Chapter XI: Part VI: The Sure Word of Prophecy (3)

“And he said unto me, _Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed_.” Dan. 8:14.

31. How may one know that this does not refer to the earthly sanctuary?

“He said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for _at the time of the end shall be the vision_.” Verse 17.

NOTE.—The prophetic period of 2300 days (years) extends to 1844
A.D., while the divinely appointed services of the earthly
sanctuary ceased at the cross (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 27:50, 51), and
the sanctuary itself was destroyed in 70 A.D., when Titus captured
Jerusalem. For explanation of the period here mentioned, see the
preceding reading.

The Judgment

The Investigative Judgment. "The books were opened: ... and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books." Rev. 20:12.

1. What assurance have we that there will be a judgment?

“God ... hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world.” Acts 17:30, 31.

2. Was the judgment still future in Paul’s day?

“As he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and _judgment to come_, Felix trembled.” Acts 24:25.

3. How many must meet the test of the judgment?

“I said in mine heart, God shall judge _the righteous and the wicked_.” Eccl. 3:17 “_For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ_; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” 2 Cor. 5:10.

4. What reason did Solomon give for urging all to fear God and keep His commandments?

“_For God shall bring every work into judgment_, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12:14.

5. What view of the judgment scene was given Daniel?

“I beheld till the thrones were cast down [placed, R. V.], 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. 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. 7:9, 10.

6. Out of what will all be judged?

“And _the books were opened_: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and _the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books_, according to their works.” Rev. 20:12.

7. For whom has a book of remembrance been written?

“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord harkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him _for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name_.” Mal. 3:16. See Rev. 20:12.

8. Who opens the judgment and presides over it?

“I beheld till the thrones were cast down [placed], and _the Ancient of days did sit_.” Dan. 7:9.

9. Who minister to God, and assist in the judgment?

“Thousand thousands [of angels] ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.” Verse 10. See Rev. 5:11.

10. Who is brought before the Father at this time?

“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. 7:13.

11. What does Christ as the advocate of His people confess before the Father and His angels?

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but _I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels_.” Rev. 3:5. See Matt. 10:32, 33; Mark 8:38.

NOTE.—During this judgment scene, both the righteous and the
wicked dead are still in their graves. The record of each one’s
life, however, is in the books of heaven, and by that record their
characters and deeds are well known. Christ is there to appear in
behalf of those who have chosen Him as their advocate. 1 John 2:1.
He presents His blood, as He appeals for their sins to be blotted
from the books of record. As the place of judgment is in heaven,
where God’s throne is, and as Christ is present in person, it
follows that the work of judgment is also in heaven. All are
judged by the record of their lives, and thus answer for the deeds
done in the body. This work will not only decide forever the cases
of the dead, but will also close the probation of all who are
living, after which Christ will come to take to Himself those who
have been found loyal to Him.

12. After the subjects of the kingdom have been determined by the investigative judgment, what is given to Christ?

“And there was given Him _dominion_, and _glory_, and _a kingdom_, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him.” Dan. 7:14.

13. When He comes the second time, what title will He bear?

“And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, _King of kings_, and _Lord of lords_.” Rev. 19:16.

14. What will He then do for each one?

“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and _then He shall reward every man according to his works_.” Matt. 16:27. See also Rev. 22:12.

15. Where will Christ then take His people?

“_In My Father’s house are many mansions_: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, _I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also_.” John 14:2, 3.

16. How many of the dead will be raised?

“For the hour is coming, in the which _all that are in the graves_ shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28, 29. See also Acts 24:15.

17. What time intervenes between the two resurrections?

“And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. _But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished._” Rev. 20:4, 5.

18. What work did Daniel see finally assigned to the saints?

“I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 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. 7:21, 22.

19. How long will the saints engage in this work of judgment?

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and _judgment was given unto them: ...and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years_.” Rev. 20:4.

Lot Fleeing From Sodom. "Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into
ashes." 2 Peter 2:6.

20. Who will thus be judged by the saints?

“Do ye not know that _the saints shall judge the world_? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that _we shall judge angels_? how much more things that pertain to this life?” 1 Cor. 6:2, 3.

