persecution

Final Signposts

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Most Christians are familiar with Matthew 24 but we are going to re-examine the chapter. To give some background to the events mentioned in Matthew 24 it is good to look at Matthew 23, where Jesus condemned the Jewish church—God’s church, that had been given the truth. They had been blessed with prophecies and prophets had been sent to instruct them. They had the word of God in their midst, yet they had backslidden so much that God could not recognize them or use them as His own church any longer.

They were in much darkness and were about to murder God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. In Matthew 23, we read that Jesus condemned their church, their ministry, and their educational work. He told them that they travel across the continent and the ocean to find a soul, bring him or her into their church but make them worse than they were before (verse 15). With tears in His eyes He said, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:64.

As He left the church, Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Matthew 23:37. Jesus said, “You have stoned My prophets and you are about to kill Me. You have denied the voice of the Holy Spirit. What more could I have done?” The apostles had been listening to what Jesus had said, and it made them very nervous. If He had departed the synagogue and was never going to return, what was going to happen to them?

As Jesus rested at the mount of Olives, the last place where the whole scene of Jerusalem was visible, the disciples asked Him the meaning of what He had said: “You are acting as if you will never return to the church. What will be our future? What about Your becoming King for us?” Jesus looked at the church once more. It was very beautiful. No other nation had a temple that was as magnificent. Looking at His church, which God had appointed and raised up, He said, “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2. “The building, which you call the temple of God, will be desecrated, destroyed completely.” The disciples were shocked. Then they asked Jesus if it would be the end of the world if that happened. They just could not think of the destruction of God’s church, and they asked Jesus to tell them what would be the sign of the destruction of God’s temple; what would be the sign of His returning and the sign of the end of the world.

In Matthew 24, we see that the time in which we are living is right at the end of the signs that were given. The content of the words of Jesus in this prophecy has already been fulfilled before our eyes. If this is the truth, what will be the fate of God’s church? This is a very solemn theme on which we need to contemplate.

“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?” Matthew 24:1, 2. One thing must be made clear—the church is not the denomination; it is not the brick and mortar. The church is not the building or organization. The church is the people of God who believe the word of God and keep His commandments. “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all of these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” This temple will be thrown down completely.

This was such a shock to the disciples that they could not understand. We must apply this to ourselves today. Certainly the temple was beautiful, one of the most beautiful buildings built by human hands, but it was destroyed by the invasion of the Roman armies exactly as Jesus Christ had described, and it became desolate.

“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Jesus was talking about the destruction of the temple and the disciples put that together with the end of the world. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Verses 3–6.

Up until the present time, all has been fulfilled through the Christian era. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven, these signs were fulfilled. But look at Matthew 24:7 and 8. It says, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Don’t you know that we right now are in the season of sorrows and the season of calamities? As we study and read Matthew 24, many times we miss the points. These are points to which we must pay attention.

Earthquakes and famines and pestilences have been in the world for a long time, so how can they be the sign of Jesus’ coming at the end of the world? Jesus gave a clue for only those Christians who are eagerly searching to find truth. He said, “in diverse places.”

There have been earthquakes all throughout human history. So why do they become a sign of Jesus’ second coming at the end of the world? Because He said that these earthquakes and famines and pestilences—these three things—are going to simultaneously happen in diverse places of the world. There have been pestilences, and illnesses that cannot be cured. There are many pestilences in the world right now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, Georgia, United States), reports that at least 240 occur per year. There are famines, pestilences and earthquakes going on at the same time in different/diverse places. Our day is the time about which Jesus was talking, and He said that all of these things are the beginning of sorrows.

“These things [events] are the result of drops from the vials of God’s wrath being sprinkled on the earth, and are but faint representations of what will be in the near future.

“Earthquakes in various places have been felt, but these disturbances have been very limited. … Terrible shocks will come upon the earth, and the lordly palaces erected at great expense will certainly become heaps of ruins.

“The earth’s crust will be rent by the outbursts of the elements concealed in the bowels of the earth. These elements, once broken loose, will sweep away the treasures of those who for years have been adding to their wealth by securing large possessions at starvation prices from those in their employ.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 391.

There is a vast gap between the rich and the poor, and it is getting bigger and wider. God is soon going to release the winds from the four corners of the earth (Revelation 7:1), and tremendous destruction is going to sweep over the land. “The elements of nature are to be placed in the power of angels of God. He holdeth the winds in His fists.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 220.

Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, United States) is sitting on a volcano. This park is very interesting to visit with its beautiful scenery, but under the surface is an active volcano with boiling magma causing it to shoot hot spring water high into the air. This is just part of the Lord’s arsenal that He will use in the last day of destruction, which will be devastating. The destruction on that day will be ten thousand times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped in Hiroshima, Japan. Lands, houses, everything will be gone.

We are living in a time that is close to this destruction—it is very close! Our only protection on that day is to be connected with the God of heaven. How do we get that connection? The first thing is to make a total surrender to the Lord, giving Him all of our faults, confessing all of our sins and forsaking them while Jesus is still ministering in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary. Life is a precious gift from God—do not waste this opportunity. Give your whole heart to Jesus. If you love the things of the world, forsake them. If there are any idols or unforsaken sins, give them to Jesus. Be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ; He is still holding back the close of probation for that last sinner to repent.

The signs pointing to the end are all around us. Look at all of the pestilences, the incurable diseases like the bird flu, the swine flu and mad cow disease. The 1918 flu epidemic went for two years and killed about 25 million people. Any of these kinds of things can happen. We are living in the beginning of sorrows.

