Ellen G. White

Jesus Rescues the Sabbath

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The Sabbath was hallowed at creation. As ordained for man, it had its origin when “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7. Earth was in harmony with heaven. “God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good”; and He rested in the joy of His completed work. Genesis 1:31

Because He had rested on the Sabbath, “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” (Genesis 2:3)—set it apart to a holy use. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God’s power and love.

All things were created by the Son of God. “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:3. And since the Sabbath is a memorial of the work of creation, it is a token of the love and power of Christ.

The Sabbath brings us into communion with the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden. And as we behold His power in nature, we find comfort, for the Word that created all things is that which speaks life to the soul. He “who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

“Look unto Me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:22. This is the message written in nature, which the Sabbath is appointed to keep in memory. When the Lord told Israel to hallow His Sabbaths, He said, “They shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” Ezekiel 20:20

The people of Israel had knowledge of the Sabbath before they came to Sinai. On the way, the Sabbath was kept. When some profaned it, the Lord reproved them, “How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws?” Exodus 16:28

The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. Like the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is of imperishable obligation. Of that law Christ declares, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law.” Matthew 5:18. So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator’s power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God’s holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. “From one Sabbath to another” the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up “to worship before Me, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 66:23

But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ. When the command was given to Israel, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8), the Lord said also to them, “Ye shall be holy men unto Me.” Exodus 22:31

As the Jews departed from God and failed to make the righteousness of Christ their own by faith, the Sabbath lost its significance to them. Satan worked to pervert the Sabbath, because it is the sign of the power of Christ. The Jewish leaders surrounded God’s rest day with burdensome requirements. In the days of Christ its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of the loving heavenly Father. The rabbis virtually represented God as giving laws impossible for men to obey. They led the people to look on God as a tyrant, and to think that the Sabbath made men hardhearted and cruel. It was the work of Christ to clear away these misconceptions. Jesus did not conform to the rabbis’ requirements, but went straight forward, keeping the Sabbath according to the law of God.

A Sabbath Lesson

One Sabbath, as the Saviour and His disciples passed through a field of ripening grain, the disciples began to gather the heads of grain and to eat the kernels after rubbing them in their hands. On any other day this would have excited no comment, for a person passing through a field, an orchard, or a vineyard, was at liberty to gather what he desired to eat. See Deuteronomy 23:24, 25. But to do this on the Sabbath was held to be an act of desecration. Gathering the grain was a kind of reaping, the rubbing of it in the hands a kind of threshing.

The spies at once complained to Jesus, “Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day.” Mark 2:24

When accused of Sabbathbreaking at Bethesda, Jesus defended Himself by affirming His Sonship to God, declaring He worked in harmony with the Father. Now that the disciples were attacked, He cited Old Testament examples of acts performed on the Sabbath by those who were in the service of God.

In the Saviour’s answer to His accusers there was an implied rebuke for their ignorance of the Sacred Writings: “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” “And He said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” “Or have you not read in the law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.” “The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:3, 4, RSV; Mark 2:27, 28; Matthew 12:5, 6, 8, RSV

If it was right for David to satisfy his hunger by eating the bread set apart to a holy use, then it was right for the disciples to pluck grain on the Sabbath. Again, the priests in the temple performed greater labor on the Sabbath than on other days. The same labor in secular business would be sinful, but they were performing rites that pointed to the redeeming power of Christ, and their labor was in harmony with the Sabbath.

The object of God’s work in this world is the redemption of man. Therefore that which is necessary to do on the Sabbath in the accomplishment of this work is in accord with the Sabbath law. Jesus then crowned His argument by declaring Himself the “Lord of the Sabbath”—One above all questions and all law. This infinite judge acquitted the disciples of blame, appealing to the very statutes they were accused of violating.

Jesus declared that in their blindness His enemies had mistaken the object of the Sabbath. He said, “If ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.” Matthew 12:7. Their heartless rites could not supply the lack of that integrity and tender love which characterize the true worshiper of God.

Jesus Deliberately Heals on the Sabbath

Sacrifices were in themselves of no value. They were a means, not an end. Their object was to direct men to the Saviour, to bring them into harmony with God. It is the service of love that God values. When this is lacking, mere ceremony is an offence to Him. So with the Sabbath. When the mind was absorbed with wearisome rites, the object of the Sabbath was thwarted. Its mere outward observance was a mockery.

On another Sabbath, Jesus saw in the synagogue a man who had a withered hand. The Pharisees watched, eager to see what He would do. The Saviour did not hesitate to break down the wall of traditional requirements that barricaded the Sabbath.

Jesus told the afflicted man to stand forth, and asked, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?” Mark 3:4. It was a maxim among the Jews that failure to do good when one had opportunity, was to do evil; to neglect to save life was to kill. Thus Jesus met the rabbis on their own ground. “But they were silent. And He looked at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” Verse 5, RSV

When questioned, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered, “What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:10–12, RSV

Greater Care Shown Animals

The spies dared not answer Christ. They knew He had spoken the truth. Rather than violate traditions, they would leave a man to suffer, while they would relieve a brute because of the loss to the owner if it were neglected. Greater care was shown for dumb animals than for man. This illustrates the working of all false religions. They originate in man’s desire to exalt himself above God, but result in degrading man below the brute. Every false religion teaches its adherents to be careless of human needs, sufferings, and rights. The gospel places a high value on humanity as the purchase of the blood of Christ, and teaches a tender regard for the wants and woes of man. See Isaiah 13:12.

The Pharisees were hunting Jesus’ life with bitter hatred, while He was saving life and bringing happiness to multitudes. Was it better to slay upon the Sabbath, as they were planning to do, than to heal the afflicted, as He had done?

In healing the withered hand, Jesus condemned the custom of the Jews, and left the fourth commandment standing as God had given it. “It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days,” He declared. By sweeping away senseless restrictions, Christ honored the Sabbath, while those who complained of Him were dishonoring God’s holy day.

Those who hold that Christ abolished the law teach that He broke the Sabbath and justified His disciples in doing the same. Thus they are taking the same ground as did the caviling Jews. In this they contradict Christ Himself, who declared, “I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” John 15:10. Neither the Saviour nor His followers broke the Sabbath. Looking upon a nation of witnesses who were seeking occasion to condemn Him, He could say unchallenged, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” John 8:46, RSV

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” Jesus said. The Ten Commandments, of which the Sabbath forms a part, God gave to His people as a blessing. See Deuteronomy 6:24. Of all who keep “the Sabbath from polluting it,” the Lord declares, “even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer.” Isaiah 56:6, 7

“The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” For “all things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:3. Since Christ made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of creation. It points to Him as both Creator and Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things is the Head of the church and that by His power we are reconciled to God. He said, “I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them”—make them holy. Ezekiel 20:12. The Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy, as a sign of His sanctifying power.

To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. See Isaiah 58:13, 14. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

From Heaven With Love, 185–191

The Woman Clothed in Purple

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Cain and Abel, Babylon and Jerusalem, the Harlot and the Bride—these represent the two opposing models of worshiping God that appear repeatedly throughout the Scriptures. The first model is built upon the desire to obtain salvation through works, while the second rests on justification by faith in Christ. In my previous article, I wrote about the mysterious global superpower known as the papacy. Let us now take a closer look at this religious-political power. Where does this system, headquartered in Rome, fit within the biblical framework of these two contrasting models of worship?

Babylon

We know that the very nature of the papacy is the union of church and state, of throne and altar, of kingdom and priesthood, of religion and politics. But is the papal model of the church in harmony with God’s will as revealed in Scripture? The answer is no. In prophetic language, the union of religion and politics—of church and state, of Christianity with paganism—is described as harlotry. The prophet Ezekiel wrote: “Because you have gone astray as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols” (Ezekiel 23:30). The papal model of church–state union traces back historically to the Tower of Babel. Nimrod established the world’s first empire in which religion and state were fused into one.1 The concept of merging state and religion—where the monarch and the high priest were united as one—was an unquestioned principle of antiquity. The monarch was, in effect, the absolute ruler over the consciences of his subjects.

The Revolutionary Principle

Yet in the course of history, there arose a Man who overturned this tyrannical principle. He introduced a truth that later became the foundation of all genuine freedom. That principle is expressed in these words: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Jesus Christ—fully man and fully God—brought to a corrupted humanity an idea from another dimension: the principle of freedom of conscience. He declared this revolutionary truth at a time when the image of the Roman emperors appeared on every coin, inscribed with their imperial title: Pontifex Maximus—the high priest. Without this principle, there would have been no John Locke and no modern constitutionalism with its foundational idea of the separation of church and state.2 The words of Jesus became, for the early Christians and for all Bible-believing Christians who cherish freedom, the foundation for practicing the principle of separation of church and state.

The model of the church represented by the papacy is not—and cannot be—in harmony with God’s revealed will.

Two Women

The book of Revelation is a remarkable book of the Bible—it is the revelation of Jesus Christ Himself. And although its content may at first seem frightening and alarming, full of mysterious symbols and bloodthirsty beasts, its message is not given to terrify us or leave us in ignorance.3 Therefore, it is extremely important to understand the astonishing and terrifying vision contained in this book. It is a vision of two contrasting women—the Bride and the Harlot. The Bride—a pure woman—is the Church of God, the mother of the Messiah and of the faithful remnant—the end-time Church. The Harlot—the adulteress—is the mother of harlots. She is the church that commits spiritual adultery with the kings of the earth, using their power to persecute God’s people. The Bride and the Harlot—within the context of the great conflict between good and evil, Christ and Satan—represent a vision worthy of careful attention.

The Bride

The Bible uses various metaphors to explain the nature of the Church. At times, the Church is compared to the human body, of which Christ is the head (Colossians 2:10). Another metaphor presents the Church as a temple (Ephesians 2:21). In Revelation chapter twelve, there is yet another metaphor of the Church, emphasizing the unity of Christ and His Church in the context of monogamous marriage (Genesis 2:24). Just as a husband and wife become one, so believers must be spiritually united with one another and with Christ. This metaphor is the Bride—a pure woman awaiting her Bridegroom (2 Corinthians 11:2). Jesus likened His coming to the coming of the bridegroom for his bride (Matthew 25:6). The Apostle Paul also used the metaphor of the Bride to describe the Church (Ephesians 5:25). The Bride is the Church that has not defiled itself with harlotry—that is, with unholy unions with politics and paganism—but remains faithful to her Bridegroom, Christ.4

The Harlot

“ ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’ So, he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written:

“ ‘Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.’

