The Final Countdown

ELLEN G. WHITE
Ellen G. White
The Final Countdown

(An extract of the final 14 chapters of The Great Controversy,

published in 1888 and 1911.)

www.egwwritings.org

Discover Truth
Dublin, Ireland 2021

www.discovertruth.ie
info@discovertruth.ie

Editors: Christian Salcianu & Diane Lewis

Graphic Design: Dragoș Gârea

Printed in Poland by Alterna,

the printing house of the Springs of Life Ministry,
office@fzz.pl, +48 46 8571354

ISBN: 978-83-65311-96-2
 Contents

1. The Origin of Evil.............................................9

2. Enmity Between Man and Satan................. 21

3. Agency of Evil Spirits................................... 27

4. Snares of Satan............................................. 34

5. The First Great Deception........................... 46

6. Can Our Dead Speak to Us?......................... 65

7. Liberty of Conscience Threatened............. 76

8. The Impending Conflict............................... 96

9. The Scriptures a Safeguard...................... 107

10. The Final Warning...................................... 117

11. The Time of Trouble.................................. 127

12. God’s People Delivered.............................. 148

13. Desolation of the Earth.............................. 165

14. The Controversy Ended............................. 174

Introduction

H
ave you ever noticed the common theme that runs
through many movies and books? The struggle between
good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and
death? Well, it’s not fiction!
There really is a battle on the go between these forces. And
they aim for one thing, and one thing only – your allegiance (your
heart, your mind, your decisions). In Chapter 12 of the book of
Revelation, the Scripture describes it as the Great Controversy be-
tween Christ and Satan.
Since the beginning of time, Satan has been working to mis-
represent the character of God. Leading people to regard Him
with fear and hate, rather than with love. It all began with Adam
and Eve, and it continues with us. On the other hand, Jesus
Christ came “to destroy the Devil’s work” (1 John 3:8) and to
bring us eternal life by revealing the true character of God (John
17:1-3). This war is soon to be over.
The aim of the book you hold is to help you discover the tac-
tics of the two leaders in this battle for your soul, as revealed
in Biblical prophecy. God’s methods of love, revelations of truth,

In troduction • 7
and gentle encouragement will be contrasted against Satan’s
methods of lies, deception and brute force.
You will learn about the origin of evil, the snares of Satan,
how and why freedom of conscience is being threatened, and
how to safeguard your heart and mind against these attacks.
You will also learn that there is a solution to pain, suffering and
death; that there is a better way to live life than what today’s so-
ciety is teaching us; and that there are still people left who truly
love all of humanity and live to serve others as Jesus did.
A wonderful proof of God’s love for you is the fact that He has
given you freedom of choice. Freedom to decide whether you
want to know the truth and follow it, or not.
This book – an extract of the last 14 chapters of The Great
Controversy (see last page for more details) – will provide you
with a description of the closing scenes of this great battle be-
tween good and evil. The final countdown for this battle has be-
gun. Have you noticed that the controversy is heating up? Are
you ready to make your choice, for the right side?
Friend, you are being given the chance to know and choose
life. To be set free from sin and suffering, and from the decep-
tions of human traditions and ideologies. A chance to begin ex-
periencing the joy and peace of the abundant life that can start
on earth already.
Our prayer is that you will take that first step towards the
knowing the truth.

The Editors
The Origin
of Evil 1
CHAPTER

T
o many minds the origin of sin and the reason for its ex-
istence are a source of great perplexity. They see the work
of evil, with its terrible results of woe and desolation, and
they question how all this can exist under the sovereignty of One
who is infinite in wisdom, in power, and in love. Here is a mys-
tery of which they find no explanation. And in their uncertainty
and doubt they are blinded to truths plainly revealed in God’s
word and essential to salvation. There are those who, in their in-
quiries concerning the existence of sin, endeavor to search into
that which God has never revealed; hence they find no solution
of their difficulties; and such as are actuated by a disposition to
doubt and cavil seize upon this as an excuse for rejecting the
words of Holy Writ. Others, however, fail of a satisfactory under-
standing of the great problem of evil, from the fact that tradition
and misinterpretation have obscured the teaching of the Bible
concerning the character of God, the nature of His government,
and the principles of His dealing with sin.

Th e Origin of Evil • 9
 It is impossible to explain the origin of sin so as to give a rea-
son for its existence. Yet enough may be understood concern-
ing both the origin and the final disposition of sin to make fully
manifest the justice and benevolence of God in all His dealings
with evil. Nothing is more plainly taught in Scripture than that
God was in no wise responsible for the entrance of sin; that there
was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, no deficiency in the
divine government, that gave occasion for the uprising of rebel-
lion. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be giv-
en. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it is to defend it.
Could excuse for it be found, or cause be shown for its existence,
it would cease to be sin. Our only definition of sin is that given
in the word of God; it is “the transgression of the law;” it is the
outworking of a principle at war with the great law of love which
is the foundation of the divine government.
Before the entrance of evil there was peace and joy through-
out the universe. All was in perfect harmony with the Creator’s
will. Love for God was supreme, love for one another impartial.
Christ the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the
eternal Father,—one in nature, in character, and in purpose,—
the only being in all the universe that could enter into all the
counsels and purposes of God. By Christ the Father wrought
in the creation of all heavenly beings. “By Him were all things
created, that are in heaven, ... whether they be thrones, or do-
minions, or principalities, or powers” (Colossians 1:16); and to
Christ, equally with the Father, all heaven gave allegiance.
The law of love being the foundation of the government of
God, the happiness of all created beings depended upon their
perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God
desires from all His creatures the service of love—homage that
springs from an intelligent appreciation of His character. He
takes no pleasure in a forced allegiance, and to all He grants
freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.
But there was one that chose to pervert this freedom. Sin
originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most hon-
ored of God and who stood highest in power and glory among

1 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
the inhabitants of heaven. Before his fall, Lucifer was first of the
covering cherubs, holy and undefiled. “Thus saith the Lord God;
Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone
was thy covering.... Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth;
and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God;
thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast creat-
ed, till iniquity was found in thee.” Ezekiel 28:12-15.
Lucifer might have remained in favor with God, beloved
and honored by all the angelic host, exercising his noble pow-
ers to bless others and to glorify his Maker. But, says the proph-
et, “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast
corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.” Verse 17.
Little by little, Lucifer came to indulge a desire for self-exalta-
tion. “Thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God.” “Thou hast
said, ... I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit
also upon the mount of the congregation....I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Verse 6;
Isaiah 14:13, 14. Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the
affections and allegiance of His creatures, it was Lucifer’s en-
deavor to win their service and homage to himself. And coveting
the honor which the infinite Father had bestowed upon His Son,
this prince of angels aspired to power which it was the preroga-
tive of Christ alone to wield.
All heaven had rejoiced to reflect the Creator’s glory and to
show forth His praise. And while God was thus honored, all had
been peace and gladness. But a note of discord now marred the
celestial harmonies. The service and exaltation of self, contrary to
the Creator’s plan, awakened forebodings of evil in minds to whom
God’s glory was supreme. The heavenly councils pleaded with
Lucifer. The Son of God presented before him the greatness, the
goodness, and the justice of the Creator, and the sacred, unchang-
ing nature of His law. God Himself had established the order of
heaven; and in departing from it, Lucifer would dishonor his Mak-
er, and bring ruin upon himself. But the warning, given in infinite

Th e Origin of Evil • 11
love and mercy, only aroused a spirit of resistance. Lucifer allowed
jealousy of Christ to prevail, and he became the more determined.
Pride in his own glory nourished the desire for supremacy.
The high honors conferred upon Lucifer were not appreciated
as the gift of God and called forth no gratitude to the Creator. He
gloried in his brightness and exaltation, and aspired to be equal
with God. He was beloved and reverenced by the heavenly host.
Angels delighted to execute his commands, and he was clothed
with wisdom and glory above them all. Yet the Son of God was the
acknowledged Sovereign of heaven, one in power and authority
with the Father. In all the counsels of God, Christ was a partici-
pant, while Lucifer was not permitted thus to enter into the divine
purposes. “Why,” questioned this mighty angel, “should Christ
have the supremacy? Why is He thus honored above Lucifer?”
Leaving his place in the immediate presence of God, Lucifer
went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels.
Working with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealing his
real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God, he en-
deavored to excite dissatisfaction concerning the laws that gov-
erned heavenly beings, intimating that they imposed an unnec-
essary restraint. Since their natures were holy, he urged that the
angels should obey the dictates of their own will. He sought to
create sympathy for himself by representing that God had dealt
unjustly with him in bestowing supreme honor upon Christ. He
claimed that in aspiring to greater power and honor he was not
aiming at self-exaltation, but was seeking to secure liberty for all
the inhabitants of heaven, that by this means they might attain
to a higher state of existence.
God in His great mercy bore long with Lucifer. He was not
immediately degraded from his exalted station when he first
indulged the spirit of discontent, nor even when he began to
present his false claims before the loyal angels. Long was he
retained in heaven. Again and again he was offered pardon on
condition of repentance and submission. Such efforts as only
infinite love and wisdom could devise were made to convince
him of his error. The spirit of discontent had never before been

1 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
known in heaven. Lucifer himself did not at first see whither he
was drifting; he did not understand the real nature of his feel-
ings. But as his dissatisfaction was proved to be without cause,
Lucifer was convinced that he was in the wrong, that the divine
claims were just, and that he ought to acknowledge them as
such before all heaven. Had he done this, he might have saved
himself and many angels. He had not at this time fully cast off
his allegiance to God. Though he had forsaken his position as
covering cherub, yet if he had been willing to return to God,
acknowledging the Creator’s wisdom, and satisfied to fill the
place appointed him in God’s great plan, he would have been
reinstated in his office. But pride forbade him to submit. He
persistently defended his own course, maintained that he had
no need of repentance, and fully committed himself, in the
great controversy, against his Maker.
All the powers of his master mind were now bent to the work
of deception, to secure the sympathy of the angels that had been
under his command. Even the fact that Christ had warned and
counseled him was perverted to serve his traitorous designs. To
those whose loving trust bound them most closely to him, Satan
had represented that he was wrongly judged, that his position
was not respected, and that his liberty was to be abridged. From
misrepresentation of the words of Christ he passed to prevari-
cation and direct falsehood, accusing the Son of God of a design
to humiliate him before the inhabitants of heaven. He sought
also to make a false issue between himself and the loyal angels.
All whom he could not subvert and bring fully to his side he ac-
cused of indifference to the interests of heavenly beings. The very
work which he himself was doing he charged upon those who re-
mained true to God. And to sustain his charge of God’s injustice
toward him, he resorted to misrepresentation of the words and
acts of the Creator. It was his policy to perplex the angels with
subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God. Everything
that was simple he shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion
cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah. His high po-
sition, in such close connection with the divine administration,

Th e Origin of Evil • 13
gave greater force to his representations, and many were induced
to unite with him in rebellion against Heaven’s authority.
God in His wisdom permitted Satan to carry forward his work,
until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. It was nec-
essary for his plans to be fully developed, that their true nature
and tendency might be seen by all. Lucifer, as the anointed cher-
ub, had been highly exalted; he was greatly loved by the heavenly
beings, and his influence over them was strong. God’s government
included not only the inhabitants of heaven, but of all the worlds
that He had created; and Satan thought that if he could carry the
angels of heaven with him in rebellion, he could carry also the
other worlds. He had artfully presented his side of the question,
employing sophistry and fraud to secure his objects. His power
to deceive was very great, and by disguising himself in a cloak of
falsehood he had gained an advantage. Even the loyal angels could
not fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading.
Satan had been so highly honored, and all his acts were so
clothed with mystery, that it was difficult to disclose to the angels
the true nature of his work. Until fully developed, sin would not ap-
pear the evil thing it was. Heretofore it had had no place in the uni-
verse of God, and holy beings had no conception of its nature and
malignity. They could not discern the terrible consequences that
would result from setting aside the divine law. Satan had, at first,
concealed his work under a specious profession of loyalty to God.
He claimed to be seeking to promote the honor of God, the stabil-
ity of His government, and the good of all the inhabitants of heav-
en. While instilling discontent into the minds of the angels under
him, he had artfully made it appear that he was seeking to remove
dissatisfaction. When he urged that changes be made in the order
and laws of God’s government, it was under the pretense that these
were necessary in order to preserve harmony in heaven.
In His dealing with sin, God could employ only righteousness
and truth. Satan could use what God could not—flattery and de-
ceit. He had sought to falsify the word of God and had misrepre-
sented His plan of government before the angels, claiming that
God was not just in laying laws and rules upon the inhabitants

1 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
of heaven; that in requiring submission and obedience from
His creatures, He was seeking merely the exaltation of Himself.
Therefore it must be demonstrated before the inhabitants of
heaven, as well as of all the worlds, that God’s government was
just, His law perfect. Satan had made it appear that he himself
was seeking to promote the good of the universe. The true char-
acter of the usurper, and his real object, must be understood by
all. He must have time to manifest himself by his wicked works.
The discord which his own course had caused in heaven, Sa-
tan charged upon the law and government of God. All evil he de-
clared to be the result of the divine administration. He claimed
that it was his own object to improve upon the statutes of Jeho-
vah. Therefore it was necessary that he should demonstrate the
nature of his claims, and show the working out of his proposed
changes in the divine law. His own work must condemn him. Sa-
tan had claimed from the first that he was not in rebellion. The
whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked.
Even when it was decided that he could no longer remain in
heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since the ser-
vice of love can alone be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His
creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benev-
olence. The inhabitants of heaven and of other worlds, being
unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequences of sin,
could not then have seen the justice and mercy of God in the
destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted from ex-
istence, they would have served God from fear rather than from
love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully de-
stroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly erad-
icated. Evil must be permitted to come to maturity. For the good
of the entire universe through ceaseless ages Satan must more
fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine
government might be seen in their true light by all created be-
ings, that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of
His law might forever be placed beyond all question.
Satan’s rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through
all coming ages, a perpetual testimony to the nature and ter-

Th e Origin of Evil • 15
rible results of sin. The working out of Satan’s rule, its effects
upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit
of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with
the existence of God’s government and His law is bound up the
well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history
of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual
safeguard to all holy intelligences, to prevent them from being
deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from
committing sin and suffering its punishments.
To the very close of the controversy in heaven the great
usurper continued to justify himself. When it was announced
that with all his sympathizers he must be expelled from the
abodes of bliss, then the rebel leader boldly avowed his con-
tempt for the Creator’s law. He reiterated his claim that angels
needed no control, but should be left to follow their own will,
which would ever guide them right. He denounced the divine
statutes as a restriction of their liberty and declared that it was
his purpose to secure the abolition of law; that, freed from this
restraint, the hosts of heaven might enter upon a more exalted,
more glorious state of existence.
With one accord, Satan and his host threw the blame of their
rebellion wholly upon Christ, declaring that if they had not been
reproved, they would never have rebelled. Thus stubborn and
defiant in their disloyalty, seeking vainly to overthrow the gov-
ernment of God, yet blasphemously claiming to be themselves
the innocent victims of oppressive power, the archrebel and all
his sympathizers were at last banished from heaven.
The same spirit that prompted rebellion in heaven still in-
spires rebellion on earth. Satan has continued with men the same
policy which he pursued with the angels. His spirit now reigns in
the children of disobedience. Like him they seek to break down
the restraints of the law of God and promise men liberty through
transgression of its precepts. Reproof of sin still arouses the spirit
of hatred and resistance. When God’s messages of warning are
brought home to the conscience, Satan leads men to justify them-
selves and to seek the sympathy of others in their course of sin.

1 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
Instead of correcting their errors, they excite indignation against
the reprover, as if he were the sole cause of difficulty. From the
days of righteous Abel to our own time such is the spirit which has
been displayed toward those who dare to condemn sin.
By the same misrepresentation of the character of God as he
had practiced in heaven, causing Him to be regarded as severe
and tyrannical, Satan induced man to sin. And having succeed-
ed thus far, he declared that God’s unjust restrictions had led to
man’s fall, as they had led to his own rebellion.
But the Eternal One Himself proclaims His character: “The
Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant
in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means
clear the guilty.” Exodus 34:6, 7.
In the banishment of Satan from heaven, God declared His
justice and maintained the honor of His throne. But when man
had sinned through yielding to the deceptions of this apostate
spirit, God gave an evidence of His love by yielding up His on-
ly-begotten Son to die for the fallen race. In the atonement the
character of God is revealed. The mighty argument of the cross
demonstrates to the whole universe that the course of sin which
Lucifer had chosen was in no wise chargeable upon the govern-
ment of God.
In the contest between Christ and Satan, during the Sav-
iour’s earthly ministry, the character of the great deceiver was
unmasked. Nothing could so effectually have uprooted Satan
from the affections of the heavenly angels and the whole loyal
universe as did his cruel warfare upon the world’s Redeemer.
The daring blasphemy of his demand that Christ should pay
him homage, his presumptuous boldness in bearing Him to the
mountain summit and the pinnacle of the temple, the malicious
intent betrayed in urging Him to cast Himself down from the
dizzy height, the unsleeping malice that hunted Him from place
to place, inspiring the hearts of priests and people to reject His
love, and at the last to cry, “Crucify Him! crucify Him!”—all this
excited the amazement and indignation of the universe.

Th e Origin of Evil • 17
 It was Satan that prompted the world’s rejection of Christ. The
prince of evil exerted all his power and cunning to destroy Jesus;
for he saw that the Saviour’s mercy and love, His compassion and
pitying tenderness, were representing to the world the character
of God. Satan contested every claim put forth by the Son of God
and employed men as his agents to fill the Saviour’s life with suf-
fering and sorrow. The sophistry and falsehood by which he had
sought to hinder the work of Jesus, the hatred manifested through
the children of disobedience, his cruel accusations against Him
whose life was one of unexampled goodness, all sprang from
deep-seated revenge. The pent-up fires of envy and malice, ha-
tred and revenge, burst forth on Calvary against the Son of God,
while all heaven gazed upon the scene in silent horror.
When the great sacrifice had been consummated, Christ as-
cended on high, refusing the adoration of angels until He had
presented the request: “I will that they also, whom Thou hast
given Me, be with Me where I am.” John 17:24. Then with inex-
pressible love and power came forth the answer from the Fa-
ther’s throne: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” Hebrews
1:6. Not a stain rested upon Jesus. His humiliation ended, His
sacrifice completed, there was given unto Him a name that is
above every name.
Now the guilt of Satan stood forth without excuse. He had re-
vealed his true character as a liar and a murderer. It was seen that
the very same spirit with which he ruled the children of men, who
were under his power, he would have manifested had he been
permitted to control the inhabitants of heaven. He had claimed
that the transgression of God’s law would bring liberty and exalta-
tion; but it was seen to result in bondage and degradation.
Satan’s lying charges against the divine character and gov-
ernment appeared in their true light. He had accused God of
seeking merely the exaltation of Himself in requiring submis-
sion and obedience from His creatures, and had declared that,
while the Creator exacted self-denial from all others, He Him-
self practiced no self-denial and made no sacrifice. Now it was
seen that for the salvation of a fallen and sinful race, the Ruler

1 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
of the universe had made the greatest sacrifice which love could
make; for “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Him-
self.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. It was seen, also, that while Lucifer had
opened the door for the entrance of sin by his desire for hon-
or and supremacy, Christ had, in order to destroy sin, humbled
Himself and become obedient unto death.
God had manifested His abhorrence of the principles of rebel-
lion. All heaven saw His justice revealed, both in the condemna-
tion of Satan and in the redemption of man. Lucifer had declared
that if the law of God was changeless, and its penalty could not be
remitted, every transgressor must be forever debarred from the
Creator’s favor. He had claimed that the sinful race were placed
beyond redemption and were therefore his rightful prey. But the
death of Christ was an argument in man’s behalf that could not be
overthrown. The penalty of the law fell upon Him who was equal
with God, and man was free to accept the righteousness of Christ
and by a life of penitence and humiliation to triumph, as the Son
of God had triumphed, over the power of Satan. Thus God is just
and yet the justifier of all who believe in Jesus.
But it was not merely to accomplish the redemption of man
that Christ came to the earth to suffer and to die. He came to
“magnify the law” and to “make it honorable.” Not alone that
the inhabitants of this world might regard the law as it should
be regarded; but it was to demonstrate to all the worlds of the
universe that God’s law is unchangeable. Could its claims have
been set aside, then the Son of God need not have yielded up His
life to atone for its transgression. The death of Christ proves it
immutable. And the sacrifice to which infinite love impelled the
Father and the Son, that sinners might be redeemed, demon-
strates to all the universe—what nothing less than this plan of
atonement could have sufficed to do—that justice and mercy are
the foundation of the law and government of God.
In the final execution of the judgment it will be seen that no
cause for sin exists. When the Judge of all the earth shall de-
mand of Satan, “Why hast thou rebelled against Me, and robbed
Me of the subjects of My kingdom?” the originator of evil can

Th e Origin of Evil • 19
render no excuse. Every mouth will be stopped, and all the hosts
of rebellion will be speechless.
The cross of Calvary, while it declares the law immutable,
proclaims to the universe that the wages of sin is death. In the
Saviour’s expiring cry, “It is finished,” the death knell of Sa-
tan was rung. The great controversy which had been so long
in progress was then decided, and the final eradication of evil
was made certain. The Son of God passed through the portals
of the tomb, that “through death He might destroy him that had
the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2:14. Lucifer’s
desire for self-exaltation had led him to say: “I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God: ... I will be like the Most High.”
God declares: “I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth, ... and
never shalt thou be any more.” Isaiah 14:13, 14; Ezekiel 28:18,
19. When “the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;....all the
proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day
that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it
shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4:1.
The whole universe will have become witnesses to the na-
ture and results of sin. And its utter extermination, which in
the beginning would have brought fear to angels and dishon-
or to God, will now vindicate His love and establish His honor
before the universe of beings who delight to do His will, and in
whose heart is His law. Never will evil again be manifest. Says
the word of God: “Affliction shall not rise up the second time.”
Nahum 1:9. The law of God, which Satan has reproached as the
yoke of bondage, will be honored as the law of liberty. A tested
and proved creation will never again be turned from allegiance
to Him whose character has been fully manifested before them
as fathomless love and infinite wisdom.

2 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
Enmity
Between Man
and Satan
2
CHAPTER

I
will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt
bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15. The divine sentence pro-
nounced against Satan after the fall of man was also a prophecy,
embracing all the ages to the close of time and foreshadowing
the great conflict to engage all the races of men who should live
upon the earth.
God declares: “I will put enmity.” This enmity is not natural-
ly entertained. When man transgressed the divine law, his na-
ture became evil, and he was in harmony, and not at variance,
with Satan. There exists naturally no enmity between sinful
man and the originator of sin. Both became evil through aposta-
sy. The apostate is never at rest, except as he obtains sympathy
and support by inducing others to follow his example. For this
reason fallen angels and wicked men unite in desperate com-
panionship. Had not God specially interposed, Satan and man

E nmity Betw een M an an d Satan • 21

would have entered into an alliance against Heaven; and instead
of cherishing enmity against Satan, the whole human family
would have been united in opposition to God.
Satan tempted man to sin, as he had caused angels to reb-
el, that he might thus secure co-operation in his warfare against
Heaven. There was no dissension between himself and the fallen
angels as regards their hatred of Christ; while on all other points
there was discord, they were firmly united in opposing the au-
thority of the Ruler of the universe. But when Satan heard the
declaration that enmity should exist between himself and the
woman, and between his seed and her seed, he knew that his
efforts to deprave human nature would be interrupted; that by
some means man was to be enabled to resist his power.
Satan’s enmity against the human race is kindled because,
through Christ, they are the objects of God’s love and mercy. He
desires to thwart the divine plan for man’s redemption, to cast
dishonor upon God, by defacing and defiling His handiwork; he
would cause grief in heaven and fill the earth with woe and des-
olation. And he points to all this evil as the result of God’s work
in creating man.
It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul which creates
in man enmity against Satan. Without this converting grace and
renewing power, man would continue the captive of Satan, a ser-
vant ever ready to do his bidding. But the new principle in the
soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The pow-
er which Christ imparts enables man to resist the tyrant and
usurper. Whoever is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, who-
ever resists and conquers those passions that have held sway
within, displays the operation of a principle wholly from above.
The antagonism that exists between the spirit of Christ and
the spirit of Satan was most strikingly displayed in the world’s re-
ception of Jesus. It was not so much because He appeared with-
out worldly wealth, pomp, or grandeur that the Jews were led
to reject Him. They saw that He possessed power which would
more than compensate for the lack of these outward advantag-

2 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
es. But the purity and holiness of Christ called forth against Him
the hatred of the ungodly. His life of self-denial and sinless de-
votion was a perpetual reproof to a proud, sensual people. It was
this that evoked enmity against the Son of God. Satan and evil
angels joined with evil men. All the energies of apostasy con-
spired against the Champion of truth.
The same enmity is manifested toward Christ’s followers as
was manifested toward their Master. Whoever sees the repulsive
character of sin, and in strength from above resists temptation,
will assuredly arouse the wrath of Satan and his subjects. Hatred
of the pure principles of truth, and reproach and persecution of
its advocates, will exist as long as sin and sinners remain. The
followers of Christ and the servants of Satan cannot harmonize.
The offense of the cross has not ceased. “All that will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12.
Satan’s agents are constantly working under his direction to
establish his authority and build up his kingdom in opposition to
the government of God. To this end they seek to deceive Christ’s
followers and allure them from their allegiance. Like their lead-
er, they misconstrue and pervert the Scriptures to accomplish
their object. As Satan endeavored to cast reproach upon God, so
do his agents seek to malign God’s people. The spirit which put
Christ to death moves the wicked to destroy His followers. All
this is foreshadowed in that first prophecy: “I will put enmity be-
tween thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.”
And this will continue to the close of time.
Satan summons all his forces and throws his whole power
into the combat. Why is it that he meets with no greater resis-
tance? Why are the soldiers of Christ so sleepy and indifferent?
Because they have so little real connection with Christ; because
they are so destitute of His Spirit. Sin is not to them repulsive
and abhorrent, as it was to their Master. They do not meet it,
as did Christ, with decisive and determined resistance. They
do not realize the exceeding evil and malignity of sin, and they
are blinded both to the character and the power of the prince
of darkness. There is little enmity against Satan and his works,

E nmity Betw een M an an d Satan • 23

because there is so great ignorance concerning his power and
malice, and the vast extent of his warfare against Christ and His
church. Multitudes are deluded here. They do not know that their
enemy is a mighty general who controls the minds of evil angels,
and that with well-matured plans and skillful movements he is
warring against Christ to prevent the salvation of souls. Among
professed Christians, and even among ministers of the gospel,
there is heard scarcely a reference to Satan, except perhaps an
incidental mention in the pulpit. They overlook the evidences of
his continual activity and success; they neglect the many warn-
ings of his subtlety; they seem to ignore his very existence.
While men are ignorant of his devices, this vigilant foe is
upon their track every moment. He is intruding his presence in
every department of the household, in every street of our cities,
in the churches, in the national councils, in the courts of justice,
perplexing, deceiving, seducing, everywhere ruining the souls
and bodies of men, women, and children, breaking up fami-
lies, sowing hatred, emulation, strife, sedition, murder. And the
Christian world seem to regard these things as though God had
appointed them and they must exist.
Satan is continually seeking to overcome the people of God by
breaking down the barriers which separate them from the world.
Ancient Israel were enticed into sin when they ventured into for-
bidden association with the heathen. In a similar manner are
modern Israel led astray. “The god of this world hath blinded the
minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gos-
pel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
2 Corinthians 4:4. All who are not decided followers of Christ are
servants of Satan. In the unregenerate heart there is love of sin
and a disposition to cherish and excuse it. In the renewed heart
there is hatred of sin and determined resistance against it. When
Christians choose the society of the ungodly and unbelieving,
they expose themselves to temptation. Satan conceals himself
from view and stealthily draws his deceptive covering over their
eyes. They cannot see that such company is calculated to do them

2 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
harm; and while all the time assimilating to the world in character,
words, and actions, they are becoming more and more blinded.
Conformity to worldly customs converts the church to the
world; it never converts the world to Christ. Familiarity with sin
will inevitably cause it to appear less repulsive. He who chooses
to associate with the servants of Satan will soon cease to fear
their master. When in the way of duty we are brought into trial,
as was Daniel in the king’s court, we may be sure that God will
protect us; but if we place ourselves under temptation we shall
fall sooner or later.
The tempter often works most successfully through those
who are least suspected of being under his control. The posses-
sors of talent and education are admired and honored, as if these
qualities could atone for the absence of the fear of God or entitle
men to His favor. Talent and culture, considered in themselves,
are gifts of God; but when these are made to supply the place of
piety, when, instead of bringing the soul nearer to God, they lead
away from Him, then they become a curse and a snare. The opin-
ion prevails with many that all which appears like courtesy or re-
finement must, in some sense, pertain to Christ. Never was there
a greater mistake. These qualities should grace the character of
every Christian, for they would exert a powerful influence in fa-
vor of true religion; but they must be consecrated to God, or they
also are a power for evil. Many a man of cultured intellect and
pleasant manners, who would not stoop to what is commonly re-
garded as an immoral act, is but a polished instrument in the
hands of Satan. The insidious, deceptive character of his influ-
ence and example renders him a more dangerous enemy to the
cause of Christ than are those who are ignorant and uncultured.
By earnest prayer and dependence upon God, Solomon ob-
tained the wisdom which excited the wonder and admiration of
the world. But when he turned from the Source of his strength,
and went forward relying upon himself, he fell a prey to tempta-
tion. Then the marvelous powers bestowed on this wisest of kings
only rendered him a more effective agent of the adversary of souls.

E nmity Betw een M an an d Satan • 25

 While Satan is constantly seeking to blind their minds to the
fact, let Christians never forget that they “wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wick-
ed spirits in high places.” Ephesians 6:12, margin. The inspired
warning is sounding down the centuries to our time: “Be sober,
be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. “Put
on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11.
From the days of Adam to our own time, our great enemy
has been exercising his power to oppress and destroy. He is now
preparing for his last campaign against the church. All who seek
to follow Jesus will be brought into conflict with this relentless
foe. The more nearly the Christian imitates the divine Pattern,
the more surely will he make himself a mark for the attacks of
Satan. All who are actively engaged in the cause of God, seeking
to unveil the deceptions of the evil one and to present Christ be-
fore the people, will be able to join in the testimony of Paul, in
which he speaks of serving the Lord with all humility of mind,
with many tears and temptations.
Satan assailed Christ with his fiercest and most subtle temp-
tations, but he was repulsed in every conflict. Those battles
were fought in our behalf; those victories make it possible for us
to conquer. Christ will give strength to all who seek it. No man
without his own consent can be overcome by Satan. The tempt-
er has no power to control the will or to force the soul to sin. He
may distress, but he cannot contaminate. He can cause agony,
but not defilement. The fact that Christ has conquered should
inspire His followers with courage to fight manfully the battle
against sin and Satan.

2 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
Agency
of Evil Spirits 3
CHAPTER

T
he connection of the visible with the invisible world, the
ministration of angels of God, and the agency of evil spir-
its, are plainly revealed in the Scriptures, and insepara-
bly interwoven with human history. There is a growing tendency
to disbelief in the existence of evil spirits, while the holy angels
that “minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (He-
brews 1:14) are regarded by many as spirits of the dead. But the
Scriptures not only teach the existence of angels, both good and
evil, but present unquestionable proof that these are not disem-
bodied spirits of dead men.
Before the creation of man, angels were in existence; for
when the foundations of the earth were laid, “the morning stars
sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7.
After the fall of man, angels were sent to guard the tree of life,
and this before a human being had died. Angels are in nature
superior to men, for the psalmist says that man was made “a
little lower than the angels.” Psalm 8:5.