During 2010 there were record-breaking snowstorms in the United States of America and also record-breaking rainfalls and tornadoes, many in the same regions. There have been recent earthquakes and tsunamis, and we are told that the earth’s axis was tilted eight inches during one big earthquake. The earthquake in Chili (February 27, 2010) caused the earth’s axis to tilt three inches. The earthquake in Haiti (January 12, 2010) caused floods that destroyed so much, and China also has been devastated with flooding that started during early May 2010. There was a major flood also in Fargo, North Dakota (United States), in March 2010. Poland also suffered flooding—dams were submerged and towns were destroyed (May 2010). A violent late winter storm with fierce rain and hurricane-strength winds devastated many cities in western Europe (February 2010). But Jesus said these are just the beginning of sorrows! These are very strange phenomena we are experiencing, with very different changes in weather patterns in many regions of the world.

Remember the recent volcano erruption in Iceland (April 2010), which resulted in so much volcanic ash in the sky that airline flights were cancelled for seven days? Many companies lost billions of dollars and some went bankrupt because of the problem. Right at that time, the European Parliament had invited Roman Catholic Bishops and other church leaders to start a movement called Work Free Sunday Law Legislation. God is warning the people with signs, and while the talks were being held, the ashes covered the whole sky. A coincidence? I do not think so!

There are many of God’s people still in Babylonian churches who are seeking for the truth and for the true church. There are people in our ranks who have the Spirit of Prophecy books but have not read them. Ellen White says, “There are many souls to come out of the ranks of the world, out of the churches—even the Catholic Church—whose zeal will far exceed that of those who have stood in rank and file to proclaim the truth heretofore.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 386, 387.

There are people in our churches who are just warming the pews. They do not read the Spirit of Prophecy books and apply the precious truths in them to their lives. But God has His hand on His remnant people, even in Roman Catholic churches and many other churches, waiting for the right time to bring them together.

Ellen White refers to the eleventh hour workers. The search for these workers is continuous. They are about to come out to join God’s people and receive the latter rain to enable us to go out and give the loud cry to the world. “For this reason the eleventh hour laborers will receive their penny. These will see the battle coming and will give the trumpet a certain sound. When the crisis is upon us, when the season of calamity shall come, they will come to the front, gird themselves with the whole armor of God, and exalt His law, adhere to the faith of Jesus, and maintain the cause of religious liberty which reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives.” Ibid., 387.

We are in the midst of the season of calamity. Actually we are in the middle of a crisis. The mark of the beast is beginning in the European countries and other nations. The true crisis—the true Sunday law, the true mark of the beast persecution—will begin from the United States of America, according to prophecy of Revelation 13, and then will spread to different regions of the world. Then the eleventh hour workers, who are about to come out of both the Catholic and Protestant churches, will come to the front. They will come out girding themselves with the whole armor of God, exalting His law and adhering to the faith of Jesus. Here is the patience of the saints; they keep God’s commandments and have the faith of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:12). They will also maintain the cause of religious liberty that the reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives. This means they are going to fight the battle of religious freedom in the day of the crisis of the Sunday law. We are in a crisis—the season of calamities has begun.

Jesus Christ is coming soon, and the Sunday law will come so soon that it will be an overwhelming surprise. “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” Matthew 24:9. We need to pray as we have never prayed before. These things are no longer far from us.

“We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude.

“The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11.

The things that are taking place right now are happening rapidly.

Has there been in the past any generation of true Christians, the true church, that has been hated and persecuted by all nations? No. They have been hated by some nations, but not by all nations. God’s true church will be hated by all nations for Jesus’ namesake at the time of the Sunday law. There will be only two groups of people remaining in the world—one who will receive the seal of the living God, and the other group, the vast majority who will receive the mark of the beast. At that time the true remnant church will be hated by all nations, by those who receive the mark of the beast fulfilling the words of Jesus in Matthew 24.

Jesus, talking about the generation living here, right now, says, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” Verses 10, 11. Some of us will be like Judas Iscariot and sell their Lord and their brothers and their sisters for some worldly benefit. If we want to avoid that kind of treachery, let us keep our hearts in Jesus today. We must wear the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Righteousness is a powerful experience where Jesus sows the seed into our hearts, and we become like Him in our hearts and in our actions. Sanctification is the process of carrying out the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and souls; that is, living a holy life, true righteousness.

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” He that will endure long-suffering in faithfulness and loyalty shall be saved. This is the patience of the saints. This is the time for us to prepare. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Verses 11–14.

Right now we are living in these things. All of the signs are being fulfilled around us; earthquakes, pestilences and famines are taking place in diverse places simultaneously in the world right now. Soon we will be hated by all nations, and then false prophets will arise and the evil angels will appear in the form of dead people such as John the Baptist, Elijah, Enoch or Daniel. Evil angels will thus appear and deceive the people.

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.” Matthew 24:23–25.

After all of this phenomena, Satan will appear and counterfeit Christ, and he will deceive the whole world. This is coming in the very near future. “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:9–14. Only by the power of the latter rain, the power from on high, will we be able to finish the work of the gospel of the kingdom, and then the end shall come.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Verses 33, 34. What things will be seen? Earthquakes, pestilences, famines taking place simultaneously in various places in the world. The generation who is watching these happen at the same time in diverse places will be hated of all nations and will be sold and betrayed by their former brothers and sisters. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?” Verse 45. That meat is the present truth for this time—the Three Angels’ Messages—that need to be preached.

“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Verses 48–51.

To “eat and drink with the drunken” means to accept the wine of Babylon. People will be drunk with the error, the wine of Babylon, and smite their good fellows. The Bible says these are evil servants. I am so thankful for the wonderful mercy and grace of my Lord and for the opportunity we have to serve Him. Jesus is coming very soon. May the will of Jesus be done in my life and in your life.

