Prophecy

Fearful Warning

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The lesson that lies in the apostle Peter’s denial of Jesus is both eye-opening and powerful. Not only does it serve as a warning against self-reliance, but it tells us that if we are not truly rooted and grounded in the faith and do not rely on Jesus for salvation, rather than on ourselves, we will incur the same kind of denial that Peter suffered.

There is another who has been in denial regarding the power of God for thousands of years.

Revelation 12 gives a history of the Great Controversy in 17 succinct verses. In verses 7–12 it says, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

Several references are herein made to the fact that Satan’s power is short-lived, at least in terms of eternity.

  • He lost his special place in heaven, a consequence of both his literal and his spiritual downfall.
  • He is going to be overcome—at least by some.
  • He knows that he has a short time.

In Isaiah 14:12, 13, the story of Lucifer’s fall begins: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.”

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” Psalm 48:1, 2.

Satan wanted to sit on the sides of the north like God, just as Isaiah 14:13–15 tells us: “ ‘I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol [hell].” Isaiah 14:13–15, NKJV.

Jesus Himself gave us some hints as to the nature of Satan in John 8:44 (International Standard Version) when He was debating with the Pharisees over their paternity. When they told Him that He was a child of fornication, He responded: “You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood for the truth, since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” Here Christ references two commandments that Satan had broken: the sixth and the ninth.

In Genesis 3:15, Jesus said to Satan, “I will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman [the church], and between thy seed [the children of Satan, his evil angels and those he has enlisted on his side on this earth] and her seed [Christ].” When these words were spoken to Satan by Christ in the Garden of Eden he should have given up his quest for supremacy right then and there. That he did not give up clearly shows that he was in absolute denial. And clearly he continues to be in that state of denial today. Throughout scripture his eventual fate is told time and time again, sometimes very directly, as in Genesis 3:15, and sometimes indirectly.

Paul makes it clear who the Seed of the church is. He wrote, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” Galatians 3:16, NKJV

“It [the Seed of the woman, Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan’s] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise His [Christ’s] heel.” Genesis 3:15, last part. This is a fairly direct statement that Satan is going to lose his power and lose the Great Controversy. However, his demise is also predicted in less direct ways.

In Psalm 89:34–37, it says, “My [God’s] covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips. Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.”

It is easy to conclude from this that Satan’s kingdom must eventually end.

Daniel, who has given so much wonderful prophecy, wrote in Daniel 2:44, 45: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

In Daniel 7:14, again the promise is made, “And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

Here again, if Satan were not in a state of hopeless denial, he would realize that the Lord’s kingdom is not going to be destroyed but rather is going to prevail. Therefore, his kingdom would have to end.

In Daniel 7:27, there is another statement which says, “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

Then there is the wonderful promise in Nahum 1:9: “What do ye imagine against the Lord? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.”

In Luke 1:31–33, when the angel spoke to Mary about her impending delivery, Satan’s ultimate fate was once again given indirectly: “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.”

In the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:41, Christ clearly states the ultimate end of Satan: “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

In Revelation 20:1–3 it says, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that, he must be loosed a little season.”

In Revelation 20:10, it says, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

In spite of all the warnings given throughout Scripture that the seed of the woman—that is, Christ and His followers who constitute the church—will prevail, Satan continues in his effort to lead men astray. Unfortunately, he has achieved a great degree of success. Why is this?

In the New King James Version of the Bible, it is stated this way: “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. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” II Thessalonians 2:9–12.

The International Standard Version translates it a little differently. “The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the power of Satan. He will use every kind of power, including miraculous signs, lying wonders, and every type of evil to deceive those who are dying, those who refused to love the truth that would save them. For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. Then all who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness, will be condemned.”

Both of these translations put the definite article in front of the word lie: that they “believe the lie.” That lie is that we can be saved in our sins and therefore do not need to heed the many, many Scriptural injunctions regarding dying to self and perfection of character. There is probably no more fearful warning in all of Scripture than this one.

Let’s look for a moment at an interesting little piece of mythology concerning the siege of Troy, which shows in type exactly what Satan is attempting today to conquer mankind. According to legend, the Greeks had maintained a ten-year siege of that ancient city, but they had never been able to take it. So they came up with a remarkable strategy designed to finally penetrate its heavily fortified walls. They constructed a huge wooden horse and left it outside the city walls and then they stopped their siege and retreated.

The citizens of Troy were convinced that the Greeks had given up and that they had left this huge wooden horse as a token of their acknowledgment of the power of their enemies. The Trojans, however, were curious about this horse and decided to bring it inside the gates of the city to remain as a monument to their victory over the Greeks. Although they did not really defeat the Greeks, they were not subdued by them. (Similarly, we will not defeat Satan—that is left to Jesus—but we cannot be subdued by him.) Therefore, they were going to keep this horse as a monument to their invincibility. Little did they know that, inside the horse, soldiers were waiting for the right opportunity to come out and open the gates so that the Greek army that was outside could come inside and capture the town.

In a similar manner, the Roman church has developed a clandestine tactic to penetrate the Protestant churches, even further than they have already done, and bring them under the full control of the Vatican. Although this may seem somewhat unlikely, note the following explanation:

“Throughout Christendom, Protestantism was menaced by formidable foes. The first triumphs of the Reformation [having] past, Rome summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its destruction. At this time the order of the Jesuits was created, the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of popery. Cut off from earthly ties and human interests, dead to the claims of natural affection, reason and conscience wholly silenced, they knew no rule, no tie, but that of their order, and no duty but to extend its power. The gospel of Christ had enabled its adherents to meet danger and endure suffering, undismayed by cold, hunger, toil, and poverty, to uphold the banner of truth in face of the rack, the dungeon, and the stake. To combat these forces, Jesuitism inspired its followers with a fanaticism that enabled them to endure like dangers, and to oppose … the power of truth [with] all the weapons of deception. There was no crime too great for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for them to assume. Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility, it was their studied aim to secure wealth and power, to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism, and the re-establishment of the papal supremacy.

“When appearing as members of their order, they wore a garb of sanctity, visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering to the sick and the poor, professing to have renounced the world, and bearing the sacred name of Jesus, who went about doing good. But under this blameless exterior the most criminal and deadly purposes were often concealed. It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the means. By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not only pardonable but commendable, when they served the interests of the church. Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of nations. They became servants to act as spies upon their masters. They established colleges for the sons of princes and nobles, and schools for the common people; and the children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites. All the outward pomp and display of the Romish worship was brought to bear to confuse the mind and dazzle and captivate the imagination, and thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was betrayed by the sons. The Jesuits rapidly spread themselves over Europe, and wherever they went, there followed a revival of popery.” The Great Controversy, 234, 235.

If you have ever stepped into the den of the dragon, you may have had an experience similar to this. Many years ago, I attended a Christmas Eve midnight mass in a very large Catholic Church. It was an amazing show. The church was highly decorated with glitter, gold and beautiful paintings, and candles burning everywhere. Incense was burning, and the priest was arrayed in gorgeous robes. There was also chanting. It was a very impressive service. As Sister White wrote, it all meant “to confuse the mind, and dazzle and captivate the imagination.”

“His [Satan’s] policy is deception from first to last, and his steadfast purpose is to bring woe and wretchedness upon men, to deface and defile the workmanship of God, to mar the divine purposes of benevolence and love, and thus cause grief in heaven. Then by his deceptive arts he blinds the minds of men. …

“When error in one garb has been detected, Satan only masks it in a different disguise, and multitudes receive it as eagerly as at the first.” Ibid., 284, 285. What disguise is Satan using now to lead men from the truth?

Ignatius Loyola and Martin Luther were contemporaries. Martin Luther was just eight years older than Loyola, but the two men could not have had more different influences upon world history. Luther turned decidedly toward dependency on Christ as his personal Saviour. Loyola depended solely on himself. Luther was led by the Holy Spirit; Loyola was led by Satan.

In the book, The Omega Rebellion (Remnant Publications, Coldwater, Michigan, 1982), written by Rick Howard, a Seventh-day Adventist minister, is this statement: “Loyola longed for supernatural experiences, believing them to be evidence of God’s presence and power. Deceived, he turned to the writings of the Roman Catholic mystics and saints, longing for God to reveal Himself in everything, all the time. He desired God’s presence on his terms, and Satan made sure he would think he found him. … Loyola’s experience was mysticism, and he taught all those enlisted in the Jesuit order, which he founded.” (Emphasis added.)

Believing that God is in everything is nothing other than pantheism—the basis for New Age religion and the current phenomenon called “the emerging church.”

“In the emerging Church, due emphasis will be placed on both theological rootage and contemporary experience, on celebration in worship and involvement in social concerns, on faith and feeling, reason and prayer, conversion and continuity, the personal and the conceptual.” [Ian Mobsby, Emerging and Fresh Expressions of Church, Moot Community Publishing, London, 2007, 20, 21.]

Please note the subtle but fatal mixture of truth with error in that statement. Note also the complete lack of a call for repentance and confession.

Let’s look at the different forms of worship practiced or promoted in the “emerging church.” Meant to bring the practitioner to a higher state of consciousness, they are nothing other than different forms of spiritual formation. If they were called by their original names, they would in all likelihood be rejected by most Adventists. When they are called “spiritual formation” they are embraced as the latest and greatest way to know God.

As noted earlier, Loyola thought that by entering into the realm of mysticism he would find God. What he actually found was an open channel of communication with evil spirits, which he assumed to be a revelation of God. He combined the techniques of mystics and monks from centuries earlier into what he called “spiritual exercises.” In the book, The History of Protestantism, by J. E. Wylie [Hartland Publications, Rapidan, Virginia, 2002], Loyola’s work is compared with the magicians who strove to rival Moses. A Jesuit who had gone through these exercises remarked that, “Loyola’s book on this subject was truly written by the finger of God and delivered to Ignatius by the Holy Mother of God.” Adventists, however, know exactly that Satan is the one who wrote it for him.

The object of these exercises was to render the members of this order absolutely obedient to their superiors, who in turn were equally submissive to those above them, and they to those above them, until it finally got to the Jesuit general at the top of the hierarchy. The first Jesuit general elected by those under him was indeed Ignatius Loyola.

Once converted, it did not matter what one’s superiors demanded of him, even if it was immoral or illegal. They believed that the end justifies the means. When fully committed, they believed that by contemplating holy things while the body was engaged in sinning, the soul remained free from sin. So, in a nutshell, a Jesuit believes that he can commit murder, tell lies, abuse children, or perform any other abominable act, and justify his actions by thinking about what he believes to be holy things while he is sinning. One thing is absolutely clear from this and that is that spiritual exercises can destroy the conscience.

These same exercises are taught in spiritual formation classes and seminars, only in a more subtle form. One of these exercises is meditation, often called “meditative prayer” or “contemplative prayer.” New Agers, Hindus, and other Eastern religions practice these techniques. In fact, some professedly Christian teachers believe that Christians are depriving themselves if they do not learn the ways of other religions. Rick Warren, the author of the best-seller, The Purpose Driven Life [Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002], wrote, “In the wider ecumenism of the spirit being opened for us today, we need to humbly accept the learnings of particular religions. What makes a particular practice Christian is not its source, but its intent.” Apparently Mr. Warren believes that the Bible alone is not sufficient to teach us to grow spiritually. We need the help of Eastern mystics.

Contemplative prayer sounds innocent enough to the average Christian. It may sound like intimate communion with God to ponder His majesty, His power, His love, His providences, contemplating all the wonderful attributes of God and meditating on His word. Unfortunately, this is not what is taught in spiritual formation classes. One teacher of contemplative prayer describes it this way: “When one enters the deeper layers of contemplative prayer, one sooner or later experiences the void, the emptiness, the nothingness … the profound mystical silence … the absence of thought.” William Johnston, Letters to Contemplatives, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1992, 13.

What is taught by spiritual formation instructors and contemplative prayer is just the opposite of what it sounds like. The purpose is to so completely empty the mind that one enters into a sort of self-induced hypnotic state. A repetitive mantra is used to achieve this emptiness, much like that employed by practitioners of Eastern religions and occult practices. A mantra is a word or a phrase, maybe even a scripture or a portion of a scripture that is repeated over, and over, and over. In Matthew 6:7, Jesus said of this practice, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

It is mind-boggling that Christians can be induced to do the very thing that Jesus commanded them not to do, all the while believing that they are having a close encounter with God.