Agen cy of Evil Spirits • 27

 We are informed in Scripture as to the number, and the pow-
er and glory, of the heavenly beings, of their connection with the
government of God, and also of their relation to the work of re-
demption. “The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens;
and His kingdom ruleth over all.” And, says the prophet, “I heard
the voice of many angels round about the throne.” In the pres-
ence chamber of the King of kings they wait—“angels, that excel
in strength,” “ministers of His, that do His pleasure,” “hearken-
ing unto the voice of His word.” Psalm 103:19-21; Revelation
5:11. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thou-
sands, were the heavenly messengers beheld by the prophet
Daniel. The apostle Paul declared them “an innumerable com-
pany.” Daniel 7:10; Hebrews 12:22. As God’s messengers they go
forth, like “the appearance of a flash of lightning,” (Ezekiel 1:14),
so dazzling their glory, and so swift their flight. The angel that
appeared at the Saviour’s tomb, his countenance “like lightning,
and his raiment white as snow,” caused the keepers for fear of
him to quake, and they “became as dead men.” Matthew 28:3, 4.
When Sennacherib, the haughty Assyrian, reproached and blas-
phemed God, and threatened Israel with destruction, “it came to
pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in
the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thou-
sand.” There were “cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the
leaders and captains,” from the army of Sennacherib. “So he
returned with shame of face to his own land.” 2 Kings 19:35; 2
Chronicles 32:21.
Angels are sent on missions of mercy to the children of God.
To Abraham, with promises of blessing; to the gates of Sodom,
to rescue righteous Lot from its fiery doom; to Elijah, as he was
about to perish from weariness and hunger in the desert; to Eli-
sha, with chariots and horses of fire surrounding the little town
where he was shut in by his foes; to Daniel, while seeking divine
wisdom in the court of a heathen king, or abandoned to become
the lions’ prey; to Peter, doomed to death in Herod’s dungeon;

2 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
to the prisoners at Philippi; to Paul and his companions in the
night of tempest on the sea; to open the mind of Cornelius to
receive the gospel; to dispatch Peter with the message of salva-
tion to the Gentile stranger—thus holy angels have, in all ages,
ministered to God’s people.
A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ.
These heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power
of the wicked one. This Satan himself recognized when he said:
“Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not Thou made an hedge
about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on
every side?” Job 1:9, 10. The agency by which God protects His
people is presented in the words of the psalmist: “The angel of
the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and de-
livereth them.” Psalm 34:7. Said the Saviour, speaking of those
that believe in Him: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these
little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do al-
ways behold the face of My Father.” Matthew 18:10. The angels
appointed to minister to the children of God have at all times
access to His presence.
Thus God’s people, exposed to the deceptive power and un-
sleeping malice of the prince of darkness, and in conflict with
all the forces of evil, are assured of the unceasing guardianship
of heavenly angels. Nor is such assurance given without need.
If God has granted to His children promise of grace and protec-
tion, it is because there are mighty agencies of evil to be met—
agencies numerous, determined, and untiring, of whose malig-
nity and power none can safely be ignorant or unheeding.
Evil spirits, in the beginning created sinless, were equal in
nature, power, and glory with the holy beings that are now God’s
messengers. But fallen through sin, they are leagued together
for the dishonor of God and the destruction of men. United with
Satan in his rebellion, and with him cast out from heaven, they
have, through all succeeding ages, co-operated with him in his
warfare against the divine authority. We are told in Scripture of
their confederacy and government, of their various orders, of

Agen cy of Evil Spirits • 29

their intelligence and subtlety, and of their malicious designs
against the peace and happiness of men.
Old Testament history presents occasional mention of their
existence and agency; but it was during the time when Christ
was upon the earth that evil spirits manifested their power in
the most striking manner. Christ had come to enter upon the
plan devised for man’s redemption, and Satan determined to
assert his right to control the world. He had succeeded in estab-
lishing idolatry in every part of the earth except the land of Pal-
estine. To the only land that had not fully yielded to the tempter’s
sway, Christ came to shed upon the people the light of heaven.
Here two rival powers claimed supremacy. Jesus was stretch-
ing out His arms of love, inviting all who would to find pardon
and peace in Him. The hosts of darkness saw that they did not
possess unlimited control, and they understood that if Christ’s
mission should be successful, their rule was soon to end. Satan
raged like a chained lion and defiantly exhibited his power over
the bodies as well as the souls of men.
The fact that men have been possessed with demons, is
clearly stated in the New Testament. The persons thus afflict-
ed were not merely suffering with disease from natural caus-
es. Christ had perfect understanding of that with which He was
dealing, and He recognized the direct presence and agency of
evil spirits.
A striking example of their number, power, and malignity,
and also of the power and mercy of Christ, is given in the Scrip-
ture account of the healing of the demoniacs at Gadara. Those
wretched maniacs, spurning all restraint, writhing, foaming,
raging, were filling the air with their cries, doing violence to
themselves, and endangering all who should approach them.
Their bleeding and disfigured bodies and distracted minds pre-
sented a spectacle well pleasing to the prince of darkness. One
of the demons controlling the sufferers declared: “My name is
Legion: for we are many.” Mark 5:9. In the Roman army a legion
consisted of from three to five thousand men. Satan’s hosts also

3 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
are marshaled in companies, and the single company to which
these demons belonged numbered no less than a legion.
At the command of Jesus the evil spirits departed from their
victims, leaving them calmly sitting at the Saviour’s feet, sub-
dued, intelligent, and gentle. But the demons were permitted to
sweep a herd of swine into the sea; and to the dwellers of Gada-
ra the loss of these outweighed the blessings which Christ had
bestowed, and the divine Healer was entreated to depart. This
was the result which Satan designed to secure. By casting the
blame of their loss upon Jesus, he aroused the selfish fears of the
people and prevented them from listening to His words. Satan is
constantly accusing Christians as the cause of loss, misfortune,
and suffering, instead of allowing the reproach to fall where it
belongs—upon himself and his agents.
But the purposes of Christ were not thwarted. He allowed the
evil spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to those Jews
who were raising these unclean beasts for the sake of gain. Had
not Christ restrained the demons, they would have plunged into
the sea, not only the swine, but also their keepers and owners.
The preservation of both the keepers and the owners was due
alone to His power, mercifully exercised for their deliverance.
Furthermore, this event was permitted to take place that the dis-
ciples might witness the cruel power of Satan upon both man
and beast. The Saviour desired His followers to have a knowl-
edge of the foe whom they were to meet, that they might not be
deceived and overcome by his devices. It was also His will that
the people of that region should behold His power to break the
bondage of Satan and release his captives. And though Jesus
Himself departed, the men so marvelously delivered, remained
to declare the mercy of their Benefactor.
Other instances of a similar nature are recorded in the
Scriptures. The daughter of the Syrophoenician woman was
grievously vexed with a devil, whom Jesus cast out by His word.
(Mark 7:26-30). “One possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb”
(Matthew 12:22); a youth who had a dumb spirit, that ofttimes

Agen cy of Evil Spirits • 31

“cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him” (Mark
9:17-27); the maniac who, tormented by “a spirit of an unclean
devil” (Luke 4:33-36), disturbed the Sabbath quiet of the syn-
agogue at Capernaum—all were healed by the compassionate
Saviour. In nearly every instance, Christ addressed the demon as
an intelligent entity, commanding him to come out of his victim
and to torment him no more. The worshipers at Capernaum, be-
holding His mighty power, “were all amazed, and spake among
themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and
power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Luke 4:36.
Those possessed with devils are usually represented as be-
ing in a condition of great suffering; yet there were exceptions
to this rule. For the sake of obtaining supernatural power, some
welcomed the satanic influence. These of course had no conflict
with the demons. Of this class were those who possessed the
spirit of divination,—Simon Magus, Elymas the sorcerer, and the
damsel who followed Paul and Silas at Philippi.
None are in greater danger from the influence of evil spirits
than those who, notwithstanding the direct and ample testimo-
ny of the Scriptures, deny the existence and agency of the devil
and his angels. So long as we are ignorant of their wiles, they
have almost inconceivable advantage; many give heed to their
suggestions while they suppose themselves to be following the
dictates of their own wisdom. This is why, as we approach the
close of time, when Satan is to work with greatest power to de-
ceive and destroy, he spreads everywhere the belief that he does
not exist. It is his policy to conceal himself and his manner of
working.
There is nothing that the great deceiver fears so much as
that we shall become acquainted with his devices. The better to
disguise his real character and purposes, he has caused himself
to be so represented as to excite no stronger emotion than ridi-
cule or contempt. He is well pleased to be painted as a ludicrous
or loathsome object, misshapen, half animal and half human.

3 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
He is pleased to hear his name used in sport and mockery by
those who think themselves intelligent and well informed.
It is because he has masked himself with consummate skill
that the question is so widely asked: “Does such a being really
exist?” It is an evidence of his success that theories giving the
lie to the plainest testimony of the Scriptures are so generally
received in the religious world. And it is because Satan can most
readily control the minds of those who are unconscious of his
influence, that the word of God gives us so many examples of his
malignant work, unveiling before us his secret forces, and thus
placing us on our guard against his assaults.
The power and malice of Satan and his host might justly
alarm us were it not that we may find shelter and deliverance
in the superior power of our Redeemer. We carefully secure our
houses with bolts and locks to protect our property and our lives
from evil men; but we seldom think of the evil angels who are
constantly seeking access to us, and against whose attacks we
have, in our own strength, no method of defense. If permitted,
they can distract our minds, disorder and torment our bodies,
destroy our possessions and our lives. Their only delight is in
misery and destruction. Fearful is the condition of those who re-
sist the divine claims and yield to Satan’s temptations, until God
gives them up to the control of evil spirits. But those who follow
Christ are ever safe under His watchcare. Angels that excel in
strength are sent from heaven to protect them. The wicked one
cannot break through the guard which God has stationed about
His people.

Agen cy of Evil Spirits • 33

Snares
of Satan 4
CHAPTER

T
he great controversy between Christ and Satan, that has
been carried forward for nearly six thousand years, is
soon to close; and the wicked one redoubles his efforts to
defeat the work of Christ in man’s behalf and to fasten souls in
his snares. To hold the people in darkness and impenitence till
the Saviour’s mediation is ended, and there is no longer a sacri-
fice for sin, is the object which he seeks to accomplish.
When there is no special effort made to resist his power, when
indifference prevails in the church and the world, Satan is not
concerned; for he is in no danger of losing those whom he is lead-
ing captive at his will. But when the attention is called to eternal
things, and souls are inquiring, “What must I do to be saved?” he
is on the ground, seeking to match his power against the power of
Christ and to counteract the influence of the Holy Spirit.
The Scriptures declare that upon one occasion, when the an-
gels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan
came also among them (Job 1:6), not to bow before the Eternal

3 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
King, but to further his own malicious designs against the righ-
teous. With the same object he is in attendance when men as-
semble for the worship of God. Though hidden from sight, he is
working with all diligence to control the minds of the worshipers.
Like a skillful general he lays his plans beforehand. As he sees
the messenger of God searching the Scriptures, he takes note of
the subject to be presented to the people. Then he employs all
his cunning and shrewdness so to control circumstances that
the message may not reach those whom he is deceiving on that
very point. The one who most needs the warning will be urged
into some business transaction which requires his presence, or
will by some other means be prevented from hearing the words
that might prove to him a savor of life unto life.
Again, Satan sees the Lord’s servants burdened because of
the spiritual darkness that enshrouds the people. He hears their
earnest prayers for divine grace and power to break the spell of
indifference, carelessness, and indolence. Then with renewed
zeal he plies his arts. He tempts men to the indulgence of ap-
petite or to some other form of self-gratification, and thus be-
numbs their sensibilities so that they fail to hear the very things
which they most need to learn.
Satan well knows that all whom he can lead to neglect prayer
and the searching of the Scriptures, will be overcome by his at-
tacks. Therefore he invents every possible device to engross the
mind. There has ever been a class professing godliness, who, in-
stead of following on to know the truth, make it their religion to
seek some fault of character or error of faith in those with whom
they do not agree. Such are Satan’s right-hand helpers. Accus-
ers of the brethren are not few, and they are always active when
God is at work and His servants are rendering Him true hom-
age. They will put a false coloring upon the words and acts of
those who love and obey the truth. They will represent the most
earnest, zealous, self-denying servants of Christ as deceived or
deceivers. It is their work to misrepresent the motives of every
true and noble deed, to circulate insinuations, and arouse sus-

Sn ares of Satan • 35
picion in the minds of the inexperienced. In every conceivable
manner they will seek to cause that which is pure and righteous
to be regarded as foul and deceptive.
But none need be deceived concerning them. It may be read-
ily seen whose children they are, whose example they follow, and
whose work they do. “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” Mat-
thew 7:16. Their course resembles that of Satan, the envenomed
slanderer, “the accuser of our brethren.” Revelation 12:10.
The great deceiver has many agents ready to present any
and every kind of error to ensnare souls—heresies prepared to
suit the varied tastes and capacities of those whom he would
ruin. It is his plan to bring into the church insincere, unregener-
ate elements that will encourage doubt and unbelief, and hinder
all who desire to see the work of God advance and to advance
with it. Many who have no real faith in God or in His word assent
to some principles of truth and pass as Christians, and thus they
are enabled to introduce their errors as Scriptural doctrines.
The position that it is of no consequence what men believe
is one of Satan’s most successful deceptions. He knows that the
truth, received in the love of it, sanctifies the soul of the receiver;
therefore he is constantly seeking to substitute false theories,
fables, another gospel. From the beginning the servants of God
have contended against false teachers, not merely as vicious
men, but as inculcators of falsehoods that were fatal to the soul.
Elijah, Jeremiah, Paul, firmly and fearlessly opposed those who
were turning men from the word of God. That liberality which
regards a correct religious faith as unimportant found no favor
with these holy defenders of the truth.
The vague and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, and the
many conflicting theories concerning religious faith, that are
found in the Christian world are the work of our great adversary
to confuse minds so that they shall not discern the truth. And the
discord and division which exist among the churches of Christen-
dom are in a great measure due to the prevailing custom of wrest-
ing the Scriptures to support a favorite theory. Instead of carefully

3 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
studying God’s word with humility of heart to obtain a knowledge
of His will, many seek only to discover something odd or original.
In order to sustain erroneous doctrines or unchristian prac-
tices, some will seize upon passages of Scripture separated from
the context, perhaps quoting half of a single verse as proving
their point, when the remaining portion would show the mean-
ing to be quite the opposite. With the cunning of the serpent
they entrench themselves behind disconnected utterances con-
strued to suit their carnal desires. Thus do many willfully per-
vert the word of God. Others, who have an active imagination,
seize upon the figures and symbols of Holy Writ, interpret them
to suit their fancy, with little regard to the testimony of Scripture
as its own interpreter, and then they present their vagaries as
the teachings of the Bible.
Whenever the study of the Scriptures is entered upon with-
out a prayerful, humble, teachable spirit, the plainest and sim-
plest as well as the most difficult passages will be wrested from
their true meaning. The papal leaders select such portions of
Scripture as best serve their purpose, interpret to suit them-
selves, and then present these to the people, while they deny
them the privilege of studying the Bible and understanding its
sacred truths for themselves. The whole Bible should be given to
the people just as it reads. It would be better for them not to have
Bible instruction at all than to have the teaching of the Scrip-
tures thus grossly misrepresented.
The Bible was designed to be a guide to all who wish to be-
come acquainted with the will of their Maker. God gave to men
the sure word of prophecy; angels and even Christ Himself came
to make known to Daniel and John the things that must shortly
come to pass. Those important matters that concern our salva-
tion were not left involved in mystery. They were not revealed
in such a way as to perplex and mislead the honest seeker after
truth. Said the Lord by the prophet Habakkuk: “Write the vision,
and make it plain, ... that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk
2:2. The word of God is plain to all who study it with a prayer-

Sn ares of Satan • 37
ful heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth.
“Light is sown for the righteous.” Psalm 97:11. And no church
can advance in holiness unless its members are earnestly seek-
ing for truth as for hid treasure.
By the cry, Liberality, men are blinded to the devices of their
adversary, while he is all the time working steadily for the ac-
complishment of his object. As he succeeds in supplanting the
Bible by human speculations, the law of God is set aside, and the
churches are under the bondage of sin while they claim to be free.
To many, scientific research has become a curse. God has
permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in discov-
eries in science and art; but even the greatest minds, if not guided
by the word of God in their research, become bewildered in their
attempts to investigate the relations of science and revelation.
Human knowledge of both material and spiritual things is
partial and imperfect; therefore many are unable to harmonize
their views of science with Scripture statements. Many accept
mere theories and speculations as scientific facts, and they think
that God’s word is to be tested by the teachings of “science falsely
so called.” 1 Timothy 6:20. The Creator and His works are beyond
their comprehension; and because they cannot explain these by
natural laws, Bible history is regarded as unreliable. Those who
doubt the reliability of the records of the Old and New Testaments
too often go a step further and doubt the existence of God and
attribute infinite power to nature. Having let go their anchor, they
are left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity.
Thus many err from the faith and are seduced by the dev-
il. Men have endeavored to be wiser than their Creator; human
philosophy has attempted to search out and explain mysteries
which will never be revealed through the eternal ages. If men
would but search and understand what God had made known
of Himself and His purposes, they would obtain such a view of
the glory, majesty, and power of Jehovah that they would realize
their own littleness and would be content with that which has
been revealed for themselves and their children.

3 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 It is a masterpiece of Satan’s deceptions to keep the minds
of men searching and conjecturing in regard to that which God
has not made known and which He does not intend that we shall
understand. It was thus that Lucifer lost his place in heaven.
He became dissatisfied because all the secrets of God’s purpos-
es were not confided to him, and he entirely disregarded that
which was revealed concerning his own work in the lofty posi-
tion assigned him. By arousing the same discontent in the an-
gels under his command, he caused their fall. Now he seeks to
imbue the minds of men with the same spirit and to lead them
also to disregard the direct commands of God.
Those who are unwilling to accept the plain, cutting truths of
the Bible are continually seeking for pleasing fables that will qui-
et the conscience. The less spiritual, self-denying, and humiliat-
ing the doctrines presented, the greater the favor with which they
are received. These persons degrade the intellectual powers to
serve their carnal desires. Too wise in their own conceit to search
the Scriptures with contrition of soul and earnest prayer for di-
vine guidance, they have no shield from delusion. Satan is ready
to supply the heart’s desire, and he palms off his deceptions in
the place of truth. It was thus that the papacy gained its power
over the minds of men; and by rejection of the truth because it
involves a cross, Protestants are following the same path. All who
neglect the word of God to study convenience and policy, that
they may not be at variance with the world, will be left to receive
damnable heresy for religious truth. Every conceivable form of
error will be accepted by those who willfully reject the truth. He
who looks with horror upon one deception will readily receive
another. The apostle Paul, speaking of a class who “received not
the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” declares: “For
this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians
2:10-12. With such a warning before us it behooves us to be on
our guard as to what doctrines we receive.

Sn ares of Satan • 39
 Among the most successful agencies of the great deceiver
are the delusive teachings and lying wonders of spiritualism.
Disguised as an angel of light, he spreads his nets where least
suspected. If men would but study the Book of God with earnest
prayer that they might understand it, they would not be left in
darkness to receive false doctrines. But as they reject the truth
they fall a prey to deception.
Another dangerous error is the doctrine that denies the deity
of Christ, claiming that He had no existence before His advent to
this world. This theory is received with favor by a large class who
profess to believe the Bible; yet it directly contradicts the plain-
est statements of our Saviour concerning His relationship with
the Father, His divine character, and His pre-existence. It can-
not be entertained without the most unwarranted wresting of
the Scriptures. It not only lowers man’s conceptions of the work
of redemption, but undermines faith in the Bible as a revelation
from God. While this renders it the more dangerous, it makes it
also harder to meet. If men reject the testimony of the inspired
Scriptures concerning the deity of Christ, it is in vain to argue
the point with them; for no argument, however conclusive, could
convince them. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthi-
ans 2:14. None who hold this error can have a true conception of
the character or the mission of Christ, or of the great plan of God
for man’s redemption.
Still another subtle and mischievous error is the fast-spread-
ing belief that Satan has no existence as a personal being; that
the name is used in Scripture merely to represent men’s evil
thoughts and desires.
The teaching so widely echoed from popular pulpits, that
the second advent of Christ is His coming to each individual at
death, is a device to divert the minds of men from His personal
coming in the clouds of heaven. For years Satan has thus been
saying, “Behold, He is in the secret chambers” (Matthew 24:23-
26); and many souls have been lost by accepting this deception.

4 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 Again, worldly wisdom teaches that prayer is not essential.
Men of science claim that there can be no real answer to prayer;
that this would be a violation of law, a miracle, and that miracles
have no existence. The universe, say they, is governed by fixed
laws, and God Himself does nothing contrary to these laws. Thus
they represent God as bound by His own laws—as if the opera-
tion of divine laws could exclude divine freedom. Such teaching
is opposed to the testimony of the Scriptures. Were not miracles
wrought by Christ and His apostles? The same compassionate
Saviour lives today, and He is as willing to listen to the prayer of
faith as when He walked visibly among men. The natural coop-
erates with the supernatural. It is a part of God’s plan to grant us,
in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow
did we not thus ask.
Innumerable are the erroneous doctrines and fanciful ideas
that are obtaining among the churches of Christendom. It is im-
possible to estimate the evil results of removing one of the land-
marks fixed by the word of God. Few who venture to do this stop
with the rejection of a single truth. The majority continue to set
aside one after another of the principles of truth, until they be-
come actual infidels.
The errors of popular theology have driven many a soul to
skepticism who might otherwise have been a believer in the
Scriptures. It is impossible for him to accept doctrines which
outrage his sense of justice, mercy, and benevolence; and since
these are represented as the teaching of the Bible, he refuses to
receive it as the word of God.
And this is the object which Satan seeks to accomplish. There
is nothing that he desires more than to destroy confidence in
God and in His word. Satan stands at the head of the great army
of doubters, and he works to the utmost of his power to beguile
souls into his ranks. It is becoming fashionable to doubt. There
is a large class by whom the word of God is looked upon with dis-
trust for the same reason as was its Author—because it reproves
and condemns sin. Those who are unwilling to obey its require-
ments endeavor to overthrow its authority. They read the Bible,

Sn ares of Satan • 41
or listen to its teachings as presented from the sacred desk,
merely to find fault with the Scriptures or with the sermon. Not
a few become infidels in order to justify or excuse themselves in
neglect of duty. Others adopt skeptical principles from pride and
indolence. Too ease-loving to distinguish themselves by accom-
plishing anything worthy of honor, which requires effort and
self-denial, they aim to secure a reputation for superior wisdom
by criticizing the Bible. There is much which the finite mind, un-
enlightened by divine wisdom, is powerless to comprehend; and
thus they find occasion to criticize. There are many who seem
to feel that it is a virtue to stand on the side of unbelief, skepti-
cism, and infidelity. But underneath an appearance of candor it
will be found that such persons are actuated by self-confidence
and pride. Many delight in finding something in the Scriptures
to puzzle the minds of others. Some at first criticize and reason
on the wrong side, from a mere love of controversy. They do not
realize that they are thus entangling themselves in the snare of
the fowler. But having openly expressed unbelief, they feel that
they must maintain their position. Thus they unite with the un-
godly and close to themselves the gates of Paradise.
God has given in His word sufficient evidence of its divine
character. The great truths which concern our redemption are
clearly presented. By the aid of the Holy Spirit, which is prom-
ised to all who seek it in sincerity, every man may understand
these truths for himself. God has granted to men a strong foun-
dation upon which to rest their faith.
Yet the finite minds of men are inadequate fully to compre-
hend the plans and purposes of the Infinite One. We can never by
searching find out God. We must not attempt to lift with presump-
tuous hand the curtain behind which He veils His majesty. The
apostle exclaims: “How unsearchable are His judgments, and His
ways past finding out!” Romans 11:33. We can so far comprehend
His dealings with us, and the motives by which He is actuated, that
we may discern boundless love and mercy united to infinite pow-
er. Our Father in heaven orders everything in wisdom and righ-
teousness, and we are not to be dissatisfied and distrustful, but to

4 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
bow in reverent submission. He will reveal to us as much of His
purposes as it is for our good to know, and beyond that we must
trust the Hand that is omnipotent, the Heart that is full of love.
While God has given ample evidence for faith, He will never
remove all excuse for unbelief. All who look for hooks to hang
their doubts upon will find them. And those who refuse to accept
and obey God’s word until every objection has been removed,
and there is no longer an opportunity for doubt, will never come
to the light.
Distrust of God is the natural outgrowth of the unrenewed
heart, which is at enmity with Him. But faith is inspired by the
Holy Spirit, and it will flourish only as it is cherished. No man
can become strong in faith without a determined effort. Unbelief
strengthens as it is encouraged; and if men, instead of dwelling
upon the evidences which God has given to sustain their faith,
permit themselves to question and cavil, they will find their
doubts constantly becoming more confirmed.
But those who doubt God’s promises and distrust the assur-
ance of His grace are dishonoring Him; and their influence, in-
stead of drawing others to Christ, tends to repel them from Him.
They are unproductive trees, that spread their dark branches
far and wide, shutting away the sunlight from other plants, and
causing them to droop and die under the chilling shadow. The
lifework of these persons will appear as a never-ceasing witness
against them. They are sowing seeds of doubt and skepticism
that will yield an unfailing harvest.
There is but one course for those to pursue who honestly
desire to be freed from doubts. Instead of questioning and cav-
iling concerning that which they do not understand, let them
give heed to the light which already shines upon them, and they
will receive greater light. Let them do every duty which has been
made plain to their understanding, and they will be enabled to
understand and perform those of which they are now in doubt.
Satan can present a counterfeit so closely resembling the
truth that it deceives those who are willing to be deceived, who de-
sire to shun the self-denial and sacrifice demanded by the truth;

Sn ares of Satan • 43
but it is impossible for him to hold under his power one soul who
honestly desires, at whatever cost, to know the truth. Christ is the
truth and the “Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into
the world.” John 1:9. The Spirit of truth has been sent to guide
men into all truth. And upon the authority of the Son of God it is
declared: “Seek, and ye shall find.” “If any man will do His will, he
shall know of the doctrine.” Matthew 7:7; John 7:17.
The followers of Christ know little of the plots which Satan
and his hosts are forming against them. But He who sitteth in
the heavens will overrule all these devices for the accomplish-
ment of His deep designs. The Lord permits His people to be
subjected to the fiery ordeal of temptation, not because He takes
pleasure in their distress and affliction, but because this process
is essential to their final victory. He could not, consistently with
His own glory, shield them from temptation; for the very object
of the trial is to prepare them to resist all the allurements of evil.
Neither wicked men nor devils can hinder the work of God,
or shut out His presence from His people, if they will, with sub-
dued, contrite hearts, confess and put away their sins, and in
faith claim His promises. Every temptation, every opposing in-
fluence, whether open or secret, may be successfully resisted,
“not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of
hosts.” Zechariah 4:6.
“The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears
are open unto their prayers.... And who is he that will harm you,
if ye be followers of that which is good?” 1 Peter 3:12, 13. When
Balaam, allured by the promise of rich rewards, practiced en-
chantments against Israel, and by sacrifices to the Lord sought
to invoke a curse upon His people, the Spirit of God forbade the
evil which he longed to pronounce, and Balaam was forced to
exclaim: “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how
shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?” “Let me die the
death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!” When
sacrifice had again been offered, the ungodly prophet declared:
“Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and He hath
blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in

4 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his
God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.” “Sure-
ly there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any
divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said
of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!” Yet a third time
altars were erected, and again Balaam essayed to secure a curse.
But from the unwilling lips of the prophet, the Spirit of God de-
clared the prosperity of His chosen, and rebuked the folly and
malice of their foes: “Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed
is he that curseth thee.” Numbers 23:8, 10, 20, 21, 23; 24:9.
The people of Israel were at this time loyal to God; and so
long as they continued in obedience to His law, no power in earth
or hell could prevail against them. But the curse which Balaam
had not been permitted to pronounce against God’s people, he
finally succeeded in bringing upon them by seducing them into
sin. When they transgressed God’s commandments, then they
separated themselves from Him, and they were left to feel the
power of the destroyer.
Satan is well aware that the weakest soul who abides in
Christ is more than a match for the hosts of darkness, and that,
should he reveal himself openly, he would be met and resisted.
Therefore he seeks to draw away the soldiers of the cross from
their strong fortification, while he lies in ambush with his forc-
es, ready to destroy all who venture upon his ground. Only in
humble reliance upon God, and obedience to all His command-
ments, can we be secure.
No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer. Especially
should we entreat the Lord for wisdom to understand His word.
Here are revealed the wiles of the tempter and the means by
which he may be successfully resisted. Satan is an expert in quot-
ing Scripture, placing his own interpretation upon passages, by
which he hopes to cause us to stumble. We should study the Bible
with humility of heart, never losing sight of our dependence upon
God. While we must constantly guard against the devices of Satan,
we should pray in faith continually: “Lead us not into temptation.”

Sn ares of Satan • 45
The First
Great Deception 5
CHAPTER

W
ith the earliest history of man, Satan began his efforts
to deceive our race. He who had incited rebellion in
heaven desired to bring the inhabitants of the earth
to unite with him in his warfare against the government of God.
Adam and Eve had been perfectly happy in obedience to the law
of God, and this fact was a constant testimony against the claim
which Satan had urged in heaven, that God’s law was oppres-
sive and opposed to the good of His creatures. And furthermore,
Satan’s envy was excited as he looked upon the beautiful home
prepared for the sinless pair. He determined to cause their fall,
that, having separated them from God and brought them under
his own power, he might gain possession of the earth and here
establish his kingdom in opposition to the Most High.
Had Satan revealed himself in his real character, he would
have been repulsed at once, for Adam and Eve had been warned
against this dangerous foe; but he worked in the dark, conceal-
ing his purpose, that he might more effectually accomplish his

4 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
object. Employing as his medium the serpent, then a creature of
fascinating appearance, he addressed himself to Eve: “Hath God
said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Genesis 3:1.
Had Eve refrained from entering into argument with the tempt-
er, she would have been safe; but she ventured to parley with
him and fell a victim to his wiles. It is thus that many are still
overcome. They doubt and argue concerning the requirements
of God; and instead of obeying the divine commands, they ac-
cept human theories, which but disguise the devices of Satan.
“The woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of
the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the
midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither
shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the wom-
an, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye
eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as
gods, knowing good and evil.” Verses 2-5. He declared that they
would become like God, possessing greater wisdom than before
and being capable of a higher state of existence. Eve yielded to
temptation; and through her influence, Adam was led into sin.
They accepted the words of the serpent, that God did not mean
what He said; they distrusted their Creator and imagined that
He was restricting their liberty and that they might obtain great
wisdom and exaltation by transgressing His law.
But what did Adam, after his sin, find to be the meaning of
the words, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die”? Did he find them to mean, as Satan had led him to believe,
that he was to be ushered into a more exalted state of existence?
Then indeed there was great good to be gained by transgression,
and Satan was proved to be a benefactor of the race. But Adam
did not find this to be the meaning of the divine sentence. God
declared that as a penalty for his sin, man should return to the
ground whence he was taken: “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt
thou return.” Verse 19. The words of Satan, “Your eyes shall be
opened,” proved to be true in this sense only: After Adam and
Eve had disobeyed God, their eyes were opened to discern their

Th e First Great Deception • 47

folly; they did know evil, and they tasted the bitter fruit of trans-
gression.
In the midst of Eden grew the tree of life, whose fruit had
the power of perpetuating life. Had Adam remained obedient to
God, he would have continued to enjoy free access to this tree
and would have lived forever. But when he sinned he was cut
off from partaking of the tree of life, and he became subject to
death. The divine sentence, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt
thou return,” points to the utter extinction of life.
Immortality, promised to man on condition of obedience,
had been forfeited by transgression. Adam could not transmit
to his posterity that which he did not possess; and there could
have been no hope for the fallen race had not God, by the sac-
rifice of His Son, brought immortality within their reach. While
“death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,” Christ
“hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
Romans 5:12; 2 Timothy 1:10. And only through Christ can im-
mortality be obtained. Said Jesus: “He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not
see life.” John 3:36. Every man may come into possession of this
priceless blessing if he will comply with the conditions. All “who
by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor
and immortality,” will receive “eternal life.” Romans 2:7.
The only one who promised Adam life in disobedience was
the great deceiver. And the declaration of the serpent to Eve
in Eden—“Ye shall not surely die”—was the first sermon ever
preached upon the immortality of the soul. Yet this declaration,
resting solely upon the authority of Satan, is echoed from the
pulpits of Christendom and is received by the majority of man-
kind as readily as it was received by our first parents. The divine
sentence, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20), is
made to mean: The soul that sinneth, it shall not die, but live
eternally. We cannot but wonder at the strange infatuation
which renders men so credulous concerning the words of Satan
and so unbelieving in regard to the words of God.

4 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 Had man after his fall been allowed free access to the tree of
life, he would have lived forever, and thus sin would have been
immortalized. But cherubim and a flaming sword kept “the way
of the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24), and not one of the family of
Adam has been permitted to pass that barrier and partake of the
life-giving fruit. Therefore there is not an immortal sinner.
But after the Fall, Satan bade his angels make a special effort
to inculcate the belief in man’s natural immortality; and having
induced the people to receive this error, they were to lead them
on to conclude that the sinner would live in eternal misery. Now
the prince of darkness, working through his agents, represents
God as a revengeful tyrant, declaring that He plunges into hell
all those who do not please Him, and causes them ever to feel
His wrath; and that while they suffer unutterable anguish and
writhe in the eternal flames, their Creator looks down upon
them with satisfaction.
Thus the archfiend clothes with his own attributes the Cre-
ator and Benefactor of mankind. Cruelty is satanic. God is love;
and all that He created was pure, holy, and lovely, until sin was
brought in by the first great rebel. Satan himself is the enemy
who tempts man to sin, and then destroys him if he can; and
when he has made sure of his victim, then he exults in the ruin
he has wrought. If permitted, he would sweep the entire race
into his net. Were it not for the interposition of divine power, not
one son or daughter of Adam would escape.
Satan is seeking to overcome men today, as he overcame our
first parents, by shaking their confidence in their Creator and
leading them to doubt the wisdom of His government and the
justice of His laws. Satan and his emissaries represent God as
even worse than themselves, in order to justify their own malig-
nity and rebellion. The great deceiver endeavors to shift his own
horrible cruelty of character upon our heavenly Father, that he
may cause himself to appear as one greatly wronged by his ex-
pulsion from heaven because he would not submit to so unjust
a governor. He presents before the world the liberty which they

Th e First Great Deception • 49

may enjoy under his mild sway, in contrast with the bondage
imposed by the stern decrees of Jehovah. Thus he succeeds in
luring souls away from their allegiance to God.
How repugnant to every emotion of love and mercy, and even
to our sense of justice, is the doctrine that the wicked dead are
tormented with fire and brimstone in an eternally burning hell;
that for the sins of a brief earthly life they are to suffer torture as
long as God shall live. Yet this doctrine has been widely taught
and is still embodied in many of the creeds of Christendom. Said
a learned doctor of divinity: “The sight of hell torments will exalt
the happiness of the saints forever. When they see others who
are of the same nature and born under the same circumstanc-
es, plunged in such misery, and they so distinguished, it will
make them sensible of how happy they are.” Another used these
words: “While the decree of reprobation is eternally executing
on the vessels of wrath, the smoke of their torment will be eter-
nally ascending in view of the vessels of mercy, who, instead of
taking the part of these miserable objects, will say, Amen, Alle-
luia! praise ye the Lord!”
Where, in the pages of God’s word, is such teaching to be
found? Will the redeemed in heaven be lost to all emotions of
pity and compassion, and even to feelings of common human-
ity? Are these to be exchanged for the indifference of the stoic
or the cruelty of the savage? No, no; such is not the teaching of
the Book of God. Those who present the views expressed in the
quotations given above may be learned and even honest men,
but they are deluded by the sophistry of Satan. He leads them to
misconstrue strong expressions of Scripture, giving to the lan-
guage the coloring of bitterness and malignity which pertains
to himself, but not to our Creator. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I
have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked
turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways;
for why will ye die?” Ezekiel 33:11.
What would be gained to God should we admit that He de-
lights in witnessing unceasing tortures; that He is regaled with

5 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
the groans and shrieks and imprecations of the suffering crea-
tures whom He holds in the flames of hell? Can these horrid
sounds be music in the ear of Infinite Love? It is urged that the
infliction of endless misery upon the wicked would show God’s
hatred of sin as an evil which is ruinous to the peace and order of
the universe. Oh, dreadful blasphemy! As if God’s hatred of sin is
the reason why it is perpetuated. For, according to the teachings
of these theologians, continued torture without hope of mercy
maddens its wretched victims, and as they pour out their rage in
curses and blasphemy, they are forever augmenting their load
of guilt. God’s glory is not enhanced by thus perpetuating con-
tinually increasing sin through ceaseless ages.
It is beyond the power of the human mind to estimate
the evil which has been wrought by the heresy of eternal tor-
ment. The religion of the Bible, full of love and goodness, and
abounding in compassion, is darkened by superstition and
clothed with terror. When we consider in what false colors Sa-
tan has painted the character of God, can we wonder that our
merciful Creator is feared, dreaded, and even hated? The ap-
palling views of God which have spread over the world from the
teachings of the pulpit have made thousands, yes, millions, of
skeptics and infidels.
The theory of eternal torment is one of the false doctrines
that constitute the wine of the abomination of Babylon, of which
she makes all nations drink. Revelation 14:8; 17:2. That minis-
ters of Christ should have accepted this heresy and proclaimed
it from the sacred desk is indeed a mystery. They received it
from Rome, as they received the false sabbath. True, it has been
taught by great and good men; but the light on this subject had
not come to them as it has come to us. They were responsible
only for the light which shone in their time; we are accountable
for that which shines in our day. If we turn from the testimony
of God’s word, and accept false doctrines because our fathers
taught them, we fall under the condemnation pronounced upon
Babylon; we are drinking of the wine of her abomination.

