Dragon's Revenge

There’s a spiritual battle going on. The controversy between good and evil has raged since the first moment evil entered the world. And though it’s easy to recognize that truth playing out around us, many don’t realize that it has a face. It’s not just principles we are seeing; there’s a leader who embodies the principles heading up both sides.

The face of evil is described in scripture as “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan…” (Revelation 20:2). The constellation Draco, curled around the North Star, depicts the fire-breathing dragon that has troubled the nations throughout history. He has been the archenemy of peace throughout Earth’s long, dark ages.

The way he’s described as “that old serpent” is an obvious reference to the garden of Eden story where Satan first tempted the human family through the serpent, after which it came to represent him symbolically. Verses such as Ezekiel 28:1-19, Isaiah 14:12-20 describe further details of Satan’s fall and the principles of his character, showing that he was an exalted angel who rebelled.

Though many don’t wish to believe such an evil force exists, it’s a well-grounded understanding with abundant biblical and anecdotal evidence to support it. If you give the idea a fair chance, you may find it can help make sense of many things that are happening in our world.

For those who aren’t sure about the existence of spiritual beings such as God or angels, we thoroughly explored overwhelming scientific evidence for the scriptural viewpoints in book one of this series, Nautical Allegories of Scripture. Discussion of this can be found at my article, “Does God Exist,” and several of my other articles on the same website discuss related topics (such as the accuracy of scripture, plausibility of Noah’s flood, etc.

Geological evidence overwhelmingly supports the biblical account that teaches of an unseen spiritual world, in how it’s inconsistent with the theory of long ages. For example, at the current rate of erosion, all of Earth’s continents would have dissolved within the first ten million years of the supposed 4 billion years of evolutionary history. Though plate tectonics might have pushed up some land mass, we shouldn’t see geological layers claimed to be billions of years old. All of that should have washed away eons ago. God has been given a bad rap by extremists and those teaching false doctrines, such as eternally burning hellfire, but he is loving and moderate.

It’s short-sighted to dismiss the idea of unseen beings, especially in light of how many scientific discoveries have demonstrated new elements of the universe are being revealed that we previously never knew existed. God has not allowed us to discover the spiritual realm with equipment or technology. He has kept it hidden until the end of the age, when all things will be revealed at his visible coming.

The temptation and fall of man in the Garden of Eden is described in Genesis 3 as the backdrop for Earth’s early history. Many of the same factors involved at the fall are at the root of problems in today. And in our time, we are witnessing the culmination of the battle between good and evil that began in Eden.

Revelation 12 offers one of the most important nutshell glimpses of the history of this cosmic struggle between good and evil, which can help us understand the reason for the tragedies and troubles we see in our everyday lives. Verses 3-9 describe him as “the dragon,” depicting him as the epitome of evil and the mortal enemy of all goodness. Verses 7 through 9, KJV, say:

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”  

Verse 12 says, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” From these verses, we see the picture emerging of a silent enemy hiding in the shadows, an evil force lurking beneath the waters of humanity, seeking to spread desolation wherever he can.

As the centuries have rolled, the dragon has had time to mature his plans for maximum destructive impact on Earth and to harvest souls for his kingdom. Draco’s nearness to the North Pole depicts the sinister ambitions of Satan to ultimately take over the world and cast Earth’s masses of vulnerable people under the dark shadow of tyrannical cruelty.  

Phantom 

With trembling hands the mastermind nervously rubs his chin, his eyes scanning back and forth as he tries to devise a plan. He and his followers have recently lost everything. Imagine their mournful cries echoing through the formless Earth when Satan “was cast out into the earth, and his angels… with him” Revelation 12:9. 

His loyal followers must have reproached him and each other as their disappointed hopes began to sink in, realizing they had lost heaven and had been deceived into thinking evil could win over good. At least that’s how I imagine it may have been.

To save face with his followers, distract himself from his own despair, and continue his goals of being worshiped as God, he schemed to gain a foothold in this new territory by tempting the first human beings. Like a mad scientist trying to take over the world, he worked feverishly, pouring over his research in efforts to develop ways to deceive and degrade humanity. 

After Satan lost Heaven he was allowed to live on Earth and have access to Adam and Eve through The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. As he nursed his grudge against God, he plotted to tempt the human family to disobey and depart from him. He seeks revenge against the Creator by seeking to blot out his image from humanity in every way he can. Through his efforts, he has gained for himself the status of public enemy #1 and is quietly responsible for all wars, abuse, and murder throughout the earth.

The Phantom of the Opera depicts a sinister character who, behind a mask of anonymity, controls Earth’s theatre stage. Satan is the man behind the mask, and few realize it. So, let’s leave the dank caverns of Lucifer’s symbolic hideout and return to street level, where we can see the effects of what he’s doing all around us. 

In America, as all over the world, people are living fast lives, spending money, and driving hard but not even taking time for the most basic precautions in life, like wearing seat belts or helmets. I’ve seen firsthand some of the fallout while working on hospital units and in the emergency department. Debilitating STDs, stabbings, drug and alcohol-related crashes, suicide attempts, and overdoses are among the conditions that result from Satan’s continual efforts to tempt and degrade human beings created in God’s image.

On Earth, and in America, it’s an unending drama of sad stories every day. Satan is the phantom of this opera. He orchestrates things from behind the scenes through his powerful influence and far-reaching connections to create conditions that will maximize temptation and break down people’s protections. He does everything he can to minimize the family support systems and financial security to keep people from living happy and healthy lives.

Under Satan’s influence, the world is becoming increasingly lonely and dangerous. He is seeking to destroy us for sport and entertainment. His sentiments are expressed in the song “I Kill Children” by the rock group Dead Kennedy, which sings “I love to see them die… And make their mamas cry… Crush ‘em under my car…I wanna hear them scream.” 

…This is a guy who does not love you. 

He’s not even loyal to his friends. You can follow him our whole life and he will only desert and destroy you for it. He tries to play it smooth and come across as a friend only to gain people’s trust so he can find some way to hurt them.

Since his plans are only for his own personal benefit, to feed his ego and his thirst for power and settle old grudges against God, he must work under the false pretense of friendship or goodness of some kind. Often he promotes his principles under a pretense of progress or “beneficial” advances that ultimately lead to ruin. Many readily accept his empty promises and chase the mirage of imagined personal gain. Others are his captives through fear or coercion and lack the courage to break free.

Satan does his work in such a way that you would never know he’s the one responsible. He’s a master of disguise and a smooth operator who is good at covering his tracks. He disguises himself as an angel of light to the gullible and to those who are blinded by ambition for worldly success. 

Though most people love to hate villains, Satan is the one we love to love, albeit unknowingly. Every day we love the sweet little lies he tells us. We listen to and repeat the deceptive ideas he whispers to our hearts, without understanding their true source. Humans are so easily fooled by the charismatic façade he covers his monstrous nature with.

Originally a beautiful angel, he’s not a heinous-looking creature with red eyes and cloven hooves. Though his character has now diminished his beauty, he can appear in many forms and avenues of temptation, both seen and unseen. 

Yet Satan is not to be feared. The weakest soul who clings to Christ for protection is more than a match for him. You can refuse him by clinging firmly to God and choosing not to fear him or accept his temptations. Then he must leave you alone.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Yet part of resisting him is to avoid activities that could invite his presence. This is something that many people haven’t thought about simply because they don’t realize there’s a battle going on between good and evil involving unseen beings.

Yet for spiritual safety, because of our weak human condition and the coercive nature of demons, it’s important to avoid mysticism, psychic readings, horror media, “ghost” stories, seances, etc. Most occult or pagan practices open avenues of the mind that allow demonic entrance. Any kind of meditation that seeks to empty the mind can also allow evil entities to gain access to the control centers of the mind.

Satan is seeking to reveal himself and approach people, thus he is behind many popular practices that allow him to gain the access to us. Ghosts and aliens top the list of imaginary ideas that invite demons. When people believe the dead have ongoing consciousness or float around haunting people it allows demons to deceive by pretending to be ghosts. This is why it’s so important to understand the Bible correctly. 

Throughout history to the present day, many people have talked face to face to demons who they mistakenly believed to be their dead loved ones. Just as humans can record and playback someone’s voice and visage, demons can too. Satan has access to technology far in advance of anything humans are capable of and thus can impersonate people. The Bible is clear that the dead know nothing and are merely resting in the grave, awaiting the resurrection (Ecclesiastes 9:5; John 20:17; 2 Timothy 4:8). The Word of truth is our safeguard against deception.

As an indicator that ghosts are demons, consider why people would be afraid of them. If we aren’t afraid of people who are alive, why should we fear them after they die? Why would they act any different than they did when they were alive? Why would they “haunt” or do weird things to scare us? If “ghosts” were some kind of energy, spirit, or essence of a person that remains, they should cause no sense of fear. 

It’s because they are not people at all, that they scare us. “Ghosts” are demons seeking to deceive and gain control of our minds. We naturally fear them because we are aware of that on some level. They can also gain entrance to our minds through fear because it’s a form of worship. This is why satanic influence is often manifested through various forms of fear to try to intimidate people. 

Although it’s only natural to feel somewhat afraid, which won’t necessarily allow him access to our minds, if we submit to believing he’s stronger than God, it can allow him to work. We must resist and refuse him in Christ’s name. We can defeat Satan by refusing to fear in the power of God’s strength, as scripture commands. 

In having met people all over the US, I known many who believe in or think they have seen “ghosts.” Nurses have told me stories of those they have seen, some of which look like patients that died, etc. Others have talked of “ghost cats” that supposedly jump on people, or beautiful “children” that appear out of know where. Though, when possible, I’ve tried to find ways to help them understand the truth about this, people are often infatuated by flirting with the supernatural and slow to understand our true enemy.

When fear is seen as a form of entertainment it opens the mind to satanic influence. Fascination with the paranormal can place us in a dangerous position. Mind-altering substances can also cause people to let their guard down and open the mind to the influence of demonic forces. This may explain, in part, why people sometimes go into go into drunken rages.

But evil spirits can work through a variety of emotions that aren’t always easy to recognize. Unkindness, pride, selfishness and any attitudes not inspired by Holy Spirit may be influenced by evil forces. These can be seen in those who claim to be religious, even. Pride was the original sin when Satan admired his own beauty and turned from God (Ezekiel 28:17). Yet, under his influence, it has become so common on Earth that people scarcely recognize it as evil anymore.

Second Corinthians 11:14 says that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. Demons can appear as angels to deceive people into thinking they were communicating with messengers from Heaven. Living in a world inhabited by fallen angels, we must know who our enemy is and remain spiritually guarded while seeking to understand principles of scripture and stay connected with God.

Satan’s plans to influence humanity to join with his rebellion against Heaven have thus far been successful, to the point where he has become the god of this world. We worship and acknowledge him as our leader when we live by his principles, whether we consciously realize it or not. 

Like the fruit of the tree in Eden, Satan artfully mixes good with evil. Though few would buy anything pure evil, his mixtures sell like hotcakes. And people see them as medicinal rather than poisonous, going to great lengths trying to prove the good elements justify every evil thing. 