Pastor David Kang is Director of Light for Life Ministry operating out of Georgia, U.S.A. His sermons are broadcast weekly on New York and Virginia Korean television stations. Pastor Kang also frequently travels to Asia where he trains pastors. Pastor Kang may be contacted by telephone at: 706-377-1004.

Current Events – Persecution

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“The early Christians were often called to meet the powers of darkness face to face. By sophistry and by persecution the enemy endeavored to turn them from the true faith. At the present time, when the end of all things earthly is rapidly approaching, Satan is putting forth desperate efforts to ensnare the world. He is devising many plans to occupy minds and to divert attention from the truths essential to salvation. In every city his agencies are busily organizing into parties those who are opposed to the law of God. The archdeceiver is at work to introduce elements of confusion and rebellion, and men are being fired with a zeal that is not according to knowledge.” The Acts of the Apostles, 219.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is urging the Government to raise concerns over religious intolerance and other human rights violations in Indonesia. In particular, the organisation raises concerns over the forced closure of churches in Indonesia, including churches that have secured legal permission. Last week nine churches and six Buddhist temples had been closed down as a result of intense pressure from local Islamist groups.
www.christiantoday.com/2012/10/29.

A massive four-day national prayer event in the desert north of Cairo, is expected to draw 50,000 people from all over Egypt. In the midst of increased persecution, turmoil and uncertainty, Christians are reaching out to others and fervently praying “in such a time as this.” With all the political, social, economic and religious challenges Egypt has faced in the last few months, all Egyptians are left with many uncertainties and concerns about the present and future. www.christianpost.com/2012/10/26.

Seven people are dead and at least 100 others were injured after a suicide bomber ran an SUV filled with explosives into a Catholic church during mass Sunday [October 28]. The bombing in Kaduna is the latest in a series of attacks on Nigerian churches. No group claimed responsibility for this attack.
www.cbn.com/2012/10/29.

Authorities in southern Laos pressure three jailed pastors and other Christians to participate in occult rituals and recant their faith in Jesus Christ, a religious advocacy group said. www.worthynews.com/2012/10/19.

In India, an Indian evangelical pastor was recovering of injuries, after he and his family were beaten by “anti-Christian” Hindu extremists near the capital New Delhi, a major mission group and relatives said. In published remarks his son who suffered a broken hand, said at least two men entered the house and used “a steel water bucket” to hit his father’s head till he was unconscious. The beatings were encouraged by nearly a dozen other Hindus who earlier hurled stones and other materials at the pastor’s family home, Christian witnesses said. www.worthynews.com/2012/10/22.

In Montana [United States of America], the Kalispell city council has declined to take possession of a Ten Commandments monument and move it to a prominent location on city-owned land in downtown Kalispell. The Flathead Beacon reports that the council decided earlier in the week that accepting the statue could lead to legal problems. The Fraternal Order of the Eagles asked the council to take possession of the statue and six others that include historical texts from the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence that together form a “cornerstone of law” display. The Flathead Area Secular Humanist Association threatened legal action if such a move took place. www.CBN.com/2012/09/24.

Prophetic View of the Future

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I expect that this is the last letter that will reach you before you go on your journey to Europe. I have written but few letters because I have been laboring very hard in Healdsburg. The members who composed the Healdsburg church before so many moved in were weak. One and another wanted the supremacy. There was quarreling in the church; one would advance one thing, another would get up and oppose it. There have been old grudges, old difficulties, which no one dared to meddle with. But I felt urged by the Spirit of God to put forth earnest efforts to dig out these old roots of bitterness. We worked early and late.

I attended every yearly morning meeting and then the following meeting at nine o’clock for these members of the Healdsburg church, and the Lord helped. Matters were settled, the difficulties removed, and confessions made. We had most precious meetings; many were much blessed. I knew I must have rest and came to this place, but my mind is constantly exercised. I feel deeply in regard to our present position. I try to throw off the burden but I cannot lay it down. It will come back.

Friday night several heard my voice exclaiming, “Look, Look!” Whether I was dreaming or in vision I cannot tell. I slept alone. The time of trouble was upon us. I saw our people in great distress, weeping and praying, pleading the sure promises of God, while the wicked were all around us, mocking us and threatening to destroy us. They ridiculed our feebleness, they mocked at the smallness of our numbers, and taunted us with words calculated to cut deep.

They charged us with taking an independent position from all the rest of the world. They had cut off our resources so that we could not buy or sell, and referred to our abject poverty and stricken condition. They could not see how we could live without the world; we were dependent upon the world; and we must concede to the customs, practices, and laws of the world, or go out of it. If we were the only people in the world whom the Lord favored, the appearances were awfully against us. They declared that they had the truth, that miracles were among them, that angels from heaven talked with them and walked with them, that great power and signs and wonders were performed among them, and this was the temporal millennium that they had been expecting so long. The whole world was converted and in harmony with the Sunday law, and this little feeble people stood out in defiance of the laws of the land and the law of God, and claimed to be the only ones right on the earth.

“The angels from heaven have spoken to us (referring to those whom Satan personated that had died, and they claimed had gone to heaven). You will hear the testimony of the heavenly messengers.” They sneered, they mocked, they derided and abused the sorrowing ones. There was much more but I have not time to write it.

But while anguish was upon the loyal and true, who would not worship the beast or his image and accept and revere an idol sabbath, One said, “Look up! Look up! Every eye was lifted, and the heavens seemed to part as a scroll when it is rolled together, and, as Stephen looked into the heaven, we looked. The mockers were taunting and reviling us and boasting of what they intended to do to us if we continued obstinate in holding fast our faith. But now we were as those who heard them not. We were gazing upon a scene that shut out everything else.

There stood revealed the throne of God. Around it were ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands upon thousands, and close about the throne were the martyrs. Among this number I saw the very ones who were so recently in such abject misery, whom the world knew not, whom the world hated and despised.