21. How will the decisions of the judgment be executed?

“And out of His [Christ’s] mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Rev. 19:15.

22. Why is the _execution_ of the judgment given to Christ?

“For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, _because He is the Son of man_.” John 5:26, 27.

23. How was the opening of the judgment to be made known to the world?

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, _Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come_.” Rev. 14:6, 7.

NOTE.—There are three phases of the judgment mentioned in the
Scriptures,—the investigative judgment, preceding the second
advent; the judgment of the lost world and wicked angels by Christ
and the saints during the one thousand years following the second
advent; and the executive judgment, or punishment of the wicked at
the close of this period. The investigative judgment takes place
in heaven before Christ comes, in order to ascertain who are
worthy to be raised in the first resurrection, at His coming, and
who among the living are to be changed in the twinkling of an eye,
at the sound of the last trump. It is necessary for this to take
place before the second advent, as there will be no time for such
a work between the coming of Christ and the raising of the
righteous dead. The executive judgment on the wicked occurs after
their cases have been examined by the saints during the thousand
years. Rev. 20:4, 5; 1 Cor. 6:1-3. The investigative judgment is
that which is announced to the world by the angel’s message of
Rev. 14:6, 7.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Thou Judge of quick and dead,
Before whose bar severe,
With holy joy or guilty dread,
We all shall soon appear,—
Our cautioned souls prepare
For that tremendous day,
And fill us now with watchful care,
And stir us up to pray.

CHARLES WESLEY.

The Wise Men Of The East. "We have seen His star in the east." Matt. 2:2.

The Judgment-Hour Message

The First Angel. "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His
judgment is come." Rev. 14:7.

1. What prophetic view of the judgment was given Daniel?

“I beheld till the thrones were cast down [placed], and the Ancient of days did sit: ... thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Dan. 7:9, 10.

2. What assurance has God given of the judgment?

“Because _He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world_ in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, _in that He hath raised Him from the dead_.” Acts 17:31.

3. What message announces the judgment-hour come?

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for _the hour of His judgment is come_: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Rev. 14:6, 7.

4. In view of the judgment-hour, what is proclaimed anew?

“_The everlasting gospel._” Verse 6, first part.

5. How extensively is this message to be proclaimed?

“To _every nation_, and _kindred_, and _tongue_, and _people_.” Verse 6, first part.

6. What is the whole world called upon to do?

“_Fear God, and give glory to Him._” Verse 7.

7. What special reason is given for this?

“For _the hour of His judgment is come_.” Same verse.

8. Whom are all called upon to worship?

“_Him that made heaven, and earth._” Same verse.

NOTE.—There is only one gospel (Rom. 1:16, 17; Gal. 1:8), first
announced in Eden (Gen. 3:15), preached to Abraham (Gal. 3:8) and
to the children of Israel (Heb. 4:1, 2), and proclaimed anew in
every generation. In its development, the gospel meets the needs
of every crisis in the world’s history. John the Baptist in his
preaching announced the kingdom of heaven at hand (Matt. 3:1, 2),
and prepared the way for the first advent. John 1:22, 23. Christ
Himself in His preaching of the gospel announced the fulfilment of
a definite-time prophecy (the sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years, of
Dan. 9:25), and called the people to repentance, in view of the
coming of the predicted Messiah. Mark 1:14, 15. So when the time
of the judgment comes, and Christ’s second advent is near, a
world-wide announcement of these events is to be made in the
preaching of the everlasting gospel adapted to meet the need of
the hour.

9. What prophetic period extends to the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, or the investigative judgment?

“And he said unto me, Unto _two thousand and three hundred days_; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Dan. 8:14.

10. When did this long period expire?

In A.D. 1844. See reading on page 230.

NOTE.—Our Lord based His preaching of the gospel upon the
fulfilment of the first part of the 2300 days, or years (Mark
1:14, 15), a prophecy which determined the time of the first
advent. The whole period extends to the time of the judgment, just
preceding the second advent, and at its expiration a special
gospel message is sent to all the world proclaiming the
judgment-hour at hand, and calling upon all to worship the
Creator. The facts of history answer to this interpretation of the
prophecy: for at this very time (1844) just such a message was
being proclaimed in various parts of the world. This was the
beginning of the great second advent message which is now being
proclaimed throughout the world.