Another aspect of spiritual formation is called “The Silence.” What one author wrote about it doesn’t just border on blasphemy; it is blasphemy. “I turned from the world about me to the world of consciousness that lies within. I shut out all memories of the past, create no images of the future. I concentrate on my being, on my awareness. I slide deep into the very recesses of my soul to a place of utter repose. I know, I know that this is Immortal Self, this is God. This is me. I am, I always was, I always will be.” U. S. Andersen’s, Three Magic Words, Wilshire Book Company, Chatsworth, California, 2011, 319.

Is that not what Satan told Eve when he tempted her to sin? What utter deception. This is the ultimate form of idolatry, making God to be whatever you imagine Him to be, even yourself. This certainly sounds like the original lie told in the Garden of Eden. I cannot help but think of the words of Paul to the Romans in Romans 1:25 where he wrote, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

Keep in mind that these techniques taught in “Christian” seminars are the very techniques used by mystics and Buddhists. If you were to trace back to the source of nearly all of the spiritual formation seminars conducted, you would find that Catholic priests, especially Jesuits, are at the root. Just as the Greeks used the Trojan horse to overthrow the citizens of Troy, the Jesuits are using a spiritual Trojan horse to overthrow the foundation and pillars of Christianity.

One of the diabolical ideas introduced by spiritual formation is that a Christian must experience “the silence” to have genuine spiritual growth. This leaves the feeling with those who have experienced it that they have reached a higher plane than those who have never learned the spiritual exercises.

Another quote from Rick Howard’s book, The Omega Rebellion, states: “Roman Catholic doctrine teaches that supernatural manifestations experienced when the disciple enters the mystical state called the silence, where the presence of God is experienced, are absolutely required for there to be any genuine Christian growth, for that is where God’s grace is received, according to their theology.” Howard, 114.

Another aspect of spiritual exercises is hypnosis. We know enough about the dangers of allowing someone to control our minds that we don’t need to dwell on this one very much. Basically, in hypnotism, the subject is yielding complete control of his mind to someone else, who has likewise yielded his mind to the control of Satan.

Now let’s discuss what is termed “utter repose” or “ecstasy.” Remember the words of Andersen that we read: “I slide deep into the very recess of my soul to a place of utter repose.” Here is a clue as to what the person encounters when practicing the contemplative prayer and entering “the silence,” the self-hypnotic state. When the individual has an experience of utter repose or ecstasy, he abandons Christian reasoning. Notice that I said “Christian reasoning.” Because human reasoning is quite fallible, we can get in serious trouble if we rely on human reasoning without the aid of Scripture. Christian reasoning involves a conscience affected by a knowledge of Scripture and the divine will.

Do I need to tell you that to depend on feelings is dangerous ground? Remember that Satan can affect our feelings. That’s something that I have discovered time and time again while giving Bible studies. The person I’m studying with so often talks about his feelings and how he has had a wonderful feeling after a Bible study. I don’t ever want to quash that feeling, but it is a dangerous thing to rely on feelings as an evidence of spiritual growth. We know that we walk by faith and not by sight—by faith and not by feeling.

One proponent of spiritual formation, when listening to a preacher explain that the Bible was to be our sole and ultimate authority, responded this way, “No, no, no. The ultimate authority in my life is not the Bible. It is not confined between the covers of a book. It is not something written by men and frozen in time. It is not from a source outside of myself. My ultimate authority is the divine voice in my soul.” How much trouble do you think you can get into if that is all you rely on?

I once had a very interesting discussion with someone I love very dearly, but who was very much opposed to my becoming a Seventh-day Adventist. I expressed my belief that the Bible contains the truth and contended that if you want to know what to do to have eternal life, the Bible will tell you. If you want to know the ultimate reference to determine right from wrong, it is the Bible. I was told very adamantly, “No, I know what’s right and wrong.” I tried to explain that no one has an innate ability to know absolutely what is right and wrong in every circumstance.

If a child is brought up smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee, that’s going to be normal to him and he will not see anything wrong with it. And of course, children are brought up doing things much worse than that. Unless you have some external, objective reference, you are not going to know what is right and wrong. That reference has to be the inspired word of God—the Bible. Although it was indeed written by men, it was written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it does indeed contain the truth.

Well, clearly the spiritual formation movement is poised to take over Christendom. It all ties in with the warning given in Revelation 13:3, “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.”

Since the deadly wound was inflicted in 1798 when the papacy was temporarily overthrown, the deadly wound has been healing. The counter-reformation launched at the Catholic church’s Council of Trent, along with the relentless working of the Jesuits, has once again made the Vatican the most powerful organization on the planet.

In the past, the papacy made physical war with the saints. An estimated 50 million martyrs were slain for refusing to accept the pope as supreme and for refusing to submit to Catholic doctrines and practices. In modern times, the strategy is different. Protestants are being overthrown by stealth, infiltration, deception, political involvement and whatever means Rome can use, especially this new Trojan horse—spiritual formation.

Do not ever forget that the papacy does not confine itself to religious affairs. The Vatican desires the same position it held during the dark ages—supreme power over the nations and their governments.

Just as the mystery of iniquity was at work in Paul’s day to bring the papacy into power, it is at work now. Spiritual formation is providing a powerful medium for the three unclean spirits of Revelation 16 to gain entry to the multitude who open themselves up to devils when they enter “the silence.”

History is being repeated. Just as the great falling away took place in the early church, resulting in the exaltation of the papacy, once again just before the Second Coming of Christ, a falling away is in progress.

In II Thessalonians 2:3, 4, we read, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

The temple of God is the church. It is not some brick and mortar structure. It is not a rebuilt temple in literal Jerusalem.

Note what Paul wrote to the Ephesians in Ephesians 2:20–22: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

Peter alluded to the same concept in I Peter 2:5: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Popular teaching today is that the antichrist will appear after the saints have been raptured. He will then, supposedly, make a covenant with literal Israel, and the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. What many do not know is that this is an interpretation of the Jesuit, Francisco Ribera, who, in the 16th century, designed this theory to get the papacy off the hook. The reformation was in full swing and the Catholic Church was losing members by the thousands, who were convinced that Rome was the seat of antichrist. By removing the final week of Daniel’s seventy-week prophecy given in Daniel 9:24–27, and throwing it somewhere into the future, Ribera was able to divert attention away from the papacy to some future individual.

This futurist interpretation of Daniel and Revelation has been embraced by the majority of Christians, leaving them vulnerable to Satan’s great deceptions. Focus has been taken off the pope as antichrist, leaving little fear of what the Vatican is planning. By accepting these Jesuit fables, Protestant Christians have placed themselves in a very precarious position.

It is because of a lack of individual study and consecration to Christ that multitudes are being deceived. Herein lies the reason why spiritual formation is so widely accepted.

In I Peter 5:8, Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

As we read in the beginning from Revelation 12:12, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

He knows that his time is short, but do we realize the same? The meeting of time and eternity is drawing nigh. Let us be so familiar with scripture that we can recognize Satan’s deceptions, even in their most subtle form and be hid with Christ in God so that we will not be among those who are devoured by the roaring lion.

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. After retiring as chief financial officer for the Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to join the Steps team. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

The 1290 and 1335 Day Prophecies

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Editors Note: In recent years there has been a renewed interest in the 1290 and 1335 day prophecies in Daniel 12. This interest is often associated with the setting of time periods when certain end-time events are supposed to occur. Over the last several years, many people have sent books and manuscripts to Steps to Life, which on the basis of the 1290 and 1335 day periods plus a calculation of jubilee periods, have made some very startling predictions. Many of these writers are well-known throughout Adventism. Some have forthrightly stated that Ellen White was wrong, and others claim to believe Ellen White, but still set time, which she always rebuked, and stated that we would never have another message for God’s people based on time. The third angels’ message is the last message of mercy to be given to the world (The third angel’s message includes the first two and the repetition of the second in Revelation 18:1–5) and we have been warned that it is not to be hung on time. Nevertheless, a misunderstanding of the “daily” has been used over and over again in recent years to try to set time from Daniel 12. (See the article “The Cities to be Worked” in Land Marks, July 1995.) Although it would seem nigh unto blasphemy to call the ministration of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary “the daily in rebellion” as the daily is described in Daniel 8:12 (literal translation), this new view of the daily has persisted and is part of the popular timesetting interpretations. (A.T. Jones was at least consistent enough to indicate that Ellen White was wrong in her understanding of the daily when he espoused the new view of it.)

Although we have nothing personally against this host of Adventist time-setters, we must solemnly protest the teaching which has led multitudes of Adventists into time-excitement instead of organizing bands of workers to finish the proclamation of the three angels’ messages.

We have numerous manuscripts and books from well-known Adventist expositors which, partly on the basis of the 1290 and 1335 day prophecies, proclaim that the judgement of the living would begin in 1991 and the culmination of the jubilee would be in the fall of 1994, but we are now past the jewish day of Atonement of 1995. Surely a child could now figure out that these are false interpretations of prophecy and should not be given the slightest credence. Notice the following statements:

“I have been repeatedly urged to accept the different periods of time proclaimed for the Lord to come, but I have ever had one testimony to bear: the Lord will not come at that period, and you are weakening the faith even of Adventists, and fastening the world in their unbelief . . . their oft-repeated message of definite time was exactly what the enemy wanted, and it served his purpose well to unsettle the faith in the first proclamation of time, that was of heavenly origin. The world placed all time proclamation on the same level and called it a delusion, fanaticism, and heresy. Ever since 1844 I have borne my testimony that we were now in a period of time in which we are to take heed to ourselves lest our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon us unawares. Our position has been one of waiting and watching, with no time proclamation to intervene between the close of the prophetic periods in 1844 and the time of the Lord’s coming.” Manuscript Release, vol. 16, 178.

“I want you to see that it is not in the providence of God that any finite man shall, by any device or reckoning that he may make of figures, or of symbols, or of types, know with any definiteness in regard to the very period of the Lord’s coming.” Manuscript Release, vol. 10, 272. See also Selected Messages, vol. 1, chapter 23.

Another important prophetic period upon which the Advent doctrine is based, is the 1335 days of Daniel 12, with which the 1290 days are so intimately connected. These two periods are introduced to us as follows:

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” Daniel 12:11–13.

The questions at once arise. Can we tell what the events are, from which these periods are to be dated; and if so, can we tell when they took place? We first inquire. What is the “daily” (sacrifice) and the “abomination that maketh desolate?” It will be noticed that the word, sacrifice, is in italics: denoting that it is a supplied word. The same will be noticed in the other instances of its occurrence in the book of Daniel 11:31 and 8:11-13. Let us briefly refer to this latter chapter. In verse 13 it will be observed that two desolations are brought to view; the daily (desolation,) and the transgression of desolation. This fact is made so plain by J. Litch that we cannot do better than quote his language.

The Daily

“The daily sacrifice is the present reading of the text; but no such thing as sacrifice is found in the original. This is acknowledged on all hands. It is a gloss or construction put upon it by the translators. The true reading is, ‘the daily and the transgression of desolation;’ daily and transgression being connected together by ‘and;’ the daily desolation and the transgression of desolation. They are two desolating powers which were to desolate the Sanctuary and the host.”

From this it is evident that the “daily,” can have no reference to the Jewish worship to which it has been applied by the older and more prevalent opinion; and this is further evident from the consideration that if these periods, taken either literally or figuratively, be dated from any taking away of this worship, they do not bring us to any event whatever worthy of note.

The daily and the abomination then, are two desolating powers which were to oppress the church. Can we ascertain what these powers are? We have only to adopt William Miller’s method of reasoning on this point to arrive at the same conclusion with him. He says “I read on, and could find no other case in which it [the daily] was found but in Daniel. I then [by the aid of a concordance] took those words which stood in connection with it, ‘take away;’ he shall take away the daily; ‘from the time that the daily shall be taken away’ I read on and thought I should find no light on the text. Finally I came to 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, ‘For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way, and then shall the wicked be revealed.’ And when I had come to that text, O how clear and glorious the truth appeared. There it is! That is the daily! Well, now, what does Paul mean by ‘he who now letteth’ or hindereth? By ‘the Man of Sin,’ and the ‘wicked,’ Popery is meant. Well what is it which hinders Popery from being revealed? Why it is Paganism. Well, then, ‘the daily’ must mean Paganism.”

