Up to that time, with the possible exception of Dewy vs. Truman in 1949, the 2000 Presidential election between Al Gore and George W, Bush was the most hotly contested presidential runoff in American history. At the time just preceding 9-11, it was very recent and painful history for many people. A large slice of the populace still resented the outcome and many openly questioned its legitimacy. 9-11 was not a natural disaster, but it was a disaster. And the incalculable magnitude of the horror and rage both on television and in society created an interesting situation. The divided nation went from being a divided populace to a united people who as a nation, regarded the Taliban as number one on the national hit-list. The disaster of 9-11 brought America together and the scapegoats were mostly the Taliban and other extremists groups.
In the last number of years, some terrible disasters have struck in America. In California, the devastation caused by wildfires only seems to grow worse and worse year after year. And around the world there is no lack of devastation and carnage. The pacific tsunami of 2005 claimed an estimated 30,000 lives. Yes, there have been terrible natural and not so natural disasters. So it would seem weird to ask why there have not been more if we did not look at the book of Revelation.
Revelation 7:1-4 is very relevant regarding disasters and tradjedy.
“1. And after these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree .
2. The I saw another angel ascending form the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice,to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,
3. saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
4. And then I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children and Israel were sealed."
There have always been disasters and anyone who holds that they are not increasing in frequency or intensity is uniformed to say the very least. In verse one of Revelation chapter Seven, only the trees are living, and trees are indicative of human life. No trees are to be harmed. In verse three, an angel ascending from the east with the seal of the living God reiterates the actions of the four angels in verse one who are holding back the winds of strife, only the message is a little different. In verse three the angel from the east needs more time to seal the servants of God on the forehead. The message here is that God knows that His people are not yet ready and has graciously mandated more time for them have His seal in their forehead...to have His Bible truth in their minds...to spread the gospel messages with power. And He directs the angel from the east to inform the four angels to continue to hold the winds of strife for a little longer.
Hurricanes, twisters, earthquakes, bizarre weather and other calamities cannot be called little disasters. These are big disasters. A little disaster might be losing a lot of money if it is not loss of life. And yet the big disasters just mentioned are not of such as massive scale as the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 which almost wiped out this very large city. America was brought together by the disaster of 9-11 even though it was not a natural disaster. There are a lot of conspiracy theories regarding 9-11, and aside from bringing out one point, indulging them is a waste of time. 9-11 in the eyes of the government merited the passing of a number of laws that in a lot of respects were not in the best interest of American citizens. Among other things, the Patriot Act, which contained some legislative provisions passed in October of 2001, gave the government more power such as the ability to spy on American citizens and tap phone lines, something they could not do before without a warrant. There were a lot of Americans who felt that 911 was not justification for the government to limit their freedom. But the government countered with the reiteration that terrorism should be stopped at all costs.
The point is that 9-11 was a major disaster and one positive result was that it brought Americans together for reasons that were commended by all. What sort of big disaster is looming that will unite the world into two camps and will it unit men for reasons that can be commended by all? What awful disaster would be so great, and so sadly epic in scale as to unite so many implacable and hostile groups? In scale, such a disaster could, very sadly, surpass the horrific distress of international disasters. What could be worse than 9-11? Mankind does not have the answers, but we do know that God has directed His angles to hold back the winds of strife. He wants His children to have a little more time to be ready! Being in that group and bringing others into that family should be among our most prayerful endeavors.
When the great disaster does strike in the nebulous future, what happens next? How does what will later be called history transpire from there? How will it affect the 3 angels messages? Is there any kind of indication from history as to how we might expect events to transpire? It seems, these days, that every subject in school or in colleges is given greater and more pronounced importance than History. This grand subject is like food. If you don't season food, people will not want to eat it. Revelations from History can bring about joy and sorrow. Joy for the successes of people in history who accomplished great good. Sorrow for how tyrants have nurtured evil and who have often appeared to succeed or go unpunished. When history is explored in a dynamic manner, and rendered relatable and engaging by teachers rather than being just a long list or a soporific relay of facts, dates and names, which is interesting to some but not all, then it becomes an interesting mural of the past. It comes alive and yields stories, lessons and hints for what the future holds. Forewarned is forearmed they say, and this is of course is not a promise that what will later be called history will follow exactly as what is considered here. What will Adventists have to go through regarding the trial of their faith? There is a true life scenario that has some interesting parallels to what Adventists may have to go through. I am not going to delve into fantasy but a consideration of what has happened and what could happen again. Some of the following is of course conjecture and not a statement of fact, but I am not unwilling for folks to put it under a microscope.
