CHAPTER 18 (The Great Controversy)
Mystery of
Iniquity
It has ever been the design of Satan to draw the
minds of the people from Jesus to man, and to destroy individual
accountability. Satan failed in his
design when he tempted the Son of God.
He succeeded better as he came to fallen man. The doctrine of Christianity was
corrupted. Popes and priests presumed to
take an exalted position, and taught the people to look to them to pardon their
sins, instead of looking to Christ for themselves. The Bible was kept from them, in order to
conceal the truths which would condemn them.
The people were entirely deceived. They were taught that the popes and priests
were Christ's representatives, when in fact they were the representatives of
Satan; and when they bowed to them, they worshiped Satan. The people called for the Bible; but the
priests considered it dangerous to let them have the word of God to read for
themselves, lest they become enlightened, and their sins be exposed. The people were taught to look to these
deceivers, and receive every word from them, as from the mouth of God. They held that power over the mind, which God
alone should hold. And if any dared to
follow their own convictions, the same hate which Satan and the Jews exercised
towards Jesus would be kindled against them, and those in authority would
thirst for their blood. I was shown a time when Satan especially
triumphed. Multitudes of Christians were
slain in a dreadful manner because they would preserve the purity of their
religion.
The Bible was hated, and efforts were made to rid
the earth of the precious word of God.
The Bible was forbidden to be read on pain of death, and all the copies
of the holy Book which could be found were burned. But I saw that God had a special care for his
word. He protected it. At different periods there were but a very
few copies of the Bible in existence, yet God would not suffer his word to be
lost. And in the last days, copies of
the Bible were to be so multiplied that every family could possess it. I saw that when there were but a very few
copies of the Bible, it was precious and comforting to the persecuted followers
of Jesus. It was read in the most secret
manner, and those who had this exalted privilege felt that they had had an
interview with God, with his Son Jesus, and with his disciples. But this blessed privilege cost many of them
their lives. If discovered, they were
taken from reading the sacred Word to the chopping block, the stake, or to the
dungeon to die from starvation.
Satan could not hinder the plan of
salvation. Jesus was crucified, and
arose again the third day. He told his
angels that he would make even the crucifixion and resurrection tell to his
advantage. He was willing that those who
professed faith in Jesus should believe that the laws regulating the Jewish
sacrifices and offerings ceased at the death of Christ, if he could push them
further, and make them believe that the law of ten commandments died also with
Christ.
I saw that many readily yielded to this device of
Satan. All heaven was moved with
indignation, as they saw the holy law of God trampled under foot. Jesus and all the heavenly host were
acquainted with the nature of God's law; they knew that he would not change or
abolish it. The hopeless condition of
man caused the deepest sorrow in heaven, and moved Jesus to offer to die for
the transgressors of God’s holy law. If
his law could be abolished, man might have been saved without the death of
Jesus. The death of Christ did not destroy the law of his Father; but magnified
and honored it, and enforces obedience to all its holy precepts. Had the church remained pure and steadfast,
Satan could not have deceived them, and led them to trample on the law of
God. In this bold plan, Satan strikes
directly against the foundation of God's government in heaven and on
earth. His rebellion caused him to be
expelled from heaven. After he rebelled,
in order to save himself, he wished God to change his law; but God told Satan,
before the whole heavenly host, that his law was unalterable. Satan knows that if he can cause others to
violate God's law he is sure of them; for every transgressor of his law must
die.
Satan decided to go still further. He told his angels that some would be so
jealous of God's law that they could not be caught in this snare; that the ten
commandments were so plain that many would believe that they were still
binding; therefore he must seek to corrupt the fourth commandment which brings
to view the living God. He led on his
representatives to attempt to change the Sabbath, and alter the only
commandment of the ten which brings to view the true God, the maker of the
heavens and the earth. Satan presented
before them the glorious resurrection of Jesus, and told them that by his
rising on the first day of the week, he changed the Sabbath from the seventh to
the first day of the week. Thus Satan
used the resurrection to serve his purpose.
He and his angels rejoiced that the errors they had prepared took so
well with the professed friends of Christ.
