CHRIST CONQUERS or WHY CHRIST ROSE ON SUNDAY by Louis Were
( Excerpts by Obed Jensen )
When reading the Bible, two persons must always be considered- Christ, and His adversary Satan. Every chapter and verse must be read in the light of the conflict which rages between these two kings—representing two opposing kingdoms.
No sooner had the Son of God (working in conjunction with His Father) created this world, than Lucifer, the fallen angel, turned the cunning of his mighty intellect to the contemptible task or ruining what our infinite Lord had created.
From the time Satan introduced sin into the world he opposed God's redemptive plan—selecting the most essential features for the exercise of his most subtle and yet determined opposition.
His heavenly name was Lucifer, which means "Day Star." Is.14:12-14(margin).
Lucifer chose the ways of selfishness. Selfishness in any form unbalances the judgment—engenders pride,vanity and conceit, and a stubborn self-will. Thus a vicious circle is formed which, without grace, by the very constitution of things, can only become worse with experience and the passage of time.
Destroying Lucifer, without his THOUGHTS being revealed in ACTION,would forever destroy the possibility of heavenly harmony.
His method in heaven was to appear to be the light-bearer, even though leading in rebellion against God. On earth he follows the same course.
Satan had not long conquered man's will—thus bringing this planet under his control—when sin began to show itsel to be the hideous thing that it is.The first boy born into the Satan-controlled world followed the path of selfishness which seeks the DOMINATION OF OTHERS. Can demanded that Abel offer sacrifices as he willed. ALL SELFISHNESS IS POTENTIAL MURDER.
Cain in his selfish freedom was the slave of Satan; likewise all those who are unsurrendered to God. Lucifer—the light bearer— brought spiritual darkness to this world, but Jesus, the true light-bearer,"the Light of the World," came in His humble splendour—the glory of a pure and undefiled character—to bring everlasting light to those who follow Him.
Driven from the "garden eastward IN Eden" our first parents and their children worshipped God "at the east of the garden of Eden.'Mn worshipping God their backs would be to the east.
When self-willed Cain left home he turned his back upon the place where the Lord was worshipped and journeyed toward^ the rising sun. Gen 4:16. SPIRITUALLY,mankind has followed this easterly direction ever since.
From the early days of the human family, the sun has been worshipped, and has been the predominating feature in false systems of religion.
The sun,rising in all its splendours after the darkness of the night, instead of being the symbol of "the Light of the world," became the LITERAL object of worship by self-willed, and yet enslaved, man.
Rebellious man seeks to do his own will without restraint. The system of sun-worship gave man the avenue of escape, and enabled him to render homage to a supernatural being in a way pleasing to self-will.
Man loves to choose WHICH of God's commandments he will obey.Deliberate partial obedience is idolatry—placing self-will before God's will. Matt. 4:4
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Sunworship became that form of religion in which man was permitted to exercise his self-will by offering such worship as appealed to his selfishness, and rendering partial obedience, which gratified pride.
If a man can choose which commands he will obey, his will is supreme,above even God's will, for in choosing which Commandments he will obey he makes the desideratum not God's authority, but his own.
The Bible gives us the record of the selfish choice of Lot as an example of all self-pleasing. Gen. 13:5-13.
As the human family grew in numbers and spread over the earth Satan sought to establish a worldly empire further to the East--in Babylon.
In the city of Babylon, self-will was manifested in a system of religion which has exercised more influence upon mankind than most people imagine.
When God wished to oppose this system centered in man's selfishness (which is Satan's bondage), He called Abraham FROM THE EAST (Gen. 12:1-3), over to the land of Canaan.
Today, when people come out of spiritual Babylon and go to spiritual Jerusalem they go from a spiritual east just as anciently God's people came out of literal Babylon situated to the east of Jerusalem. The literal in the Old Testament provides the imagery which is employed in the Apocalypse.
Babylon, where sun-worship was established, became the Biblical name for Satan's false system of worship. Jerusalem in the west "A city of truth" (Zech.8:3),became the symbol of the true worship which is thus set in opposition to the erroneous system.
In Job's day sun worship was already entrenched in the East. Job 31:26-28. Sun-worship was practiced by .most of the eastern nations: Egyptians, Phoenician^, Hindu religion, Japan, even in Israel.
The worship of the sun was the most abominable and degrading of all idolatrous worship. It was often characterized by human sacrifices, by cutting and scouigj.ng, and by licentiousness that cannot be described.
Sun-worship and self-exaltation have gone together, following the example of its author.
It is a significant fact that whenever the Israelites forsook God's worship they immediately joined themselves to sun-worship. Judges 2:ll-13,etc.lKings 16:31-34. Visions were given Ezekiel revealing that the entire nation through its representatives had gone into this satan-planned religion.
Sun-worship with all its ramifications is declared by God to be devil-worship.