“I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement” Revelation 17:1–6.

I would like to strongly emphasize that the biblical Harlot does not represent individual people, so there is no reason for anyone to feel personally offended. The Harlot is a politico-religious system. This concerns the system itself, not the individuals who fall under its influence. Many who are part of this system are unaware of the depth of its apostasy. I recognize that today, in an era of widespread ecumenism and political correctness, emphasizing these ancient biblical truths is not always easy. Especially since most Protestants now reject the biblical truths found in Revelation 17 as, to put it mildly, insufficiently ecumenical (it was different in the past). Nevertheless, love for one’s neighbor and commitment to truth calls each of us not to compromise or yield to the spirit of the times.

The Woman Clothed in Purple

The Apostle John was shocked when he saw the Harlot. Instead of representing the Church of God, the woman was dressed like a prostitute and was drunk with the blood of the martyrs. When John described the vision of the Harlot, he lived in a time when the state persecuted the Church. Therefore, the sight of a church immersed in apostasy, using the state to persecute Christ’s followers, was a terrifying and shocking vision.

The Marriage Metaphor

As Jacques B. Doukhan writes, “The marriage metaphor helps us understand this contrast. The Old Testament, as we have noted, often presents Israel as God’s bride and compares its unfaithfulness to adultery or prostitution. John’s Revelation employs the same language. The identity of the Harlot is clear. She is neither a pagan power nor a political power. In the biblical tradition, the Harlot of Revelation embodies the unfaithfulness of God’s people, and, in the broader perspective of the New Testament, represents a church that has entered into unlawful alliances with the rulers of the world. Revelation identifies the Harlot as Babylon.”5

The Mystery of the Woman Riding the Beast

If the Harlot represents a church that has entered into unlawful alliances with the rulers of the world, this is confirmed by the name written on her forehead. It reads: “Mystery, Babylon the Great.” Naturally, this name must refer to the dominant characteristic of the Babylonian empire, which was the union of religion and state, of throne and altar, of kingdom and priesthood.6 Thus, the primary characteristic of the woman riding the beast is her unlawful, adulterous alliance with secular authorities. In the Catholic Church, the beginning of the fourth century marks the start of the union between church and state. It might have seemed that the Church had triumphed over paganism and was entering an era of glory and triumph.

However, the birth of this church–state union led to ecclesiastical despotism and the persecution of all who held views differing from the officially approved doctrine. It was also a time when pagan, occult, and mystery cults merged with Christianity. The union of the Church with state and paganism resulted in the greatest apostasy in Christianity.

From this arose a godless politico-religious alliance, which later developed into a political-religious power in the form of the papacy. This system established a theocratic totalitarian regime in medieval Europe, brutally persecuting all who sought to live according to the dictates of their own conscience.

The Babylonian Model

It must be clearly emphasized that the construction of the Tower of Babel was a religious endeavor undertaken by a political community gathered on the plain of Shinar. The builders of the tower aimed to reach the heavens through their own effort: “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4). Thus, the Tower of Babel represented the unity of state and religion.7 At the same time, the construction of the Tower of Babel represents a reliance on human effort to achieve salvation. This stands in complete contrast to the path of salvation that God consistently revealed since the time of Abel. Human effort plays no role in salvation, for it is a gift from God: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Let us now take a closer look at some of the distinctive characteristics of the Harlot, as described by the Apostle John in Revelation 17.

The Harlot Seated Over Many Waters

The politico-religious system represented by the Harlot has gained influence over nearly the entire world and, through political alliances, affects the governments of nations and rules over human minds. As we read: “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15).

The Harlot With Whom the Kings of the Earth Commit Adultery

The Roman Catholic Church has always sought to establish its ideal of a political community. This ideal has consistently been the union of church and state. The history of the Roman Catholic Church, beginning with Constantine the Great, is a record of ongoing alliances between the Church and the state, all aimed at using secular authority as an instrument in the hands of the Church. For this reason, the papacy has consistently and fiercely opposed the principle of the separation of church and state.8 Recent history confirms the age-old ambitions of the papacy. Perhaps the most striking examples are the godless alliances with the fascist governments of Spain, Italy, Germany, and Croatia. In 1929, the papacy signed a concordat with Benito Mussolini’s fascist government, thereby reestablishing the papal state—the Vatican. In 1933, a concordat was also signed with Nazi Germany.9 The Vatican also collaborated with regimes in South American countries, suppressing the principle of the separation of church and state everywhere, and thereby encouraging both authorities and local populations to persecute Protestants.10 An example that the Roman Catholic Church is willing to form alliances with any significant political power is the so-called Holy Alliance, concluded between Pope John Paul II and U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1982.11 It is worth noting that the Vatican currently maintains diplomatic relations with the majority of the world’s nations. “The harlot with whom the kings of the earth commit adultery” (Revelation 17:2) has always involved cooperation and mutual support—that is, an alliance between church and state.

The Wine of Fornication

The Harlot influences the inhabitants of the earth through “a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication” (Revelation 17:4), or “the wine of her fornication” (verse 2). But what is this “wine of her fornication”? The wine of fornication represents false religious doctrines that have their roots in paganism.12 Regarding Roman Catholic doctrines, Cardinal John Henry Newman wrote: “The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holydays and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, … turning to the East, images at a later date, … are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church.”13

Most Roman Catholic doctrines may appear to originate from the Bible, but in reality, they stand in stark contradiction to Scripture, the teachings of Christ, and the apostles. The wine of fornication of the Babylonian Harlot also includes many other false doctrines, such as the sacrificial–liturgical ceremonial, auricular confession, the division of the faithful into clergy and laity, infant baptism, the replacement of the biblical Sabbath with Sunday observance, the veneration of deceased “saints,” their relics and images, Marian devotion, the primacy and infallibility of the pope, clerical celibacy, doctrines concerning the immortality of the soul, purgatory, and hell, the acceptance of apocryphal books, equating Tradition with the Bible, the introduction of the rosary, the system of sacraments and indulgences, and many others.14 It also represents the condemnation of religious freedom, freedom of conscience, and freedom of speech and the press—continuing in this stance until the end of the 19th century.15 The papacy officially recognized freedom of conscience, religion, and the press only during the Second Vatican Council.16 As a result of intoxicating the inhabitants of the earth with the wine of fornication, the truth of salvation through Christ by God’s grace has been trampled underfoot by the Roman Harlot—a politico-religious institution of the papacy.

A Church Full of Splendor

The Harlot is dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. The apostate Church is thus distinguished by wealth, vanity, and pride. The colors associated with this woman continue to be the colors of Catholic hierarchy today. Purple is now the color of bishops’ vestments, while scarlet is the color of cardinals’ robes. Regarding the wealth of the Roman Church, it must be remembered that much of it was obtained through the confiscation of the property of Inquisition victims, the sale of indulgences, as well as money laundering, corrupt banking practices, and connections with the mafia. In summary, the Roman Catholic Church is a global institution of unprecedented wealth.17 All this ecclesiastical splendor, however, has nothing to do with the gospel of Christ, who rejected both earthly glory and crown, as well as worldly wealth. His Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).

Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots

The papal system of governance is a continuation of the absolute power once represented by ancient pagan despotisms such as Babylon and the Roman Empire.18 It is unfortunate, however, that the designation “the mother of harlots” also points to other churches, including some Protestant ones, that imitate this “mother” in seeking support from the state. Leading in this practice are particularly fundamentalists aligned with the religious right.

The Harlot Drunk with the Blood of the Saints

The gravest transgression of the papacy in the temporal realm, however, is its criminal past. The unimaginable suffering, torment, and brutal torture of the Middle Ages and later periods were inflicted by the papal system on those who sought to serve God according to their conscience. The dark and bloody pages of the Inquisition remain an everlasting disgrace for an institution that arrogated to itself the right to be Christ’s representative.

Millions were tortured in monastic dungeons, burned alive at the stake, or simply slaughtered by sword and fire, merely because they held different religious convictions and refused to submit to Roman tyranny. How can one even assess such systemic ecclesiastical terror over centuries in comparison with the German Nazi concentration camps—especially when we realize that the papacy supported the Nazi regime responsible for these crimes?19

We are left to trust that God will soon execute righteous judgment on the Babylonian Harlot. The history of this world is rapidly drawing to a close, and the great Harlot will be judged. Therefore, God calls His people, who remain within the Roman system, to flee from this spiritual Babylon, saying: “Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4. See verses 5–8). This is the solemn call of Jesus to all sincerely believing Catholics.

Marcin Watras lives with his wife and two children in Katowice, Poland. He is interested in the philosophy of religion and trends in society.

Endnotes:

  1. Dave Hunt, Kobieta jadąca na bestii, publishing house Fundacja Świadome Chrześcijaństwo 2024, p. 51
  2. Jan W. Klif, And The Emperor Sat On The Throne, youtube.com/watch?v=6dOPvOgWdJM, accessibility: September 17, 2025
  3. Jacques B. Doukhan, Kod Apokalipsy, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2007, p. 9
  4. Raoul Dederen, Handbook of Seventh-Day Adventist Theology, Hagerstown 2000, pp. 547, 548
  5. Jacques B. Doukhan, Kod Apokalipsy, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2007, p. 161
  6. Dave Hunt, Kobieta jadąca na bestii, publishing house Fundacja Świadome Chrześcijaństwo 2024, p. 46
  7. , p. 47
  8. , pp. 48–51
  9. , p. 51
  10. Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, p. 101
  11. Carl Bernstein, “The Holy Alliance: Ronald Reagan and John Paul II,” Time, February 24, 1992, https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,974931,00.html, accessibility: September 18, 2025
  12. Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, p. 223
  13. John Henry Newman, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, p. 374, newmanreader.org/works/development/chapter8.html, accessibility: September 21, 2025
  14. Andrzej Maszczak, Wyklady seminaryjne księgo Daniela, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2001, p. 184
  15. Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, pp. 194, 195
  16. Deklaracja o wolności religijnej Dignitatis humanae, https://laboratoriumwolnosci.pl/slownik/deklaracja-o-wolnosci-religijnej-dignitatis-humanae/, accessibility: September 21, 2025
  17. Dave Hunt, Kobieta jadąca na bestii, publishing house Fundacja Świadome Chrześcijaństwo 2024, pp. 67–69
  18. Andrzej Maszczak, Wyklady seminaryjne księgo Daniela, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2001, p. 184
  19. , p. 170

The Man Who Would Not Give Up, Part 2

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When the time came for Jacob to return to the land of his father, he approached the country of his birth with trepidation, anticipating the welcome he would receive from his twin brother, Esau, who was on his way to meet Jacob with 400 armed men. To help soften his brother’s heart, Jacob sent him expensive gifts. He did everything he could, but he knew that it was not enough.