We see from Daniel 8 that it is the little horn, which succeeded the goat, or Grecian empire, that takes away the “daily;” and it is the only power brought to view after the division of Alexander’s kingdom down to the time when the Sanctuary should be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days. This little horn we have in its proper place showed to be Rome taken as a unit, corresponding with the fourth kingdom of Daniel’s other visions. Now it is a fact that a change did take place in the Roman power from Paganism to Papacy. Paganism from the days of the Assyrian kings down to the time of its modification into Popery, had been the daily, or as Professor Whiting renders it, ” the continual” desolation, by which Satan had stood up against the cause of Jehovah. In its priests, its altars, and its sacrifices, it bore resemblance to the Levitical form of Jehovah’s worship; but when the Levitical gave place to the Christian form of worship, Satan, in order to successfully oppose the work, must change also his form of opposition; hence the temples, altars and statues of Paganism are baptized into the blasphemies of Popery.

The Sanctuary of the Daily

But the daily, Paganism, is said in the prophecy, to have a sanctuary, and the place of its sanctuary was to be cast down. That a sanctuary is frequently connected with idolatry and heathenism, as the place of its devotion and worship, is evident from the following scriptures: Isaiah 16:12; Amos 7:9,13, margin; Ezekiel 28:18. Concerning the sanctuary of the daily of Daniel 8, we offer the following from Apollos Hale:

“What can be meant by the ‘sanctuary’ of Paganism? Paganism, and error of every kind, have their sanctuaries, as well as truth. These are the temples or asylums consecrated to their service. Some particular and renowned temple of Paganism may, then, be supposed to be here spoken of. Which of its numerous distinguished temples may it be? One of the most magnificent specimens of classic architecture is called the Pantheon. Its name signifies the ‘temple or asylum of all the gods.’ The place of its location is Rome. The idols of the nations conquered by the Romans were sacredly deposited in some niche or department of this temple, and in many cases became objects of worship by the Romans themselves. Could we find a temple of Paganism that was more strikingly ‘his sanctuary.’ ”

Having now ascertained that the daily is Paganism, and the transgression of desolation, or “the abomination that maketh desolate,” is the Papacy, and that the especial sanctuary of Paganism was the Pantheon, and that the “place” of its location was Rome, we inquire further.

Was Paganism “taken away” by the Roman civil power? The following statement of an important and well-known fact in the history of the church and world, we think answers to the prophecy. It refers to Constantine the first Christian emperor, and says:

“His first act of government was the dispatch of an edict throughout the empire, exhorting his subjects to embrace Christianity.”

The Place of his Sanctuary is Cast Down

Was Rome the city or place of his sanctuary, (the Pantheon,) cast down by the authority of the State? The following extract answers:

“The death of the last rival of Constantine had sealed the peace of the empire. Rome was once more the undisputed queen of nations. But, in that hour of elevation and splendor, she had been raised to the edge of a precipice. Her next step was to be downward and irrecoverable. The change of the government to Constantinople still perplexes the historian. It was an act in direct repugnance to the whole course of the ancient and honorable prejudices of the Roman mind. It was the work of no luxurious Asiatic, devoted to the indulgences of eastern customs and climates, but an iron conqueror, born in the west, and contemptuous, like all Romans, of the habits of the Orientals; it was the work of a keen politician, yet it was impolitic in the most palpable degree. Yet Constantine abandoned Rome, the great citadel and throne of the Caesars, for an obscure corner of Thrace, and expended the remainder of his vigorous and ambitious life in the double toil of raising a colony into the capital of his empire, and degrading the capital into the feeble honors and humiliated strength of a colony.”

This record from the pen of the historian, is too plain to need comment. The place of his sanctuary was cast down, says the prophecy; and after a statement of facts like the above, the most fastidious in prophetic interpretation must be satisfied of its application.

From Paganism to Popery

From the time that the daily shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred five and thirty days. With the facts before us that the daily is Paganism, that the abomination that maketh desolate is the Papacy, that there was a change from the former to the latter in the Roman power, and by the authority of State we have but to inquire further when this took place in a manner to fulfill the prophecy; for if we can ascertain this, we have the starting point from which the prophetic periods in the text before us are to be dated.

Therefore, when did the event referred to in the prophecy take place? Let it be observed, the question is not, when were the saints given into the hands of the Papacy, but when had the change of religion from Paganism to Papacy been so far effected as to make the latter the national religion, and place it in a condition to start upon its career. This, like all other great revolutions, was not the work of a moment. Its incipient workings were manifest long before. Paul said that even in his day the mystery of iniquity, the Man of Sin, the “abomination that maketh desolate,” was already at work. And it is in the light of this scripture that we must understand our Lord’s words in Matthew 24:15, concerning the abomination of desolation, where he makes evident reference to Daniel 9:27. For although Paganism had not given place to the Papacy in the year 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans we do understand that the power which then appeared, modified somewhat in name and form, was the very power that should, as the abomination of desolation, wear out the saints and desolate the church of the Most High.

Up to the time of the conversion of Clovis, king of France, which took place in 496, the French and other nations of western Rome were Pagan; but subsequent to that event the efforts to convert idolaters to Christ were crowned with great success. It is said that the conversion of Clovis gave rise to the custom of addressing the French monarch with the titles of Most Christian Majesty and Eldest Son of the Church. “Between that time and A.D. 508 by alliances, capitulations, and conquests, the Arborici, the Roman garrisons in the west, Britanny, the Burgundians and the Visigoths, were brought into subjection.”

Paganism in the western Roman Empire, though it doubtless retarded the progress of the Christian faith, especially in those nations which were molested, as in the case of England, by the inroads of the barbarous clans, who continued idolaters, henceforth had not the power, if it had the disposition to suppress the Catholic faith, or to hinder the encroachments of the Roman Pontiff. From that time the Papal abomination was triumphant, so far as Paganism was concerned. Its future contests were with the other Christian sects, who were always treated as heretics; and with princes who were always treated as rebels or dividers of the body of Christ. The prominent powers of Europe gave up their attachment to Paganism only to perpetuate its abominations in another form; for Paganism needed only to be baptized to become Christian in the Catholic sense; and when the interests or vengeance of its presiding minister made the demand; their possessions and thrones, perhaps their lives, must be laid on the altar.

In England, Arthur, the first Christian king, founded the Christian worship on the ruins of the Pagan. Rapin, who claims to be more exact in the chronology of events in his history, states that he was elected monarch of Britain in 508. Book 2, 29.

What was the condition of the See of Rome at this time? “Symmachus was Pope from 498 or 9 to 514. His pontificate was distinguished by these remarkable circumstances and events: 1. He ‘left Paganism’ when he entered the ‘church of Rome.’ 2. He found his way to the Papal chair by striving with his competitor even unto blood. 3. By the adulation paid to him as the successor of St. Peter. 4. By the excommunication of the Emperor Anastasius.

“How much,” says Mosheim, “the opinions of some were favorable to the lordly demands of Roman Pontiffs, may be easily imagined from an expression of Ennodius, that infamous and extravagant flatterer of Symmachus, who was a prelate of ambiguous fame. This parasitical panegyrist, among other impertinent assertions maintained that the Pontiff was constituted judge in the place of God, which he filled as the Vicegerent of the Most High.”

A Dying Capital

By the strength secured to the Catholic cause in the West, by these successes, and the agency of the vicars, and other agents of the See of Rome, the Papal party in Constantinople were “placed” in a position to justify open hostilities in behalf of their master at Rome. “In 508 the whirlwind of fanaticism and civil war swept in fire and blood through the streets of the eastern capital.”

Gibbon, under the years 508-514, speaking of the commotions in Constantinople, says “The statues of the emperor were broken, and his person was concealed in a suburb, till, at the end of three days, he dared to implore the mercy of his subjects. [Popery is triumphant.] Without his diadem, and in the posture of a suppliant, Anastasius appeared on the throne of the circus. The Catholics, before his face, rehearsed the genuine Trisagion; they exulted in the offer which he proclaimed by the voice of a herald, of abdicating the purple; they listened to the admonition, that, since all could not reign, they should previously agree in the choice of a sovereign; and they accepted the blood of two unpopular ministers, whom their master, without hesitation, condemned to the lions. These furious but transient seditions were encouraged by the success of Vitalian, who with his army of Huns and Bulgarians, for the most part idolaters, declared himself the champion of the Catholic faith. In this pious rebellion he depopulated Thrace, besieged Constantinople, exterminated sixty-five thousand of his fellow Christians, till he obtained the recall of the bishops, the satisfaction of the Pope, and the establishment of the council of Chalcedon, an orthodox treaty, reluctantly signed by the dying Anastasius, and more faithfully performed by the uncle of Justinian. And such was the event of the first of the religious wars which have been waged in the name, and by the disciples, of the God of Peace.”

With the following extract of Appollos Hale, we close the testimony on this point: ” We now invite our modern Gamaliels to take a position with us in the place of the sanctuary of Paganism (since claimed as the ‘patrimony of St. Peter’) in 508. We look a few years into the past, and the rude Paganism of the northern barbarians is pouring down upon the nominally Christian empire of Western Rome–triumphing everywhere–and its triumphs everywhere distinguished by the most savage cruelty . . . The empire falls and is broken into fragments. One by one the lords and rulers of these fragments, abandon their Paganism and profess the Christian faith. In religion the conquerors are yielding to the conquered. But still Paganism is triumphant. Among its supporters there is one stern and successful conqueror. (Clovis) But soon he also bows before the power of the new faith and becomes its champion. He is still triumphant, but as a hero and conqueror, reaches the zenith at the point we occupy, A.D. 508.

The Final Blow

“In or near the same year, the last important subdivision of the fallen empire is publicly, and by the coronation of its triumphant ‘monarch’ christianized.

“The pontiff for the period on which we stand is recently converted Pagan. The bloody contest which placed him in the chair was decided by the interposition of an Arian king. He is bowed to and saluted as filling ‘the place of God on earth.’ The senate is so far under his power, that, on suspicion that the interests of the See of Rome demand it, they excommunicate the emperor . . . In 508 the mine is sprung beneath the throne of the Eastern Empire. The result of the confusion and strife it occasions is the humiliation of its rightful lord. Now the question is, At what time was Paganism so far suppressed, as to make room for its substitute and successor, the Papal abomination? When was this abomination placed in a position to start on its career of blasphemy and blood? Is there any other date for its being ‘placed’ or ‘set up’ in the room of Paganism, but 508? If the mysterious enchantress has not now brought all her victims within her power, she has taken her position, and some have yielded to the fascination. The others are at length subdued, ‘and kings, and peoples and multitudes, and nations, and tongues,’ are brought under the spell which prepares them, even while ‘drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus,’ to ‘think they are doing God service,’ and to fancy themselves the exclusive favorites of heaven, while becoming an easier and richer prey for the damnation of hell.”

We have the date. The “daily” was taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up in 508. Dating from this point the 1290 days or years terminate in 1798 where, as has already been shown , the civil power was stricken from the Pope by the arm of Buonaparte. The 1335 days bring us 45 full years this side of that event.

But some may say, How is it that you make the periods terminate in the past? Does it not read that Daniel should rest and stand in his lot at the end of the days? Certainly; and we believe it. But what is it for Daniel to stand in his lot? This point will come under consideration when we come to an explanation of the passing of the time, and an examination of the events that did take place at the end of the days. Meanwhile we here cast anchor till another week.

The End

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

Messages to The World

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The closing work of Christ as Priest pertains to the acquittal of His people at His Father’s tribunal, the blotting out of their sins, and the decision accounting them worthy of that world and the resurrection to immortality. Our Lord cannot do this for people in a state of probation. His first work must therefore relate to the righteous dead. And while their cases are severally passing under examination and decision, the living righteous are being prepared for the close of their probation and for the decision of the investigative judgment by the proclamation of the third angel. This work being accomplished and the living righteous being accounted worthy to escape the things coming upon the earth and to stand before the Son of man, our Lord is crowned King, and takes His seat upon the white cloud, with a crown of pure gold upon His head.

The priesthood of Christ began when He presented Himself before the Father at His ascension as our Advocate. It cannot terminate till He has secured the acquittal of His people and the blotting out of their sins in the investigative judgment. The blotting out of sins, which terminates His priesthood, brings the people of God to the refreshing from the presence of the Father, which precedes His act of sending His Son from heaven. (See Acts 3:19–21.)

The whole multitude of the redeemed appear before the throne in raiment that has been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. (See Revelation 7:13, 14.) The work of our High Priest in behalf of His people involves an immense number of individual cases. He has not only borne the sin of all these, but He makes intercession for them and finally obtains the blotting out of their sins on showing from the record that they have completed the work of overcoming. Our Lord does not continue in His priestly office to all eternity. When He comes again, it is without sin unto salvation. But He does not leave His work unfinished. He brings every part of this immense work to a conclusion before He lays it down. The following proposition is both reasonable and scriptural:

There is a period of time at the close of this dispensation devoted to the finishing of the work of human probation, i.e., to the completion of Christ’s work as priest, and of His gospel as the means of salvation.