What one might look upon with religious horror, another would
receive. The different errors would be
received, and with zeal defended. The
will of God plainly revealed in his word, was covered up with error and
tradition, which have been taught as the commandments of God. But although this heaven-daring deception was
to be suffered to be carried on down through time until the second appearing of
Jesus, yet through all this time of error and deception, God has not been left
without a witness. There have been true
and faithful witnesses keeping all of God's commandments through the darkness
and persecution of the church.
I saw that angels were filled with amazement as
they beheld the sufferings and death of the King of glory. But I saw that it was no marvel to the
angelic host that the Lord of life and glory, who filled all heaven with joy
and splendor, should break the bands of death, and walk forth from his prison
house a triumphant conqueror. And if
either of these events should be commemorated by a day of rest, it is the
crucifixion. But, I saw that neither of
those events were designed to alter or abolish God's law; but they give the
strongest proof of its immutability.
Both of
these important events have their memorials.
By partaking of the Lord's supper, the broken bread and the fruit of the
vine, we show forth the Lord's death until he comes. By observing this memorial, the scenes of his
sufferings and death are brought fresh to our minds. The resurrection of Christ is commemorated by
our being buried with him by baptism, and raised up out of the watery grave in
likeness of his resurrection, to live in newness of life.
I was shown that the law of God would stand fast
forever, and exist in the new earth to all eternity. At the creation, when the foundations of the
earth were laid, the sons of God looked with admiration upon the work of the
Creator, and all the heavenly host shouted for joy. It was then that the foundation of the
Sabbath was laid. At the close of the
six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day from all his work which he
had made; and he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it
he had rested from all his work. The
Sabbath was instituted in Eden before the fall, and was observed by Adam and
Eve, and all the heavenly host. God
rested on the seventh day, and blessed and hallowed it; and I saw that the
Sabbath would never be done away; but the redeemed saints, and all the angelic
host, will observe it in honor of the great Creator to all eternity.
See Exodus 20:8-11; Job 38:7; Daniel chap.7;
2Thessalonians chap.2
Exo 20:8
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six
days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But
the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any
work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant,
nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 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.
Job 38:7 When
the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy
Dan 7:1 In the
first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his
head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the
matters.
Dan 7:2 Daniel
spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the
heaven strove upon the great sea.
Dan 7:3 And
four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Dan 7:4 The
first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof
were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet
as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
Dan 7:5 And
behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one
side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and
they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Dan 7:6 After
this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it
four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to
it.
Dan 7:7 After
this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and
terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and
brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was
diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
Dan 7:8 I
considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little
horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots:
and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking
great things.
Dan 7:9 I
beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose
garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his
throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
Dan 7:10 A
fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands
ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the
judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Dan 7:11 I
beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I
beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the
burning flame.
Dan 7:12 As
concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet
their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
Dan 7:13 I saw
in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds
of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before
him.
Dan 7:14 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.
Dan 7:15 I
Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my
head troubled me.
Dan 7:16 I
came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this.
So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
Dan 7:17 These
great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the
earth.
Dan 7:18 But
the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for
ever, even for ever and ever.
Dan 7:19 Then
I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the
others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass;
which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
Dan 7:20 And
of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and
before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake
very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
Dan 7:21 I
beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against
them;
Dan 7:22 Until
the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most
High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
Dan 7:23 Thus
he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall
be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread
it down, and break it in pieces.
Dan 7:24 And
the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another
shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall
subdue three kings.
Dan 7:25 And
he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints
of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given
into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Dan 7:26 But
the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and
to destroy it unto the end.
Dan 7:27 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.
Dan 7:28
Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much
troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my
heart.
2Th 2:1 Now we
beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our
gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That
ye 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.
2Th 2:3 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;
2Th 2:4 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.
2Th 2:5
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And
now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For
the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let,
until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even
him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And
for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a
lie:
2Th 2:12 That
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.
2Th 2:13 But
we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
2Th 2:14
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
2Th 2:15
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been
taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
2Th 2:16 Now
our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us,
and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
2Th 2:17
Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
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