11. How is the true God distinguished from all false gods?

“Thus shall ye say unto them, _The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth_, even they shall perish from the earth.... _He [the true God] hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion._” Jer. 10:11, 12.

12. For what reason is worship justly due to God?

“For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.... _The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed __ the dry land_. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our _Maker_.” Ps. 95:3-6.

13. Why do the inhabitants of heaven worship God?

“The four and twenty elders fall down before Him, ... saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: _for Thou hast created all things_, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Rev. 4:10, 11.

14. What memorial did God establish of His creative power?

“Remember _the Sabbath day_, to keep it holy.... _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.” Ex. 20:8-11.

15. What place has the Sabbath in the work of salvation?

“Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be _a sign_ between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that _sanctify_ them.” Eze. 20:12.

16. How many are concerned in the judgment?

“For we must _all_ appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that _every one_ may receive the things done in his body, _according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad_.” 2 Cor. 5:10.

17. What will be the standard in the judgment?

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said, Do not commit adultery; said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged _by the law of liberty_.” James 2:10-12.

18. In view of the judgment, what exhortation is given?

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: _Fear God, and keep His commandments_: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12:13, 14.

NOTE.—A comparison of Rev. 14:7 with Eccl. 12:13, 14, suggests
that the way to give glory to God is to keep His commandments, and
that in giving the judgment-hour message, the duty of keeping the
commandments would be emphasized. This is plainly shown in the
description given of the people who are gathered out of every
nation, kindred, tongue, and people as the result of the preaching
of this message, in connection with the other messages which
immediately follow and accompany it. Of this people it is said,
“Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of
Jesus.” Rev. 14:12.

The Fall Of Modern Babylon

The Second Angel. "Babylon is fallen, is fallen." Rev. 14:8.

1. What announcement immediately follows the judgment-hour message of Rev. 14:6, 7?

“And there followed another angel, saying, _Babylon is fallen, is fallen_, that great city.” Rev. 14:8, first part.

2. What reason is assigned for the fall of Babylon?

“Because _she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication_.” Same verse, last part.

3. How was the overthrow of ancient Babylon foretold?

“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be _as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah_.” Isa. 13:19.

4. What call was made to come out of Babylon?

“_Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity_; for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance; He will render unto her a recompense.” Jer. 51:6.

5. What did ancient Babylon do to all the nations?

“Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that _made all the earth drunken_: the nations have drunken of her _wine_; therefore the nations are _mad_.” Verse 7.

6. What was the effect of this apostasy?

“Babylon is _suddenly fallen and destroyed_: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.” Verse 8.

7. Just before the fall of Babylon, what did her king do?

“Belshazzar the king _made a great feast_ to a thousand of his lords, and _drank wine_ before the thousand.” Dan. 5:1.

8. By what command did the king repudiate the religion taught in Babylon by Daniel and others who feared God?

“Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.” Verse 2.

9. What marked the climax of Babylon’s apostasy?

“Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.” Verse 3.

10. While drinking the wine, what gods did they honor?

“They drank wine, and _praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone_.” Verse 4.

11. What immediately followed this complete apostasy?

“In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.” Verses 30, 31.

NOTE.—The gospel of the kingdom was preached in Babylon (see
reading on “The Gospel of the Kingdom,” page 209), and
Nebuchadnezzar was brought to acknowledge and to worship the true
God. But after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon relapsed into
idolatry again, and this apostasy was rendered hopeless when
Belshazzar used the sacred vessels from the house of God,
dedicated to the worship of God, in which to drink the wine of
Babylon while worship was offered to the false gods. Then came the
handwriting on the wall, and the fall of ancient Babylon.

12. In the visions of John, what interpretation is given to the woman who sat upon many waters?

“And the woman which thou sawest _is that great city_, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Rev. 17:18.

NOTE.—The great city which reigned over the kings of the earth in
John’s time was Rome, and that city has given its name to the
church which is represented by the woman, the Church of Rome, or
the Papacy.