Th e First Great Deception • 51

 A large class to whom the doctrine of eternal torment is re-
volting are driven to the opposite error. They see that the Scrip-
tures represent God as a being of love and compassion, and they
cannot believe that He will consign His creatures to the fires of
an eternally burning hell. But holding that the soul is naturally
immortal, they see no alternative but to conclude that all man-
kind will finally be saved. Many regard the threatenings of the
Bible as designed merely to frighten men into obedience, and
not to be literally fulfilled. Thus the sinner can live in selfish
pleasure, disregarding the requirements of God, and yet expect
to be finally received into His favor. Such a doctrine, presuming
upon God’s mercy, but ignoring His justice, pleases the carnal
heart and emboldens the wicked in their iniquity.
To show how believers in universal salvation wrest the
Scriptures to sustain their soul-destroying dogmas, it is needful
only to cite their own utterances. At the funeral of an irreligious
young man, who had been killed instantly by an accident, a Uni-
versalist minister selected as his text the Scripture statement
concerning David: “He was comforted concerning Amnon, see-
ing he was dead.” 2 Samuel 13:39.
“I am frequently asked,” said the speaker, “what will be the
fate of those who leave the world in sin, die, perhaps, in a state of
inebriation, die with the scarlet stains of crime unwashed from
their robes, or die as this young man died, having never made a
profession or enjoyed an experience of religion. We are content
with the Scriptures; their answer shall solve the awful problem.
Amnon was exceedingly sinful; he was unrepentant, he was made
drunk, and while drunk was killed. David was a prophet of God;
he must have known whether it would be ill or well for Amnon in
the world to come. What were the expressions of his heart? `The
soul of King David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was
comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.’ Verse 39.
“And what is the inference to be deduced from this language?
Is it not that endless suffering formed no part of his religious
belief? So we conceive; and here we discover a triumphant argu-

5 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
ment in support of the more pleasing, more enlightened, more
benevolent hypothesis of ultimate universal purity and peace.
He was comforted, seeing his son was dead. And why so? Be-
cause by the eye of prophecy he could look forward into the glo-
rious future and see that son far removed from all temptations,
released from the bondage and purified from the corruptions
of sin, and after being made sufficiently holy and enlightened,
admitted to the assembly of ascended and rejoicing spirits. His
only comfort was that, in being removed from the present state
of sin and suffering, his beloved son had gone where the loftiest
breathings of the Holy Spirit would be shed upon his darkened
soul, where his mind would be unfolded to the wisdom of heav-
en and the sweet raptures of immortal love, and thus prepared
with a sanctified nature to enjoy the rest and society of the heav-
enly inheritance.
“In these thoughts we would be understood to believe that
the salvation of heaven depends upon nothing which we can do
in this life; neither upon a present change of heart, nor upon
present belief, or a present profession of religion.”
Thus does the professed minister of Christ reiterate the
falsehood uttered by the serpent in Eden: “Ye shall not surely
die.” “In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened,
and ye shall be as gods.” He declares that the vilest of sinners—
the murderer, the thief, and the adulterer—will after death be
prepared to enter into immortal bliss.
And from what does this perverter of the Scriptures draw his
conclusions? From a single sentence expressing David’s sub-
mission to the dispensation of Providence. His soul “longed to
go forth unto Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Am-
non, seeing he was dead.” The poignancy of his grief having
been softened by time, his thoughts turned from the dead to the
living son, self-banished through fear of the just punishment of
his crime. And this is the evidence that the incestuous, drunken
Amnon was at death immediately transported to the abodes of
bliss, there to be purified and prepared for the companionship

Th e First Great Deception • 53

of sinless angels! A pleasing fable indeed, well suited to gratify
the carnal heart! This is Satan’s own doctrine, and it does his
work effectually. Should we be surprised that, with such instruc-
tion, wickedness abounds?
The course pursued by this one false teacher illustrates that
of many others. A few words of Scripture are separated from the
context, which would in many cases show their meaning to be
exactly opposite to the interpretation put upon them; and such
disjointed passages are perverted and used in proof of doc-
trines that have no foundation in the word of God. The testimo-
ny cited as evidence that the drunken Amnon is in heaven is a
mere inference directly contradicted by the plain and positive
statement of the Scriptures that no drunkard shall inherit the
kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:10. It is thus that doubters, un-
believers, and skeptics turn the truth into a lie. And multitudes
have been deceived by their sophistry and rocked to sleep in the
cradle of carnal security.
If it were true that the souls of all men passed directly to
heaven at the hour of dissolution, then we might well cov-
et death rather than life. Many have been led by this belief to
put an end to their existence. When overwhelmed with trou-
ble, perplexity, and disappointment, it seems an easy thing to
break the brittle thread of life and soar away into the bliss of
the eternal world.
God has given in His word decisive evidence that He will pun-
ish the transgressors of His law. Those who flatter themselves
that He is too merciful to execute justice upon the sinner, have
only to look to the cross of Calvary. The death of the spotless Son
of God testifies that “the wages of sin is death,” that every vio-
lation of God’s law must receive its just retribution. Christ the
sinless became sin for man. He bore the guilt of transgression,
and the hiding of His Father’s face, until His heart was broken
and His life crushed out. All this sacrifice was made that sinners
might be redeemed. In no other way could man be freed from
the penalty of sin. And every soul that refuses to become a par-

5 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
taker of the atonement provided at such a cost must bear in his
own person the guilt and punishment of transgression.
Let us consider what the Bible teaches further concerning
the ungodly and unrepentant, whom the Universalist places in
heaven as holy, happy angels.
“I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the wa-
ter of life freely.” Revelation 21:6. This promise is only to those
that thirst. None but those who feel their need of the water of life,
and seek it at the loss of all things else, will be supplied. “He that
overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be My son.” Verse 7. Here, also, conditions are specified.
In order to inherit all things, we must resist and overcome sin.
The Lord declares by the prophet Isaiah: “Say ye to the righ-
teous, that it shall be well with him.” “Woe unto the wicked! it
shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be giv-
en him.” Isaiah 3:10, 11. “Though a sinner do evil an hundred
times,” says the wise man, “and his days be prolonged, yet sure-
ly I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear
before Him: but it shall not be well with the wicked.” Ecclesias-
tes 8:12, 13. And Paul testifies that the sinner is treasuring up
unto himself “wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of
the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man ac-
cording to his deeds;” “tribulation and anguish upon every soul
of man that doeth evil.” Romans 2:5, 6, 9.
“No fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who
is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and
God.” Ephesians 5:5, A.R.V. “Follow peace with all men, and holi-
ness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
“Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates
into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore-
mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth
and maketh a lie.” Revelation 22:14, 15.
God has given to men a declaration of His character and of
His method of dealing with sin. “The Lord God, merciful and

Th e First Great Deception • 55

gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth,
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgres-
sion and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” Exo-
dus 34:6, 7. “All the wicked will He destroy.” “The transgressors
shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut
off.” Psalm 145:20; 37:38. The power and authority of the divine
government will be employed to put down rebellion; yet all the
manifestations of retributive justice will be perfectly consistent
with the character of God as a merciful, long-suffering, benevo-
lent being.
God does not force the will or judgment of any. He takes no
pleasure in a slavish obedience. He desires that the creatures of
His hands shall love Him because He is worthy of love. He would
have them obey Him because they have an intelligent apprecia-
tion of His wisdom, justice, and benevolence. And all who have a
just conception of these qualities will love Him because they are
drawn toward Him in admiration of His attributes.
The principles of kindness, mercy, and love, taught and ex-
emplified by our Saviour, are a transcript of the will and char-
acter of God. Christ declared that He taught nothing except that
which He had received from His Father. The principles of the
divine government are in perfect harmony with the Saviour’s
precept, “Love your enemies.” God executes justice upon the
wicked, for the good of the universe, and even for the good of
those upon whom His judgments are visited. He would make
them happy if He could do so in accordance with the laws of
His government and the justice of His character. He surrounds
them with the tokens of His love, He grants them a knowledge
of His law, and follows them with the offers of His mercy; but
they despise His love, make void His law, and reject His mer-
cy. While constantly receiving His gifts, they dishonor the Giver;
they hate God because they know that He abhors their sins. The
Lord bears long with their perversity; but the decisive hour will
come at last, when their destiny is to be decided. Will He then
chain these rebels to His side? Will He force them to do His will?

5 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 Those who have chosen Satan as their leader and have been
controlled by his power are not prepared to enter the presence
of God. Pride, deception, licentiousness, cruelty, have become
fixed in their characters. Can they enter heaven to dwell forever
with those whom they despised and hated on earth? Truth will
never be agreeable to a liar; meekness will not satisfy self-es-
teem and pride; purity is not acceptable to the corrupt; disinter-
ested love does not appear attractive to the selfish. What source
of enjoyment could heaven offer to those who are wholly ab-
sorbed in earthly and selfish interests?
Could those whose lives have been spent in rebellion against
God be suddenly transported to heaven and witness the high,
the holy state of perfection that ever exists there,—every soul
filled with love, every countenance beaming with joy, enraptur-
ing music in melodious strains rising in honor of God and the
Lamb, and ceaseless streams of light flowing upon the redeemed
from the face of Him who sitteth upon the throne,—could those
whose hearts are filled with hatred of God, of truth and holiness,
mingle with the heavenly throng and join their songs of praise?
Could they endure the glory of God and the Lamb? No, no; years
of probation were granted them, that they might form charac-
ters for heaven; but they have never trained the mind to love pu-
rity; they have never learned the language of heaven, and now it
is too late. A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for
heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace would be torture to them;
the glory of God would be a consuming fire. They would long to
flee from that holy place. They would welcome destruction, that
they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem
them. The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own choice.
Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and
just and merciful on the part of God.
Like the waters of the Flood the fires of the great day declare
God’s verdict that the wicked are incurable. They have no dis-
position to submit to divine authority. Their will has been exer-
cised in revolt; and when life is ended, it is too late to turn the

Th e First Great Deception • 57

current of their thoughts in the opposite direction, too late to
turn from transgression to obedience, from hatred to love.
In sparing the life of Cain the murderer, God gave the world
an example of what would be the result of permitting the sinner
to live to continue a course of unbridled iniquity. Through the
influence of Cain’s teaching and example, multitudes of his de-
scendants were led into sin, until “the wickedness of man was
great in the earth” and “every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually.” “The earth also was corrupt be-
fore God, and the earth was filled with violence.” Genesis 6:5, 11.
In mercy to the world, God blotted out its wicked inhabitants
in Noah’s time. In mercy He destroyed the corrupt dwellers in
Sodom. Through the deceptive power of Satan the workers of in-
iquity obtain sympathy and admiration, and are thus constantly
leading others to rebellion. It was so in Cain’s and in Noah’s day,
and in the time of Abraham and Lot; it is so in our time. It is in
mercy to the universe that God will finally destroy the rejecters
of His grace.
“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. While life is the
inheritance of the righteous, death is the portion of the wicked.
Moses declared to Israel: “I have set before thee this day life and
good, and death and evil.” Deuteronomy 30:15. The death re-
ferred to in these scriptures is not that pronounced upon Adam,
for all mankind suffer the penalty of his transgression. It is “the
second death” that is placed in contrast with everlasting life.
In consequence of Adam’s sin, death passed upon the whole
human race. All alike go down into the grave. And through the
provisions of the plan of salvation, all are to be brought forth
from their graves. “There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both
of the just and unjust;” “for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive.” Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:22. But a
distinction is made between the two classes that are brought
forth. “All that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall
come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of

5 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of dam-
nation.” John 5:28, 29. They who have been “accounted worthy”
of the resurrection of life are “blessed and holy.” “On such the
second death hath no power.” Revelation 20:6. But those who
have not, through repentance and faith, secured pardon, must
receive the penalty of transgression—“the wages of sin.” They
suffer punishment varying in duration and intensity, “according
to their works,” but finally ending in the second death. Since it
is impossible for God, consistently with His justice and mercy,
to save the sinner in his sins, He deprives him of the existence
which his transgressions have forfeited and of which he has
proved himself unworthy. Says an inspired writer: “Yet a little
while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently con-
sider his place, and it shall not be.” And another declares: “They
shall be as though they had not been.” Psalm 37:10; Obadiah 16.
Covered with infamy, they sink into hopeless, eternal oblivion.
Thus will be made an end of sin, with all the woe and ruin
which have resulted from it. Says the psalmist: “Thou hast de-
stroyed the wicked, Thou hast put out their name forever and
ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end.”
Psalm 9:5, 6. John, in the Revelation, looking forward to the eter-
nal state, hears a universal anthem of praise undisturbed by one
note of discord. Every creature in heaven and earth was heard
ascribing glory to God. Revelation 5:13. There will then be no
lost souls to blaspheme God as they writhe in never-ending tor-
ment; no wretched beings in hell will mingle their shrieks with
the songs of the saved.
Upon the fundamental error of natural immortality rests
the doctrine of consciousness in death—a doctrine, like eternal
torment, opposed to the teachings of the Scriptures, to the dic-
tates of reason, and to our feelings of humanity. According to the
popular belief, the redeemed in heaven are acquainted with all
that takes place on the earth and especially with the lives of the
friends whom they have left behind. But how could it be a source
of happiness to the dead to know the troubles of the living, to

Th e First Great Deception • 59

witness the sins committed by their own loved ones, and to see
them enduring all the sorrows, disappointments, and anguish of
life? How much of heaven’s bliss would be enjoyed by those who
were hovering over their friends on earth? And how utterly re-
volting is the belief that as soon as the breath leaves the body the
soul of the impenitent is consigned to the flames of hell! To what
depths of anguish must those be plunged who see their friends
passing to the grave unprepared, to enter upon an eternity of
woe and sin! Many have been driven to insanity by this harrow-
ing thought.
What say the Scriptures concerning these things? David
declares that man is not conscious in death. “His breath goeth
forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts
perish.” Psalm 146:4. Solomon bears the same testimony: “The
living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything.”
“Their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished;
neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is
done under the sun.” “There is no work, nor device, nor knowl-
edge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes
9:5, 6, 10.
When, in answer to his prayer, Hezekiah’s life was prolonged
fifteen years, the grateful king rendered to God a tribute of praise
for His great mercy. In this song he tells the reason why he thus
rejoices: “The grave cannot praise Thee, death cannot celebrate
Thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth.
The living, the living, he shall praise Thee, as I do this day.” Isa-
iah 38:18, 19. Popular theology represents the righteous dead as
in heaven, entered into bliss and praising God with an immor-
tal tongue; but Hezekiah could see no such glorious prospect in
death. With his words agrees the testimony of the psalmist: “In
death there is no remembrance of Thee: in the grave who shall
give Thee thanks?” “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any
that go down into silence.” Psalm 6:5; 115:17.
Peter on the Day of Pentecost declared that the patriarch Da-
vid “is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto

6 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
this day.” “For David is not ascended into the heavens.” Acts
2:29, 34. The fact that David remains in the grave until the res-
urrection proves that the righteous do not go to heaven at death.
It is only through the resurrection, and by virtue of the fact that
Christ has risen, that David can at last sit at the right hand of
God.
And said Paul: “If the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your
sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are per-
ished.” 1 Corinthians 15:16-18. If for four thousand years the
righteous had gone directly to heaven at death, how could Paul
have said that if there is no resurrection, “they also which are
fallen asleep in Christ are perished”? No resurrection would be
necessary.
The martyr Tyndale, referring to the state of the dead, de-
clared: “I confess openly, that I am not persuaded that they be
already in the full glory that Christ is in, or the elect angels of
God are in. Neither is it any article of my faith; for if it were so,
I see not but then the preaching of the resurrection of the flesh
were a thing in vain.”—William Tyndale, Preface to New Testa-
ment (ed. 1534). Reprinted in British Reformers—Tindal, Frith,
Barnes, page 349.
It is an undeniable fact that the hope of immortal blessed-
ness at death has led to a widespread neglect of the Bible doc-
trine of the resurrection. This tendency was remarked by Dr.
Adam Clarke, who said: “The doctrine of the resurrection ap-
pears to have been thought of much more consequence among
the primitive Christians than it is now! How is this? The apos-
tles were continually insisting on it, and exciting the followers
of God to diligence, obedience, and cheerfulness through it.
And their successors in the present day seldom mention it! So
apostles preached, and so primitive Christians believed; so we
preach, and so our hearers believe. There is not a doctrine in the
gospel on which more stress is laid; and there is not a doctrine
in the present system of preaching which is treated with more

Th e First Great Deception • 61

neglect!”—Commentary,remarks on 1 Corinthians 15, para-
graph 3.
This has continued until the glorious truth of the resurrec-
tion has been almost wholly obscured and lost sight of by the
Christian world. Thus a leading religious writer, commenting on
the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, says: “For all prac-
tical purposes of comfort the doctrine of the blessed immortali-
ty of the righteous takes the place for us of any doubtful doctrine
of the Lord’s second coming. At our death the Lord comes for us.
That is what we are to wait and watch for. The dead are already
passed into glory. They do not wait for the trump for their judg-
ment and blessedness.”
But when about to leave His disciples, Jesus did not tell them
that they would soon come to Him. “I go to prepare a place for
you,” He said. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto Myself.” John 14:2, 3. And Paul tells
us, further, that “the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord.” And he adds: “Comfort one another with these words.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. How wide the contrast between these
words of comfort and those of the Universalist minister previ-
ously quoted! The latter consoled the bereaved friends with the
assurance that, however sinful the dead might have been, when
he breathed out his life here he was to be received among the
angels. Paul points his brethren to the future coming of the Lord,
when the fetters of the tomb shall be broken, and the “dead in
Christ” shall be raised to eternal life.
Before any can enter the mansions of the blessed, their cases
must be investigated, and their characters and their deeds must
pass in review before God. All are to be judged according to the
things written in the books and to be rewarded as their works
have been. This judgment does not take place at death. Mark the

6 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
words of Paul: “He hath appointed a day, in the which He will
judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath or-
dained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that
He hath raised Him from the dead.” Acts 17:31. Here the apostle
plainly stated that a specified time, then future, had been fixed
upon for the judgment of the world.
Jude refers to the same period: “The angels which kept not
their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved
in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the
great day.” And, again, he quotes the words of Enoch: “Behold,
the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute
judgment upon all.” Jude 6, 14, 15. John declares that he “saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: ... and the dead were judged out of those things which
were written in the books.” Revelation 20:12.
But if the dead are already enjoying the bliss of heaven or
writhing in the flames of hell, what need of a future judgment?
The teachings of God’s word on these important points are nei-
ther obscure nor contradictory; they may be understood by
common minds. But what candid mind can see either wisdom
or justice in the current theory? Will the righteous, after the in-
vestigation of their cases at the judgment, receive the commen-
dation, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: ... enter thou
into the joy of thy Lord,” when they have been dwelling in His
presence, perhaps for long ages? Are the wicked summoned
from the place of torment to receive sentence from the Judge of
all the earth: “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire”?
Matthew 25:21, 41. Oh, solemn mockery! shameful impeach-
ment of the wisdom and justice of God!
The theory of the immortality of the soul was one of those
false doctrines that Rome, borrowing from paganism, incorpo-
rated into the religion of Christendom. Martin Luther classed it
with the “monstrous fables that form part of the Roman dung-
hill of decretals.”—E. Petavel, The Problem of Immortality, page
255. Commenting on the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, that

Th e First Great Deception • 63

the dead know not anything, the Reformer says: “Another place
proving that the dead have no ... feeling. There is, saith he, no
duty, no science, no knowledge, no wisdom there. Solomon jud-
geth that the dead are asleep, and feel nothing at all. For the dead
lie there, accounting neither days nor years, but when they are
awaked, they shall seem to have slept scarce one minute.”—Mar-
tin Luther, Exposition of Solomon’s Booke Called Ecclesiastes,
page 152.
Nowhere in the Sacred Scriptures is found the statement
that the righteous go to their reward or the wicked to their pun-
ishment at death. The patriarchs and prophets have left no such
assurance. Christ and His apostles have given no hint of it. The
Bible clearly teaches that the dead do not go immediately to
heaven. They are represented as sleeping until the resurrection.
1 Thessalonians 4:14; Job 14:10-12. In the very day when the
silver cord is loosed and the golden bowl broken (Ecclesiastes
12:6), man’s thoughts perish. They that go down to the grave are
in silence. They know no more of anything that is done under
the sun. Job 14:21. Blessed rest for the weary righteous! Time,
be it long or short, is but a moment to them. They sleep; they are
awakened by the trump of God to a glorious immortality. “For
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorrupt-
ible.... So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption,
and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up
in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-54. As they are called forth from
their deep slumber they begin to think just where they ceased.
The last sensation was the pang of death; the last thought, that
they were falling beneath the power of the grave. When they
arise from the tomb, their first glad thought will be echoed in the
triumphal shout: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is
thy victory?” Verse 55.

6 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
Can Our Dead
Speak to Us? 6
CHAPTER

T
he ministration of holy angels, as presented in the Scrip-
tures, is a truth most comforting and precious to every
follower of Christ. But the Bible teaching upon this point
has been obscured and perverted by the errors of popular theol-
ogy. The doctrine of natural immortality, first borrowed from the
pagan philosophy, and in the darkness of the great apostasy in-
corporated into the Christian faith, has supplanted the truth, so
plainly taught in Scripture, that “the dead know not anything.”
Multitudes have come to believe that it is spirits of the dead who
are the “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who
shall be heirs of salvation.” And this notwithstanding the testi-
mony of Scripture to the existence of heavenly angels, and their
connection with the history of man, before the death of a human
being.
The doctrine of man’s consciousness in death, especially the
belief that spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has
prepared the way for modern spiritualism. If the dead are ad-

Can Our Dead Speak to Us? • 65

mitted to the presence of God and holy angels, and privileged
with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed, why
should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the
living? If, as taught by popular theologians, spirits of the dead
are hovering about their friends on earth, why should they not
be permitted to communicate with them, to warn them against
evil, or to comfort them in sorrow? How can those who believe in
man’s consciousness in death reject what comes to them as di-
vine light communicated by glorified spirits? Here is a channel
regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accom-
plishment of his purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding
appear as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to
bring the living into communication with the dead, the prince of
evil exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds.
He has power to bring before men the appearance of their
departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look,
the words, the tone, are reproduced with marvelous distinctness.
Many are comforted with the assurance that their loved ones are
enjoying the bliss of heaven, and without suspicion of danger,
they give ear “to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”
When they have been led to believe that the dead actually re-
turn to communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear
who went into the grave unprepared. They claim to be happy
in heaven and even to occupy exalted positions there, and thus
the error is widely taught that no difference is made between
the righteous and the wicked. The pretended visitants from the
world of spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which
prove to be correct. Then, as confidence is gained, they present
doctrines that directly undermine faith in the Scriptures. With
an appearance of deep interest in the well-being of their friends
on earth, they insinuate the most dangerous errors. The fact that
they state some truths, and are able at times to foretell future
events, gives to their statements an appearance of reliability; and
their false teachings are accepted by the multitudes as readily,
and believed as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred truths

6 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
of the Bible. The law of God is set aside, the Spirit of grace de-
spised, the blood of the covenant counted an unholy thing. The
spirits deny the deity of Christ and place even the Creator on a
level with themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great rebel
still carries on his warfare against God, begun in heaven and for
nearly six thousand years continued upon the earth.
Many endeavor to account for spiritual manifestations by at-
tributing them wholly to fraud and sleight of hand on the part of
the medium. But while it is true that the results of trickery have
often been palmed off as genuine manifestations, there have
been, also, marked exhibitions of supernatural power. The mys-
terious rapping with which modern spiritualism began was not
the result of human trickery or cunning, but was the direct work
of evil angels, who thus introduced one of the most successful
of soul-destroying delusions. Many will be ensnared through
the belief that spiritualism is a merely human imposture; when
brought face to face with manifestations which they cannot but
regard as supernatural, they will be deceived, and will be led to
accept them as the great power of God.
These persons overlook the testimony of the Scriptures con-
cerning the wonders wrought by Satan and his agents. It was by
satanic aid that Pharaoh’s magicians were enabled to counterfeit
the work of God. Paul testifies that before the second advent of
Christ there will be similar manifestations of satanic power. The
coming of the Lord is to be preceded by “the working of Satan
with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceiv-
ableness of unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10. And the
apostle John, describing the miracle-working power that will be
manifested in the last days, declares: “He doeth great wonders,
so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in
the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by
the means of those miracles which he had power to do.” Revela-
tion 13:13, 14. No mere impostures are here foretold. Men are
deceived by the miracles which Satan’s agents have power to do,
not which they pretend to do.

Can Our Dead Speak to Us? • 67

 The prince of darkness, who has so long bent the powers of
his mastermind to the work of deception, skillfully adapts his
temptations to men of all classes and conditions. To persons
of culture and refinement he presents spiritualism in its more
refined and intellectual aspects, and thus succeeds in drawing
many into his snare. The wisdom which spiritualism imparts is
that described by the apostle James, which “descendeth not from
above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” James 3:15. This, howev-
er, the great deceiver conceals when concealment will best suit
his purpose. He who could appear clothed with the brightness
of the heavenly seraphs before Christ in the wilderness of temp-
tation, comes to men in the most attractive manner as an angel
of light. He appeals to the reason by the presentation of elevat-
ing themes; he delights the fancy with enrapturing scenes; and
he enlists the affections by his eloquent portrayals of love and
charity. He excites the imagination to lofty flights, leading men to
take so great pride in their own wisdom that in their hearts they
despise the Eternal One. That mighty being who could take the
world’s Redeemer to an exceedingly high mountain and bring
before Him all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them,
will present his temptations to men in a manner to pervert the
senses of all who are not shielded by divine power.
Satan beguiles men now as he beguiled Eve in Eden by flat-
tery, by kindling a desire to obtain forbidden knowledge, by excit-
ing ambition for self-exaltation. It was cherishing these evils that
caused his fall, and through them he aims to compass the ruin
of men. “Ye shall be as gods,” he declares, “knowing good and
evil.” Genesis 3:5. Spiritualism teaches “that man is the creature
of progression; that it is his destiny from his birth to progress,
even to eternity, toward the Godhead.” And again: “Each mind
will judge itself and not another.” “The judgment will be right, be-
cause it is the judgment of self.... The throne is within you.” Said
a spiritualistic teacher, as the “spiritual consciousness” awoke
within him: “My fellow men, all were unfallen demigods.” And
another declares: “Any just and perfect being is Christ.”

6 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 Thus, in place of the righteousness and perfection of the in-
finite God, the true object of adoration; in place of the perfect
righteousness of His law, the true standard of human attainment,
Satan has substituted the sinful, erring nature of man himself as
the only object of adoration, the only rule of judgment, or stan-
dard of character. This is progress, not upward, but downward.
It is a law both of the intellectual and the spiritual nature
that by beholding we become changed. The mind gradually
adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell. It
becomes assimilated to that which it is accustomed to love and
reverence. Man will never rise higher than his standard of puri-
ty or goodness or truth. If self is his loftiest ideal, he will never
attain to anything more exalted. Rather, he will constantly sink
lower and lower. The grace of God alone has power to exalt man.
Left to himself, his course must inevitably be downward.
To the self-indulgent, the pleasure-loving, the sensual, spir-
itualism presents itself under a less subtle disguise than to the
more refined and intellectual; in its grosser forms they find that
which is in harmony with their inclinations. Satan studies ev-
ery indication of the frailty of human nature, he marks the sins
which each individual is inclined to commit, and then he takes
care that opportunities shall not be wanting to gratify the ten-
dency to evil. He tempts men to excess in that which is in itself
lawful, causing them, through intemperance, to weaken physi-
cal, mental, and moral power. He has destroyed and is destroy-
ing thousands through the indulgence of the passions, thus bru-
talizing the entire nature of man. And to complete his work, he
declares, through the spirits that “true knowledge places man
above all law;” that “whatever is, is right;” that “God doth not
condemn;” and that “all sins which are committed are inno-
cent.” When the people are thus led to believe that desire is the
highest law, that liberty is license, and that man is accountable
only to himself, who can wonder that corruption and depravity
teem on every hand? Multitudes eagerly accept teachings that
leave them at liberty to obey the promptings of the carnal heart.