Jacob had learned something, friend, that you and I need to learn. He was shrewd and knew how to make business deals, but he was in a situation now where those skills were useless. There was no business deal that he could make that would get him out of this. He knew that unless the Lord intervened, it would be all over.

Plea for Help

So, Jacob went to the Lord in prayer: “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Jehovah. You said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your kindred, and I will deal well with you: I am not worthy for any of your mercies which you have done with your servant.’ ” Genesis 32:9, 10

Jacob had divided his family into two camps, thinking that if the people in one camp were killed, those in the other camp would be able to flee from danger. Then he had crossed over the Jordan.

His plea to God continues: “Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; because I am terrified lest he should come and strike me and the mother with the children. And now, You said, ‘Indeed, I will deal well with you, and I will make your descendants, your seed, as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ” Verses 11, 12

Only these few verses of Scripture are recorded, so we do not know the entire contents of his prayer. He was, no doubt, praying there for hours, pleading with the Lord. From these verses, you can understand the gist of his prayer. “Lord, You promised. You are the One who told me to come back here, and You said that You would deal well with me. You said that my descendants would be like the sand of the sea, which could not be numbered for multitude. Now we are all about to get killed.”

“He arose in that night and took his two wives, his two concubines, and his eleven sons and passed over the Brook Jabbok.” Verse 22

Jacob continued to pray into the night hours. He was alone, totally unprotected, having sent his family and everything that made life dear to him a distance away. In describing the region where he was praying, Ellen White wrote: “It was in a lonely, mountainous region, the haunt of wild beasts and the lurking place of robbers and murderers. Solitary and unprotected, Jacob bowed in deep distress upon the earth. It was midnight.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 196

Midnight came, and his mind was still filled with doubts and questionings: “Maybe the Lord cannot fulfill His promises to me, because I am such a bad sinner. I am a crook and a liar. Maybe, even though He promised this to me, it will not happen, because I am so sinful, and now all my children, my wives, and everything will be killed, because of what I have done.”

If you are a father, you can understand Jacob’s anguish. For most fathers, it would be easier to die themselves than to watch their children be killed. This is why, during the Dark Ages, to torture the Waldenses, the agents of Rome would kill their sons before them, cut off their heads, and tie them to the necks of their fathers, then march the fathers to their own deaths.

Bless Me

Suddenly, as Jacob was praying, “There wrestled with him a man until the breaking of day. And He saw that He did not prevail against him, and He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh went out of joint as He was wrestling with him. And He said, ‘Send Me away, because the dawn is coming.’ And he [Jacob] said, ‘I cannot send You away unless You bless me!’ ” Verses 24–26

You see, when his thigh was touched, Jacob realized instantly that he was dealing with a supernatural being, with Someone from heaven. He was not dealing with another man; an average man would not be able to touch your hip and throw it out of joint. Yes, Jacob knew who he was struggling with.

“So He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Jacob.’

“And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.’

“Then Jacob asked, saying, ‘Tell me Your name, I pray.’ And He said, ‘Why is it that you ask about My name?’ And He blessed him there.” Verses 27–29

The Meaning

What is the meaning of this story? During this night, Jacob struggled with the Lord Jesus. Jacob called the name of this place Peniel, which means “The Face of God,” because he said, “I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive.” Verse 30

What lesson can we learn from this? Have you ever met someone who has wrestled hard to overcome sin in his or her life, and he or she says, “I can never do it; I guess I will just have to be lost”? Jacob wrestled as hard as he could to overcome. At first, he thought he was fighting Esau, one of Esau’s men, or a robber or a murderer who was going to kill him. He was determined to overcome, but he found that he could not. If you have a besetting sin in your life, you cannot overcome it any more than Jacob could overcome, unless you are blessed.

Confess and Forsake

Over and over again that night, it came to Jacob’s mind that he had stolen from his brother, and he had lied to and deceived his father. He recognized that he was going through all of this because of his sins. But in the midst of it all, even though he thought he would be killed, he continued to fight.

While those sins kept coming to his mind, he also thought to himself, “But I have repented. I have told the Lord over and over again for 20 years that I am sorry, and I want to be forgiven. I am not that man anymore. The Lord has promised me.”

The promise is very clear in the Bible. “He who hides his rebellions, his transgressions, will not prosper. But the one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Proverbs 28:13. Jacob’s transgressions were rebellions. They were deliberate transgressions against the Law of God; they were not sins of ignorance.

Although the book of Proverbs had not yet been written in Jacob’s time, he knew the principle. He knew that if a person confessed and repented of his sins, God had promised mercy. And he kept saying, as he was fighting, “Lord, I have repented. I have confessed. I have tried to do everything I know to make it right. I am not living like that anymore.”

This experience was also recorded by Hosea: “He wept and pleaded.” Hosea 12:4. For what was he pleading? He wanted the assurance that his sins were pardoned and that they would not be held against his account. He continued to weep and plead until, it says, “He had power over the Angel and prevailed.”

This is quite a statement, that a human being would have power over an angel! This was the Angel of the covenant. Jacob was fighting with Jesus Christ Himself!

No Excuse for Sin

This is the story of a sinful human being who, in humility, self-surrender, and repentance, prevailed with the Majesty of heaven. He did not use either divine promises or the character defects of his brother to excuse his own sin. Remember this. A confession is not an excuse; there is no excuse for sin.

“Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.” The Desire of Ages, 311

There is no excuse for sin and Jacob did not make excuses for his sin. He did not say, “Lord, I sinned because so and so did this wrong.” Many believe this constitutes a confession, but it is an excuse and unacceptable to God. Jacob came to the knowing he needed to be cleansed.

Time to Come

This story about Jacob and the Angel—called “Jacob’s Time of Trouble”—when a helpless, unworthy person claimed God’s promise of mercy to repentant sinners, is used in the Bible as a symbol of future events.

“Because thus Jehovah said, ‘A voice of trembling we have heard of dread, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, if a male bears a child. Wherefore do I see every male with his hands upon his loins as a woman giving birth to a child, and they have turned all faces into paleness? Alas! Because that day is great, so there is none like it; it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.’ ” Jeremiah 30:5–7

If you look at the whole context of this prophecy, you will understand that this is a prophecy about the end of time. We are approaching the time when the plan of salvation is going to be completed.

Hebrews teaches that Christ is our High Priest. He is an all-powerful mediator. Even if you are the worst and weakest of sinners, you have an all-powerful Mediator who, if you call upon Him, can help you. He specializes in helping people who are considered helpless, and this is what the strongest of Christians have to learn, too. This is what Jacob had to learn.

Time of Jacob’s Trouble

Christ’s work as mediator in man’s behalf is almost done. Jesus will soon stand and say, “He who is unjust, shall be unjust still; and he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; and the righteous one, let him do righteousness still; and the holy one, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every one according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:11, 12

Soon after this pronouncement is made, the time of Jacob’s trouble will begin, because the plan of salvation will be over. It is the end of probation. Soon after this pronouncement is made, if you are still hanging onto some sin, filthy and unjust, you will stay that way forever. If you are righteous and holy, you are going to stay righteous and holy forever.

Bible prophecy tells us, in Revelation 13:15, that a time is coming when all those living on the earth will have to choose either the mark of the beast or the seal of God. Those who choose to worship and obey God will find that a death decree has been enacted against them. Just like Jacob, in danger of losing his life and the lives of his family at the hands of Esau, those who love God must rely on Him to save their lives. Was Jacob in danger of losing his life? Yes, he was. Every member of his family was in danger of losing his or her life.

Jacob knew that if the Lord had not worked a miracle on Esau’s heart, he and his family would have lost their lives. He knew that the only way he would be saved was by the mercy of God; and this is the only way you and I will also be saved.

Repent and Confess

Almost driven to despair, Jacob began to plead for deliverance. Imagine having to wrestle with someone from midnight until almost dawn! But Jacob did not give up. God’s people will face this same experience during the last days in their final struggle with the powers of evil (Jeremiah 30:5–7). It will seem to each person that his or her case is hopeless. God’s people will have a deep sense of their shortcomings. This is the feeling the devil tries to impress upon people until they are tempted to lose all hope. The devil wants us to believe that our hold on God is broken. But God’s people will, like Jacob, hold fast to the hand of God, pleading His promised mercy, confessing and repenting from their sins.

My dear friend, right now is the time when we must remove sin from our records. With all our heart, filled with humility, we must see the Lord and tell Him that we want to be through with sin. Repentance means that a person is sorry for his or her sins—sorry enough to stop repeating them. Confess the sin. If it is a private sin, confess it to the Lord. If you have injured someone, go to him or her and make it right. Jacob had to make things right with Esau.

Just think of coming to the end of the world and realizing the devil can point at you and say, “This sin you have concealed; you have never repented of it; you have never confessed it!” If this is true, what will happen? You will lose salvation. Now is the time to make sure there is nothing on your record for which you have not repented and confessed.

Remember, the other person’s sin does not excuse your sin. You can never say to the Lord, “I sinned because he sinned.” He does not accept this, or any, excuse. No matter what another person may do, you are not responsible for it, but you are responsible for what you say and do.

Assurance of Salvation

Are you going to be as persevering in your Christian walk as Jacob was in his struggle with Jesus? If you are willing to continue the fight, then you are absolutely guaranteed that you will be saved, just like Jacob.

Mrs. White penned a very encouraging statement about Jacob’s experience. “Jacob’s history is an assurance that God will not cast off those who have been betrayed into sin, but who have returned unto Him with true repentance. It was by self-surrender and confiding faith that Jacob gained what he had failed to gain by conflict in his own strength. God thus taught His servant that divine power and grace alone could give him the blessing he craved.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 202, 203. Jacob learned that he could not do it on his own and we must learn this, too.

“Thus it will be with those who live in the last days. As dangers surround them, and despair seizes upon the soul, they must depend solely [only] upon the merits of the atonement. We can do nothing of ourselves. In all our helpless unworthiness we must trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour.” Ibid., 203. Acknowledging that we are unworthy, we place our trust in His merits. If we do this, we are given the promise: “None will ever perish while they do this.” Ibid.