A voice said, “Jesus, who is seated upon the throne, has so loved man that He gave His life a sacrifice to redeem him from the power of Satan, and to exalt him to His throne. He who is above all powers, He who has the greatest influence in heaven and in earth, He to whom every soul is indebted for every favor he has received, was meek and lowly in disposition, holy, harmless, and undefiled in life.

“He was obedient to all His Father’s commandments. Wickedness has filled the earth. It is defiled under the inhabitants thereof. The high places of the powers of earth have been polluted with corruption and base idolatries, but the time has come when righteousness shall receive the palm of victory and triumph. Those who were accounted by the world as weak and unworthy, those who were defenseless against the cruelty of men, shall be crowned conquerors and more than conquerors.” [Rev. 7:9-17,quoted.]

They are before the throne enjoying the sunless splendors of eternal day, not as a scattered, feeble company, to suffer by the satanic passions of a rebellious world, expressing the sentiments, the doctrines, and the councils of demons.

Strong and terrible have become the masters of iniquity in the world under the control of Satan, but strong is the Lord God who judgeth Babylon. The just have no longer anything to fear from force or fraud as long as they are loyal and true. A mightier than the strong man armed is set for their defense. All power and greatness and excellence of character will be given to those who have believed and stood in defense of the truth, standing up and firmly defending the laws of God.

Another heavenly being exclaimed with firm and musical voice, “They have come out of great tribulation. They have walked in the fiery furnace in the world, heated intensely by the passions and caprices of men who would enforce upon them the worship of the beast and his image, who would compel them to be disloyal to the God of heaven.

“They have come from the mountains, from the rocks, from the dens and caves of the earth, from dungeons, from prisons, from secret councils, from the torture chamber, from hovels, from garrets. They have passed through sore affliction, deep self-denial, and deep disappointment. They are no longer to be the sport and ridicule of wicked men. They are to be no longer mean and sorrowful in the eyes of those who despise them.

“Remove the filthy garments from them, with which wicked men have delighted to clothe them. Give them a change of raiment, even the white robes of righteousness, and set a fair mitre upon their heads.”

They were clothed in richer robes than earthly beings had ever worn. They were crowned with diadems of glory such as human beings had never seen. The days of suffering, of reproach, of want, of hunger, are no more; weeping is past. Then they break forth in songs loud, clear, and musical. They wave the palm branches of victory and exclaim, “Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” [Rev. 7:10].

But I have not time nor eyesight now to write all this wonderful manifestation of God. I cannot get it from my mind day or night. I am just now afflicted with pain in my heart and in my eyes, but I am strong in faith, of good courage, quite weak in body, but I am praying. I shall be strong, for God has promised me strength. I am writing now by the light of my lamp, unable to sleep.

Oh, may God endue us with His Spirit and make us strong in His strength! In that great day of supreme and final triumph it will be seen that the righteous were strong, and that wickedness in all its forms and with all its pride was a weak and miserable failure and defeat. We will cling close to Jesus, we will trust Him, we will seek His grace and His great salvation. We must hide in Jesus, for He is a covert from the storm, a present help in time of trouble.

The End

Children’s Story – The Christian Dog

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Born a Jewish lad in Bavaria, Germany, in 1796, Joseph Wolff, at the age of thirteen, embraced the Christian faith and was cast out by his family. Always seeking knowledge, he became one of the most learned men of his time. Not only did he have a knowledge of twenty-seven languages, in addition to many dialects, but he was a scholar in the sacred literature of Jews, Mohammedans, and Christians.

In 1831, the same year that William Miller began to preach, Joseph Wolff set out for a journey to Bokhara in the heart of Asia. It was very wild country, with a savage king. When they were about half way to Bokhara, his companions came to him and said: “Hadji Wolff [hadji means holy man], we are now coming to a very dangerous city, the city of Burchund. They will never allow a Christian within its walls. If they discover one, they will put him to death. Yet we must pass through Burchund to go to Bokhara.”

They decided that they would time their arrival to enter the city just as the gates were closing at sundown. If they were careful, they believed that they could stay at an inn, leaving in the morning as soon as the gates opened without attracting any attention.

The next morning they left the city without incident, believing that they had safely passed the city and that all danger was past; but this was not the case. Though Wolff had kept in the background, though he was dressed like all of those around him and could speak the language, there is something that Christians cannot hide; in their language and actions, they are like Jesus.

Someone suspected Wolff; and after he had left, this person went to the ameer, the ruler of the city, and told him: “Do you know that there was a Christian dog within the city of Burchund this night? He is on his way to Bokhara, and has left unpunished.”

The ameer immediately sent armed horsemen to bring Joseph back. By the end of the day, they had overtaken Wolff. Dragging him from his horse, they forced him to walk all of the way back to Burchund. When they arrived, Wolff, bruised and worn, was given no rest. The ameer called his counselors around him in his council chamber. They brought Wolff in, and standing him before them, began asking questions.

“What is your name?”

“It is Joseph Wolff.”

“Where do you come from?”

“I come from the great kingdom of England.”

“How far is that?”

“In a direct line, through Constantinople and then by land, it is seven thousand miles; but as I have come, it is fifteen thousand miles.”

“And where do you go?”

“I go to the kingdom and city of Bokhara.”

“For what purpose?”

“I go to find my people, the Jews, and to carry to them the glorious message of a soon-coming Saviour, even Jesus Christ the mighty, Who shall bring judgment to the good and the evil and restore all things in perfectness, as at the beginning.”

The ameer, astonished that anyone would confess Christ when such a confession meant death, exclaimed in amazement, “You are a Christian, then?”