When the Israelites failed in its task to oppose Satan's work upon the earth, the church was set apart to oppose Satan's system.But, as Israel absorbed and fell before the very thing it was ordained tp defeat, so the church has largely fallen a prey to the designs of God's enemy. Many customs which are practised in the Christian church to-day had their origin in sun-worship--customs which were hoary with age when Jesus was born, and opposed to God's work in the times of the Old Testament, wherein they are condemned.
CHRISTMAS:
Thpeancients regarded December 25, Christmas Day, as the birthday of the Smn. It is certainly not the birthday of "the Sun of Righteousness." (Mai. 4:2)
Lucifer, the "Day Star," has bewitched people to honour him by honouring the day of which he is the author.
IN THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL THE CHURCH FACES THE SUN.
EASTER:
The origin of the term is found in ancient Caldean pagan worship.Easter and Astarte are one and the same;
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and Astarte was one of the titles of Beltis, whom the pagans honoured as the queen of heaven.In Ninevah the name was pronounced Ishtar.
LENT:
See Hislop's "Two Babylons" pp.lo3-107. Ez. 8:13-14.The women in this system of pagan worship,would first weep for the death of Tammuz, and then rejoice over his resurrection. God condemned them for this apostasy, and declared it to be a great abomination. So the whole season of Lent and Easter is branded by the Word of God as apostasy and displeasing to Him, and is condemned by Him.
Easter rabbity and dyed eggs were the definite signs of returning life frojn the queen of heaven. The egg was used as a symbol of fertility, or life, while the rabbit was a token of reproduction and germination.
THE CROSS:
History reveals that it was used thousands of years before the crucifixion of Jesus. It came from the Tau of Chaldeans and Egyptians--the initial T in the name of the god, Tqmmuz.Priests of sun-worship bore it on their person, and the vestal virgins of pagan Rome wore it about their necks.
See "The Two Babylons," pp.197-199.
In the early centuries of the Christian era, in the days of apostasy in the professing Christian church, the Easter services were arranged to that the supposed-resurrection day would serve to exalt Sunday observance. Fixed annual events like our birthdays, should go through the days of the week. But the remarkable thing is that, while Christ's supposed birthday falls upon a different day each year, yet His death and resurrection days are fixed to come on the same days every year!This natural sequence would have opened the eyes of many each year to the obvious fact that, as the day commemorating Christ's resurrection is an annual event, and falling upon a different day of the week each year, then Sunday, the first day of the week, would have no special significance when observed in honour of His resurrection.
Throughout the East sun-worship was practised under many names, but when sun-worship invaded Rome it was known as Mithraism.
In every way possible Satan has counterfeited the things of God and put himself in the place of the Lord.
Nature rightly understood speaks to us of the Creator.All through Scripture Christ is said to be the "Day-spring" or "Sun-rising."
Satan desires to take God' place in our worship and service, so that when rendering homage we shall actually be heeding Satan's will. This he does by substituting his will for God's will--by taking the things of God, and, with great subtlety, using them in his own service. That is, using the same things, but for a different purpose.
Satan has succeeded in turning the majority of professing Christians away from God's original Command (4th). This is done on the pretext that, because Christ rose on Sun-day, the 1st day of the wekk, God's law became obsolete, because it was supposed to have been nailed to the cross with the ceremonial law in which types and shadows pointed forward to the death of Jesus. There is nothing but Satanic sophistry in this contention. Such a view is positively unscriptural.
Many millions of God-fearing Christians have observed the 1st day of the week as the Sabbath, not knowing Satans machinations, and God has accepted their sincerity. But, in these closing days, when Satan's kingdom is to end, God designs that His people will become acquainted with the part that Sun-day has played in the past, and is destined to play in the terrific struggle which will bring earthly history to its close.
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As Cain murdered his brother because Abel refused to follow Satan’s altered way of worshipping God, so modern Babylon will demand all the faithful Abel’s (who stand strictly by God's Commandments) to worship God according to the will of Satan.
It will be selfishness which will order the death-decree upon God's commandmentkeeping people; but in accordance with Satan's subtlety, it will be represented under the guise of a benefit to mankind. The Jews slew Jesus Christ to save their nation. The same argument will be employed again.
The first use of a thing in the Scripture points to the last. The first occasion usually was something of a local nature; the last is that which involves the world.
Those who will persist in doing Satan's will, by continued observance of the false Sabbath, will eventually manifest the Satanic traits of character, and like Cain, will endeavour to destroy those who will not follow their way of worship.
The sun in the Bible is a symbol of Christ.Satan inculcated into the human race the worship of the sun. Idolatry is using something of God's in a way not ordained of God--and in a way that degrades God in the human mind; takes away God's glory, and renders one a subject of Satan. All false worship makes one a subject of God's enemy. Satan's deception lies in making LITERAL what God has set out as a SYMBOL.
Mai. 4:2 shows that a spiritual application was made in Old Testament times of the sun rising in the East. As the literal sun arose in the east and scattered the darkness, so Jesus arises and shines upon our spiritual darkness, and gives us light. 2 Peter 1:19.
