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God’s Unchangeable Law, Part 6
The Mark of the Beast Enforced
Romanists declare that “the observance of Sunday by the
Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of
the [Catholic] Church.”—Mgr. Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of
Today, page 213. The enforcement of Sundaykeeping on the part of Protestant
churches is an enforcement of the worship of the papacy—of the beast. Those
who, understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the
false instead of the true Sabbath are thereby paying homage to that power by
which alone it is commanded. But in the very act of enforcing a religious duty
by secular power, the churches would themselves form an image to the beast;
hence the enforcement of Sundaykeeping in the United States would be an
enforcement of the worship of the beast and his image.
But Christians of past generations observed the Sunday,
supposing that in so doing they were keeping the Bible Sabbath; and there are
now true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic
communion, who honestly believe that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine
appointment. God accepts their sincerity of purpose and their integrity before
Him. But when Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall
be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever
shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher
authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying
homage to Rome and to the power which enforces the institution ordained by
Rome. He is worshipping the beast and his image. As men then reject the
institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority, and honor
in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they
will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome—”the mark of the beast.” And
it is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are
brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men,
that those who continue in transgression will receive “the mark of the beast.”
The most fearful threatening ever addressed to mortals is
contained in the third angel’s message. That must be a terrible sin which calls
down the wrath of God unmingled with mercy. Men are not to be left in darkness
concerning this important matter; the warning against this sin is to be given
to the world before the visitation of God’s judgments, that all may know why
they are to be inflicted, and have opportunity to escape them. Prophecy
declares that the first angel would make his
announcement to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.” The warning of the
third angel, which forms a part of the same threefold message, is to be no less
widespread. It is represented in the prophecy as being proclaimed with a loud
voice, by an angel flying in the midst of heaven; and it will command the
attention of the world.
In the issue of the contest all Christendom will be divided into
two great classes—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of
Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark.
Although church and state will unite their power to compel “all, both small and
great, rich and poor, free and slave” (Revelation 13:16),
to receive “the mark of the beast,” yet the people of God will not receive it.
The prophet of Patmos beholds “those who have the victory over the beast, over
his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the
sea of glass, having harps of God” and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Revelation 15:2, 3.
The Great Controversy, pp. 448-450
Next part: Sabbath Reform in the Last Days
All Scriptures are quoted
from the New King James Version, including those originally quoted by Ellen
White from the King James Version.—Editors
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