13. In this same prophecy, how is the Church of Rome, the Papacy, designated as the antitype of ancient Babylon?

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Verse 5.

14. What specific statement emphasizes this identification?

“With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” Verse 2. See verse 4.

NOTES.—The Church of Rome is called Babylon, and its religion is a
revival of the religion of ancient Babylon. She claims a
priesthood with exceptional powers and privileges, just as did
ancient Babylon. Through the dogma of the immaculate conception of
the Virgin Mary, she denies that God in Christ dwelt in the same
flesh as fallen man has, just as ancient Babylon did. See Dan.
2:11. She claims universal spiritual jurisdiction, and demands
submission under pains and penalties, just as ancient Babylon did.
See Daniel 3. She repudiates the fundamental gospel truth of
justification by faith, and boasts of works, just as ancient
Babylon did. See Dan. 4:30. A careful comparison of the ritual of
ancient and modern Babylon shows that the latter is copied from
the former; and it is easy to trace the connection historically
through the paganism of political Rome.

On the overthrow of Babylon by the Persians, who nourished a
traditional hatred for its idolatry, the Chaldean priesthood fled
to Pergamos, in Asia Minor, and made it the headquarters of their
religion.... The last pontiff king of Pergamos was Attalus III,
who at his death bequeathed his dominions and authority to the
Roman people, 133 B.C., and from that time the two lines of
Pontifex Maximus were merged in the Roman one.—_“__The False
Christ,__”__ J. Garnier, London, George Allen, 1900, Vol. II,
pages 94, 95._ Thus did the religion of ancient Babylon become the
religion of modern Babylon.

15. What did Jesus say of the sacramental wine?

“This cup is the new covenant in My blood.” Luke 22:20, R. V.

16. What is the essential teaching of the new covenant?

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; _I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts_: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people.” Heb. 8:10.

17. When Christ thus ministers the law in the heart, what does it become?

“For _the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus_ hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:2-4.

18. In what other statement is this same truth expressed?

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63.

19. What kind of teaching have men substituted for the words which are spirit and life?

“Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, _teaching for doctrines the commandments of men_.... And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own _tradition_.” Mark 7:7-9.

NOTES.—There are two cups, the cup of the Lord and the cup of
Babylon. The wine in the Lord’s cup represents the living truth,
“as the truth is in Jesus;” the wine in the cup of Babylon
represents her false doctrines, her substitution of human
tradition for the living word and law of God, and the illicit
connection which she has made between the church and the secular
power, depending upon political power to enforce her teachings,
rather than upon the power of God. By this very thing, while
maintaining a form of godliness, she denies the power thereof. 2
Tim. 3:1-5.

The following quotation states the position of that church in
regard to tradition: “Though these two divine streams [the Bible
and tradition] are in themselves, on account of their divine
origin, of equal sacredness, and are both full of revealed truths,
still, of the two, tradition is to us more clear and
safe.”—_“__Catholic Belief,__”__ Rev. Joseph Faa Di Bruno, D. D.
(Roman Catholic), page 45._

The substitution of the law of the church for the law of God, in
fulfilment of the prophecy in Dan. 7:25, testifies to the complete
subordination of the Word of God to the authority of the church.
The world-wide teaching of these doctrines in place of the pure
gospel has led the world astray, and has made all the nations
drink of the wine of her fornication. The Reformation of the
sixteenth century was an effort to return to the pure truths of
God’s Word. In this the Reformers denied the supremacy of
tradition over the Bible.

20. What relation does the Church of Rome sustain to other apostate churches?

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, _THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS_ AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Rev. 17:5.

NOTES.—In the creed of Pope Pius IV, an authoritative statement of
Roman Catholic belief, is found this statement: “I acknowledge the
Holy Catholic Apostolic Church for _the mother and mistress of all
churches_.”—_Article 10._ When the professed Protestant churches
repudiate the fundamental principle of Protestantism by setting
aside the authority of God’s Word, and accepting tradition and
human speculation in its place, they adopt the fundamental
principle of modern Babylon, and may be regarded as the daughters
of Babylon. Their fall is then included in the fall of Babylon,
and calls for a proclamation of the fall of modern Babylon.