In nature,all life is absolutely dependent upon the sun for existence. And so> all spiritual life depends entirely upon Jesus, "The Sun of Righteousness,"The Light of the World."
The final contest, as in Egypt, or at Megiddo, will be loyalty to God by abiding by His complete will--or following the deceptions of Satan. It will be either the seal,sign of God, or the mark of the Beast- the 7th day Sabbath, the sign of God's kingdom, or the 1st day,Sun-day, the mark of Satan's kingdom.
To accomplish the nefarious devices of Satan, Sunday was made the weekly festival of the sun god." The sanctification of Sunday," was one of the principle doctrines of the sun worshippers.
The 7th day of the week is the Lord's Day. Sun-day is Baal's day--Satan's counterfeit Sabbath.
Contrary to popular ideas, the Sabbath is mentioned 59 times in the NT, where it is still regarded as being as intact as when first made at creation. The first day of the week is mentioned onlyT 8 times in the NT--merely as an ordinary day of the week without any title whatever.
Rev. 1:10,Mark 2:8 show that the Sabbath (he 7th day) is the Lord's day.
There are two Lord's pressing for man's undivided devotion -one the Creator,the Lord of glory,the Maker of the Seventh-day Sabbath; and the other, a fallen creature, striving for the lordship of man-- the maker of Sunday observance.Both are called "Lord"--who will win the contest? The answer is given in the fact that Jesus Christ rose the first day of the week.
Standing firmly upon authentic historical data, the historian finds that Sunday was never anything but a solar holiday of heathenism until adopted into the church by leading ecclesiastics, some time after the NT had been written.
Like all other practices and rites from paganism, the change was a gradual one.
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The recognition of Sunday was common in all lands where sun worship was the religion. This was true for centuries before Christ was born.
Practically the whole Christian church kept Saturday as the Sabbath up to A.D.391. Shortly after our Blessed Lord rose upon the first day of the week- Sunday-Sa-tan aroused himself and exerted all his might to oppose the church of the Crucified and Risen One. This renewed sun-worship was known as "Mithraism."
Sun worship became the national religion in the Roman Empire.
"She (the Church) took the pagan Sunday and made it the Christian Sunday. She took the pagan Easter and made it the feast we celebrate..."THE CATHOLIC WORLD,
Vol.58,No.348,March 1894, p.809.
Seventh-day Adventists refuse to keep the Sun-day because, in doing so, they would dishonor God, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. There is a "Lord" behind the sin--that "Lord" is the self-willed Lucifer, the proud fallen angel,who contested for supremacy against the Lord of Creation. Because they love their Creator, Adventists refuse to follow the hypnotic sway of "the prince of this world," but rather, stand with the crucified Jesus--the despised and rejected of men--and worship God with their back turned toward the east; away from the "invincible sun."
Sun-day was the most important day in ancient Babylon's religious services,as it is the most sacred day of spiritual Babylon.
In the Book of Revelation is revealed ( as history also informs us) that the religion of Babylon, with Sunday as its holy day instead of the Bible Sabbath, was transferred from ancient Babylon to the Christian church, via Pergamos to Rome. Augustine once expressed the thought that Babylon was ,as it were, the first Rome, and Rome, as it were, the second Babylon. However, we should avoid the error of restricting "Babylon" of the Book of Revelation to Roman Catholicism.
In its broadest sense, all in rebellion against God are included in Babylon,Sa-tans'kingdom. All the churches that will persecute God's Sabbath-keeping people are included in Babylon.
Instead of hurling everything at the Roman power we shall have to be more comprehensive and include all rejectors of the 3rd Angel's Message.- GC 381,383,606.
In rising upon the day dedicated to the sun,Christ, the Lord of the Sabbath day, was opposing the work of the evil one. Jesus, in rising on the sun-day, proved His superiority over the sun god-Satan, and thul proved that He is the conque-ror--"the Invincible Lord."	?
When the Jews chose Barabbas--that illustrated the amazing madness of sin.
Sin is madness-- it is suicide.For six thousand years this has been demonstrated upon this earth.
The cross was the symbol of the moral corruption of sun worship.(Heb. 12:2;Eph. 5:12;Rom.1:18-32.
The "Author of Life" was hung up before the sun on the symbol of its worship and of its pollution. But God intervened and caused the sun to be darkened. Satan was not permitted to have a complete triumph over Jesus on the cross.
The temporary triumph of the evil one, and Christ's final ,complete and eternal victory, were predicted in the first prophecy ever given. See Gen. 3:15.
To make certain of his victim, the sun god had the grave of the mighty Redeemer sealed with the Roman seal- the Sigillum Solis, or seal of the sun. Matt. 27:66.
