Sabbath Afternoon, June 8
Memory Text:
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” KJV — John 17:17
“Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth. Their conscientious scruples will be pronounced obstinacy, stubbornness, and contempt of authority. They will be accused of disaffection toward the government. Ministers who deny the obligation of the divine law will present from the pulpit the duty of yielding obedience to the civil authorities as ordained of God. In legislative halls and courts of justice, commandment keepers will be misrepresented and condemned. A false coloring will be given to their words; the worst construction will be put upon their motives. GC 592.1
“As the Protestant churches reject the clear, Scriptural arguments in defense of God's law, they will long to silence those whose faith they cannot overthrow by the Bible. Though they blind their own eyes to the fact, they are now adopting a course which will lead to the persecution of those who conscientiously refuse to do what the rest of the Christian world are doing, and acknowledge the claims of the papal sabbath. GC 592.2
“The dignitaries of church and state will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected. In the soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet's words: ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17.’” GC 592.3
Sunday, June 9
Revelation’s Final Conflict
Compare Revelation 14:7, 9 with Revelation 14:11. What is the overarching theme of Revelation in this conflict between good and evil?
“By the first angel, men are called upon to “fear God, and give glory to Him” and to worship Him as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. In order to do this, they must obey His law. Says the wise man: “Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13. Without obedience to His commandments no worship can be pleasing to God. “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” 1 John 5:3; Proverbs 28:9.” GC 436.1
“In contrast to those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus, the third angel points to another class, against whose errors a solemn and fearful warning is uttered: “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.” Revelation 14:9, 10. A correct interpretation of the symbols employed is necessary to an understanding of this message. What is represented by the beast, the image, the mark?” GC 438.1
“In chapter 13 (verses 1-10) is described another beast, “like unto a leopard,” to which the dragon gave “his power, and his seat, and great authority.” This symbol, as most Protestants have believed, represents the papacy, which succeeded to the power and seat and authority once held by the ancient Roman empire. Of the leopardlike beast it is declared: “There was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.... And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” This prophecy, which is nearly identical with the description of the little horn of Daniel 7, unquestionably points to the papacy.” GC 439.1
“But what is the “image to the beast”? and how is it to be formed? The image is made by the two-horned beast, and is an image to the first beast. It is also called an image of the beast. Then 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. GC 443.1
“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, especially for the punishment of “heresy.” 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.” GC 443.2
“The special characteristic of the beast, and therefore of his image, is the breaking of God's commandments. Says Daniel, of the little horn, the papacy: “He shall think to change times and the law.” Daniel 7:25, R.V. And Paul styled the same power the “man of sin,” who was to exalt himself above God. One prophecy is a complement of the other. Only by changing God's law could the papacy exalt itself above God; whoever should understandingly keep the law as thus changed would be giving supreme honor to that power by which the change was made. Such an act of obedience to papal laws would be a mark of allegiance to the pope in the place of God. GC 446.1
“As the sign of the authority of the Catholic Church, papist writers cite “the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; ... because by keeping Sunday, they acknowledge the church's power to ordain feasts, and to command them under sin.”—Henry Tuberville, An Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine, page 58. What then is the change of the Sabbath, but the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Roman Church—'the mark of the beast’?” GC 448.1
Read Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 14:12. How does worshiping the Creator finds its final expression?
“In Revelation 14, men are called upon to worship the Creator; and the prophecy brings to view a class that, as the result of the threefold message, are keeping the commandments of God. One of these commandments points directly to God as the Creator. The fourth precept declares: “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: ... for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:10, 11. Concerning the Sabbath, the Lord says, further, that it is “a sign, ... that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” Ezekiel 20:20. And the reason given is: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.” Exodus 31:17.” GC 437.1
Monday, June 10
The Coming Crisis
Read John 16;2, Matthew 10;22, 2 Timothy 3:12, and 1 Peter 4:12. What did the New Testament church experience, and how does that apply to Christ-end time church?