Wolf replied, “I am a humble follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Still more amazed, the ameer asked, “Why do you mind what they believe in Bokhara? Why do you not stay at home with your family, eat, drink, and be merry?”

To this Wolff replied, quoting first a Mohammedan poet: “Sadi says, ‘The world, O brother, remains not to anyone. Fix therefore thy heart on the Creator of the world, and it shall be well with thee.’ I have found out by the reading of this Book, and he held out his Bible, that one can bind one’s heart to God only by believing in Jesus; and believing this, I am like one who walks in a beautiful garden and smells the odor of the roses and hears the warbling of the nightingales; and I do not like to be the only one so happy. Therefore I go about the world inviting others to walk with me arm in arm in that same beautiful garden.”

When they heard this, all the room rose as one man, clapping their hands and crying, “A holy man! A holy man! Drunk with the love of God! Sit down! Read to us from your Book.”

Suddenly, by the wisdom of the reply that God had given him, Wolff’s state was changed from that of a prisoner about to be condemned to death as a “Christian dog,” to that of an honored guest.

Wolff opened his Bible to Isaiah and to the Gospels and read to them the prophecies and stories of Jesus: how He was born a babe in Bethlehem while the shepherds watched and the angels sang; how as He grew up He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; how wicked men took Him and slew Him upon the cross on Calvary, but God raised Him from the dead on the third day; how He ascended to heaven, where He now sits on the right hand of the throne of God, soon to come as a glorious King and bring his reward to the faithful and His judgment to the wicked. At last, overcome with weariness, he could go on no longer.

They then asked him if he had any more Books like the one from which he was reading. “Oh, yes,” Wolff replied, “I have many of them.” He sent his servant, who returned with armloads of books. Wolff gave a Bible to all of the men in the room, who were, perhaps, the only men in the whole city who could read.

They then said to him, “Hadji, Wolff, you cannot leave us now. You must stay with us and teach us.” For two whole weeks Wolff stayed with them and taught them. When at last he said that he must go on his journey, they brought him in honor to the gate of their city, the ameer and all of his chief men accompanying him, to bid him farewell. They loaded him with gifts; and as he departed they cried; “God go with you! Allah be with you, Hadji Wolff. You came to us. We thought that you were an enemy, but God has shown us that you are our friend; for you are a man who is drunk with the love of God!”

Current Events – The Great Crisis

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In the great crisis soon to pass, the faithful servants who “would fearlessly serve God according to the dictates of conscience, will need courage, firmness, and a knowledge of God and His Word, for those who are true to God will be persecuted, their motives will be impugned, their best efforts misinterpreted, and their names cast out as evil.” Acts of the Apostles, 431.

In more than 40 nations around the world today Christians are being persecuted for their faith. In some of these nations it is illegal to own a Bible, to share your faith in Christ, change your faith or teach your children about Jesus. Those who boldly follow Christ—in spite of government edict or radical opposition—can face harassment, arrest, torture and even death. Yet Christians continue to meet for worship and to witness for Christ, and the church in restricted nations is growing. www.prisoneralert.com, October 31, 2013.

In various parts of the Muslim world, religious minorities are facing a reign of terror. In the Middle East, persecution has become so terrible and widespread some experts are predicting that non-Muslims may be entirely driven from the region known for millennia as the cultural crossroads. The situation facing the religious minorities has become ever more perilous with a shocking series of attacks that have garnered international media attention. Christian minorities of all faith communities are being targeted. So are Baha’is, Mandeans, Yizidis, Zoroastrians, Ahmadiyas, Druze, Jews, and other minorities in such countries. In recent weeks: in Pakistan, the Taliban for the first time bombed a church packed with Sunday worshipers, killing 85; Somalia’s al-Shabaab terrorists crossed into Kenya where they hunted down and shot dead dozens of non-Muslims in a shopping mall; and, in Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood supporters, scapegoating Coptic Christians, went on a rampage against churches and monasteries, destroying 40 of them. In Iran, the entire Baha’i leadership languishes in prison, as does American Christian pastor, Saeed Abidini. And in Iraq, over the past decade, some two-thirds of the ancient Christian community, fifty percent of the Yizidis (an off-shoot of Zoroastrians) and ninety percent of the Mandeans (followers of John the Baptist) have fled after being targeted by terrorists and abandoned by their government. www.christianpost.com/news, September 13, 2013.

“For it is written, He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone (Luke 4:10, 11). …

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed (II Corinthians 4:6–9). “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (II Corinthians 4:17, 18).” Early Writings, 28.

When Religion Puts You in the Fire

by Michael C. Wells

When Religion Puts You in the FireHave you ever been under great pressure with a lot depending on your every move? Many people have to deal with this kind of pressure every day. Big business demands that individuals be prepared to make split second decisions that affect large amounts of money. Governments must make similar decisions that may affect the well- being of a whole society. Each one of these situations calls for composure and wise counsel. These are life and death matters, and the pressure is high.

However, can you imagine the pressure you would be under if your religion put you in the fire? You might say, “How could religion put me in the fire? I thought that religion was supposed to get me out of trouble?” Well, many people have been put “in the fire” because of their beliefs. Jesus said, “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.” (Mark 13: 9.) This has happened time and time again. The early Christians were brutally murdered by the Romans in the 1st and 2nd centuries. Why was this? It was because they would not bow to Caesar and give homage to pagan idols. These are examples of persecution through the state-endorsed religion. State religion has always been a popular theme of governments. It is a way of controlling the masses under their rule. If you can control a person’s religion, you can mold his mind and how he thinks.

Jesus knew that persecution would take place under the auspices of state- endorsed religion and so He again warned us in Matthew 16: 2: “They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.” [Emphasis supplied.] Here we see not rulers and kings, presidents or statesmen persecuting God’s people, but actually those who claim to be God’s people. Astounding, is it not? Can you imagine your pastor, elder or deacon actually persecuting you because you believe something different than they do? Jesus said it will happen, and it has already happened many times in the past.

