LESSON 11 *June 8–14
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 14:7, 9, 12; Rev. 4:11; Rev. 13:1, 2; Rev. 12:3–5, 17; Rev. 13:11–18.
Memory Text: “ ‘Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth’ ” (John 17:17, NKJV).
There is a relatively new medical device called a biochip or VeriChip, about the size of a grain of rice, that can be implanted in a patient. The biochip contains information about the patient’s medical history, which can then be obtained by passing an external scanner across the area where the biochip or VeriChip has been inserted. Some Christians see this as part of a conspiracy to enforce the mark of the beast. For others, the mark of the beast has to do with the bar codes on cans of food, or it is a mysterious number on dollar bills that supposedly adds up to 666. For some it has to do with the Masonic order, the Illuminati, black U.N. helicopters, or the United Nations.
The aim of this week’s lesson is to reveal the coming conflict over worship. Satan will challenge God’s authority by attempting to undermine God’s law. Specifically, the Sabbath will become the center of a global conflict over worship. Satan hates the Sabbath because he hates the Creator. He will use coercion, pressure, and force to break our commitment to Christ. There will be a collision of beliefs over the true and false day of worship. God’s final appeal is an appeal to faithfulness to Christ despite persecution, an economic boycott, imprisonment, and a death decree. This week’s study emphasizes Jesus’ strength to take us through earth’s final conflict.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 35 and 36 of The Great Controversy, to prepare for Sabbath, June 15.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, June 8
Lesson 11 - The Impending Conflict
Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Psalm 119:127.
In these days of peril shall we show less devotion to the truth of God, and less fervent attachment to His law, than in former years? . . . Now is the time for Christ’s chosen to show their devotion to His service,—the time for all His followers to bear the noblest testimony for their Master by standing firm against the prevailing current of evil. . . .
When the divine law is set aside, the greatest misery will result, both to families and to society. Our only hope of better things is to be found in a faithful adherence to the precepts of Jehovah. . . . [T]he surest way to undermine the foundation of order and government, is to set at naught the law of
God.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 54.
Since his fall from Heaven, it has been Satan’s only joy and constant employment to thwart the plan of God by preventing the salvation of perishing men. He has carried on this work with marked success, and will continue it until Christ shall bring his career to an end. He has tried to induce men to aid him in treading the honor of God into the dust, and many have become co-laborers with him, and have encouraged his rebellion. Those who do this, who glory in their skepticism, and lead others to despise the law of Jehovah, place themselves in the ranks of the enemies of Christ, and use their influence to destroy rather than to save souls. They second Satan in his efforts to undermine the law of God by assuring the sinner that he will be saved while transgressing that law. They serve Satan, and will share his terrible
fate.—The Signs of the Times, April 3, 1884, par. 8.
It is the Christian’s duty not to permit surroundings and circumstances to mold him; but to live above surroundings, fashioning his character according to the divine Model. He is to be faithful in whatever place he is found. He is to do his duty with fidelity, improving the opportunities given him of God, making the most of his capabilities. With an eye single to the glory of God, he is to work for Jesus wherever he may be. We are to surrender the will, the heart, to God, and become acquainted with Christ. We must deny self, take up the cross, and follow Jesus. Not one of us can reach heaven, save by the narrow, cross-bearing way. But how many wear the cross as an ornament on the person, but fail to bear the cross in practical, everyday life. . . .
The thing essential for successful work is a knowledge of Christ; for this knowledge will give sound principles of right, impart a noble, unselfish spirit, like that of our Saviour whom we profess to serve. Faithfulness, economy, care-taking, thoroughness, should characterize all our work, wherever we may be, whether in the kitchen, in the workshop, or wherever we may be stationed in the vineyard of the
Lord.—Lift Him Up, p. 245.
SUNDAY June 9
Revelation’s Final Conflict
The message of Revelation is much more than cryptic symbols, strange
beasts, and odd images. It speaks of eternal truths given by a loving God
to an end-time generation. The conflict between Christ and Satan began
in heaven over worship. It will come to its final climax over worship.
Read Revelation 14:7, 9 with Revelation 4:11. What is the overarching
theme of Revelation in this conflict between good and evil?