In heaven, Lucifer made accusations of unfairness against God’s government and convinced many of the angels God was not to be trusted and that he had a better plan. So, God wisely gave him a chance to show what he had in mind and what it was he thought would be better. This is how it turned out. Broken lives, ruined homes, mass shootings, and societal unrest. 

The nature of Satan’s kingdom is seen in pollution, decimated resources, and ruined lives. He’s jealous of God and bitter toward all he has created. As Revelation 12:12 reveals, he plans to finish destroying everything he hasn’t already. Although his plans are meticulously organized, his only real purpose is…

Revenge.

""Satan ranks his earthly followers into an order of authority levels that seeks to influence everything from daily life to world events. This system represents him and carries out his work of desolation. Known in scripture as Babylon, Satan’s earthly kingdom cooperates with him to perpetuate rebellion against God.

Isaiah 14 depicts Lucifer as the king of Babylon. Though its ultimate downfall is predicted in scripture, the kingdom an extensive network that has played an influential role throughout history and will persist until the end of time on Earth. To understand Babylon and its principles we must consider its origins, as described in the Bible. Genesis 10 and 11 provide clues in describing its first king;

“Nimrod... began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel...” Genesis 10:8b-10

The original word for “mighty,” here, is gibbor, which implicates a warrior, tyrant or champion. The context of the discussion of him and his kingdom could suggest he was doing more than just hunting animals for food. He was likely also a tyrannical warrior and leader. Further clues to his character are seen through the kingdom that was under his influence, as described in chapter 11;

“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:1-4

The spirit of what those builders were doing is revealed when you understand it was in disobedience to God’s command in verse 9:1 to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”  Replenish, here is “maw-lay’,” Strong’s Concordance number H4390, which also means to “fill.” God was asking them to scatter out and fill the Earth, making communities and nations where they could have individual freedoms and room to work the land.

Instead of following God’s instructions, they sought to build a mega metropolis. Their overreaching pride is apparent in how it says describes their purpose being to make a name for themselves and to make a tower “reaching unto heaven.” The chapter goes on to describe how they tried to build the tower, but God intervened by confusing their languages to scatter them all over the Earth.  

The story chronicles humanity’s first attempt to form a one world government. God’s plan was to allow freedom of conscience and honor the structure of families and nations but Lucifer’s self-ambitious tyranny inspired Nimrod and the builders of Babel to seek centralized control. This ancient example reveals Satan’s plans to gain restrictive, tyrannical control over all the Earth. This is why the unfinished tower symbolizes the kingdom of Babylon.

Babylon is also symbolic of false religion through the idolatry of worshiping people as gods. This was another natural result of centralizing control over the masses. Though long dead, Nimrod has been worshipped through the ages as the sun god, along with his wife, Semiramus, and son, Tammuz. This connection establishes a relationship between sun worship and Babylon that continues in modern times under different guises.

We find consistency between elements of the Tower of Babel and some modern organizations with occult/Luciferian connections. There’s more than one organization comprising symbolic Babylon today, but scripture predicts these elements will ultimately come together as a one world government. It will have a central command through which affairs will be coordinated, which could only be described as the serpent’s throne.

There’s abundant evidence that societal leaders are cooperating with Lucifer to take steps toward the fulfillment of this plan, as seen in the multitude of occult symbols found throughout government and media productions. Insidious efforts to form a one world government controlled by a centralized power are referred to as the “New World Order.”

NWO planners make it evident they are in cooperation with Lucifer through the use of symbolisms and numerology in both governmental decisions and media messages. They often work through the upper levels of secret societies such as the Illuminati and Free Masonry. 

It was with great sadness that I first began to recognize the evidence for the occult agenda in my own country. And, over the years I’ve come to conclude that it requires objectivity and courage to be willing to recognize such symbolisms. It’s far easier to bury your head in the sand and accept the explanation of established institutions.

Yet, at the same time, I am not condoning the kind of superstitious extremism that becomes obsessed with conspiracy theories and sees a devil under every rock and tree. Many official stances are correct and reflect important guidelines that should be cooperated with. Just because some things involve governmental conspiracy doesn’t mean everything does. It takes prayerful consideration and discernment to find the truth and walk the fine line of wisdom.

Those who honor God as their creator will be both rational and gracious, neither worshipping earthly leaders as gods nor hatefully rebelling against them. We have holy examples of people like Moses, Daniel, and Joseph to guide us in relating to earthly governments without becoming corrupted by them. 

So, with the precaution of maintaining an objective and prayerful spirit, let’s consider some possible connections between modern society and Babylon of old. The first thing to note is that mankind’s behavior and goals are overall similar to those ancient citizens. Perhaps because of the naturally sinful desires that effect people in our sinful state, the ambitions of human beings run closely in harmony with lucifer’s plans. 

As a consequence, you find many of the same sentiments prevailing in modern society when people conglomerate into cities and build skyscrapers to make names for themselves. Worshiping man as God goes without saying, with rampant celebrity worship and high regard for leaders and “professionals.”

Big business and monopolies result in financial difficulty for small businesses and farms as well as environmental degradation. As a result, hordes of people abandon communities to look for work in cities. Globally, they often end up living in slums with squalid conditions. Immersion in urban culture also tends to lead away from religious beliefs and moral values. 

The cancer of urban development that slowly degrades humanity and breaks down rural communities is no coincidence. It bears the signature of the mastermind, Lucifer, who is carrying out plans he begun in Babel of old. He is working behind the scenes to orchestrate spiritual influences that keep people from knowing God and allow him more control over humanity. He shares his plans with societal leaders who are willing to cooperate with him for the personal benefits and worldly honor he offers them.

You can see traces of this alliance through occult symbols hiding in plain sight throughout society. One key symbol we’ll review here is the sun symbol. It represents Lucifer/Satan as the false light (Illuminati), the god of this world, as it represented Nimrod as the god of ancient Babylon. 

Although, sun symbols may sometimes also be used innocently by entities that have no connection with secret societies, in more prominent places with other cryptic figures and phrases, we can be certain they likely represent luciferian symbolism. The sun combined with the All-Seeing Eye atop a pyramid on the US $1 bill is one such example. 

Also note how the pyramid looks like an unfinished tower of Babel. The unfinished stone pyramid links to Free Masonry, whose key symbols are related to block laying that harkens back to the tower of Babel. Through such symbols the builders of modern Babel affirm sympathy with ancient Babylon and with Lucifer as the leader of the New World Order. 

Lucifer’s original desire was to rule in the place of God, which hasn’t changed in the passage of time (Isaiah 14:12-13). But instead of through principles that uplift and dignify humanity, he rules through crushing oppression that disallows freedom of conscience. Those who cherish similar desires are in sympathy and cooperation with him, whether they realize it or not. 

Because association with Lucifer and his agenda is unethical and undesirable to most, those who promote it must work in secret. They operate behind the scenes through deception under a guise of false Christianity. Pretend goodness is the perfect hiding place for Lucifer’s plans, since few will recognize how sinister they are.

Revelation 13 depicts the entire world organized under one ruler over earthly governments toward the end of time. A leopard-like beast is given “power…and great authority” by the dragon (Satan), and speaks blasphemous things (claiming to be God). He is given authority “over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” It goes on to say that “all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him,” (Revelation 13:8, 9) and he will make war with the saints (vs. 7).

The context of Revelation 13, and other verses in Daniel and Revelation about the same power, provide clues identifying the Vatican as the modern-day organization though which Satan will accomplish this purpose. 

With churches often represented as women in the Bible, the scarlet woman of Revelation 17 is said to be Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots. She matches the riches, pagan idolatry (identified as harlotry in Hosea 4:12), and history of Christian persecution of the Vatican. 

Verse six describes her as drunk with the blood of saints and martyrs of Jesus. Verse nine describes her seat as being on seven mountains, linking to the seven hills of Rome, the city in which the Vatican sits. Verse four describes the opulence, gold, and precious stones she’s adorned with. Verse 18 describes her as a city that will rule over the kings of the earth.

Occult symbols identify the Vatican as the modern-day Babylon as well, revealing its purposes to be in cooperation with Lucifer. The serpentine features of the Paul VI Audience Hall, from which the Pope gives addresses, are just one example. The entire building is shaped like a viper’s head with eyes and fangs on either side of the papal podium, and a sculpture of creepy skulls behind him. St Peter’s Basilica also has serpentine black columns. 

Behind a “nice ol’ guy” image, the papacy teaches serious errors, falsehoods, and blasphemy. Though quieter in recent times, the Roman Church dominated governments throughout history and held Earth’s masses in bonds of ignorance and terror. It’s crimes against humanity numbered in the millions of those tortured and martyred. Even in modern times Catholicism promotes blind obedience to rituals, which hinders the development of mind and character. People are taught to obey the Pope as infallible rather than develop critical thinking skills. 

Some might see papal domination as a good idea, since the Vatican has tried to promote a father figure image of their leader. But how “good” can one be while claiming divine infallibility and titles that apply to God alone, like, “Your Holiness,” “Holy Father,” and “the Vicar of Christ.” And the failure to recognize a virulent force behind a benevolent front is the very nature of deception.

It’s a dangerous game to give undue reverence to any mortal, since it puts unlimited power in their hands. Especially if he were elevated to global rule, as we have seen in the church’s bloodthirsty history. It ruled the dark ages with oppression and coercion that could only be described as satanic. And, as the serpentine symbolisms suggest, it is through this institution that Satan’s ultimate plans for revenge against God and his people will be manifested.

Though there are many sincere Catholics who are serving God the best they know how, the institution itself is not so innocent. The works-based religion it teaches combines pagan mythologies with watered-down biblical ideas. It promotes a powerless religion that fascinates the senses with matterialism and idolatry rather than spiritual strength through faith in God.

It’s easy to see how in choosing an English-speaking, American as Pope, the Vatican is seeking to bring American hearts closer to Rome. And with the image of moderation they’ve taken on many issues, the Pope could soon be seen by many as the answer to Earth’s political problems. Especially in America, where people on both sides feel unheard and are becoming desperate with frustration.

The papal role of pretend moderation may soon appeal to both sides, resulting in people looking to him for guidance in their political squabbles. Yet papal wisdom is just a façade, and history warns of how Vatican tenants will result in a repeat of the same persecutions that darkened history. It will work with the fury of a dragon to implement global restrictions disallowing freedom of conscience.

Despite its Christian claims, Catholicism has done more than any other organization to sew discord in society, promote false doctrines that make God seem tyrannical, and block access to the vital truths of scripture. Catholicism is the dark force in Earth’s history that prophecy indicates will rise again in the end of time.

And why wouldn’t the Vatican still be trying to regain world power? Although it has taken on a friendlier face in modern times to gain people’s trust, that doesn’t mean it has changed. In fact, one of their stated principles is that they never change. 

Though it may not appear to have much chance of becoming a major world power again, the same Bible that accurately predicted the rise and fall of kingdoms such as Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome (Daniel 2, and 7) prophesies that the Vatican will rise to global leadership during apocalyptic times prior to Christ’s return, and that the US will have a hand in restoring it to that position (Revelation 13). Though it took a deadly wound that crippled its power, historically, it is depicted as healing (Revelation 13:3) and will come to power again. The CATholic church is a leopard crouching, ready to pounce on its opportunity to regain world power.  