“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets.” Revelation 10:7

The Mystery of God

The mystery of God is seen to be the work of salvation for fallen man through the gospel of Christ. (See Ephesians 3:3–6; Colossians 1:26–28.) It is that which unites Jews and Gentiles in one body as fellow-heirs, having Christ in them the hope of glory. The finishing of the mystery of God is the accomplishment of the work of the gospel. This must have a twofold bearing: 1) upon the priesthood of our Lord, to bring it to a close by completing all of its immense work, and 2) upon the preaching of the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, in causing the proclamation of its final closing messages of warning.

This work is not closed instantaneously, for a space of time is devoted to its completion. And the finishing of this work pertains both to heaven and to earth, to the priesthood of Christ and the proclamation of His gospel to men. But the priesthood of Christ, as we have seen, is finished at the time when the Ancient of Days sits in judgment; and it is while that judgment is in session that the latest messages of warning are addressed to men. (See Revelation 14:6–14.) We do, therefore, understand that the period of time devoted to the finishing of the mystery of God is precisely that space occupied by the Father in the work of the investigative judgment.

It is not stated that the mystery of God shall be finished when the seventh angel begins to sound, for this would denote instantaneous completion. But it is said, “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound,” etc. This shows beyond dispute that a period of time is devoted to this work. The days of this prophecy are prophetic days, i.e., years, as are those of the fifth and sixth angels. (See Revelation 9.) These years which are devoted to this finishing of human probation begin with the sounding of the seventh angel. They are the earliest years of his voice. The sounding of the seventh angel begins, therefore, with the opening of that investigative judgment that finishes human probation, that determines the blotting out of the sins of the overcomers, that accounts them worthy of the world to come, that terminates the priesthood of Christ, and that witnesses the completion of the preaching of the gospel of the grace of God.

But is not the last trumpet of John’s series of seven the same as Paul’s last trump? The reasons which forbid their identity are perfectly conclusive. The seventh trumpet is the last of a series, no one of which is literally heard by the inhabitants of the earth. It is the accomplishment of certain events that indicates the transition from one of the seven angels to another. The seventh is like each of the preceding six in that it is the trumpet of an angel and in that it is a symbolic and not a literal trumpet. (See Revelation 8, 9, 10, 11.) But the trumpet which awakens the dead is not blown by an angel but by the Son of God Himself. It is not a symbolic trumpet, for it is literally heard by the inhabitants of the earth. (See Matthew 24:31; Zechariah 9:14–16; 1 Thessalonians 4:14–17.) It is called the last trump because when the Almighty descended upon Mount Sinai in glory and majesty, like our Lord’s second advent, (see Exodus 19:16–19; Hebrews 12:18–27; Matthew 16:27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8) the trump of God was heard, as it will be once more when the dead are raised. (See 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52.)

Seventh Angel and Judgment

The commencement of the seventh angel’s voice, as we have seen, is the signal for the opening of the investigative judgment; and human probation continues for a term of days, i.e., years, after that voice begins. But the trump of God is not sounded till after that investigative judgment has determined the cases of all the righteous; for when it is heard, everyone who has been accounted worthy of a part in the resurrection to immortality is, in an instant, made immortal. We conclude, therefore, that the seventh angel begins to sound before the advent of Christ and that the first years of his sounding are devoted to the finishing of the work of human probation.

The events under the sounding of the seventh angel, though not given in chronological order are, from their nature, not difficult to be arranged in the order of their occurrence.

In the days, i.e., years, of the beginning of the voice of the seventh angel, the work of human probation is finished. (See Revelation 10:7.) This, as we have seen, involves the closing up of the immense work of our High Priest. It also requires the proclamation of the final warnings to mankind.

The most holy place of the temple in heaven is opened. (See Revelation 11:19.) This is the place where our Lord’s priesthood is finished and, as we shall hereafter see, is the place where the Ancient of Days sits in judgment.

While Christ is finishing His priesthood at the tribunal of His Father in the holiest of the heavenly temple, the judgment of the righteous dead takes place. (See Revelation 11:18.)

The coronation of Christ is announced by the great voices in heaven and by the words of the twenty-four elders. (See Revelation 11:15–17.) This succeeds the close of His priesthood. When Christ begins His reign, He is invested by the Father with that power which Satan usurped from Adam the first. The reign of the second Adam is the re-establishment of the empire of God in this revolted province. Christ does not take His own throne to rule His enemies with a rod of iron till He has closed up His priestly office at His Father’s right hand.

The wrath of God comes upon the wicked when Christ begins to rule them with the iron scepter of His justice. It comes in the seven last plagues. (See Revelation 11:18, 19; 14:9–11; 15:16; 18:20; 19:11–21.)

The anger of the nations comes in consequence of the work of the unclean spirits under the sixth plague who incite them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. (See Revelation 11:18; 16:13,14; 19:19–21.)

The giving of rewards to the servants of God is at the resurrection of the just. (See Revelation 11:18; Luke 14:14; Matthew 16:27.)

The final destruction of those who corrupt the earth is at the end of the 1,000 years in the second death. (See Revelation 11:18; 20:7–9.)

The events of the seventh trumpet do, therefore, extend over the whole period of the great day of judgment. The mighty proclamation which ushers in the seventh angel and the investigative judgment and the work in the second apartment of the heavenly temple for the completion of our Lord’s priestly office, we will now consider.

We have learned that there is a space of time at the beginning of the voice of the seventh angel which is employed in closing up the work of human probation. During this period, the living righteous conclude their probation and are accounted worthy to stand before the Son of man. (See Luke 21:36.) This is the time of the dead that they should be judged, i.e., the time when the righteous dead are accounted worthy of a part in the first resurrection. (See Luke 20:35, 36; Revelation 11:18.) It is when the Ancient of Days sits in judgment that Christ is crowned King, and this same event takes place under the sounding of the seventh angel. (See Daniel 7:9–14; Revelation 11:15–17.) This shows that the judgment scene of Daniel 7 is in the days of the seventh angel and that the judgment of the dead here brought to view is at the Father’s tribunal. Two things next claim our attention: 1) the mighty proclamation which heralds the investigative judgment at the beginning of the voice of the seventh angel and 2) the opening of the most holy place of the heavenly temple for the session of that judgment.

Period of Time to Pass

The second and third woes come in consequence of the voices of the sixth and seventh angels. (See Revelation 8:13.) There is a short space of time between the second and third woes, hence such space must exist between the close of the sixth angel’s voice and the commencement of the seventh. (See Revelation 11:14.) The termination of the hour, day, month, and year of the sixth angel marks the conclusion of the second woe, August 11, 1840. (See Revelation 9:15.)

At the close of the sixth angel’s voice, a mighty angel descends from heaven to herald the sounding of the seventh trumpet. He has a little book open in His hand; and He places His right foot upon the sea and His left foot on the earth and cries with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth. The seven thunders utter their voices, but John is forbidden to write what they utter. The angel, having made proclamation to the inhabitants of the earth, lifts His hand to heaven and swears that time shall be no longer but that in the days of the beginning of the seventh angel’s voice, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets. (See Revelation 10:1–7.)

His act of placing one foot upon the sea and one upon the land implies that His proclamation pertains to all the dwellers upon the globe. He cries with a mighty voice like the roar of a lion, but it is a voice that gives instruction and warning to mankind; for He has a little book open in His hand, a fact which indicates that its contents form the subject of His proclamation. When He has finished His announcement, He confirms it with a solemn oath. The words of this oath give a definite idea of the nature of His proclamation.

That it relates to the definite time of some grand event.

That this event is the sounding of the seventh angel.

That this proclamation is based upon the prophets.

The book of Daniel contains the prophetic periods which mark the very events of the seventh angel’s voice. Among the earliest of these events are the opening of the second apartment of the heavenly temple (see Revelation 11:19), the judgment of the righteous dead (see Revelation 11:18), the finishing of the mystery of God (see Revelation 10:7), and the coronation of Christ for the destruction of His enemies (see Revelation 11:15–19; Psalm 2:6–9). The prophecy of Daniel reveals this very session of the investigative judgment, at which Christ is crowned King upon His own throne (see Daniel 7:9–14), and the final work in the sanctuary of God for the closing up of human probation (see Daniel 8:14), and marks the very time for the beginning of this grand work.

Daniel and Time

The book of Daniel must therefore be that book out of which the angel makes His proclamation of definite time; for this book alone contains the prophetic periods, unless, indeed, we add the book of Revelation, which is but a second edition of the prophecy of Daniel. Now it is a remarkable fact that the book of Daniel was by divine direction closed up and sealed till the time of the end, when the wise were to understand. (See Daniel 12:4–10.) The same power which placed the seal upon it must be employed to take it off. It was by the agency of the angel of God that this book was closed up, and it is by the same means that the seal is removed. Hence, when the angel descends to herald the work under the seventh trumpet, that prophecy which reveals the very events of that trumpet and marks the time of their commencement is open in His hand. Having made His announcement therefrom, He swears that time shall be no longer, i.e., that the events predicted shall occur where He then stands—at the end of the periods contained in the little book.

The time to the finishing of the mystery of God must be the burden of the proclamation of this mighty angel, for the oath which He utters to confirm His proclamation plainly indicates its nature. He swears that time should be no longer, but that the mystery of God should be finished in the days at the beginning of the seventh angel’s voice. The time, therefore, to which He swears must be the time contained in the little book, and which reaches to the events of the seventh angel’s voice.

That this oath uttered by the angel with the open book relates to prophetic time is further evident from the record of the oath which was uttered at the time when that book was sealed up; for the man clothed in linen, standing at a time when the prophetic periods all lay in the future, solemnly attests with an oath the time contained in the sealed book. (See Daniel 12:6, 7.) But the angel of Revelation 10, having the book open in His hand, first proclaims their termination and then swears to the truth of His announcement. His oath marks the end of the time in question. It certainly does not mark the end of time considered as duration, measured by days, or years; for the closing words of the oath speak of days yet future under the seventh angel; nor does it mark the end of human probation, for the words of the oath place this also yet future under the sounding of the seventh angel. (See verse 7.)

Moreover, after the eating of the book by John, who in this personates the church at the time of the fulfillment of this prophecy, he was bidden to prophecy again before many peoples and nations—a clear proof that there is a message of mercy and of warning to men after the oath of the angel that time shall be no longer. (See verses 7–11.) We must therefore conclude that this oath has reference to the time which the angel had announced from the book open in His hand. This oath is the complement of that in Daniel 12. In that, the man clothed in linen swears to prophetic time yet to be; in this, the angel having made solemn proclamation from the open book, lifts His hand to heaven and swears to the accomplishment of the time.

What has been said is quite sufficient to show that the work of the mighty angel of Revelation 10 is of the same nature with that of the angel in Revelation 14:6, 7. His message is uttered while the living are yet in probation. It is termed the everlasting gospel because it is that which contains the good news of the coming kingdom of God. Like the mighty proclamation of the angel of Revelation 10, which pertains to all the dwellers upon the globe, this also is addressed to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. As the angel of Revelation 10 proclaims definite time connected with the seventh angel’s voice, so this angel says with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” Revelation 14:7. There must be definite time to mark the proclamation of this angel; and as men are addressed while yet in probation, that time must be the prophetic periods of the Bible. And herein have we a parallel to the case of the angel of Revelation 10 with the open book in His hand swearing to the fulfillment of time. That relates to the sounding of the seventh angel and the finishing of the mystery of God; this relates to the session of the investigative judgment, which, as we have seen, is the same work. As a further work of prophesying remains after the angel of Revelation 10 swears that time shall be no longer, so in Revelation 14, after the angel has announced that the hour of God’s judgment is come, the like work remains to be performed.

The period designated as the hour of God’s judgment, or the days when the mystery of God is to be finished, is not therefore ushered in by the advent of Christ; for its work is preparatory to that event. But it is announced to the inhabitants of the earth by solemn proclamation, based on definite time and confirmed by an immutable oath. The time must therefore be given rightly. Whenever, in fulfillment of Revelation 14:6, 7, the announcement is made, “The hour of His judgment is come,” the time must be truthfully given. And certainly when the angel of Revelation 10 swears to the fulfillment of time, that time must there expire. Yet in each case, there is a further work of prophesying or proclaiming truth to the children of men.