How could Christ escape?Resting the Sabbath day, as He did at creation, the Saviour waited the coming of the day dedicated to the "invincible sun." A trial of strength was coming. Soon would be revealed who was superior in the great struggle between right and wrong--between the Creator,Omnipotent and Wonderful, and the creature, might, but limited in power. The Sabbath passed. The day anciently de-
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dicated to the sun-god came, and, at dawn, wherever the sun was worshipped its devotees would be praying to the rising sun.
The Apollo of the Greeks was, perhaps, the greatest of all sun gods. The setting of the sun at nightfall is likened to the crucifixion, and its rising to the resurrection.
Sunrise was, and is, important to sun worship.
What time of the day did Jesus rise? Satan would be worshipped as the sun-god at sunrise--but long before sunrise Jesus had risen. The Roman seal-the seal of the sun- was broken long before the break of day.
Jer. 1:8-12: might be paraphrased thus:"You may be sure, Jeremiah, that I will be first upon the battlefield. When your enemy comes upon the stage of action he will find Me there, before him." And so it was at the resurrection; Jesus was there first, before the hour of sunrise.
We are not left to conclude for ourselves that, by His resurrection, Jesus triumphed over Satan the sun-god, for Paul was inspired to express this glorious truth: Col. 1:12-13,15.
He made an open show of them and triumphed over them by rising on the day dedicated to rebellion, and He rose before sunrise, the time particularly set apart for the highest point of that worship.
Christ's resurrection was not only a victory over death and the grave, it was a triumph over sin and Satan--over all that for which Satan's rebellion stood. Sin's wages is death--but sin was before death. Christ's death and resurrection brought victory to righteousness. Christ had conquered. He entered into the very stronghold of the evil one and had won.
God took things--the serpent and the cross-- belonging to Satan's sun-worship,
and used them in order to turn people away from anything belonging to Satan or sun-
worship.
Among the places of pilgrimage the tops of mountains are most esteemed,since the sun-worshippers believe that there they are closer to the heavenly gods,
The worship of the moon god Sin, which centered in Ur of the Chaldees was later transplanted to Mount Sinai,giving the mountain its name.It is significant that the mountain was chosen by God on which to proclaim His law, and that the word which in that language meant idolatry means in our language the transgression of that law. God struck sin in its citadel with His eternal truth.
The Lord proclaimed His law from Mount Sin-ai to point put sin, and to save us from the ways of Satan.	*
As God shook Mount Sin-ai and proclaimed His majesty thereon, so Jesus rose triumphantly on Satan's Sun-day in order to turn people from Satan and his worship.
1 Kings 18:17-40 tells the complete story of Elijah's challenge to meet the sunworshipping priests upon their own stronghold--the top of Mount Carmel."The invincible sun-god" was defeated upon the place of his strength! Defeated there, that people might turn from sun-worship.
Jesus rose on Sunday, thus demonstrating Himself to be Lord over the instigators of sun-worship--not that people should regard Sun-day as a sacred day, but rather, that they should turn from Satan's false system of worship.
Persons brought to view in the OT are TYPICAL of world-wide movements in the closing days of earth's history.Localitites in the OT are also applied in a worldwide way in the Apocalypse.
Things in the anti-typical application must stand together in the same relation as they did in the literal setting.
Rev. 2:20 applies Jezebel in an anti-typical sense.ALL THROUGH THE BOOK OF REVELATION ALL PLACES AND DESIGNATIONS ARE EMPLOYED IN A SPIRITUAL OR SYMBOLIC SENSE.
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Ahab is typal of the State that will enforce Sun-day keeping, to please the antitypical Jezebel, the apostate church.
Elijah and Jezebel clashed in Palestine--in the Megiddo zone. The anti-typical world-wide Elijah, the remnant church, will conflict with the anti-typical Jezebel, the world-wide apostate church, in the anti-typical Megiddo zone. The contest, then, was between Baal, or sun-worship, and the true worship of the God of Israel. Soon the contest will be between apostate religious leaders seeking to enforce the observance of Sunday, and the remnant church, which will stand for the true worship of the God of Israel.
Elijah’s message proclaimed God’s judgment against the apostate people.
Ahab, the king, representing the power of the State, was influenced by Jezebel to lead the nation into idolatry and disobedience.
The literal three and a half years of physical drought had its analogous period in this dispensation of the spiritual and invisible,the three and a half prophetic years of papal supremacy.
Elijah was fed miraculously during the drought. 1 Kings 17:3-16. During the time of the world's spiritual drought which will come after probation closes and also when literal hunger abounds, God's people will be fed by the hand of God. See GC 629.
God will preserve His people during the time the plagues are being poured out.
It was not safe for Elijah to be found within the sphere of the professing people of God. Christ, too, had to flee to Egypt, away from the people who professed to be God's children. Spiritual Israel will become outcasts from the religious world of Babylon.
As Satan turns things upside down (Is.29:16), he gives that which is spiritual a literal application, and so the anti-typical priests of Baal--Sun-day worshippers--will call down literal fire from heaven. Rev. 13:13.
Elijah was blamed for the judgments of God which came upon the disobedient sun-worshippers .