However, God does not allow us to have trials just to make us suffer. He knows that trials, patiently born, will help us to perfect Christian characters. It takes this testing and trying to ferret out the deep-seated flaws that, sometimes, are known to God alone. It can be a great struggle to overcome our sins, but God says that we can be victorious through the help He offers in the Holy Spirit.

The Golden Dream

Let us look at one example of a state- endorsed religion, which has some interesting parallels for today. It all began around 588 B. C., when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroyed Jerusalem and took captive the house of Judah, which is known to us today as the Jewish nation. It was his policy to take certain strong, intelligent young men and groom them to work in the administration of the government. So Nebuchadnezzar selected from the Jewish captives several young men who seemed to have quite a knack for facts and figures. He trained them and tutored them to be leaders. There were four young men who were not like the rest of his students. They were God fearing, humble gentlemen that loved the Lord with all their heart. Their names were Hanniah, Mishael, Azariah, and Daniel, and they were given the Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego, and Belteshazzar. The Bible says that Daniel had determined not to defile himself with the meat and wine that God had told him he should not use. Daniel had made a study of the Scriptures to see what was acceptable to God, and honored Him in all that he did. So when Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, Daniel plead with the Lord that he might know and understand the dream. Because of his dedication, he was given an opportunity to serve God by revealing to King Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of his dream. In the dream, the King had seen an image with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet and toes of clay and iron mixed. (For more information on the dream, read our booklet, Why Hitler Lost.)

King Nebuchadnezzar was interested mainly in the head of gold, which Daniel told him represented his kingdom. Daniel told him, “You, O king, are a king of kings . . . you are this head of gold.” Daniel 2: 37, 38. (Babylon was known at that time as the city of gold. See Isaiah 14: 4.) You can imagine the pride that the king must have felt when he discovered that his kingdom was represented by the beautiful, gold head of the image, but he was not happy that the rest of the image was not also gold. He wanted his kingdom to last forever, but the different metals of the image illustrated that his kingdom would someday fall to another. This infuriated Nebuchadnezzar. He could not stand the thought of his beautiful golden city someday being taken over by another.

When the king had heard the interpretation of the dream, He realized the hand of God in it. He proclaimed to Daniel: “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” Verse 47. The king was so impressed that he showered Daniel with many gifts and promoted him to be “ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.”

It is not likely that Daniel made any friends among the wise men of the kingdom that day. To them, his promotion was an insult. “Imagine having a foreigner ruling over us,” they must have thought. To make things worse, “Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon . . .”

Conflict began to brew in the court of Babylon. The magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans were already jealous of Daniel for being exulted above them, and then these other Hebrews were also shown favoritism over them. At first, when Daniel explained the dream, the wise men were relieved to know that they had been saved from the king’s death decree (for the king had said that the wise men were to die if they could not interpret his dream), but now that the danger was over, petty rivalry and self- exultation proliferated in the minds of all. King Nebuchadnezzar was still reveling in the thoughts of the image that was in his dream. He was an idol worshipper and was greatly impressed with the magnificence of this image. His thoughts turned to building an empire and dynasty of gold. It was not enough that he was the head, he wanted to be the whole image. As he dwelt on this thought, he made the decision to make this a reality. He determined that his image would last forever. It would far excel the one in his dream. His image would represent Babylon in its entire splendor.

The king was so wrapped up in his fantasy of a golden image that he forgot about God and the prophecies that had been shown him. His thoughts were centered on his desire to establish his own power, to make Babylon a wonder of the world. The king’s counselors nurtured the king’s ego by reassigning the meaning of the prophecy so that it would favor the king. They rejected the prophecy as it stood and twisted the truth by misinterpreting and misapplying it to fit their needs.

The Stand Against Idolatry

The king ordered his treasure house to be opened and even emptied, if necessary, to build this entirely gold idol. This image was to be similar to the one in his dream, but even more imposing and quite exquisite. Never before had the Chaldeans built such a massive statue. This idol was to be threescore cubits in height and six cubits in width (approximately 90 feet tall and 18 feet wide). What a sculpture! It is no wonder that this idol, in the midst of an idol worshipping people, would receive praise and worship. The people had never seen anything like it before.

The king made a decree, that at the dedication of the image, all should come and bow down before it in order to show support and allegiance for their king and country. For the special occasion the king ordered the best musicians to perform. They had the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, and the psaltery all in a symphony of music. It was to be quite a celebration.

Why did the king go to this length? King Nebuchadnezzar wanted the worship of the people, yet he knew that there might be some resistance if he asked them to bow to him personally. But to show their support for their king and country by bowing down to a great masterpiece of sculpture and splendor, with music playing and emotions high, might actually work.

Always remember, if you give homage to an object, decree, or doctrine that an individual or power sets up, you are really bowing to that person’s or that power’s authority. Notice how God emphasizes this in the record in Daniel. “Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image, which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up . So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up ; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up .” Daniel 3: 1– 3. The God of heaven wanted to make the point that this image was a representative of Nebuchadnezzar. It was the king that was to be exulted, and the Bible says only God is worthy of worship. It does not go unnoticed by God when man exults himself to be worshipped.

In order to ensure the worship of the people, a decree went forth that at the sound of the music all were to bow in unison to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. When the day appointed finally came, a vast multitude was gathered on the plain of Dura, not just the noblemen of Babylon, but also present were the leading men from all of the countries which Nebuchadnezzar had conquered. Many of these people were of the house of Judah, as were Daniel’s three friends.