These scriptures can never have their fulfillment by a succession of time messages, each disproving the truth of its predecessor and each being in turn disproved by the one which succeeds it. When God gives these announcements, they will be rightly given, though they are to be followed by the proclamation of other truths before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Those time movements which follow the genuine and which repeat themselves again and again in the persistent effort to fix the time of Christ’s advent never can be in fulfillment of the solemn announcement, “The hour of His judgment is come,” or of the solemn oath that time should be no longer; for these later time movements are but a succession of efforts made to fix the definite time of Christ’s advent, though that is not revealed in the Bible, and though each movement is based upon the failure of all which have preceded it. But the genuine is given for the purpose of announcing the investigative judgment; and its truthfulness being attested by the oath of the angel, it will never be retracted to make way for successive announcements of the time of Christ’s revelation. The opening of the heavenly temple and the final work therein we will now consider.

Christ’s Coronation

The investigative judgment, the finishing of the work of human probation, the close of Christ’s priesthood, and His coronation upon His own throne are events which transpire in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he begins to sound. They precede the revelation of Christ in the clouds of heaven and are preparatory to that grand event. The field of vision during this closing period of human probation is not simply the earth, where, indeed, the fierce battle between truth and error is being fought, but the temple of God in heaven is opened to our view and becomes the theme of prophetic discourse. (See Revelation 11:19; 15:5.)

We have learned that the priesthood of Christ must continue till He has secured the acquittal of His people at the tribunal of His Father, where their sins are blotted out and themselves accounted worthy of eternal life. It is at this very time and place that the Saviour changes from His priestly to His kingly office. Hence, wherever our Lord closes His priestly office, there must be the place of the judgment session described in Daniel 7.

The End

The Time of the End

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“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4.

The time of the end noted in this text is not the end itself. It is evidently a period of time just prior to the end. In the time of the end, many were to run to and fro and knowledge upon the grand subject before the prophet’s mind was to be increased.

The words of the book, named in the text, are undoubtedly the prophecy of Daniel, the several chains of which reach down to the close of all earthly kingdoms at the Second Coming of Christ

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Shut up the words, and seal the book. Prophecy is history in advance. To the prophets themselves, their own prophecies could afford but little light, the prophetic scenery spread out before them being the history of the future. The apostle, speaking of the prophecies relative to the plan of salvation embracing the sufferings of Christ at His first advent and also the glory that should follow at His Second Advent, says: “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.” I Peter 1:10–12.

Prophecies Not Especially for the Prophets Themselves

The prophecies relative to the first advent of Christ were not an especial light to the prophets in their day, but they were given for the benefit of the believing about the time of their fulfillment. From the very nature of the case, they were, in a degree at least, shut up until about that time. So with those prophecies which relate to the Second Advent. They were not designed for the especial benefit of the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs, or the Reformers; but they are an especial light to those who live in the time of the end. The book was to be shut up and sealed until that period of time, called the time of the end, should arrive. What then?

Many shall run to and fro. Whether this be fulfilled in turning and searching to and fro in the Scriptures for light upon the subject of the fulfillment of prophecy, or by men called of God to the work traveling to and fro with the message from God to the people upon this subject, the fulfillment is evident. Both have been done within the last half century as never before.

Duffield on Prophecy, 373, says: “The word translated, run to and fro, is metaphorically used to denote investigation, close, diligent, accurate observation—just as the eyes of the Lord are said to run to and fro. The reference is not to missionary exertions in particular but to the study of the Scriptures, especially the sealed book of prophecy.”

Clarke says: “Many shall run to and fro. Many shall endeavor to search out the sense; and knowledge shall be increased by these means. This seems to be the meaning of this verse, though another has been put upon it; viz., ‘Many shall run to and fro preaching the gospel of Christ, and therefore religious knowledge and true wisdom shall be increased.’ This is true in itself, but it is not the meaning of the prophet’s words.”

Matthew Henry says, “They shall read it over and over, shall meditate upon it; they shall discourse of it, talk it over, sift out the meaning of it, and thus knowledge shall be increased.”

Gill says: “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased; that is, toward the end of the time appointed, many shall be stirred up to inquire into these things delivered in this book and will spare no pains nor cost to get a knowledge of them; will read and study the Scriptures and meditate on them, compare one passage with another, spiritual things with spiritual, in order to obtain the mind of Christ; will carefully peruse the writings of such who have lived before them, who have attempted anything of this kind; and will go far and near to converse with persons who have any understanding of such things; and by such means, with the blessing of God upon them the knowledge of this book of prophecy will be increased and things will appear plainer and clearer the nearer the accomplishment of them is; and especially when prophecy and facts can be compared.

An Increase of Knowledge Relative to Prophecy

Knowledge shall be increased. This does not mean general knowledge, but the words must be limited to the subject presented to Daniel. The book of Daniel contains chains of prophecy which reach down to the end of earthly kingdoms and the judgment. Chapters 11 and 12 are one chain reaching down to the time when Michael shall stand up, the time of trouble such as never was, and the resurrection of many. In chapter 12:6, one says to “the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” The end of the wonders is the close of those scenes connected with the judgment. In the next verse the answer is given by the man clothed in linen, with a most solemn oath, with both hands raised to heaven.

But says Daniel: “I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” Verse8. The prophet here makes earnest inquiries relative to the scenes connected with the Second Advent. Read the angel’s reply: “Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” Verse 9. The prophecy of Daniel, which points distinctly to the period of the Second Advent, was closed up and sealed till the time of the end. What then? In verse 4, Daniel was told that in the time of the end many should run to and fro and knowledge should be increased. This relates to the theoretical part of the work. But in verse 10, the angel’s answer to the earnest inquiry of the prophet relates to the work of preparation and the results of the great Second Advent movement. He says: “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Only Two Classes

Here are two classes, the wicked and the wise. The wise are those who are being purified and made white. They are wise in reference to the things of God and the kingdom of heaven. They understand by the opening prophecies the events which terminate the wonders shown to the prophet. They see these things clearly, believe, prepare, and rejoice in the blessed hope. Here we should be impressed with the practical bearing of the Second Advent faith and hope. The truly wise, those who are being “purified, and made white, and tried,” understand. They will listen to the voice of warning and will be instructed and will understand that the day of the Lord is coming and hasteth greatly. They will be waiting and watching and will be ready when the Lord shall come. Of these Paul speaks: “And unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28. Or, as Peter exhorts: “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” II Peter 3:14. Again, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.” Verse 11.

But the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand. They do not seek for the Spirit of truth. They are led by the spirit of error. They doubt, scoff, and mark their course of rebellion against the truth of God by doing wickedly. May God pity the blind sinner.

That there is a period of time in which the church is especially to look for the Second Coming of Christ is evident. Many, however, take the ground that it was right for the early Christians to look for Christ’s Second Coming in their day, that it has been Scriptural for the followers of Christ in each generation since to expect His coming in their day, and that nothing more, in this respect, is required of the church at this time.

It is true that some of the early church received the idea that Christ would come in their day. It is evident that the Thessalonian church thus believed from the fact that the apostle Paul, in his second epistle to them, corrects this error. He says: “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering unto Him, that you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God.” II Thessalonians 2:1–4.

Paul Did not Expect Christ’s Return in His Day

From this testimony we conclude that there were those who had taught the Thessalonians to expect the Second Advent in their day. But the apostle exhorts them not to be troubled with this idea and warns them against being deceived by it. He then states that the day of Christ would not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin (the papacy) be revealed. He points the church of Christ down over the period of the apostasy and the twelve hundred and sixty years of papal supremacy, to near our time, and guards all the way with a warning against being deceived with the idea that Christ might come during that period. Why did his warning cease there? Answer: At that point, the time of the end commenced when the prophecy of Daniel was to be unsealed, knowledge on the subject of Christ’s coming was to be increased, and many run to and fro.

What a beautiful harmony in the testimonies of the angel and of Paul. The angel says to Daniel, “The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” Paul says to his brethren, “That day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed.” The apostle’s warning reaches down to the time of the end when the words were to be unsealed. This plainly shows that the last half century has been the period for the subject of the Second Advent to be brought out and that this is the only time when the church of Christ could scripturally look for the coming of the Lord.

Editorial – Apocalyptic Times, part 1

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For more than a thousand years, Bible students have recognized that the latter part of the book of Revelation contains prophecies which primarily apply to the end of all things earthly, as we know them, and the ushering in of a new age. Seventh-day Adventists know that the beginning of this new age will occur at the Second Coming of Christ, when He will raise all of the righteous dead and grant to all of His followers immortality.

This closing chapter of earth’s history, the utter end of all things, and the ushering in of the new age of righteousness and peace is often referred to as the apocalypse, a Greek word which translates revelation.

It was concerning this wonderful prospect that Paul said that in the ages to come, God would show to us the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (See Ephesians 2:7.) Paul also referred to the end of this age and the ushering in of the age to come as the blessed hope. (Titus 2:11–14.)

Adventists have recognized for well over one hundred years that since 1798 we are living in the last epochal time period of earth’s history, called by Daniel the “time of the end” and by many other Bible writers as the “last days.” We have been looking for and expecting events to take place that would indicate when we would be, not just in the last days, not just in the time of the end, but in the end of time.

When on the Mount of Olives the apostles asked Jesus when these things would be and what would be the sign of His coming (see Matthew 24:3), He responded by cautioning us to be ready at all times because we do not know when the time is. (See Mark 13:33.) He also warned that the final events would happen in an hour that we do not expect. (See Matthew 24:44.) Ellen White has plainly warned us of our great danger of being taken by surprise.

“I lay down my pen and lift up my soul in prayer, that the Lord would breathe upon His backsliding people, which are as dry bones, and they shall live. The end is near, stealing upon us stealthily, so imperceptibly, so noiselessly, like the muffled tread of the thief in the night to surprise the sleepers off guard and unready. May the Lord grant to bring His Holy Spirit to bear upon the hearts of all who are now at ease, that they may no longer sleep as others but watch and be sober.” Paulson Collection, 348.

And again she writes: “When Jesus ceases to plead for man, the cases of all are forever decided. This is the time of reckoning with His servants. To those who have neglected the preparation of purity and holiness, which fits them to be waiting ones to welcome their Lord, the sun sets in gloom and darkness, and rises not again. Probation closes; Christ’s intercessions cease in heaven. This time finally comes suddenly upon all, and those who have neglected to purify their souls by obeying the truth are found sleeping. They became weary of waiting and watching; they became indifferent in regard to the coming of their Master. They longed not for His appearing, and thought there was no need of such continued, persevering watching. They had been disappointed in their expectations and might be again. They concluded that there was time enough yet to arouse. They would be sure not to lose the opportunity of securing an earthly treasure. It would be safe to get all of this world they could. And in securing this object, they lost all anxiety and interest in the appearing of the Master. They became indifferent and careless, as though His coming were yet in the distance. But while their interest was buried up in their worldly gains, the work closed in the heavenly sanctuary, and they were unprepared.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 191.

Wherever one looks, there are straws in the wind which indicate very plainly that we are entering apocalyptic times. We hope to outline some of these in next month’s editorial.

The Quiet Place

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The Bible has very specific marks for identifying the Roman Catholic Church as the anti-christ of Bible prophecy. In II Thessalonians she is referred to as the mystery of iniquity. There are some very interesting things written about this from history, the Spirit of Prophecy and the Bible of how she could deceive people, Protestants and Adventist groups alike, into praying the rosary.

In the book, Last Day Events, 164, are three paragraphs that are not in the public domain. The entire document, called “The Personation of Satan,” is available from the White estate on request.

Referring to right near the end of the probationary period, it says, “Satan sees that he is about to lose his case. He cannot sweep in the whole world. He makes one last desperate effort to overcome the faithful by deception. He does this in personating Christ. He clothes himself with the garments of royalty which have been accurately described in the vision of John (Revelation 1:13–16). He has power to do this. He will appear to his deluded followers, the Christian world who received not the love of the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (transgression of God’s law), as Christ coming the second time (II Thessalonians 2).

“He proclaims himself Christ, and he is believed to be Christ, a beautiful, majestic being clothed with majesty and, with soft voice and pleasant words, with glory unsurpassed by anything their mortal eyes had yet beheld. Then his deceived, deluded followers set up a shout of victory, ‘Christ has come the second time! Christ has come! He has lifted up His hands just as He did when He was upon the earth, and blessed us.’ …

“The saints look on with amazement. Will they also be deceived? Will they worship Satan? Angels of God are about them. A clear, firm, musical voice is heard ‘Christ is come. Christ is come!’ ” How could they say such a thing unless they had previously seen Christ? I believe they have, and I will show here from the Spirit of Prophecy and the Bible that they have seen him many times, just not in this appearance. Those who stubbornly retain even one cherished sin will say, “Christ is come, Christ is come!” and be deceived. Sin, in its very nature, is deceiving.