When I took an rather unofficial poll on social media, a lot of people had never heard the name, Lindy Chamberlain. After reading what was more than a five hundred page book about Lindy Chamberlain, I have profound respect and admiration for this woman. Lindy Chamberlain was the wife of an active SDA pastor in Queensland Australia. She was the mother of 2 boys and had just had a little girl named Azaria. In August of 1980, when Azaria was 6 weeks old, the family made a trip to Uluru, formerly Ayers rock, which was a tourist destination in the central part of Australia south of Queensland. Without making this article too long, I will just recount the major points of what happened. On the evening of August 17th, 1980, Lindy put little Azaria to bed in her tent and went back to the campfire. Lindy Chamberlain well knew what her baby was wearing when she put her to bed, and sadly, she would never see Azaria again because a dingo, which is a wild dog native to Australia got through flaps in her tent and made off with her baby. Lindy was coming back to the tent because she had heard Azaria cry. Lindy said she saw the outline of a dingo as it ran off with what she was sure was her baby. A massive man hunt that utilized a number of usual and unconventional methods began, but not a trace of the baby, or her clothes was found at that point.
This was in a sense a natural disaster, not in the sense of weather or earthquakes, but loss of life. Irreplaceable life. After some time, the manhunt was called off, and the Chamberlains were of course distraught, although their faith in God assured them that they would see Azaria again at the 1st resurrection which is the resurrection of the righteous. Of course, this did not mean they did not suffer over the loss of Azaria. In John 11:11, Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I might wake him up.” Some of the disciples still did not catch on, so Jesus told them plainly that Lazarus was dead. Death is not so great a tyrant to Bible believing Christians as it is for someone who believes they will never see their most beloved again. Christians grieve in death, but not as deeply, or as forlornly as other people do. Non-Christians, or nominal Christians may not be able to understand this. Regardless of the scale of our grief, we have the hope and promise in God's word regarding the resurrection, and that God will wipe all tears from our eyes. And we can trust God's promises!
The Chamberlains had been through a lot. The death of their only daughter was an indescribable loss and in the aftermath of this tragedy, the media coverage always brought it fresh to mind. Because a baby had died, there was the customary inquiry or trial which was in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The magistrate in the case and the coroner in December of 1980 and January 1981 took as fact that what the Chamberlains reported regarding Azaria being taking by a dingo. They believed the report was true, and there were a number of witnesses as to what had happened. The event had been on headlines all over Australia and in papers in other countries as well.
The Supreme Court of Australia however was much less accepting when they heard of what the Chamberlains reported in the 1st inquest, or trial. So a 2nd trial was ordered from the top. It was believed by some that what the Chamberlains reported in the 1st trail was little better than circumstantial evidence, and there seemed to be an element of bias in the Supreme court's reckoning. There were some who, over time, became certain that it was a homicide and that Lindy had murdered her baby. They suggested postpartum depression as a motive for Lindy killing her baby. There was an insidious suspicion over the fact that the name Azaria meant sacrifice in the wilderness although Uluru was where the Chamberlains had gone for a camping venture and nothing more. The Chamberlains found out that there would be a second trial not long before it commenced. The second trial began in February 1982 and it was well publicized. In the pubs, restaurants, papers and homes of Australia, the subject of whether or not the Chamberlains were guilty was a common source of discussion. People who went out to eat in restaurants would talk about the Chamberlain case over their food and people in clubs would relay what supposedly were the facts for why the Chamberlains were guilty while others would point out supposedly inconsistent details in their story.
Years later, the evidence against Lindy Chamberlain in the second trial was proven to be circumstantial and less than viable. Nevertheless, in September 1982 Lindy Chamberlain was charged with Azaria's murder, a verdict later proven to be inaccurate. Michael Chamberlain was also charged as an accessory to murder and they were both found guilty as charged. This was highly publicized all over Australia and it was well known that Michael was an active SDA pastor. This was not an easy time to be an Adventists in Australia, and many people suddenly viewed SDA's with suspicion and prejudice. To say the least, the public relations department of the SDA church in Australia suffered a lot for several years. But, the truth would set Lindy free and vindicate Seventh Day Adventists.
Throughout the second trial, Lindy Chamberlain had to affirm again and again in the cross examination what her daughter was wearing on the night of August 17th. She had to testify over and over as to what she had been doing before, during and after putting Azaria to bed.