Can Our Dead Speak to Us? • 69

The reins of self-control are laid upon the neck of lust, the pow-
ers of mind and soul are made subject to the animal propen-
sities, and Satan exultingly sweeps into his net thousands who
profess to be followers of Christ.
But none need be deceived by the lying claims of spiritualism.
God has given the world sufficient light to enable them to discov-
er the snare. As already shown, the theory which forms the very
foundation of spiritualism is at war with the plainest statements
of Scripture. The Bible declares that the dead know not anything,
that their thoughts have perished; they have no part in anything
that is done under the sun; they know nothing of the joys or sor-
rows of those who were dearest to them on earth.
Furthermore, God has expressly forbidden all pretended
communication with departed spirits. In the days of the He-
brews there was a class of people who claimed, as do the spir-
itualists of today, to hold communication with the dead. But
the “familiar spirits,” as these visitants from other worlds were
called, are declared by the Bible to be “the spirits of devils.”
(Compare Numbers 25:1-3; Psalm 106:28; 1 Corinthians 10:20;
Revelation 16:14.) The work of dealing with familiar spirits was
pronounced an abomination to the Lord, and was solemnly for-
bidden under penalty of death. Leviticus 19:31; 20:27. The very
name of witchcraft is now held in contempt. The claim that men
can hold intercourse with evil spirits is regarded as a fable of
the Dark Ages. But spiritualism, which numbers its converts
by hundreds of thousands, yea, by millions, which has made
its way into scientific circles, which has invaded churches, and
has found favor in legislative bodies, and even in the courts of
kings—this mammoth deception is but a revival, in a new dis-
guise, of the witchcraft condemned and prohibited of old.
If there were no other evidence of the real character of spir-
itualism, it should be enough for the Christian that the spirits
make no difference between righteousness and sin, between the
noblest and purest of the apostles of Christ and the most corrupt
of the servants of Satan. By representing the basest of men as in

7 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
heaven, and highly exalted there, Satan says to the world: “No
matter how wicked you are; no matter whether you believe or
disbelieve God and the Bible. Live as you please; heaven is your
home.” The spiritualist teachers virtually declare: “Everyone that
doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delighteth in
them; or, Where is the God of judgment?” Malachi 2:17. Saith the
word of God: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” Isaiah 5:20.
The apostles, as personated by these lying spirits, are made
to contradict what they wrote at the dictation of the Holy Spirit
when on earth. They deny the divine origin of the Bible, and thus
tear away the foundation of the Christian’s hope and put out the
light that reveals the way to heaven. Satan is making the world
believe that the Bible is a mere fiction, or at least a book suit-
ed to the infancy of the race, but now to be lightly regarded, or
cast aside as obsolete. And to take the place of the word of God
he holds out spiritual manifestations. Here is a channel wholly
under his control; by this means he can make the world believe
what he will. The Book that is to judge him and his followers he
puts in the shade, just where he wants it; the Saviour of the world
he makes to be no more than a common man. And as the Roman
guard that watched the tomb of Jesus spread the lying report
which the priests and elders put into their mouths to disprove
His resurrection, so do the believers in spiritual manifestations
try to make it appear that there is nothing miraculous in the cir-
cumstances of our Saviour’s life. After thus seeking to put Jesus
in the background, they call attention to their own miracles, de-
claring that these far exceed the works of Christ.
It is true that spiritualism is now changing its form and, veil-
ing some of its more objectionable features, is assuming a Chris-
tian guise. But its utterances from the platform and the press have
been before the public for many years, and in these its real charac-
ter stands revealed. These teachings cannot be denied or hidden.
Even in its present form, so far from being more worthy of
toleration than formerly, it is really a more dangerous, because

Can Our Dead Speak to Us? • 71

a more subtle, deception. While it formerly denounced Christ
and the Bible, it now professes to accept both. But the Bible is
interpreted in a manner that is pleasing to the unrenewed heart,
while its solemn and vital truths are made of no effect. Love is
dwelt upon as the chief attribute of God, but it is degraded to
a weak sentimentalism, making little distinction between good
and evil. God’s justice, His denunciations of sin, the require-
ments of His holy law, are all kept out of sight. The people are
taught to regard the Decalogue as a dead letter. Pleasing, be-
witching fables captivate the senses and lead men to reject the
Bible as the foundation of their faith. Christ is as verily denied as
before; but Satan has so blinded the eyes of the people that the
deception is not discerned.
There are few who have any just conception of the decep-
tive power of spiritualism and the danger of coming under its
influence. Many tamper with it merely to gratify their curiosity.
They have no real faith in it and would be filled with horror at the
thought of yielding themselves to the spirits’ control. But they
venture upon the forbidden ground, and the mighty destroyer
exercises his power upon them against their will. Let them once
be induced to submit their minds to his direction, and he holds
them captive. It is impossible, in their own strength, to break
away from the bewitching, alluring spell. Nothing but the power
of God, granted in answer to the earnest prayer of faith, can de-
liver these ensnared souls.
All who indulge sinful traits of character, or willfully cherish
a known sin, are inviting the temptations of Satan. They sepa-
rate themselves from God and from the watchcare of His angels;
as the evil one presents his deceptions, they are without defense
and fall an easy prey. Those who thus place themselves in his
power little realize where their course will end. Having achieved
their overthrow, the tempter will employ them as his agents to
lure others to ruin.
Says the prophet Isaiah: “When they shall say unto you, Seek
unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep,

7 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for
the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they
speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light
in them.” Isaiah 8:19, 20. If men had been willing to receive the
truth so plainly stated in the Scriptures concerning the nature of
man and the state of the dead, they would see in the claims and
manifestations of spiritualism the working of Satan with power
and signs and lying wonders. But rather than yield the liberty so
agreeable to the carnal heart, and renounce the sins which they
love, multitudes close their eyes to the light and walk straight
on, regardless of warnings, while Satan weaves his snares about
them, and they become his prey. “Because they received not
the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” therefore “God
shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.”
2 Thessalonians 2:10, 11.
Those who oppose the teachings of spiritualism are assailing,
not men alone, but Satan and his angels. They have entered upon
a contest against principalities and powers and wicked spirits in
high places. Satan will not yield one inch of ground except as he
is driven back by the power of heavenly messengers. The people
of God should be able to meet him, as did our Saviour, with the
words: “It is written.” Satan can quote Scripture now as in the
days of Christ, and he will pervert its teachings to sustain his de-
lusions. Those who would stand in this time of peril must under-
stand for themselves the testimony of the Scriptures.
Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating
beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous
heresies. These visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympa-
thies and will work miracles to sustain their pretensions. We
must be prepared to withstand them with the Bible truth that
the dead know not anything and that they who thus appear are
the spirits of devils.
Just before us is “the hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Rev-
elation 3:10. All whose faith is not firmly established upon the

Can Our Dead Speak to Us? • 73

word of God will be deceived and overcome. Satan “works with
all deceivableness of unrighteousness” to gain control of the
children of men, and his deceptions will continually increase.
But he can gain his object only as men voluntarily yield to his
temptations. Those who are earnestly seeking a knowledge of
the truth and are striving to purify their souls through obedi-
ence, thus doing what they can to prepare for the conflict, will
find, in the God of truth, a sure defense. “Because thou hast kept
the word of My patience, I also will keep thee” (verse 10), is the
Saviour’s promise. He would sooner send every angel out of
heaven to protect His people than leave one soul that trusts in
Him to be overcome by Satan.
The prophet Isaiah brings to view the fearful deception which
will come upon the wicked, causing them to count themselves
secure from the judgments of God: “We have made a covenant
with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the over-
flowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us:
for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we
hid ourselves.” Isaiah 28:15. In the class here described are in-
cluded those who in their stubborn impenitence comfort them-
selves with the assurance that there is to be no punishment for
the sinner; that all mankind, it matters not how corrupt, are to
be exalted to heaven, to become as the angels of God. But still
more emphatically are those making a covenant with death and
an agreement with hell, who renounce the truths which Heaven
has provided as a defense for the righteous in the day of trouble,
and accept the refuge of lies offered by Satan in its stead—the
delusive pretensions of spiritualism.
Marvelous beyond expression is the blindness of the people of
this generation. Thousands reject the word of God as unworthy of
belief and with eager confidence receive the deceptions of Satan.
Skeptics and scoffers denounce the bigotry of those who contend
for the faith of prophets and apostles, and they divert themselves
by holding up to ridicule the solemn declarations of the Scriptures
concerning Christ and the plan of salvation, and the retribution to

7 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
be visited upon the rejecters of the truth. They affect great pity for
minds so narrow, weak, and superstitious as to acknowledge the
claims of God and obey the requirements of His law. They man-
ifest as much assurance as if, indeed, they had made a covenant
with death and an agreement with hell—as if they had erected an
impassable, impenetrable barrier between themselves and the
vengeance of God. Nothing can arouse their fears. So fully have
they yielded to the tempter, so closely are they united with him,
and so thoroughly imbued with his spirit, that they have no power
and no inclination to break away from his snare.
Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive
the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance
given to Eve in Eden: “Ye shall not surely die.” “In the day ye eat
thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods,
knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4, 5. Little by little he has pre-
pared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the develop-
ment of spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplish-
ment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of
time. Says the prophet: “I saw three unclean spirits like frogs; ...
they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth
unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them
to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Revelation 16:13,
14. Except those who are kept by the power of God, through faith
in His word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of this
delusion. The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, to be
awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.
Saith the Lord God: “Judgment also will I lay to the line, and
righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the
refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And
your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agree-
ment with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge
shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.” Isaiah
28:17, 18.

Can Our Dead Speak to Us? • 75

Liberty
of Conscience
Threatened
7
CHAPTER

R
omanism is now regarded by Protestants with far great-
er favor than in former years. In those countries where
Catholicism is not in the ascendancy, and the papists are
taking a conciliatory course in order to gain influence, there is
an increasing indifference concerning the doctrines that sepa-
rate the reformed churches from the papal hierarchy; the opin-
ion is gaining ground that, after all, we do not differ so widely
upon vital points as has been supposed, and that a little conces-
sion on our part will bring us into a better understanding with
Rome. The time was when Protestants placed a high value upon
the liberty of conscience which had been so dearly purchased.
They taught their children to abhor popery and held that to seek
harmony with Rome would be disloyalty to God. But how widely
different are the sentiments now expressed!
The defenders of the papacy declare that the church has
been maligned, and the Protestant world are inclined to accept

7 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
the statement. Many urge that it is unjust to judge the church
of today by the abominations and absurdities that marked her
reign during the centuries of ignorance and darkness. They ex-
cuse her horrible cruelty as the result of the barbarism of the
times and plead that the influence of modern civilization has
changed her sentiments.
Have these persons forgotten the claim of infallibility put
forth for eight hundred years by this haughty power? So far from
being relinquished, this claim was affirmed in the nineteenth
century with greater positiveness than ever before. As Rome as-
serts that the “church never erred; nor will it, according to the
Scriptures, ever err” (John L. von Mosheim, Institutes of Eccle-
siastical History, book 3, century II, part 2, chapter 2, section 9,
note 17), how can she renounce the principles which governed
her course in past ages?
The papal church will never relinquish her claim to infal-
libility. All that she has done in her persecution of those who
reject her dogmas she holds to be right; and would she not re-
peat the same acts, should the opportunity be presented? Let
the restraints now imposed by secular governments be removed
and Rome be reinstated in her former power, and there would
speedily be a revival of her tyranny and persecution.
A well-known writer speaks thus of the attitude of the papal
hierarchy as regards freedom of conscience, and of the perils
which especially threaten the United States from the success of
her policy:
“There are many who are disposed to attribute any fear of
Roman Catholicism in the United States to bigotry or childish-
ness. Such see nothing in the character and attitude of Roman-
ism that is hostile to our free institutions, or find nothing por-
tentous in its growth. Let us, then, first compare some of the
fundamental principles of our government with those of the
Catholic Church.
“The Constitution of the United States guarantees liberty of
conscience. Nothing is dearer or more fundamental. Pope Pius
IX, in his Encyclical Letter of August 15, 1854, said: `The absurd
and erroneous doctrines or ravings in defense of liberty of con-

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 77

science are a most pestilential error—a pest, of all others, most
to be dreaded in a state.’ The same pope, in his Encyclical Let-
ter of December 8, 1864, anathematized `those who assert the
liberty of conscience and of religious worship,’ also ‘all such as
maintain that the church may not employ force.’
“The pacific tone of Rome in the United States does not im-
ply a change of heart. She is tolerant where she is helpless. Says
Bishop O’Connor: ‘Religious liberty is merely endured until the
opposite can be carried into effect without peril to the Catho-
lic world.’... The archbishop of St. Louis once said: ‘Heresy and
unbelief are crimes; and in Christian countries, as in Italy and
Spain, for instance, where all the people are Catholics, and
where the Catholic religion is an essential part of the law of the
land, they are punished as other crimes.’...
“Every cardinal, archbishop, and bishop in the Catholic
Church takes an oath of allegiance to the pope, in which occur
the following words: ‘Heretics, schismatics, and rebels to our
said lord (the pope), or his aforesaid successors, I will to my ut-
most persecute and oppose.’”—Josiah Strong, Our Country, ch. 5,
pars. 2-4. [See Endnotes for Corrected References.]
It is true that there are real Christians in the Roman Catholic
communion. Thousands in that church are serving God accord-
ing to the best light they have. They are not allowed access to His
word, and therefore they do not discern the truth. [Published in
1888 and 1911. See Endnotes.] They have never seen the con-
trast between a living heart service and a round of mere forms
and ceremonies. God looks with pitying tenderness upon these
souls, educated as they are in a faith that is delusive and unsatis-
fying. He will cause rays of light to penetrate the dense darkness
that surrounds them. He will reveal to them the truth as it is in
Jesus, and many will yet take their position with His people.
But Romanism as a system is no more in harmony with the
gospel of Christ now than at any former period in her history.
The Protestant churches are in great darkness, or they would
discern the signs of the times. The Roman Church is far-reach-
ing in her plans and modes of operation. She is employing every
device to extend her influence and increase her power in prepa-

7 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
ration for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of
the world, to re-establish persecution, and to undo all that Prot-
estantism has done. Catholicism is gaining ground upon every
side. See the increasing number of her churches and chapels
in Protestant countries. Look at the popularity of her colleges
and seminaries in America, so widely patronized by Protestants.
Look at the growth of ritualism in England and the frequent de-
fections to the ranks of the Catholics. These things should awak-
en the anxiety of all who prize the pure principles of the gospel.
Protestants have tampered with and patronized popery;
they have made compromises and concessions which papists
themselves are surprised to see and fail to understand. Men are
closing their eyes to the real character of Romanism and the
dangers to be apprehended from her supremacy. The people
need to be aroused to resist the advances of this most dangerous
foe to civil and religious liberty.
Many Protestants suppose that the Catholic religion is un-
attractive and that its worship is a dull, meaningless round of
ceremony. Here they mistake. While Romanism is based upon
deception, it is not a coarse and clumsy imposture. The religious
service of the Roman Church is a most impressive ceremonial.
Its gorgeous display and solemn rites fascinate the senses of the
people and silence the voice of reason and of conscience. The
eye is charmed. Magnificent churches, imposing processions,
golden altars, jeweled shrines, choice paintings, and exquisite
sculpture appeal to the love of beauty. The ear also is captivat-
ed. The music is unsurpassed. The rich notes of the deep-toned
organ, blending with the melody of many voices as it swells
through the lofty domes and pillared aisles of her grand cathe-
drals, cannot fail to impress the mind with awe and reverence.
This outward splendor, pomp, and ceremony, that only
mocks the longings of the sin-sick soul, is an evidence of inward
corruption. The religion of Christ needs not such attractions to
recommend it. In the light shining from the cross, true Christi-
anity appears so pure and lovely that no external decorations
can enhance its true worth. It is the beauty of holiness, a meek
and quiet spirit, which is of value with God.

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 79

 Brilliancy of style is not necessarily an index of pure, elevat-
ed thought. High conceptions of art, delicate refinement of taste,
often exist in minds that are earthly and sensual. They are often
employed by Satan to lead men to forget the necessities of the
soul, to lose sight of the future, immortal life, to turn away from
their infinite Helper, and to live for this world alone.
A religion of externals is attractive to the unrenewed heart.
The pomp and ceremony of the Catholic worship has a seduc-
tive, bewitching power, by which many are deceived; and they
come to look upon the Roman Church as the very gate of heav-
en. None but those who have planted their feet firmly upon the
foundation of truth, and whose hearts are renewed by the Spir-
it of God, are proof against her influence. Thousands who have
not an experimental knowledge of Christ will be led to accept
the forms of godliness without the power. Such a religion is just
what the multitudes desire.
The church’s claim to the right to pardon leads the Romanist
to feel at liberty to sin; and the ordinance of confession, without
which her pardon is not granted, tends also to give license to
evil. He who kneels before fallen man, and opens in confession
the secret thoughts and imaginations of his heart, is debasing
his manhood and degrading every noble instinct of his soul. In
unfolding the sins of his life to a priest,—an erring, sinful mortal,
and too often corrupted with wine and licentiousness,—his stan-
dard of character is lowered, and he is defiled in consequence.
His thought of God is degraded to the likeness of fallen humani-
ty, for the priest stands as a representative of God. This degrad-
ing confession of man to man is the secret spring from which
has flowed much of the evil that is defiling the world and fitting
it for the final destruction. Yet to him who loves self-indulgence,
it is more pleasing to confess to a fellow mortal than to open the
soul to God. It is more palatable to human nature to do penance
than to renounce sin; it is easier to mortify the flesh by sack-
cloth and nettles and galling chains than to crucify fleshly lusts.
Heavy is the yoke which the carnal heart is willing to bear rather
than bow to the yoke of Christ.

8 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 There is a striking similarity between the Church of Rome
and the Jewish Church at the time of Christ’s first advent. While
the Jews secretly trampled upon every principle of the law of
God, they were outwardly rigorous in the observance of its pre-
cepts, loading it down with exactions and traditions that made
obedience painful and burdensome. As the Jews professed to
revere the law, so do Romanists claim to reverence the cross.
They exalt the symbol of Christ’s sufferings, while in their lives
they deny Him whom it represents.
Papists place crosses upon their churches, upon their altars,
and upon their garments. Everywhere is seen the insignia of
the cross. Everywhere it is outwardly honored and exalted. But
the teachings of Christ are buried beneath a mass of senseless
traditions, false interpretations, and rigorous exactions. The
Saviour’s words concerning the bigoted Jews, apply with still
greater force to the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church: “They
bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on
men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with
one of their fingers.” Matthew 23:4. Conscientious souls are kept
in constant terror fearing the wrath of an offended God, while
many of the dignitaries of the church are living in luxury and
sensual pleasure.
The worship of images and relics, the invocation of saints,
and the exaltation of the pope are devices of Satan to attract
the minds of the people from God and from His Son. To accom-
plish their ruin, he endeavors to turn their attention from Him
through whom alone they can find salvation. He will direct them
to any object that can be substituted for the One who has said:
“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will
give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
It is Satan’s constant effort to misrepresent the character of
God, the nature of sin, and the real issues at stake in the great
controversy. His sophistry lessens the obligation of the divine
law and gives men license to sin. At the same time he causes
them to cherish false conceptions of God so that they regard Him
with fear and hate rather than with love. The cruelty inherent in
his own character is attributed to the Creator; it is embodied in

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 81

systems of religion and expressed in modes of worship. Thus the
minds of men are blinded, and Satan secures them as his agents
to war against God. By perverted conceptions of the divine attri-
butes, heathen nations were led to believe human sacrifices nec-
essary to secure the favor of Deity; and horrible cruelties have
been perpetrated under the various forms of idolatry.
The Roman Catholic Church, uniting the forms of paganism
and Christianity, and, like paganism, misrepresenting the charac-
ter of God, has resorted to practices no less cruel and revolting. In
the days of Rome’s supremacy there were instruments of torture
to compel assent to her doctrines. There was the stake for those
who would not concede to her claims. There were massacres on
a scale that will never be known until revealed in the judgment.
Dignitaries of the church studied, under Satan their master, to in-
vent means to cause the greatest possible torture and not end the
life of the victim. In many cases the infernal process was repeated
to the utmost limit of human endurance, until nature gave up the
struggle, and the sufferer hailed death as a sweet release.
Such was the fate of Rome’s opponents. For her adherents
she had the discipline of the scourge, of famishing hunger, of
bodily austerities in every conceivable, heart-sickening form.
To secure the favor of Heaven, penitents violated the laws of
God by violating the laws of nature. They were taught to sunder
the ties which He has formed to bless and gladden man’s earthly
sojourn. The churchyard contains millions of victims who spent
their lives in vain endeavors to subdue their natural affections,
to repress, as offensive to God, every thought and feeling of sym-
pathy with their fellow creatures.
If we desire to understand the determined cruelty of Satan,
manifested for hundreds of years, not among those who never
heard of God, but in the very heart and throughout the extent of
Christendom, we have only to look at the history of Romanism.
Through this mammoth system of deception the prince of evil
achieves his purpose of bringing dishonor to God and wretch-
edness to man. And as we see how he succeeds in disguising
himself and accomplishing his work through the leaders of the
church, we may better understand why he has so great antipa-

8 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
thy to the Bible. If that Book is read, the mercy and love of God
will be revealed; it will be seen that He lays upon men none of
these heavy burdens. All that He asks is a broken and contrite
heart, a humble, obedient spirit.
Christ gives no example in His life for men and women to
shut themselves in monasteries in order to become fitted for
heaven. He has never taught that love and sympathy must be
repressed. The Saviour’s heart overflowed with love. The nearer
man approaches to moral perfection, the keener are his sensi-
bilities, the more acute is his perception of sin, and the deeper
his sympathy for the afflicted. The pope claims to be the vicar
of Christ; but how does his character bear comparison with that
of our Saviour? Was Christ ever known to consign men to the
prison or the rack because they did not pay Him homage as the
King of heaven? Was His voice heard condemning to death those
who did not accept Him? When He was slighted by the people of
a Samaritan village, the apostle John was filled with indignation,
and inquired: “Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come
down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” Je-
sus looked with pity upon His disciple, and rebuked his harsh
spirit, saying: “The Son of man is not come to destroy men’s
lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:54, 56. How different from the
spirit manifested by Christ is that of His professed vicar.
The Roman Church now presents a fair front to the world,
covering with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has
clothed herself in Christlike garments; but she is unchanged.
Every principle of the papacy that existed in past ages exists to-
day. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. 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.

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 83

 The papacy is just what prophecy declared that she would be,
the apostasy of the latter times. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4. It is a part
of her policy to assume the character which will best accomplish
her purpose; but beneath the variable appearance of the cha-
meleon she conceals the invariable venom of the serpent. “Faith
ought not to be kept with heretics, nor persons suspected of here-
sy” (Lenfant, volume 1, page 516), she declares. Shall this power,
whose record for a thousand years is written in the blood of the
saints, be now acknowledged as a part of the church of Christ?
It is not without reason that the claim has been put forth in
Protestant countries that Catholicism differs less widely from
Protestantism than in former times. There has been a change;
but the change is not in the papacy. Catholicism indeed resem-
bles much of the Protestantism that now exists, because Prot-
estantism has so greatly degenerated since the days of the Re-
formers.
As the Protestant churches have been seeking the favor of
the world, false charity has blinded their eyes. They do not see
but that it is right to believe good of all evil, and as the inevitable
result they will finally believe evil of all good. Instead of standing
in defense of the faith once delivered to the saints, they are now,
as it were, apologizing to Rome for their uncharitable opinion of
her, begging pardon for their bigotry.
A large class, even of those who look upon Romanism with
no favor, apprehend little danger from her power and influence.
Many urge that the intellectual and moral darkness prevailing
during the Middle Ages favored the spread of her dogmas, su-
perstitions, and oppression, and that the greater intelligence of
modern times, the general diffusion of knowledge, and the in-
creasing liberality in matters of religion forbid a revival of intol-
erance and tyranny. The very thought that such a state of things
will exist in this enlightened age is ridiculed. It is true that great
light, intellectual, moral, and religious, is shining upon this gen-
eration. In the open pages of God’s Holy Word, light from heav-
en has been shed upon the world. But it should be remembered
that the greater the light bestowed, the greater the darkness of
those who pervert and reject it.

8 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 A prayerful study of the Bible would show Protestants the
real character of the papacy and would cause them to abhor and
to shun it; but many are so wise in their own conceit that they
feel no need of humbly seeking God that they may be led into
the truth. Although priding themselves on their enlightenment,
they are ignorant both of the Scriptures and of the power of
God. They must have some means of quieting their conscienc-
es, and they seek that which is least spiritual and humiliating.
What they desire is a method of forgetting God which shall pass
as a method of remembering Him. The papacy is well adapted
to meet the wants of all these. It is prepared for two classes of
mankind, embracing nearly the whole world—those who would
be saved by their merits, and those who would be saved in their
sins. Here is the secret of its power.
A day of great intellectual darkness has been shown to be fa-
vorable to the success of the papacy. It will yet be demonstrated
that a day of great intellectual light is equally favorable for its
success. In past ages, when men were without God’s word and
without the knowledge of the truth, their eyes were blindfold-
ed, and thousands were ensnared, not seeing the net spread for
their feet. In this generation there are many whose eyes become
dazzled by the glare of human speculations, “science falsely
so called;” they discern not the net, and walk into it as readily
as if blindfolded. God designed that man’s intellectual powers
should be held as a gift from his Maker and should be employed
in the service of truth and righteousness; but when pride and
ambition are cherished, and men exalt their own theories above
the word of God, then intelligence can accomplish greater harm
than ignorance. Thus the false science of the present day, which
undermines faith in the Bible, will prove as successful in pre-
paring the way for the acceptance of the papacy, with its pleas-
ing forms, as did the withholding of knowledge in opening the
way for its aggrandizement in the Dark Ages.
In the movements now in progress in the United States to
secure for the institutions and usages of the church the support
of the state, Protestants are following in the steps of papists.
Nay, more, they are opening the door for the papacy to regain in

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 85

Protestant America the supremacy which she has lost in the Old
World. And that which gives greater significance to this move-
ment is the fact that the principal object contemplated is the
enforcement of Sunday observance—a custom which originated
with Rome, and which she claims as the sign of her authority.
It is the spirit of the papacy—the spirit of conformity to worldly
customs, the veneration for human traditions above the com-
mandments of God—that is permeating the Protestant churches
and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exaltation
which the papacy has done before them.
If the reader would understand the agencies to be employed
in the soon-coming contest, he has but to trace the record of the
means which Rome employed for the same object in ages past.
If he would know how papists and Protestants united will deal
with those who reject their dogmas, let him see the spirit which
Rome manifested toward the Sabbath and its defenders.
Royal edicts, general councils, and church ordinances sus-
tained by secular power were the steps by which the pagan festi-
val attained its position of honor in the Christian world. The first
public measure enforcing Sunday observance was the law enact-
ed by Constantine. (A.D. 321; see Endnotes.) This edict required
townspeople to rest on “the venerable day of the sun,” but permit-
ted countrymen to continue their agricultural pursuits. Though
virtually a heathen statute, it was enforced by the emperor after
his nominal acceptance of Christianity.
The royal mandate not proving a sufficient substitute for di-
vine authority, Eusebius, a bishop who sought the favor of princ-
es, and who was the special friend and flatterer of Constantine,
advanced the claim that Christ had transferred the Sabbath to
Sunday. Not a single testimony of the Scriptures was produced
in proof of the new doctrine. Eusebius himself unwittingly ac-
knowledges its falsity and points to the real authors of the
change. “All things,” he says, “whatever that it was duty to do
on the Sabbath, these we have transferred to the Lord’s Day.”—
Robert Cox, Sabbath Laws and Sabbath Duties, page 538. But
the Sunday argument, groundless as it was, served to embolden
men in trampling upon the Sabbath of the Lord. All who desired
to be honored by the world accepted the popular festival.

8 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 As the papacy became firmly established, the work of Sunday
exaltation was continued. For a time the people engaged in agri-
cultural labor when not attending church, and the seventh day was
still regarded as the Sabbath. But steadily a change was effected.
Those in holy office were forbidden to pass judgment in any civ-
il controversy on the Sunday. Soon after, all persons, of whatever
rank, were commanded to refrain from common labor on pain of
a fine for freemen and stripes in the case of servants. Later it was
decreed that rich men should be punished with the loss of half of
their estates; and finally, that if still obstinate they should be made
slaves. The lower classes were to suffer perpetual banishment.
Miracles also were called into requisition. Among other won-
ders it was reported that as a husbandman who was about to
plow his field on Sunday cleaned his plow with an iron, the iron
stuck fast in his hand, and for two years he carried it about with
him, “to his exceeding great pain and shame.”—Francis West,
Historical and Practical Discourse on the Lord’s Day, page 174.
Later the pope gave directions that the parish priest should
admonish the violators of Sunday and wish them to go to church
and say their prayers, lest they bring some great calamity on
themselves and neighbors. An ecclesiastical council brought for-
ward the argument, since so widely employed, even by Protes-
tants, that because persons had been struck by lightning while
laboring on Sunday, it must be the Sabbath. “It is apparent,” said
the prelates, “how high the displeasure of God was upon their ne-
glect of this day.” An appeal was then made that priests and min-
isters, kings and princes, and all faithful people “use their utmost
endeavors and care that the day be restored to its honor, and, for
the credit of Christianity, more devoutly observed for the time to
come.”—Thomas Morer, Discourse in Six Dialogues on the Name,
Notion, and Observation of the Lord’s Day, page 271.
The decrees of councils proving insufficient, the secular au-
thorities were besought to issue an edict that would strike terror
to the hearts of the people and force them to refrain from labor
on the Sunday. At a synod held in Rome, all previous decisions
were reaffirmed with greater force and solemnity. They were
also incorporated into the ecclesiastical law and enforced by the

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 87

civil authorities throughout nearly all Christendom. (See Hey-
lyn, History of the Sabbath, pt. 2, ch. 5, sec. 7.)
Still the absence of Scriptural authority for Sundaykeeping
occasioned no little embarrassment. The people questioned the
right of their teachers to set aside the positive declaration of Je-
hovah, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,” in
order to honor the day of the sun. To supply the lack of Bible
testimony, other expedients were necessary. A zealous advocate
of Sunday, who about the close of the twelfth century visited the
churches of England, was resisted by faithful witnesses for the
truth; and so fruitless were his efforts that he departed from the
country for a season and cast about him for some means to en-
force his teachings. When he returned, the lack was supplied,
and in his after labors he met with greater success. He brought
with him a roll purporting to be from God Himself, which con-
tained the needed command for Sunday observance, with awful
threats to terrify the disobedient. This precious document—as
base a counterfeit as the institution it supported—was said to
have fallen from heaven and to have been found in Jerusalem,
upon the altar of St. Simeon, in Golgotha. But, in fact, the pontif-
ical palace at Rome was the source whence it proceeded. Frauds
and forgeries to advance the power and prosperity of the church
have in all ages been esteemed lawful by the papal hierarchy.
The roll forbade labor from the ninth hour, three o’clock, on
Saturday afternoon, till sunrise on Monday; and its authority was
declared to be confirmed by many miracles. It was reported that
persons laboring beyond the appointed hour were stricken with
paralysis. A Miller who attempted to grind his corn, saw, instead
of flour, a torrent of blood come forth, and the mill wheel stood
still, notwithstanding the strong rush of water. A woman who
placed dough in the oven found it raw when taken out, though
the oven was very hot. Another who had dough prepared for
baking at the ninth hour, but determined to set it aside till Mon-
day, found, the next day, that it had been made into loaves and
baked by divine power. A man who baked bread after the ninth
hour on Saturday found, when he broke it the next morning, that
blood started therefrom. By such absurd and superstitious fab-

8 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
rications did the advocates of Sunday endeavor to establish its
sacredness. (See Roger de Hoveden, Annals, vol. 2, pp. 526-530.)
In Scotland, as in England, a greater regard for Sunday was se-
cured by uniting with it a portion of the ancient Sabbath. But the
time required to be kept holy varied. An edict from the king of Scot-
land declared that “Saturday from twelve at noon ought to be ac-
counted holy,” and that no man, from that time till Monday morn-
ing, should engage in worldly business.—Morer, pages 290, 291.
But notwithstanding all the efforts to establish Sunday sa-
credness, papists themselves publicly confessed the divine au-
thority of the Sabbath and the human origin of the institution by
which it had been supplanted. In the sixteenth century a papal
council plainly declared: “Let all Christians remember that the
seventh day was consecrated by God, and hath been received
and observed, not only by the Jews, but by all others who pre-
tend to worship God; though we Christians have changed their
Sabbath into the Lord’s Day.”—Ibid., pages 281, 282. Those who
were tampering with the divine law were not ignorant of the
character of their work. They were deliberately setting them-
selves above God.
A striking illustration of Rome’s policy toward those who dis-
agree with her was given in the long and bloody persecution of
the Waldenses, some of whom were observers of the Sabbath.
Others suffered in a similar manner for their fidelity to the
fourth commandment. The history of the churches of Ethiopia
and Abyssinia is especially significant. Amid the gloom of the
Dark Ages, the Christians of Central Africa were lost sight of and
forgotten by the world, and for many centuries they enjoyed
freedom in the exercise of their faith. But at last Rome learned of
their existence, and the emperor of Abyssinia was soon beguiled
into an acknowledgment of the pope as the vicar of Christ. Other
concessions followed. An edict was issued forbidding the obser-
vance of the Sabbath under the severest penalties. (See Michael
Geddes, Church History of Ethiopia, pages 311, 312.) But papal
tyranny soon became a yoke so galling that the Abyssinians de-
termined to break it from their necks. After a terrible struggle
the Romanists were banished from their dominions, and the an-

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 89

cient faith was restored. The churches rejoiced in their freedom,
and they never forgot the lesson they had learned concerning
the deception, the fanaticism, and the despotic power of Rome.
Within their solitary realm they were content to remain, un-
known to the rest of Christendom.
The churches of Africa held the Sabbath as it was held by the
papal church before her complete apostasy. While they kept the
seventh day in obedience to the commandment of God, they ab-
stained from labor on the Sunday in conformity to the custom
of the church. Upon obtaining supreme power, Rome had tram-
pled upon the Sabbath of God to exalt her own; but the church-
es of Africa, hidden for nearly a thousand years, did not share in
this apostasy. When brought under the sway of Rome, they were
forced to set aside the true and exalt the false sabbath; but no
sooner had they regained their independence than they returned
to obedience to the fourth commandment. (See Endnotes.)
These records of the past clearly reveal the enmity of Rome
toward the true Sabbath and its defenders, and the means which
she employs to honor the institution of her creating. The word of
God teaches that these scenes are to be repeated as Roman Cath-
olics and Protestants shall unite for the exaltation of the Sunday.
The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the power rep-
resented by the beast with lamblike horns shall cause “the earth
and them which dwell therein” to worship the papacy—there
symbolized by the beast “like unto a leopard.” The beast with
two horns is also to say “to them that dwell on the earth, that
they should make an image to the beast;” and, furthermore, it is
to command all, “both small and great, rich and poor, free and
bond,” to receive the mark of the beast. Revelation 13:11-16. It
has been shown that the United States is the power represent-
ed by the beast with lamblike horns, and that this prophecy will
be fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday obser-
vance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgment of her
supremacy. But in this homage to the papacy the United States
will not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once
acknowledged her dominion is still far from being destroyed.
And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power. “I saw one of

9 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound
was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” Verse 3.
The infliction of the deadly wound points to the downfall of the
papacy in 1798. After this, says the prophet, “his deadly wound
was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” Paul
states plainly that the “man of sin” will continue until the second
advent. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8. To the very close of time he will
carry forward the work of deception. And the revelator declares,
also referring to the papacy: “All that dwell upon the earth shall
worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life.”
Revelation 13:8. In both the Old and the New World, the papacy
will receive homage in the honor paid to the Sunday institution,
that rests solely upon the authority of the Roman Church.
Since the middle of the nineteenth century, students of
prophecy in the United States have presented this testimony to
the world. In the events now taking place is seen a rapid advance
toward the fulfillment of the prediction. With Protestant teach-
ers there is the same claim of divine authority for Sundaykeep-
ing, and the same lack of Scriptural evidence, as with the papal
leaders who fabricated miracles to supply the place of a com-
mand from God. The assertion that God’s judgments are visited
upon men for their violation of the Sunday-sabbath, will be re-
peated; already it is beginning to be urged. And a movement to
enforce Sunday observance is fast gaining ground.
Marvelous in her shrewdness and cunning is the Roman
Church. She can read what is to be. She bides her time, seeing
that the Protestant churches are paying her homage in their ac-
ceptance of the false sabbath and that they are preparing to en-
force it by the very means which she herself employed in bygone
days. Those who reject the light of truth will yet seek the aid of
this self-styled infallible power to exalt an institution that orig-
inated with her. How readily she will come to the help of Prot-
estants in this work it is not difficult to conjecture. Who under-
stands better than the papal leaders how to deal with those who
are disobedient to the church?
The Roman Catholic Church, with all its ramifications
throughout the world, forms one vast organization under the

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 91

control, and designed to serve the interests, of the papal see. Its
millions of communicants, in every country on the globe, are in-
structed to hold themselves as bound in allegiance to the pope.
Whatever their nationality or their government, they are to re-
gard the authority of the church as above all other. Though they
may take the oath pledging their loyalty to the state, yet back
of this lies the vow of obedience to Rome, absolving them from
every pledge inimical to her interests.
History testifies of her artful and persistent efforts to insin-
uate herself into the affairs of nations; and having gained a foot-
hold, to further her own aims, even at the ruin of princes and
people. In the year 1204, Pope Innocent III extracted from Peter
II, king of Arragon, the following extraordinary oath: “I, Peter,
king of Arragonians, profess and promise to be ever faithful and
obedient to my lord, Pope Innocent, to his Catholic successors,
and the Roman Church, and faithfully to preserve my kingdom
in his obedience, defending the Catholic faith, and persecuting
heretical pravity.”—John Dowling, The History of Romanism, b.
5, ch. 6, sec. 55. This is in harmony with the claims regarding
the power of the Roman pontiff “that it is lawful for him to de-
pose emperors” and “that he can absolve subjects from their al-
legiance to unrighteous rulers.”—Mosheim, b. 3, cent. 11, pt. 2,
ch. 2, sec. 9, note 17. (See Endnotes.)
And let it be remembered, it is the boast of Rome that she
never changes. The principles of Gregory VII and Innocent III
are still the principles of the Roman Catholic Church. And had
she but the power, she would put them in practice with as much
vigor now as in past centuries. Protestants little know what they
are doing when they propose to accept the aid of Rome in the
work of Sunday exaltation. While they are bent upon the accom-
plishment of their purpose, Rome is aiming to re-establish her
power, to recover her lost supremacy. Let the principle once be
established in the United States that the church may employ or
control the power of the state; that religious observances may be
enforced by secular laws; in short, that the authority of church
and state is to dominate the conscience, and the triumph of
Rome in this country is assured.