Jezebel sought to slay Elijah.
Elijah!s work was to restore the true worship of God.
Elijah was translated to heaven without dying. See PK 227.
Elijah's association with the number 3 in the Scriptures marks him in the Bible's numeric system as having a close relationship with the people of the 3rd Angel's Message. He was one of the 3 persons who were on the Mount of Transfiguration.
There are 3 accounts of the Transfiguration. On this occasion 3 miracle-workers who each fasted 40 days and 40 nights held converse together.
God chose 3 special periods in which He particularly revealed His power: through Moses and Joshua;later through Elijah and Elisha, the third couplet being Jesus and His apostles. These three periods mark the beginning of epochs in the history of God's chosen.
The fact that Moses fasted 4o days is recorded 3 times: Ex.34:28; Deut. 9:9,18.
Only by fasting and prayer are mighty miracles wrought for God.
Elijah prophesied that there would be three years drought. This fact is mentioned 3 times in the Bible: 1 Kings 18:l;Luke 4:27;James 5:17.
The final experiences which befell Elijah are also to be duplicated in the experiences of the remnant church--the anti-typical Elijah:
Elijah was threatened with death.
Elijah fled to the mountains.
God fed Elijah miraculously.
The prophets of Baal were slaughtered after Elijah had complete his work of declaring the true God before the people, and after God had revealed His supremacy. Elijah was translated shortly after the prophets of sun-worship were slain.
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The scenes of Israel's past history, recorded for the benefit of the remnant, concerned local happenings of a restricted nature; but those thus typified to befall the church are to be of a world-wide character.
The combined forces of Babylon will put forth great efforts to build a New World Order. The Papacy is exerting her power to establish nominal Christianity among the various governments of Christendom.While still having some form of belief in distinctive doctrines, but keeping them in the background, different churches are uniting in what they deem essentials in the aim to bring about lasting peace.
The one great doctrine upon which they will have perfect agreement as an essential to the Babylonian scheme of salvation by works, will be the enforcement of Sunday laws.
Satan's subjects although "united in one object...hate and was with one another."
1 T 346.See GC 614.
"Trade unions will be one of the agencies that will bring upon the earth such a time of trouble as has not been seen since the world began." E.G.White,GCB,1903,
p.200.
6 T 14- here we notice two ways in which "the spirit of war" is manifested,namely,nations fighting nations and the conflict over the Sabbath.
Armageddon is the world-wide destruction which will come to all those who "war" against God's law and His church.
More is coming upon the earth than a supposed -Palestinian Armageddon. See IT 363.
How Satan will lead the world during the time he has control of it, may be gauged by the way he swayed men's minds during the French Revolution. See GC 282-288,614. When the restraining hand of God is removed strife, bloodshed, and desolation will be "everywhere." The wicked will not combine in a successful peace movement but eventually will engage in a mad effort of mutual slaughter, each group striving for the mastery.
Men have not grasped all that God has written concerning the final scenes, but despite that, God has, even through the mistakes of men, been able to stir up the imagination of mankind to expect some colossal event for which they must prepare.
Too much emphasis has not been placed upon the coming of a titanic struggle between nations, but the mistake has been in applying as a Palestinian Armageddon those predictions which really concern the church being attacked by her enemies, and their world-wide destruction.
When probation closes all manner of troubles will accompany the outpouring of God's wrath.As Jehoshaphat and God's people were surrounded by their enemies and did not have to fight so will it be with God's people in the valley of God's judgment.Jer. 25:30-33.
Rev. 16:14 embraces the whole world. It is sin's greatest harvest. Ever since Satan began his rebellion all things have been leading to this great day. Satan, who pretended to be his fellow-creature's friend is revealed as the murderer of his fellows. Selfishness is shown to be the beginning of murder. Sin is suicide--a world in sin ends by mutual slaughter. Only a universe founded upon love to God and to man can live in happiness and harmony throughout eternity.
Lucifer, the light bearer, commenced his rebellion against God's law on the pretext of improving the status and conditions of his fellow creatures. In his final efforts, in leading the world to "war" against God, and in his attempt to destroy Christ's church he, at first, will hide his real intentions. The argument will be employed that the enforcement of Sun-day laws is necessary for the benefit of mankind, when, all the time, he will be seeking his own exaltation, and the destruction of the people of God.
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The Scriptures are God's love letter to His church, and, in considering the "
"peace and safety" cry, we should remember that everywhere the Bible, primarily, refers to "peace" as a spiritual matter--the condition of the soul before God.
Far too much of the word of God is interpreted as belonging to the temporal realms.The knowledge that God's supreme interest is in His church should be sufficient to cause us to read the Scriptures in the "church" sense first, instead of concluding that certain prophecies (such as Ez.38,39; Joel 3; Zech. 14; Rev. 16:12-16,etc.) refer to military and material things.