What good news! If you realize that you are helpless and you put your complete trust and confidence in Him, you cannot perish, because you serve an all-powerful Mediator.

“The long, black catalogue of our delinquencies is before the eye of the Infinite. The register is complete; none of our offenses are forgotten. But He who listened to the cries of His servants of old, will hear the prayer of faith and pardon our transgressions. He has promised, and He will fulfill His word.” Ibid.

Greatest Need

Many people believe that we need more talent, education, money, or manpower to finish God’s work and have the victory over evil. But these things are not the instruments by which the great controversy will be won.

“The greatest victories to the church of Christ or to the individual Christian are not those that are gained by talent or education, by wealth or the favor of men. They are those victories that are gained in the audience chamber with God, when earnest, agonizing faith lays hold upon the mighty arm of power.” Ibid.

Do not say, “We need more money; we need more education; we need more talent; we need more manpower.” It would be nice to have all of those things, but what we need more than anything else is to go to the audience chamber and pray, “Lord, I am not going to quit asking until a change happens in my life.”

When God sees that you are serious, a change will happen in your life. If we lay hold of His promises, He will say to us, “I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19, 20. Claim this promise and say, “Lord, I must have a change in my heart or I am lost, and I am not going to give up. I am going to keep asking. I am going to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and I am going to plead with you for this until I have it.”

John Knox went to the Lord and prayed, “Lord, if You don’t give me Scotland, I am just going to die.” He kept praying, and Scotland became a Protestant country as the result of one man’s prayers. Just think what could happen if people went to the Lord and said, “Lord, I am like Jacob. I am helpless. I am vile, and I am wretched. I know I must have a change in my heart or I will be lost, so I am not going to quit asking. I am coming to You, because I have a great need. I want to be ready for heaven, and I want You to change my heart and my life.” God would gladly hear and answer such a prayer! He heard Jacob’s cry for help, and He is no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34).

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John J. Grosboll is the Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be reached by email at historic@stepstolife.org or by telephone at 316-788-5559.

Criticism

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The Spirit of Prophecy recommends to us the beautiful suggestion to take time day by day to immerse ourselves in the life of Jesus and His teachings, as found in the record of His life here on earth in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What a wonderful picture of Jesus they have given to us. As we open these pages, we are transported to stand beside His disciples and listen to Him as He speaks to them and to the multitude:

“Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

“But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:47–49

A Terrible Tragedy

Just a few miles from Eden Valley in Colorado, in the Big Thompson Canyon, a terrible tragedy occurred in 1976. Heavy rain in the Rocky Mountains sent a terrific torrent of water down the Big Thompson River. In some places, the water rapidly flowed as ten-foot walls down the canyon. Caused by a stalled thunderstorm, the area received 12–14 inches (including 7.5 inches that fell in one hour) of rainfall near Estes Park.

At that time, 600 people lived full time in the Canyon. On that day, an estimated 2,500-3,500 additional people were in the area or camped along the river to celebrate the anniversary of Colorado’s statehood on August 1.

The flood damaged or destroyed 418 homes, 152 businesses, an additional 138 other buildings, and swept away 400 vehicles. U.S. Route 34 was partially washed away. In total, 144 died, 250 were injured, with five missing.

Considered one of the deadliest floods in Colorado’s history, the widespread damage was estimated to be $40 million ($226 million in today’s money).

I have been up and down Thompson Canyon many times. There are many beautiful spots to build a home down by the stream as it winds its way between the canyon walls. Month after month, year after year, it was safe; until it wasn’t.

But, Jesus is able to keep us safe when we make Him the foundation of our life. That is what our opening scripture tells us.

“We are each of us building for ourselves a structure which will one day be scrutinized by the Judge of the whole earth. This structure is our individual character; and every act of our lives, every thought and word, is a stone in the building. The words of Inspiration warn us, ‘Take heed how ye build.’ See to it that the foundation is sure. If we build on the Rock Christ Jesus, the structure will grow into symmetrical proportions, and will be a fair and holy temple for God.” The Signs of the Times, July 14, 1887

“Here are brought before us two classes—the hearer and the doer. There is one that hears and does not; there is one that hears and does. This is he that not only hears but is a doer of the Word of the Lord: and this is the class that is building on the Rock. We want to be among the class that is riveted to the eternal Rock, and not of that class that is building upon the sand. For in these two classes of builders brought to view here, the one is laying his foundation in the sand, the other on the rocks. And the question comes home to us, How are we building?” Sermons and Talks, Vol. 1, 13

If you really want to be safe, build on the Rock.

“The great principles of the law, of the very nature of God, are embodied in the words of Christ on the mount. Whoever builds upon them is building upon Christ, the Rock of Ages. In receiving the word, we receive Christ. And only those who thus receive His words are building upon Him. ‘Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ 1 Corinthians 3:11. ‘There is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ Acts 4:12. Christ, the Word, the revelation of God—the manifestation of His character, His law, His love, His life—is the only foundation upon which we can build a character that will endure.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 148, 149

Who does Jesus say builds on the Rock? The man who hears and does. Who does He say builds on the sand? The man who hears and does not. In what ways are these two individuals alike? They both hear. So, Jesus is not talking about infidels and heathen. He’s talking about the people that hear His word, and they either obey or they don’t. The rock builders are building and preparing for the storm ahead that is coming upon this world and in this church. God has given me such an opportunity and privilege to say to you the things that will help you be ready by building on the Rock, so let’s study the life of Christ and His teachings a little more deeply to see how we can be ready for what is coming. You can be. I want to study a little more now from the life and teachings of Jesus to see if we can find help in being made ready for what’s ahead.

Starting in Matthew 9, we find Jesus passing by the Jewish Internal Revenue office, and there he saw Matthew, the tax collector. He said to him, “Matthew, I need you. Come with Me” (verse 9). Matthew left his very lucrative government job and became one of Christ’s disciples. He was so happy to be with Jesus, that he invited many of his friends, the publicans and other characters of poor repute to a party. But look at verse 11:

“And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Finding fault with Jesus, the Pharisees complained to the disciples.

“At that time, Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

“And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, ‘Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.’ ” Matthew 12:1, 2

Now, finding fault with the disciples, the Pharisees complained to Jesus about the disciples.

“It was their policy to accuse Christ to the disciples, and the disciples to Christ, aiming their arrows where they would be most likely to wound. This is the way in which Satan has worked ever since the disaffection in heaven; and all who try to cause discord and alienation are actuated by his spirit.” The Desire of Ages, 275

I was much impressed by the apparent conscientiousness, the sanctimonious, critical faultfinding exhibited by the Pharisees. Let’s look at what the prophet to the remnant has to say about the origins of faultfinding and complaining.

“If Satan can excite criticism among any of the Lord’s professed people, then it is communicated like leaven from one to another. Give the spirit of criticism no quarter, for it is Satan’s science. Accept it, and envy, jealousy, and evil surmisings of one another follow.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 351

“Satan plants his seeds of unbelief, of picking flaws, and of finding fault, when you should be diligently listening to the message which God is addressing to every one of you. He wants you to hear and obey, and so escape the snares which Satan has set for your feet.” The Review and Herald, July 19, 1887

The Pharisees were not the originators of criticism. For 4,000 years before the Jews became a people, this criticizing and faultfinding had been used in full force to the point that it was already threadbare with repeated use. Complain to the leader about the mistakes, real or imaginary, of the disciples. Complain to the disciples about the mistakes, real or imaginary, of the leadership. Who started it?

Before the history of man began, Lucifer sold the idea to one-third of the heavenly host. Consider this, if Lucifer could convince holy, perfect beings to criticize and find fault, how do you think he does here among mortal men?

“Oh,” Lucifer said, “but I just want to improve things.” He said, “We are holy beings. We don’t need rules to make and keep us holy. We can use our own minds to make the right choices.” With feigned earnestness and sincerity, and in a backhanded way, he was criticizing and finding fault with God and spreading the criticism around through the angels. So, how did Lucifer make heaven better using this strategy? He didn’t, of course. Ultimately, it drove a wedge between them and God, Jesus, and all the remaining host of heaven; and he and one-third of the angels were thrown out of heaven forever.

Will criticizing and finding fault make us or the circumstances in our church any better? No, it won’t. So, what can we do about it?

What Would Jesus Do?

Jesus never allowed the criticism focused toward His disciples to bring the slightest wedge between Him and them.

“Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1, last part

He wants us to have that same relationship with one another.

Note:

When buffalo roamed the vast expanse of America, wolves would harass the herd in search of food. Wise enough not to take on a mature buffalo, the wolves would search for a calf and attempt to snatch it away from its mother. But this was not as easy an effort as it might seem. To protect the herd’s cows and calves, the bull buffalo would encircle them, facing out toward the circling wolves, with their great, bushy heads and big horns ready to defend against an attack. One after another, the wolves would trot around the circle trying to find an opening between the massive defenders to break through. However, many times, the wolves would leave still hungry and the herd completely safe.

This is how we must be. In times of criticism and fault-finding from without, we must press together and not allow ourselves to be drawn away, creating an opening through a wedge that can be driven in among us.

“There is no encouragement given for unbelief. The Lord manifests His grace and His power over and over again, and this should teach us that it is always profitable under all circumstances to cherish faith, to talk faith, to act faith. We are not to have our hearts and hands weakened by allowing the suggestions of suspicious minds to plant in our hearts the seeds of doubt and distrust.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 928

To Our Leaders.

Do not allow the enemy to work upon your mind in planting seeds of suspicion, doubt, and distrust concerning the helpers. And to our students and helpers in any line, do not allow the enemy to plant in your mind seeds of suspicion, doubt, and distrust concerning the leaders. The Pharisees were the most sanctimonious, punctilious people, careful to follow the rules down to the minutest detail; it made it easy for them to find fault in others struggling to do what is right.

I am speaking of those helpers in the many different lines of service—health reform, medical practice, sanitarium work, medical missionary work, Christian education, dress reform, and Sabbath-keeping. We are often so careful and conscientious, that we allow ourselves to become critical of those who do not perform just as we think they ought. Then we carry our criticism of the helpers to the leaders, or find fault with the leaders, sharing our disgruntled feelings to the helpers. It is then we become like the Pharisees, like Satan, the one who began it all.