9 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 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 exert-
ing 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 pur-
pose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the
word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution.

Endnotes
Revisions adopted by the E. G. White Trustees November 19, 1956, December 6, 1979, and
January 8, 1993

Page 78
In his first edition of Our Country, Josiah Strong, without access to primary sourc-
es, incorrectly referenced the statements attributed to Pope Pius IX. The correct ref-
erence for the first citation is Pope Gregory XVI's encyclical letter of August 15, 1832.
The relevant paragraph is here quoted in full:
Liberty of Conscience
“This shameful font of indifferentism gives rise to that absurd and erroneous
proposition which claims that liberty of conscience must be maintained for everyone.
It spreads ruin in sacred and civil affairs, though some repeat over and over again
with the greatest impudence that some advantage accrues to religion from it. ‘But the
death of the soul is worse than freedom of error,’ as Augustine was wont to say. When
all restraints are removed by which men are kept on the narrow path of truth, their
nature, which is already inclined to evil, propels them to ruin. Then truly ‘the bottom-
less pit’ is opened from which John saw smoke ascending which obscured the sun,
and out of which locusts flew forth to devastate the earth. Thence comes transforma-
tion of minds, corruption of youths, contempt of sacred things and holy laws—in other
words, a pestilence more deadly to the state than any other. Experience shows, even
from earliest times, that cities renowned for wealth, dominion, and glory perished
as a result of this single evil, namely immoderate freedom of opinion, license of free
speech, and desire for novelty.”—As printed in Claudia Carlen, IHM, The Papal Encyc-
licals, 1740-1878 (Ann Arbor, Michigan: The Pierian Press, 1990) 1:238.
The second citation should be credited to Pope Pius IX's Syllabus of Errors, which
accompanied his encyclical letter of December 8, 1864. Included among the 80 errors
anathematized are:
“24. The church has not the power of using force, nor has she any temporal power,
direct or indirect.—Apostolic Letter ‘Ad Apostolicae,’ August 22, 1851.”

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 93

 “78. Hence it has been wisely decided by law, in some Catholic countries, that per-
sons coming to reside therein shall enjoy the public exercise of their own peculiar
worship.—Allocution ‘acerbissimum,’ September 27, 1852.
“79. Moreover, it is false that the civil liberty of every form of worship, and the full
power, given to all, of overtly and publicly manifesting any opinions whatsoever and
thoughts, conduce more easily to corrupt the morals and minds of the people, and
to propagate the pest of indifferentism.—Allocution ‘Nunquam Fore,’ December 15,
1856.”—As printed in Anne Fremantle, ed., The Papal Encyclicals in their Historical
Context (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1956), 146, 152.
It should also be noted that the oath of allegiance to the pope, quoted in the last
paragraph of the citation from Strong, was the bishop's oath, not one taken by car-
dinals.

Page 78
The reader will recognize that the text of this volume was written prior to Vatican
Council II, with its somewhat altered policies in regard to the reading of the Scrip-
tures.
Through the centuries, the attitude of the Roman Catholic Church toward circula-
tion of the Holy Scriptures in vernacular versions among the laity shows up as nega-
tive. See for example G. P. Fisher, The Reformation, Ch. 15, Par. 16 (1873 ed., pp. 530-
532); J. Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers, ch. 8 (49th ed., 1897), pp. 98-117;
John Dowling, History of Romanism, b. 7, ch. 2, sec. 14; and b. 9, ch. 3, secs. 24-27
(1871 ed., pp. 491-496, 621-625); L. F. Bungener, History of the Council of Trent, pp.
101-110 (2d Edinburgh ed., 1853, translated by D. D. Scott); G. H. Putnam, Books and
Their Makers During the Middle Ages, vol. 1, pt. 2, ch. 2, pars. 49, 54-56. See also
Index of Prohibited Books (Vatican Polyglot Press, 1930), pp. IX, X; Timothy Hurley, A
Commentary on the Present Index Legislation (New York: Benziger Brothers, 1908), p.
71; Translation of the Great Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII (New York: Benziger Broth-
ers, 1903), p. 413.
But in recent years a dramatic and positive change has occurred in this respect.
On the one hand, the church has approved several versions prepared on the basis of
the original languages; on the other, it has promoted the study of the Holy Scriptures
by means of free distribution and Bible institutes. The church, however, continues to
reserve for herself the exclusive right to interpret the Bible in the light of her own tra-
dition, thus justifying those doctrines that do not harmonize with Biblical teachings.

Page 86
The law issued by the Emperor Constantine on the seventh of March, A.D. 321,
regarding a day of rest from labor, reads thus:
“All judges and city people and the craftsmen shall rest upon the venerable day of
the sun. Country people, however, may freely attend to the cultivation of the fields,
because it frequently happens that no other days are better adapted for planting the
grain in the furrows or the vines in trenches. So that the advantage given by heavenly
providence may not for the occasion of a short time perish.”—Joseph Cullen Ayer, A
Source Book for Ancient Church History (New York: Charles Scribner's sons, 1913),
div. 2, per. 1, ch. 1, sec. 59, g, pp. 284, 285.
The latin original is in the Codex Justiniani (Codex of Justinian), Lib. 3, Title 12,
Lex 3. The law is given in Latin and in English translation in Philip Schaff's History of
the Christian Church, Vol. 3, 3d period, ch. 7, sec. 75, p. 380, footnote 1; and in James
A. Hessey's Bampton Lectures, Sunday, Lecture 3, par. 1, 3d ed., Murray's printing of
1866, p. 58. See discussion in Schaff, as above referred to; in Albert Henry Newman,
A Manual of Church History (Philadelphia: the American Baptist Publication Society,
printing of 1933), rev. ed., vol. 1, pp. 305-307; and in Leroy E. Froom, The Prophetic

9 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
Faith of Our Fathers (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Assn., 1950),
vol. 1, pp. 376-381.

Page 90
Until rather recent years the Coptic Church of Ethiopia observed the seventh-day
Sabbath. The Ethiopians also kept Sunday, the first day of the week, throughout their
history as a Christian people. These days were marked by special services in the
churches. The observance of the seventh-day Sabbath has, however, virtually ceased
in modern Ethiopia. For eyewitness accounts of religious days in Ethiopia, see Pero
Gomes de Teixeira, The Discovery of Abyssinia by the Portuguese in 1520 (translated
in English in London: British Museum, 1938), p. 79; Father Francisco Alvarez, Nar-
rative of the Portuguese Embassy to Abyssinia During the Years 1520-1527, in the
records of the Hakluyt Society (London, 1881), vol. 64, pp. 22-49; Michael Russell,
Nubia and Abyssinia (Quoting Father Lobo, Catholic Missionary in Ethiopia in 1622)
(New York: Harper & Brothers, 1837), pp. 226-229; S. Giacomo Baratti, Late Travels
into the Remote Countries of Abyssinia (London: Benjamin Billingsley, 1670), pp.
134-137; Job Ludolphus, A New History for Ethiopia (London: S. Smith, 1682), pp.
234-357; Samuel Gobat, Journal of Three Years’ Residence in Abyssinia (New York:
Ed. of 1850), pp. 55-58, 83-98. For other works touching upon the question, see Peter
Heylyn, History of the Sabbath, 2d ed., 1636, vol. 2, pp. 198-200; Arthur P. Stanley,
Lectures on the History of the Eastern Church (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons,
1882), lecture 1, par. 1; C. F. Rey, Romance of the Portuguese in Abyssinia (London: F.
H. and G. Witherley, 1929), pp. 59, 253-297.

Page 92
For the leading circumstances in the assumption of supremacy by the bishops of
Rome, see Robert Francis Cardinal Bellarmine, Power of the Popes in Temporal Af-
fairs (there is an English Translation in the Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.);
Henry Edward Cardinal Manning, The Temporal Power of the Vicar of Jesus Christ
(London: Burns and Lambert, 2d ed., 1862); and James Cardinal Gibbons, Faith Of
Our Fathers (Baltimore: John Murphy Co., 110th ed., 1917), Chs. 5, 9, 10, 12. For Prot-
estant authors see Trevor Gervase Jalland, The Church and the Papacy (London: Soci-
ety for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1944, a Bampton Lecture); and Richard Fred-
erick Littledale, Petrine Claims (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,
1899). For sources of the early centuries of the Petrine theory, see James T. Shotwell
and Louise Ropes Loomis, The See of Peter (New York: Columbia University Press,
1927). For the false “Donation of Constantine” see Christopher B. Coleman, The Trea-
tise of Lorenzo Valla on the Donation of Constantine (New York, 1914), which gives
the full Latin text and translation, and a complete criticism of the document and its
thesis.

L ibe r t y of Con scien ce Th reaten ed • 95

The Impending
Conflict 8
CHAPTER

F
rom the very beginning of the great controversy in heaven
it has been Satan’s purpose to overthrow the law of God. It
was to accomplish this that he entered upon his rebellion
against the Creator, and though he was cast out of heaven he has
continued the same warfare upon the earth. To deceive men,
and thus lead them to transgress God’s law, is the object which
he has steadfastly pursued. Whether this be accomplished by
casting aside the law altogether, or by rejecting one of its pre-
cepts, the result will be ultimately the same. He that offends
“in one point,” manifests contempt for the whole law; his influ-
ence and example are on the side of transgression; he becomes
“guilty of all.” James 2:10.
In seeking to cast contempt upon the divine statutes, Satan
has perverted the doctrines of the Bible, and errors have thus
become incorporated into the faith of thousands who profess to
believe the Scriptures. The last great conflict between truth and
error is but the final struggle of the long-standing controversy

9 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
concerning the law of God. Upon this battle we are now enter-
ing—a battle between the laws of men and the precepts of Jeho-
vah, between the religion of the Bible and the religion of fable
and tradition.
The agencies which will unite against truth and righteous-
ness in this contest are now actively at work. God’s holy word,
which has been handed down to us at such a cost of suffering
and blood, is but little valued. The Bible is within the reach of
all, but there are few who really accept it as the guide of life. In-
fidelity prevails to an alarming extent, not in the world merely,
but in the church. Many have come to deny doctrines which are
the very pillars of the Christian faith. The great facts of creation
as presented by the inspired writers, the fall of man, the atone-
ment, and the perpetuity of the law of God, are practically reject-
ed, either wholly or in part, by a large share of the professedly
Christian world. Thousands who pride themselves upon their
wisdom and independence regard it as an evidence of weakness
to place implicit confidence in the Bible; they think it a proof
of superior talent and learning to cavil at the Scriptures and to
spiritualize and explain away their most important truths. Many
ministers are teaching their people, and many professors and
teachers are instructing their students, that the law of God has
been changed or abrogated; and those who regard its require-
ments as still valid, to be literally obeyed, are thought to be de-
serving only of ridicule or contempt.
In rejecting the truth, men reject its Author. In trampling
upon the law of God, they deny the authority of the Law-giver.
It is as easy to make an idol of false doctrines and theories as
to fashion an idol of wood or stone. By misrepresenting the at-
tributes of God, Satan leads men to conceive of Him in a false
character. With many, a philosophical idol is enthroned in the
place of Jehovah; while the living God, as He is revealed in His
word, in Christ, and in the works of creation, is worshiped by but
few. Thousands deify nature while they deny the God of nature.
Though in a different form, idolatry exists in the Christian world

Th e Im pen din g Con flict • 97

today as verily as it existed among ancient Israel in the days of
Elijah. The God of many professedly wise men, of philosophers,
poets, politicians, journalists—the God of polished fashionable
circles, of many colleges and universities, even of some theolog-
ical institutions—is little better than Baal, the sun-god of Phoe-
nicia.
No error accepted by the Christian world strikes more boldly
against the authority of Heaven, none is more directly opposed
to the dictates of reason, none is more pernicious in its results,
than the modern doctrine, so rapidly gaining ground, that God’s
law is no longer binding upon men. Every nation has its laws,
which command respect and obedience; no government could
exist without them; and can it be conceived that the Creator of
the heavens and the earth has no law to govern the beings He
has made? Suppose that prominent ministers were publicly to
teach that the statutes which govern their land and protect the
rights of its citizens were not obligatory—that they restricted the
liberties of the people, and therefore ought not to be obeyed;
how long would such men be tolerated in the pulpit? But is it a
graver offense to disregard the laws of states and nations than to
trample upon those divine precepts which are the foundation of
all government?
It would be far more consistent for nations to abolish their
statutes, and permit the people to do as they please, than for
the Ruler of the universe to annul His law, and leave the world
without a standard to condemn the guilty or justify the obedient.
Would we know the result of making void the law of God? The
experiment has been tried. Terrible were the scenes enacted in
France when atheism became the controlling power. It was then
demonstrated to the world that to throw off the restraints which
God has imposed is to accept the rule of the cruelest of tyrants.
When the standard of righteousness is set aside, the way is open
for the prince of evil to establish his power in the earth.
Wherever the divine precepts are rejected, sin ceases to
appear sinful or righteousness desirable. Those who refuse to

9 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
submit to the government of God are wholly unfitted to govern
themselves. Through their pernicious teachings the spirit of in-
subordination is implanted in the hearts of children and youth,
who are naturally impatient of control; and a lawless, licentious
state of society results. While scoffing at the credulity of those
who obey the requirements of God, the multitudes eagerly ac-
cept the delusions of Satan. They give the rein to lust and prac-
tice the sins which have called down judgments upon the hea-
then.
Those who teach the people to regard lightly the command-
ments of God sow disobedience to reap disobedience. Let the
restraint imposed by the divine law be wholly cast aside, and
human laws would soon be disregarded. Because God forbids
dishonest practices, coveting, lying, and defrauding, men are
ready to trample upon His statutes as a hindrance to their world-
ly prosperity; but the results of banishing these precepts would
be such as they do not anticipate. If the law were not binding,
why should any fear to transgress? Property would no longer
be safe. Men would obtain their neighbor’s possessions by vio-
lence, and the strongest would become richest. Life itself would
not be respected. The marriage vow would no longer stand as
a sacred bulwark to protect the family. He who had the power,
would, if he desired, take his neighbor’s wife by violence. The
fifth commandment would be set aside with the fourth. Children
would not shrink from taking the life of their parents if by so do-
ing they could obtain the desire of their corrupt hearts. The civi-
lized world would become a horde of robbers and assassins; and
peace, rest, and happiness would be banished from the earth.
Already the doctrine that men are released from obedience
to God’s requirements has weakened the force of moral obliga-
tion and opened the floodgates of iniquity upon the world. Law-
lessness, dissipation, and corruption are sweeping in upon us
like an overwhelming tide. In the family, Satan is at work. His
banner waves, even in professedly Christian households. There
is envy, evil surmising, hypocrisy, estrangement, emulation,

Th e Im pen din g Con flict • 99

strife, betrayal of sacred trusts, indulgence of lust. The whole
system of religious principles and doctrines, which should form
the foundation and framework of social life, seems to be a tot-
tering mass, ready to fall to ruin. The vilest of criminals, when
thrown into prison for their offenses, are often made the re-
cipients of gifts and attentions as if they had attained an envi-
able distinction. Great publicity is given to their character and
crimes. The press publishes the revolting details of vice, thus
initiating others into the practice of fraud, robbery, and murder;
and Satan exults in the success of his hellish schemes. The in-
fatuation of vice, the wanton taking of life, the terrible increase
of intemperance and iniquity of every order and degree, should
arouse all who fear God, to inquire what can be done to stay the
tide of evil.
Courts of justice are corrupt. Rulers are actuated by desire
for gain and love of sensual pleasure. Intemperance has be-
clouded the faculties of many so that Satan has almost complete
control of them. Jurists are perverted, bribed, deluded. Drunk-
enness and revelry, passion, envy, dishonesty of every sort, are
represented among those who administer the laws. “Justice
standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity can-
not enter.” Isaiah 59:14.
The iniquity and spiritual darkness that prevailed under
the supremacy of Rome were the inevitable result of her sup-
pression of the Scriptures; but where is to be found the cause
of the widespread infidelity, the rejection of the law of God, and
the consequent corruption, under the full blaze of gospel light in
an age of religious freedom? Now that Satan can no longer keep
the world under his control by withholding the Scriptures, he re-
sorts to other means to accomplish the same object. To destroy
faith in the Bible serves his purpose as well as to destroy the Bi-
ble itself. By introducing the belief that God’s law is not binding,
he as effectually leads men to transgress as if they were whol-
ly ignorant of its precepts. And now, as in former ages, he has
worked through the church to further his designs. The religious

1 0 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
organizations of the day have refused to listen to unpopular
truths plainly brought to view in the Scriptures, and in combat-
ing them they have adopted interpretations and taken positions
which have sown broadcast the seeds of skepticism. Clinging
to the papal error of natural immortality and man’s conscious-
ness in death, they have rejected the only defense against the
delusions of spiritualism. The doctrine of eternal torment has
led many to disbelieve the Bible. And as the claims of the fourth
commandment are urged upon the people, it is found that the
observance of the seventh-day Sabbath is enjoined; and as the
only way to free themselves from a duty which they are unwill-
ing to perform, many popular teachers declare that the law of
God is no longer binding. Thus they cast away the law and the
Sabbath together. As the work of Sabbath reform extends, this
rejection of the divine law to avoid the claims of the fourth com-
mandment will become well-nigh universal. The teachings of
religious leaders have opened the door to infidelity, to spiritual-
ism, and to contempt for God’s holy law; and upon these leaders
rests a fearful responsibility for the iniquity that exists in the
Christian world.
Yet this very class put forth the claim that the fast-spreading
corruption is largely attributable to the desecration of the so-
called “Christian sabbath,” and that the enforcement of Sunday
observance would greatly improve the morals of society. This
claim is especially urged in America, where the doctrine of the
true Sabbath has been most widely preached. Here the temper-
ance work, one of the most prominent and important of mor-
al reforms, is often combined with the Sunday movement, and
the advocates of the latter represent themselves as laboring to
promote the highest interest of society; and those who refuse to
unite with them are denounced as the enemies of temperance
and reform. But the fact that a movement to establish error is
connected with a work which is in itself good, is not an argu-
ment in favor of the error. We may disguise poison by mingling
it with wholesome food, but we do not change its nature. On the

Th e Im pen din g Con flict • 101

contrary, it is rendered more dangerous, as it is more likely to
be taken unawares. It is one of Satan’s devices to combine with
falsehood just enough truth to give it plausibility. The leaders of
the Sunday movement may advocate reforms which the people
need, principles which are in harmony with the Bible; yet while
there is with these a requirement which is contrary to God’s law,
His servants cannot unite with them. Nothing can justify them
in setting aside the commandments of God for the precepts of
men.
Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and
Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his decep-
tions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the
latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants
of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands
across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach
over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under
the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in
the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.
As spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christian-
ity of the day, it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. Satan
himself is converted, after the modern order of things. He will
appear in the character of an angel of light. Through the agency
of spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed,
and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the
spirits will profess faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for
the institutions of the church, their work will be accepted as a
manifestation of divine power.
The line of distinction between professed Christians and the
ungodly is now hardly distinguishable. Church members love
what the world loves and are ready to join with them, and Sa-
tan determines to unite them in one body and thus strengthen
his cause by sweeping all into the ranks of spiritualism. Papists,
who boast of miracles as a certain sign of the true church, will
be readily deceived by this wonder-working power; and Protes-
tants, having cast away the shield of truth, will also be deluded.

1 0 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will alike accept the form
of godliness without the power, and they will see in this union a
grand movement for the conversion of the world and the usher-
ing in of the long-expected millennium.
Through spiritualism, Satan appears as a benefactor of the
race, healing the diseases of the people, and professing to pres-
ent a new and more exalted system of religious faith; but at the
same time he works as a destroyer. His temptations are leading
multitudes to ruin. Intemperance dethrones reason; sensual in-
dulgence, strife, and bloodshed follow. Satan delights in war, for
it excites the worst passions of the soul and then sweeps into
eternity its victims steeped in vice and blood. It is his object to
incite the nations to war against one another, for he can thus
divert the minds of the people from the work of preparation to
stand in the day of God.
Satan works through the elements also to garner his harvest
of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets of the laborato-
ries of nature, and he uses all his power to control the elements
as far as God allows. When he was suffered to afflict Job, how
quickly flocks and herds, servants, houses, children, were swept
away, one trouble succeeding another as in a moment. It is God
that shields His creatures and hedges them in from the power
of the destroyer. But the Christian world have shown contempt
for the law of Jehovah; and the Lord will do just what He has
declared that He would—He will withdraw His blessings from
the earth and remove His protecting care from those who are
rebelling against His law and teaching and forcing 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 to the children of men as a great physician
who can heal all their maladies, he will bring disease and di-
saster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation.
Even now he is at work. In accidents and calamities by sea and

Th e Im pen din g Con flict • 103

by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrif-
ic hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and
earthquakes, in every place and 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 by the pestilence. These visitations are to
become more and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction
will be upon both man and beast. “The earth mourneth and fa-
deth away,” “the haughty people ... do languish. The earth also is
defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have trans-
gressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant.” Isaiah 24:4, 5.
And then the great deceiver will persuade men that those
who serve God are causing these evils. The class that have pro-
voked the displeasure of Heaven will charge all their troubles
upon those whose obedience to God’s commandments is a per-
petual reproof to transgressors. It will be declared that men are
offending God by the violation of the Sunday sabbath; that this
sin has brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday ob-
servance shall be strictly enforced; and that those who present
the claims of the fourth commandment, thus destroying rever-
ence for Sunday, are troublers of the people, preventing their
restoration to divine favor and temporal prosperity. Thus the
accusation urged of old against the servant of God will be re-
peated and upon grounds equally well established: “And it came
to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou
he that troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled
Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken
the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.”
1 Kings 18:17, 18. As the wrath of the people shall be excited by
false charges, they will pursue a course toward God’s ambassa-
dors very similar to that which apostate Israel pursued toward
Elijah.
The miracle-working power manifested through spiritual-
ism will exert its influence against those who choose to obey God

1 0 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
rather than men. Communications from the spirits will declare
that God has sent them to convince the rejecters of Sunday of
their error, affirming that the laws of the land should be obeyed
as the law of God. They will lament the great wickedness in the
world and second the testimony of religious teachers that the
degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration of Sunday.
Great will be the indignation excited against all who refuse to
accept their testimony.
Satan’s policy in this final conflict with God’s people is the
same that he employed in the opening of the great controversy
in heaven. He professed to be seeking to promote the stability
of the divine government, while secretly bending every effort
to secure its overthrow. And the very work which he was thus
endeavoring to accomplish he charged upon the loyal angels.
The same policy of deception has marked the history of the Ro-
man Church. It has professed to act as the vicegerent of Heaven,
while seeking to exalt itself above God and to change His law.
Under the rule of Rome, those who suffered death for their fi-
delity to the gospel were denounced as evildoers; they were de-
clared to be in league with Satan; and every possible means was
employed to cover them with reproach, to cause them to appear
in the eyes of the people and even to themselves as the vilest of
criminals. So it will be now. While Satan seeks to destroy those
who honor God’s law, he will cause them to be accused as law-
breakers, as men who are dishonoring God and bringing judg-
ments upon the world.
God never forces the will or the conscience; but Satan’s con-
stant resort—to gain control of those whom he cannot otherwise
seduce—is compulsion by cruelty. Through fear or force he en-
deavors 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.
Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as en-
emies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of

Th e Im pen din g Con flict • 105

society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the
judgments of God upon the earth. Their conscientious scruples
will be pronounced obstinacy, stubbornness, and contempt of
authority. They will be accused of disaffection toward the gov-
ernment. 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 misrepresent-
ed and condemned. A false coloring will be given to their words;
the worst construction will be put upon their motives.
As the Protestant churches reject the clear, Scriptural ar-
guments in defense of God’s law, they will long to silence those
whose faith they cannot overthrow by the Bible. Though they
blind their own eyes to the fact, they are now adopting a course
which will lead to the persecution of those who conscientiously
refuse to do what the rest of the Christian world are doing, and
acknowledge the claims of the papal sabbath.
The dignitaries of church and state will unite to bribe, per-
suade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of
divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments.
Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for
truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order
to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a
law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which
has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected. In the
soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet’s
words: “The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to
make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the com-
mandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Revelation 12:17.

1 0 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
The Scriptures
a Safeguard 9
CHAPTER

“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not accord-
ing to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah
8:20. The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their
safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delu-
sive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible
device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible;
for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of
God’s work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activi-
ty; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle
against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon
to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works
in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that
it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the
Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every
miracle must be tested.
Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God
will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In or-

Th e Scriptures a Safeguard • 107

der 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. To every soul will come the
searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive
hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of
God’s immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in de-
fense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?
Before His crucifixion the Saviour explained to His disciples
that He was to be put to death and to rise again from the tomb,
and angels were present to impress His words on minds and
hearts. But the disciples were looking for temporal deliverance
from the Roman yoke, and they could not tolerate the thought
that He in whom all their hopes centered should suffer an igno-
minious death. The words which they needed to remember were
banished from their minds; and when the time of trial came, it
found them unprepared. The death of Jesus as fully destroyed
their hopes as if He had not forewarned them. So in the prophe-
cies the future is opened before us as plainly as it was opened to
the disciples by the words of Christ. The events connected with
the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time
of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more
understanding of these important truths than if they had never
been revealed. Satan watches to catch away every impression
that would make them wise unto salvation, and the time of trou-
ble will find them unready.
When God sends to men warnings so important that they
are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst
of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning
powers to heed the message. The fearful judgments denounced
against the worship of the beast and his image (Revelation 14:9-
11), should lead all to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn
what the mark of the beast is, and how they are to avoid receiv-

1 0 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
ing it. But the masses of the people turn away their ears from
hearing the truth and are turned unto fables. The apostle Paul
declared, looking down to the last days: “The time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:3. That
time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth,
because it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving
heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions which they love.
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 deduc-
tions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical coun-
cils, 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 reli-
gious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should
demand a plain “Thus saith the Lord” in its support.
Satan is constantly endeavoring to attract attention to man
in the place of God. He leads the people to look to bishops, to
pastors, to professors of theology, as their guides, instead of
searching the Scriptures to learn their duty for themselves.
Then, by controlling the minds of these leaders, he can influ-
ence the multitudes according to his will.
When Christ came to speak the words of life, the common
people heard Him gladly; and many, even of the priests and rul-
ers, believed on Him. But the chief of the priesthood and the
leading men of the nation were determined to condemn and
repudiate His teachings. Though they were baffled in all their
efforts to find accusations against Him, though they could not
but feel the influence of the divine power and wisdom attending
His words, yet they incased themselves in prejudice; they reject-
ed the clearest evidence of His Messiahship, lest they should be
forced to become His disciples. These opponents of Jesus were
men whom the people had been taught from infancy to rever-
ence, to whose authority they had been accustomed implicitly to
bow. “How is it,” they asked, “that our rulers and learned scribes

Th e Scriptures a Safeguard • 109

do not believe on Jesus? Would not these pious men receive Him
if He were the Christ?” It was the influence of such teachers that
led the Jewish nation to reject their Redeemer.
The spirit which actuated those priests and rulers is still
manifested by many who make a high profession of piety. They
refuse to examine the testimony of the Scriptures concerning
the special truths for this time. They point to their own num-
bers, wealth, and popularity, and look with contempt upon the
advocates of truth as few, poor, and unpopular, having a faith
that separates them from the world.
Christ foresaw that the undue assumption of authority in-
dulged by the scribes and Pharisees would not cease with the
dispersion of the Jews. He had a prophetic view of the work of
exalting human authority to rule the conscience, which has
been so terrible a curse to the church in all ages. And His fearful
denunciations of the scribes and Pharisees, and His warnings
to the people not to follow these blind leaders, were placed on
record as an admonition to future generations.
The Roman Church reserves to the clergy the right to in-
terpret the Scriptures. On the ground that ecclesiastics alone
are competent to explain God’s word, it is withheld from the
common people. [See Endnotes of chapter 7.] Though the Ref-
ormation gave the Scriptures to all, yet the selfsame principle
which was maintained by Rome prevents multitudes in Protes-
tant churches from searching the Bible for themselves. They are
taught to accept its teachings as interpreted by the church; and
there are thousands who dare receive nothing, however plainly
revealed in Scripture, that is contrary to their creed or the estab-
lished teaching of their church.
Notwithstanding the Bible is full of warnings against false
teachers, many are ready thus to commit the keeping of their
souls to the clergy. There are today thousands of professors of
religion who can give no other reason for points of faith which
they hold than that they were so instructed by their religious
leaders. They pass by the Saviour’s teachings almost unnoticed,

1 1 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
and place implicit confidence in the words of the ministers. But
are ministers infallible? How can we trust our souls to their guid-
ance unless we know from God’s word that they are light bear-
ers? A lack of moral courage to step aside from the beaten track
of the world leads many to follow in the steps of learned men;
and by their reluctance to investigate for themselves, they are
becoming hopelessly fastened in the chains of error. They see
that the truth for this time is plainly brought to view in the Bible;
and they feel the power of the Holy Spirit attending its procla-
mation; yet they allow the opposition of the clergy to turn them
from the light. Though reason and conscience are convinced,
these deluded souls dare not think differently from the minis-
ter; and their individual judgment, their eternal interests, are
sacrificed to the unbelief, the pride and prejudice, of another.
Many are the ways by which Satan works through human in-
fluence to bind his captives. He secures multitudes to himself by
attaching them by the silken cords of affection to those who are
enemies of the cross of Christ. Whatever this attachment may
be, parental, filial, conjugal, or social, the effect is the same; the
opposers of truth exert their power to control the conscience,
and the souls held under their sway have not sufficient courage
or independence to obey their own convictions of duty.
The truth and the glory of God are inseparable; it is impos-
sible for us, with the Bible within our reach, to honor God by
erroneous opinions. Many claim that it matters not what one be-
lieves, if his life is only right. But the life is molded by the faith.
If light and truth is within our reach, and we neglect to improve
the privilege of hearing and seeing it, we virtually reject it; we
are choosing darkness rather than light.
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 16:25. Ignorance is no
excuse for error or sin, when there is every opportunity to know
the will of God. A man is traveling and comes to a place where
there are several roads and a guideboard indicating where each
one leads. If he disregards the guideboard, and takes whichever

Th e Scriptures a Safeguard • 111

road seems to him to be right, he may be ever so sincere, but will
in all probability find himself on the wrong road.
God has given us His word that we may become acquainted
with its teachings and know for ourselves what He requires of
us. When the lawyer came to Jesus with the inquiry, “What shall
I do to inherit eternal life?” the Saviour referred him to the Scrip-
tures, saying: “What is written in the law? how readest thou?”
Ignorance will not excuse young or old, nor release them from
the punishment due for the transgression of God’s law; because
there is in their hands a faithful presentation of that law and of
its principles and claims. It is not enough to have good inten-
tions; it is not enough to do what a man thinks is right or what
the minister tells him is right. His soul’s salvation is at stake,
and he should search the Scriptures for himself. However strong
may be his convictions, however confident he may be that the
minister knows what is truth, this is not his foundation. He has
a chart pointing out every waymark on the heavenward journey,
and he ought not to guess at anything.
It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn
from the Scriptures what is truth, and then to walk in the light
and encourage others to follow his example. We should day by day
study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought and comparing
scripture with scripture. With divine help we are to form our opin-
ions for ourselves as we are to answer for ourselves before God.
The truths most plainly revealed in the Bible have been in-
volved in doubt and darkness by learned men, who, with a pre-
tense of great wisdom, teach that the Scriptures have a mysti-
cal, a secret, spiritual meaning not apparent in the language
employed. These men are false teachers. It was to such a class
that Jesus declared: “Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the
power of God.” Mark 12:24. The language of the Bible should
be explained according to its obvious meaning, unless a sym-
bol or figure is employed. Christ has given the promise: “If any
man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.” John 7:17.
If men would but take the Bible as it reads, if there were no false

1 1 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
teachers to mislead and confuse their minds, a work would be
accomplished that would make angels glad and that would bring
into the fold of Christ thousands upon thousands who are now
wandering in error.
We should exert all the powers of the mind in the study of
the Scriptures and should task the understanding to compre-
hend, as far as mortals can, the deep things of God; yet we must
not forget that the docility and submission of a child is the true
spirit of the learner. Scriptural difficulties can never be mas-
tered by the same methods that are employed in grappling with
philosophical problems. We should not engage in the study of
the Bible with that self-reliance with which so many enter the
domains of science, but with a prayerful dependence upon God
and a sincere desire to learn His will. We must come with a hum-
ble and teachable spirit to obtain knowledge from the great I
AM. Otherwise, evil angels will so blind our minds and harden
our hearts that we shall not be impressed by the truth.
Many a portion of Scripture which learned men pronounce a
mystery, or pass over as unimportant, is full of comfort and in-
struction to him who has been taught in the school of Christ. One
reason why many theologians have no clearer understanding of
God’s word is, they close their eyes to truths which they do not
wish to practice. An understanding of Bible truth depends not so
much on the power of intellect brought to the search as on the
singleness of purpose, the earnest longing after righteousness.
The Bible should never be studied without prayer. The Holy
Spirit alone can cause us to feel the importance of those things
easy to be understood, or prevent us from wresting truths dif-
ficult of comprehension. It is the office of heavenly angels to
prepare the heart so to comprehend God’s word that we shall
be charmed with its beauty, admonished by its warnings, or an-
imated and strengthened by its promises. We should make the
psalmist’s petition our own: “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may
behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” Psalm 119:18. Temp-
tations often appear irresistible because, through neglect of

Th e Scriptures a Safeguard • 113

prayer and the study of the Bible, the tempted one cannot readi-
ly remember God’s promises and meet Satan with the Scripture
weapons. But angels are round about those who are willing to be
taught in divine things; and in the time of great necessity they
will bring to their remembrance the very truths which are need-
ed. Thus “when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit
of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19.
Jesus promised His disciples: “The Comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall
teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26. But the teachings
of Christ must previously have been stored in the mind in order
for the Spirit of God to bring them to our remembrance in the
time of peril. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart,” said David,
“that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11.
All who value their eternal interests should be on their guard
against the inroads of skepticism. The very pillars of truth will
be assailed. It is impossible to keep beyond the reach of the sar-
casms and sophisms, the insidious and pestilent teachings, of
modern infidelity. Satan adapts his temptations to all classes. He
assails the illiterate with a jest or sneer, while he meets the ed-
ucated with scientific objections and philosophical reasoning,
alike calculated to excite distrust or contempt of the Scriptures.
Even youth of little experience presume to insinuate doubts
concerning the fundamental principles of Christianity. And this
youthful infidelity, shallow as it is, has its influence. Many are
thus led to jest at the faith of their fathers and to do despite to
the Spirit of grace. Hebrews 10:29. Many a life that promised to
be an honor to God and a blessing to the world has been blighted
by the foul breath of infidelity. All who trust to the boastful deci-
sions of human reason and imagine that they can explain divine
mysteries and arrive at truth unaided by the wisdom of God are
entangled in the snare of Satan.
We are living in the most solemn period of this world’s his-
tory. The destiny of earth’s teeming multitudes is about to be

1 1 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
decided. Our own future well-being and also the salvation of
other souls depend upon the course which we now pursue. We
need to be guided by the Spirit of truth. Every follower of Christ
should earnestly inquire: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?”
We need to humble ourselves before the Lord, with fasting and
prayer, and to meditate much upon His word, especially upon
the scenes of the judgment. We should now seek a deep and liv-
ing experience in the things of God. We have not a moment to
lose. Events of vital importance are taking place around us; we
are on Satan’s enchanted ground. Sleep not, sentinels of God;
the foe is lurking near, ready at any moment, should you become
lax and drowsy, to spring upon you and make you his prey.
Many are deceived as to their true condition before God.
They congratulate themselves upon the wrong acts which they
do not commit, and forget to enumerate the good and noble
deeds which God requires of them, but which they have neglect-
ed to perform. It is not enough that they are trees in the garden
of God. They are to answer His expectation by bearing fruit. He
holds them accountable for their failure to accomplish all the
good which they could have done, through His grace strength-
ening them. In the books of heaven they are registered as cum-
berers of the ground. Yet the case of even this class is not utterly
hopeless. With those who have slighted God’s mercy and abused
His grace, the heart of long-suffering love yet pleads. “Where-
fore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circum-
spectly, ... redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephe-
sians 5:14-16.
When the testing time shall come, those who have made
God’s word their rule of life will be revealed. In summer there
is no noticeable difference between evergreens and other trees;
but when the blasts of winter come, the evergreens remain un-
changed, while other trees are stripped of their foliage. So the
falsehearted professor may not now be distinguished from the
real Christian, but the time is just upon us when the difference

Th e Scriptures a Safeguard • 115

will be apparent. Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intoler-
ance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the half-
hearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith; but the
true Christian will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his
hope brighter, than in days of prosperity.
Says the psalmist: “Thy testimonies are my meditation.”
“Through Thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate ev-
ery false way.” Psalm 119:99, 104.
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom.” “He shall be as a
tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by
the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall
be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither
shall cease from yielding fruit.” Proverbs 3:13; Jeremiah 17:8.