* Your notes will not be saved!
Throughout Revelation, worship and creation are indissolubly linked.
Revelation 14:7 calls us to worship the Lord of all creation. Against the
backdrop of evolution, which has taken the world by storm during the
past two centuries, the Sabbath is an eternal reminder of our identity.
It constantly reinforces that we are created beings and our Creator is
worthy of our allegiance and worship. This is one reason the devil hates
the Sabbath so much.
Read Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 14:12. How does worshiping the
Creator find its final expression?
Worshiping the Creator through keeping the commandments of God
stands in direct opposition to worshiping the beast. God will have an
end-time people who are loyal to Him despite the greatest opposition
and fiercest persecution in history.
“While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the
law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal
of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of the
true Sabbath, in obedience to God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty to the
Creator.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 605.
Revelation 14:12 states that these committed followers of the Savior
will have “the faith of Jesus.” The faith of Jesus is a faith so deep that
it trusts when it cannot see. It perseveres when it cannot understand. It
is a gift from Jesus that we receive by faith and will carry us through
the impending conflict.
The seventh-day Sabbath is so foundational a symbol of God as
Creator that it goes back to Eden itself. Thus, to seek to usurp it,
as Rome did (see Dan. 7:25), is to seek to usurp the authority of
God at the most foundational level possible, God as Creator. How
does this truth help us see why it will be such a controverted point
in the last days?
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, June 9
Revelation’s Final Conflict
Says the psalmist: “Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves.” “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Psalm 100:3; 95:6). And the holy beings who worship God in heaven state, as the reason why their homage is due to Him: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things” (Revelation 4:11).
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). . . .
So long as the fact that He is our Creator continues to be a reason why we should worship Him, so long the Sabbath will continue as its sign and
memorial.—Lift Him Up, p. 51.
There are only two parties upon this earth—those who stand under the bloodstained banner of Jesus Christ and those who stand under the black banner of rebellion. In the twelfth chapter of Revelation is represented the great conflict between the obedient and the disobedient. . . .
. . . Satanic agencies have made the earth a stage for horrors, which no language can describe. War and bloodshed are carried on by nations claiming to be Christian. A disregard for the law of God has brought its sure result.
The great conflict now being waged is not merely a strife of man against man. On one side stands the Prince of life, acting as man’s substitute and surety; on the other, the prince of darkness, with the fallen angels under his command.—Ellen G. White Comments, in
The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 974.
The work of conquering evil is to be done through faith. Those who go into the battlefield will find that they must put on the whole armor of God. The shield of faith will be their defense and will enable them to be more than conquerors. Nothing else will avail but this—faith in the Lord of hosts, and obedience to His orders. . . . Living faith alone will make them invincible and enable them to stand in the evil day, steadfast, unmovable, holding the beginning of their confidence firm unto the
end.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 182.
MONDAY June 10
The Coming Crisis
The mark of the beast prophecy in Revelation 13 tells us about the
fiercest and very worst stage of Satan’s war against God. Ever since
Jesus died on the cross, the enemy has known he was defeated, but
he is determined to take as many as possible down with him. His first
strategy in this campaign is deception. When deception does not work,
he resorts to force. He is ultimately behind the decree that anyone who
refuses to worship the beast or receive his mark will be put to death.
Religious persecution, of course, is not new. It has been around ever
since Cain killed Abel for obeying God’s command. Jesus said it would
happen even among believers.
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’s end-time church?
Throughout Christian history, persecution was common. It happened
in pagan Rome but was especially evident in the vicious persecution
of Bible-believing Christians by the medieval church. The mark of the
beast is the final link in this hellish chain. Like past persecutions, it is
designed to force everyone to conform to a certain set of beliefs and an
approved system of worship.
The prophecy indicates that persecution will start with economic
sanctions: no one can buy or sell unless they have the mark. Anyone
who refuses to receive the mark will eventually be placed under a death
decree (Rev. 13:15, 17).