Friends, we need to be like ducks. You surely have heard the saying, “like water off a duck’s back.” The criticisms, fault-finding and resulting gossip should be allowed to flow right off of us like water running off the duck’s waterproof feathers. We must be well equipped with the oil of love that when the rain of faultfinding and criticism comes, it just runs off. The more our attitude is like this, the less we will hear the harsh, critical words.

On the other hand, the more the enemy finds that our ears are open to hearing criticism—whether either of those who are helping or those being helped—the more our ears are open to listening to criticisms and pious suggestions, and even references against someone who ought to do something differently, the more you will hear it.

We must learn to have confidence in Jesus and in our brethren. Confidence can be broken, I know. Someone could say, “Brother Frazee, you might get fooled.” In fact, it has happened a time or two during my life. But I would rather be fooled while believing my brethren love me than to miss a blessing by being suspicious of someone who does really love me.

“We are not to have our hearts and hands weakened by allowing the suggestions of suspicious minds to plant in our hearts the seeds of doubt and distrust. ‘Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.’ Hebrews 3:12.” Ibid.

To Sum Up.

Where do we build? On the Rock. Not on something, but on Someone. We build our spiritual foundation on the solid Rock, Jesus Christ. When we face the coming storms of the future, strife, the floods of wrath and violence, we can with confidence stand strong because we did not build on a shifting foundation, but He who is the rock of love, having faith in God and in His church, having confidence in one another.

People will still make mistakes; they will disappoint and betray, criticize and find fault, but if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, He will give us confidence that He—the same One who took those 12 imperfect men and finally brought them through to the place where they could receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit—will do the same for us today.

I want to be a part of that, don’t you?

Pastor W. D. Frazee was a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist, minister, and author. In 1942, he began a faith ministry that would become the foundation for establishing the Wildwood Medical Missionary Institute, now Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital. In 1996, he was laid to rest, awaiting the Lord’s return.

Peter – upon this rock

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“Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in Heaven.’ …

“Jesus saw, in this acknowledgment, the living principle that would animate the hearts of His believers in coming ages. …

“Jesus continued: ‘And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ The word Peter signifies rolling stone. Christ did not refer to Peter as being the rock upon which He would found His church. His expression, ‘this rock,’ applied to Himself as the foundation of the Christian church. [Author’s emphasis]

“… It is the same Stone to which reference is made in Luke 20:17, 18: ‘And He beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that Stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.’

“… Christ is the rock upon which the church is built, and, in His address to Peter, He referred to Himself as the rock which is the foundation of the church. He continues:

“ ‘And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’ The Roman church makes a wrong application of these words of Christ. They claim that He addressed them specially to Peter. Hence, he is represented in works of art as carrying a bunch of keys, which is a symbol of trust and authority given to ambassadors and others in high positions. The words of Christ: ‘I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven,’ were not addressed to Peter alone, but to the disciples, including those who compose the Christian church in all ages. …

“But the Roman Catholic church claims that Christ invested Peter with supreme power over the Christian church, and that his successors are divinely authorized to rule the Christian world. In still another place, Jesus acknowledges the same power to exist in all the church that is claimed to have been given to Peter alone, upon the authority of the text previously quoted.” The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 2, 272–274

The Time of the End

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January 25 – 31, 2026

Key Text

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:37

Study Help: Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, 306–313; The Great Controversy, 582–592

Introduction

“It was because of their wickedness that they [the Antediluvians] were destroyed; and today the world is following the same way.” The Desire of Ages, 633

Sunday

1 THESE LAST DAYS

1.a. How did Christ depict the conditions prevalent in the world in these last days? Matthew 24:6–8, 37–39

 

Note: “When the Saviour pointed out to His followers the signs of His return, He foretold the state of backsliding that would exist just prior to His second advent. There would be, as in the days of Noah, the activity and stir of worldly business and pleasure seeking—buying, selling, planting, building, marrying, and giving in marriage—with forgetfulness of God and the future life.” The Great Controversy, 309

 1.b. What can be seen even among churchgoers today? 2 Timothy 3:1–5; Matthew 24:12

 

Note: “Everything in the world is in agitation. The signs of the times are ominous. Coming events cast their shadows before. The Spirit of God is withdrawing from the earth, and calamity follows calamity by sea and by land. There are tempests, earthquakes, fires, floods, murders of every grade. Who can read the future? Where is security? There is assurance in nothing that is human or earthly. Rapidly are men ranging themselves under the banner they have chosen. Restlessly are they waiting and watching the movements of their leaders. There are those who are waiting and watching and working for our Lord’s appearing. Another class are falling into line under the generalship of the first great apostate. Few believe with heart and soul that we have a hell to shun and a heaven to win.” The Desire of Ages, 636

Monday

2 SPIRITUAL DECADENCE

2.a. What has been the condition of the professed Christian churches since 1844? Revelation 3:1, last part. What fearful denunciation rests upon the churches? Matthew 7:21–23

 

Note: “The unhappiness and degradation that follow in the train of licentiousness cannot be estimated. The world is defiled under its inhabitants. They have nearly filled up the measure of their iniquity; but that which will bring the heaviest retribution is the practice of iniquity under the cloak of godliness. The Redeemer of the world never spurned true repentance, however great the guilt; but He hurls burning denunciations against Pharisees and hypocrites. There is more hope for the open sinner than for this class.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, 144

2.b. How can we be in danger of imitating the evil servant in the parable? What will be the end of these professed believers? Matthew 24:48–51

 

Note: “The evil servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delayeth his coming.’ He does not say that Christ will not come. He does not scoff at the idea of His second coming. But in his heart and by his actions and words he declares that the Lord’s coming is delayed. He banishes from the mind of others the conviction that the Lord is coming quickly. His influence leads men to presumptuous, careless delay. They are confirmed in their worldliness and stupor. Earthly passions, corrupt thoughts take possession of the mind. The evil servant eats and drinks with the drunken, unites with the world in pleasure seeking. He smites his fellow servants, accusing and condemning those who are faithful to their Master. He mingles with the world. Like grows with like in transgression. …

“Men are putting afar off the coming of the Lord. They laugh at warnings. The proud boast is made, ‘All things continue as they were from the beginning.’ ‘Tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.’ (2 Peter 3:4; Isaiah 56:12). We will go deeper into pleasure loving. But Christ says, ‘Behold, I come as a thief’ (Revelation 16:15). At the very time when the world is asking in scorn, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’ the signs are fulfilling. While they cry, ‘Peace and safety,’ sudden destruction is coming. When the scorner, the rejecter of truth, has become presumptuous; when the routine of work in the various money-making lines is carried on without regard to principle; when the student is eagerly seeking knowledge of everything but his Bible, Christ comes as a thief.” The Desire of Ages, 635

Tuesday

3 DECEPTIONS

3.a. What types of deception will lead many souls to perdition? Revelation 13:13; Matthew 24:23, 24. What is our only safeguard? Isaiah 8:20

 

Note: “Even now false christs and false prophets are showing signs and wonders to seduce His [Christ’s] disciples.” The Desire of Ages, 631

“Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.” The Great Controversy, 593

“Except those who are kept by the power of God, through faith in His word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of this delusion. The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.” Ibid., 562

3.b. What will be the climax in the work of deception? Matthew 24:26; 2 Corinthians 11:14

 

Note: “Satan came as an angel of light in the wilderness of temptation to deceive Christ; and he does not come to man in a hideous form, as he is sometimes represented, but as an angel of light. He will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and men will fall down and worship him as Jesus Christ. We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will glorify as Christ. What shall we do?—Tell them that Christ has warned us against just such a foe, who is man’s worst enemy, yet who claims to be God; and that when Christ shall make His appearance, it will be with power and great glory, accompanied by ten thousand times ten thousand angels and thousands of thousands; and that when He shall come, we shall know His voice.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, 1105, 1106

Wednesday

4 TROUBLOUS TIMES

4.a. What attitude prevails in these last days? Luke 18:8; 2 Peter 3:3, 4

 

Note: “Marvelous beyond expression is the blindness of the people of this generation. Thousands reject the word of God as unworthy of belief and with eager confidence receive the deceptions of Satan. Skeptics and scoffers denounce the bigotry of those who contend for the faith of prophets and apostles, and they divert themselves by holding up to ridicule the solemn declarations of the Scriptures concerning Christ and the plan of salvation, and the retribution to be visited upon the rejecters of the truth. They affect great pity for minds so narrow, weak, and superstitious as to acknowledge the claims of God and obey the requirements of His law. They manifest as much assurance as if, indeed, they had made a covenant with death and an agreement with hell—as if they had erected an impassable, impenetrable barrier between themselves and the vengeance of God. Nothing can arouse their fears. So fully have they yielded to the tempter, so closely are they united with him, and so thoroughly imbued with his spirit, that they have no power and no inclination to break away from his snare.” The Great Controversy, 561

4.b. How will the faithful people of God be treated because of their adherence to the truth? Matthew 24:9; Luke 21:16–18

 

Note: “Persecution in its varied forms is the development of a principle which will exist as long as Satan exists and Christianity has vital power.” The Great Controversy, 610

“The authorities will make laws to restrict religious liberty. They will assume the right that is God’s alone. They will think they can force the conscience which God alone should control. Even now they are making a beginning; this work they will continue to carry forward till they reach a boundary over which they cannot step. God will interpose in behalf of His loyal, commandment-keeping people.” The Desire of Ages, 630

Thursday

5 WARNINGS AND PROMISES

5.a. What admonitions apply to those who are looking forward to the soon coming of Christ? Luke 21:34–36; Matthew 24:4; 25:13

 

Note: “In consideration of the shortness of time we as a people should watch and pray, and in no case allow ourselves to be diverted from the solemn work of preparation for the great event before us. Because the time is apparently extended, many have become careless and indifferent in regard to their words and actions. They do not realize their danger and do not see and understand the mercy of our God in lengthening their probation, that they may have time to form characters for the future, immortal life. Every moment is of the highest value. Time is granted them, not to be employed in studying their own ease and becoming dwellers on the earth, but to be used in the work of overcoming every defect in their own characters and in helping others, by example and personal effort, to see the beauty of holiness. God has a people upon the earth who in faith and holy hope are tracing down the roll of fast-fulfilling prophecy and are seeking to purify their souls by obeying the truth, that they may not be found without the wedding garment when Christ shall appear.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, 306, 307

5.b. If we are faithful to Christ, what help is assured us? Luke 21:14, 15; Isaiah 43:1, 2

 

Note: “Despised of men, persecuted, forsaken, God’s children in every age have nevertheless been sustained by His sure promises. By faith they have looked forward to the time when He will fulfill to His church the assurance, ‘I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.’ (Isaiah 60:15).