Many representatives of modern Protestantism have, in one way or
another, rejected many fundamental doctrines of the Bible, such
as,—

The fall of man.
The Bible doctrine of sin.
The infallibility of the Scriptures.
The sufficiency of the Scriptures as a rule of faith and practise.
The Deity of Christ, and His consequent headship over the church.
The miraculous conception and the virgin birth of our Lord.
The resurrection of Christ from the grave.
The vicarious, expiatory, and propitiatory atonement of Christ.
Salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Regeneration by the power of the Holy Ghost.
The efficacy of the all-prevailing name of Christ in prayer.
The ministration and guardianship of holy angels.
Miracles as the direct manifestation and interposition of God’s
power.

Although many leaders of modern Protestantism known as higher
critics have not formally adopted the creed of the Church of Rome,
and have not become an organic part of that body, yet they belong
to the same class in rejecting the authority of God’s Word, and
accepting in its place the product of their own reasonings. There
is just as much apostasy in the one case as in the other, and both
must therefore be included in Babylon, and both will go down in
the fall of Babylon. The warning message applies with equal force
to both classes.

21. To what extent is the apostasy, or fall, of modern Babylon, the mother, and of her daughters, to be carried?

“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and _is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird_. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” Rev. 18:1-3.

NOTE.—In its largest sense, Babylon includes all false
religions—all apostasy. The gospel message announcing her final
overthrow should be a cause of rejoicing to every lover of truth
and righteousness.

22. What final call to come out of Babylon is to go forth?

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, _Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues_. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Verses 4, 5.

23. How complete is to be the fall of modern Babylon?

“And _a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all_.... And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” Verses 21-24.

24. What song of triumph follows the overthrow of Babylon?

“Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him.” Rev. 19:6, 7.

The Closing Gospel Message. A Warning Against False Worship

The Third Angel. "If any man worship the beast and his image, ... the same
shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God." Rev. 14:9, 10.

1. What indicates that the messages of the judgment-hour and the fall of Babylon are two parts of a threefold message?

“And _the third angel followed them_, saying with a loud voice.” Rev. 14:9, first clause.

2. What apostasy from the worship of God is named in this message?

“If any man _worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark_ in his forehead, or in his hand.” Same verse, last part.

3. What is to be the fate of those who, instead of worshiping God, engage in this false worship?

“_The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation_; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Verses 10, 11. See Isa. 33:13-17; 34:1-10; 1 Cor. 3:13; Heb. 12:29.

4. How are those described who heed this warning?

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Verse 12.

5. What description is given of the beast against whose worship this closing warning message is given?

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Rev. 13:1, 2.

NOTE.—In this composite beast from the sea are combined the
symbols of the seventh chapter of Daniel, representing Greece,
Medo-Persia, and Babylon. The blasphemous words spoken by it, its
persecution of the saints, and the time allotted to it (verses
5-7) show that this beast, under one of its seven-headed
manifestations, is identical with the little horn of the vision of
the seventh chapter of Daniel, modern Babylon, the Papacy. See
reading on “The Kingdom and Work of Antichrist,” page 218. The
false worship here mentioned, the worship of the beast, is the
rendering of that homage to the Papacy which is due to God alone.
The system of religion enforced by the Papacy is the paganism of
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, indicated by the composite
character of the beast (verse 2), disguised under the forms and
names of Christianity. The Pontifex Maximus of the ancient pagan
religions was continued in the Pope, who is the head of the Roman
priesthood, and who, in the exercise of his priestly functions,
took away the mediation of Christ, and substituted a system of
human mediation in its place, thus fulfilling the prophecy
recorded in the eighth chapter of Daniel. See reading on “The
Vicar of Christ,” page 224.

6. What challenge is made by those who worship the beast?

“And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, _Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?_” Verse 4.

7. Whose sovereignty is thus challenged?

“Forasmuch as _there is none like unto Thee, O Lord_; Thou art great, and Thy name is great in might.” Jer. 10:6. See also Ps. 71:19; 86:8; 89:6, 8.