1 1 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
The Final
Warning 10 CHAPTER

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.” “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.” Revelation 18:1, 2, 4.
This scripture points forward to a time when the announce-
ment of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of Rev-
elation 14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with the additional men-
tion of the corruptions which have been entering the various
organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message was
first given, in the summer of 1844. A terrible condition of the
religious world is here described. With every rejection of truth
the minds of the people will become darker, their hearts more
stubborn, until they are entrenched in an infidel hardihood. In

Th e Fin al Warn in g • 117

defiance of the warnings which God has given, they will contin-
ue to trample upon one of the precepts of the Decalogue, until
they are led to persecute those who hold it sacred. Christ is set
at nought in the contempt placed upon His word and His people.
As the teachings of spiritualism are accepted by the churches,
the restraint imposed upon the carnal heart is removed, and the
profession of religion will become a cloak to conceal the basest
iniquity. A belief in spiritual manifestations opens the door to
seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and thus the influence
of evil angels will be felt in the churches.
Of Babylon, at the time brought to view in this prophecy, it is
declared: “Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath re-
membered her iniquities.” Revelation 18:5. She has filled up the
measure of her guilt, and destruction is about to fall upon her.
But God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of
His judgments these faithful ones must be called out, that they
partake not of her sins and “receive not of her plagues.” Hence
the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heav-
en, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a
strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with
his message the call is heard: “Come out of her, My people.” These
announcements, uniting with the third angel’s message, consti-
tute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth.
Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be brought. The
powers of earth, uniting to war against the commandments of
God, will decree that “all, both small and great, rich and poor,
free and bond” (Revelation 13:16), shall conform to the customs
of the church by the observance of the false sabbath. All who
refuse compliance will be visited with civil penalties, and it will
finally be declared that they are deserving of death. On the other
hand, the law of God enjoining the Creator’s rest day demands
obedience and threatens wrath against all who transgress its
precepts.
With the issue thus clearly brought before him, whoever
shall trample upon God’s law to obey a human enactment re-

1 1 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
ceives the mark of the beast; he accepts the sign of allegiance to
the power which he chooses to obey instead of God. The warning
from heaven is: “If any man worship the beast and his image,
and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same
shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup of His indignation.” Revelation
14:9, 10.
But not one is made to suffer the wrath of God until the truth
has been brought home to his mind and conscience, and has
been rejected. There are many who have never had an opportu-
nity to hear the special truths for this time. The obligation of the
fourth commandment has never been set before them in its true
light. He who reads every heart and tries every motive will leave
none who desire a knowledge of the truth, to be deceived as to
the issues of the controversy. The decree is not to be urged upon
the people blindly. Everyone is to have sufficient light to make
his decision intelligently.
The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point
of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be
brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be
drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him
not. 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. While one class, by
accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the
mark of the beast, the other, choosing the token of allegiance to
divine authority, receive the seal of God.
Heretofore those who presented the truths of the third an-
gel’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 per-
secute those who keep the commandments of God, have been
pronounced groundless and absurd. It has been confidently de-

Th e Fin al Warn in g • 119

clared 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.
In every generation God has sent His servants to rebuke
sin, both in the world and in the church. But the people desire
smooth things spoken to them, and the pure, unvarnished truth
is not acceptable. Many reformers, in entering upon their work,
determined to exercise great prudence in attacking the sins of
the church and the nation. They hoped, by the example of a pure
Christian life, to lead the people back to the doctrines of the Bi-
ble. But the Spirit of God came upon them as it came upon Elijah,
moving him to rebuke the sins of a wicked king and an apostate
people; they could not refrain from preaching the plain utter-
ances of the Bible—doctrines which they had been reluctant to
present. They were impelled to zealously declare the truth and
the danger which threatened souls. The words which the Lord
gave them they uttered, fearless of consequences, and the peo-
ple were compelled to hear the warning.
Thus the message of the third angel will be proclaimed. As
the time comes for it to be given with greatest power, the Lord will
work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those
who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be
qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of
literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained
to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives
them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results
of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the
inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the
papal power—all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings
the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands will lis-
ten who have never heard words like these. In amazement they
hear the testimony that Babylon is the church, fallen because of

1 2 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
her errors and sins, because of her rejection of the truth sent to
her from heaven. As the people go to their former teachers with
the eager inquiry, Are these things so? the ministers present fa-
bles, prophesy smooth things, to soothe their fears and quiet the
awakened conscience. But since many refuse to be satisfied with
the mere authority of men and demand a plain “Thus saith the
Lord,” the popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, filled with
anger as their authority is questioned, will denounce the mes-
sage as of Satan and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile
and persecute those who proclaim it.
As the controversy extends into new fields and the minds of
the people are called to God’s downtrodden law, Satan is astir.
The power attending the message will only madden those who
oppose it. The clergy will put forth almost superhuman efforts
to shut away the light lest it should shine upon their flocks. By
every means at their command they will endeavor to suppress
the discussion of these vital questions. The church appeals to
the strong arm of civil power, and, in this work, papists and
Protestants unite. As the movement for Sunday enforcement
becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against
commandment keepers. They will be threatened with fines and
imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence,
and other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce
their faith. But their steadfast answer is: “Show us from the word
of God our error”—the same plea that was made by Luther un-
der similar circumstances. Those who are arraigned before the
courts make a strong vindication of the truth, and some who
hear them are led to take their stand to keep all the command-
ments of God. Thus light will be brought before thousands who
otherwise would know nothing of these truths.
Conscientious obedience to the word of God will be treated
as rebellion. Blinded by Satan, the parent will exercise harsh-
ness and severity toward the believing child; the master or mis-
tress will oppress the commandment-keeping servant. Affec-
tion will be alienated; children will be disinherited and driven

Th e Fin al Warn in g • 121

from home. The words of Paul will be literally fulfilled: “All that
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Tim-
othy 3:12. As the defenders of truth refuse to honor the Sun-
day-sabbath, some of them will be thrust into prison, some will
be exiled, some will be treated as slaves. To human wisdom all
this now seems impossible; but as the restraining Spirit of God
shall be withdrawn from men, and they shall be under the con-
trol of Satan, who hates the divine precepts, there will be strange
developments. The heart can be very cruel when God’s fear and
love are removed.
As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed
faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified
through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join
the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and par-
taking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the
same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to
choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing ad-
dress, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to de-
ceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies
of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought
before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are
the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse
them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers
against them.
In this time of persecution the faith of the Lord’s servants will
be tried. They have faithfully given the warning, looking to God
and to His word alone. God’s Spirit, moving upon their hearts,
has constrained them to speak. Stimulated with holy zeal, and
with the divine impulse strong upon them, they entered upon
the performance of their duties without coldly calculating the
consequences of speaking to the people the word which the
Lord had given them. They have not consulted their temporal
interests, nor sought to preserve their reputation or their lives.
Yet when the storm of opposition and reproach bursts upon
them, some, overwhelmed with consternation, will be ready to

1 2 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
exclaim: “Had we foreseen the consequences of our words, we
would have held our peace.” They are hedged in with difficulties.
Satan assails them with fierce temptations. The work which they
have undertaken seems far beyond their ability to accomplish.
They are threatened with destruction. The enthusiasm which
animated them is gone; yet they cannot turn back. Then, feeling
their utter helplessness, they flee to the Mighty One for strength.
They remember that the words which they have spoken were
not theirs, but His who bade them give the warning. God put the
truth into their hearts, and they could not forbear to proclaim it.
The same trials have been experienced by men of God in
ages past. Wycliffe, Huss, Luther, Tyndale, Baxter, Wesley, urged
that all doctrines be brought to the test of the Bible and declared
that they would renounce everything which it condemned.
Against these men persecution raged with relentless fury; yet
they ceased not to declare the truth. Different periods in the his-
tory of the church have each been marked by the development
of some special truth, adapted to the necessities of God’s peo-
ple at that time. Every new truth has made its way against ha-
tred and opposition; those who were blessed with its light were
tempted and tried. The Lord gives a special truth for the people
in an emergency. Who dare refuse to publish it? He commands
His servants to present the last invitation of mercy to the world.
They cannot remain silent, except at the peril of their souls.
Christ’s ambassadors have nothing to do with consequences.
They must perform their duty and leave results with God.
As the opposition rises to a fiercer height, the servants of God
are again perplexed; for it seems to them that they have brought
the crisis. But conscience and the word of God assure them that
their course is right; and although the trials continue, they are
strengthened to bear them. The contest grows closer and sharp-
er, but their faith and courage rise with the emergency. Their
testimony is: “We dare not tamper with God’s word, dividing His
holy law; calling one portion essential and another nonessen-
tial, to gain the favor of the world. The Lord whom we serve is

Th e Fin al Warn in g • 123

able to deliver us. Christ has conquered the powers of earth; and
shall we be afraid of a world already conquered?”
Persecution in its varied forms is the development of a prin-
ciple which will exist as long as Satan exists and Christianity
has vital power. No man can serve God without enlisting against
himself the opposition of the hosts of darkness. Evil angels will
assail him, alarmed that his influence is taking the prey from
their hands. Evil men, rebuked by his example, will unite with
them in seeking to separate him from God by alluring tempta-
tions. When these do not succeed, then a compelling power is
employed to force the conscience.
But so long as Jesus remains man’s intercessor in the sanc-
tuary above, the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit is felt by
rulers and people. It still controls to some extent the laws of the
land. Were it not for these laws, the condition of the world would
be much worse than it now is. While many of our rulers are active
agents of Satan, God also has His agents among the leading men
of the nation. The enemy moves upon his servants to propose
measures that would greatly impede the work of God; but states-
men who fear the Lord are influenced by holy angels to oppose
such propositions with unanswerable arguments. Thus a few
men will hold in check a powerful current of evil. The opposition
of the enemies of truth will be restrained that the third angel’s
message may do its work. When the final warning shall be given,
it will arrest the attention of these leading men through whom
the Lord is now working, and some of them will accept it, and will
stand with the people of God through the time of trouble.
The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third an-
gel’s message is to lighten the whole earth with his glory. A work
of world-wide extent and unwonted power is here foretold. The
advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of
the power of God; the first angel’s message was carried to ev-
ery missionary station in the world, and in some countries there
was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed
in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century; but

1 2 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last
warning of the third angel.
The work will be similar to that of the Day of Pentecost. As
the “former rain” was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spir-
it at the opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the
precious seed, so the “latter rain” will be given at its close for the
ripening of the harvest. “Then shall we know, if we follow on to
know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and
He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain
unto the earth.” Hosea 6:3. “Be glad then, ye children of Zion,
and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the for-
mer rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you
the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain.” Joel 2:23. “In the
last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh.”
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:17, 21.
The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifes-
tation of the power of God than marked its opening. The proph-
ecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain
at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter
rain at its close. Here are “the times of refreshing” to which the
apostle Peter looked forward when he said: “Repent ye there-
fore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when
the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
and He shall send Jesus.” Acts 3:19, 20.
Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with
holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim
the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the
earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the
sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believ-
ers. Satan also works, with lying wonders, even bringing down
fire from heaven in the sight of men. 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

Th e Fin al Warn in g • 125

been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring
up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary
workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds
were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehend-
ing the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light
penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the
honest children of God sever the bands which have held them.
Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay
them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwith-
standing the agencies combined against the truth, a large num-
ber take their stand upon the Lord’s side.

1 2 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
The Time
of Trouble 11 CHAPTER

A
t that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which
standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall
be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a
nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall
be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book.”
Daniel 12:1.
When the third angel’s message closes, mercy no longer
pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God
have accomplished their work. They have received “the latter
rain,” “the refreshing from the presence of the Lord,” and they
are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are has-
tening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth
announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought
upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the
divine precepts have received “the seal of the living God.” Then
Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts
His hands and with a loud voice says, “It is done;” and all the

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 127

angelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn an-
nouncement: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he
which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let
him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
Revelation 22:11. Every case has been decided for life or death.
Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out
their sins. The number of His subjects is made up; “the king-
dom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the
whole heaven,” is about to be given to the heirs of salvation, and
Jesus is to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.
When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhab-
itants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live
in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. The restraint
which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has en-
tire control of the finally impenitent. God’s long-suffering has
ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and
trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of
their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been
at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no
protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the in-
habitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels
of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion,
all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will
be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Je-
rusalem of old.
A single angel destroyed all the first-born of the Egyptians
and filled the land with mourning. When David offended against
God by numbering the people, one angel caused that terrible de-
struction by which his sin was punished. The same destructive
power exercised by holy angels when God commands, will be
exercised by evil angels when He permits. There are forces now
ready, and only waiting the divine permission, to spread desola-
tion everywhere.
Those who honor the law of God have been accused of bring-
ing judgments upon the world, and they will be regarded as the

1 2 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
cause of the fearful convulsions of nature and the strife and
bloodshed among men that are filling the earth with woe. The
power attending the last warning has enraged the wicked; their
anger is kindled against all who have received the message, and
Satan will excite to still greater intensity the spirit of hatred and
persecution.
When God’s presence was finally withdrawn from the Jewish
nation, priests and people knew it not. Though under the con-
trol of Satan, and swayed by the most horrible and malignant
passions, they still regarded themselves as the chosen of God.
The ministration in the temple continued; sacrifices were of-
fered upon its polluted altars, and daily the divine blessing was
invoked upon a people guilty of the blood of God’s dear Son and
seeking to slay His ministers and apostles. So when the irrevo-
cable decision of the sanctuary has been pronounced and the
destiny of the world has been forever fixed, the inhabitants of
the earth will know it not. The forms of religion will be contin-
ued by a people from whom the Spirit of God has been finally
withdrawn; and the satanic zeal with which the prince of evil will
inspire them for the accomplishment of his malignant designs,
will bear the semblance of zeal for God.
As the Sabbath has become the special point of controver-
sy throughout Christendom, and religious and secular author-
ities have combined to enforce the observance of the Sunday,
the persistent refusal of a small minority to yield to the popular
demand will make them objects of universal execration. It will
be urged that the few who stand in opposition to an institution
of the church and a law of the state ought not to be tolerated;
that it is better for them to suffer than for whole nations to be
thrown into confusion and lawlessness. The same argument
many centuries ago was brought against Christ by the “rulers of
the people.” “It is expedient for us,” said the wily Caiaphas, “that
one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation
perish not.” John 11:50. This argument will appear conclusive;
and a decree will finally be issued against those who hallow the

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 129

Sabbath of the fourth commandment, denouncing them as de-
serving of the severest punishment and giving the people liber-
ty, after a certain time, to put them to death. Romanism in the
Old World and apostate Protestantism in the New will pursue a
similar course toward those who honor all the divine precepts.
The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of
affliction and distress described by the prophet as the time of
Jacob’s trouble. “Thus saith the Lord: We have heard a voice of
trembling, of fear, and not of peace.... All faces are turned into
paleness. Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is
even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”
Jeremiah 30:5-7.
Jacob’s night of anguish, when he wrestled in prayer for de-
liverance from the hand of Esau (Genesis 32:24-30), represents
the experience of God’s people in the time of trouble. Because of
the deception practiced to secure his father’s blessing, intend-
ed for Esau, Jacob had fled for his life, alarmed by his brother’s
deadly threats. After remaining for many years an exile, he had
set out, at God’s command, to return with his wives and chil-
dren, his flocks and herds, to his native country. On reaching
the borders of the land, he was filled with terror by the tidings
of Esau’s approach at the head of a band of warriors, doubtless
bent upon revenge. Jacob’s company, unarmed and defenseless,
seemed about to fall helpless victims of violence and slaughter.
And to the burden of anxiety and fear was added the crushing
weight of self-reproach, for it was his own sin that had brought
this danger. His only hope was in the mercy of God; his only de-
fense must be prayer. Yet he leaves nothing undone on his own
part to atone for the wrong to his brother and to avert the threat-
ened danger. So should the followers of Christ, as they approach
the time of trouble, make every exertion to place themselves in a
proper light before the people, to disarm prejudice, and to avert
the danger which threatens liberty of conscience.
Having sent his family away, that they may not witness his
distress, Jacob remains alone to intercede with God. He confess-

1 3 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
es his sin and gratefully acknowledges the mercy of God toward
him while with deep humiliation he pleads the covenant made
with his fathers and the promises to himself in the night vision at
Bethel and in the land of his exile. The crisis in his life has come;
everything is at stake. In the darkness and solitude he continues
praying and humbling himself before God. Suddenly a hand is
laid upon his shoulder. He thinks that an enemy is seeking his
life, and with all the energy of despair he wrestles with his assail-
ant. As the day begins to break, the stranger puts forth his super-
human power; at his touch the strong man seems paralyzed, and
he falls, a helpless, weeping suppliant, upon the neck of his mys-
terious antagonist. Jacob knows now that it is the Angel of the
covenant with whom he has been in conflict. Though disabled
and suffering the keenest pain, he does not relinquish his pur-
pose. Long has he endured perplexity, remorse, and trouble for
his sin; now he must have the assurance that it is pardoned. The
divine visitant seems about to depart; but Jacob clings to Him,
pleading for a blessing. The Angel urges, “Let Me go, for the day
breaketh;” but the patriarch exclaims, “I will not let Thee go, ex-
cept Thou bless me.” What confidence, what firmness and perse-
verance, are here displayed! Had this been a boastful, presump-
tuous claim, Jacob would have been instantly destroyed; but his
was the assurance of one who confesses his weakness and un-
worthiness, yet trusts the mercy of a covenant-keeping God.
“He had power over the Angel, and prevailed.” Hosea 12:4.
Through humiliation, repentance, and self-surrender, this sin-
ful, erring mortal prevailed with the Majesty of heaven. He had
fastened his trembling grasp upon the promises of God, and the
heart of Infinite Love could not turn away the sinner’s plea. As
an evidence of his triumph and an encouragement to others to
imitate his example, his name was changed from one which was
a reminder of his sin, to one that commemorated his victory.
And the fact that Jacob had prevailed with God was an assurance
that he would prevail with men. He no longer feared to encoun-
ter his brother’s anger, for the Lord was his defense.

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 131

 Satan had accused Jacob before the angels of God, claim-
ing the right to destroy him because of his sin; he had moved
upon Esau to march against him; and during the patriarch’s
long night of wrestling, Satan endeavored to force upon him a
sense of his guilt in order to discourage him and break his hold
upon God. Jacob was driven almost to despair; but he knew
that without help from heaven he must perish. He had sincere-
ly repented of his great sin, and he appealed to the mercy of
God. He would not be turned from his purpose, but held fast
the Angel and urged his petition with earnest, agonizing cries
until he prevailed.
As Satan influenced Esau to march against Jacob, so he will
stir up the wicked to destroy God’s people in the time of trouble.
And as he accused Jacob, he will urge his accusations against
the people of God. He numbers the world as his subjects; but the
little company who keep the commandments of God are resist-
ing his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his tri-
umph would be complete. He sees that holy angels are guarding
them, and he infers that their sins have been pardoned; but he
does not know that their cases have been decided in the sanc-
tuary above. He has an accurate knowledge of the sins which he
has tempted them to commit, and he presents these before God
in the most exaggerated light, representing this people to be just
as deserving as himself of exclusion from the favor of God. He
declares that the Lord cannot in justice forgive their sins and
yet destroy him and his angels. He claims them as his prey and
demands that they be given into his hands to destroy.
As Satan accuses the people of God on account of their sins,
the Lord permits him to try them to the uttermost. Their confi-
dence in God, their faith and firmness, will be severely tested.
As they review the past, their hopes sink; for in their whole lives
they can see little good. They are fully conscious of their weak-
ness and unworthiness. Satan endeavors to terrify them with
the thought that their cases are hopeless, that the stain of their
defilement will never be washed away. He hopes so to destroy

1 3 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
their faith that they will yield to his temptations and turn from
their allegiance to God.
Though God’s people will be surrounded by enemies who
are bent upon their destruction, yet the anguish which they suf-
fer is not a dread of persecution for the truth’s sake; they fear
that every sin has not been repented of, and that through some
fault in themselves they will fail to realize the fulfillment of the
Saviour’s promise: I “will keep thee from the hour of temptation,
which shall come upon all the world.” Revelation 3:10. If they
could have the assurance of pardon they would not shrink from
torture or death; but should they prove unworthy, and lose their
lives because of their own defects of character, then God’s holy
name would be reproached.
On every hand they hear the plottings of treason and see the
active working of rebellion; and there is aroused within them an
intense desire, an earnest yearning of soul, that this great apos-
tasy may be terminated and the wickedness of the wicked may
come to an end. But while they plead with God to stay the work of
rebellion, it is with a keen sense of self-reproach that they them-
selves have no more power to resist and urge back the mighty tide
of evil. They feel that had they always employed all their ability
in the service of Christ, going forward from strength to strength,
Satan’s forces would have less power to prevail against them.
They afflict their souls before God, pointing to their past re-
pentance of their many sins, and pleading the Saviour’s prom-
ise: “Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace
with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.” Isaiah 27:5. Their
faith does not fail because their prayers are not immediately an-
swered. Though suffering the keenest anxiety, terror, and dis-
tress, they do not cease their intercessions. They lay hold of the
strength of God as Jacob laid hold of the Angel; and the language
of their souls is: “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.”
Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the
birthright by fraud, God would not have heard his prayer and
mercifully preserved his life. So, in the time of trouble, if the peo-

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 133

ple of God had unconfessed sins to appear before them while tor-
tured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despair
would cut off their faith, and they could not have confidence to
plead with God for deliverance. But while they have a deep sense
of their unworthiness, they have no concealed wrongs to reveal.
Their sins have gone beforehand to judgment and have been blot-
ted out, and they cannot bring them to remembrance.
Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their un-
faithfulness in the minor affairs of life; but the Lord shows in His
dealings with Jacob that He will in no wise sanction or tolerate
evil. All who endeavor to excuse or conceal their sins, and per-
mit them to remain upon the books of heaven, unconfessed and
unforgiven, will be overcome by Satan. The more exalted their
profession and the more honorable the position which they
hold, the more grievous is their course in the sight of God and
the more sure the triumph of their great adversary. Those who
delay a preparation for the day of God cannot obtain it in the
time of trouble or at any subsequent time. The case of all such
is hopeless.
Those professed Christians who come up to that last fearful
conflict unprepared will, in their despair, confess their sins in
words of burning anguish, while the wicked exult over their dis-
tress. These confessions are of the same character as was that
of Esau or of Judas. Those who make them, lament the result of
transgression, but not its guilt. They feel no true contrition, no
abhorrence of evil. They acknowledge their sin, through fear of
punishment; but, like Pharaoh of old, they would return to their
defiance of Heaven should the judgments be removed.
Jacob’s history is also an assurance that God will not cast
off those who have been deceived and tempted and betrayed
into sin, but who have returned unto Him with true repentance.
While Satan seeks to destroy this class, God will send His angels
to comfort and protect them in the time of peril. The assaults of
Satan are fierce and determined, his delusions are terrible; but
the Lord’s eye is upon His people, and His ear listens to their

1 3 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
cries. Their affliction is great, the flames of the furnace seem
about to consume them; but the Refiner will bring them forth as
gold tried in the fire. God’s love for His children during the peri-
od of their severest trial is as strong and tender as in the days of
their sunniest prosperity; but it is needful for them to be placed
in the furnace of fire; their earthliness must be consumed, that
the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected.
The season of distress and anguish before us will require a
faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that
will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is
granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he
was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the
power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s prom-
ises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will
succeed as he succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to
agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing,
will not obtain it. Wrestling with God—how few know what it is!
How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God with inten-
sity of desire until every power is on the stretch. When waves of
despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant,
how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God.
Those who exercise but little faith now, are in the greatest
danger of falling under the power of satanic delusions and the
decree to compel the conscience. And even if they endure the
test they will be plunged into deeper distress and anguish in the
time of trouble, because they have never made it a habit to trust
in God. The lessons of faith which they have neglected they will
be forced to learn under a terrible pressure of discouragement.
We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving His
promises. Angels record every prayer that is earnest and sin-
cere. We should rather dispense with selfish gratifications than
neglect communion with God. The deepest poverty, the great-
est self-denial, with His approval, is better than riches, honors,
ease, and friendship without it. We must take time to pray. If we
allow our minds to be absorbed by worldly interests, the Lord

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 135

may give us time by removing from us our idols of gold, of hous-
es, or of fertile lands.
The young would not be seduced into sin if they would re-
fuse to enter any path save that upon which they could ask God’s
blessing. If the messengers who bear the last solemn warning
to the world would pray for the blessing of God, not in a cold,
listless, lazy manner, but fervently and in faith, as did Jacob,
they would find many places where they could say: “I have seen
God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Genesis 32:30. They
would be accounted of heaven as princes, having power to pre-
vail with God and with men.
The “time of trouble, such as never was,” is soon to open
upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now
possess and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often
the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality;
but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid pre-
sentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time
of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God. “Though
Noah, Daniel, and Job” were in the land, “as I live, saith the Lord
God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but
deliver their own souls by their righteousness.” Ezekiel 14:20.
Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement
for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. Not even by
a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of
temptation. Satan finds in human hearts some point where he
can gain a foothold; some sinful desire is cherished, by means of
which his temptations assert their power. But Christ declared of
Himself: “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in
Me.” John 14:30. Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that
would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept His Father’s
commandments, and there was no sin in Him that Satan could
use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must
be found who shall stand in the time of trouble.
It is in this life that we are to separate sin from us, through
faith in the atoning blood of Christ. Our precious Saviour invites

1 3 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
us to join ourselves to Him, to unite our weakness to His strength,
our ignorance to His wisdom, our unworthiness to His merits.
God’s providence is the school in which we are to learn the meek-
ness and lowliness of Jesus. The Lord is ever setting before us,
not the way we would choose, which seems easier and pleasanter
to us, but the true aims of life. It rests with us to co-operate with
the agencies which Heaven employs in the work of conforming
our characters to the divine model. None can neglect or defer
this work but at the most fearful peril to their souls.
The apostle John in vision heard a loud voice in heaven ex-
claiming: “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.” Revelation 12:12. Fearful
are the scenes which call forth this exclamation from the heav-
enly voice. The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short,
and his work of deceit and destruction will reach its culmination
in the time of trouble.
Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be re-
vealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-work-
ing demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the
earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and
urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the
government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects
will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ
Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to
the world’s Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of
healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contra-
dicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan
himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to
look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes.
Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come.
In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among
men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the
description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation.

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 137

Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsur-
passed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout
of triumph rings out upon the air: “Christ has come! Christ has
come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before
him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon
them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the
earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gen-
tle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious,
heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases
of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he
claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands
all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those
who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his
name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light
and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion.
Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the
multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sor-
ceries, saying: This is “the great power of God.” Acts 8:10.
But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings of
this false Christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures. His
blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his
image, the very class upon whom the Bible declares that God’s
unmingled wrath shall be poured out.
And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the
manner of Christ’s advent. The Saviour has warned His people
against deception upon this point, and has clearly foretold the
manner of His second coming. “There shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect.... Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in
the desert; go not forth; behold, He is in the secret chambers;
believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and
shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son
of man be.” Matthew 24:24-27, 31; 25:31; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thes-
salonians 4:16, 17. This coming there is no possibility of coun-

1 3 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
terfeiting. It will be universally known—witnessed by the whole
world.
Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures
and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from
the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible
testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all
the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the gen-
uine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so
firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to
the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling
to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent
them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will
so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with
earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome bur-
den, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this
life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief.
As the decree issued by the various rulers of Christendom
against commandment keepers shall withdraw the protection
of government and abandon them to those who desire their de-
struction, the people of God will flee from the cities and villages
and associate together in companies, dwelling in the most deso-
late and solitary places. Many will find refuge in the strongholds
of the mountains. Like the Christians of the Piedmont valleys,
they will make the high places of the earth their sanctuaries
and will thank God for “the munitions of rocks.” Isaiah 33:16.
But many of all nations and of all classes, high and low, rich and
poor, black and white, will be cast into the most unjust and cruel
bondage. The beloved of God pass weary days, bound in chains,
shut in by prison bars, sentenced to be slain, some apparently
left to die of starvation in dark and loathsome dungeons. No hu-
man ear is open to hear their moans; no human hand is ready to
lend them help.
Will the Lord forget His people in this trying hour? Did He
forget faithful Noah when judgments were visited upon the an-
tediluvian world? Did He forget Lot when the fire came down

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 139

from heaven to consume the cities of the plain? Did He forget
Joseph surrounded by idolaters in Egypt? Did He forget Elijah
when the oath of Jezebel threatened him with the fate of the
prophets of Baal? Did He forget Jeremiah in the dark and dismal
pit of his prison house? Did He forget the three worthies in the
fiery furnace? or Daniel in the den of lions?
“Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath
forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she
should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they
may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee
upon the palms of My hands.” Isaiah 49:14-16. The Lord of hosts
has said: “He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye.”
Zechariah 2:8.
Though enemies may thrust them into prison, yet dungeon
walls cannot cut off the communication between their souls and
Christ. One who sees their every weakness, who is acquainted
with every trial, is above all earthly powers; and angels will come
to them in lonely cells, bringing light and peace from heaven.
The prison will be as a palace; for the rich in faith dwell there,
and the gloomy walls will be lighted up with heavenly light as
when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises at midnight in the
Philippian dungeon.
God’s judgments will be visited upon those who are seeking
to oppress and destroy His people. His long forbearance with the
wicked emboldens men in transgression, but their punishment
is nonetheless certain and terrible because it is long delayed.
“The Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth
as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange
work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act.” Isaiah 28:21. To
our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. “As I live,
saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wick-
ed.” Ezekiel 33:11. The Lord is “merciful and gracious, long-suf-
fering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ... forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin.” Yet He will “by no means clear the
guilty.” “The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will

1 4 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
not at all acquit the wicked.” Exodus 34:6, 7; Nahum 1:3. By terri-
ble things in righteousness He will vindicate the authority of His
downtrodden law. The severity of the retribution awaiting the
transgressor may be judged by the Lord’s reluctance to execute
justice. The nation with which He bears long, and which He will
not smite until it has filled up the measure of its iniquity in God’s
account, will finally drink the cup of wrath unmixed with mercy.
When Christ ceases His intercession in the sanctuary, the
unmingled wrath threatened against those who worship the
beast and his image and receive his mark (Revelation 14:9, 10),
will be poured out. The plagues upon Egypt when God was about
to deliver Israel were similar in character to those more terrible
and extensive judgments which are to fall upon the world just
before the final deliverance of God’s people. Says the revelator,
in describing those terrific scourges: “There fell a noisome and
grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast,
and upon them which worshiped his image.” The sea “became
as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the
sea.” And “the rivers and fountains of waters ... became blood.”
Terrible as these inflictions are, God’s justice stands fully vindi-
cated. The angel of God declares: “Thou art righteous, O Lord, ...
because Thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of
saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink;
for they are worthy.” Revelation 16:2-6. By condemning the peo-
ple of God to death, they have as truly incurred the guilt of their
blood as if it had been shed by their hands. In like manner Christ
declared the Jews of His time guilty of all the blood of holy men
which had been shed since the days of Abel; for they possessed
the same spirit and were seeking to do the same work with these
murderers of the prophets.
In the plague that follows, power is given to the sun “to scorch
men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat.” Verses
8, 9. The prophets thus describe the condition of the earth at
this fearful time: “The land mourneth; ... because the harvest
of the field is perished.... All the trees of the field are withered:

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because joy is withered away from the sons of men.” “The seed
is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate.... How
do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because
they have no pasture.... The rivers of water are dried up, and the
fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.” “The songs
of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God:
there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast
them forth with silence.” Joel 1:10-12, 17-20; Amos 8:3.
These plagues are not universal, or the inhabitants of the
earth would be wholly cut off. Yet they will be the most awful
scourges that have ever been known to mortals. All the judg-
ments upon men, prior to the close of probation, have been min-
gled with mercy. The pleading blood of Christ has shielded the
sinner from receiving the full measure of his guilt; but in the
final judgment, wrath is poured out unmixed with mercy.
In that day, multitudes will desire the shelter of God’s mercy
which they have so long despised. “Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine
of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the
Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north
even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the
Lord, and shall not find it.” Amos 8:11, 12.
The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while
persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and
suffer for want of food they will not be left to perish. That God
who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing
children. He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for
them, and in time of famine they shall be satisfied. While the
wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield
the righteous and supply their wants. To him that “walketh righ-
teously” is the promise: “Bread shall be given him; his waters
shall be sure.” “When the poor and needy seek water, and there
is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear
them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” Isaiah 33:15, 16;
41:17.