The devil already is preparing professed Christians to receive the mark
of the beast when the final test comes by encouraging them to make
compromises in their lives. When it appears that the whole world is following
the beast in wondering admiration (Rev. 13:3), suddenly the scene
changes, and the prophetic camera focuses on God’s people. Revelation
14:12 gives us this picture. “Here are those who keep the commandments
of God and the faith of Jesus” (NKJV). God’s people live lives of godly
obedience. By His grace, they stand firm when everything is shaking all
around them. While the world is following the beast, they “follow the
Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev. 14:4, NKJV). By the power of Christ, they
triumph over the powers of hell arrayed against them.
As we saw in lesson 9, the central conflict between good and evil is
over worship. The beast uses deception and, when that fails, force and
coercion.
How quickly now do you allow, if at all, economic considerations
to compromise your Sabbath keeping?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, June 10
The Coming Crisis
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. John 16:2.
Every individual in our world will be arrayed under one of two banners.
The two armies will stand distinct and separate, and this distinction will be so marked that many who shall be convinced of truth will come on the side of God’s commandment-keeping people. When this grand work is to take place in the battle, prior to the last closing conflict, many will be imprisoned, many will flee for their lives from cities and towns, and many will be martyrs for Christ’s sake in standing in defense of the truth.
By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation [the United States] will disconnect herself fully from
righteousness.—Maranatha, p. 199.
As we approach the perils of the last days, the temptations of the enemy become stronger and more determined. Satan has come down in great power, knowing that his time is short; and he is working “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.” The warning comes to us through God’s Word, that, if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect.
Wonderful events are soon to open before the world. The end of all things is at hand. The time of trouble is about to come upon the people of God. Then it is that the decree will go forth forbidding those who keep the Sabbath of the Lord to buy or sell, and threatening them with punishment, and even death, if they do not observe the first day of the week as the Sabbath. . . .
Could our eyes be opened, as were those of the servant of Elisha at Dothan, we should see evil angels all around us, urging their presence upon us, and watching for an opportunity to tempt and overthrow us; we should also see holy angels guarding us, and with their light and power pressing back the evil
angels.—Historical Sketches, pp. 155, 156.
In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death. See Revelation 13:11-17. But to the obedient is given the promise, “He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” Isaiah 33:16. By this promise the children of God will live. When the earth shall be wasted with famine, they shall be fed. “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.” Psalm
37:19.—The Desire of Ages, p. 121.
TUESDAY June 11
Identifying the Beast: Part 1
Read Revelation 13:1, 2. Where does this beast rise from, and who
gives it authority?
The book of Revelation identifies the dragon primarily as Satan.
Revelation 12:3–5 says the dragon attempted to destroy, “as soon as it
was born,” the “male Child,” who was later “caught up to God and His
throne” (NKJV). It was the devil, working through pagan Rome, who
tried to destroy Christ (see Matt. 2:16–18). The archenemy of God and
humanity works through political and religious institutions to accomplish
his purposes.
About this beast power we’re told, “The dragon gave him his power,
his throne, and great authority” (Rev. 13:2, NKJV). This prophecy was
precisely fulfilled hundreds of years later when the Roman emperor
Constantine moved his capital from Rome to what came to be called
Constantinople, in modern-day Turkey. This left a power vacuum at the
former throne or seat of the caesars, the imperial city of Rome. Thus,
pagan Rome gave the beast its seat, or capital city.
Isaac Backus stated, “By removing the seat of the empire to
Constantinople, . . . Constantine made way for the bishop of Rome
to exalt himself above all men upon earth, and above the God of
Heaven.”—The Infinite Importance of the Obedience of Faith, and of
Separation from the World, p. 16, quoted in Le Roy Edwin Froom, The
Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3, p. 213. According to Thomas
Hobbes, “the Papacy is no other than the ghost of the deceased Roman
empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof.”—Leviathan (New
York: Oxford University Press, 1996), p. 386. A careful analysis reveals
that the sea beast of Revelation 13 is an apostate religious power that
rises out of Rome and becomes a worldwide system of worship (Rev.
13:3, 4). This beast is not a person; it is a religious organization that has
substituted the truth of God’s Word for human decrees.
Read Revelation 13:1, 6. What key word is used to identify the beast
power?