8. What specifications of “the man of sin” are thus fully met?

“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 worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God_.” 2 Thess. 2:3, 4. See pages 218-220.

Noah Preaching. "By faith Noah, being warned of God ... prepared an ark."
Heb. 11:7.

9. What did Babylon give to the nations to drink?

“She made all nations drink of _the wine of the wrath of her fornication_.” Rev. 14:8, last part. See pages 256, 257.

10. What are those to drink who accept the teachings of Babylon, and thus render homage to the beast?

“The same shall drink of _the wine of the wrath of God_, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation.” Verse 10, first part.

NOTE.—The cup of the Lord, which contains the new covenant in the
blood of Christ, and the cup of the wine of the wrath of Babylon
are both offered to the world. To drink of the former, that is, to
accept the teaching of the true gospel, is to receive everlasting
life; but to drink of the wine of Babylon, that is, to accept the
false gospel taught by the Papacy, will result in drinking of the
wine of the wrath of God from the cup of His indignation. The true
gospel means everlasting life; the false gospel means everlasting
death.

11. Under what threatened penalty is the worship of the image of the beast enforced?

“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and _cause [decree] that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed_.” Rev. 13:15.

NOTE.—For an explanation of the image of the beast, see reading on
“Making an Image to the Beast,” page 271.

12. What universal boycott is to be employed, in an attempt to compel all to receive the mark of the beast?

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and _that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name_.” Verses 16, 17.

NOTE.—Regarding the mark of the beast, see reading on “The Seal of
God and the Mark of Apostasy,” page 416.

13. Who is the real power operating through the beast and his image, and demanding worship?

“The _dragon_ gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Verse 2, last part.

14. Who is this dragon?

“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.” Rev. 12:9.

15. How did the devil seek to induce Jesus to worship him?

“And the devil, taking Him up into an high mountain, showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto Him, _All this power will I give Thee_, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. _If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine._” Luke 4:5-7.

16. How did Jesus show His loyalty to God?

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, _Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve_.” Verse 8.

NOTE.—The threefold message of Rev. 14:6-12 is proclaimed in
connection with the closing scenes of the great controversy
between Christ and Satan. Lucifer has sought to put himself in the
place of God (Isa. 14:12-14), and to secure to himself the worship
which is due God alone. The final test comes over the commandments
of God. Those who acknowledge the supremacy of the beast by
yielding obedience to the law of God as changed and enforced by
the Papacy, when the real issue has been clearly defined, will, in
so doing, worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark.
Such will take the side of Satan in his rebellion against the
authority of God.

17. How many will yield to the demand to worship the beast?

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 13:8.

18. In the judgment-hour message, whom are all called upon to fear, glorify, and worship?

“Saying with a loud voice, _Fear God, and give glory to Him_; for the hour of His judgment is come: and _worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters_.” Rev. 14:7.

19. Who will sing the song of Moses and the Lamb on the sea of glass?

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and _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 they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest.” Rev. 15:2-4.

Satan’s Warfare Against The Church

The Death Of Christ. "He [Satan] persecuted the woman [the church] that
brought forth the man child." Rev. 12:13.

1. Under what figure was the Christian church represented to the apostle John?

“And there appeared a great wonder [margin, sign] in heaven; _a woman_ clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” Rev. 12:1.

NOTES.—Frequently in the Scriptures a woman is used to represent
the church. See Jer. 6:2; 2 Cor. 11:2. The sun represents the
light of the gospel with which the church was clothed at the first
advent (1 John 2:8); the moon under her feet, the waning light of
the former dispensation; and the twelve stars, the twelve
apostles.

“Woman in her innocence was attacked by ‘that old serpent, called
the Devil, and Satan.’ ... At the end of that first crafty assault
and speedy victory the dragon met with his rebuff, in words like
these: ‘The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head, and thou
shalt bruise His heel.’ ... In the Revelation the scene is changed
from Eden to the heavens, and before you stand again the woman and
the serpent, in the same position of antagonism as before, the
serpent still the assailant, only this time more openly so.... The
woman is no longer a simple, childlike personage, but _a wonder_;
she walks not among the trees and flowers, but amid the orbs of
heaven. She is clothed with the sun, the moon is under her feet,
and upon her head is a coronet of twelve stars. In her you see the
great cause of truth and righteousness embodied—she is, in fact,
the church of God in all ages, the woman whose Seed blesses all
the nations of the earth.”—_C. H. Spurgeon, in The Tabernacle
Pulpit, March 15, 1896._

2. How is the church at the first advent described?

“And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.” Verse 2.