Notable historical figures who identified the Roman Catholic Church as the Antichrist or as fulfilling Biblical prophecy include Isaac Newton, King James, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wycliffe and John Knox. Though Protestantism is now kissing the popes ring, true Christians have nothing to apologize for.

…With Luther we must protest.

God’s answer to the Pope is found in 1 Timothy 6:1. There is only one Potentate, which the Pope, as a sinful mortal, must answer to someday:

…the blessed and only Potentate (is) the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:1

Krampus

With these things in mind, let’s consider Santa Clause for a moment. Could it be pure coincidence that a white-haired father figure sitting on his throne blessing children has been promoted throughout society? When you consider his attributes, together with the history of world domination and goals of the “universal” (Catholic) church, it becomes clear that Santa’s role may be to promote societal acceptance and worship of…

… the Pope.

Doing an image search for “Santa Pope” pulls up pictures of the pope dressed in a red velvet cape with fuzzy white trim. Some even have him sitting on a throne, “blessing” children who are brought to him. Many popes have dressed like Santa Clause at different times througout history.

Though you may have thought Santa was just a harmless holiday figure, would you still think so if you knew it could be a form of propaganda intended to condition you into accepting the Pope as leader of a coercive one-world government?

Reflecting this theme, humorous scenes from the Christmas movie, “Elf,” seem to foreshadow the papal role in end-time events. Through this book series we’ve been considering cultural revelations that depict eternal truths and biblical themes. The accuracy of the analogies is often so close to biblical truths that it can be said to have been nothing less than the hand of Providence guiding their development. For more information about this, see the article:  Scripture Study Concepts

The first scenes of the movie depict obvious messianic symbolisms when Buddy comes out of the Christmas bag like a gift. The true Santa, there, is a depiction of God the father (though Santa can also be seen as a picture of Christ, see John 14:9; Revelation 1:14, 19:13). The scenes of Buddy growing up taller than those around him reflect how spiritually advanced Jesus was from his companions in his earthly life. His trek from the North Pole seems to represent how he came to our world from God’s kingdom. His love for syrup and sugar seems to represent his human kindness.

But in taking on his nature, Christ’s followers assimilate to his likeness and also become strangers on Earth (1 Peter 2:11-12). In that sense, Buddy represents Christians. The scene of him ripping off fake Santa’s beard matches the scene of Christine ripping off Erik’s mask in Phantom of the Opera. Buddy’s astonishment at the audacity of someone pretending to be Santa and his statements, such as “You sit on a throne of lies,” etc. are reminiscent of Luther’s 95 theses. This scene reflects the role of God’s people in unmasking end-time deceptions.

How the department store Santa becomes angry and wrestles Buddy down, chasing him around the room and whacking toy cities to try to get to him, could reflect coming papal persecutions against God’s people through enactment of societal restrictions. Buddy holds his own and fights back, continuing to charge him with being an imposter. 

But we see a sinister tone in the fake Santa says to Buddy, “Oh ya? How’d you like to be dead?” This seems to reflect an eventual declaration of a death penalty against those who remain faithful to God in the face of false religion. It will not ultimately be carried out, however (Isaiah 26:20-21, 25:9; Revelation 3:10, 7:14).

In the greater sense, this scene is a comedy nutshell version of the controversy between good and evil that has played out throughout Earth’s history. In that sense, fake Santa represents Satan, who’s original sin was in uplifting self and trying to usurp God’s throne. Now he works through earthly institutions to uproot people’s affections toward God and fix our admirations on mere mortals. Through honoring his followers, who reflect his charismatic likeness, people pay homage to Satan himself.

But this occurrence isn’t by default. A dark secret behind the white-robed religion of Catholicism is that it honors Lucifer. References venerating Nimrod, Semiramus, and Tammuz, though the names of the original idols have been changed to Joseph, Mary and Jesus, confirm idolatry as the basis of the religion and link as continuing the Babylonian religion that started with Nimrod. These concepts were combined with a historical day of sun worship, the winter solstice around December 25, to create the Christmas holiday…

~

“Now you’ve probably wondered where holidays come from.  If you haven’t, I’d say… it’s time you begun” ~ Intro to the Nightmare Before Christmas

~

Not that I recommend watching horror movies, but I reference this to make a point. Not only should we think about where holidays come from, but also where they are going. The Christmas holiday is a signal example of how widespread and successful papal propaganda can be at implementing societal changes, and a preamble to the repeat of historical horrors in the end times. Christmas is a compound of Christ Mass and is inherently a Catholic mass. Worldwide reverence for the holiday pays allegiance to the Catholicism and allows it to gain an increasingly stronger foothold in society.

While many wish to believe the spirit of Christmas is all about goodness, this premise thinly covers the indulgent and materialistic sentiments inspired by the season. The deep reverence people have for the holiday reflects how well Satan can manipulate us through warm fuzzy feelings and harvest our sacred associations by mixing good with evil.

The history of the holiday as a continuation of solstice observation also makes it so that even non-religious observations of Christmas align with the Catholic agenda to embrace pagan revelry. Its observance arose from Saturnalia, a festival that promoted chaotic excess. The inspiration and origins of Santa Claus were inspired by Krampus, a horned demon who rewarded “good” children with gifts and whipped, kidnapped, or ate “bad” children.

His character reflects themes of violent enforcement of social compliance that are true to the Vatican’s nature. Through Krampus we see a glimpse of persecutions against sincere believers who refuse to comply with Catholicism’s influence, past and future. While the Vatican tries to promote a jolly ol’ image, Krampus is hiding behind the façade, awaiting its chance to rule the world and punish those who think independently.

Krampus themes reflecting evil characters trying to eat benevolent ones are also reflected in the Trolls movie (2016). The Bergen’s Trolstice holiday matches Christmas in how it started as a celebration of the winter solstice. In the movie, the Trolls reflect heavenly values of kindness and social harmony while the Bergen’s are unhappy except during that holiday, when they can eat Trolls. This shadows the cycle of excitement, indulgence, and disappointment that often accompanies Christmas and can erupt in “biting people’s heads off” with sharp words or unkind actions.

These themes also connect with how persecution may quickly arise against anyone who dares to choose another path, regarding holidays. And this kind of thing demonstrates how the “spirit of Christmas” is more about obligatory social conformity than true kindness. Though we must try to live at peace with everyone, we have the right to practice our beliefs and stand up for freedom of conscience, in spite of social consequences.

But in saying these things I’m not suggesting we should never be involved in anything related to Christmas or other common holidays. As with most things, moderation is important as well as spirit and motivation. My viewpoint is that we shouldn’t strictly refuse to acknowledge Christmas or refuse to participate in anything to do with it, but we must be careful to avoid getting absorbed into it and asert our right to keep it simple.

Personally, there are times when I may attend a general Christmas gatherings, share few simple gifts, or sing Christmas songs, especially when I feel the people involved with the functions are trying to be kind in the best way they know how. Nevertheless, when people start getting harsh or demanding about their expectations for holidays it’s typically my signal to withdrawal or avoid involvement because my viewpoints are not being respected. 

And, yes, that can lead to Christian persecution, the same battle that has been fought throughout Earth’s history. But it’s better to make the choice for Christ and find peace than to be manipulated. Still, we must avoid getting caught up in controversies and strive for harmony, despite our differences, whenever possible (Romans 12:18). Many may be won over to peace and love through our patience, as well as through seeing our example of courageous independence.

There are many simple holiday substitutes you can provide that are in better accordance with Christian values, to avoid leaving a vacuum that could draw people toward prevailing holiday traditions. John 10:22-23 speaks of Jesus attending a festival during winter, and Old Testament holidays also focused around various seasonal celebrations, to celebrate the bounties of God’s provision. A nice substitute to Christmas can be to simply celebrate “winter fest” as a season of thankfulness for the beauties of winter in God’s created world, with accents of forest green, pinecones, candles or lights, and red bows, while avoiding specific focus on solstice or worldly indulgence and excitement.

“Grandma, what big eyes you have…”

Did you know Santa’s watching? 

Not once a year, he comes day by day.

Unexpected, but near constantly,

Making a list and writing things down,

That’s why you’ll find him hangin’ around.

Right there lookin’ over your shoulder,

Didn’t you know, he’s your big brother?

He’s not watchin’ for good behavior,

Or bearing gifts to give to the poor.

Of this Santa you’ll want to be ware…

This is more like a Christmas nightmare.

~

Few have any idea how comprehensive the Dragon’s plans are for revenge against Christ in seeking to bring down the ideologies he taught. The relentless zeal with which the pharisees followed him in his day provides a glimpse of how Satan has followed every development of Christianity throughout the ages. And, true to his nature, he has enlisted the help of earthly supporters, not just by influencing their spirit but also through direct cooperation. 

If Santa represents the Pope, you might be surprised to learn that ambassadors reflecting his likeness could be sitting in the pew beside you or even preaching from the pulpit. One of the Vatican’s best kept secrets is their widespread influence through Jesuit infiltration. Though the idea often elicits laughter, it is quite extensive. What we’re talking about is a stealth order of master deceivers who are skilled at leading people astray and sewing dissention in both religion and politics.

Though they’ve sought to create a better image for themselves, Jesuits are historically the cruelest order of deceivers and assassins. They have pledged themselves to absolute, unquestioning obedience to the Rome and surrendered themselves to the power of Satan. They must take an oath pledging themselves to a mission of destruction and division.

The Jesuit’s purpose is to infiltrate society and churches so they can undermine and wreak havocfrom within. They are seeking to stamp out Protestantism, democracy, and freedom of thought in every form to counter the reformation started by Martin Luther. They are known for extensive infiltration of every level of society for the purpose of promoting the Catholic agenda. They’ve had an energetic hand in shaping the history of Europe and the Americas and have not disappeared through the passage of time. On the contrary, they have proliferated in the void of awareness about their existence. Although it is rarely discussed, the problem has become so pervasive that those who make light of it could be in danger of going down in history with those who didn’t believe in germ theory.

Paul’s warning in Acts 20:29-31 gives direct, prophetic warning about these false teachers, saying; “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” This warning mirrors the words of Jesus, when he said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-16

Second Peter 2:1 says, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

One day little red riding hood went into the house of God to visit her grandma, the church…

This is what the devil has been doing while you were sleeping… Jesuits have infiltrated society on nearly all levels representing both the conservative and liberal extremes, for the purpose of dividing to conquer. Lucifer and his compatriots are vigilant and do not slack up. Right in our midst, unnoticed by most, the Jesuit infiltration is creating a veritable zombie apocalypse. 

My awareness of this didn’t at first come from any outside sources. I simply started noticing strange and inconsistent behavior among some pastors and church workers, in combination with the frequent use of satanic symbols. Since then, I began to study the problem more deeply and have found it to be astonishingly pervasive. 