There is a type of prayer that seems to bring Christ down from heaven into your mind so that you can actually converse with Him personally. About 500 years ago this method was called, “The Spiritual Exercises of Loyola.” Today it is called “Contemplative Prayer.”

Ellen White says, “Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.” The Signs of the Times, June 18, 1902. The reverse of this is, I can bring God down to me any time I want, just as long as I’m in this state of mind. The deluded followers of Christ can say, “Christ is come, Christ is come,” because they have seen Him or who they think is Him many times right here in their own lives.

There are some important principles about prayer that we need to take into account:

In I Kings 8:46–49 is the story of Solomon when the temple he built was dedicated. He said, “If they sin against Thee, [he said if] (for there is no man that sinneth not), and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto Thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; and so return unto Thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto Thee toward their land, which Thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name then hear Thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause.”

The condition for God hearing and answering prayer is confession, repentance, and turning away from sin. (See Psalm 55.) The devil would like to develop a method of prayer that allows you to converse with him and have a religious experience while still living in sin.

God can reach down to us no matter where we are but raises our prayer to Him in His holy temple. Jonah was in the belly of a fish with seaweed wrapped around his head and said, “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple.” Jonah 2:7. His prayer was directed to heaven. He wasn’t asking God to come down in the belly of the fish with him; he said, “My prayer ascended up to heaven.” Prayer does not bring God down to us; it lifts us up to God.

It would be wise to realize that the devil is a student of Bible prophecy. In fact, we are told in the Spirit of Prophecy that the devil knows the Bible better than anyone. His intelligence far exceeds that of men, and only by a diligent study of the Word can he be beat. In the sixteenth century, two movements were raised. Martin Luther, born in 1483, grew up in a home that was very, very strict. He completed his college studies, but during those years he began to feel that his soul was not right with God. His father wanted him to be a lawyer, so after he graduated from college he went on to the university to further his study in that field. He was a very bright and intelligent man and the monks wanted him to join them. After a short time in the university he dropped out of law, and searching for a way to find peace in his heart and to be right with God, he joined the monastery. But he found no peace there. He beat himself, and sometimes so severely that he would go unconscious and lose much blood. He also fasted for many days on end in his search for peace.

Finally a man came to Martin Luther and said, “Martin, God loves you. You don’t need to go through all these strict austerities to try to find peace in your heart with God. Accept His love into your heart.” Martin Luther began reading a Latin Vulgate on the wall of his monastery and began to find the love of God. He began to discover that God would supply the grace to enable him to be forgiven and find that peace he so desired. Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, the reformation that you and I need to complete.

Another man was born eight years later in 1491, Ignatius Loyola. He also struggled with the same burden that Martin Luther had in his own life, going through the same rituals, whipping himself, fasting and living in monasteries to try to find the peace that he desired. These two monks were destined to follow entirely different paths. Ignatius, instead of feeling that his remorse was sent to drive him to the foot of the cross, persuaded himself that these inner reproaches proceeded not from God, but from the devil, and he resolved never more to think of his sins. He erased them from his memory and buried them into eternal oblivion.

Luther turned towards Christ; Loyola only fell back on himself. This is very interesting. One falls upon Christ, the other falls upon himself. If you don’t like your sins and you try to erase them, as Loyola did, the devil is going to give you an experience. Visions came along to confirm Loyola in the conviction to which he had arrived. His own resolves had become a substitute for the grace of the Lord. His visions had become his substitute.

His own imaginings had supplied the place of God’s word. He had looked upon the voice of God in his conscience as the voice of the devil, and accordingly the remainder of his history represents him as given up to the inspirations of the spirits of darkness. One day Loyola met an old woman, as Luther in the hour of his trial, was visited by an old man. But the Spanish woman, instead of proclaiming remission of sins to the penitent, Manresah predicted visitations from Jesus. Such was the Christianity to which Loyola had recourse.

Loyola did not seek truth in the Holy Scriptures, but imagined in their place immediate communication with the world of spirits. He soon lived entirely in ecstasies and contemplation. These numerous apparitions had removed all his doubts. He believed he was right with God because of the experiences that he was having. He believed, not as Luther believed by faith what is written in the word of God, but because of the visions he had seen. This is very fascinating history as we look at what is happening in modern-day times. This is not old stuff buried in history; this is new stuff, resurrected for Christianity today.

Just about 40 or 50 years ago Vatican II, which was called the ecumenica, had a specific agenda of how to bring the Roman Catholic Church and all the Protestant churches, and all the Muslem churches, as well as everybody else, into union with one another.

Notice a statement found on their website: “The theology of the church forged at Vatican II provided the relationship of the church with the other Christian traditions in more positive terms than had hereto been the case. The council gave the green light for full participation of the Catholic Church in a search for Christian unity which had already been under way for over 50 years.” www.vatican2voice.org/4basics/themes.htm

Not too long ago there was a segment on the news about the importance of Vatican II, because it was an anniversary. It was reported that the theme of the documents of Vatican II was reconciliation, and they allowed for Catholics to pray with other Christian denominations and encourage friendship with other non-Christian faiths.

It’s very interesting that they would mention prayer as a means to bring Christian unity. Now I ask, “Could the Roman Catholic Church teach Protestants and even Adventists to pray rosaries?” The Roman Catholic Church went on a quest to evangelize the world, including Protestants, because you and I are considered separated brethren, separate from the Mother church. Notice this apostolic letter, which was written in 2002, and its reference to the rosary.

John Paul II, Apostolic letter, 2002:

“It can be said that the rosary is in some sense, a prayer-commentary on the final chapter of the Vatican II Constitution. To recite the rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ. I desire that during the course of this year, the rosary should be especially emphasized and promoted in various Christian communities [not just Roman Catholic!] But the most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery which I have proposed in the apostolic letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, as a genuine training in holiness.”

Do you have holiness of heart when you pray to God while you are still living in sin, and you know it? No.

“What is needed is a Christian life distinguished above all in the art of prayer.” Remember, Roman Catholics were given permission to pray with other Christian denominations. What are they teaching us? “We should not be surprised that our relationship with Christ makes use of a method. God communicates Himself to us respecting our human nature and its vital rhythms. Hence, the Christian’s spirituality is familiar with the most sublime forms of mystical silence in which images, words, and gestures are all, so to speak, superseded by an intense and ineffable union with God.”

What is this mystical silence he is talking about? It is contemplative prayer, a spiritual exercise of Ignatius Loyola, which teaches you to pray through meditation. Meditation is mentioned in the Bible, but it’s much different than the meditation you see nowadays. In contemplative prayer, you empty your mind of all your thoughts and activities, and you enter into a quiet place, and there, you empty your thoughts and focus in on one of the mysteries he is speaking about, and that’s the only thing you focus in on. Keating, who is a Jesuit, has written many books that are used in our Seventh-day Adventist universities today.

He describes this silence you come to, and in the meditative process of prayer you repeat words over and over again, as in the rosary, which is why it has been emphasized. As the rosary is repeated, your mind comes into a state of quietness, and there you see in your mind the face of Jesus, or the face of the Father or you see Mary, and you go in and you can converse with one of them, one on one. Remember, prayer does not bring God down to us; it lifts us up to God. Most religions have engaged this system of prayer, and it is willingly accepted among many groups today.

This is a mystical silence. In the book, The Secret History of the Jesuits, by Edmond Paris (Chick Publications, Chino, California, 1975), is a statement that Loyola made that sounds very similar to John Paul II’s statement. In talking about the methods of prayer in his life, he states, “The third way of praying is by measuring the words and periods of silence.” In reference to the rosary you will see this word mentioned over and over again, entering into this quiet place, this stillness, this silent time, in your own mind, and there you have an experience with God within you.

Continuing the John Paul II Apostolic Letter 2002: “A discovery of the importance of silence is one of the secrets of practicing contemplation and meditation. Just as moments of silence are recommended in the liturgy, so too in the recitation of the rosary, it is fitting to pause briefly after listening to the word of God, while the mind focuses on the content of a particular mystery.” You can see this official letter on the Vatican website, www.vatican.va.

While in Africa, I walked by a Muslim with beads in his hands. Like Catholics, Muslims pray on beads. He was about ready to go to prayers, and I asked him what was in his hand. He told me that they were his prayer beads. There were 90 beads on the string and he prayed every single one of them, rolling them through his hand. I calculated in my mind that 90 beads prayed the five times each day that Muslim’s are required to pray, add to 450 times per day praying the same prayer. Continual repetition of the same phrase causes a hypnotic state. Statistics show that of a population of around 7 billion in 2013, there are 1.6 billion Muslims and 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in the world. Add to this number the non-Christian religions, Buddhists and other Eastern religions that embrace this same method of prayer or trance using prayer beads or sticks of incense and you find that it numbers in excess of half the population.

The devil is preparing the world for something big. When you see him coming as Christ and everybody is saying, “Christ has come, Christ has come,” you can know that they have seen this person before in their own minds and they recognize him, for they have been hypnotized. The spiritual exercises of Loyola have been resurrected in these last days, especially after Vatican II, evangelizing the world through this method. Today it is called centering prayer—bringing the mind into the center and entering into the quiet place!

On the website, www.centeringprayer.com, Thomas Keating says: “Centering prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us.”

Eve was told the same lie in the Garden of Eden. “Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” This same thing is happening here in contemplative prayer. It says this presence of God is within us and it says, “closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself is God in us.”

Looking at what is going on, the following text in Matthew 24:23, 24 is very fascinating: “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 show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” They are going to show us “great signs.” The Greek word is semeion, which means miracles or wonders, something to wonder at. These wondrous signs from the devil are going to be so hypnotic that even the elect could be deceived.

Then verses 25 and 26 say: “Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Who are these personators? They are false christs and false prophets, and if they tell you Jesus is in the desert or secret chambers, do not believe.

In the desert I can understand, but what does it mean by “the secret chambers”? This expression is often translated as inner rooms. The original Greek word for inner rooms means a dispensary or magazine. This is a chamber on the ground floor or interior of an Oriental house (generally used for storage or privacy, a spot for retirement)—secret chamber, closet, storehouse. A dispensary or a magazine is an old term. Gun shells like bombs and things were put in what we call a magazine, a holding place, a storehouse of some sort. If you were to go to this place, you would be given something in this secret chamber.

The text says that this could deceive even the elect. How could this be if God’s elect are studying their Bibles, or has something else been substituted for the study of God’s word, an experience maybe?

Could these secret chambers or inner rooms where we retire and go to pray, entering into these silent meditations to find Christ, the deception that Jesus warned about? The devil will love to give an experience to all who seek God but refuse His cleansing power. “I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, ‘Father, give us Thy Spirit.’ Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan’s object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God’s children.” Early Writings, 56.

“Satan determines to unite them [church members] in one body and thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the ranks of Spiritualism.” The Great Controversy, 588.

Spiritualism is the uniting factor that joins all the churches together, regardless of religion. “Papists, who boast of miracles as a certain sign of the true church, will be readily deceived by this wonder-working power; and Protestants, having cast away the shield of truth, will also be deluded. Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will alike accept the form of godliness without the power and they will see in this union a grand movement for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long-expected millennium.” Ibid.

Paul says, “Even him [the lawless one], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth.” II Thessalonians 2:9, 10.

Why didn’t they love the truth? They loved the experience that they were having more than they loved God and His word. “They received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Verses 10–12.

To be saved in sin is a very attractive lie, one that the devil loves to promote. I John 5:17 says, “All unrighteousness is sin” and I John 3:4 says, “sin is the transgression of the law.” People are going to come to a point in earth’s history where they are going to love breaking God’s law, while claiming Christ and having a “form of godliness” (II Timothy 3:5).

The devil is working to sweep the entire world into one mind by using these methods of prayer. Revelation 17:13 says, “These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” The beast is the papal power. It is going to have the lending hand of Protestants and worldlings alike.

“The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country [America] will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.” The Great Controversy, 588.

I believe that hand is already extended, and we are welcoming the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church into our communion. There are people who do not have a love for the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness, in breaking God’s law. God is going to send them strong delusions. That powerful delusion of Satan coming as Christ is going to sweep in the whole world except for a little group of people, the remnant, who have put away sin in their life.