Along with the incentive of wonderful music, there was also a threat of reprisal if one did not obey the decree. Listen to what the coordinator of the event said to the people. “Then a herald cried aloud: ‘to you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the fiery furnace. ’” Daniel 3: 4– 6.

If you were given a choice of bowing to an image or being killed, what would you choose? Would you say, “Well I won’t really worship the image, but in order to save my life, I’ll fake it.” Or maybe you might reason. “I love the Lord, yet my family cannot do without me. How would they survive? So I will kneel down, but I will pray to the Lord as I am bowing down to this image.” Many people try to get around the issue by using this kind of reasoning. They feel that it does not matter if they compromise a little bit, because, they reason, “the Lord knows my heart.” I firmly agree that the Lord does know every heart, but I also know that no man knows his own heart. The Lord proclaims, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17: 9. It is self- deception to believe that we can get around the commandments of God.

When the beautiful music began to play, the multitude bowed down to the image. This included Jews who were taken to Babylon in captivity. I am sure that they reasoned that they had no choice as slaves in Babylon but to do what they were told. Surely the Lord wanted them to survive! But God knew that not all would bow the knee to this idolatrous symbol of human power. In the midst of this apostasy of idol worship there were three who stood out. They did not bow down to the image but stood their ground for the Lord. The Chaldeans, who were in charge of the kingdom, went to Nebuchadnezzar and accused these three worthies of the Lord. “They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image, which you have set up. ’” Daniel 3: 9– 12.

Nebuchadnezzar was furious, of course, but he decided to be fair and give them another chance. After all, he had put a lot of time and money into their training. They were valuable members of his cabinet. When Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego were brought before the king, Nebuchadnezzar asked them: “is it true . . . that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?” The three worthies testified to the king of their allegiance to God and their faith in Him. The king, not wanting to lose these men, threatened them with the consequences of their disobedience. “Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace . . .” Daniel 3: 15.

The dye was cast, and the three Hebrews were given two options. They knew the king was serious. The easiest thing to do would be to relent and bow to the image. No one would blame them or condemn them since everyone else had done it, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego were loyal to the God of heaven. They had such a deep love for the Lord that they were determined to keep God’s commandments no matter what. Jesus spoke of this kind of love in John 14: 15 when He said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” When you really love someone, you will do everything to make him or her happy. You will show your loyalty to them in word, thought, and deed. Nothing will turn you from your love. This is the kind of love Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego had for the Lord. They would defy the king, yes, even in the face of death, and honor their commitment to God.

The king then made a statement that challenged the three Hebrews and challenged the power and majesty of God. He said, “And who is the God who will deliver you from my hands?” Daniel 3: 15. The Hebrews were ready for this challenge. They had been studying, praying, and preparing for just such an event. They had learned through the events of history, the disaster and dishonor that is attached to disobedience to God. This is why they had kept their minds and bodies under subjection to the God of heaven and His authority. They had not compromised their positions in any aspect of their lives, and they were ready now to answer the king’s challenge. They answered calmly, “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O King, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3: 17,18.

Faith and Persecution

Daniel’s three friends proclaimed to the king their assurance of the saving grace of their God. They knew of His unlimited power to overcome any obstacle in His path, yet they did not try to limit God or be presumptuous in their confidence in His ability to save them. They did, however, make it clear to the king that they would not do as he asked. Notice that their defiance was not against the authority of Nebuchadnezzar as their king. They did not revile him or say that they did not respect him. They were ever respectful and courteous to the king, but made it clear to him why they would not obey. “We do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego had taken a stand against apostasy, against those who would have them believe that strict obedience to God’s commandments is not warranted. They were willing to die, standing for the truth of God, rather than to live bowing to the authority of man. We, too, have this choice in our lives. Men are constantly trying to exult their ideas of proper worship over and above what God says. If we are to be found worthy, by the God of heaven, as these three Hebrews were, we must first know and then keep the commandments of God, loving not our lives to death.

King Nebuchadnezzar was not a happy man. He was so infuriated that he commanded that the fiery furnace be stoked up seven times hotter. As the fire was prepared, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego were bound by the kings’ mighty soldiers. The king then commanded that they be thrown into the furnace.

Have you ever built a bonfire that was so hot that you could not even get very close to it? Imagine a furnace that is at least ten times hotter than any bonfire you have experienced. You would be instantly killed if you got too close to the heat. As the king’s men threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego into the fire, it was so exceedingly hot, that the flames killed them, instantly.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego fell down in the fiery furnace bound from head to toe. There seemed to be no more hope for these three Hebrews. They were now in the fire where their religion had put them . God had not kept them from being placed there. Yet God was still with them. He has promised to be with us through life and even unto death. He has never promised that we would not have to go through the fire of persecution. In fact, the Apostle Paul writes: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3: 12. However, our God is a God of “exceedingly great and precious promises,” (2 Peter 1: 4) that pertain to life and life everlasting. He will always be there to help us through the trials of life and the tribulations of this world.

As King Nebuchadnezzar watched the events unfolding before his eyes, he became astonished and amazed. He could not believe what he now saw in the fire. His soldiers, who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego into the fire, lay dead before the furnace, the breath sucked out of their lungs and their bodies burned from the intense heat. In the fire, however, he saw an astonishing sight. There, in the midst of the flames, walking free of their bonds, were the three worthies, and also another walking in the midst of the flames.

Through his connection with Daniel and his three friends, the king had learned much about their God and the promised Saviour who was to come for the salvation of all who give their lives freely to Him. As he peered into the furnace, King Nebuchadnezzar recognized the Saviour whom he had heard so much about. He hastily spoke to his counselors, those who were instrumental in accusing the three Hebrews, and asked them to clarify what had been done. “‘ Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? ’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king. ’ ‘Look! ’ he answered, ‘I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. ’” Daniel 3: 24, 25.