Historical evidence indicates that Jesuits have been active in nearly all religions and governments, with many having been responsible for inciting the wars of Europe, South America, and Mexico, as mentioned by Abraham Lincoln and other notable people. Lincoln is quoted as having said that even the US Civil War was influenced by Jesuit efforts:

“…The true motive power [of the civil war] is secreted behind the thick walls of the Vatican, the colleges and schools of the Jesuits…They have continued in a silent, but most efficacious way, to spread their hatred against our institutions, our laws… and our liberties in such a way that this terrible conflict became unavoidable between the North and South… it is Popery that we owe this terrible civil war… I would have laughed at the man who would have told me that before I became President. But Professor Morse has opened my eyes on that subject… Our people are yet ready to learn and believe those things, and perhaps it is not the proper time to initiate them into the dark mysteries of hell… Sooner or later the nation will know…And then those who have caused those desolations and disasters will be called to give an account.” ~Abraham Lincoln

This is what they are still doing and why the idea that America could be brought back under Vatican rule is not so far-fetched. Nevertheless, the best way to detect this type of thing, to avoid being deceived by it, is to keep your eyes on Jesus. Only when you behold the true gold will you begin to recognize the fool’s gold. 

Following, I will share some conclusions from my studies of the subject. According to my observations, Jesuits seem to be both men and women from every ethnic group. Some of the most effective ones seem to come from ethnic groups that you would never suspect of having Vatican connections. For example, you might picture a Jesuit as being Italian or European from Rome rather than Asian, Filipino, or black. They also seem to have grown up right beside you. These are not outsiders that snuck in on an overnight flight from Europe. They are fluent in local language and culture, though some may have foreign accents if they are immigrants.

Nevertheless, their behavior bears the marks of intentional deception. For example, I’ve noticed some who seem to go to painstaking efforts to “model” false religion by living in direct opposition to what they teach. It seems to be done in a purposeful way that tries to ensure people will notice their walk is different than their talk. With communication being 60% non-verbal, this leaves ample room for deceivers to negatively influence God’s people without saying anything unacceptable. Satan can gain the upper hand simply by setting a bad example.

While it’s true that ordinary people make mistakes and sometimes struggle to live by what they believe, it’s not usually something they showcase. What I’m talking about is when something feels almost intentional, as if to draw attention to the fact that they are doing what they condemned. For example, when someone preaches a heart-rending sermon against spending too much money and immediately follows it up by inviting the church to his exorbitantly expensive home to show off his rich toys. 

Thought that alone might not be reason enough to think someone could be a Jesuit, when a pattern of such things are noticed along with the use of occult symbols, there’s reason to question whether the person might be a deceiver. Mention of occult connections, use satanic symbols, masonic hand signs or paraphernalia, off-hand references or stories about connections with Catholicism could be cause for concern. As sad as it is, we shouldn’t just assume everyone has worthy intentions. 

At times I have noticed occult symbols being used in publications or artwork which are out of context with the presentation. Though a Christian might put satanic symbols in a book that specifically talking about satanism (in context), Jesuits might work those symbols or hand signs into the front cover of a book about health. 

Many of them also seem to have worldwide ministries, yet others are relatively low-profile. Of the younger ones I’ve noticed, some have a charismatic “eye candy” image through which they try to encourage lustful thoughts through flirtation. They seek capture undue admiration for themselves and their families, subtly shifting the focus away from Christ and onto themselves. They take advantage of people’s social needs as a way to gain loyalty and trust.

They may have strange inconsistencies in their stories, things that don’t add up. Like saying a piece of complex artwork featuring subtle satanic symbolism was done by their toddler. Again, they are going for the “wow” factor to try to harvest undue admiration. It’s true that some children are precocious, but what we’re talking about is noticing a pattern of evidence. 

Inconsistencies in financial status are another red flag, when someone seems to have money far in excess of what’s typical for their age, background, and work circumstances.  Of course, there are be people who have resources through inheritance, but when multiple unusual factors like this are found in combination with subtly deceptive behaviors and occult symbolisms, it’s reason for concern.

Before reading the quote by Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, above, I had noticed that some individuals seem to be methodical in their efforts to stir up strife, model disobedience, argue for divisive extremes, and gain charismatic followings to emotional power over people. But they are also smart enough to know how to back off to avoid being detected for who they really are. Thus, they also sometimes try to “play moderate” and try to blend into the crowd. 

Some of them seem to play through time factors, biding their time quietly to build a trusted following over decades before they start to show their true purpose. After years of coming across as firm and reliable they will switch sides and take some positions opposite of what they were known for. Thus, they carry followers with them into apostacy. This is why our first allegiance must be to Jesus, and we must understand the Bible for ourselves, rather than put our faith in pastors and public figures.

They also seem to promote some of the most insidiously artful ideas that are difficult to argue with and can catch people off guard. Yet, you can still counter them with scripture if you study and pray for wisdom. Another pattern to watch for is “confusion.” They may say or preach things that make you feel confused and unsure of what they really mean. Remember that “Babylon” is a reference to confusion which defines its very nature. Confusing people is one of the primary deception methods of Satan. Jesuits are masters of using mixed messages to introduce their “doctrines of devils.” 

For example, when the first 30 minutes of a sermon matches the essential components of secular humanism, making you squirm in your chair with a pressing sense of obligation to “just try harder” in human strength, then the pastor finally gets around to throwing in a few cliché’s about Christ’s power to help and save. The mixed message leaves people feeling confused and spiritually powerless. 

Whatever the subject, if you gave an uneasy gut feeling that it sounds like worldly ideologies, do not ignore that, even if they come back around later and start seeking to make more sense. It could be your clue that something deeper is going on. The serpent speaks with a forked tongue, out of two sides of its mouth. If someone seems to have a message promoting both good and evil, or if they say things that don’t make sense and then come back to smooth it over, (when consistently noticed, along with multiple other signs, as noted)…

…you could be dealing with purposeful deception.

What we’re looking for here are not ordinary Christian mistakes, like most people make, or typical inconsistencies of logic. We are looking for signs that someone could be a smooth-operating, cold-calculating professional deceiver. Then, and only then, should you be concerned. And you would think that would be rare, but it’s unexpectedly common.

Another example of doublespeak is when you see a documentary supposedly about Bible prophecy, but you notice how it makes Rome look like a glittering fairytale kingdom. Then, if you look carefully, there are scenes of the presenters quietly doing some kind of occult ritual within it.

If projects seem to have unusually amazing technology that makes you say “wow!” or you can’t imagine how one person could have so much technical know-how or financial resources, in combination with several other occult indicators, you might need to question things.

The Vatican has nearly unlimited resources and funds, though wrongfully gained. Promoting amazing or spectacular productions can lead people to feel jealous or inadequate, or to quietly admire human talent instead of being uplifted by the message. This is part of the doublespeak as well, attempts to create a different impression than what the presentation claims to be about.

I’ve seen dangerous behaviors modeled as well, without offering precautions. Fleshly lusts and earthly ambitions of every kind are encouraged, even while being spoken against, because that’s how Satan can gain control over people’s minds. He can control society when masses of people are under his influence.

Another tactic I have noticed seems to be long wait times. A group leader may bring a group of people together for a meeting, meal, or practice event and just make everyone sit there doing nothing at all for hours with little explanation. People start feeling tired, hungry, and frustrated because they are under a sense of obligation. I’ve noticed this on several occasions with people who had shown many other strange occult clues.

A twist on the same type of thing is making people feel obligated to stay late at night for long meetings, sharing testimonies or prayers. Very early or all-night prayer vigils and fasting events, or making people feel expected to overextend themselves and their time and money toward things. They are often trying to exhaust the good intentions of Christians and make Christianity as noxious as possible, at the same time that they constantly tempt you to thoughts of lust, envy, and self-inadequacy.

Again, it’s true that genuine Christians may do some of the same activities and sometimes start late or stay late, etc. but Jesuits do it to wear down Christians and abuse their good intentions, hoping to make them feel empty and exhausted and ultimately discourage the practice of Christianity altogether. And they do it all with a big smile on their face, in such a way as to seem very spiritual on the surface level. People typically love them with undying devotion because of their charismatic influence.

For these reasons, I believe people should quietly excuse themselves from meetings in which nothing is happening and go home with perfect peace in their hearts. People have busy, difficult lives and no one should force an entire group to sit doing nothing in uncomfortable circumstances. People also need to get off the roads at a decent hour and get to bed. We shouldn’t feel obligated to stay at someone’s house late just because someone refuses to get the meeting started, even if people are still praying and sharing testimonies.

But we can expect guilt trips, especially if they really are Jesuits. They may say things like “The Holy Spirit was poured out after you left,” or embarrassment and manipulation tactics. While it’s true that this type of thing may happen by the Holy Spirit’s leading, it’s also true that many things done in the name of the Holy Spirit are not as genuine as they may seem. And God respects our need for sleep and to care for our families in the little bit of time we have off work.

Be careful not to make a scene or openly rebuke anyone you suspect of practicing deception. They are masters of turning it back on you to make the group think of you as impatient, uncooperative, or insincere. They will come out smelling like a rose while making you look like the dissenter. We must practice caution and patience with such individuals. Outbursts of impatience or impassioned speeches will not fix this deeply intractable problem.

Watch for hand signs. Once I was at a meeting where an evangelist raised both hands above his head and flashed a double devil’s horn sign that lasted only a millisecond. I was quite sure no one had noticed it but me. He was extremely popular and trusted in conservative circles with a prophecy-focused message yet portrayed a celebrity image. People just took his words at face value and failed to consider any other clues. There were several catholic connections and occult clues that I noticed about him as well.

Other satanic hand signs to watch for include the “OK” sign, which means 666, pointing the fingers together, inserting one hand into the shirt, or almost any weird gesture which is purposefully displayed or published in artwork. Again, this needs to be accompanied by many other clues about the person. Not just someone that you disagree with or who takes a controversial position, or someone who makes any of these hand gestures, but when it accompanies repeated clues and indicators of jesuit behavior.

Many people “talk with their hands” and make gestures as they speak, which doesn’t indicate occult connections. But when hand signs are emphasized the main snapshot of a production, or being done on along with other possible practices of deception, it could be cause for concern.

We must keep in mind that it could damage an innocent person’s reputation and ability to minister to wrongly charge them with being a Jesuit. Occult hand signs can be done by accident. That’s why they are called “occult,” because they are secret messages that mimic ordinary gestures. 

Yet it’s also true that if any such individuals were suspected of evil, they would probably play the “sob story” game, pretending to be unjustly crucified. Their ability to gain sympathy and cast accusations back on anyone who questions them is unsurpassed.

We don’t have to know what the hand signs mean, necessarily, or spend a lot of time dwelling on those kinds of dark symbols, etc. But we should just be able to recognize some of the major ones or at least realize that you should think carefully if you see a pastor, Bible worker or church member making hand signs or notice strange symbols on their publications and ministry introductions. Catholic connections through names or universities, odd rituals while wearing black clothing, visiting catholic shrines in the middle of the night, even for historical reference, are examples of other things should be considered red flags.

Though some try to hide behind conservative facades, others take an opposite stance and seek to bring people’s values down through a tactic of social obligation. They may create situations where everyone is made to feel that they are expected to eat or drink a certain thing to avoid spoiling the fun. They won’t let you get away from quietly doing your own thing; they will try to create embarrassment and harassment of some kind, though subtly.

Sometimes this is done through public gift giving where a person is made to feel expected to accept, use, eat, or wear whatever it is they are known to have convictions against, to avoid appearing ungrateful. Pressure and/or put-downs are used to try to keep that person from influencing the group in an uplifting way.