The Bible defines blasphemy in John 10:33 and Luke 5:21 with two
examples: (1) a man pretending to be or claiming to be God, and (2)
a man claiming the power to forgive sins. These accusations against
Jesus were unjust because He is truly God and, therefore, has the right
to forgive sins. The Roman Papacy has two distinctive doctrines that
the Bible calls blasphemy: its claims that its priests have the power to
forgive sins and that the pope has the prerogatives of God on earth.
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, June 11
Identifying the Beast: Part 1
The line of prophecy [which] begins with Revelation 12, [reveals] 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, p. 438.
By this first beast is represented the Roman Church, an ecclesiastical body clothed with civil power, having authority to punish all dissenters. The image to the beast represents another religious body clothed with similar powers. The formation of this image is the work of that beast whose peaceful rise and mild professions render it so striking a symbol of the United States. Here is to be found an image of the Papacy. When the churches of our land, uniting upon such points of faith as are held by them in common, shall influence the State to enforce their decrees and sustain their institutions, then will Protestant America have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy. Then the true church will be assailed by persecution, as were God’s ancient
people.—The Story of Redemption, p. 381.
God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and
persecution.—The Great Controversy, p. 581.
Let none deceive themselves. The papacy that Protestants are now so ready to honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men of God stood up, at the peril of their lives, to expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High. . . .
It is a part of her policy to assume the character which will best accomplish her purpose; but beneath the variable appearance of the chameleon she conceals the invariable venom of the
serpent.—The Great Controversy, p. 571.
WEDNESDAY June 12
Identifying the Beast: Part 2
Rather than worshiping the beast, God’s people find their greatest joy
and highest delight in worshiping Him. Their obedience springs from
their heart of love. They are committed to Him because they know how
committed He is to them.
Read Revelation 13:5. Write this identifying characteristic in the
space below.
Recall from lesson 4 that God gives us a key for understanding prophetic
time—one prophetic day equals one literal year (Num. 14:34,
Ezek. 4:6). Calculating the time period of 42 months mentioned in
Revelation 13:5 using the 30-day Hebrew month equals 1,260 prophetic
days or literal years.
The Papacy exercised great influence from a.d. 538 to a.d. 1798. But
when Berthier, Napoleon’s general, took the pope captive in a.d. 1798,
the prophetic period of papal supremacy ended, and Revelation’s prophecy
was fulfilled: “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity”
(Rev. 13:10, NKJV). The blow to the Papacy was extremely serious but
not fatal. According to Revelation 13:12, the deadly wound would be
healed. The Papacy’s influence once again would be felt worldwide.
Today, world leaders welcome the pontiff as an ambassador of the church
of Rome and visit him regularly at the Vatican. In a world of unprecedented
instability, the scene is being set for the Roman pontiff to become the
acclaimed moral leader of the world who can bring people together. During
his speech on June 6, 2012, to more than 15,000 people gathered in Saint
Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI declared, “Sunday is the day
of the Lord and of men and women, a day in which everyone must be able
to be free, free for the family and free for God. In defending Sunday we
defend human freedom.”—https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi
/en/audiences/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120 606.html (accessed
October 10, 2022). The Great Controversy clearly reveals where this movement
will one day ultimately lead: “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. . . . 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.”—Ellen
G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 592.
However hard it is now to see something like this happening, look
at how quickly our world can change. What should these changes
tell us about how quickly end-time events can come upon us?
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, June 12
Identifying the Beast: Part 2
The apostle Paul warned the church not to look for the coming of Christ in his day. “That day shall not come,” he says, “except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Not till after the great apostasy, and the long period of the reign of the “man of sin,” can we look for the advent of our Lord. The “man of sin,” which is also styled “the mystery of iniquity,” “the son of perdition,” and “that wicked,” represents the papacy, which, as foretold in prophecy, was to maintain its supremacy for 1260 years. This period ended in 1798. The coming of Christ could not take place before that time. Paul covers with his caution the whole of the Christian dispensation down to the year 1798. It is this side of that time that the message of Christ’s second coming is to be
proclaimed.—The Great Controversy, p. 356.