1 4 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be
in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall
yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there
shall be no herd in the stalls;” yet shall they that fear Him “re-
joice in the Lord” and joy in the God of their salvation. Habakkuk
3:17, 18.
“The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right
hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy
soul.” “He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and
from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feath-
ers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy
shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by
night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence
that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at
noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at
thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine
eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because
thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High,
thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any
plague come nigh thy dwelling.”Psalm 121:5-7; 91:3-10.
Yet to human sight it will appear that the people of God must
soon seal their testimony with their blood as did the martyrs be-
fore them. They themselves begin to fear that the Lord has left
them to fall by the hand of their enemies. It is a time of fearful ag-
ony. Day and night they cry unto God for deliverance. The wicked
exult, and the jeering cry is heard: “Where now is your faith? Why
does not God deliver you out of our hands if you are indeed His
people?” But the waiting ones remember Jesus dying upon Cal-
vary’s cross and the chief priests and rulers shouting in mockery:
“He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of
Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe
Him.” Matthew 27:42. Like Jacob, all are wrestling with God. Their
countenances express their internal struggle. Paleness sits upon
every face. Yet they cease not their earnest intercession.

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 143

 Could men see with heavenly vision, they would behold
companies of angels that excel in strength stationed about those
who have kept the word of Christ’s patience. With sympathizing
tenderness, angels have witnessed their distress and have heard
their prayers. They are waiting the word of their Commander to
snatch them from their peril. But they must wait yet a little lon-
ger. The people of God must drink of the cup and be baptized
with the baptism. The very delay, so painful to them, is the best
answer to their petitions. As they endeavor to wait trusting-
ly for the Lord to work they are led to exercise faith, hope, and
patience, which have been too little exercised during their reli-
gious experience. Yet for the elect’s sake the time of trouble will
be shortened. “Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry
day and night unto Him? ... I tell you that He will avenge them
speedily.” Luke 18:7, 8. The end will come more quickly than
men expect. The wheat will be gathered and bound in sheaves
for the garner of God; the tares will be bound as fagots for the
fires of destruction.
The heavenly sentinels, faithful to their trust, continue their
watch. Though a general decree has fixed the time when com-
mandment keepers may be put to death, their enemies will in
some cases anticipate the decree, and before the time specified,
will endeavor to take their lives. But none can pass the mighty
guardians stationed about every faithful soul. Some are assailed
in their flight from the cities and villages; but the swords raised
against them break and fall powerless as a straw. Others are de-
fended by angels in the form of men of war.
In all ages, God has wrought through holy angels for the suc-
cor and deliverance of His people. Celestial beings have taken
an active part in the affairs of men. They have appeared clothed
in garments that shone as the lightning; they have come as
men in the garb of wayfarers. Angels have appeared in human
form to men of God. They have rested, as if weary, under the
oaks at noon. They have accepted the hospitalities of human
homes. They have acted as guides to benighted travelers. They

1 4 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
have, with their own hands, kindled the fires at the altar. They
have opened prison doors and set free the servants of the Lord.
Clothed with the panoply of heaven, they came to roll away the
stone from the Saviour’s tomb.
In the form of men, angels are often in the assemblies of the
righteous; and they visit the assemblies of the wicked, as they
went to Sodom, to make a record of their deeds, to determine
whether they have passed the boundary of God’s forbearance.
The Lord delights in mercy; and for the sake of a few who really
serve Him, He restrains calamities and prolongs the tranquillity
of multitudes. Little do sinners against God realize that they are
indebted for their own lives to the faithful few whom they delight
to ridicule and oppress.
Though the rulers of this world know it not, yet often in their
councils angels have been spokesmen. Human eyes have looked
upon them; human ears have listened to their appeals; human
lips have opposed their suggestions and ridiculed their coun-
sels; human hands have met them with insult and abuse. In the
council hall and the court of justice these heavenly messengers
have shown an intimate acquaintance with human history; they
have proved themselves better able to plead the cause of the
oppressed than were their ablest and most eloquent defenders.
They have defeated purposes and arrested evils that would have
greatly retarded the work of God and would have caused great
suffering to His people. In the hour of peril and distress “the an-
gel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and
delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7.
With earnest longing, God’s people await the tokens of their
coming King. As the watchmen are accosted, “What of the night?”
the answer is given unfalteringly, “‘The morning cometh, and
also the night.’ Isaiah 21:11, 12. Light is gleaming upon the clouds
above the mountaintops. Soon there will be a revealing of His glo-
ry. The Sun of Righteousness is about to shine forth. The morning
and the night are both at hand—the opening of endless day to the
righteous, the settling down of eternal night to the wicked.”

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 145

 As the wrestling ones urge their petitions before God, the
veil separating them from the unseen seems almost withdrawn.
The heavens glow with the dawning of eternal day, and like the
melody of angel songs the words fall upon the ear: “Stand fast
to your allegiance. Help is coming.” Christ, the almighty Vic-
tor, holds out to His weary soldiers a crown of immortal glory;
and His voice comes from the gates ajar: “Lo, I am with you. Be
not afraid. I am acquainted with all your sorrows; I have borne
your griefs. You are not warring against untried enemies. I have
fought the battle in your behalf, and in My name you are more
than conquerors.”
The precious Saviour will send help just when we need it. The
way to heaven is consecrated by His footprints. Every thorn that
wounds our feet has wounded His. Every cross that we are called
to bear He has borne before us. The Lord permits conflicts, to
prepare the soul for peace. The time of trouble is a fearful ordeal
for God’s people; but it is the time for every true believer to look
up, and by faith he may see the bow of promise encircling him.
“The redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with sing-
ing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they
shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall
flee away. I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that
thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son
of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy
Maker; ... and hast feared continually every day because of the
fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where
is the fury of the oppressor? The captive exile hasteneth that he
may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his
bread should fail. But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the
sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is His name. And I
have put My words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the
shadow of Mine hand.” Isaiah 51:11-16.
“Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but
not with wine: Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that
pleadeth the cause of His people, Behold, I have taken out of

1 4 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of My
fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: but I will put it into the
hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow
down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the
ground, and as the street, to them that went over.” Verses 21-23.
The eye of God, looking down the ages, was fixed upon the
crisis which His people are to meet, when earthly powers shall
be arrayed against them. Like the captive exile, they will be in
fear of death by starvation or by violence. But the Holy One who
divided the Red Sea before Israel, will manifest His mighty pow-
er and turn their captivity. “They shall be Mine, saith the Lord
of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare
them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” Malachi
3:17. If the blood of Christ’s faithful witnesses were shed at this
time, it would not, like the blood of the martyrs, be as seed sown
to yield a harvest for God. Their fidelity would not be a testimo-
ny to convince others of the truth; for the obdurate heart has
beaten back the waves of mercy until they return no more. If the
righteous were now left to fall a prey to their enemies, it would
be a triumph for the prince of darkness. Says the psalmist: “In
the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the se-
cret of His tabernacle shall He hide me.” Psalm 27:5. Christ has
spoken: “Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers, and
shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little mo-
ment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord
cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for
their iniquity.” Isaiah 26:20, 21. Glorious will be the deliverance
of those who have patiently waited for His coming and whose
names are written in the book of life.

Th e Tim e of Trouble • 147

God’s People
Delivered 12 CHAPTER

W
hen the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn
from those who honor the law of God, there will be,
in different lands, a simultaneous movement for their
destruction. As the time appointed in the decree draws near, the
people will conspire to root out the hated sect. It will be deter-
mined to strike in one night a decisive blow, which shall utterly
silence the voice of dissent and reproof.
The people of God—some in prison cells, some hidden in sol-
itary retreats in the forests and the mountains—still plead for
divine protection, while in every quarter companies of armed
men, urged on by hosts of evil angels, are preparing for the work
of death. It is now, in the hour of utmost extremity, that the God
of Israel will interpose for the deliverance of His chosen. Saith
the Lord; “Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy so-
lemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth ... to
come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Isra-
el. And the Lord shall cause His glorious voice to be heard, and

1 4 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
shall show the lighting down of His arm, with the indignation of
His anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering,
and tempest, and hailstones.” Isaiah 30:29, 30.
With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs
of evil men are about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense
blackness, deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the
earth. Then a rainbow, shining with the glory from the throne
of God, spans the heavens and seems to encircle each praying
company. The angry multitudes are suddenly arrested. Their
mocking cries die away. The objects of their murderous rage are
forgotten. With fearful forebodings they gaze upon the symbol
of God’s covenant and long to be shielded from its overpowering
brightness.
By the people of God a voice, clear and melodious, is heard,
saying, “Look up,” and lifting their eyes to the heavens, they
behold the bow of promise. The black, angry clouds that cov-
ered the firmament are parted, and like Stephen they look up
steadfastly into heaven and see the glory of God and the Son of
man seated upon His throne. In His divine form they discern the
marks of His humiliation; and from His lips they hear the request
presented before His Father and the holy angels: “I will that they
also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.” John
17:24. Again a voice, musical and triumphant, is heard, saying:
“They come! they come! holy, harmless, and undefiled. They
have kept the word of My patience; they shall walk among the
angels;” and the pale, quivering lips of those who have held fast
their faith utter a shout of victory.
It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliv-
erance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength.
Signs and wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look
with terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous
behold with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance. Every-
thing in nature seems turned out of its course. The streams
cease to flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up and clash against
each other. In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space

God’s People Delivered • 149

of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the
sound of many waters, saying: “It is done.” Revelation 16:17.
That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a
mighty earthquake, “such as was not since men were upon the
earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” Verses 17, 18. The
firmament appears to open and shut. The glory from the throne
of God seems flashing through. The mountains shake like a
reed in the wind, and ragged rocks are scattered on every side.
There is a roar as of a coming tempest. The sea is lashed into
fury. There is heard the shriek of a hurricane like the voice of
demons upon a mission of destruction. The whole earth heaves
and swells like the waves of the sea. Its surface is breaking up.
Its very foundations seem to be giving way. Mountain chains are
sinking. Inhabited islands disappear. The seaports that have be-
come like Sodom for wickedness are swallowed up by the an-
gry waters. Babylon the great has come in remembrance before
God, “to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of
His wrath.” Great hailstones, every one “about the weight of a
talent,” are doing their work of destruction. Verses 19, 21. The
proudest cities of the earth are laid low. The lordly palaces, upon
which the world’s great men have lavished their wealth in order
to glorify themselves, are crumbling to ruin before their eyes.
Prison walls are rent asunder, and God’s people, who have been
held in bondage for their faith, are set free.
Graves are opened, and “many of them that sleep in the
dust of the earth ... awake, some to everlasting life, and some
to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2. All who have
died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the
tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who
have kept His law. “They also which pierced Him” (Revelation
1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ’s dying agonies, and
the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised
to behold Him in His glory and to see the honor placed upon the
loyal and obedient.

1 5 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 Thick clouds still cover the sky; yet the sun now and then
breaks through, appearing like the avenging eye of Jehovah.
Fierce lightnings leap from the heavens, enveloping the earth in
a sheet of flame. Above the terrific roar of thunder, voices, mys-
terious and awful, declare the doom of the wicked. The words
spoken are not comprehended by all; but they are distinctly un-
derstood by the false teachers. Those who a little before were
so reckless, so boastful and defiant, so exultant in their cruelty
to God’s commandment-keeping people, are now overwhelmed
with consternation and shuddering in fear. Their wails are heard
above the sound of the elements. Demons acknowledge the deity
of Christ and tremble before His power, while men are suppli-
cating for mercy and groveling in abject terror.
Said the prophets of old, as they beheld in holy vision the day
of God: “Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come
as a destruction from the Almighty.” Isaiah 13:6. “Enter into the
rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the
glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled,
and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord
alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts
shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon every-
one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.” “In that day
a man shall cast the idols of his silver, and the idols of his gold,
which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles
and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the
tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of
His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Isaiah
2:10-12, 20, 21, margin.
Through a rift in the clouds there beams a star whose brillian-
cy is increased fourfold in contrast with the darkness. It speaks
hope and joy to the faithful, but severity and wrath to the trans-
gressors of God’s law. Those who have sacrificed all for Christ
are now secure, hidden as in the secret of the Lord’s pavilion.
They have been tested, and before the world and the despisers of
truth they have evinced their fidelity to Him who died for them. A

God’s People Delivered • 151

marvelous change has come over those who have held fast their
integrity in the very face of death. They have been suddenly de-
livered from the dark and terrible tyranny of men transformed
to demons. Their faces, so lately pale, anxious, and haggard, are
now aglow with wonder, faith, and love. Their voices rise in tri-
umphant song: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be
removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of
the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though
the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” Psalm 46:1-3.
While these words of holy trust ascend to God, the clouds
sweep back, and the starry heavens are seen, unspeakably glo-
rious in contrast with the black and angry firmament on either
side. The glory of the celestial city streams from the gates ajar.
Then there appears against the sky a hand holding two tables of
stone folded together. Says the prophet: “The heavens shall de-
clare His righteousness: for God is judge Himself.” Psalm 50:6.
That holy law, God’s righteousness, that amid thunder and flame
was proclaimed from Sinai as the guide of life, is now revealed
to men as the rule of judgment. The hand opens the tables, and
there are seen the precepts of the Decalogue, traced as with a
pen of fire. The words are so plain that all can read them. Mem-
ory is aroused, the darkness of superstition and heresy is swept
from every mind, and God’s ten words, brief, comprehensive,
and authoritative, are presented to the view of all the inhabi-
tants of the earth.
It is impossible to describe the horror and despair of those
who have trampled upon God’s holy requirements. The Lord
gave them His law; they might have compared their characters
with it and learned their defects while there was yet opportunity
for repentance and reform; but in order to secure the favor of
the world, they set aside its precepts and taught others to trans-
gress. They have endeavored to compel God’s people to profane
His Sabbath. Now they are condemned by that law which they
have despised. With awful distinctness they see that they are

1 5 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
without excuse. They chose whom they would serve and wor-
ship. “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous
and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that ser-
veth Him not.” Malachi 3:18.
The enemies of God’s law, from the ministers down to the
least among them, have a new conception of truth and duty. Too
late they see that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is
the seal of the living God. Too late they see the true nature of
their spurious sabbath and the sandy foundation upon which
they have been building. They find that they have been fighting
against God. Religious teachers have led souls to perdition while
professing to guide them to the gates of Paradise. Not until the
day of final accounts will it be known how great is the respon-
sibility of men in holy office and how terrible are the results of
their unfaithfulness. Only in eternity can we rightly estimate the
loss of a single soul. Fearful will be the doom of him to whom
God shall say: Depart, thou wicked servant.
The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day
and hour of Jesus’ coming, and delivering the everlasting cove-
nant to His people. Like peals of loudest thunder His words roll
through the earth. The Israel of God stand listening, with their
eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are lighted up with His
glory, and shine as did the face of Moses when he came down
from Sinai. The wicked cannot look upon them. And when the
blessing is pronounced on those who have honored God by
keeping His Sabbath holy, there is a mighty shout of victory.
Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about
half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds
the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in
darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son
of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer
the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great
white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the
rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conquer-
or. Not now a “Man of Sorrows,” to drink the bitter cup of shame

God’s People Delivered • 153

and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the liv-
ing and the dead. “Faithful and True,” “in righteousness He doth
judge and make war.” And “the armies which were in heaven”
(Revelation 19:11, 14) follow Him. With anthems of celestial
melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him
on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms—“ten
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” No
human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate
to conceive its splendor. “His glory covered the heavens, and the
earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light.”
Habakkuk 3:3, 4. As the living cloud comes still nearer, every
eye beholds the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that
sacred head; but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His
countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday
sun. “And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name writ-
ten, King of kings, and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:16.
Before His presence “all faces are turned into paleness;”
upon the rejecters of God’s mercy falls the terror of eternal de-
spair. “The heart melteth, and the knees smite together, ... and
the faces of them all gather blackness.” Jeremiah 30:6; Nahum
2:10. The righteous cry with trembling: “Who shall be able to
stand?” The angels’ song is hushed, and there is a period of aw-
ful silence. Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying: “My grace is
sufficient for you.” The faces of the righteous are lighted up, and
joy fills every heart. And the angels strike a note higher and sing
again as they draw still nearer to the earth.
The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flam-
ing fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth
trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is moved
out of its place. “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence:
a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous
round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to
the earth, that He may judge His people.” Psalm 50:3, 4.
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich
men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every

1 5 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and
in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and
rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on
the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of
His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation
6:15-17.
The derisive jests have ceased. Lying lips are hushed into
silence. The clash of arms, the tumult of battle, “with confused
noise, and garments rolled in blood” (Isaiah 9:5), is stilled.
Nought now is heard but the voice of prayer and the sound of
weeping and lamentation. The cry bursts forth from lips so late-
ly scoffing: “The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be
able to stand?” The wicked pray to be buried beneath the rocks
of the mountains rather than meet the face of Him whom they
have despised and rejected.
That voice which penetrates the ear of the dead, they know.
How often have its plaintive, tender tones called them to repen-
tance. How often has it been heard in the touching entreaties of
a friend, a brother, a Redeemer. To the rejecters of His grace no
other could be so full of condemnation, so burdened with de-
nunciation, as that voice which has so long pleaded: “Turn ye,
turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Ezekiel 33:11.
Oh, that it were to them the voice of a stranger! Says Jesus: “I
have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and
no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all My counsel, and
would none of My reproof.” Proverbs 1:24, 25. That voice awak-
ens memories which they would fain blot out—warnings de-
spised, invitations refused, privileges slighted.
There are those who mocked Christ in His humiliation. With
thrilling power come to their minds the Sufferer’s words, when,
adjured by the high priest, He solemnly declared: “Hereafter
shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power,
and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:64. Now they
behold Him in His glory, and they are yet to see Him sitting on
the right hand of power.

God’s People Delivered • 155

 Those who derided His claim to be the Son of God are speech-
less now. There is the haughty Herod who jeered at His royal ti-
tle and bade the mocking soldiers crown Him king. There are
the very men who with impious hands placed upon His form the
purple robe, upon His sacred brow the thorny crown, and in His
unresisting hand the mimic scepter, and bowed before Him in
blasphemous mockery. The men who smote and spit upon the
Prince of life now turn from His piercing gaze and seek to flee
from the overpowering glory of His presence. Those who drove
the nails through His hands and feet, the soldier who pierced
His side, behold these marks with terror and remorse.
With awful distinctness do priests and rulers recall the
events of Calvary. With shuddering horror they remember how,
wagging their heads in satanic exultation, they exclaimed: “He
saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel,
let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.
He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him.”
Matthew 27:42, 43.
Vividly they recall the Saviour’s parable of the husbandmen
who refused to render to their lord the fruit of the vineyard, who
abused his servants and slew his son. They remember, too, the
sentence which they themselves pronounced: The lord of the
vineyard “will miserably destroy those wicked men.” In the sin
and punishment of those unfaithful men the priests and elders
see their own course and their own just doom. And now there
rises a cry of mortal agony. Louder than the shout, “Crucify
Him, crucify Him,” which rang through the streets of Jerusalem,
swells the awful, despairing wail, “He is the Son of God! He is the
true Messiah!” They seek to flee from the presence of the King
of kings. In the deep caverns of the earth, rent asunder by the
warring of the elements, they vainly attempt to hide.
In the lives of all who reject truth there are moments when
conscience awakens, when memory presents the torturing
recollection of a life of hypocrisy and the soul is harassed with
vain regrets. But what are these compared with the remorse of

1 5 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
that day when “fear cometh as desolation,” when “destruction
cometh as a whirlwind”! Proverbs 1:27. Those who would have
destroyed Christ and His faithful people now witness the glory
which rests upon them. In the midst of their terror they hear the
voices of the saints in joyful strains exclaiming: “Lo, this is our
God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us.” Isaiah 25:9.
Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the
roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleep-
ing saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, rais-
ing His hands to heaven, He cries: “Awake, awake, awake, ye that
sleep in the dust, and arise!” Throughout the length and breadth
of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear
shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the ex-
ceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immor-
tal glory, crying: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is
thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55. And the living righteous and
the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory.
All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when
they entered the tomb. Adam, who stands among the risen
throng, is of lofty height and majestic form, in stature but little
below the Son of God. He presents a marked contrast to the peo-
ple of later generations; in this one respect is shown the great
degeneracy of the race. But all arise with the freshness and vig-
or of eternal youth. In the beginning, man was created in the
likeness of God, not only in character, but in form and feature.
Sin defaced and almost obliterated the divine image; but Christ
came to restore that which had been lost. He will change our vile
bodies and fashion them like unto His glorious body. The mortal,
corruptible form, devoid of comeliness, once polluted with sin,
becomes perfect, beautiful, and immortal. All blemishes and
deformities are left in the grave. Restored to the tree of life in the
long-lost Eden, the redeemed will “grow up” (Malachi 4:2) to the
full stature of the race in its primeval glory. The last lingering
traces of the curse of sin will be removed, and Christ’s faithful

God’s People Delivered • 157

ones will appear in “the beauty of the Lord our God,” in mind
and soul and body reflecting the perfect image of their Lord. Oh,
wonderful redemption! long talked of, long hoped for, contem-
plated with eager anticipation, but never fully understood.
The living righteous are changed “in a moment, in the twin-
kling of an eye.” At the voice of God they were glorified; now they
are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to
meet their Lord in the air. Angels “gather together His elect from
the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Little chil-
dren are borne by holy angels to their mothers’ arms. Friends
long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and with
songs of gladness ascend together to the City of God.
On each side of the cloudy chariot are wings, and beneath
it are living wheels; and as the chariot rolls upward, the wheels
cry, “Holy,” and the wings, as they move, cry, “Holy,” and the ret-
inue of angels cry, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.” And the
redeemed shout, “Alleluia!” as the chariot moves onward toward
the New Jerusalem.
Before entering the City of God, the Saviour bestows upon
His followers the emblems of victory and invests them with the
insignia of their royal state. The glittering ranks are drawn up in
the form of a hollow square about their King, whose form rises in
majesty high above saint and angel, whose countenance beams
upon them full of benignant love. Throughout the unnumbered
host of the redeemed every glance is fixed upon Him, every eye
beholds His glory whose “visage was so marred more than any
man, and His form more than the sons of men.” Upon the heads
of the overcomers, Jesus with His own right hand places the
crown of glory. For each there is a crown, bearing his own “new
name” (Revelation 2:17), and the inscription, “Holiness to the
Lord.” In every hand are placed the victor’s palm and the shin-
ing harp. Then, as the commanding angels strike the note, every
hand sweeps the harp strings with skillful touch, awaking sweet
music in rich, melodious strains. Rapture unutterable thrills ev-
ery heart, and each voice is raised in grateful praise: “Unto Him

1 5 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and
hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him
be glory and dominion for ever and ever.” Revelation 1:5, 6.
Before the ransomed throng is the Holy City. Jesus opens
wide the pearly gates, and the nations that have kept the truth
enter in. There they behold the Paradise of God, the home of
Adam in his innocency. Then that voice, richer than any mu-
sic that ever fell on mortal ear, is heard, saying: “Your conflict
is ended.” “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Now is fulfilled the Saviour’s prayer for His disciples: “I will
that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I
am.” “Faultless before the presence of His glory with exceed-
ing joy” (Jude 24), Christ presents to the Father the purchase of
His blood, declaring: “Here am I, and the children whom Thou
hast given Me.” “Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept.” Oh, the
wonders of redeeming love! the rapture of that hour when the
infinite Father, looking upon the ransomed, shall behold His im-
age, sin’s discord banished, its blight removed, and the human
once more in harmony with the divine!
With unutterable love, Jesus welcomes His faithful ones to
the joy of their Lord. The Saviour’s joy is in seeing, in the king-
dom of glory, the souls that have been saved by His agony and
humiliation. And the redeemed will be sharers in His joy, as they
behold, among the blessed, those who have been won to Christ
through their prayers, their labors, and their loving sacrifice. As
they gather about the great white throne, gladness unspeakable
will fill their hearts, when they behold those whom they have won
for Christ, and see that one has gained others, and these still oth-
ers, all brought into the haven of rest, there to lay their crowns at
Jesus’ feet and praise Him through the endless cycles of eternity.
As the ransomed ones are welcomed to the City of God,
there rings out upon the air an exultant cry of adoration. The
two Adams are about to meet. The Son of God is standing with
outstretched arms to receive the father of our race—the being

God’s People Delivered • 159

whom He created, who sinned against his Maker, and for whose
sin the marks of the crucifixion are borne upon the Saviour’s
form. As Adam discerns the prints of the cruel nails, he does not
fall upon the bosom of his Lord, but in humiliation casts himself
at His feet, crying: “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain!”
Tenderly the Saviour lifts him up and bids him look once more
upon the Eden home from which he has so long been exiled.
After his expulsion from Eden, Adam’s life on earth was
filled with sorrow. Every dying leaf, every victim of sacrifice, ev-
ery blight upon the fair face of nature, every stain upon man’s
purity, was a fresh reminder of his sin. Terrible was the agony of
remorse as he beheld iniquity abounding, and, in answer to his
warnings, met the reproaches cast upon himself as the cause of
sin. With patient humility he bore, for nearly a thousand years,
the penalty of transgression. Faithfully did he repent of his sin
and trust in the merits of the promised Saviour, and he died in
the hope of a resurrection. The Son of God redeemed man’s fail-
ure and fall; and now, through the work of the atonement, Adam
is reinstated in his first dominion.
Transported with joy, he beholds the trees that were once his
delight—the very trees whose fruit he himself had gathered in
the days of his innocence and joy. He sees the vines that his own
hands have trained, the very flowers that he once loved to care
for. His mind grasps the reality of the scene; he comprehends
that this is indeed Eden restored, more lovely now than when
he was banished from it. The Saviour leads him to the tree of life
and plucks the glorious fruit and bids him eat. He looks about
him and beholds a multitude of his family redeemed, stand-
ing in the Paradise of God. Then he casts his glittering crown
at the feet of Jesus and, falling upon His breast, embraces the
Redeemer. He touches the golden harp, and the vaults of heaven
echo the triumphant song: “Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb
that was slain, and lives again!” The family of Adam take up the
strain and cast their crowns at the Saviour’s feet as they bow be-
fore Him in adoration.

1 6 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 This reunion is witnessed by the angels who wept at the fall
of Adam and rejoiced when Jesus, after His resurrection, as-
cended to heaven, having opened the grave for all who should
believe on His name. Now they behold the work of redemption
accomplished, and they unite their voices in the song of praise.
Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass as
it were mingled with fire,—so resplendent is it with the glory
of God,—are gathered the company that have “gotten the victo-
ry over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and
over the number of his name.” With the Lamb upon Mount Zion,
“having the harps of God,” they stand, the hundred and forty
and four thousand that were redeemed from among men; and
there is heard, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of
a great thunder, “the voice of harpers harping with their harps.”
And they sing “a new song” before the throne, a song which no
man can learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand.
It is the song of Moses and the Lamb—a song of deliverance.
None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that
song; for it is the song of their experience—an experience such
as no other company have ever had. “These are they which
follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” These, having been
translated from the earth, from among the living, are counted
as “the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.” Revelation 15:2,
3; 14:1-5. “These are they which came out of great tribulation;”
they have passed through the time of trouble such as never was
since there was a nation; they have endured the anguish of the
time of Jacob’s trouble; they have stood without an intercessor
through the final outpouring of God’s judgments. But they have
been delivered, for they have “washed their robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.” “In their mouth was found
no guile: for they are without fault” before God. “Therefore are
they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in
His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among
them.” They have seen the earth wasted with famine and pesti-
lence, the sun having power to scorch men with great heat, and

God’s People Delivered • 161

they themselves have endured suffering, hunger, and thirst. But
“they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither
shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is
in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them
unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes.” Revelation 7:14-17.
In all ages the Saviour’s chosen have been educated and dis-
ciplined in the school of trial. They walked in narrow paths on
earth; they were purified in the furnace of affliction. For Jesus’
sake they endured opposition, hatred, calumny. They followed
Him through conflicts sore; they endured self-denial and ex-
perienced bitter disappointments. By their own painful expe-
rience they learned the evil of sin, its power, its guilt, its woe;
and they look upon it with abhorrence. A sense of the infinite
sacrifice made for its cure humbles them in their own sight and
fills their hearts with gratitude and praise which those who have
never fallen cannot appreciate. They love much because they
have been forgiven much. Having been partakers of Christ’s suf-
ferings, they are fitted to be partakers with Him of His glory.
The heirs of God have come from garrets, from hovels, from
dungeons, from scaffolds, from mountains, from deserts, from
the caves of the earth, from the caverns of the sea. On earth
they were “destitute, afflicted, tormented.” Millions went down
to the grave loaded with infamy because they steadfastly re-
fused to yield to the deceptive claims of Satan. By human tribu-
nals they were adjudged the vilest of criminals. But now “God
is judge Himself.” Psalm 50:6. Now the decisions of earth are
reversed. “The rebuke of His people shall He take away.” Isa-
iah 25:8. “They shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed
of the Lord.” He hath appointed “to give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness.” Isaiah 62:12; 61:3. They are no lon-
ger feeble, afflicted, scattered, and oppressed. Henceforth they
are to be ever with the Lord. They stand before the throne clad
in richer robes than the most honored of the earth have ever

1 6 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
worn. They are crowned with diadems more glorious than
were ever placed upon the brow of earthly monarchs. The days
of pain and weeping are forever ended. The King of glory has
wiped the tears from all faces; every cause of grief has been
removed. Amid the waving of palm branches they pour forth a
song of praise, clear, sweet, and harmonious; every voice takes
up the strain, until the anthem swells through the vaults of
heaven: “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb.” And all the inhabitants of heaven respond
in the ascription: “Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and
thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our
God for ever and ever.” Revelation 7:10, 12.
In this life we can only begin to understand the wonderful
theme of redemption. With our finite comprehension we may
consider most earnestly the shame and the glory, the life and
the death, the justice and the mercy, that meet in the cross; yet
with the utmost stretch of our mental powers we fail to grasp
its full significance. The length and the breadth, the depth and
the height, of redeeming love are but dimly comprehended. The
plan of redemption will not be fully understood, even when the
ransomed see as they are seen and know as they are known; but
through the eternal ages new truth will continually unfold to the
wondering and delighted mind. Though the griefs and pains and
temptations of earth are ended and the cause removed, the peo-
ple of God will ever have a distinct, intelligent knowledge of what
their salvation has cost.
The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the re-
deemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold
Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that He whose power
created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the vast
realms of space, the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven, He
whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore—humbled
Himself to uplift fallen man; that He bore the guilt and shame of
sin, and the hiding of His Father’s face, till the woes of a lost world
broke His heart and crushed out His life on Calvary’s cross. That

God’s People Delivered • 163

the Maker of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies, should lay
aside His glory and humiliate Himself from love to man will ever
excite the wonder and adoration of the universe. As the nations
of the saved look upon their Redeemer and behold the eternal
glory of the Father shining in His countenance; as they behold
His throne, which is from everlasting to everlasting, and know
that His kingdom is to have no end, they break forth in raptur-
ous song: “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath
redeemed us to God by His own most precious blood!”
The mystery of the cross explains all other mysteries. In
the light that streams from Calvary the attributes of God which
had filled us with fear and awe appear beautiful and attractive.
Mercy, tenderness, and parental love are seen to blend with ho-
liness, justice, and power. While we behold the majesty of His
throne, high and lifted up, we see His character in its gracious
manifestations, and comprehend, as never before, the signifi-
cance of that endearing title, “Our Father.”
It will be seen that He who is infinite in wisdom could de-
vise no plan for our salvation except the sacrifice of His Son. The
compensation for this sacrifice is the joy of peopling the earth
with ransomed beings, holy, happy, and immortal. The result of
the Saviour’s conflict with the powers of darkness is joy to the
redeemed, redounding to the glory of God throughout eternity.
And such is the value of the soul that the Father is satisfied with
the price paid; and Christ Himself, beholding the fruits of His
great sacrifice, is satisfied.