This is why we must be ready to stand alone, and we have the right to refuse to use a gift if it is not according to our values. Just be very patient about it, because if you get upset you will have fallen into their trap of trying to make everyone think you are an ungracious and antisocial person. They want to paint a picture of those who abstain from temptation as being unreasonable or high-strung, while making those who indulge appear more reasonable and moderate.

The fact is that sinful indulgence leads by degrees toward an uncontrollable and abusive spirit. Yet, Satan and his followers charge their attributes on others while portraying themselves as mild and innocent. And it’s not only Jesuits who do this, but anyone who allows themselves to be affected by Satan’s influence. Many are unconsciously inspired by Satan who have no connection with occult organizations.

Another tactic that is sometimes used is to try to “poke” you emotionally, or kick you in the gut and then blame you for reacting. After hurting you, the suggestion will be made that you’re “unsettled,” “unhappy,” or “negative,” etc. You may usually be a pleasant person who gets along happily with people, but deceivers and manipulators will try to pick a fight so they can accuse you of being argumentative.

Remember how the pharisees constantly baited Jesus with questions intended to make him look bad regardless of how he answered? That’s the kind of thing that everyone who is under Satan’s influence does. Nevertheless, the Jesuits make a career out of it.

We must avoid saying too much in tense situations. Instead of preaching a sermon about your beliefs or practices in response or acting offended when people disrespect you, stay calm and remain firm and calm about your choice. If they can get you riled up they can have power over you, but if you stay calm you send the message that you aren’t dependent on anyone’s opinion.

If a public matter is being made of trying to pressure you into accepting something you are known to not do, I would be more likely to refuse to accept it because they are seeing it as a contest in which they want to try to force you to behave as they do. Conceding in that situation makes it seem you accept their coercion. However, when out of honest intentions to be nice, people give me gifts I can’t use, I often simply accept them and dispose of them later. Within reason, of course. For example, no one should ever think a non-drinker should feel obligated to accept alcohol as a gift.

But conflicting obligations naturally arise in many social situations. This is why we shouldn’t be overly concerned about what people think. Healthy independence is an important part of learning to seek God more than the things of this world. We need to be willing to stand alone, if necessary, rather than compromise our values. We can find companionship with him through nature, animals, and those who need help and care. Personally, I would rather do this than try to be friends with people who play social games and squabble over gifts and goodies.

Another thing deceivers seem to do is to “preach at” people. Someone with whom the speaker disagrees or dislikes takes their opportunity at the podium to describe that person in such a way that people can figure out who they are talking about. They draw an unattractive and inaccurate picture in their attempt to make people dislike them. This tactic seems to be especially used by charismatic Jesuits who may come as guest speaker to groups in which a leader or teacher present may recognize that their influence is evil. They will seek to harvest the affections of the congregation or the students out from under them to create alienation and distrust.

They attempt to create situations that are emotionally charged, which result in offense or hurt feelings. To the followers of Satan, this kind of thing is a blood feast rather than an embarrassment. They love drama and conflict, and work through it to break up Christian unity and love. But if you remain calm, patient, and prayerful to avoid taking their “bait” or getting into an argument, you can disappoint them.  

In dealing with those who seem to make efforts to tear down the cause of truth, it’s important to refuse the negativity and feelings of self-doubt they may try to pressure us with and firmly go forward with faith in Jesus, focusing on the positive. Our trust is not in ourselves but in Christ, the solid rock. The mission will not fail if we patiently endure the devil’s tactics. Pray for wisdom and courage, keep trying when you make mistakes, and remember how God helped people like Daniel when they were under social pressure and accusations from jealousy. 

Another tactic I’ve noticed from deceptive teachers is that they sometimes seem to be the very ones who try to “expose” the occult, but what they’re really doing is trying to encourage fascination with satanic materials and get them focusing on that kind of thing. I’ve even noticed teachers like this trying to get Christians to repeat strange satanic chants or words. 

It’s a spiritual fact that you become what you behold. And, as humans, we are weak and subject to temptation, and thus should not venture onto Satan’s ground without extreme caution. Satanic pictures and symbols can catch you off guard and affect you unconsciously. The ugliness and negative nonverbal suggestions of such materials can imprint on our minds and influence us in the same way that we mirror facial expressions we see. Children especially shouldn’t be exposed to scary and monstrous faces and satanic symbols. 

As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. Proverbs 27:19

It’s not through spending a lot of time considering evil that you begin to recognize it. Just the opposite, in fact. You begin to recognize things inconsistent with truth when you have focused your heart on truth and Jesus’ lovely face. For me, that’s how being able to recognize this type of thing came about, since I had no previous exposure to it or experience with understanding it. When you know the true gold, fool’s gold becomes obvious. 

“Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

Satan is very tricky. We must avoid the temptation to become interested in satanic things even for the purpose of ministry or the study of truth. Satan has drawn many souls away from Christianity in this way. Especially regarding supernatural manifestations, Satan tries to create a nearly irresistible “wow” factor in manifesting himself that Christians can be drawn to, even while thinking that they were just trying to help someone be “delivered” from demons. 

Often, when Satan shows himself to Christians through supernatural manifestations, he is advertising himself to try to get people to come closer. He wants to make them interested in fascinating and weird things. He wants Christians to spend time with him so that he can influence their minds. Our strength is in focusing on Christ.

If you find yourself with feelings of depression, anxiety, unexpected temptation, nightmares, demonic harassment or visitation from “ghosts” after considering things from the occult or being in contact with people who fit the description of deceivers, seek the Lord and firmly refuse to be afraid. Focus your mind on things that are good. Even if it turns into a struggle, that doesn’t mean you are losing. That’s what this life is all about, learning to overcome our natural inclinations.

We must also approach the study of anything occult or satanic with great caution and prayer, recognizing our human weakness and realizing that our only ability to resist Satan’s power is with Jesus’ help. But remember that Christ’s power works in combination with the exercise of our will to overcome Satan. Resisting him (James 4:7) is an active, rather than passive, act. Satan tries to make you think you must just pray harder and allow Jesus to do the work for you. But as long as you are passive and docile, he can have power over you. Through studying the example of Christ, we must take hold of faith with courage, through his power, to defend our minds from negative influences. 

Avoid allowing Satan to intimidate you into being fearful, anxious, or negative. Even without the influence of his earthly followers, he is constantly whispering threats into our ears about things that could go wrong or problems that might come up. Often he uses daily life situations and stressors to try to overthrow our faith. 

Life will always have difficulties, but Jesus has told us not to worry because God will provide for us. As our Father, he will even help us when we make mistakes or get ourselves into trouble. So, just focus on task, whatever you are working on (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12), and don’t worry too much. Even as we work diligently, we must trust God to protect and help us. There is no detail of our lives too small for him to take notice of or help us with. 

As far as recognizing deceivers, I find the “first impression” phenomenon is quite important. Sometimes I’ve met people who immediately seemed strange to me, but when I found out they were the pastor or a beloved church worker I brushed off my concerns. Later, I began to pick up on more clues that confirmed my first impression, as well as occult symbols and statements. 

For some reason, the first impression can tell us quite a bit, although it can be wrong, and we don’t always have a negative first impression of deceivers. We often later brush off that first impression in trying to be unbiased and open-hearted. The Bible says we are “known and read of all men” 2 Corinthians 3:2. Sometimes called your “gut feeling,” your subconscious neural processes are much quicker than conscious thoughts and thus may pick up on the clues your conscious mind is too slow to catch. I’ve noticed this to be true in dating relationships as well, after wasting months or years trying to tell myself the person was different than my first impression.

Yet we shouldn’t think that a deceiver couldn’t come across as perfectly genuine. Once some people who ended up stealing my purse talked to me in such a nice way and asked me for a Bible study. I felt afraid of them at first, as my subconscious mind picked up on clues that they didn’t have good intentions, but I brushed aside my doubts. I also noticed that just before they drove off with my purse, a change came over the face of the one who was talking to me. I saw a strange unfriendliness that I hadn’t seen there before, icy cold.

But, as far as reading people, we should avoid over-analyzing people or reading something negative into their behavior. Deceivers have serious negative intent, not just someone ignoring you to focused on something else, etc. Even righteous people struggle with doubts, fears, and dark thoughts at times. We are in constant conflict with the powers of darkness that attempt to control us and or cause misunderstanding. You don’t want to assume evil of someone who is just struggling with temptation. 

And not everyone is good at reading subtle clues, so we must be careful not to condemn innocent people. From what I’ve seen, it’s more often the case that those who try to read intentions become suspicious of those with good intentions and embrace deceivers. Our personal motives often play a role in what we’re willing to let ourselves believe. There are multitudes who don’t love the convicting example of those who walk in truth and would rather accept a charismatic deception. Perhaps that’s why those who walk in the ways of Satan often rise to the top of society and gain a following of loyal fans (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

So, what should you do if you are in a situation where you start to notice clues that someone might be a deceiver?...

Absolutely nothing.

Don’t raise an eyebrow or bat an eyelash, and certainly do not point fingers or try to make any accusations. Don’t let the person know in any way what you suspect. Here’s why: because if you are right, they are deadly serious. True deceivers have no true Christian values whatsoever, regardless of what they say, and historically have taken vows to be willing to kill anyone who stands in the way of their progress.

We must never be afraid of Satan or his workers, since Jesus has overcome Satan and his kingdom is coming to an end very soon. But it will take much courage and wisdom through prayer to deal with this kind of matter. Jesus is fighting with and for his people too. In every gathering that claims his name, he will not allow Satan to take it over if there are people there who are sincerely seeking him. Patience and prayer can sometimes overcome the influence of evil. 

To be clear, I am NOT encouraging witch-hunts or openly denouncing anyone you think might be a deceiver. For one thing, you could be wrong, and you would be the one who is working against the cause of God if you falsely accuse an innocent person. Even if you think you see some kinds of satanic symbols, if it’s not extremely clear, pervasive, and recognized by others, you could be reading something into nothing. 

Many unstable, inexperienced people take delight in superstitiously studying the topic of Jesuit infiltration and in making false accusations. That kind of thing is not from Christ or patterned after his way of dealing with things. Jesus did not even expose Judas but allowed him to work and dealt patiently with him. He allowed him to condemn himself by exposing his own evil intents. If Jesus had tried to expose Judas early on, it would have just caused the disciples to be more in sympathy with Judas, and they would not have believed him. He wisely avoided falling into Satan’s trap that way. 

There is absolutely nothing to be gained, but much to risk, in calling people Jesuits. It is not wise. It’s something that’s very hard to prove and more likely to just get you into trouble. Even if you’re right and you start talking about it, at best people might think you are an extremist or lunatic.  At worst, your life could be in danger. 

As with Judas, sometimes detractors eventually reveal themselves or will be removed by God’s providence. Jesus was very patient with Judas to avoid causing the other disciples to have reason to sympathize with him. Even though Jesus understood his motives, he avoided prematurely exposing him to keep him from harvesting the affections of those who couldn’t comprehend the whole picture.

Regarding this delicate matter, true Christians will have to work almost as quietly as the Jesuits to fight their influence. The best way you can do this is to stand on the platform of the Word of God and fight with the whole armor of God by using the scriptures to counter any false doctrine they may try to introduce, and by setting a good example of a consistent life as far as possible, trusting in God to help your human weakness. This can go a long way toward countering the inconsistent Christianity they may try to deceptively model and you may be able to nullify their baleful influence with some of the other church members.