NOTE.—The church is in labor and pain while she brings forth
Christ and her children, in the midst of afflictions and
persecutions. See Rom. 8:19, 22; 1 John 3:1, 2; 2 Tim. 3:12.

3. How are the birth, work, and ascension of Christ briefly described?

“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.” Verse 5.

NOTE.—Specifically this must refer to Christ (see Ps. 2:7-9); but
through Him is also prefigured the experience of the people of
God, who finally in the judgment are to share with Christ in
ruling the nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 2:26, 27), and, like
Him, when their work on earth is accomplished be “caught up,” at
His appearing, to God and to His throne. 1 Thess. 4:15-17.

4. What other sign, or wonder, appeared in heaven?

“And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold _a great red dragon_, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as in was born.” Verses 3, 4.

5. Who is this dragon said to be?

“And the great dragon was cast out, _that old serpent_, called the _Devil_, and _Satan_, which deceiveth the whole world.” Verse 9.

NOTE.—Primarily the dragon represents Satan, the great enemy and
persecutor of the church in all ages. But Satan works through
principalities and powers in his efforts to destroy the people of
God. It was through a Roman king, King Herod, that he sought to
destroy Christ as soon as He was born. Matt. 2:16. Rome must
therefore be symbolized by the dragon. The seven heads of the
dragon are interpreted by some to refer to the “seven hills” upon
which the city of Rome is built; by others, to the seven forms of
government through which Rome passed; and by still others, and
more broadly, to the seven great monarchies which have oppressed
the people of God; namely, Egypt, Assyria, Chaldea, Persia,
Greece, pagan Rome, and papal Rome, in either of which Rome is
represented and included. See page 269. The ten horns, as in the
fourth beast of Daniel 7, evidently refer to the ten kingdoms into
which Rome was finally divided, and thus again identify the dragon
with the Roman power.

6. How is the conflict between Christ and Satan described?

“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.” Verses 7-9.

NOTE.—This conflict, begun in heaven, continues on earth. Near the
close of Christ’s ministry, He said, “I beheld Satan as lightning
_fall from heaven_.” Luke 10:18. “Now is the judgment of this
world: now shall the prince of this world be _cast out_.” John
12:31. From the councils of the representatives of the various
worlds to which Satan, as the prince of this world, was formerly
admitted (Job 1:6, 7; 2:1, 2), he was cast out when he crucified
Christ, the Son of God.

7. What shout of triumph was heard in heaven following the victory gained by Christ?

“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.... Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.” Verses 10-12.

8. Why was woe at this same time proclaimed to the world?

“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_.” Verse 12, last part.

NOTE.—This not only shows that, since the crucifixion of Christ,
Satan knows that his doom is sealed, and that he has but a limited
time in which to work, but that his efforts are largely if not
wholly now confined to this world, and concentrated upon its
inhabitants. Better than many professed Christians, Satan knows
that time is short.

9. What did the dragon do when cast to the earth?

“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, _he persecuted the woman_ which brought forth the man child.” Verse 13.

NOTE.—The persecution of Christians began under pagan Rome, but
was carried on far more extensively under papal Rome. Matt. 24:21,
22.

10. What definite period of time was allotted to this great persecution of God’s people under papal Rome?

“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, unto her place, where she is nourished for _a time, and times, and half a time_, from the face of the serpent.” Verse 14.

NOTE.—This is the same period as that mentioned in Dan. 7:25, and,
like the ten horns, identifies the dragon with the fourth beast of
Daniel 7, and its later work with the work of the little horn of
that same beast. In Rev. 13:5 this period is referred to as
“forty-two months,” and in Rev. 12:6 as 1260 days, each
representing 1260 literal years, the period allotted to the
supremacy of papal Rome. Beginning in 538 A.D., it ended in 1798,
when the Pope was taken prisoner by the French. See notes on page
223. The woman fleeing into the wilderness fittingly describes the
condition of the church during those times of bitter persecution.

