Early Writings
by Ellen G. White
The Mystery of Iniquity
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As Christianity became corrupted, the people
were taught that the popes and priests
were Christ's representatives.
Photo of Pope Pius XII —
Wikimedia Commons |
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It has ever been the design of Satan to draw the minds of
the people from Jesus to man, and to destroy individual accountability. Satan
failed in his design when he tempted the Son of God; but he succeeded better
when he came to fallen man. Christianity became corrupted. Popes and priests
presumed to take an exalted position, and taught the people to look to them for
the pardon of their sins, instead of looking to Christ for themselves. {EW 213.2} [214]
The people were wholly deceived. They were taught that the
popes and priests were Christ's representatives, when in fact they were the
representatives of Satan, and those who bowed to them worshiped Satan. The
people called for the Bible; but the priests considered it dangerous to let
them have it to read for themselves, lest they should become enlightened and
expose the sins of their leaders. The people were taught to receive every word
from these deceivers as from the mouth of God. They held that power over the
mind which God alone should hold. If any dared to follow their own convictions,
the same hate which Satan and the Jews exercised toward Jesus would be kindled
against them, and those in authority would thirst for their blood. {EW 214.1}
I was shown a time when Satan especially triumphed.
Multitudes of Christians were slain in a dreadful manner, because they would
preserve the purity of their religion. The Bible was hated, and efforts were
made to rid the earth of it. The people were forbidden to read it, on pain of
death; and all the copies which could be found were burned. But I saw that God
had a special care for His Word. He protected it. At different periods there
were but a very few copies of the Bible in existence, yet He would not suffer
His Word to be lost, for in the last days copies of it were to be so multiplied
that every family could possess it. I saw that when there were but few copies
of the Bible, it was precious and comforting to the persecuted followers of
Jesus. It was read in the most secret manner, and those who had this exalted
privilege felt that they had had an interview with God, with His Son Jesus, and
with His disciples. But this blessed privilege cost many of them their lives.
If discovered, they were taken to the headsman's block, to the stake, or to the
dungeon to die of starvation. {EW 214.2} [215]
Satan could not hinder the plan of salvation. Jesus was
crucified, and rose again the third day. But Satan told his angels that he
would make the crucifixion and resurrection tell to his advantage. He was
willing that those who professed faith in Jesus should believe that the laws
regulating the Jewish sacrifices and offerings ceased at the death of Christ,
if he could push them farther and make them believe that the law of ten
commandments also died with Christ. {EW 215.1}
I saw that many readily yielded to this device of Satan. All
heaven was moved with indignation as they saw the holy law of God trampled
underfoot. Jesus and all the heavenly host were acquainted with the nature of
God's law; they knew that He would not change or abrogate it. The hopeless condition
of man after the fall caused the deepest sorrow in heaven, and moved Jesus to
offer to die for the transgressors of God's holy law. But if that law could be
abrogated, man might have been saved without the death of Jesus. Consequently
His death did not destroy the law of His Father, but magnified and honored it
and enforced obedience to all its holy precepts. {EW 215.2}
Had the church remained pure and steadfast, Satan could not
have deceived them, and led them to trample on the law of God. In this bold
plan, Satan strikes directly against the foundation of God's government in
heaven and on earth. His rebellion caused him to be expelled from heaven. After
he rebelled, in order to save himself he wished God to change His law, but was
told before the whole heavenly host that God's law was unalterable. Satan knows
that if he can cause others to violate God's law, he has gained them to his
cause; for every transgressor of that law must die. {EW 215.3}
Satan decided to go still farther. He told his angels that
some would be so jealous of God's law that [216] they
could not be caught in this snare; the ten commandments were so plain that many
would believe that they were still binding, and therefore he must seek to
corrupt only one of the commandments. He then led on his representatives to
attempt to change the fourth, or Sabbath, commandment, thus altering the only
one of the ten which brings to view the true God, the Maker of the heavens and
the earth. Satan presented before them the glorious resurrection of Jesus, and
told them that by His rising on the first day of the week, He changed the
Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. {EW 215.4}
Thus Satan used the resurrection to serve his purpose. He
and his angels rejoiced that the errors they had prepared took so well with the
professed friends of Christ. What one looked upon with religious horror,
another would receive. Thus different errors were received and defended with
zeal. The will of God, so plainly revealed in His Word, was covered up with
errors and traditions, which have been taught as the commandments of God.
Although this heaven-daring deception will be suffered to be carried on until
the second appearing of Jesus, yet through all this time of error and
deception, God has not been left without witnesses. Amid the darkness and
persecution of the church there have always been true and faithful ones who
kept all of God's commandments. {EW 216.1}
I saw that the angelic host were filled with amazement as
they beheld the sufferings and death of the King of glory. But I saw that it
was no marvel to them that the Lord of life and glory, He who filled all heaven
with joy and splendor, should break the bands of death, and walk forth from His
prison house, a triumphant conqueror. Therefore, if either of these events
should be commemorated by a day of rest, it is the crucifixion. But I saw that
neither of these [217] events was designed to alter or
abrogate God's law; on the contrary, they give the strongest proof of its
immutability. {EW 216.2}
Both of these important events have their memorials. By
partaking of the Lord's supper, the broken bread and the fruit of the vine, we
show forth the Lord's death until He comes. The scenes of His sufferings and
death are thus brought fresh to our minds. The resurrection of Christ is
commemorated by our being buried with Him by baptism, and raised out of the
watery grave, in likeness of His resurrection, to live in newness of life. {EW 217.1}
I was shown that the law of God would stand fast forever,
and exist in the new earth to all eternity. At the creation, when the
foundations of the earth were laid, the sons of God looked with admiration upon
the work of the Creator, and all the heavenly host shouted for joy. It was then
that the foundation of the Sabbath was laid. At the close of the six days of
creation, God rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made;
and He blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it He had
rested from all His work. The Sabbath was instituted in Eden before the fall,
and was observed by Adam and Eve, and all the heavenly host. God rested on the
seventh day, and blessed and hallowed it. I saw that the Sabbath never will be
done away; but that the redeemed saints, and all the angelic host, will observe
it in honor of the great Creator to all eternity. {EW 217.2}
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