“When Jesus revealed to His disciples the fate of Jerusalem and the scenes of the second advent, He foretold also the experience of His people from the time when He should be taken from them, to His return in power and glory for their deliverance. From Olivet the Saviour beheld the storms about to fall upon the apostolic church; and penetrating deeper into the future, His eye discerned the fierce, wasting tempests that were to beat upon His followers in the coming ages of darkness and persecution. In a few brief utterances of awful significance He foretold the portion which the rulers of this world would mete out to the church of God. Matthew 24:9, 21, 22. The followers of Christ must tread the same path of humiliation, reproach, and suffering which their Master trod. The enmity that burst forth against the world's Redeemer would be manifested against all who should believe on His name. GC 39.1
“The history of the early church testified to the fulfillment of the Saviour's words. The powers of earth and hell arrayed themselves against Christ in the person of His followers. Paganism foresaw that should the gospel triumph, her temples and altars would be swept away; therefore she summoned her forces to destroy Christianity. The fires of persecution were kindled. Christians were stripped of their possessions and driven from their homes. They “endured a great fight of afflictions.” Hebrews 10:32. They “had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment.” Hebrews 11:36. Great numbers sealed their testimony with their blood. Noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, were alike slain without mercy.” GC 39.2
If the tribulation of Matthew [Matt. 24:21] took place in the period of the 1260 years of papal supremacy, which event is in the past, and the time of trouble, foretold by Daniel [Dan. 12:1], in the future, how could I harmonize Matthew's record with that of Daniel, for Matthew writes that there will be no greater tribulation than the one from 538 to 1798 A.D., while Daniel claims that the time of trouble is to be greater than any 'since there was a nation.'"
Speaking of the tribulation, says the scripture: "Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved;" i.e., God's people would have been completely wiped out from the face of the earth had it not been for the never failing promise: "But for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matt. 24:22), whereas in the time of trouble Michael will stand up to deliver every one that shall be "found written in the book." In other words, during the time of the tribulation the righteous were killed and the wicked delivered, whereas in the time of trouble the righteous will be delivered and the wicked killed. Therefore, the tribulation and the time of trouble are two outstanding events, each one being the greatest of its kind in the annals of prophetic history -- one the greatest against the righteous and the other the greatest against the wicked. Thus we see that, both Matthew and Daniel are correct -- showing that each event is the greatest of its kind.
As the tribulation is the greatest "since the beginning of the world," it shows that there has never been as great a tribulation against God's people as there was during the above stated period; and as Jesus said that there never shall be the like, He assures us that God will not permit the wicked after 1798 A.D., to again "wear out the saints," whereas the time of trouble, says Daniel, is the greatest "since there was a nation" showing that the deluge was either greater or equal to it, also that the time of trouble could be followed by a greater one, for He says, "even to that same time" instead, "nor ever shall be."
Tuesday, June 11
Identifying the Beast: Part 1
Read Revelation 13:1, 2, 6. Where does this beast rise from, and who gives it authority? What key words is used to identify the beast power?
“In chapter 13 (verses 1-10) is described another beast, “like unto a leopard,” to which the dragon gave “his power, and his seat, and great authority.” This symbol, as most Protestants have believed, represents the papacy, which succeeded to the power and seat and authority once held by the ancient Roman empire. Of the leopardlike beast it is declared: “There was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.... And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” This prophecy, which is nearly identical with the description of the little horn of Daniel 7, unquestionably points to the papacy.” GC 439.1
“‘Power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.’ And, says the prophet, “I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death.” And again: “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.” 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, as stated in preceding chapters, began with the supremacy of the papacy, A.D. 538, and terminated in 1798. At that time 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.’” GC 439.2
The ten crownless horns of Daniel’s fourth beast being symbolical of kings that were to arise out of the Roman Empire, the crowns on the leopard-like beast show that the beast represents the period in which the kings took their crowns, the period after the disintegration of the Pagan Roman Empire.
Still further, the leopard-like beast blasphemed God and His tabernacle just as long as did Daniel’s fourth beast in his second phase, Ecclesiastical Rome; that is, “a time and times and the dividing of time” (3 years and 6 months), forty and two months. Plain it is, then, that the leopard-like beast reigned contemporaneously with the non-descript beast in his second phase, the phase of the little horn-head. The deadly wound on the leopard-like therefore represents the deadly blow which it received from the Protestant Reformation. Hence its wounded head represents the horn-head power (an amalgamation of civil and religious powers) of Daniel’s beast divested of his civil power – dehorned.
Wednesday, June 12
Identifying the Beast: Part 2
Read Revelation 15:5. Write this identifying characteristic in the space below.
Now, since the horns of John’s beast symbolize the nations, and his wounded head symbolizes a religious organization divorced from a civil power, and since his seven heads are all alike, save for the wound on one of them, it becomes obvious that the heads, seven in number, portray religious bodies, Christendom in its entirety. The horns, though, ten in number, portray the civil governments in their entirety. Both horns and heads therefore represent the world of today just as each of Daniel’s four beasts respectively, represented the world in their day.