But be ready to watch and weep because at this time in history, like never before, Satan is having triumphant success with masses of people, leading them to great lengths in corruption. Jesuits are an especially difficult force to contend with because they do not act alone. They represent a huge and highly functioning organization that has very well-thought-out plans and virtually unlimited resources. Little ol’ you and me will not be able to stop what they are doing in the short term. And because we are not the only ones who make the decisions, we may not be able to stop them at all, despite our best efforts. 

Sometimes the devil wins followers and may even harvest whole organizations through his tactics. So, we must be ready to let go and move on to smaller fields of labor where we can get a fresh start and where people will be more likely to listen. Don’t let anyone suggest you are abandoning ship, if you prayerfully make that decision after careful consideration. This is according to Christ’s command to brush the dust off our feet and go on if they won’t hear you. In these last days, evil is coming to fruition in many places. And while it’s sad to leave beloved churches and institutions, when things come to the point of being dominated by unholy influences, whether they come across as friendly or coercive, it is not best to stay in their company.

I have shared my experience about things I’ve noticed simply to help people be aware, so they won’t be easily deceived. But, if you notice something like this and have a few friends that you feel you can trust, it might be better to simply point out the unusual evidence rather than using the term “Jesuit,” because you are more likely to become the scapegoat who is persecuted. 

Satan’s inroads are so deep in the churches that he can fight back with a firestorm of force, so we must act wisely and not put ourselves at unnecessary risk through speaking freely about such matters. But as the old saying goes, “knowing is half the battle.” In this case, maybe more like ¾ of the battle, because the whole purpose of Jesuits is to teach Satan’s principles through deception. So, if you are at least aware that someone is doing this kind of thing, you won’t be as likely deceived.

Regarding accusations, though, (as mentioned) Jesuits themselves sometimes seem to be the ones to make accusations about someone being a Jesuit. This is a tactic which seems to be intended to cover themselves, since it makes you think that if they would wonder if someone else might be a one they surely must not be one themselves. We must still look at their life and see if they are living consistently with the message they preach, if they have satanic symbols and stories, etc.

“By their fruits ye shall know them” Matthew 7:20.

There may come a time when more direct efforts to expose some of these people are needed, but it would need to be done with careful, moderate, prayerful wisdom rather than extremist rants or impulsiveness. And those who do it should be prepared for the possibility of personal loss, danger or even death that could result, like noble Christians who have gone before;

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11

“For it is impossible to preach Christ, except thou preach against antichrist; that is to say, them which with their false doctrine and violence of sword enforce to quench the true doctrine of Christ.” -William Tindale

Remember that your life is in God’s hands, not in the hands of man, and they cannot have any spiritual power over God’s plan for your life if you have dedicated yourself to serve him. And, in all honesty, I also feel sorry for some of these people because we may never know until we get to heaven just how much torture and brainwashing goes into the raising and training of Satan’s agents from their very birth. They may never have known the freedom of thought that many of us have grown up with. So, “love your enemies” and “do good to those who persecute you” is still important, while always remaining cautious to avoid any false displays of conversion and other manipulation tactics they may try to use to gain trust and further deceive.

Regardless of how many fake Santas there are in the world, there’s only one pattern they are seeking to mimic. True to the origins of the controversy between Christ and Satan, the enemy seeks to usurp Christ’s power and the honor due him by counterfeiting his likeness. Jesus is the true saint who obtained the everlasting victory, as reflecting in the name meaning of Nicholas.

The life he lived and stories he told on Earth show us he is cheerful and may even love a good belly laugh now and then. He’s the one with white hair like wool (Revelation 1:14) who wears a red robe (Revelation 19:13), who took children on his lap to bless them. Only he knows everyone’s name and everything about us (Luke 12:7). From him comes every good gift (James 1:17), as he provides for our needs. Only he can be at everyone’s house at the same time, in the Spirit.

Focusing on Santa Clause dishonors Christ by confusing children and cutting off their natural tendency to believe in him when they discover that “Santa” isn’t real. Jesus is the real Santa that we should address in our letters (diaries) and prayers. He reads and listens to every plea coming from the human heart and knows the name of every child. He hears every prayer coming from the midst of a busy crowd and is a tender, compassionate friend who is patient with our faults and weaknesses.

Though the whole world lies under the dragon’s power, (Matthew 4:8, 9), only a few resist him. Those he can’t pick off through temptation or intimidation remain his nemeses who are the objects of his unmitigated rage because they are working with Christ for the downfall of his kingdom. Like gazelle hunted by a lion, he bends his mastermind on their destruction. Yet, his efforts are often thwarted since he can’t overcome the weakest soul who maintains a connection to Christ.  

Knowing the organization through which the dragon intends to work deception and falsehood, i.e. “the wrong church,” leads one to naturally wonder… “What is the right church?” Those who follow Christ not only in spirit but also in truth, the true objects of the devil’s wrath, are out there somewhere in a world full of religious teachings and doctrines of all kinds.

Yet before we proceed with this subject, I’d like to preface it by saying I believe God has true children among different belief systems, and that many of those who have more truth don’t always follow the spirit of truth. Before you’re finished reading this chapter, I believe you’ll see that I do mean that.

The inherent implication of the message of Revelation 18:4 to “come out of Babylon” is that many of God’s true followers are within systems that teach falsehood. Many of these have faith exceeding those whose doctrines are technically correct. They are those of “other folds” that Jesus spoke of in John 10:16:

“Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, one shepherd.”

I would also discourage anyone from trying to prematurely guess where I’m taking this chapter, even after reading a ways into it, because you might be quite surprised. New revelations are coming out of scripture, following the history of events among God’s people, that don’t always match the typical answers that have been given in the past. 

The Pleiades

Revelation 12:17 helps answer the question about God’s true people when it depicts the dragon’s rage being directed at a particular woman and “the remnant of her seed.” Again, since churches or religious organizations are often depicted as women in the Bible, we might guess that what’s being referred to here is a body of believers.

What is often translated as “church” in biblical writings, such as the book of Revelation, is the word “ekklesia.” This Greek word signifies a “called out” assembly or body of believers. In chapters two and three of Revelation Jesus describes characteristics of various faith groups, with encouragements as well as admonishments. The ekklesia could be seen as representing believers in different time periods throughout the Christian era. The messages are mysteriously prefaced by the description of Jesus with seven stars in his hand, in Revelation 1:16.  A few verses later he explains it himself, saying;

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Revelation 1:20

As mentioned here, in several passages Revelation speaks of the “angel” of each group. But the fact that he’s saying the message is written to be given to them indicates it’s speaking of a human entity, rather than an angel from Heaven, since they wouldn’t typically deliver messages written by humans. The word “angel” here can mean messenger, including a human messenger. 

Considering the groups as representing time periods, the way Jesus explains things to them gives you the impression that the last ones are describing people who will live in the end times. From that viewpoint, these time periods are considered to be as follows, approximately;  apostolic (30-100 CE), roman persecution (100-313 CE), age of Constantine (300’s to 600’s CE), Dark Ages (600-1517 CE), reformation (600-1517 CE), the great missionary movement (1648-1900 CE) and the time of apostasy (1900 to the present).

As with other prophecies, there is likely more than one application of the meaning of the seven churches. Another possible interpretation is that they could represent seven different levels of spirituality or seven types of faith groups that exist concurrently.

When you consider the symbolism of special messengers being sent to major groups of Christian believers throughout history, people like Paul the Apostle, Martin Luther, and others come to mind. God seems to have inspired special messengers to guide believers in each age through their writings and personal care. They expounded on the admonitions of the messages to the believers specific for their times.

But in regard to the mystery of the stars, from Revelation 1:20, Genesis 1:14 is our indication that God intended for the lights in the heavens to not only mark time but also to have significance and symbolism;

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.”  NEED KJV

The book of Job provides further clues to some of the symbolisms in how he mentions constellations such as the Pleiades, Orion and the Mazzaroth. Matching this with Genesis 1:14 leads to the conclusion that the significance of major constellations may sometimes match biblical storylines.

Job’s book is ancient and predates the time of Moses. In the time of Job they didn’t seem to have a written Bible yet, so it may have been that they could refer to the picture stories in the stars to guide their understanding of God, just as we study the Bible in modern times. The stars are so much more permanent than a book written on paper. Though the Bible has been burned, chained to convent walls and outlawed all throughout human history, nothing can erase the stories written in the night sky.

The Pleiades seems to connect with the mystery of the seven stars in Jesus’ hand mentioned in Revelation 1:16, through its descriptive similarity. The description of him there was noted in the context of what he was saying to John about the seven churches.

Otherwise known as the “seven sisters,” the constellation is an astonishingly beautiful group of stars that appear as if clothed in Cinderella’s blue gown of moonlight and stardust. The effect, which occurs only in long-exposure photos, results from a “reflection nebula” of miniscule dust particles scattering short-wavelength blue and violet lights. The cluster is made up of hundreds of stars, only a few of which are visible to the naked eye. It can be viewed better with binoculars, visible from the northern hemisphere above and to the right of Orion.

According to Greek mythology, the seven sisters were pursued by the hunter Orion until Zeus changed them into a cluster of stars. Although mythological and astrological interpretations confuse the constellation’s significance, sometimes they are based on the original stories. In seeing Orion as Christ, he is the mighty hunter. He’s sometimes depicted with a lion over his shoulder, matching the biblical picture of Samson and providing a picture of Christ hunting Satan.

The depiction of Orion pursuing the seven sisters seems to represent Jesus’ deep affection for believers and how he continually seeks after them. It also seems to depict the ultimate reward of the righteous in how it matches biblical descriptions God’s faithful shining like the stars in eternity (Daniel 12:3)

In the view that the Pleiades gives us, it’s clear that one group stands out. Alcyone is the brightest star. The name also means kingfisher, which has Christian connotations in reference to Christ’s comparison of fishing to the Gospel work. Alcyone seems to represent a group of people who are spiritually mature and involved in ministry. This doesn’t mean the other groups are not also dear to him, or that you can’t get a blessing from being involved with them, but it matches the theme of the seven ekklesia in telling us that one group is purer than the other faith groups.

Though there are faithful believers in every Christian group, and all the faithful will be given crowns, the 7 messages depict only one as already wearing a crown, that is Philadelphia. She’s the reigning beauty queen among Christ’s followers through the end times. Alcyone of the Pleiades, the brightest star among believers. It says of her in Revelation 3:11 (paraphrased);

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no [woman] take thy crown.”

A Tale of Two Women

Christians are in a beauty contest, of sorts, as depicted in the book of Esther. Not that we should be jealous of each other, which isn’t the Christian way, but simply that Christ is looking to see which of those who claim his name reflect characteristics of heavenly beauty most closely. But his statement to Philadelphia in Revelation 3:11 seems to hint at a deeper struggle among them.

When you consider the history of organizations represented by the seven messages of Revelation, it’s clear that divine favor has also rested upon Laodicea along the way. Thus, the mysterious warning to Philadelphia not to lose her crown. The Miss Universe crown mix up of 2015 seemed to reflect truths of scripture involving a cosmic transfer of God’s favor among the churches, as relating to Revelation 3:11.