Satan as a powerful general has taken the field, and in this last remnant of time he is working through all conceivable methods to close the door against light that God would have come to his people. He is sweeping the whole world into his ranks, and the few who are faithful to God’s requirements are the only ones who can ever withstand him, and even these he is trying to overcome.
Go to God for yourselves; pray for divine enlightenment, that you may know that you do know what is truth, that when the wonderful miracle-working power shall be displayed, and the enemy shall come as an angel of light, you may distinguish between the genuine work of God and the imitative work or the powers of darkness.
A world is to be warned, and when the third angel’s message goes forth with a loud cry, minds will be fully prepared to make decisions for or against the
truth.—Selected Messages, book 3, p. 389.
The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord there will exist a state of religious declension similar to that in the first centuries. “In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5. . . . Satan will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.” And all that “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” will be left to accept “strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11. When this state of ungodliness shall be reached, the same results will follow as in the first
centuries.—The Great Controversy, p. 444.
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?
The first beast rose out of the sea; the second beast comes “up out of
the earth” (Rev. 13:11, NKJV). The sea represents “peoples, multitudes,
nations, and tongues” (Rev. 17:15, NKJV). The earth, then, represents
a sparsely populated area of the world. This second beast arises near
the close of the prophetic period during which the first beast exercises
authority (Rev. 13:5). That is, it rises to prominence around a.d. 1798.
The United States precisely fits this description. It declared its independence
in a.d. 1776, adopted its constitution in a.d. 1789, and was
recognized as a world power by the late nineteenth century.
John continues, “He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a
dragon” (Rev. 13:11, NKJV). Horns in Bible prophecy symbolize
power. Unlike the first beast, this beast has no crowns on its horns, suggesting
it is not a monarchy. The two horns represent the two primary
governing principles that are the source of the United States’ power and
success—political and religious liberty.
Read Revelation 13:11, 12. What change do you see in this beast, and
how does it speak?
This gentle, lamblike nation ultimately speaks like a dragon. It exercises
“all the authority of the first beast” (Rev. 13:12, NKJV) and abandons its
principles of religious liberty, causing “the earth and those who dwell
in it to worship the first beast” (Rev. 13:12, NKJV). The United States
will lead out in requiring everyone on earth to worship the first beast by
recognizing the Papacy’s spiritual and secular authority. According to
this prophecy, the United States forms an image to the beast—a union
of church and state—and it will require everyone to worship this image.
What’s fascinating is that at the time when first identified as this
beast power, the United States was nowhere near the military and economic
behemoth it was to become and remains now.
Think about the political instability in America today. How might
that one day lead to the fulfillment of this prophecy?
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, June 13
The Beast From the Earth
As we near the close of this world’s history, the prophecies relating to the last days especially demand our study. The last book of the New Testament Scriptures is full of truth that we need to understand. Satan has blinded the minds of many so that they have been glad of any excuse for not making the Revelation their study. But Christ through His servant John has here declared what shall be in the last days; and He says, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein.”. . .
The perils of the last days are upon us, and in our work we are to warn the people of the danger they are in. Let not the solemn scenes which prophecy has revealed be left untouched. If our people were half awake, if they realized the nearness of the events portrayed in the Revelation, a reformation would be wrought in our churches, and many more would believe the message. We have no time to lose; God calls upon us to watch for souls as they that must give an account. . . . Let Daniel speak, let the Revelation speak, and tell what is truth. But whatever phase of the subject is presented, uplift Jesus as the center of all hope, “the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright and morning
Star.”—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 116, 118.
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.
The “image to the beast” 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. . . .
Although church and state will unite their power to compel “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond” (Revelation 13:16), to receive “the mark of the beast,” yet the people of God will not receive it. The prophet of Patmos beholds “them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God” and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Revelation 15:2,
3.—Maranatha, p. 169.
Heretofore those who presented the truths of the third angel’s message have often been regarded as mere alarmists. Their predictions that religious intolerance would gain control in the United States, that church and state would unite to persecute those who keep the commandments of God, have been pronounced groundless and absurd. It has been confidently declared that this land could never become other than what it has been—the defender of religious freedom. But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated, the event so long doubted and disbelieved is seen to be approaching, and the third message will produce an effect which it could not have had
before.—The Great Controversy, p. 605.
