FRIDAY MORNING MANNA
Biblical Numerology: NUMBER THREE- Part XLIII
Historical Precedent on How Image of Beast will be Formed
See Revelation 13: 11-17. Not too long ago, in 1888, a national religious crisis unfolded in the land of the free presaging what will be the real final national crisis that will result in the final global crisis, completely fulfilling the remaining end-times Bible prophecy. The image of the beast will first be formed followed by the enforcement of the mark of the beast. We will address this important event in more detail in the next issue. First:
National ruin follows national apostasy by a three-fold union
“Righteousness exalts a nation. But sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14: 34.
“The people of the United States have been a favored people; but when they restrict religious liberty, surrender Protestantism, and give countenance to popery, the measure of their guilt will be full, and ‘national apostasy’ will be registered in the books of heaven. The result of this apostasy will be national ruin.
“By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf [that once separated them] to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism [founded upon Satan’s first lie that the soul is immortal, Gen. 3: 1-3], when, under the influence of this three-fold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous workings of Satan and that the end is near.” – E. G. White, Maranatha (Devotional), Review & Herald Publishing Asso., p. 216.
No, the final crisis will not be war between China and America or a Third World War in the order of the First and Second World Wars, or the “war on terror” or between Islamists and Christians as most mainstream believers think since their end-times scenario of the Battle of Armageddon is based on Futurism and even bolstered by the seemingly incontrovertible proof of the bloodbath of the al Queda, Taliban, ISIS, Boko Haram, etc., as well as allegedly radicalized “lone wolves.” What strangely isn’t emphasized is that these “radical Islamists,” as they are called, are not only “butchering” Christians but their own fellow Muslims perceived as “apostates.” Jesus Christ said “A kingdom divided cannot stand.” Matt. 12: 25-28; Mark 3: 24, 25; Luke 11: 17, 18.
If the Moslems are really seeking to have one caliphate and install sharia law in the western world, as they have been depicted by Bible-ignorant journalists and media, their efforts to do so are producing the exact opposite results. They are self-destructing, not strengthening. But is this the real reason of this recent conflict? No, as much as it being made out of it.
Apostate Christianity’s “Sharia law”
First, “Sharia, Islamic shariah or Islamic law,” according to Wikipedia,” is the religious legal system governing the members of the Islamic faith. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam, particularly the Quran and the Hadith. The term sharia comes from the Arabic language shari ‘ah, which means a moral and religious law derived from religious prophecy, as opposed to human legislation . . . . The concept of crime, judicial process, justice and punishment embodied in sharia law is different from secular law. The differences between sharia and secular law have led to an ongoing controversy as to whether sharia law is compatible with secular forms of governments, human rights, freedom of thought, and women’s rights.”
Now, how about the Jewish Sanhedrin’s religious laws during Jesus’ time versus Roman law and God’s law? Jesus told the religious leaders of the Jewish nation, His own people, “You have made of no effect the law of God by your traditions, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Mark 7: 6-13. What about the ecclesiastical laws of the Church of Rome versus the Constitutional law of the republic of America and God’s immutable law of Ten Commandments? Are there similarities? Indeed. Prominent among them are separation of church and state powers, freedom of thought, religious liberty, freedom to worship God according to dictates of conscience. The following clearly reveal Rome’s unchanging attitude toward the most fundamental principles of Americanism:
Christian Edwardson, in Facts of Faith, in the chapter Americanism Versus Romanism, Southern Publishing Association, Nashville, TN, 1943, pp. 256, 257, 258, wrote:
“Some say: What of it? Are not Roman Catholics as good as Protestants? Yes, certainly they are. As individuals they are loved and respected. We, however, are not speaking of individuals, but of a church organization that claims certain rights of jurisdiction over civil affairs, and whose avowed principles arediametrically opposed to liberty of speech, liberty of press, and religious liberty in general, as understood by the founders of this republic and incorporated into its fundamental laws. This we shall now prove (1) from official Catholic documents, (2) from the actual application of their principles to civil government.
“OFFICIAL CATHOLIC DOCUMENTS. Pope Leo XIII, in an encyclical letter, Immortale Dei, Nov. 1, 1885, outlines the ‘Christian constitution of states,’ by saying that ‘the state’ should profess the Catholic religion, and that the Roman pontiffs should have ‘the power of making laws.’ ‘And assuredly all ought to hold that it was not with singular disposition of God’s providence that this power of the Church was provided with a civil sovereignty as the surest safeguard of her independence.’
“He says of the Middle Ages: ‘[then] Church and state were happily united.’ – ‘The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII,’ pp. 113, 114, 119. Benziger Press. 1903.