This type of cultural comparison occurs repeatedly in examples representing Christ and his people. Esther’s beauty contest was also done in a pagan kingdom, in the same way that Miss Universe contest is a secular event. The intent is symbolic, since it is spiritual rather than physical beauty that Jesus is looking for. Though I’m not meaning to condone this type of event or the manner of dress and behavior involved in it, it’s a kind of a negative image that God can bring something positive out of, just as he did with stories like the lives or Samson and Solomon. I am also not intending to pass judgment on the character of individuals involved in that event, either. The roles they played that night simply provide metaphoric value.

In video clips of the 2015 Miss Universe pageant final moments, you see that one woman was initially crowned, but then her crown was removed and given to another woman. In this living parable, Steve Harvey represents Jesus. He first determined that one woman would wear the crown and then had it placed on the head of another. The two women represent Laodicea and Philadelphia, as described in Revelation.

The story also reflects the likeness of Rachel and Leah. Leah was the first wife who had many children, but her vision wasn’t clear. Rachel was the one Jacob was truly in love with and who had clear vision, though she had few children. This seems to represent a larger denomination crowded with members that don’t cherish the vision for Christ’s mission, while a smaller, quieter faith is where his heart is.

But the two women have many things in common. As it has been said, truth and error run close together. Yet, there are certain shared qualities get the two metaphorical women into God’s special favor to begin with. Even then, we see several other women in the top running at the 2015 Miss Universe contest. They were all beautiful, like God’s faithful followers scattered throughout different denominations.

But notice also how “Philippines” is phonetically similar to “Philadelphia” in how it starts with “Phil.” It’s an emphasis on a church of “love.” Philadelphia means brotherly love. Among the things you notice about Pia, Miss Philippines (who was crowned second) is how exceptionally gracious and dignified she was. You also notice her sweet smile and caring attitude. The name “Pia,” means Pious. Her winning blue gown matches the glory of the Pleiades, and the “V’s” covering the back of it seem to represent the spiritual victories of God’s favored people.

The blue of the gown bears similarity to that of Cinderella. The moderate, loving members of God’s true people are like quiet little sister of the extremist liberal and conservative stepsisters. A man named Seal, with scars on his face, is singing and holding her hand as she walks. He also represents Jesus, who also has scars on his face. This connects with how the final faithful believers are preparing to receive the “seal” of God (Revelation 7:3, 14:1).

God’s Seal

Revelation 7:2-3 describes people receiving the seal of God before the time of trouble in the end times. A seal is like a signature or authorization of a document, that bears to its authenticity. Hebrews 8:10 tells us that God’s covenant with us is having his laws written in our minds and hearts. Having it in our minds means we understand and agree with it, and in our hearts is that we love it and keep it out of true willingness. The seal of God is depicted as being placed on the forehead as well, reflecting the verses about God’s covenant. God’s law is his covenant and within it his seal is found. God’s specially chosen people will be those who cherish his law in their minds and hearts and willingly keep it.

The age-old question about which religion is the right one is basically the same thing the woman at the well was speaking of when she asked Jesus where people should worship. John chapter 4 records his response;

“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

This verse tells makes one thing clear about religion, and that is that earthly Jerusalem is no longer to be the central focus of our religion. Yet there’s something else important to notice in Jesus’ answer. When he says, “salvation is of the Jews,” he is suggesting that there was one right religion in the world in his time, regardless of many choices. It’s important to note that since the suggestion is often made that it doesn’t matter which faith group you are involved with.

The Bible teaches that Christians are part of spiritual Israel and that we were grafted into the same tree. As it says in Romans 11:17 “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree…”

Gentile Christians from every nation were brought into the spiritual nation of Israel and are now considered to be part of that same faith that existed from the time of Abraham. Romans 4 teaches in verse 11 that Abraham is “the father of all them that believe,” and verse 16 says he is “the father of us all.” Galatians 3:26-29 says;

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

And notice how Exodus 19:6, which says, “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation,” closely matches 1 Peter 2:9, which says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” These verses are speaking of the same spiritual nation.

Because the nation of Israel is made up of all believing Christians now, we don’t need to focus on physical Israel or Jerusalem today in seeking to understand the fulfillment of Bible prophecies. And Hebrews teaches that after the resurrection of Christ our holy city is now Jerusalem in Heaven where Jesus is ministering in the temple. 

But, because we are a part of spiritual Israel in modern times, the religion that follows the Bible most closely will have some key components that make it similar to Judaism, although without the laws of Moses (Colossians 2:14). The first and most obvious element of that would be the Sabbath, of course. 

Though there has been much debate about whether Christians should keep the seventh-day Sabbath, I would like to share with you why I believe we should. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

And Romans 13:10 says…

…love is the fulfilling of the law.

We understand that these words teach us to love God and love one another as the key summary doctrine of Christianity. But to fulfill the law means to be in accordance with it. For example, if you once fulfilled the law by not murdering, does that mean that you could then start murdering since the law was already “fulfilled”?  Certainly not.

In the same way, Jesus fulfilled the law at the Cross by living in accordance to it until the bitter end. He acted as our substitute in death, receiving in his own person the penalty that we deserved. But his having fulfilled the law does not mean that it was done away with. 

The scriptures teach in regard to the New Covenant, in verses such as Jeremiah 31:33 and Hebrews 8:10, that it is about God’s law being written on our hearts. This language is not saying the law has been done away with but rather that it becomes a part of us when we internalize it. In the New Covenant God’s people will be coming to a higher stage of maturity so that the impulses of the heart are in harmony with God’s law, rather than just keeping externally enforced rules for fear of punishment, like children. Once you learn the lessons the school teacher gives you, you no longer need to keep learning your ABC’s because the knowledge of them are already an integral part of you.

First John 3:4 describes evil as defined by God’s law. James 2:10 says that to break one of the Ten Commandments breaks them all, and Jesus said in Matthew 5:19 that whoever breaks the least of God’s commandments and teaches men to do the same would be least in his kingdom. According to Romans 8, only those who walk according to God’s law are spiritual and can please God. 

If you think about it, why would Jesus have needed to die if the law could have been changed?  If it could have been, the penalty could have been removed or lessened so that Jesus wouldn’t have had to die. It was only because the law could not be changed that he needed to die. His death is the greatest evidence that the Law of God couldn’t be changed or done away with.

In Mark 2:27 Jesus said “The Sabbath was made for man,” he didn’t say “the Sabbath was made for the Jews.” And in saying “made” he was referring to creation when the Sabbath was first instituted in the Garden of Eden as a day for mankind to rest from labors. Why would the fourth commandment say “remember” at Siani if it were only just then established as something for the Jews and that was the first time they had even heard of it?

In Matthew 12:8 Jesus said he is the Lord of the Sabbath, meaning that the Sabbath is his own special day. And the forth commandment in Exodus 20 uses the same language, saying that the Sabbath is the Lord’s day;

“…the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God,” Exodus 20:10.

So, when we come to Revelation 1:10 and see that John says “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day,” we should understand the Bible indicates this to be the seventh-day Sabbath day. And though some say it no longer matters which day you keep, this verse makes it clear to us that the Lord still has a day.

It was the Lord of Sabbath who said, in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The Sabbath is a day of rest, a vacation every week.  It’s a time to lay down all worry, care, labor and spend time renewing your soul with God. Maybe if more people would keep the Sabbath there would be fewer heart attacks and strokes, less stress and lower blood pressures. Jesus wants to give you rest.

The Sabbath was kept before Mt. Siani or the existence of the Jews. It was instituted at Creation, and the patriarchs were said to have keep God’s commandments, statutes and laws. In Exodus 16 the manna fell every day except the seventh, and when some people disregarded the instructions to collect it before the seventh day, God said “How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?”  Ex 16:27-28. This was before Sinai.

Some say that we don’t know which day is the seventh because the calendar has changed, but when you research the matter, it’s clear that the weekly cycle has remained the same throughout the years. The Jews have also carefully guarded it throughout the years.

Over 100 languages on Earth use the word “Sabbath” for Saturday. In Spanish, it is “Sabado,” for example. These languages originated apart from the Jewish nation, showing that the seventh-day Sabbath has been recognized for millennia all over the Earth.

The fourth commandment teaches that the Sabbath was meant to be a memorial of creation. Humans have said we should keep Sunday as a memorial to Jesus’ death and resurrection, but there is no scripture to base this on. The memorial that Jesus instituted to commemorate his death was the Lord’s Supper, sometimes called Communion. He said nothing about keeping Sunday in honor of his death and resurrection. Without a word from God on the matter, we do not have the authority to change the 10 Commandments, even if we think it is to honor Jesus. First Corinthians 11:24-25 speaks of the ceremony Jesus implemented for Christians to remember his death by;

“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Baptism, also, is a ritual that commemorates and memorializes Christ’s death and resurrection. We join him in the waters that symbolize his death, symbolizing the death of our old self, and are resurrected with him when we come up out of the water. We honor Christ’s death and resurrection each time we participate in watching a baptism as well. And in a smaller way, Christians who have already been baptized can participate in the same cleansing by participating in washing each other’s feet, as Jesus taught us to.

Jesus predicted that his people would be keeping the Sabbath until the end of the world when he said that we should pray that our flight would not be on Sabbath when we must flee persecutions during the Time of Trouble. It’s true that this was talking about the destruction of the SabbathJerusalem, but the context of his words also put it in the end of time as a dual prophecy. And the destruction of Jerusalem symbolically prefigured events that will happen at the end of the world.

And Isaiah 66:22-23 teaches that the Sabbath will be kept throughout eternity. How would it make logical sense for Sabbath to have been kept from creation until the death of Christ, and again all throughout eternity, but just not during the time between Christ’s death and his coming in the clouds?

The New Testament and Revelation reminds us of the fourth commandment in several places by repeating its language in the “worship God” theme. This message is a reflection of the first commandment to worship God alone and also takes the form of the fourth commandment. We see this in Acts 14:15 where Paul and Barnabas rebuke the people for trying to worship them;

“Turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.” 

Here they were speaking of and teaching the fourth commandment. And in Revelation 14:7 we see it again;

“Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

The fourth commandment contains God’s signet seal, showing his name, title, and domain, the “Lord thy God” who “made Heaven and Earth.” These credentials validate the Ten Commandments as of divine origin in the same way that a signature makes a document valid.

Some people mistakenly apply Colossians 2:14, saying that the 10 commandments were nailed to the cross, but the language of the verses makes it clear that it was the laws of Moses that were nailed to the cross. Christians are no longer required to keep those laws because they were for a specific time and culture. Still, some elements from them are scientifically valid, such as useful principles of sanitation.

When Colossians 2:14 speaks of the law being nailed to the cross, the language is a direct reference to Deuteronomy 31, which describes Moses hand writing the ordinances and putting them beside the ark as a witness against the people.

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross… “ Colossians 2:14

“And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, 25 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, 26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.” Deuteronomy 31:24 

The handwritten laws of Moses were full of ordinances which were originally said to be against us. This perfect verbal match identifies the laws of Moses as the ones which were nailed to the cross. The laws of Moses were not equated with, the same as, or together with the 10 commandments because they were written on paper and placed on the side of the ark.

