By Hazel Holland
Saturday
morning, January 13, 2007 God clearly spoke the words, “The Last
Samurai” into my mind as I was in the bathroom getting ready for church.
I was surprised to hear the title of a movie about a Japanese warrior
that I had no interest in seeing at the time it was shown.
As
I mused about this word, wondering what was on God’s heart, I received
another word two days later on Monday morning, January 15, 2007. God
spoke the words, “Custer’s Last Stand” into my mind the same way. Again I
received a witness in my spirit that God was drawing another important
parallel between “The Last Samurai”, “Custer’s Last Stand”, and the
reluctance of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) leadership to let go of their Adventist heritage even when it falls short of being in agreement with God’s Word.
Not having seen “The Last Samurai”, and knowing very little about Japanese history, I emailed my friend, Ramone Romero, who lives in Japan, and who wrote the Forward to this book, hoping to find the needed historical background to this movie so that I could discover what God was saying. Ramone
not only gave me the historical background of “The Last Samurai”, but
also “Custer’s Last Stand.” Along with both background summaries came an
interpretation that God had given him for these two words, and it lined
up with what I had already received from the Spirit.
As you prayerfully read the background summaries of these two words, along with the interpretation Ramone
received from the Lord, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be
opened to see how God is pouring forth His heart of concern and love
toward His children who remain stuck in the malaise of Adventism.
This word is given to forcefully remind us that history has a way of
repeating itself. Men in positions of leadership and power who are
blinded by pride often make tragic errors in judgment. Unfortunately,
they are often exonerated by their followers who also believe the lie,
and perpetuate the deception by passing it on to the next generation...
Background of “The Last Samurai”
The
“Last Samurai” is a fictional character who rebels against the
government because of its immorality as it modernizes. The movie
portrays noble motives for the samurai’s rebellion based on honor,
honesty, better ethics and a better way of life.
However,
in the real life historical samurai rebellion, the primary motive was
self-preservation of their unique and privileged social class. The
true-life samurai rebellion was a last desperate attempt to hold onto a
traditional social caste and position of power that crippled the country
by marginalizing and denigrating a great many of its people.
Modernization was resisted because it would put an end to the old
system. The movie ignores the historical truth and adopts the myth of
the superiority of the old bushido system. It is filmed through rose-tinted glasses, portraying a noble fight to preserve a fictional ideal that never quite was.
What is God saying?
Like
old “bushido”, the Law also “keeps people in their place.” This
“Ancient Stronghold that is called a “ministry of condemnation and
death”, keeps people from rising above sin and death in their lives, be-
cause
a veil covers their eyes. The abolition of the Samurai class and
feudal Japanese society spelled freedom for many people. Of course it
took many years for attitudes to change (and some things are still being
changed), but in general, it was this crumbling of an ancient
stronghold (“bushido”) that liberated many classes of people in society.
I
believe God is saying that “The Last Samurai” applies to many Adventist
leaders who are unwilling to let the “old” go. They are looking
through rose-tinted glasses at Adventism’s heritage and insist on
holding onto a delusion. They may feel like they are fighting to the
death to preserve a noble code of honor, a noble Adventist history.
But, in truth, it is a fictional ideal, because the history never
really existed as they want to believe. The mythical heritage of
Adventism they invoke is a creation of imagined self-importance. It
glorifies Adventist pioneers and their teachings while glossing over
the deception, error, condemnation and spiritual abuse that existed from
the beginning.
Additionally,
Adventism has always felt it as more correct and more “moral”
because it re-instituted the Old Covenant Law. It returned to the
old written code and pointed the finger of accusation at Christians who
did not do the same. It sang the virtues of the old system and claimed
that without the Law, we are deficient and morally lost. In truth,
however, the Bible states that we are no longer under the old code
(the Law), because the purpose of the Law was to reveal sin and death
so that we might cling to Jesus instead! The Law was “the ministry
of condemnation” and “the ministry of death”. In the presence of
Life Himself how could the ministry of death hold greater
appeal? How could the Adventist pioneers have been induced to prefer condemnation?
The
old samurai looked upon suicide as noble and as an honorable way out of
a situation. In a sense, it was often seen as the consummation of an
honorable life, deed or heroic effort. It fulfilled the Bushido
code
of honor and was, in a way, the perfection of honor. After the “last
samurai” lost the battle and stabbed himself, his dying words were
“It’s perfect”.
Just
as the bushidoAdventism is committing spiritual suicide. Adventism
honors the Law of death as the way to perfection, just as the samurai
viewed suicide as the summit of perfection and honor? (For further reading, see Chapter 12, Adventism's Ancient Stronghold, p.154).
Background of “Custer’s Last Stand”
Lt.
Colonel George Armstrong Custer had gained renown during the 1800’s
for his valor in leading American army forces into battle with
Native Americans in the “Indian wars”. He is remembered best, however
or his monumental underestimation of the combined forces of the Sioux
and Cheyenne nations in the battle of Little Bighorn in eastern
Montana. Custer came with a force of between 200- 600 soldiers, while
those who were defending their ancient ways of life had amassed an army
nearing 1800 warriors.
Some
estimate that within half an hour the defending Native
Americans had decimated Custer and all of his soldiers from the Seventh
U.S. Cavalry. America tried to redeem the debacle by calling it
“Custer’s Last stand”, implying that a brave American army officer had
nobly given his life to defend his country against the invading
savages. The over-confident, short-sighted Custer was transformed
into an icon of bravery and courage. Truth, however, was much less
complimentary. The Native Americans were, in fact, making a last
stand to defend a way of life that went back many centuries against
newcomers who were trying to eradicate them from the face of the
Earth. The Americans had corralled them onto reservations with
the arrogant claim of generosity–giving them back a fraction of
the land that was theirs to begin with. The European immigrants had
brought with them disease, suffering and death. With the confiscation of
their lands went the very commodity that constituted their identity.
What Are the Parallels?
Historical
revisionism has plagued Adventism from the beginning. Just as
Custer’s defeat was recast as a heroic stand against encroaching evil
so was Adventism’s erroneous date-setting for the Second Coming
reborn as the Investigative Judgment, spawning “The Great Advent
Movement”. Adventism’s last ditch strategy was to turn the “Great
Disappointment” into a glorious new truth. But just as in many other
distortions Adventist teaching has redefined the word “truth” to
stand for error. The words of God will stand against them as He
searches their motivations and continued cover-up of His truth.
“So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth
is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He
saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one
to intervene” (Isaiah
59:14-16, NIV) Behind propaganda is the desire to hide the truth with bravado.
Perhaps
you, too, have believed the myths about Adventism—its noble,
heroic heritage, its moral code, its last-day prophet. Perhaps you have
taken comfort in the culture that appears to have been prospered by God
and believe that the whole package is of great worth. Perhaps you have
determined that you will not cheaply throw away this pearl of great
price. Take another look. The “moral code of great worth” (the law) is
Adventism’s “bushido”, Adventism’s ancient stronghold that has brought
unexpected bondage and immorality. The history of “Adventism’s Stand”
in refusing to jettison the failed 1844 prophecy has led to
numerous doctrines that do violence to the gospel. Within those
doctrines hides a stubborn defiance against repentance for willfully
covering up the haughty legacy of pride, control, power and an
institution built on false prophecy.
(For further reading, see Chapter 12: "Adventism's Ancient Stronghold, p. 158).
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