“Often the church militant is called upon to suffer trial and affliction; for not without severe conflict is the church to triumph. ‘The bread of adversity,’ ‘the water of affliction’ (Isaiah 30:20), these are the common lot of all; but none who put their trust in the One mighty to deliver will be utterly overwhelmed.” Prophets and Kings, 722, 723

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. What preoccupations may be afflicting us even now?
  2. How may we be as guilty as the evil servant in the parable?
  3. Name some deceptions during earth’s final days.
  4. Why should we pity the plight of scoffers?
  5. What should be our main concern as the end draws nearer?

Copyright 1997, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

A Worldwide Movement

by

January 18 – 24, 2026

Key Text

“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” Matthew 24:33

Study Help: Selected Messages, Book 3, 169, 170; The Upward Look, 90, 91

Introduction

“Christ had bidden His people watch for the signs of His advent and rejoice as they should behold the tokens of their coming King.” The Great Controversy, 308

Sunday

1 “IT IS NEAR”

1.a. What conviction took hold of many people as the year 1844 was drawing near? Matthew 24:33

 

Note: “Like the great Reformation of the sixteenth century, the advent movement appeared in different countries of Christendom at the same time. In both Europe and America men of faith and prayer were led to the study of the prophecies, and, tracing down the inspired record, they saw convincing evidence that the end of all things was at hand. In different lands there were isolated bodies of Christians who, solely by the study of the Scriptures, arrived at the belief that the Saviour’s advent was near.” The Great Controversy, 357

  • Dr. Joseph Wolff: Africa, Asia, USA (Ibid., 357–362)
  • Manuel Lacunza: South America (Ibid., 363)
  • Johann Bengel: Germany (Ibid., 363)
  • Gaussen: France and Switzerland (Ibid., 364)
  • Child-preachers: Scandinavia (Ibid., 366, 367)
  • Dissenters, nonconformists, and many ministers of the Church of England: Great Britain (Ibid., 362)

1.b. In America, which prophecy led William Miller to preach the message of the soon return of Christ? Daniel 8:14

 

Note: “To William Miller and his colaborers it was given to preach the warning in America. This country became the center of the great advent movement. It was here that the prophecy of the first angel’s message had its most direct fulfillment. The writings of Miller and his associates were carried to distant lands. Wherever missionaries had penetrated in all the world, were sent the glad tidings of Christ’s speedy return. …

“The testimony of the prophecies which seemed to point to the coming of Christ in the spring of 1844 took deep hold of the minds of the people. As the message went from state to state, there was everywhere awakened widespread interest. Many were convinced that the arguments from the prophetic periods were correct, and, sacrificing their pride of opinion, they joyfully received the truth. Some ministers laid aside their sectarian views and feelings, left their salaries and their churches, and united in proclaiming the coming of Jesus. There were comparatively few ministers, however, who would accept this message; therefore, it was largely committed to humble laymen. Farmers left their fields, mechanics their tools, traders their merchandise, professional men their positions; and yet the number of workers was small in comparison with the work to be accomplished. The condition of an ungodly church and a world lying in wickedness, burdened the souls of the true watchmen, and they willingly endured toil, privation, and suffering, that they might call men to repentance unto salvation. Though opposed by Satan, the work went steadily forward, and the advent truth was accepted by many thousands.” The Great Controversy, 368

Monday

2 PROPHETIC SIGNS

2.a. What prophetic signs actually showed that Christ’s coming was near? Matthew 24:29, 30; Revelation 6:12, 13

 

Note: Mighty earthquake: 1755, The Great Controversy, 304

The darkening of the sun and moon: May 19, 1780, Ibid., 306

The great meteoric shower: November 13, 1833, Ibid., 333

2.b. What remarkable fulfillment of prophecy took place in 1840? Revelation 9:1–5, 15

 

Note: “In the year 1840, another remarkable fulfillment of prophecy excited widespread interest. Two years before, Josiah Litch, one of the leading ministers preaching the second advent, published an exposition of Revelation 9, predicting the fall of the Ottoman Empire. According to his calculations, this power was to be overthrown ‘in A.D. 1840, sometime in the month of August.’ …

“At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Europe, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian nations. The event exactly fulfilled the prediction. When it became known, multitudes were convinced of the correctness of the principles of prophetic interpretation adopted by Miller and his associates, and a wonderful impetus was given to the advent movement.” The Great Controversy, 334, 335

Tuesday

3 “THE BRIDEGROOM TARRIED”

3.a. What question did many sinners ask as they identified themselves with the advent movement? Acts 16:30, last part

 

Note: “All classes flocked to the Adventist meetings. Rich and poor, high and low, were, from various causes, anxious to hear for themselves the doctrine of the second advent.” The Great Controversy, 369

“Wherever the message was given, it moved the people. Sinners repented, wept, and prayed for forgiveness, and those whose lives had been marked with dishonesty were anxious to make restitution. Parents felt the deepest solicitude for their children. Those who received the message labored with their unconverted friends and relatives, and with their souls bowed with the weight of the solemn message, warned and entreated them to prepare for the coming of the Son of man.” Early Writings, 232, 233

3.b. On what basis did the early Adventists explain the tarrying time after the first disappointment? Habakkuk 2:1–4; Matthew 25:5; Leviticus 15:29–34. What led them to set a second date of the Lord’s appearing?

 

Note: “Miller and his associates at first believed that the 2300 days would terminate in the spring of 1844, whereas the prophecy points to the autumn of that year.” The Great Controversy, 328, 329 [Author’s italics.]

“Under the Mosaic system the cleansing of the sanctuary, or the great Day of Atonement, occurred on the tenth of the seventh Jewish month (Leviticus 16:29–34), when the high priest, having made an atonement for all Israel, and thus removed their sins from the sanctuary, came forth and blessed the people. So, it was believed that Christ, our great High Priest would appear to purify the earth by the destruction of sin and sinners, and to bless His waiting people with immortality. The tenth day of the seventh month, the great Day of Atonement, the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, which in the year 1844 fell upon the twenty-second of October, was regarded as the time of the Lord’s coming.” Ibid., 400

“But again, they were destined to disappointment. The time of expectation passed, and their Saviour did not appear.” Ibid., 403

Wednesday

4 FIRST SWEET, THEN BITTER

4.a. What was meant by “eating up” the little book (Revelation 10:9, 10)? Jeremiah 15:16; John 6:58

 

Note: “The comprehension of truth, the glad reception of the message, is represented in the eating of the little book.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 971

4.b. Using the prophetic words of the Angel, describe the disappointment of the early Adventists in 1844. Revelation 10:9, 10

 

Note: “The disappointment of those who expected to see our Lord in 1844 was indeed bitter to those who had so ardently looked for His appearing. It was in the Lord’s order that this disappointment should come, and that hearts should be revealed.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 108

“His [God’s] disappointed ones, who were still seeking after truth, were led step by step to communicate to the world that which had been communicated to them. The prophetic declarations were to be repeated, and the truth essential for salvation was to be made known.” Ibid., 110

Thursday

5 “THOU MUST PROPHESY AGAIN”

5.a. What became clear to the faithful believers after the disappointment? Revelation 10:11

 

Note: “Their only safe course was to cherish the light which they had already received of God, hold fast to His promises, and continue to search the Scriptures, and patiently wait and watch to receive further light.” The Great Controversy, 408

5.b. What is our part in the revelation of God’s mystery to the world? Romans 16:25, 26; Ephesians 3:8, 9; 4:3

 

Note: “The life of Christ was a life charged with a divine message of the love of God, and He longed intensely to impart this love to others in rich measure. Compassion beamed from His countenance, and His conduct was characterized by grace, humility, truth, and love. Every member of His church militant must manifest the same qualities, if He would join the church triumphant. The love of Christ is so broad, so full of glory, that in comparison to it, everything that men esteem as great, dwindles into insignificance. When we obtain a view of it, we exclaim, O the depth of the riches of the love that God bestowed upon men in the gift of His only begotten Son!” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 179

“To present to the world this mystery that God kept in silence for eternal ages before the world was created, before man was created, was the part that Christ was to act in the work He entered upon when He came to this earth. And this wonderful mystery, the incarnation of Christ and the atonement that He made, must be declared to every son and daughter of Adam.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, 1082

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. How has the Lord alerted His people to prepare for His return?
  2. Name three events which were a fulfillment of end-time prophecy.
  3. Why was 1840 a landmark year?
  4. When our faith is tested, how should we respond to disappointments?
  5. How is the everyday life of Christ to be echoed in our own lives?

 Copyright 1997, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

The Mystery Finished

by

January 11 – 17, 2026

Key Text

“But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.” Revelation 10:7

Study Help: Christ’s Object Lessons, 207–211; Early Writings, 13–20

Introduction

“Christ was God manifest in the flesh, the mystery hidden for ages, and in our acceptance or rejection of the Saviour of the world are involved eternal interests.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 179

Sunday

1 THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION

1.a. In essence, what is the “mystery of God” that was hidden “from ages” and revealed in the days of Christ and the apostles? Colossians 1:24–27, 2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 16:25, 26

 

Note: “The incarnation of Christ is a mystery. The union of divinity with humanity is a mystery indeed, hidden with God, ‘even the mystery which hath been hid from ages.’ It was kept in eternal silence by Jehovah, and was first revealed in Eden, by the prophecy that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head, and that he should bruise His heel.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, 1082

1.b. When was the plan of salvation established? 1 Peter 1:18–20

 

Note: “God had a knowledge of the events of the future, even before the creation of the world. He did not make His purposes to fit circumstances, but He allowed matters to develop and work out. He did not work to bring about a certain condition of things, but He knew that such a condition would exist. The plan that should be carried out upon the defection of any of the high intelligences of heaven—this is the secret, the mystery which has been hid from ages. And an offering was prepared in the eternal purposes to do the very work which God has done for fallen humanity.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, 1082

“Redemption is part of the divine nature. It is the prerogative of God to have to reconstruct, not to destroy. The Son of God was given to die before the foundation of the world. The existence of sin is unexplainable; therefore, not a soul knows what God is until he sees himself in the light reflected from the cross of Calvary, and detests himself as a sinner in the bitterness of his soul. When his soul cries out in great need for a sin-pardoning Saviour, then God is revealed as gracious, full of compassion and forgiveness and love, long-suffering and patience.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 264, 265

Monday

2 PROVISION FOR THE GENTILES

2.a. What aspect of the “mystery of God” brought great joy to many Gentiles? Ephesians 3:3–6; Romans 9:24, 25; Acts 13:46–48. Through what symbol did God reveal this point to Peter? Acts 10:10–15, 19, 20, 28

 

Note: “In the vision, Peter ‘saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.’