FRIDAY June 14
Further Thought: Worshiping the beast and its image alludes to
Daniel 3, in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were commanded
by the king of Babylon to bow down to a golden image or be thrown
into a fiery furnace. Ancient Babylon, modern Babylon—the issue is
worship. True worship springs from a mind taught by God’s Word, a soul
transformed by His love, and a heart filled with His Spirit. Then we will
not be “conformed to this world” but live according to God’s will, which
is found in His Word. That is our only safety!
“God never forces the will or the conscience; but Satan’s constant
resort—to gain control of those whom he cannot otherwise seduce—is
compulsion by cruelty. Through fear or force he endeavors to rule the
conscience and to secure homage to himself. To accomplish this, he
works through both religious and secular authorities, moving them to the
enforcement of human laws in defiance of the law of God.”—Ellen G.
White, The Great Controversy, p. 591.
“In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the
will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they
have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes,
and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified
the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great
conflict.”—The Great Controversy, p. 593.
“But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible,
and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of
all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science,
the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and
discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the
majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for
or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine
or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its
support.”—
The Great Controversy, p. 595.
Discussion Questions:
-
How can we live in the expectation of the coming of Christ and
share that hope without becoming alarmists?
-
Dwell more on the question of worship. What does our daily
life, our daily routine, tell us about who or what we worship?
-
How can we help ourselves and others face the future with
confidence and not with fear?
-
What practical difference does understanding last-day events
make in our lives today?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, June 14
For Further Reading
From Heaven With Love, “Satan Remains a Defeated Foe,” pp. 79, 80;
Maranatha, “Wisdom Needed by Sabbathkeepers,” p. 177.
INSIDE STORY
No to Pork, Yes to Sabbath
By Andrew McChesney
Sara thought about the Seventh-day Adventist Church as she helped her
mother sell pork and beer in Mozambique in southeast Africa.
Why do Adventists go to church on Saturday? she wondered.
As a small girl, Sara had gone to the Adventist Church several times with
her big brother, who was an Adventist. But then he had moved to another
town, and she had gone back to the church of her mother.
As she worked with her mother, memories about the Adventist Church
returned. She thought about Adventist neighbors who had moved next door.
Sara decided to ask them why they went to church on Saturday.
The neighbors welcomed Sara’s question, and they opened the Bible to
the fourth commandment in Exodus 20:8–10. Sara read, “Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall
do no work” (NKJV). She also read other verses about the holiness of the
seventh-day Sabbath. She saw that Jesus worshiped on the seventh day when
He lived on earth. She decided to keep the seventh-day Sabbath.
Mother was furious when Sara told her that she would no longer sell
pork and beer on Saturdays. She forbade Sara from going to the Adventist
Church. Sara went anyway. She wanted to honor her mother as God commands
in the fifth commandment (Exod. 20:12). But she also realized that
it was more important “to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Tensions escalated further when Sara stopped selling pork and beer
altogether. She explained to Mother that God does not condone the eating
of unclean meat, such as pork (Lev. 11:7), or the drinking of alcohol (Prov.
20:1). Furthermore, she said, the Bible teaches that “whether you eat or
drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31), and
selling products unapproved by God would not glorify Him.
Mother threw Sara out of the house. With nowhere to go, Sara left town
and moved in with her Adventist brother and his wife and their sons. Her
heart was heavy. Is this the cost of following Jesus? she wondered.
Sara’s brother presented her case to leaders at his church. Through their
efforts, an Adventist pastor met with Mother. She listened carefully to what
he said. She didn’t agree with him on everything. But her face softened as
they spoke. She said Sara could return home.
Today, Mother still does not share Sara’s convictions. Sara is praying for
the Holy Spirit to touch her heart. She knows that the God who gave her a
fuller understanding of His love can do the same for her mother.
Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offerings that help spread the good news of
Jesus’ soon coming in Africa and around the world.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at
AdventistMission.org.