“’Sad it is to call to mind how the harmful and lamentable rage for innovations which rose to a climax in the sixteenth century [The Reformation], spread amongst all classes of society. From this source, as from a fountain-head, burst forth all those later tenets of unbridled license . . . . Amongst these principles the main one lays down as all men are alike by race and nature . . . . that each is free to think every subject just as he may choose . . . In a society grounded upon such maxims, all government is nothing more nor less than the will of the people . . . And it’s a part of this theory . . . that everyone is to be free to follow whatever religion he prefers, or none at all if he disapprove of all . . . Now when the state rests on foundations like those just named—and for the time being they are greatly in favor—it readily appears into what and how unrightful a position the Church [of Rome] is driven . . . They who administer the civil power . . . defiantly put aside the most sacred decrees of the Church [not by Christ].’ . . . The sovereignty of the people . . . is doubtless a doctrine . . which lacks all reasonable proof.’ – Id., pp. 120-133.
“The theory ‘that the church be separated from the state,’ Pope Leo further calls a ‘fatal error,’ ‘a great folly,’ a sheer injustice,’ and a ‘shameless liberty.’ –Id., pp. 124, 125.
“In his next encyclical letter, of June 20, 1888, he calls it ‘the fatal theory of the need of separation of church and state,’ ‘the greatest perversion of liberty,’ and ‘that fatal principle of separation of Church and state.’” – Id., pp. 148, 159.
“In his letter of January 6, 1895, he says: ‘It would be very erroneous to draw the conclusion that in America is to be sought the type of the most desirable status of the Church, or that it would be universally lawful or expedient for the state and church to be, as in America, dissevered and divorced . . . She would bring forth more abundant fruits, if, in addition to liberty, she enjoyed the favor of the laws and the patronage of the public authority.’ – Id., pp. 323, 324.
“Among the many authorities that could be cited, we have chosen that of Pope Leo XIII, because he is not a medieval, but a modern exponent of papal doctrines, which no Roman Catholic would deny. Anyone familiar with the phraseology of the Declaration of Independence and the Federal Constitution cannot help but see in the expressions of Pope Leo a declared opposition to the fundamental principles upon which our government is founded. He urges his followers not to be content with attending to their religious duties, but ‘Catholics should extend their efforts beyond the restricted sphere, and give their attention to national politics.’ – Id., p 131. . . .
“Especially with reference to the so-called ‘Liberties’ which are so greatly coveted in these days, all must stand by the judgment of the Holy See.’ – Id., p. 130. NOTE: The Bible says: “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Rom. 14: 10.
“In his encyclical letter of January 10, 1890, on ‘The Chief Duty of Christians as Citizens’ (id., pp. 180-207) he urges all Catholics to put forth united action in politics in order to change the governmental policies so as to bring them into harmony with papal principles.” . . .
“These are the exact statements of Pope Leo XIII, taken from his authentic records, published by the Catholics under the seal of the Church; and they show that the Papacy stands for the same principles today as it did in the Dark Ages. How truthfully the Pontiff says: ‘And in truth, wherever the Church has set her foot, she has straightway changed the face of things.’ – Id., p. 107; cited by Edwardson, Facts of Faith, pp. 259, 260.
As prophecy clearly reveals and true world, church, and American history bears out, it will be fanatical and radicalized Christians against commandment-keeping Christians. As the type and precedent, Adventists often refer to “the 1888 crisis,” some with a clear sense of what happened, others, vaguely, some even absolutely clueless as to what it was all about.
There were two great events taking place then. Suffice it to say that it was the so-called “rejection of the righteousness by faith” messages given by Jones and Waggoner during the Minneapolis General Conference simultaneous to the prototypical final Sunday law crisis prompted by the introduction to Congress of the Breckenridge and Blair Sunday Law bills that year. While the former is thought to be exclusively an Adventist issue, a deeper analysis will show that the two were inextricably interrelated and was a national religio-political crisis that could have shortly led to the final global religio-political-financial crisis had the special message for that time been accepted. It evidently was not and in God’s love and mysterious long-suffering mercy towards all, He held back the four winds of strife described in Revelation 7.
Oldest history of great controversy between Christ and Satan will be repeated
“The miracle-working power manifested through spiritualism will exert its influence against those who choose to obey God 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 those who refuse to accept this 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.[Rev. 12: 7-9]. 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 Roman Church. It has professed to act as the vicegerent of Heaven, while seeking to exalt itself above God and to change its law.
Under the rule of Rome, those who suffered death for their fidelity to the gospel were denounced as evildoers; they were declared 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 judgments upon the world.
“God never forces the will or the conscience; but Satan’s constant resort—to gain control of those whom he cannot otherwise seduce—is compulsion by cruelty. Through fear or force he endeavors to rule the conscience and to secure homage to himself. To accomplish this, he works through both religious and secular authorities, moving them to enforcement of human laws in defiance of the law of God.” – E. G. White, Great Controversy, 1911 ed., Southern Publishing Asso., pp. 590-592.
Here’s the clincher: “The Christian world will learn what Romanism really is, when it is too late to escape the snare.” – Ibid, “Aims of the Papacy,” 1884 edition, p. 397.
(To be continued next week)