The horns and heads all being on the beast at the same time, not coming up one after another, or in like manner falling off as the horns in Daniel chapters 7 and 8, should forever convince every rational mind that the horns and heads symbolize civil and religious bodies, all existing at the same time, not one following the other.
The blasphemy being over the heads, not over the horns, denotes that the religious bodies portrayed therein do not worship God according to Truth, that they are not wholly what they profess to be. The exact interpretation that Inspiration places on the word “blasphemy” is this: “I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not.” Rev. 2:9.
It is better for all of us to acknowledge our failures than to evade the Truth, for it is the Truth that shall make us free.
Moreover, since we admit that the Reformation inflicted the deadly blow and brought forth Protestantism, and since Inspiration says the wound was healed, all these prove something which if we confess, may save our jeopardized lives, and make us as great as did the whole-hearted confessions anciently make David great. What is it that we have to confess? – Just this: If Protestantism wounded the beast by the Reformation, then the healing of the wound shows nothing less that that the Reformation has failed to keep the wound open, that the goal of the reformers has died, and despotism has been revived. Indeed, this symbolism is saying nothing more than what the message to the Laodiceans is saying:
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Rev. 3:17, 18.
For one to be in such a deplorable condition and at the same time to contend that he has need of nothing, is indeed a blasphemy.
Thursday, June 13
The beast from the Earth
Read Revelation 13;11-18. How does this second beast differ from the first beast of Revelation 13?
Unlike the first beast, the second beast comes from the earth. The sea and the earth obviously point to two different locations. We know that the beasts of Daniel 7, and the leopard-like of Revelation 13, the beasts that arose from the sea, all originated in the Old Country, the lands where humanity originated. Yes, the “sea” befittingly symbolizes the Old Country because the sea is the store-house of the waters, the place where the waters originate, as the Old Country is the place from where humanity spread out.
The “earth,” then, points to a place away from the “sea” and the opposite of what sea stands for, – a country made up of inhabitants who have emigrated from elsewhere. The only such country or nation away from the Old Country and as influential as portrayed in this two-horned beast that arises after the formation of the leopard-like beast, in the Protestant period, is the United States. Moreover, the United States is already a world power, and so we need not be guessing any more. The beast’s two horns point to its two political ruling powers – Democrats and Republicans. Their lamb-like character gives the appearance of innocence, harmlessness, and charitability. The beast’s speaking like a dragon nevertheless repudiates the lamb-like appearance of the horns.
The two-horned beast exercises all the power which the first beast, the leopard-like, exercised, again showing it to be a world power. Indeed, it requires just such a power to compel all the inhabitants of the earth to worship as he commands, and to implement a likeness of a church and state government that is as outdated as are the Middle Ages themselves. Yes, it takes such a power to influence the world, save those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, to bow down to it.
Read Revelation 13:11, 12. What change do you see in this beast and who does it speak?
“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. The “speaking” of the nation is the action of its legislative and judicial authorities. By such action it 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” 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. GC 442.1
Friday, June 14
Further Thought
“After the warning against the worship of the beast and his image the prophecy declares: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Since those who keep God's commandments are thus placed in contrast with those that worship the beast and his image and receive his mark, it follows that the keeping of God's law, on the one hand, and its violation, on the other, will make the distinction between the worshipers of God and the worshipers of the beast. GC 445.3
“The special characteristic of the beast, and therefore of his image, is the breaking of God's commandments. Says Daniel, of the little horn, the papacy: “He shall think to change times and the law.” Daniel 7:25, R.V. And Paul styled the same power the “man of sin,” who was to exalt himself above God. One prophecy is a complement of the other. Only by changing God's law could the papacy exalt itself above God; whoever should understandingly keep the law as thus changed would be giving supreme honor to that power by which the change was made. Such an act of obedience to papal laws would be a mark of allegiance to the pope in the place of God.” GC 446.1
“While the worshipers of God will be especially distinguished by their regard for the fourth commandment,—since this is the sign of His creative power and the witness to His claim upon man's reverence and homage,—the worshipers of the beast will be distinguished by their efforts to tear down the Creator's memorial, to exalt the institution of Rome. It was in behalf of the Sunday that popery first asserted its arrogant claims (see Appendix); and its first resort to the power of the state was to compel the observance of Sunday as “the Lord's day.” But the Bible points to the seventh day, and not to the first, as the Lord's day. Said Christ: “The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” The fourth commandment declares: “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord.” And by the prophet Isaiah the Lord designates it: “My holy day.” Mark 2:28; Isaiah 58:13.” GC 446.3