Two years after this terrible disaster during her time on the stand, Lindy Chamberlain, in hope of the resurrection was calm and on the outside, seemed unaffected by what had happened. She merely had to tell the truth, knowing it was the truth, knowing many would not believe it was the truth, knowing it was her best course of action regardless of what was happening. There were many who misinterpreted Lindy's manner and were convinced that her calmness was indicative of indifference. Lindy was sentenced to prison and had been there for three years when some of Azaria's clothes were found during a manhunt for yet another missing person near Uluru.
Azaria's clothes, though somewhat deteriorated by time and the elements were easily recognizable as the clothes Lindy had described many times over during the second trial. Lindy was released immediately and later the government of Australia recompensed her 1.3 million Australian dollars. There was a 500+ page book entitled Evil Angels covering all the facts, statistics, details and any information relating to the whole story. It was turned into a movie called, “A Cry in the dark.” It was the most expensive movie made in Australia up to that time and had 4000 extras and starred a well known actress who was very popular both in America and in Australia. And more importantly, Micheal and Lindy were completely vindicated.
There was a fiendish, wicked power at work in the dismissal of the first inquest which was itself very straightforward and brief. This fiendish power was evident in the second inquest and in the obsessive, predetermined focus on Lindy's supposed guilt. There was a maniacal determination to disregard the testimonies of the witnesses who had been near the Chamberlain campsite the night Azaria was carried off. Many people involved in the trial were just absolutely certain Lindy was guilty and they could not wait to see her incarcerated. After the Chamberlains were proven innocent, many began to second guess the legal system, and there was the impression on many sides that the justice system had failed, which it had. Australians began asking each other if they had not acted too harshly, and if their impression of themselves as a just and fair people was still accurate. But how could they know that the enemy of souls had used the faltering justice system as his weapon in his hatred of God's Gospel message and those who follow the Bible and the Bible only?
The enemy of souls probably hates those who follow the Bible and the Bible only more than any people who walk the earth. Why? The Great Controversy has an interesting bit of insight on this.
“There is nothing that the great deceiver fears as much as that we shall become acquainted with his devices. The better to disguise his real character and purposes, he has caused himself to be so represented as to excite no stronger emotion than ridicule or contempt.”
If you think about the distinctive truths that those who follow the Bible and the Bible only have, it is no wonder the devils hates us, and hate is certainly a motivator in what the devil does. In our doctrines and hopefully in our lives, the deceptions the devil proffers are exposed. God has given us great and precious truths such as the sanctuary, the state of the dead, and God has given us the spirit of prophecy, which in so many ways in books such as the Great controversy, rips away Satan's disguises. Yes, the enemy of souls hates us very much! The enemy of souls saw in the case of Lindy Chamberlain the opportunity to do the most harm he could not only to Lindy, but to our cause and the truth.
As long as people thought that Lindy really had murdered little Azaria, the message of Seventh Day Adventists would have fallen on prejudiced and enraged ears, and this was likely the effect that the devil wanted, although God would not let this scheme go on long. A natural disaster had occurred in that life was lost...a baby died, and worse, the devil would do his upmost to pin the blame and cause on SDA's. Lindy's reaction to the disaster is impressive in that she did not sue the state for every penny it was worth, and I recall no unChristlike retaliation from her in the book, Evil Angles though it has been a while since I read it. As a result of this personal tragedy and disaster, Lindy and Michael were taken before courts and grilled on the details of their baby's death by people who from the start seemed to have entertained or desired the very worst scenario. But Lindy only told the truth while on the stand, and she was imprisoned for it. She did not have to make anything up. She just had to say what happened regardless of those who were dead certain she was lying.
My point here is not to raise the ire of anyone although righteous indignation is understandable. The case of Lindy Chamberlain will I think, be very relevant in a time when Adventists will be falsely accused, misconstrued, hated, misrepresented, imprisoned, killed and thought the very worse of all people. In the end times, there will only be two groups, not thousands. There are millions of groups in the world, but in a sense, there are only two groups. Mathew 25-34-
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they also will answer [a]Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
In the second group, inspired by the devil who is enraged with the message that rips his mask away, people under Satan's sway will say all kinds of things about those who believe in the Bible and the Bible only that are not true, just as many people said false things about Lindy Chamberlain.
