The Great Controversy
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 38: The Final Warning
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In every generation, God has sent His servants
to rebuke sin in the world and in the church
as did Elijah and John the Baptist.
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"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. {GC 603.1}
This scripture points forward to a time when the
announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of Revelation
14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with the additional mention 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 defiance of the warnings which God
has given, they will continue 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 [604]
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. {GC 603.2}
Of Babylon, at the time brought to view in this prophecy, it
is declared: "Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered
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
heaven, 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, constitute the final warning to be given to the
inhabitants of the earth. {GC
604.1}
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. {GC 604.2}
With the issue thus clearly brought before him, whoever
shall trample upon God's law to obey a human enactment receives 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 [605]
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. {GC 604.3}
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 opportunity 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. {GC 605.1}
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. {GC 605.2}
Heretofore those who presented the truths of the third
angel'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 persecute those who keep the commandments of God, have
been pronounced groundless and absurd. It has been confidently declared that
this land could never become other than what it has been—the defender
of religious freedom. But [606] 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. {GC 605.3}
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 Bible. 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 utterances 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 people were compelled to hear the
warning. {GC 606.1}
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 listen who have never heard words like these. In
amazement they [607] hear the testimony that Babylon
is the church, fallen because of 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 fables,
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 message as of Satan and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to
revile and persecute those who proclaim it. {GC 606.2}
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 under 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 commandments of God.
Thus light will be brought before thousands who otherwise would know nothing of
these truths. [608] {GC 607.1}
Conscientious obedience to the word of God will be treated
as rebellion. Blinded by Satan, the parent will exercise harshness and severity
toward the believing child; the master or mistress will oppress the
commandment-keeping servant. Affection will be alienated; children will be
disinherited and driven from home. The words of Paul will be literally
fulfilled: "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12. As the defenders of truth refuse to honor
the Sunday-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 control 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. {GC
608.1}
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 partaking 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
address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive 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. {GC 608.2}
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 [609] 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 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. {GC 608.3}
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 history of
the church have each been marked by the development of some special truth,
adapted to the necessities of God's people at that time. Every new truth has
made its way against hatred 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 [610] have
nothing to do with consequences. They must perform their duty and leave results
with God. {GC 609.1}
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 sharper, 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 nonessential,
to gain the favor of the world. The Lord whom we serve is able to deliver us.
Christ has conquered the powers of earth; and shall we be afraid of a world
already conquered?" {GC
610.1}
Persecution in its varied forms is the development of a
principle 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 temptations.
When these do not succeed, then a compelling power is employed to force the
conscience. {GC 610.2}
But so long as Jesus remains man's intercessor in the
sanctuary 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 statesmen who fear
the Lord are influenced by holy angels to oppose such propositions with
unanswerable arguments. Thus a few men will [611] 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. {GC 610.3}
The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third
angel'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 every 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 these are to be exceeded
by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel. {GC 611.1}
The work will be similar to that of the Day of Pentecost. As
the "former rain" was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit 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
former 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. {GC
611.2}
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The great work of the gospel is not to close with less
manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which
were fulfilled in the outpouring of the [612] 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 therefore, 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. {GC 611.3}
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 believers. 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. {GC 612.1}
The message will be carried not so much by argument as by
the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented.
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
comprehending 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. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large
number take their stand upon the Lord's side. {GC 612.2}
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