Adventists).
During the last days, a lot of Adventists will leave the church. This is known as "the shaking".
The eleventh hour group will then come from all denominations, and fill the ranks of the Adventist movement.
The broken ranks will be filled up by those represented by Christ as coming in at the eleventh hour.... Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time.
- Ellen White, Letter 103, 1903, cited in Last Day Events, 182
One fold, one shepherd.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
- John 10:16 (KJV)
The Adventists will then finish the work of proclaiming the Three Angels' Messages.
Come Out of Her?
Some have claimed that the Adventist churches are in apostacy (which is true), and that they must "come out of her" (suggesting that the Adventist churches are now Babylon).
It's quite the claim, and a very dangerous one at that.
To claim that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, is to make the same claim as does Satan, who is an accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God night and day.
- Ellen White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 42.1
The Lord has not given you a message to call the Seventh-day Adventists Babylon, and to call the people of God to come out of her. All the reasons you may present cannot have weight with me on this subject, because the Lord has given me decided light that is opposed to such a message.... I know that the Lord loves His church. It is not to be disorganized or broken up into independent atoms. There is not the least consistency in this; there is not the least evidence that such a thing will be.
- Ellen White, Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 63, 68, 69
For years I have borne my testimony to the effect that when any arise claiming to have great light, and yet advocating the tearing down of that which the Lord through His human agents has been building up, they are greatly deceived, and are not working along the lines where Christ is working. Those who assert that the Seventh-day Adventist churches constitute Babylon, or any part of Babylon, might better stay at home. Let them stop and consider what is the message to be proclaimed at this time. In place of working with divine agencies to prepare a people to stand in the day of the Lord, they have taken their stand with him who is an accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God day and night. Satanic agencies have been moved from beneath, and they have inspired men to unite in a confederacy of evil, that they may perplex, harass, and cause of the people of God great distress. The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh-day Adventists, because they will not yield homage to the papacy, by honoring Sunday, the institution of this antichristian power. It is the purpose of Satan to cause them to be blotted from the earth, in order that his supremacy of the world may not be disputed.
- Ellen White, Testimonies, p. 36.2
Conclusion
To me personally it makes no sense for there to be another denomination so close to the end, and I believe that the Adventists are here till the end.
I am instructed to say to Seventh-day Adventists the world over, God has called us as a people to be a peculiar treasure unto Himself. He has appointed that His church on earth shall stand perfectly united in the Spirit and counsel of the Lord of hosts to the end of time.
- Ellen White, Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 397
The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with His glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people, that know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God.
- Ellen White, Christian Service, p. 253
Ellen White clearly says that the church won't fall.
The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out-the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place.
- Ellen White, Selected Messages 2, p.380
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