At some point it is very likely that many who believe in the Bible and the Bible only will find themselves on the witness stand answering for their faith. If we are explaining our beliefs according to the Bible, we will not have to make anything up. Some people will be certain that we are lying, but if we, like Jesus say, “it is written,” then even if some people are dead certain that we are in error, we will have God's word to back us up! But if we do not know what we believe and cannot show it from the Bible, we will be in dire straights. We will be granting people the opportunity to mock what we know is true but have not studied enough to verify its source openly. We need to get ready by studying our Bibles and being able to say, “it is written” for everything we believe! The great disaster will come, and to try and say when that will be, is a waste of time. Lets be thankful that we have time in the present to fortify ourselves with God's word.
When the time does come, will the great disaster that separates everyone into just two groups be a massive earthquake? Will it be a tsunami many times bigger than we could imagine? It could be a series of disasters. We do not actually know, but thankfully God has not left us uninformed in the all important point of depending on Him and knowing our Bibles inside out. Like 9-11, the event in question will result in laws that limit freedom. The Patriot Act was an invasion of freedom for the supposed sake of security, but the Patriot act will pale in insignificance next to laws about what day you have to worship on and the restriction of freedom they will bring about.
We do know that those who do not go along with a religious laws about what day you must worship on will be blamed for the catastrophe or series of disasters then ensuing. The beliefs of those who are not going along with worshiping on Sunday will be put under national scrutiny and the 3 Angels messages will have a platform and outlet like never before. During the second Lindy Chamberlain trial, the media was in a frenzy. Sensationalism sells and the Chamberlain story was all over the papers and media. The restaurants, pubs, churches, transports and homes were abuzz with the latest and often most minute developments from the Chamberlain trial. It is not a hyperbole to say that the Chamberlain trial was the trial the century. When the faith of Adventists and their position on the Bible and the Bible only will be on trial, it is not absurd to consider that there will be a repeat of the media coverage that attended the Chamberlain trial.
When religious laws will be enacted and people who believe in the Bible and the Bible only refuse to play along, this will be interpreted as audacious civil disobedience, to say the least. Seventh Day Adventists and other converging religious groups will infuriate some, and intrigue others, and newspapers and the media will want to capitalize on it. To them, it will be good business. It will be claimed that fundamentalists who believe in the Bible and the Bible only are harmonious with the designs of the worst people from history.
In the homes, cars, restaurants, parks, bars and churches, it is not absurd to consider that conversation will be abuzz with the details of our faith, and the efforts of some to disprove and overthrow it, and the interest of others to know more. When we are on the stand, the prosecuting attorneys will be certain we are wrong, but, if we know our Bibles, we can be courteously correct. We will know the truth and to speak the truth alone will be our duty and privilege. It will not be our job to defend ourselves, but the truth...sola scriptura. Society at that point will probably be a lot more chaotic than it is now and Adventists as well as other nonconformists faiths will be blamed for anything they can be blamed for. Like Lindy Chamberlain, some will be imprisoned. Some will flee to the shelter of the wilderness and God will care for them there. There will be many who no doubt will be killed for their faith. The time to prayerfully prepare is now.
There does not seem to be much in the news that even hints at religious in-toleration. But there are quiet rumblings. A very popular University on the right that starts with the letter P, and has only ever defended religious beliefs and ideas recently stated that the separation of Church and state is not guaranteed or mentioned in the US constitution. Where is such a topic like that headed? A congresswoman from Arizona, a few years back, when talking about some social problems stated that perhaps everyone should be required to attend a church of their choice on Sunday. The point is that there are rumblings of future efforts to legislate morality if we listen.
A disaster greater than perhaps anything of antiquity or modernity (with the exception of the flood) will happen and God has directed his angels to hold back the winds of strife for a short time. He wants his people to be sealed, to be ready, to know their Bible for themselves because there will only be two groups and God wants us in His camp.
That which has been is what will be. That which is done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9
This is a simple foreshadowing of the inevitable. God has not left us without His word to guide us. If we prayerfully stick to it then we won't have to worry about defending ourselves. We will be defending God's truth, and the veracity of this truth is unassailable. In whatever way that naysayers will try to shift the blame and the focus on us, we like the prophets can boldly declare, thus saith the Lord! We can depend on our Master, and like Him when the accusations and lies fly declare, "It is written!" When the microcosm of prophecy we see in the life foreshadowed in the experience of Lindy is our reality, may it find us, by the grace of God, prepared. Amen.