General conditions in the world will "wax worse and worse" (2 Tim. 3:13 ) until religious leaders will be constrained to put forth great efforts to stay the tide of corruption and trouble threatening to end civilisation. A prominent feature of the plan to "escape" the threatening "destruction" and to ensure a better state of society--to bring "peace and safety"—will be the enforcement of Sunday laws.
See GC 587,589,614 and 615.
While men are having their feasts, quietly as a thief, probation will close as on the night of Belshazzar's festival the bloodless hand wrote the doom of Babylon upon the wall of the king's palace.
The battle to be fought in the day of the Lord concerns God's people, for they are to prepare (not in a military sense) by growing spiritually strong to stand in the spiritual conflict. See Ez.l3:5; Is. 58:12-14 and Is. 30:8-13.
We see how the Bible makes it clear that Paul's statement,"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them," refers to the enforcement of Sunday keeping, soon to be followed by the judgments of God.
Rev. 19:19-20. The miracles which lead to the enforcement of Sunday keeping are the same miracles (wrought by evil spirits through the Dragon, Beast, and False Prophet) which lead the world to Armageddon. This indicates that Armageddon will come because of the enforcement of Sunday keeping.
The attempt to slay God's people because of their allegiance to the Sabbath is the prelude to the slaughter of Armageddon.
Throught the persecution and threat of death following the passing of stringent Sunday laws, Satan makes "war;on the remnant" but "Armageddon is God's battle"
(the battle ..of God Almighty) in which He intervenes on behalf of His people, and destroys those who have sought to slay them.
The crisis will come at the time of the 6th plaguy.
Sunday laws will be enforced ,with the death decree(penalty) for those who resist the miracles of Spiritualism by which Sunday will be shown as the day to be kept. This is the "war" against the remnant.
Armageddon then comes about by the miracles performed by Satanythrough Spiritualism, causing the whole world to unite to destroy God's people over the issue of the mark of the beast.
Armageddon will come to those who persecute God's people through the enforcement of Sunday laws.
Bearing the mark of Satan's kingdom--the kingdom of rebellion--the world will march in to "the conflict", the "war","the struggle","against Christ and His followers," and will meet their doom in the slaughter of Armageddon when God intervenes to deliver His people.
That Armageddon should be mentioned in connection with the 6th plague is not without its significance for, in Scripture, the number 6 is Babylon's number.
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On the 6th day of creation the serpent and man were created.
Since the fall,man and the serpent are shown in the Scriptures to be working together against their Creator.
The 6th commandment deals with murder.
Cain, the first man born into the world, was a murderer, and his genealogy ends with the 6th man.. See Gen. 4:17-18.
Cain , at the one end of that genealogy, killed his brother Abel, while Lamech at the other end--the 6th man in the genealogy--also slew a man.-Gen.4:23.
In Cain's genealogy is foreshadowed the history of mankind--Cain, tfye first man, murdered his brother because Abel would not worship God as Cain wanted. The 6th plague comes when Babylon has tried to kill the anti-typical Abels who worship God the way He has commanded. The power which will lead out in this work of attempted destruction is branded with the number 666- Babylon's number. See Rev. 13:18.
The 6th clause of the Lord's prayer deals with sin.
In the Bible 6 words are used for man--Adam, Ish, Enosh, Geber ( in the 0T) ;
Anthropos and Aner in the NT.
Six times Jesus was charged with having a devil: Mark 3:22; John 7:20; 8:48,52;
10:20; Luke 11:25.
The Flood came in the 600th year of Noahfs life.
The 6th person from the flood in the good line of descendants was Eber.
Eber was born 66 years after the floodin the 666th year of Noah's life; and it was during Eber's lifetime that the rebellion of Nimrod came to a head and the confusion of tongues (Babylon) began.
The image erected on the Plain of Dura was 60 cubits highs and 6 in breadth.
"The numeric value ( by gematria) of the words in Dan. 3:1 which describe the setting up of the image is 4462. The very figures are significant, but still more so are the feactors of this number--4462=7x666." NUMBER IN SCRIPTURE, p.285 by Rev. E.W.Builinger, D.D.
Then it was a literal image erected by the literal Babylonians; soon, it will be a spiritual image worshipped in spiritual Babylon.
The 3rd Angel's Message teaches the spiritual application in a world-wide sense, of that which Futurism limits in a literal way to the Jews and Jerusalem.
The truth of Armageddon will be readily seen by extending to it the same principle. It concerns Israel, Jer-salem, and the land of Israel, but in a SPIRITUAL, WORLD-WIDE sense.
The spiritual counterpart of the temple services has its applicationithroughout the whole world. Roman Catholicism, having its literal-wafer, literal water, incense, priests,etc. in a literal temple, misunderstands the gift of Calvary.
All branches of Babylon make literal what is intended by God in His Holy Word, to be world-wide and spiritual in application.
The Book of Revelation makes use of the historic pictures of the OT and employs them to depict the spiritual and final struggles of the church throughout the world. As the image will be worl-wide, so will be the Armageddon slaughter, which results from the attempt to destroy the spiritual Israel for refusing to worship the beast and his image.