The king recognized the hand of God at work and called out to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego to come from the midst of the fire. He called them the “servants of the Most High God.” The king, for the second time, had been put in contact with the King of the Universe. Again, he had been humbled and given an opportunity to see the power and goodness of God.

When the three men came out of the fiery furnace, all the counselors gathered around them and found not a hair singed, nor any smell of fire on them. It was as if they were never in the fire! “By the deliverance of His faithful servants, the Lord declared that He takes His stand with the oppressed, and rebukes all earthly powers that rebel against the authority of Heaven. The three Hebrews declared to the whole nation of Babylon their faith in Him whom they worshiped. They relied on God. In the hour of their trial they remembered the promise, ‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. ’ Isaiah 43: 2. And in a marvelous manner their faith in the living Word had been honored in the sight of all. The tidings of their wonderful deliverance were carried to many countries by the representatives of the different nations that had been invited by Nebuchadnezzar to the dedication. Through the faithfulness of His children, God was glorified in all the earth.” Prophets and Kings, 511, by Ellen G. White.

The Lord will not always keep us out of the fire, but He has promised to go with us in the fire. He will be our comfort and our strength. He will guide us and help us through the trials. He will loose our bindings and heal up our wounds as he did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego.

A New Decree

All thoughts of the great golden image were forgotten. All the ceremony and pomp, which seems to always go along with religions of the State, was ignored as the people and the king were astonished at the turn of events. King Nebuchadnezzar, in humility and reverence, now made a new decree. “Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any God except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this. ’” Daniel 3: 28, 29.

It was right for Nebuchadnezzar to confess his mistake before his people, but he had not yet learned the lesson that the Lord was trying to teach him. In making another decree, this time demanding the worship of the God of heaven, he had again become the religious conscience of his subjects. It was no better to demand the worship of the true God of heaven than it was to demand the worship of a golden image of a man. God gives to every man the freedom to worship Him if he chooses, or not to worship him if that is his choice. He does not force worship, but desires that it be from a free and willing heart. If God Himself would not force men to worship Him, why would men presume to do for God would not do Himself? No man, who understands God’s government, can dictate to another how to worship God. We should present the truths of the Word of God, but we should never legislate the worship of God in any way.

Legislating Worship

Speaking of the last days, which we are now living in, the Bible says: “ . . . and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time, and at that time your people will be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12: 1,10.) A great persecution is coming upon the land, and we need to be ready to stand as Daniel’s three friends stood their trial. According to Bible prophecy, soon a decree will be issued to all of the earth by men who have twisted the Word of God to put forth certain laws that seem to be moral and righteous.

During the Dark Ages, thousands of people lost their lives because they would not submit to the authority of the state. The government ruled both church and state, and decreed how a person should worship and what they should believe. Many false doctrines were promoted in favor of a more widespread influence and the continual growth of the church. These same doctrines have filtered down through the ages and have played a big part in the molding and shaping of the churches today.

Through religion, men, in the last days, will again try to mold and shape the minds of the masses to submit to the false doctrines of men. An “image” will be created in the likeness of these false doctrines. An image does not have to be a statue as was the case in the days of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego; it can be a system that takes its ideas and doctrines from another system. Remember that an image is a likeness of something else. When you look in the mirror, you are not looking at yourself, but at an image of yourself. A photograph of you is not you, but an image of what you look like. So it is with an image of a system. It is not the system itself, but it is made in the likeness of the former system. In Revelation 13, we see two beast powers, one coming from the sea, and the other coming from the earth. All the world worships the first beast power (Revelation 13: 4), but the second beast creates an “image to the first beast” and “exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” Revelation 13: 12.

There are two ways to persuade people to do as you want then to do. You can force them or deceive them. This beast power will use both methods to entice all who dwell on the earth to receive the mark of the beast. He will also use miracles and signs to make the deception appear even more truthful and righteous. “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.” Revelation 13: 13– 15.

The Apostle Paul, speaking of the same power writes, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” II Thessalonians 2: 9,10.

God is not the only one who can work miracles. Satan uses the senses to deceive people by playing on their emotions. Miracles have become very common these days. We hear about miraculous recoveries from disease, apparitions in the sky, and icons that bleed or cry. We hear of visions appearing on windows and secret messages being given to people by the dead. How do we know what is of God and what is not? The Bible says, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is not light in them.” Isaiah 8: 20. We must judge everything by the law of God and the counsel of His prophets. We cannot look to emotion or the excitement of our senses, but to the word of God.

This is very true today as we wade through the mess of truth mixed with error. As the “image” to the beast is set up, we will have to judge the truth, not by what we have been taught or by men’s words (even ministers), but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The deception of our time will be as strong as any time before. This image will be worshipped for one of two reasons, just as in the days of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego. Either we will believe the lie that has been put forth as the majority of the people of Babylon did, or we will submit the authority of governments for our livelihood, as did all those Jews who bowed to the golden image. We have a choice to make in our lives today. Will we stand firm for the truth of God’s word, will we reject the false teachings that are taking over the church today, will we love not our lives to death, or will we give in to the world and the image of the beast? Here is God’s warning for us today. “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” Revelation 14: 9,10.

This is the experience of those who will reject the counsel that God is giving today. The image of the beast will appear to provide temporal security for a short span of time, but eternal death will result from following this image. And so God invites you to take your stand for him today, and His promise is, “Though you may be persecuted for My sake, though you may be killed because of your love for Me, I will go through the fire with you, comforting you as you go.” Our choices are clear. One will lead to eternal life with God, no more pain, sorrow, or sickness. The other will lead to everlasting destruction. What will your choice be?

All Bible references are taken from the New King James Bible unless otherwise indicated.

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