“This vision conveyed to Peter both reproof and instruction. It revealed to him the purpose of God—that by the death of Christ the Gentiles should be made fellow heirs with the Jews to the blessings of salvation. As yet none of the disciples had preached the gospel to the Gentiles. In their minds the middle wall of partition, broken down by the death of Christ, still existed, and their labors had been confined to the Jews, for they had looked upon the Gentiles as excluded from the blessings of the gospel. Now the Lord was seeking to teach Peter the worldwide extent of the divine plan.” The Acts of the Apostles, 135, 136

2.b. How did the Jews react when they heard that God had made a provision for the Gentiles also? Acts 22:20–22

 

Note: “Both Jews and Gentiles were without Christ, and in darkness. It was a most unwelcome thought to the Jews that they needed salvation. They had been the peculiar people of God, and had looked upon the Gentiles with contempt. Christ was not only presented as the hope and glory of Israel, but also as a light to lighten the Gentiles. This was wholly contrary to their prejudices.” The Signs of the Times, August 5, 1889

“When you see yourselves as sinners saved only by the love of your heavenly Father, you will have tender pity for others who are suffering in sin. You will no longer meet misery and repentance with jealousy and censure. When the ice of selfishness is melted from your hearts, you will be in sympathy with God, and will share His joy in the saving of the lost.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 210, 211

Tuesday

3 PARTAKERS OF GOD’S PROMISES

3.a. How do we become heirs to the promises made to Abraham and his seed, even if we are not born of Abraham’s lineage? Matthew 3:9; Romans 9:6–8; Galatians 3:29. What are we to realize also about New Testament promises?

 

Note: “The Pharisees had declared themselves the children of Abraham. Jesus told them that this claim could be established only by doing the works of Abraham. The true children of Abraham would live, as he did, a life of obedience to God. … A mere lineal descent from Abraham was of no value. Without a spiritual connection with him, which would be manifested in possessing the same spirit, and doing the same works, they were not his children.

“This principle bears with equal weight upon a question that has long agitated the Christian world—the question of apostolic succession. Descent from Abraham was proved, not by name and lineage, but by likeness of character. So, the apostolic succession rests not upon the transmission of ecclesiastical authority, but upon spiritual relationship. A life actuated by the apostles’ spirit, the belief and teaching of the truth they taught, this is the true evidence of apostolic succession. This is what constitutes men the successors of the first teachers of the gospel.” The Desire of Ages, 466, 467

3.b. Through what work, in which we are to take part, are “wild branches” (Gentile believers) being grafted into the “olive tree” (Israel)? Romans 11:17, 18, 24; 2 Corinthians 5:16–20; Galatians 3:28

 

Note: “Christ came to this earth with a message of mercy and forgiveness. He laid the foundation for a religion by which Jew and Gentile, black and white, free and bond, are linked together in one common brotherhood, recognized as equal in the sight of God. The Saviour has a boundless love for every human being.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7, 225

“As the dry and apparently lifeless branch is grafted into the living tree, so may we become living branches of the True Vine. …

“Every Christian must stand on guard continually, watching every avenue of the soul where Satan might find access. He must pray for divine help and at the same time resolutely resist every inclination to sin. By courage, by faith, by persevering toil, he can conquer. But let him remember that to gain the victory Christ must abide in him and he in Christ.” Ibid., Vol. 5, 47

Wednesday

4 A FINAL WORK

4.a. When is the proclamation of “God’s mystery” to be finished? Revelation 10:7. How did Christ teach that the door of probation will then be closed? Luke 13:23–27

 

Note: “The gospel dispensation is the last period of probation that will ever be granted to men. Those who live under this dispensation of test and trial and yet are not led to repent and obey will perish with the disloyal. There is no second trial. The gospel that is to be preached to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples presents the truth in clear lines, showing that obedience is the condition of gaining eternal life. Christ imparts His righteousness to those who consent to let Him take away their sins.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 971, 972

4.b. What work will Christ complete in behalf of His loyal subjects before the close of probation? Romans 11:26, last part, 27

 

Note: “Jesus is in His holy temple and will now accept our sacrifices, our prayers, and our confessions of faults and sins and will pardon all the transgressions of Israel, that they may be blotted out before He leaves the sanctuary.” Early Writings, 48

“Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. … Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The number of His subjects is made up.” The Great Controversy, 613, 614

Thursday

5 “ALL ISRAEL” AND THE “GREAT MULTITUDE”

5.a. Among the “living saints,” how many will there be in “all Israel” after the “fullness of the Gentiles” is brought in? Romans 11:25, 26

 

Note: “Soon we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and the hour of Jesus’ coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake.” Early Writings, 15

5.b. What is written about another class of saints, besides the 144,000? When and how will they come to view? Revelation 7:9; John 5:28, 29, first part; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17

 

Note: “Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to Heaven, He cries, ‘Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!’ Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” The Great Controversy, 644

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. What “mystery of God” is to benefit us in a practical way?
  2. How might we appropriate today the lesson given to Peter in Acts 10?
  3. What is the key to maintaining our connection with the True Vine?
  4. What must we realize about today’s opportunity for salvation?
  5. Explain the difference between the 144,000 and the great multitude.

 Copyright 1997, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

An Open Book With a Message

by

January 4 – 10, 2026

Key Text

“He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth.” Revelation 10:2

Study Help: Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 113–115; The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 971

Introduction

“The book that was sealed was not the book of Revelation, but that portion of the prophecy of Daniel which related to the last days.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 105

Sunday

1 THE BOOK OF DANIEL

1.a. What was God’s command concerning the visions given to Daniel? Daniel 12:4

 

Note: “In the past teachers have declared Daniel and the Revelation to be sealed books, and the people have turned from them. The veil whose apparent mystery has kept many from lifting it, God’s own hand has withdrawn from these portions of His word.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 113

1.b. How does the instruction regarding Daniel’s visions reveal the time in which we are living? Daniel 12:9; Revelation 10:2, first part

 

Note: “In the Revelation the Lion of the tribe of Judah has opened to the students of prophecy the book of Daniel, and thus is Daniel standing in his place. He bears his testimony, that which the Lord revealed to him in vision of great and solemn events which we must know as we stand on the very threshold of their fulfillment.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 109

“The book of Daniel is now unsealed, and the revelation made by Christ to John is to come to all the inhabitants of the earth. By the increase of knowledge, a people is to be prepared to stand in the latter days.” Ibid., 105

Monday

2 OVER LAND AND SEA

2.a. What is symbolized by the position of Christ in relation to the earth and the sea? Revelation 10:2, last part; Matthew 28:18, last part

 

Note: “The mighty angel who instructed John was no less a personage than Jesus Christ. Setting His right foot on the sea, and His left upon the dry land, shows the part which He is acting in the closing scenes of the great controversy with Satan. This position denotes His supreme power and authority over the whole earth.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 971

2.b. What else does that position of Christ represent while He is holding the open book in His hand? Romans 10:17, 18

 

Note: “The angel of Revelation 10 is represented as having one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, showing that the message will be carried to distant lands, the ocean will be crossed, and the islands of the sea will hear the proclamation of the last message of warning to our world.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 107, 108

Tuesday

3 THE LOUD VOICE

  1. a. How is Christ speaking to the world? Revelation 10:3, first part; Isaiah 55:3, 6, 7

Note: “The controversy has waxed stronger and more determined from age to age, and will continue to do so, to the concluding scenes when the masterly working of the powers of darkness shall reach their height. Satan, united with evil men, will deceive the whole world and the churches who receive not the love of the truth. But the mighty angel demands attention. He cries with a loud voice. He is to show the power and authority of His voice to those who have united with Satan to oppose the truth.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 971

3.b. Against what dangers are we warned? Hebrews 3:15; 4:1; 12:25

 

Note: “It is far more easy to profess and resolve than to perform. Like ancient Israel, many covenant to cleave unto the Lord, and serve Him, and then soon forget their vows, and join with the ungodly in the pursuits of worldly gain or pleasure. We should be jealous of ourselves, lest we depart from God. ‘For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven?’ The blessings and privileges which we enjoy place us under the most solemn obligation to improve these gifts to the glory of our Creator. They should inspire in our hearts love to God, and an earnest determination to obey His requirements. Let us not become self-confident or presumptuous.” The Signs of the Times, June 9, 1881

Wednesday

4 THE SEVEN THUNDERS

4.a. What happened after the seven thunders uttered their voices? Revelation 10:4

 

Note: “After these seven thunders uttered their voices, the injunction comes to John as to Daniel in regard to the little book: ‘Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered.’ These relate to future events which will be disclosed in their order.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 971

“The special light given to John which was expressed in the seven thunders was a delineation of events which would transpire under the first and second angels’ messages. It was not best for the people to know these things, for their faith must necessarily be tested.” Ibid.

4.b. What is the significance of the statement that time will be no longer? Revelation 10:5, 6

 

Note: “In the order of God most wonderful and advanced truths would be proclaimed. The first and second angels’ messages were to be proclaimed, but no further light was to be revealed before these messages had done their specific work. This is represented by the angel standing with one foot on the sea, proclaiming with a most solemn oath that time should be no longer.