1 6 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
Desolation
of the Earth 13 CHAPTER

H
er sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath re-
membered her iniquities.... In the cup which she hath
filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified
herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give
her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow,
and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one
day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utter-
ly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and
lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, ...
saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in
one hour is thy judgment come.” Revelation 18:5-10.
“The merchants of the earth,” that have “waxed rich through
the abundance of her delicacies,” “shall stand afar off for the
fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas
that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and
scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

Desolation of th e Earth • 165

For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.” Revelation
18:11, 3, 15-17.
Such are the judgments that fall upon Babylon in the day of
the visitation of God’s wrath. She has filled up the measure of
her iniquity; her time has come; she is ripe for destruction.
When the voice of God turns the captivity of His people, there
is a terrible awakening of those who have lost all in the great con-
flict of life. While probation continued they were blinded by Sa-
tan’s deceptions, and they justified their course of sin. The rich
prided themselves upon their superiority to those who were less
favored; but they had obtained their riches by violation of the law
of God. They had neglected to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked,
to deal justly, and to love mercy. They had sought to exalt them-
selves and to obtain the homage of their fellow creatures. Now
they are stripped of all that made them great and are left desti-
tute and defenseless. They look with terror upon the destruction
of the idols which they preferred before their Maker. They have
sold their souls for earthly riches and enjoyments, and have not
sought to become rich toward God. The result is, their lives are a
failure; their pleasures are now turned to gall, their treasures to
corruption. The gain of a lifetime is swept away in a moment. The
rich bemoan the destruction of their grand houses, the scattering
of their gold and silver. But their lamentations are silenced by the
fear that they themselves are to perish with their idols.
The wicked are filled with regret, not because of their sinful
neglect of God and their fellow men, but because God has con-
quered. They lament that the result is what it is; but they do not
repent of their wickedness. They would leave no means untried
to conquer if they could.
The world see the very class whom they have mocked and
derided, and desired to exterminate, pass unharmed through
pestilence, tempest, and earthquake. He who is to the transgres-
sors of His law a devouring fire, is to His people a safe pavilion.
The minister who has sacrificed truth to gain the favor of
men now discerns the character and influence of his teachings.

1 6 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
It is apparent that the omniscient eye was following him as he
stood in the desk, as he walked the streets, as he mingled with
men in the various scenes of life. Every emotion of the soul, ev-
ery line written, every word uttered, every act that led men to
rest in a refuge of falsehood, has been scattering seed; and now,
in the wretched, lost souls around him, he beholds the harvest.
Saith the Lord: “They have healed the hurt of the daughter
of My people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no
peace.” “With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad,
whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the
wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by prom-
ising him life.” Jeremiah 8:11; Ezekiel 13:22.
“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep
of My pasture! ... Behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your
doings.” “Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves
in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for your days for slaugh-
ter and of your dispersions are accomplished; ... and the shep-
herds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to
escape.” Jeremiah 23:1, 2; 25:34, 35, margin.
Ministers and people see that they have not sustained the
right relation to God. They see that they have rebelled against
the Author of all just and righteous law. The setting aside of the
divine precepts gave rise to thousands of springs of evil, dis-
cord, hatred, iniquity, until the earth became one vast field of
strife, one sink of corruption. This is the view that now appears
to those who rejected truth and chose to cherish error. No lan-
guage can express the longing which the disobedient and dis-
loyal feel for that which they have lost forever—eternal life. Men
whom the world has worshiped for their talents and eloquence
now see these things in their true light. They realize what they
have forfeited by transgression, and they fall at the feet of those
whose fidelity they have despised and derided, and confess that
God has loved them.
The people see that they have been deluded. They accuse
one another of having led them to destruction; but all unite in

Desolation of th e Earth • 167

heaping their bitterest condemnation upon the ministers. Un-
faithful pastors have prophesied smooth things; they have led
their hearers to make void the law of God and to persecute those
who would keep it holy. Now, in their despair, these teachers
confess before the world their work of deception. The multi-
tudes are filled with fury. “We are lost!” they cry, “and you are
the cause of our ruin;” and they turn upon the false shepherds.
The very ones that once admired them most will pronounce
the most dreadful curses upon them. The very hands that once
crowned them with laurels will be raised for their destruction.
The swords which were to slay God’s people are now employed
to destroy their enemies. Everywhere there is strife and blood-
shed.
“A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord
hath a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh;
He will give them that are wicked to the sword.” Jeremiah 25:31.
For six thousand years the great controversy has been in prog-
ress; the Son of God and His heavenly messengers have been in
conflict with the power of the evil one, to warn, enlighten, and
save the children of men. Now all have made their decisions;
the wicked have fully united with Satan in his warfare against
God. The time has come for God to vindicate the authority of His
downtrodden law. Now the controversy is not alone with Satan,
but with men. “The Lord hath a controversy with the nations;”
“He will give them that are wicked to the sword.”
The mark of deliverance has been set upon those “that sigh
and that cry for all the abominations that be done.” Now the an-
gel of death goes forth, represented in Ezekiel’s vision by the
men with the slaughtering weapons, to whom the command is
given: “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little chil-
dren, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is
the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” Says the prophet: “They
began at the ancient men which were before the house.” Ezekiel
9:1-6. The work of destruction begins among those who have
professed to be the spiritual guardians of the people. The false

1 6 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
watchmen are the first to fall. There are none to pity or to spare.
Men, women, maidens, and little children perish together.
“The Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants
of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her
blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” Isaiah 26:21. “And this
shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people
that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume
away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall con-
sume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away
in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great
tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay
hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall
rise up against the hand of his neighbor.” Zechariah 14:12, 13. In
the mad strife of their own fierce passions, and by the awful out-
pouring of God’s unmingled wrath, fall the wicked inhabitants
of the earth—priests, rulers, and people, rich and poor, high and
low. “And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end
of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not
be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried.” Jeremiah 25:33.
At the coming of Christ the wicked are blotted from the face
of the whole earth—consumed with the spirit of His mouth and
destroyed by the brightness of His glory. Christ takes His people
to the City of God, and the earth is emptied of its inhabitants.
“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste,
and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhab-
itants thereof.” “The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly
spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.” “Because they have
transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the ever-
lasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth,
and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabi-
tants of the earth are burned.” Isaiah 24:1, 3, 5, 6.
The whole earth appears like a desolate wilderness. The ru-
ins of cities and villages destroyed by the earthquake, uprooted
trees, ragged rocks thrown out by the sea or torn out of the earth
itself, are scattered over its surface, while vast caverns mark the

Desolation of th e Earth • 169

spot where the mountains have been rent from their founda-
tions.
Now the event takes place foreshadowed in the last solemn
service of the Day of Atonement. When the ministration in the
holy of holies had been completed, and the sins of Israel had
been removed from the sanctuary by virtue of the blood of the
sin offering, then the scapegoat was presented alive before the
Lord; and in the presence of the congregation the high priest
confessed over him “all the iniquities of the children of Israel,
and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon
the head of the goat.” Leviticus 16:21. In like manner, when the
work of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary has been com-
pleted, then in the presence of God and heavenly angels and the
hosts of the redeemed the sins of God’s people will be placed
upon Satan; he will be declared guilty of all the evil which he
has caused them to commit. And as the scapegoat was sent away
into a land not inhabited, so Satan will be banished to the deso-
late earth, an uninhabited and dreary wilderness.
The revelator foretells the banishment of Satan and the
condition of chaos and desolation to which the earth is to be
reduced, and he declares that this condition will exist for a
thousand years. After presenting the scenes of the Lord’s sec-
ond coming and the destruction of the wicked, the prophecy
continues: “I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the
key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he
laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the
bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that
he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years
should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little sea-
son.” Revelation 20:1-3.
That the expression “bottomless pit” represents the earth in
a state of confusion and darkness is evident from other scrip-
tures. Concerning the condition of the earth “in the beginning,”
the Bible record says that it “was without form, and void; and

1 7 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
darkness was upon the face of the deep.” [The Hebrew word here
translated “deep” is rendered in the Septuagint (Greek) transla-
tion of the Hebrew Old Testament by the same word rendered
“bottomless pit” In Revelation 20:1-3.] Genesis 1:2. Prophecy
teaches that it will be brought back, partially at least, to this
condition. Looking forward to the great day of God, the prophet
Jeremiah declares: “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without
form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld
the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved
lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of
the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a
wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down.” Jere-
miah 4:23-26.
Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a
thousand years. Limited to the earth, he will not have access to
other worlds to tempt and annoy those who have never fallen.
It is in this sense that he is bound: there are none remaining,
upon whom he can exercise his power. He is wholly cut off from
the work of deception and ruin which for so many centuries has
been his sole delight.
The prophet Isaiah, looking forward to the time of Satan’s
overthrow, exclaims: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lu-
cifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations! ... Thou hast said in thine
heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God: ... I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt
be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see
thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying,
Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake
kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed
the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?”
Isaiah 14:12-17.
For six thousand years, Satan’s work of rebellion has “made
the earth to tremble.” He has “made the world as a wilderness,
and destroyed the cities thereof.” And he “opened not the house

Desolation of th e Earth • 171

of his prisoners.” For six thousand years his prison house has
received God’s people, and he would have held them captive for-
ever; but Christ has broken his bonds and set the prisoners free.
Even the wicked are now placed beyond the power of Satan,
and alone with his evil angels he remains to realize the effect of
the curse which sin has brought. “The kings of the nations, even
all of them, lie in glory, everyone in his own house [the grave].
But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch....
Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast
destroyed thy land, and slain thy people.” Isaiah 14:18-20.
For a thousand years, Satan will wander to and fro in the
desolate earth to behold the results of his rebellion against the
law of God. During this time his sufferings are intense. Since his
fall his life of unceasing activity has banished reflection; but he
is now deprived of his power and left to contemplate the part
which he has acted since first he rebelled against the govern-
ment of heaven, and to look forward with trembling and terror
to the dreadful future when he must suffer for all the evil that he
has done and be punished for the sins that he has caused to be
committed.
To God’s people the captivity of Satan will bring gladness
and rejoicing. Says the prophet: “It shall come to pass in the day
that Jehovah shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy
trouble, and from the hard service wherein thou wast made to
serve, that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of
Babylon [here representing Satan], and say, How hath the op-
pressor ceased! ... Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of the rulers; that smote the peoples in wrath with a
continual stroke, that ruled the nations in anger, with a persecu-
tion that none restrained.” Verses 3-6, R.V.
During the thousand years between the first and the second
resurrection the judgment of the wicked takes place. The apos-
tle Paul points to this judgment as an event that follows the sec-
ond advent. “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come,
who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and

1 7 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” 1 Corinthians
4:5. Daniel declares that when the Ancient of Days came, “judg-
ment was given to the saints of the Most High.” Daniel 7:22. At
this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto God. John
in the Revelation says: “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them,
and judgment was given unto them.” “They shall be priests of
God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
Revelation 20:4, 6. It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, “the
saints shall judge the world.” 1 Corinthians 6:2. In union with
Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the stat-
ute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the
deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must
suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded
against their names in the book of death.
Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and His peo-
ple. Says Paul: “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” Verse
3. And Jude declares that “the angels which kept not their first
estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in ever-
lasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great
day.” Jude 6.
At the close of the thousand years the second resurrection
will take place. Then the wicked will be raised from the dead
and appear before God for the execution of “the judgment writ-
ten.” Thus the revelator, after describing the resurrection of the
righteous, says: “The rest of the dead lived not again until the
thousand years were finished.” Revelation 20:5. And Isaiah de-
clares, concerning the wicked: “They shall be gathered together,
as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the
prison, and after many days shall they be visited.” Isaiah 24:22.

Desolation of th e Earth • 173

The Controversy
Ended 14 CHAPTER

A
t the close of the thousand years, Christ again returns to
the earth. He is accompanied by the host of the redeemed
and attended by a retinue of angels. As He descends in
terrific majesty He bids the wicked dead arise to receive their
doom. They come forth, a mighty host, numberless as the sands
of the sea. What a contrast to those who were raised at the first
resurrection! The righteous were clothed with immortal youth
and beauty. The wicked bear the traces of disease and death.
Every eye in that vast multitude is turned to behold the glo-
ry of the Son of God. With one voice the wicked hosts exclaim:
“Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!” It is not love
to Jesus that inspires this utterance. The force of truth urges the
words from unwilling lips. As the wicked went into their graves,
so they come forth with the same enmity to Christ and the same
spirit of rebellion. They are to have no new probation in which to
remedy the defects of their past lives. Nothing would be gained
by this. A lifetime of transgression has not softened their hearts.

1 7 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
A second probation, were it given them, would be occupied as
was the first in evading the requirements of God and exciting
rebellion against Him.
Christ descends upon the Mount of Olives, whence, after
His resurrection, He ascended, and where angels repeated the
promise of His return. Says the prophet: “The Lord my God shall
come, and all the saints with Thee.” “And His feet shall stand in
that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on
the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst there-
of, ... and there shall be a very great valley.” “And the Lord shall
be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and
His name one.” Zechariah 14:5, 4, 9. As the New Jerusalem, in
its dazzling splendor, comes down out of heaven, it rests upon
the place purified and made ready to receive it, and Christ, with
His people and the angels, enters the Holy City.
Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the su-
premacy. While deprived of his power and cut off from his work
of deception, the prince of evil was miserable and dejected; but
as the wicked dead are raised and he sees the vast multitudes
upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield
the great controversy. He will marshal all the armies of the lost
under his banner and through them endeavor to execute his
plans. The wicked are Satan’s captives. In rejecting Christ they
have accepted the rule of the rebel leader. They are ready to re-
ceive his suggestions and to do his bidding. Yet, true to his ear-
ly cunning, he does not acknowledge himself to be Satan. He
claims to be the prince who is the rightful owner of the world
and whose inheritance has been unlawfully wrested from him.
He represents himself to his deluded subjects as a redeemer, as-
suring them that his power has brought them forth from their
graves and that he is about to rescue them from the most cru-
el tyranny. The presence of Christ having been removed, Satan
works wonders to support his claims. He makes the weak strong
and inspires all with his own spirit and energy. He proposes to
lead them against the camp of the saints and to take possession

Th e Con troversy En ded • 175

of the City of God. With fiendish exultation he points to the un-
numbered millions who have been raised from the dead and de-
clares that as their leader he is well able to overthrow the city
and regain his throne and his kingdom.
In that vast throng are multitudes of the long-lived race that
existed before the Flood; men of lofty stature and giant intellect,
who, yielding to the control of fallen angels, devoted all their
skill and knowledge to the exaltation of themselves; men whose
wonderful works of art led the world to idolize their genius, but
whose cruelty and evil inventions, defiling the earth and defac-
ing the image of God, caused Him to blot them from the face of
His creation. There are kings and generals who conquered na-
tions, valiant men who never lost a battle, proud, ambitious war-
riors whose approach made kingdoms tremble. In death these
experienced no change. As they come up from the grave, they
resume the current of their thoughts just where it ceased. They
are actuated by the same desire to conquer that ruled them
when they fell.
Satan consults with his angels, and then with these kings
and conquerors and mighty men. They look upon the strength
and numbers on their side, and declare that the army within the
city is small in comparison with theirs, and that it can be over-
come. They lay their plans to take possession of the riches and
glory of the New Jerusalem. All immediately begin to prepare
for battle. Skillful artisans construct implements of war. Military
leaders, famed for their success, marshal the throngs of warlike
men into companies and divisions.
At last the order to advance is given, and the countless host
moves on—an army such as was never summoned by earthly
conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages since war
began on earth could never equal. Satan, the mightiest of war-
riors, leads the van, and his angels unite their forces for this final
struggle. Kings and warriors are in his train, and the multitudes
follow in vast companies, each under its appointed leader. With
military precision the serried ranks advance over the earth’s

1 7 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
broken and uneven surface to the City of God. By command of
Jesus, the gates of the New Jerusalem are closed, and the armies
of Satan surround the city and make ready for the onset.
Now Christ again appears to the view of His enemies. Far
above the city, upon a foundation of burnished gold, is a throne,
high and lifted up. Upon this throne sits the Son of God, and
around Him are the subjects of His kingdom. The power and
majesty of Christ no language can describe, no pen portray. The
glory of the Eternal Father is enshrouding His Son. The bright-
ness of His presence fills the City of God, and flows out beyond
the gates, flooding the whole earth with its radiance.
Nearest the throne are those who were once zealous in the
cause of Satan, but who, plucked as brands from the burning,
have followed their Saviour with deep, intense devotion. Next
are those who perfected Christian characters in the midst of
falsehood and infidelity, those who honored the law of God when
the Christian world declared it void, and the millions, of all ages,
who were martyred for their faith. And beyond is the “great mul-
titude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds,
and people, and tongues, ... before the throne, and before the
Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” Rev-
elation 7:9. Their warfare is ended, their victory won. They have
run the race and reached the prize. The palm branch in their
hands is a symbol of their triumph, the white robe an emblem of
the spotless righteousness of Christ which now is theirs.
The redeemed raise a song of praise that echoes and re-
echoes through the vaults of heaven: “Salvation to our God
which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” Verse 10.
And angel and seraph unite their voices in adoration. As the
redeemed have beheld the power and malignity of Satan, they
have seen, as never before, that no power but that of Christ
could have made them conquerors. In all that shining throng
there are none to ascribe salvation to themselves, as if they had
prevailed by their own power and goodness. Nothing is said of
what they have done or suffered; but the burden of every song,

Th e Con troversy En ded • 177

the keynote of every anthem, is: Salvation to our God and unto
the Lamb.
In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and
heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place. And
now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of
kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His govern-
ment and executes justice upon those who have transgressed
His law and oppressed His people. Says the prophet of God: “I
saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found
no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand
before God; 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.” Revelation 20:11, 12.
As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of
Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin
which they have ever committed. They see just where their
feet diverged from the path of purity and holiness, just how far
pride and rebellion have carried them in the violation of the law
of God. The seductive temptations which they encouraged by
indulgence in sin, the blessings perverted, the messengers of
God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten
back by the stubborn, unrepentant heart—all appear as if writ-
ten in letters of fire.
Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic
view appear the scenes of Adam’s temptation and fall, and the
successive steps in the great plan of redemption. The Saviour’s
lowly birth; His early life of simplicity and obedience; His bap-
tism in Jordan; the fast and temptation in the wilderness; His
public ministry, unfolding to men heaven’s most precious bless-
ings; the days crowded with deeds of love and mercy, the nights
of prayer and watching in the solitude of the mountains; the
plottings of envy, hate, and malice which repaid His benefits; the
awful, mysterious agony in Gethsemane beneath the crushing

1 7 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
weight of the sins of the whole world; His betrayal into the hands
of the murderous mob; the fearful events of that night of hor-
ror—the unresisting prisoner, forsaken by His best-loved disci-
ples, rudely hurried through the streets of Jerusalem; the Son
of God exultingly displayed before Annas, arraigned in the high
priest’s palace, in the judgment hall of Pilate, before the coward-
ly and cruel Herod, mocked, insulted, tortured, and condemned
to die—all are vividly portrayed.
And now before the swaying multitude are revealed the fi-
nal scenes—the patient Sufferer treading the path to Calvary; the
Prince of heaven hanging upon the cross; the haughty priests
and the jeering rabble deriding His expiring agony; the super-
natural darkness; the heaving earth, the rent rocks, the open
graves, marking the moment when the world’s Redeemer yield-
ed up His life.
The awful spectacle appears just as it was. Satan, his an-
gels, and his subjects have no power to turn from the picture
of their own work. Each actor recalls the part which he per-
formed. Herod, who slew the innocent children of Bethlehem
that he might destroy the King of Israel; the base Herodias, upon
whose guilty soul rests the blood of John the Baptist; the weak,
timeserving Pilate; the mocking soldiers; the priests and rulers
and the maddened throng who cried, “His blood be on us, and
on our children!”—all behold the enormity of their guilt. They
vainly seek to hide from the divine majesty of His countenance,
outshining the glory of the sun, while the redeemed cast their
crowns at the Saviour’s feet, exclaiming: “He died for me!”
Amid the ransomed throng are the apostles of Christ, the he-
roic Paul, the ardent Peter, the loved and loving John, and their
truehearted brethren, and with them the vast host of martyrs;
while outside the walls, with every vile and abominable thing,
are those by whom they were persecuted, imprisoned, and
slain. There is Nero, that monster of cruelty and vice, beholding
the joy and exaltation of those whom he once tortured, and in
whose extremest anguish he found satanic delight. His mother

Th e Con troversy En ded • 179

is there to witness the result of her own work; to see how the evil
stamp of character transmitted to her son, the passions encour-
aged and developed by her influence and example, have borne
fruit in crimes that caused the world to shudder.
There are papist priests and prelates, who claimed to be
Christ’s ambassadors, yet employed the rack, the dungeon, and
the stake to control the consciences of His people. There are the
proud pontiffs who exalted themselves above God and presumed
to change the law of the Most High. Those pretended fathers of
the church have an account to render to God from which they
would fain be excused. Too late they are made to see that the
Omniscient One is jealous of His law and that He will in no wise
clear the guilty. They learn now that Christ identifies His interest
with that of His suffering people; and they feel the force of His
own words: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least
of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” Matthew 25:40.
The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of God
on the charge of high treason against the government of heaven.
They have none to plead their cause; they are without excuse;
and the sentence of eternal death is pronounced against them.
It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble in-
dependence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death. The
wicked see what they have forfeited by their life of rebellion. The
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory was despised
when offered them; but how desirable it now appears. “All this,”
cries the lost soul, “I might have had; but I chose to put these
things far from me. Oh, strange infatuation! I have exchanged
peace, happiness, and honor for wretchedness, infamy, and de-
spair.” All see that their exclusion from heaven is just. By their
lives they have declared: “We will not have this Man [Jesus] to
reign over us.”
As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coronation
of the Son of God. They see in His hands the tables of the divine
law, the statutes which they have despised and transgressed.
They witness the outburst of wonder, rapture, and adoration

1 8 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
from the saved; and as the wave of melody sweeps over the mul-
titudes without the city, all with one voice exclaim, “Great and
marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are
Thy ways, Thou King of saints” (Revelation 15:3); and, falling
prostrate, they worship the Prince of life.
Satan seems paralyzed as he beholds the glory and majes-
ty of Christ. He who was once a covering cherub remembers
whence he has fallen. A shining seraph, “son of the morning;”
how changed, how degraded! From the council where once
he was honored, he is forever excluded. He sees another now
standing near to the Father, veiling His glory. He has seen the
crown placed upon the head of Christ by an angel of lofty stature
and majestic presence, and he knows that the exalted position
of this angel might have been his.
Memory recalls the home of his innocence and purity, the
peace and content that were his until he indulged in murmuring
against God, and envy of Christ. His accusations, his rebellion,
his deceptions to gain the sympathy and support of the angels,
his stubborn persistence in making no effort for self-recovery
when God would have granted him forgiveness—all come vividly
before him. He reviews his work among men and its results—the
enmity of man toward his fellow man, the terrible destruction of
life, the rise and fall of kingdoms, the overturning of thrones, the
long succession of tumults, conflicts, and revolutions. He recalls
his constant efforts to oppose the work of Christ and to sink man
lower and lower. He sees that his hellish plots have been power-
less to destroy those who have put their trust in Jesus. As Satan
looks upon his kingdom, the fruit of his toil, he sees only failure
and ruin. He has led the multitudes to believe that the City of
God would be an easy prey; but he knows that this is false. Again
and again, in the progress of the great controversy, he has been
defeated and compelled to yield. He knows too well the power
and majesty of the Eternal.
The aim of the great rebel has ever been to justify himself
and to prove the divine government responsible for the rebel-

Th e Con troversy En ded • 181

lion. To this end he has bent all the power of his giant intellect.
He has worked deliberately and systematically, and with mar-
velous success, leading vast multitudes to accept his version of
the great controversy which has been so long in progress. For
thousands of years this chief of conspiracy has palmed off false-
hood for truth. But the time has now come when the rebellion
is to be finally defeated and the history and character of Satan
disclosed. In his last great effort to dethrone Christ, destroy His
people, and take possession of the City of God, the archdeceiver
has been fully unmasked. Those who have united with him see
the total failure of his cause. Christ’s followers and the loyal an-
gels behold the full extent of his machinations against the gov-
ernment of God. He is the object of universal abhorrence.
Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for
heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the pu-
rity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme
torture. His accusations against the mercy and justice of God
are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast
upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. And now Satan bows
down and confesses the justice of his sentence.
“Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for
Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship be-
fore Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest.” Verse 4. Ev-
ery question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy
has now been made plain. The results of rebellion, the fruits of
setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view
of all created intelligences. The working out of Satan’s rule in
contrast with the government of God has been presented to the
whole universe. Satan’s own works have condemned him. God’s
wisdom, His justice, and His goodness stand fully vindicated. It
is seen that all His dealings in the great controversy have been
conducted with respect to the eternal good of His people and the
good of all the worlds that He has created. “All Thy works shall
praise Thee, O Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee.” Psalm
145:10. The history of sin will stand to all eternity as a witness

1 8 2 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
that with the existence of God’s law is bound up the happiness of
all the beings He has created. With all the facts of the great con-
troversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious,
with one accord declare: “Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King
of saints.”
Before the universe has been clearly presented the great
sacrifice made by the Father and the Son in man’s behalf. The
hour has come when Christ occupies His rightful position and is
glorified above principalities and powers and every name that is
named. It was for the joy that was set before Him—that He might
bring many sons unto glory—that He endured the cross and de-
spised the shame. And inconceivably great as was the sorrow and
the shame, yet greater is the joy and the glory. He looks upon the
redeemed, renewed in His own image, every heart bearing the
perfect impress of the divine, every face reflecting the likeness
of their King. He beholds in them the result of the travail of His
soul, and He is satisfied. Then, in a voice that reaches the assem-
bled multitudes of the righteous and the wicked, He declares:
“Behold the purchase of My blood! For these I suffered, for these
I died, that they might dwell in My presence throughout eternal
ages.” And the song of praise ascends from the white-robed ones
about the throne: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and
glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:12.
Notwithstanding that Satan has been constrained to ac-
knowledge God’s justice and to bow to the supremacy of Christ,
his character remains unchanged. The spirit of rebellion, like a
mighty torrent, again bursts forth. Filled with frenzy, he deter-
mines not to yield the great controversy. The time has come for
a last desperate struggle against the King of heaven. He rush-
es into the midst of his subjects and endeavors to inspire them
with his own fury and arouse them to instant battle. But of all the
countless millions whom he has allured into rebellion, there are
none now to acknowledge his supremacy. His power is at an end.
The wicked are filled with the same hatred of God that inspires

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Satan; but they see that their case is hopeless, that they cannot
prevail against Jehovah. Their rage is kindled against Satan and
those who have been his agents in deception, and with the fury
of demons they turn upon them.
Saith the Lord: “Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart
of God; behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the
terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against
the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.
They shall bring thee down to the pit.” “I will destroy thee, O cov-
ering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.... I will cast
thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may be-
hold thee.... I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight
of all them that behold thee.... Thou shalt be a terror, and never
shalt thou be any more.” Ezekiel 28:6-8, 16-19.
“Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and gar-
ments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of
fire.” “The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and His
fury upon all their armies: He hath utterly destroyed them, He
hath delivered them to the slaughter.” “Upon the wicked He shall
rain quick burning coals, fire and brimstone and an horrible
tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.” Isaiah 9:5; 34:2;
Psalm 11:6, margin. Fire comes down from God out of heaven.
The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths
are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning
chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall
burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth
also, and the works that are therein are burned up. Malachi 4:1;
2 Peter 3:10. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass—a vast,
seething lake of fire. It is the time of the judgment and perdition
of ungodly men—“the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year
of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.” Isaiah 34:8.
The wicked receive their recompense in the earth. Proverbs
11:31. They “shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall
burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 4:1. Some are
destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All

1 8 4 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
are punished “according to their deeds.” The sins of the righ-
teous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer
not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has
caused God’s people to commit. His punishment is to be far
greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have
perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer
on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root
and branch—Satan the root, his followers the branches. The full
penalty of the law has been visited; the demands of justice have
been met; and heaven and earth, beholding, declare the righ-
teousness of Jehovah.
Satan’s work of ruin is forever ended. For six thousand years
he has wrought his will, filling the earth with woe and causing
grief throughout the universe. The whole creation has groaned
and travailed together in pain. Now God’s creatures are forever
delivered from his presence and temptations. “The whole earth
is at rest, and is quiet: they [the righteous] break forth into sing-
ing.” Isaiah 14:7. And a shout of praise and triumph ascends
from the whole loyal universe. “The voice of a great multitude,”
“as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thun-
derings,” is heard, saying: “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipo-
tent reigneth.” Revelation 19:6.
While the earth was wrapped in the fire of destruction, the
righteous abode safely in the Holy City. Upon those that had part
in the first resurrection, the second death has no power. While
God is to the wicked a consuming fire, He is to His people both a
sun and a shield. Revelation 20:6; Psalm 84:11.
“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away.” Revelation 21:1. The fire
that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the
curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before
the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin.
One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear
the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon
His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel

Th e Con troversy En ded • 185

work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ
in His glory: “He had bright beams coming out of His side: and
there was the hiding of His power.” Habakkuk 3:4, margin. That
pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled
man to God—there is the Saviour’s glory, there “the hiding of His
power.” “Mighty to save,” through the sacrifice of redemption,
He was therefore strong to execute justice upon them that de-
spised God’s mercy. And the tokens of His humiliation are His
highest honor; through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary
will show forth His praise and declare His power.
“O Tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
unto Thee shall it come, even the first dominion.” Micah 4:8. The
time has come to which holy men have looked with longing since
the flaming sword barred the first pair from Eden, the time for
“the redemption of the purchased possession.” Ephesians 1:14.
The earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by
him into the hands of Satan, and so long held by the mighty foe,
has been brought back by the great plan of redemption. All that
was lost by sin has been restored. “Thus saith the Lord ... that
formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created
it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.” Isaiah 45:18. God’s
original purpose in the creation of the earth is fulfilled as it is
made the eternal abode of the redeemed. “The righteous shall
inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.” Psalm 37:29.
A fear of making the future inheritance seem too material has
led many to spiritualize away the very truths which lead us to look
upon it as our home. Christ assured His disciples that He went
to prepare mansions for them in the Father’s house. Those who
accept the teachings of God’s word will not be wholly ignorant
concerning the heavenly abode. And yet, “eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” 1 Corinthians
2:9. Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the
righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite
mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God.

1 8 6 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called “a coun-
try.” Hebrews 11:14-16. There the heavenly Shepherd leads His
flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit
every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the
nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and
beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths
prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spread-
ing plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God
rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those
living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers,
shall find a home.
“My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in
sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” “Violence shall no
more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy
borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates
Praise.” “They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they
shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not
build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat:
... Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Isaiah
32:18; 60:18; Isaiah 65:21, 22.
There, “the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for
them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” “In-
stead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the bri-
er shall come up the myrtle tree.” “The wolf also shall dwell with
the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; ... and a little
child shall lead them.” “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My
holy mountain,” saith the Lord. Isaiah 35:1; 55:13; Isaiah 11:6, 9.
Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of heaven. There will be
no more tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning. “There
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying: ... for the for-
mer things are passed away.” “The inhabitant shall not say, I am
sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniqui-
ty.” Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 33:24.
There is the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the glorified
new earth, “a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal

Th e Con troversy En ded • 187

diadem in the hand of thy God.” “Her light was like unto a stone
most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” “The
nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and
the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.”
Saith the Lord: “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My peo-
ple.” “The tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with
them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be
with them, and be their God.” Isaiah 62:3; Revelation 21:11, 24;
Isaiah 65:19; Revelation 21:3.
In the City of God “there shall be no night.” None will need
or desire repose. There will be no weariness in doing the will
of God and offering praise to His name. We shall ever feel the
freshness of the morning and shall ever be far from its close.
“And they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord
God giveth them light.” Revelation 22:5. The light of the sun will
be superseded by a radiance which is not painfully dazzling, yet
which immeasurably surpasses the brightness of our noontide.
The glory of God and the Lamb floods the Holy City with unfad-
ing light. The redeemed walk in the sunless glory of perpetual
day.
“I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the
Lamb are the temple of it.” Revelation 21:22. The people of God
are privileged to hold open communion with the Father and the
Son. “Now we see through a glass, darkly.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.
We behold the image of God reflected, as in a mirror, in the
works of nature and in His dealings with men; but then we shall
see Him face to face, without a dimming veil between. We shall
stand in His presence and behold the glory of His countenance.
There the redeemed shall know, even as also they are
known. The loves and sympathies which God Himself has plant-
ed in the soul shall there find truest and sweetest exercise. The
pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life
with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages who
have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb, the sacred ties that bind together “the whole family

1 8 8 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
in heaven and earth” (Ephesians 3:15)—these help to constitute
the happiness of the redeemed.
There, immortal minds will contemplate with never-failing
delight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeem-
ing love. There will be no cruel, deceiving foe to tempt to forget-
fulness of God. Every faculty will be developed, every capacity
increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not weary the
mind or exhaust the energies. There the grandest enterprises
may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the
highest ambitions realized; and still there will arise new heights
to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to compre-
hend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and
body.
All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of
God’s redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tire-
less flight to worlds afar—worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the
spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the
tidings of a ransomed soul. With unutterable delight the chil-
dren of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen be-
ings. They share the treasures of knowledge and understanding
gained through ages upon ages in contemplation of God’s hand-
iwork. With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of cre-
ation—suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order
circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the
greatest, the Creator’s name is written, and in all are the riches
of His power displayed.
And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and
still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowl-
edge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness in-
crease. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their ad-
miration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches
of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great con-
troversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more
fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the
harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thou-

Th e Con troversy En ded • 189

sands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of
praise.
“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth,
and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are
in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and
power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the
Lamb for ever and ever.” Revelation 5:13.
The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more.
The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and glad-
ness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all,
flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illim-
itable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all
things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and
perfect joy, declare that God is love.

1 9 0 • The F i n a l C ou n td ow n
 The Final Countdown is an extract of the last 14 chapters
of The Great Controversy.

The Great Controversy covers the history of Christianity. Beginning

with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, and continuing through
the persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire, the apostasy of
the Dark Ages, the shining light of the Reformation, and the worldwide
religious awakening of the nineteenth century, the volume shows
how the same principles involved across the Christian era will be
actively applied in the present impending conflict.

Order a free hard copy or download the free e-book from

www.discovertruth.ie/the-great-controversy/