11. What was Satan’s design in thus persecuting the church?

“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, _that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood_.” Verse 15.

12. How was the flood stayed, and Satan’s design defeated?

“_And the earth helped the woman_, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.” Verse 16.

NOTE.—The mountain fastnesses, quiet retreats, and secluded
valleys of southwestern Europe for centuries shielded many who
refused allegiance to the Papacy. Here, too, may be seen the
results of the work of the Reformation of the sixteenth century,
when many of the governments of Europe came to the help of the
cause of reform, by staying the hand of persecution and protecting
the lives of those who dared to take their stand for the right.
The discovery of America, and the opening up of this country as an
asylum for the oppressed of Europe at this time, may also be
included in the “help” here referred to.

13. What did Christ say would be the result if the days of persecution were not shortened?

“Except those days should be shortened, _there should no flesh be saved_: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Matt. 24: 22.

14. Still bent on persecution, how does Satan manifest his enmity against the remnant church?

“And 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.” Rev. 12:17.

NOTE.—To the very end, Satan will persecute and seek to destroy
the people of God. Against the remnant, or last portion of the
church, he is especially to make war. Their obedience to God’s
commandments, and their possession of the testimony of Jesus, or
spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10), are especially offensive to him,
and excite his intense ire.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Soldiers of Christ, arise,
And put your armor on;
Fight, for the battle will be ours;
We fight to win a crown.

We fight not against flesh,
We wrestle not with blood;
But principalities and powers,
And for the truth of God.

CHARLES WESLEY.

A Great Persecuting Power (The Ten-Horned Beast of Revelation 13)

Early Christian Martyrs. "He shall ... wear out the saints of the Most
High." Dan. 7:25.

1. What is the first symbol of Revelation 13?

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw _a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns_, and upon his horns ten crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” Rev. 13:1.

NOTES.—As already learned from studying the book of Daniel, a
beast in prophecy represents some great earthly power or kingdom;
a head, a governing power; horns, a number of kingdoms; crowned
heads or crowned horns, political rulership; waters, “peoples, and
multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Rev. 17:15.

“The beasts of Daniel and John are empires. The ten-horned beast
is the Roman power.... The head is the governing power of the
body. The heads of this beast represent successive
governments.”—_“__Romanism and the Reformation,__”__ by H. Grattan
Guinness, pages 144, 145._

2. How is this beast further described?

“And the beast which I saw was _like unto a leopard_, and his feet were as _the feet of a bear_, and his mouth as _the mouth of a lion_.” Verse 2, first part.

NOTES.—These are the characteristics of the first three symbols of
Daniel 7,—the _lion_, _bear_, and _leopard_ there representing the
kingdoms of _Babylon_, _Medo-Persia_, and _Grecia_,—and suggest
this beast as representing or belonging to the kingdom symbolized
by the _fourth beast_ of Daniel 7, or _Rome_. Both have ten horns.
Like the dragon of Revelation 12, it also has seven heads; but as
the dragon symbolized Rome in its entirety, particularly in its
pagan phase, this, like the “little horn” coming up among the ten
horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7, represents Rome in its
later or papal form. Both it and the little horn have “a mouth”
speaking great things; both make war upon the saints; both
continue for the same length of time.

Allowing a very broad meaning to the symbol, the Douay or Catholic
Bible, in a note on Rev. 13:1, explains the seven heads of this
beast as follows: “The seven heads are seven kings, that is, seven
principal kingdoms or empires, which have exercised, or shall
exercise, tyrannical power over the people of God: of these, five
were then fallen, viz., the Egyptian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian,
and Grecian monarchies; one was present, viz., the empire of Rome;
and the seventh and chiefest was to come, viz., the great
Antichrist and his empire.” That the seventh head represents
Antichrist there can be little doubt. See page 265.

3. What did the dragon give this beast?

“And the dragon gave him his _power_, and his _seat_, and _great authority_.” Verse 2, latter part.