The devil is going to give an experience to people who won’t put away sin just like he did with Ignatius Loyola. He will give visions, dreams, and all kinds of experiences. He is a master at trickery.

“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given to Eve in Eden. ‘Ye shall not surely die.’ ‘In the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil’ (Genesis 3:4, 5). Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism.” The Great Controversy, 561.

His coming as Christ is the masterpiece of his deception.

“They must have some means of quieting their consciences, and they seek that which is least spiritual and humiliating. What they desire is a method of forgetting God which shall pass as a method of remembering Him.” Ibid., 572. Loyola wanted his conscience to be quiet, so he cast his sin off into oblivion and the devil supplied him with visions and ecstatic experiences.

The new spirituality is teaching that we can have an experience with God while living in sin. When you come into this quiet place where you see these apparitions in your mind, it is the devil speaking to you, not God. Prayer does not bring God down to us. We are viewing the enemy himself. And when he appears as this majestic being from heaven, like in Revelation chapter 1, the majority will say, “Christ has come. Christ has come!” They will know him because they have seen him over and over again in their experience.

Our only defense is God’s word. The true method of prayer is to get on your knees and confess your unworthiness, your sinfulness, and ask God to search your heart. When you cooperate with the heavenly agencies, by God’s grace, sin will be eliminated from your life.

If you don’t have a real experience with the only true God, the devil will certainly give you one, a method of forgetting His word, but at the same time passing as a Christian.

These new methods of prayer are deluding many people. We need God’s grace to enable us to put sin out of our lives. May our hearts and minds continue to be lifted up to heavenly things.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the King James Version.)

Mike Bauler was ordained into the ministry in 2005 and serves as pastor of the Historic Message Church in Portland, Oregon. Prior to locating in Portland, Pastor Bauler served as a Bible worker for Steps to Life Ministries. His goal is to help give the gospel to the greater Portland area with an emphasis in helping his Bible students discover the truths in Bible prophecy, which are so often neglected today. His wife, Amanda, a family nurse practitioner, and their daughters Hannah, Esther and Abigail assist him in his ministry.

Bible Study Guides – The United States in Bible Prophecy

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April 20, 2014 – April 26, 2014

Key Text

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” Revelation 13:11.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 440–450, 606, 607.

Introduction

“The lamblike horns and dragon voice of the symbol point to a striking contradiction between the professions and the practice of the nation thus represented [in Revelation 13:11]. The ‘speaking’ of the nation is the action of its legislative and judicial authorities.” The Great Controversy, 442.

1 “COMING UP OUT OF THE EARTH”

  • As the leopardlike beast received a deadly wound in 1798, what arose around that time, and how do we know it is a nation? Revelation 13:11, first part.

Note: “The beast with lamblike horns was seen ‘coming up out of the earth’ (Revelation 13:11). Instead of overthrowing other powers to establish itself, the nation thus represented must arise in territory previously unoccupied and grow up gradually and peacefully. It could not, then, arise among the crowded and struggling nationalities of the Old World—that turbulent sea of ‘peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues’ (Revelation 17:15). It must be sought in the Western Continent.” The Great Controversy, 440.

  • What does “coming up out of the earth” signify? Compare Revelation 13:1 with 13:11.

Note: “What nation of the New World was in 1798 rising into power, giving promise of strength and greatness, and attracting the attention of the world? The application of the symbol admits of no question. One nation, and only one, meets the specifications of this prophecy; it points unmistakably to the United States of America.” The Great Controversy, 440.

2 CHARACTERISTICS OF A LAMB

  • What characteristics of a lamblike nation are found in the early history of the United States? How do the founding principles of this nation embody these traits? Isaiah 53:7; Jeremiah 11:19; Acts 8:32.

Note: “The lamblike horns indicate youth, innocence, and gentleness, fitly representing the character of the United States when presented to the prophet as ‘coming up’ in 1798. Among the Christian exiles who first fled to America and sought an asylum from royal oppression and priestly intolerance were many who determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty. Their views found place in the Declaration of Independence, which sets forth the great truth that ‘all men are created equal’ and endowed with the inalienable right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ And the Constitution guarantees to the people the right of self-government, providing that representatives elected by the popular vote shall enact and administer the laws. Freedom of religious faith was also granted, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. The oppressed and downtrodden throughout Christendom have turned to this land with interest and hope.” The Great Controversy, 441.

“The founders of the nation wisely sought to guard against the employment of secular power on the part of the church, with its inevitable result—intolerance and persecution. The Constitution provides that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ and that ‘no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office of public trust under the United States.’ ” Ibid., 442.

  • Even before the end of religious persecution under state churches, how was the United States already helping the persecuted Christians? Matthew 24:21, 22; Revelation 12:14–16.

Note: “As the tidings spread through the countries of Europe, of a land where every man might enjoy the fruit of his own labor and obey the convictions of his own conscience, thousands flocked to the shores of the New World. …

“The Bible was held as the foundation of faith, the source of wisdom, and the charter of liberty.” The Great Controversy, 296.

3 SPEAKS LIKE A DRAGON

  • What change takes place in the prophetic lamblike beast? Revelation 13:11, last part.

Note: “[The lamblike nation] will give the lie to those liberal and peaceful principles which it has put forth as the foundation of its policy. The prediction that it will speak ‘as a dragon’ and exercise ‘all the power of the first beast’ plainly foretells a development of the spirit of intolerance and persecution that was manifested by the nations represented by the dragon and the leopardlike beast. And the statement that the beast with two horns ‘causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast’ (Revelation 13:12) indicates that the authority of this nation is to be exercised in enforcing some observance which shall be an act of homage to the papacy.

“Such action would be directly contrary to the principles of this government, to the genius of its free institutions, to the direct and solemn avowals of the Declaration of Independence, and to the Constitution. … Only in flagrant violation of these safeguards to the nation’s liberty, can any religious observance be enforced by civil authority. But the inconsistency of such action is no greater than is represented in the symbol. It is the beast with lamblike horns—in profession pure, gentle, and harmless—that speaks as a dragon.

“ ‘Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast’ (Revelation 13:14). Here is clearly presented a form of government in which the legislative power rests with the people, a most striking evidence that the United States is the nation denoted in the prophecy.” [Emphasis author’s] The Great Controversy, 442, 443.

  • In what sense would the lamblike beast (United States) finally speak as a dragon, forming an image (following the example) of the leopard-like beast (Rome)?

Note: “To learn what the image is like and how it is to be formed we must study the characteristics of the beast itself—the papacy.

“When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends” The Great Controversy, 443.

4 ACTS LIKE A DRAGON

  • If the lamblike beast speaks like the dragon, what actions must be expected? Revelation 13:12.

Note: “A refusal to obey the commandments of God, and a determination to cherish hatred against those who proclaim these commandments, leads to the most determined war on the part of the dragon, whose whole energies are brought to bear against the commandment-keeping people of God.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 117.

“Courts of justice are corrupt. Rulers are actuated by desire for gain and love of sensual pleasure. Intemperance has beclouded the faculties of many so that Satan has almost complete control of them. Jurists are perverted, bribed, deluded. Drunkenness and revelry, passion, envy, dishonesty of every sort, are represented among those who administer the laws. ‘Justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter’ (Isaiah 59:14).” The Great Controversy, 586.

  • Under whose influence will the civil government of the United States form an image (imitation) of Rome? Revelation 13:15–17.

Note: “In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends.

“Whenever the church has obtained secular power, she has employed it to punish dissent from her doctrines. Protestant churches that have followed in the steps of Rome by forming alliance with worldly powers have manifested a similar desire to restrict liberty of conscience. An example of this is given in the long-continued persecution of dissenters by the Church of England. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, thousands of nonconformist ministers were forced to flee from their churches, and many, both of pastors and people, were subjected to fine, imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom.” The Great Controversy, 443.

“The ‘image to the beast’ (Revelation 13:14) represents that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas.” Ibid., 445.

5 CAUSING PEOPLE TO WORSHIP THE PAPACY

  • In what sense, and against whom, will the lamblike beast use force? Revelation 13:12, last part.

Note: “The clergy will put forth almost superhuman efforts to shut away the light lest it should shine upon their flocks. By every means at their command they will endeavor to suppress the discussion of these vital questions. The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and, in this work, papists and Protestants unite. As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. They will be threatened with fines and imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence, and other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce their faith. But their steadfast answer is: ‘Show us from the word of God our error’—the same plea that was made by Luther under similar circumstances.” The Great Controversy, 607.

  • How can a government make freedom-loving people accept a loss of its freedoms? II Thessalonians 2:9–12.

Note: “The Sunday movement is now making its way in darkness. The leaders are concealing the true issue, and many who unite in the movement do not themselves see whither the undercurrent is tending. Its professions are mild and apparently Christian, but when it shall speak it will reveal the spirit of the dragon. … We should endeavor to disarm prejudice by placing ourselves in a proper light before the people.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 452.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Around what year did the lamblike beast appear?

2 How did the United States, historically, help those Christians suffering under religious persecution in Europe?

3 What drastic change is to be seen in this peace-loving nation?

4 In what specific ways will the lamblike beast (United States) imitate the leopardlike beast (Rome)?

5 How will this freedom-loving nation give up her constitutional liberties and follow the example of Rome by establishing a form of inquisition?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The Rise of the Papacy

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April 13, 2014 – April 19, 2014

Key Text

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” II Thessalonians 2:3.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 49–57, 266, 438, 439.

Introduction

“We are to stand for true Protestant principles; for the policies of the papacy will edge their way into every possible place to proscribe liberty of conscience. Every eye should now be single to the glory of God.” The Review and Herald, September 9, 1909.

1 THE BEAST OF REVELATION 13

  • The third angel’s message of Revelation 14 uses certain terminology such as “beast,” “image of the beast,” and “mark of the beast.” In order to understand these terms correctly, what Scriptures must we study in comparison with one another—and why? Revelation chapter 13 and Daniel chapters 7 and 8.

Note: “The study of the Revelation directs the mind to the prophecies of Daniel, and both present most important instruction, given of God to men, concerning events to take place at the close of this world’s history.” The Great Controversy, 341.

“If the believers in the truth are not sustained by their faith in these comparatively peaceful days, what will uphold them when the grand test comes, and the decree goes forth against all those who will not worship the image of the beast, and receive his mark in their foreheads or in their hands?” The Review and Herald, September 21, 1876.

  • What characteristics are found in the beast mentioned in Revelation 13:1, 2, first part, 6, and also in Daniel 7:8?

2 THE BEAST AND THE LITTLE HORN

  • In prophecy, who is the dragon, and what kingdom most fully complied with his plans to destroy Jesus? Revelation 12:3–9; Matthew 2:16–18. To which kingdom did the dragon give its seat and great authority?

Note: “The line of prophecy in which these symbols [represented by the beast, the image, the mark] are found begins with Revelation 12, with the dragon that sought to destroy Christ at His birth. The dragon is said to be Satan (Revelation 12:9); he it was that moved upon Herod to put the Saviour to death. But the chief agent of Satan in making war upon Christ and His people during the first centuries of the Christian Era was the Roman Empire, in which paganism was the prevailing religion. Thus while the dragon, primarily, represents Satan, it is, in a secondary sense, a symbol of pagan Rome.” The Great Controversy, 438.

  • What characteristics did Rome, the symbolic beast, assume at its later stage? Revelation 13:5–8; Daniel 7:8, 20, 24, 25.

Note: “[The] compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in the development of ‘the man of sin’ foretold in prophecy as opposing and exalting himself above God.” The Great Controversy, 50.

“This symbol [of the leopardlike beast described in Revelation 13:1–10], as most Protestants have believed, represents the papacy, which succeeded to the power and seat and authority once held by the ancient Roman empire. … This prophecy, which is nearly identical with the description of the little horn of Daniel 7, unquestionably points to the papacy.” Ibid., 439.

  • Since a day in prophecy represents a year (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6), how long would this power have persecuting authority? Daniel 7:25, last part; 12:7; Revelation 12:6, 14; 13:5.

Note: “The forty and two months are the same as the ‘time and times and the dividing of time,’ three years and a half, or 1260 days, of Daniel 7—the time during which the papal power was to oppress God’s people. This period … began with the supremacy of the papacy, A.D. 538, and terminated in 1798.” The Great Controversy, 439.

3 THOUGHT TO CHANGE GOD’S LAW

  • What essential truths must we realize about the law of God? Matthew 5:17–19; Luke 16:17; Psalm 111:7–9 (compare Deuteronomy 4:13; Isaiah 24:5, last part).