The 3 faithful Hebrews who refused to bow to the image of Babylon, representsthe people of the 3rd Angel's Message who will refuse to bow to the spiritual image of the beast in spiritual Babylon.
The people in Babylon were to "worship the golden image" that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. This fact is stated 6 times--Dan. 3:5,7,10,12,14,18.
In the Book of Revelation the fact of worshipping the beast and his image is mentioned 6 times-- Rev. 14 :9,11:15:2;16:2;19:20;20:4.(13:14,15 do not mention the worship of the beast and his image).
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The 3 men of Israel who would not worship the image are mentioned 6 times: Dan 3:12,13,21,23,24,27.
There names are given 13 times in connection with the incident of the worship of the image.
They had no part in Babylon's (number 6)rebellion (number 13) in worshipping the image.
The word Babylon occurs 6 times in the Apocalypse.
The 6th plague is Babylon's plague and brings us to Armageddon,which is the 13th (the number of rebellion) time Megiddo occurs in the whole of the Bible.
And the word "dragon" also being found 13 times in the book of Revelation shows that Armageddon is God's answer to a war of rebellion.
Judas was the 13th man in the upper room, and lent himself to Satan's plan to kill Christ.In Judas, a professing Christian,leading the religious and pagan world to the betrayal and death of the Son of God, we see the work of the false prophet, which will lead the religious and worldly elements to war against the remnant church. The attack, however, will end in the slaughter of the world thus engaged.
In Esther the typital decree of death promulgated in the days of Ahasuerus, was issued on the 13th day of the month, and was the 13th year of the king Ahasuerus.
Satan( and under him, the beast of Rev. 13 etc.) is Gog of Ez.38,39.
The description given in Ex. 38-39 portrays the conflict between Christ and His church and Satan and his vast hordes. This is the conflict so often spoken of by the prophets, to which Ex. 38:17 makes explicit mention.
Apart from the direct evidence of plainly stated passages of Holy Writ, the same teaching is sustained By Bible numerics,which is the science of Biblical research which uses "word numbering",as well as the number of times a word or phrase may be mentioned in Scriptures. Word numbering is possible because in the Greek and Hebrew languages their system of counting depended upon the letters of the alphabet. Gematria is the name given to this word numbering.
The names of the Lord's people are multiples of eight, while the names of those who apostatised or rebelled or who were in any sense His enemies fre multiples of thirteen.	>
Satan in Hebrew equals 364 (13x28) and in Greek 2197 (13x13x13)	n
Ez.38:2- "The chiecf prince of Meshach (the title of God) equals 1222 (13x94). Ez.39:ll-"Hamon-Gog" equals 113.
"All his multitude" equals 156 (13x12).
The whole prophecy of Ez.concerning him( Ez.38:2 and 39:29) equals 204256 (13x 15712). The last portion 39:16-29 equals 55887 ( 13x4299 ).
Ezekiel's prophecy concerning "Rosh" or "Gog" is not a vision of Russia attacking the Jews in Palestine, but of Satan and his followers attacking Christ's church--spiritual Israel-- in all the world.
We emphasize again that the number 13 is used in Scripture for REBELLION.
At the dedication of Nebuchadnezzar's image, 6 kinds of music were used. Dan.3: 5,10,15.
When Belshazzar blasphemed the God of heaven, he praised 6 gods. Dan. 5:4.
The woman, representing the church of Babylon, is mentioned 6 times in Rev.17: 3,4,6,7,9,18.
Six things are associated with her dress in Rev. 17:4 and Rev. 18:16.
Six times Babylon's "fornication" is referred to: Rev. 2:21;14:8;17:2,4;18:3;19:2. The voices of 6 persons will not be heard in her again.
Six times it is said of the things of Babylon, that they shall be "no more at all." Rev. 18:14,21-23.
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The Greek word for abomination (bdelugma) occurs 6 times: Matt. 24:15;Mark 13:14; Luke 16:15; Rev. 17:4,5;21:27.
Babylon's Armageddon comes in the 6000th year of the world.GC 656,659.Then com mences the period of 1000 years which is mentioned 6 times in Rev. 20:2-7.This shows that the destruction is Babylon's.The whole earth comes under the Babylonian system of rebellion against God.
The old sun-worshippers wore an amulet, or charm, upon which was written an ingenious numerical device associating the number 6 with the number 666. The square of 6 is 36 and the sum of the number 1 to 36=666.
Throughout all Egyptian mythology the same numerical system was interwoven.
Every heathen god(Higgins) had the name of 666.
The religion of Egypt combining the solar disk and the sacred serpent became the religion of Rome. The ancient sun amulet, with the unique and mystic total of 666 was adopted as the Sigillum Solis, or Solar Seal.
In Dan. 2, the word"King", when applied definitely to Nebuchadnezzar,King of Babylon is used 39 times, or 3x13.
