Through the two great errors, the
immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people
under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the
latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome.
Through spiritualism, Satan appears
as a benefactor of the race, healing diseases and presenting a new system of
religious faith, but at the same time he leads multitudes to ruin. Intemperance
dethrones reason; sensual indulgence, strife, and bloodshed follow.
War excites the worst passions of
the soul and sweeps into eternity its victims steeped in vice and blood. It is
Satan's object to incite the nations to war, for he can thus divert the people
from preparation to stand in the day of God.
Satan has studied the secrets of nature,
and he uses all his power to control the elements as far as God allows. It is
God that shields His creatures from the destroyer. But the Christian world has
shown contempt for His law, and the Lord will do what He declared that He
would—remove His protecting care from those who rebel against His law and force
others to do the same. Satan has control of all whom God does not especially
guard. He will favor and prosper some, in order to further his own designs; and
he will bring trouble upon others, and lead men to believe that it is God who
is afflicting them.
While appearing as a great physician
who can heal all their maladies, Satan will bring disease and disaster until
populous cities are reduced to ruin. In accidents by sea and land, in great
conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones,
tidal waves, and earthquakes, in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power.
He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts
to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish.
And then the great deceiver will
persuade men to charge all their troubles on those whose obedience to God's
commandments is a perpetual reproof to transgressors. It will be declared that
men offend God by the violation of Sunday, that this sin has brought calamities
which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced. "Those
who destroy reverence for Sunday are preventing restoration of divine favor and
prosperity." Thus the accusation urged of old against the servant of God
will be repeated. "When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said unto him, art thou he
that troubleth Israel?" (1 Kings 18:17,18).
Those who honor the Bible Sabbath
will be denounced as enemies of law and order, breaking down the moral
restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the
judgments of God on 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 obedience to civil authorities. In legislative halls and
courts of justice, commandment-keepers will be condemned. A false coloring will
be given their words; the worst construction will be put on their motives.
Dignitaries of church and state will
unite to persuade or compel all to honor Sunday. Even in free America rulers
and legislators will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty
of conscience which has cost so great a sacrifice will no longer be respected. In the
soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet's words, "The dragon
was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Revelation 12:17.
Servants of God, their faces shining
with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from
heaven. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed. Satan also works with lying
wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven. (Revelation 13:13). Thus the
inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand. The message will be carried not so
much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God.
The arguments have been presented, publications
have exerted their influence, yet many have been prevented from fully
comprehending the truth. Now the truth is seen in its clearness. Family
connections, church relations are powerless to stay the honest
children of God now. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a
large number take their stand upon the Lord's side.
Those who honor the law of God will
be regarded as the cause of the fearful strife and bloodshed that fill the
earth with woe. The power attending the last warning has enraged the wicked,
and Satan will excite the spirit of hatred and persecution against all who have
received the message.
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