“This time, which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world’s history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. That is, the people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time, reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 971

“There will never again be a message for the people of God that will be based on time.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 188

“Time has not been a test since 1844, and it will never again be a test.” Early Writings, 75

Thursday

5 A MISTAKEN CONCLUSION

5.a. What prophecy, in the book of Daniel, reached to the autumn of 1844? Daniel 8:14. How are we to calculate prophetic time? Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6

 

Note: “All felt that upon the events therein foretold depended their brightest expectations and most cherished hopes. These prophetic days had been shown to terminate in the autumn of 1844. In common with the rest of the Christian world, Adventists then held that the earth, or some portion of it, was the sanctuary. They understood that the cleansing of the sanctuary was the purification of the earth by the fires of the last great day, and that this would take place at the second advent. Hence the conclusion that Christ would return to the earth in 1844.” The Great Controversy, 409

“The 2300 days had been found to begin when the commandment of Artaxerxes for the restoration and building of Jerusalem went into effect, in the autumn of 457 B.C. Taking this as the starting point, there was perfect harmony in the application of all the events foretold in the explanation of that period in Daniel 9:25–27. Sixty-nine weeks, the first 483 of the 2300 years, were to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One; and Christ’s baptism and anointing by the Holy Spirit, A.D. 27, exactly fulfilled the specification. In the midst of the seventieth week, Messiah was to be cut off. Three and a half years after His baptism, Christ was crucified, in the spring of A.D. 31. The seventy weeks, or 490 years, were to pertain especially to the Jews. At the expiration of this period the nation sealed its rejection of Christ by the persecution of His disciples, and the apostles turned to the Gentiles, A.D. 34. The first 490 years of the 2300 having then ended, 1810 years would remain. From A.D. 34, 1810 years extend to 1844.

‘Then,’ said the angel, ‘shall the sanctuary be cleansed.’ All the preceding specifications of the prophecy had been unquestionably fulfilled at the time appointed.” Ibid., 410

5.b. What words of Christ have often had an application among the people of God, including in 1844? John 16:12

 

Note: “The appointed time had passed, and the Lord had not appeared. The believers knew that God’s word could not fail; their interpretation of the prophecy must be at fault; but where was the mistake?” The Great Controversy, 409

“God had led His people in the great advent movement; His power and glory had attended the work, and He would not permit it to end in darkness and disappointment, to be reproached as a false and fanatical excitement. He would not leave His word involved in doubt and uncertainty. Though many abandoned their former reckoning of the prophetic periods, and denied the correctness of the movement based thereon, others were unwilling to renounce points of faith and experience that were sustained by the Scriptures and by the witness of the Spirit of God. They believed that they had adopted sound principles of interpretation in their study of the prophecies, and that it was their duty to hold fast the truths already gained, and to continue the same course of Biblical research. With earnest prayer they reviewed their position and studied the Scriptures to discover their mistake.” Ibid., 410, 411

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. Why is it important for us to study the book of Daniel?
  2. In a practical sense, what should the position of Christ’s two feet in John’s vision mean to us?
  3. What is the significance of Christ’s “loud voice” for each of us personally?
  4. What is meant by the declaration that “there should be time no longer” (Revelation 10:6)?
  5. How are we to calculate the 2300-day prophecy?
  6. What does God want us to realize in our days?

 Copyright 1997, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ”

by

The First Angel’s Message

December 28, 2025 – January 3, 2026

Key Text

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” Revelation 1:1

Study Help: The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 954, 955; The Acts of the Apostles, 568–573, 581–584

Introduction

“The whole Bible is a revelation; for all revelation to men comes through Christ, and all centers in Him. God has spoken unto us by His Son, whose we are by creation and by redemption.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 953

Sunday

1 THE ANGEL WITH THE RAINBOW

1.a. Explain the source of the book of Revelation, and its purpose for us today. Revelation 1:1

 

Note: “Christ came to John exiled on the Isle of Patmos to give him the truth for these last days, to show him that which must shortly come to pass. Jesus Christ is the great trustee of divine revelation. It is through Him that we have a knowledge of what we are to look for in the closing scenes of this earth’s history. God gave this revelation to Christ, and Christ communicated the same to John.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 953

1.b. What did John see above the head of the mighty Angel shown in vision between the sixth and seventh trumpets? Revelation 10:1. Why is this significant?

 

Note: “The mighty angel who instructed John was no less a personage than Jesus Christ.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 971

“A rainbow is represented in Heaven round about the throne, also above the head of Christ as a symbol of God’s mercy encompassing the earth. When man by his great wickedness provokes the wrath of God, Christ, man’s intercessor, pleads for him, and points to the rainbow in the cloud, as evidence of God’s great mercy and compassion for erring man; also, the rainbow above the throne and upon His head emblematical of the glory and mercy from God resting there for the benefit of repentant man.” Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, 75

Monday

2 THE RAINBOW

2.a. Right after the Flood, what promise did God make to Noah and all his descendants? Genesis 9:11–15. What lesson should we as parents teach our children in connection with the rainbow?

 

Note: “It was His [God’s] design that as the children of after generations should see the bow in the cloud, and should inquire the reason of this glorious circle that compasseth the earth, that their parents could explain to them the destruction of the old world by a flood, because the people gave themselves up to all manner of wickedness, and that the hands of the Most High had bended the bow, and placed it in the clouds, as a token that He would never bring again a flood of waters on the earth. This symbol in the clouds was to confirm the belief of all, and establish their confidence in God, for it was a token of divine mercy and goodness to man. That although God had been provoked to destroy the earth by the flood, yet His mercy still encompasseth the earth. God says, when He looked upon the bow in the cloud He will remember. He would not have us understand that He would ever forget; but He speaks to man in his own language, that man may better understand Him.” Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, 74, 75

“We may rejoice in hope, for the bow of God’s covenant is over us. He never will forget the children of His care. How difficult for the mind of finite man to take in the peculiar love and tenderness of God, and His matchless condescension when He said, ‘I will look upon the bow in the cloud, and remember thee.’ ” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, 1091

2.b. What is round about the throne of God? Revelation 4:3

 

Note: “In the rainbow above the throne is an everlasting testimony that ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish. …’ Whenever the law is presented before the people, let the teacher of truth point to the throne arched with the rainbow of promise, the righteousness of Christ. The glory of the law is Christ; He came to magnify the law, and to make it honorable. Make it appear distinct that mercy and peace have met together in Christ, and righteousness and truth have embraced each other.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, 1133

Tuesday

3 THE HEAVENLY MESSENGER

3.a. How does John describe the appearance of the Son of God? Revelation 1:13–15

 

Note: “Richly favored was this beloved disciple. He had seen his Master in Gethsemane, His face marked with the blood drops of agony, His ‘visage… marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.’ Isaiah 52:14. He had seen Him in the hands of the Roman soldiers, clothed with an old purple robe and crowned with thorns. He had seen Him hanging on the cross of Calvary, the object of cruel mockery and abuse. Now John is once more permitted to behold his Lord. But how changed is His appearance! He is no longer a Man of Sorrows, despised and humiliated by men. He is clothed in a garment of heavenly brightness. … His voice is like the music of many waters. His countenance shines as the sun.” The Acts of the Apostles, 582

3.b. Besides the rainbow, what other particulars did John notice in the appearance of the mighty Angel? Revelation 10:1. Why could these visions of Christ bring joy to John—and to us?

 

Note: “As a personal being, God has revealed Himself in His Son. The outshining of the Father’s glory, ‘and the express image of His person,’ Jesus, as a personal Saviour, came to the world. As a personal Saviour He ascended on high. As a personal Saviour He intercedes in the heavenly courts. Before the throne of God in our behalf ministers ‘One like unto the Son of man.’ Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 1:13.

“Christ, the Light of the world, veiled the dazzling splendor of His divinity and came to live as a man among men, that they might, without being consumed, become acquainted with their Creator. Since sin brought separation between man and his Maker, no man has seen God at any time, except as He is manifested through Christ.” The Ministry of Healing, 418, 419

Wednesday

4 DIRECT INTERVENTIONS

4.a. How did Christ reveal Himself to Saul? Acts 9:3–8

 

Note: “Filled with fear, and almost blinded by the intensity of the light, the companions of Saul heard a voice, but saw no man. But Saul understood the words that were spoken, and to him was clearly revealed the One who spoke—even the Son of God. In the glorious Being who stood before him he saw the Crucified One. Upon the soul of the stricken Jew the image of the Saviour’s countenance was imprinted forever. The words spoken struck home to his heart with appalling force. Into the darkened chambers of his mind there poured a flood of light, revealing the ignorance and error of his former life and his present need of the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.” The Acts of the Apostles, 115

4.b. Describe the intervention of Christ in behalf of the three young Hebrews in the fiery furnace. Daniel 3:23–25

 

Note: “The Lord did not forget His own. As His witnesses were cast into the furnace, the Saviour revealed Himself to them in person, and together they walked in the midst of the fire. In the presence of the Lord of heat and cold, the flames lost their power to consume.” Prophets and Kings, 508, 509

Thursday

5 CHRIST’S INTEREST IN OUR BEHALF

5.a. What can we learn from Christ’s appearance to Abraham and to Joshua? Genesis 18:22–33; Joshua 5:13–15

 

Note: “Two of the heavenly messengers departed, leaving Abraham alone with Him whom he now knew to be the Son of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 139

“To reduce Jericho was seen by Joshua to be the first step in the conquest of Canaan. But first of all, he sought an assurance of divine guidance, and it was granted him. Withdrawing from the encampment to meditate and to pray that the God of Israel would go before His people, he beheld an armed warrior, of lofty stature and commanding presence, ‘with his sword drawn in his hand.’ To Joshua’s challenge, ‘Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?’ the answer was given, ‘As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.’ The same command given to Moses in Horeb, ‘Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy,’ revealed the true character of the mysterious stranger. It was Christ, the Exalted One, who stood before the leader of Israel.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 487, 488

 

5.b. As Christ desires to lead us to heavenly Canaan, what lessons should we learn from the experience of ancient Israel? Acts 7:37, 38; 1 Corinthians 10:1–6, 11

 

Note: “The ten holy precepts spoken by Christ upon Sinai’s mount were the revelation of the character of God, and made known to the world the fact that He had jurisdiction over the whole human heritage.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, 1105

“Shrouded in the pillar of cloud, the world’s Redeemer held communion with Israel. Let us not say, then, that they had not Christ. When the people thirsted in the wilderness, and gave themselves up to murmuring and complaint, Christ was to them what He is to us—a Saviour full of tender compassion, the Mediator between them and God. After we have done our part to cleanse the soul temple from the defilement of sin, Christ’s blood avails for us, as it did for ancient Israel.” Ibid., Vol. 6, 1061

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. Why can we trust the book of Revelation?
  2. How does the symbol surrounding Christ’s throne offer us hope?
  3. Why should the appearance of Christ in heaven bring us encouragement?
  4. What examples reveal that Christ has manifested Himself to men?
  5. How can we best summarize God’s plan for each of us today?

Copyright 1997, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.