Note: “If God could have changed one iota of His law, Jesus need not have come to our world to suffer and die.” The Signs of the Times, November 24, 1887.

“[The law of Jehovah] always has been, and always will be, holy, just, and good, complete in itself. It cannot be repealed or changed.” Prophets and Kings, 625.

  • What did the little horn (the beast of Revelation 13) think to do with the law of God? Which commandments are involved? Daniel 7:25, third part; Exodus 20:4–6, 8–11.

Note: “To afford converts from heathenism a substitute for the worship of idols, and thus to promote their nominal acceptance of Christianity, the adoration of images and relics was gradually introduced into the Christian worship. The decree of a general council finally established this system of idolatry. To complete the sacrilegious work, Rome presumed to expunge from the law of God the second commandment, forbidding image worship, and to divide the tenth commandment, in order to preserve the number.

“The spirit of concession to paganism opened the way for a still further disregard of Heaven’s authority. Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment also, and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as ‘the venerable day of the sun.’ This change was not at first attempted openly. In the first centuries the true Sabbath had been kept by all Christians. They were jealous for the honor of God, and, believing that His law is immutable, they zealously guarded the sacredness of its precepts. But with great subtlety Satan worked through his agents to bring about his object. That the attention of the people might be called to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 52.

“Satan strives to turn men from their allegiance to God, and from rendering obedience to His law.” Ibid., 54.

4 A BLASPHEMOUS POWER

  • Give examples of blasphemy. Matthew 9:2, 3; Mark 2:7; John 10:33. By speaking “great words against the most High” in Daniel 7:25, how does this power blaspheme God? II Thessalonians 2:4.

Note: “It is one of the leading doctrines of Romanism that the pope is the visible head of the universal church of Christ, invested with supreme authority over bishops and pastors in all parts of the world. More than this, the pope has been given the very titles of Deity. He has been styled ‘Lord God the Pope,’ and has been declared infallible. He demands the homage of all men. The same claim urged by Satan in the wilderness of temptation is still urged by him through the Church of Rome, and vast numbers are ready to yield him homage.” The Great Controversy, 50.

“Popes and priests claimed the power to forgive sins, and to open and close the gates of Heaven to all mankind. Senseless superstitions and rigorous exactions had taken the place of the true worship of God. The lives of popes and clergy were so corrupt, their proud pretensions so blasphemous, that good men trembled for the morality of the rising generation.” The Signs of the Times, May 31, 1883.

  • What shows that the manifestation of the antichrist had already begun in the days of the apostles, and how do we know that “the man of sin” is not going to come out of an atheistic community but out of established Christianity? II Thessalonians 2:3, 4, 7; I John 2:18, 19; 4:1–3; Acts 20:28–30.

Note: “The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, foretold the great apostasy which would result in the establishment of the papal power. … Even at that early date he saw, creeping into the church, errors that would prepare the way for the development of the papacy.” The Great Controversy, 49.

“In the counsels of the synagogue of Satan it was determined to obliterate the sign of allegiance to God in the world. Antichrist, the man of sin, exalted himself as supreme in the earth, and through him Satan has worked in a masterly way to create rebellion against the law of God and against the memorial of His created works. … The false sabbath has been upheld through superhuman agency in order that God might be dishonored.” The Signs of the Times, March 12, 1894.

5 A BLOODTHIRSTY ORGANIZATION

  • What characterized the history of the religio-political power that held supremacy for 1260 years? Matthew 24:21, 22; Revelation 13:7; 17:6.

Note: “In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all the engines of the papacy—the Inquisition. The prince of darkness wrought with the leaders of the papal hierarchy. In their secret councils Satan and his angels controlled the minds of evil men, while unseen in the midst stood an angel of God, taking the fearful record of their iniquitous decrees and writing the history of deeds too horrible to appear to human eyes.” The Great Controversy, 59.

  • What happened to that power at the end of the 1260 years in 1798? Revelation 13:3, first part, 10.

Note: “[In 1798] the pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled, ‘He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity’ (Revelation 13:10).” The Great Controversy, 439.

  • What should we keep in mind when facing atrocities from other so-called believers? John 16:33; II Timothy 3:12.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How are the prominent characteristics of the fourth beast of Daniel 7 reflected in the leopardlike beast of Revelation 13?

2 For how long was the power symbolized by the little horn (and also by the leopardlike beast) permitted to control the affairs of this world?

3 Since God does not change His eternal law, which commandment did Antichrist only think he had the authority to change?

4 Define blasphemy, and explain how pope and priests blaspheme against God.

5 Why are the 1260 prophetic days fitly called the “Dark Ages”?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Empires of Prophecy

by

April 6, 2014 – April 12, 2014

Key Text

“Four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.” Daniel 7:3.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 531–536, 552–557.

Introduction

“We are to consider the dealings of God with the nations of the earth. We are to see in history the fulfillment of prophecy, to study the workings of Providence in the great reformatory movements, and to understand the progress of events in the marshalling of the nations for the final conflict of the great controversy.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 307.

1 COMMOTION-PRODUCING EMPIRES

  • How vital is the study of prophecy, especially those prophecies written by Daniel? Matthew 24:15.

Note: “Read the book of Daniel. Call up, point by point, the history of the kingdoms there represented. Behold statesmen, councils, powerful armies, and see how God wrought to abase the pride of men, and lay human glory in the dust. God alone is represented as great. In the vision of the prophet He is seen casting down one mighty ruler and setting up another. He is revealed as the monarch of the universe, about to set up His everlasting kingdom—the Ancient of days, the living God, the Source of all wisdom, the Ruler of the present, the Revealer of the future.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 333.

  • What was Daniel shown in vision shortly before the fall of Babylon? Daniel 7:1–3.

Note: “Shortly before the fall of Babylon, when Daniel was meditating on these prophecies and seeking God for an understanding of the times, a series of visions was given him concerning the rise and fall of kingdoms.” Prophets and Kings, 553.

2 THE MIGHTY BABYLON

  • What kingdom was symbolized by the lion of Daniel 7:4, and how did it fulfill its role in history? Jeremiah 4:6, 7; 50:17.

Note: “God answered the cry of His loyal children. Through His chosen mouthpiece He revealed His determination to bring chastisement upon the nation that had turned from Him to serve the gods of the heathen. Within the lifetime of some who were even then making inquiry regarding the future, He would miraculously shape the affairs of the ruling nations of earth and bring the Babylonians into the ascendancy. These Chaldeans, ‘terrible and dreadful,’ were to fall suddenly upon the land of Judah as a divinely appointed scourge (Habakkuk 1:7).” Prophets and Kings, 385, 386.

  • What happened to Babylon when the leaders of that kingdom had filled up the measure of their guilt? Daniel 5:1–6, 17, 23–31.

Note: “In that last night of mad folly, Belshazzar and his lords had filled up the measure of their guilt and the guilt of the Chaldean kingdom. No longer could God’s restraining hand ward off the impending evil. Through manifold providences, God had sought to teach them reverence for His law. ‘We would have healed Babylon,’ He declared of those whose judgment was now reaching unto heaven, ‘but she is not healed’ (Jeremiah 51:9). Because of the strange perversity of the human heart, God had at last found it necessary to pass the irrevocable sentence. Belshazzar was to fall, and his kingdom was to pass into other hands. …

“Even while he and his nobles were drinking from the sacred vessels of Jehovah, and praising their gods of silver and of gold, the Medes and the Persians, having turned the Euphrates out of its channel, were marching into the heart of the unguarded city. The army of Cyrus now stood under the walls of the palace; the city was filled with the soldiers of the enemy, ‘as with caterpillars’ (Jeremiah 51:14); and their triumphant shouts could be heard above the despairing cries of the astonished revelers.” Prophets and Kings, 530, 531.

3 MEDO-PERSIA

  • Describe the overthrow of Babylon according to prophecy. Isaiah 44:27, 28; 45:1–3.

Note: “In the unexpected entry of the army of the Persian conqueror into the heart of the Babylonian capital by way of the channel of the river whose waters had been turned aside, and through the inner gates that in careless security had been left open and unprotected, the Jews had abundant evidence of the literal fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the sudden overthrow of their oppressors. And this should have been to them an unmistakable sign that God was shaping the affairs of nations in their behalf.” Prophets and Kings, 552.

  • What was the extent of the next world empire, Medo-Persia, symbolized by a bear and by a ram? Daniel 7:5; 8:3, 4, 20; Esther 1:1, 3.

Note: “Daniel’s prayer had been offered ‘in the first year of Darius,’ the Median monarch whose general, Cyrus, had wrested from Babylonia the scepter of universal rule. The reign of Darius was honored of God. To him was sent the angel Gabriel, ‘to confirm and to strengthen him’ (Daniel 11:1). Upon his death, within about two years of the fall of Babylon, Cyrus succeeded to the throne, and the beginning of his reign marked the completion of the seventy years since the first company of Hebrews had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar from their Judean home to Babylon.” Prophets and Kings, 556, 557.

“In the history of nations the student of God’s word may behold the literal fulfillment of divine prophecy. Babylon, shattered and broken at last, passed away because in prosperity its rulers had regarded themselves as independent of God, and had ascribed the glory of their kingdom to human achievement. The Medo-Persian realm was visited by the wrath of Heaven because in it God’s law had been trampled underfoot. The fear of the Lord had found no place in the hearts of the vast majority of the people. Wickedness, blasphemy, and corruption prevailed. The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt; and these sank lower and still lower in the scale of moral worth.” Ibid., 501, 502.

“While the nations rejected God’s principles, and in this rejection wrought their own ruin, it was still manifest that the divine, overruling purpose was working through all their movements.” Education, 177.

4 GREECE AND ROME

  • By what symbols was Greece, the third universal empire, represented? Daniel 7:6; 8:5–8, 21.
  • What was the symbolic meaning of the four heads of the leopard and the four horns of the goat? Daniel 8:8, 22.
  • How have the proud philosophies of the Grecian Empire pervaded throughout history even to our day—and what should be our response to them? Ecclesiastes 12:12–14.

Note: “Is it safe to trust our youth to the guidance of those blind leaders who study the sacred oracles [of the Scriptures] with far less interest than they manifest in the classical authors of ancient Greece and Rome?” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 98.

“Paul declared that neither Jewish learning nor Grecian eloquence could reach the mark of the high calling that is in Christ Jesus.” Central Advance, April 8, 1903.

  • How was Rome, the fourth empire of prophecy, described? What instrument of cruelty did the Romans employ? How was the fall and division of the Roman Empire predicted? Daniel 7:19, 20, 23, 24.

Note: “As in old time Cyrus was called to the throne of the world’s empire that he might set free the captives of the Lord, so Caesar Augustus is made the agent for the fulfillment of God’s purpose in bringing the mother of Jesus to Bethlehem. She is of the lineage of David, and the Son of David must be born in David’s city. Out of Bethlehem, said the prophet, ‘shall He come forth … that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity’ (Micah 5:2, margin).” The Desire of Ages, 44.

“The cross was associated with the power of Rome. It was the instrument of the most cruel and humiliating form of death.” Ibid., 416.

5 THE EVERLASTING KINGDOM

  • Explain the vision given Ezekiel showing that, amidst the strife and tumult of nations, God guides the affairs of this world. Ezekiel 1:4, 26; 10:8.

Note: “Every nation that has come upon the stage of action has been permitted to occupy its place on the earth, that the fact might be determined whether it would fulfill the purposes of the Watcher and the Holy One. Prophecy has traced the rise and progress of the world’s great empires—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. With each of these, as with the nations of less power, history has repeated itself. Each has had its period of test; each has failed, its glory faded, its power departed.

“While nations have rejected God’s principles, and in this rejection have wrought their own ruin, yet a divine, overruling purpose has manifestly been at work throughout the ages. It was this that the prophet Ezekiel saw in the wonderful representation given him during his exile.” Prophets and Kings, 535.

  • How will history be repeated until the world’s kingdoms are given to Christ and His faithful ones? Ezekiel 21:26, 27; Psalm 75:7; Daniel 2:21, 44; 7:27.

Note: “The final overthrow of all earthly dominions is plainly foretold in the word of truth. …

“That time is at hand. Today the signs of the times declare that we are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events.” Education, 179.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why did the prophets read the writings of other prophets?

2 How does prophecy reveal that Babylon eventually trusted to its own abilities—and with what results?

3 How did God use Babylon’s overthrow to prepare for the exiles’ return?

4 Describe the legacy of the Grecian Empire.

5 What was the predominant characteristic of the fourth kingdom?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.