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of literal Babylon, was included in the head of the image, and the Pope, the spiritual head of spiritual Babylon, in the toes of the feet. That is,located iq Europe where the Image is represented as standing. Hence the connection of the 10 toes of the image with the 10 horns of the Papal beast in the closing scenes. Rev. 17:12-18. The 10 toes represent the divisions of the
fman Empire. This means that the image is represented as standing in Europe when rist,"The Rock of Ages,",strikes the toes of spiritual Babylon in the slaughter of Armageddon. Thus, "the storm centre," of God's wrath will not be Palestine, but Europe; or to be more exact: Roijie.
Babylon has its 3 sections,which, in the widest sense,include the whole world of sinful man working with the serpent or Satan. To interpret the 6th plague, where the downfall of Babylon is pictured, as applying to the ending of Turkey or the people living adjacent to the Euphrates, is to spoil the mathematical brand which the Holy Ghost has placed upon the world-wide Babylon all through God's Word.
In the Scriptures the number 8 is employed as the symbol of the Lord's resurrection and triumph over His enemies.
As Jesus was resurrected and triumphed over His enemies, so t;his power (Rev.13:3) is said to be resurrected to power. This resurrection to power before the millennium is a spiritual resurrection, whereas it will be a literal resurrection at the end of the millennium.	~
The first phace of Armageddon is a spiritual warfare (before the millennium);the second phase (after the 1000 years) will be a literal gathering "^o battle."
See GC 664.
The 8th millennium brings us to the time of the new world.
Christ's resurrection on Sunday made a certainty of the destruction of His eqemies at the end of the millennium.
The first day of the week is mentioned 8 times in the NT, but we are nowhere enjoined to observe that day as a holy day, or to honour that day every week.
The NT,wherein is recorded the resurrection of Jesus,was written by 8 different writers.
The symbol-the woman-of the church of Jesus is mentioned 8 times j.n Rev. 12.
The Babylonian impure "woman " of Rev. 17 is mentioned therein 6 times.
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The number of the name of the man who heads up Satan's Babylonian organisation is 666.
The number-of the name of Jesus is 888.
Circumcision was commanded by God to be attended to on the 8th day.The number 8 thus signified new life.
The NT connects up circumsion with baptism. See Col. 2:11-13.Rom.6:4,5. IPeter 3:20,21.
Eight souls who were saved to walk a new life in a new w-orld are connected up with baptism, the symbol of death to the old life and a resurrection to the new life in Jesus the "888" One.
The expression "Son of God" is mentioned 8 times in John's gospel.
The term "Son of Man" is applied to Jesus 88 times in the NT.
David,a type of Jesus, was the 8th son of Jesse.
Solomon, also a type of Jesus, was the 8th sop of David.
There are 8 steps into the new kingdom: Faith^Virtue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, Godliness, Brotherly kindness, Charity.
There are 8 things" mentioned as being in the new kingdom. See Col 1:16-20.
The Sabbath is mentioned 8 times in the Acts.
Seven days were occupied in the consecration of the priesthood, and, on the 8th day, they entered upon their work.
Jehovah made 8 covenants with Abraham: seven before Isaac was offered up, and the eighth when he had received Isaac "in a figure" from the dead.
The Lord Jesus was on a mountain 8 times;seven times before the cross,but the 8th times after He arose from the dead.
Abraham's sons were eight in number;but seven were born after the flesh, while one, the eight, was by "promise."
The first born was to be given to Jehovah on the 8th day.
The Bible contains the record of 8 individual resurrections(other than the Lord)
3 in the OT 3 in the Gospels 2 in Acts 9 and 20
Eight songs in the OT outside the Psalms.
The miracles of Elijah were 8 in number, his eighth was the dividing of the Jordan after which he was translated to heaven.Before God's dear saints are jtaken to glory the Jordan must first be divided--the power of death must be broken--and then will follow the entrance into Canaan's fair land, to ever be with the Lord.
"The Book of Life' is mentioned 8 times in the NT,which was written by 8 different writers, who wrote 8 times of the first day of the week-^tlie resurrection day!
In Rev. 1 eight quotations from the OT are used in exalting Jesus as the destroyer of His enemies and the Deliverer of His people:
1.	v.5- Is. 55:4
2.	v.7- Dan. 7}}3
3.	v.7 Zech, 12:10'
4.	v.8 Is. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12 4. v.ll- Is. 41:4; 44:6;48:12 3. v. 12- Zech. 4:2 2. v. 13-15 Dan. 7:9,13,22;10:5,6 1. v. 16- Is. 49:2
The Revelator employs the OT pictures of the conflicts of national Israel and her enemies to provide the descriptive imagery of the conflicts of the church of Jesus Christ with her foes.
E.G.White wrote concerning the Book of Revelation:-"This book demands close, prayerful study, lest it be interpreted according to the ideas of men...In the Revelation the deep things of God are portrayed."- Letter 16, Jan.27,1900.