The Ten Commandments position of being placed inside the ark, and being etched in stone, makes it clear that they were separate from the laws of Moses and were eternal in nature. It’s not even possible to nail stone tablets to a wooden cross.

God’s law makes up the basis of his governmental constitution and the fourth commandment specifically contains the seal impression of his territory, name and title. This constitutes his signature and his signet seal, which authenticates the whole document. Any change in this commandment is a forgery that usurps God’s authority.

The Fibonacci spiral, also known as a golden spiral, is the fourth commandment in a nutshell. In how it looks like a “G” but also like the number “6” it speaks the message “I am God, and I made all these things in 6 days.” Those words are a direct reference to Exodus 20:11 which says;

“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

The Sabbath is a beautiful day that God wants to spend with us, so that we can have a relationship with him to help us keep from forgetting that he created the heavens and the Earth. It’s like God wants to go on a honeymoon with his bride every week. He’s asking us to rest and spend time with him so that we can stay close to him and won’t be so stressed and troubled throughout the week.

What Jesus said about setting aside the command of God to keep tradition applies to Sunday keeping. That parents, grandparents, and communities have been keeping Sunday for generations is not a good enough reason to change the law of God. We must reset our compasses to true north based on God’s Word so that we won’t get off track along our pilgrimage through this earth.

Yet it’s also true that it seems you can find some verses to support opposing doctrines, at times, on this and other topics. I believe this is because God has allowed some hooks for people to hang their doubts on. There is enough evidence to establish truth for those who are willing to follow it, yet enough ambiguity to act as an escape hatch for those who aren’t willing. This is to purify the body of believers and making it more peaceful, since those who don’t want to be constrained by truth might create constant contention if they were compelled to remain in fellowship with those who love it.

This is the same approach that should be taken by anyone who presents the truth, especially about the Sabbath. We shouldn’t try to compel or force people to accept these things. God only wants the service of those who love truth and willingly follow it. If we allow freedom of conscience and deal kindly with those who disagree with us, we may gradually win their respect and even acceptance of the message.

Historical records reveal the early Christians continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath until it began to be changed by the Catholic church. The change from Sabbath to Sunday went against biblical authority and those who follow that tradition acknowledge Catholicism above scripture. Major Catholic and Evangelical sources both acknowledge this. Here are a few quotes;

Dr. Edward Hiscox, author of The Baptist Manual, said “There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not on Sunday...It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week....where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament. Of course, I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day, as we learn from the Christian Fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of paganism, and christened with the name of a sun god, when adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism!”

Dwight L. Moody, founder of the Moody Bible Institute, said “I honestly believe that this commandment is just as binding today as it ever was. I have talked with men who have said that it has been abrogated, but they have never been able to point to any place in the Bible where God repealed it. When Christ was on earth, He did nothing to set it aside; He freed it from the traces under which the scribes and Pharisees had put it, and gave it its true place. ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath’. It is just as practicable and as necessary for men today as it ever was - in fact, more than ever, because we live in such an intense age.”

“The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. This Fourth Commandment begins with the word ‘remember,’ showing that the Sabbath had already existed when God wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they admit that the other nine are still binding? Dwight L. Moody, Weighed and Wanting, 1898, pp.46-47

“This Fourth is not a commandment for one place, or one time, but for all places and times.” D.L. Moody, at San Francisco, Jan. 1st, 1881.

A Roman Catholic source says “Nowhere in the Bible do we find that Jesus or the apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is, the seventh day of the week, Saturday. Today, most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the [Catholic] church outside the Bible.” Catholic Virginian, Oct. 3, 1947

 “You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctified.” James Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers (1917 ed.), pp.72,73

 “If protestants would follow the Bible, they should worship God on the Sabbath Day. In keeping the Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church.” Albert Smith, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the cardinal in a letter of Feb. 10, 1920.

 “The Catholic Church,... by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.” The Catholic Mirror, official organ of Cardinal Gibbons, Sept. 23, 1893.

Sabbath keepers throughout history include Jesus, Paul the Apostle, Christians of the first century, ancient churches of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, the Waldenses, churches started by Thomas in India, and many other groups the world over. Even St. Patrick was a Seventh-day Sabbath keeper. The following quotes reference other instances of Sabbath keeping throughout history:

“The people of Constantinople and almost everywhere, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at Rome or at Alexandria.” Socrates, Ecclesiastical History, Book 7, chap. 19.

“It seems to have been customary in the Celtic churches of early times, in Ireland as well as Scotland, to keep Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, as a day of rest from labour. They obeyed the fourth commandment literally upon the seventh day of the week.” Professor James C. Moffatt, D.D., Professor of Church History at Princeton, The Church in Scotland, p. 140.

“Widespread and enduring was the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath among the believers of the Church of the East and the St. Thomas Christians of India, who never were connected with Rome. It also was maintained among those bodies which broke off from Rome after the Council of Chalcedon namely, the Abyssinians, the Jacobites, the Maronites, and Armenians.” Schaff-Herzog, The New Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, art.

Scotland during the 11th Century; “They held that Saturday was properly the Sabbath on which they abstained from work.” Celtic Scotland, Vol. 2, p. 350.

“There is much evidence that the Sabbath prevailed in Wales universally until A.D. 1115, when the first Roman bishop was seated at St. David’s. The old Welsh Sabbath-keeping churches did not even then altogether bow the knee to Rome, but fled to their hiding places.” Lewis, Seventh Day Baptists in Europe and America, Vol. 1, p. 29.

As spiritual Israel, Christians should continue to keep the Sabbath. Jesus made it clear that the new wine of the Gospel would be put into new wine skins, meaning a new body of believers, which indicated that the historical Jewish nation would not be the primary ones to promote Christianity throughout the world. Nevertheless, those who believe in him are still considered to be the children of Abraham. Those who are grafted into the same family tree of faith will not be so radically different that there’s no resemblance to the faith of old which pointed forward to the Messiah.

Prominent Sabbath-keeping Christians throughout history include figures like Jesus (Luke 4:16), Paul the Apostle (Acts 17:2), John Milton of England (Paradise Lost), St. Patrick of Ireland, Sojurner Truth of early America, radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, Desmond T Doss (Hacksaw Ridge), and many others.

Sabbath Blessings, and Curses

There are many blessings to keeping the Sabbath, but also some precautions, to avoid becoming like the pharisees in the days of Christ. It’s important to avoid being overzealous in introducing the Sabbath to friends and loved ones. Being too exacting or harsh about this matter is something that has caused people to give up it throughout the ages. This is why Jesus talked about the Sabbath having been made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

There’s no merit to be gained by keeping the Sabbath. There are no brownie points with God, and it doesn’t make you better than other people. We must see it for what it is, a blessing that allows us to refresh and draw closer to our Creator. While it’s a time of reverence and we should guard its sacredness, we must be careful to avoid making the home or church feel like a monastery. Without encouraging irreverence, we should enjoy its observance rather than harshly enforcing it.

It misrepresents God to children if we are harsh or unkind about enforcing such rules. He desires for his children to serve him out of love. Many offshoots and cults that have developed out of seventh-day Sabbath-keeping organizations, some of which teach works-based religion and extremist doctrines of every kind. They often involve authoritative leadership and sometimes promote the idea that the use of Hebrew is a magical or sacred thing. Some try to enforce the laws of Moses as still binding. These are the type that Paul spoke of when he reprimanded the “foolish Galatians” for legalism.  

Others go to the opposite extreme in taking an overly relaxed viewpoint on Sabbath keeping that adopts worldliness and pleasure seeking. Those organizations have also stepped off the original foundation of truth. Even while we don’t want to be too harsh about enforcing it, we should ever seek to draw people toward a better understanding of God’s purity and sanctity through keeping Sabbath. In his presence there is faith, hope, joy, and love.

Aunt Rosemary

Besides keeping the Ten Commandments, prophecy is one of the two major signs pointed out in Revelation 12:17 that identify the chosen people of God as the group crowned with his favor. The verse says they “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” and 19:10 further expounds that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Glimpses that help explain this truth are seen in another movie, The Man from Snowy River, (1982). The film beautifully portrays the depths of danger that Christ was willing to go to in pursuing after the lost “sheep” of this world, God’s children who were made in his image. In this instance, Providence seems to have taken creative license in assigning horses in the place of sheep, a culturally familiar animal for our times. This also correlates to the Miss Philippines association through the name Phillip, which means “lover of horses.”

And with this consideration, as well as the depiction of Jim’s example of training horses by working with them rather than through cruelty, we might also take Christ’s words in John 10:11 to mean, “I am the good cowboy.”           

Once again, a woman represents Christ’s people. Jessica, who falls in love with Jim and is rescued by him when she gets lost in the mountains, represents the bride of Christ. But a mysterious woman is often shown instructing her. She encourages her to use her mind, to be strong, and to develop her skills. Though her philosophy doesn’t necessarily reflect Christian principles in every regard, elements of her likeness do. She appears to be a wise, caring mentor who stands up for Jessica and encourages her.

The appearance, manner of dress, and hairstyle of Aunt Rosemary bear a striking resemblance to someone who has played a significant role in instructing God’s people in modern times. Though physically dead, Ellen White’s writings live on and through them she has mentored thousands of believers. Although she discouraged power struggles between men and women, unlike modern viewpoints that often promote them, she encouraged both men and women to develop their God-given capabilities and intelligence. In that sense, she encouraged all to imbibe the wine of the Gospel message and partake of its blessings. Ellen White’s messages are beautiful, articulate, Christ-centered, and balanced.

But as in days of old, those who have been especially called to serve God have often faced misunderstanding. As Revelation 12:17 indicates, the dragon is especially wroth with the woman who symbolizes God’s chosen people. His bitter jealousy has been felt by every soul that has ever walked the path of Christ. And often, as Jesus himself experienced, it’s those who claim to be the most religious who cooperate with the dragon’s plans to persecute God’s chosen ones.

As scripture records, nearly every chosen servant or messenger of God throughout history has been hated with a nameless vitriol by those who feel convicted and yet unwilling to receive the message. This does nothing to reduce their credibility but, on the contrary, establishes it. The same is true of Ellen White, in accusations that have been made against her by those who don’t wish to receive her instruction. She has been inaccurately charged with being a false prophet, as many righteous servants of God have, including Christ himself. Though there are many false prophets in the world, Ellen White’s messages pass the test of true prophesy as established in the Bible.

Special messages for God’s end-time people were given to Ellen White through visions, dreams, and wisdom in the late 1800’s. Ellen White’s role with God’s end-time people is similar to that of Paul the Apostle or Martin Luther in their time periods. She is the “angel” messenger of the church of Philadelphia, which historically represents the time period of 1648-1900. And because Philadelphia is described as going through the Time of Trouble, her writings are relevant until the end of this age.

Her association with Philadelphia, the faithful church, is also a confirmation of how her writings will be cherished by those who remain faithful to God through the troubled end times. Her messages talk constantly of Jesus and testify of Him. Her book “The Desire of Ages” is entirely about the life of Jesus and gives the most precious details of his life, making you feel as if you are looking right at the scenes as they really happened when you read it.  It’s a book that draws the reader into a close love relationship with Jesus.

If ever there was a prophecy or vision that God would give through dreams and visions, wouldn’t it be about the life of Jesus? Wouldn’t it make sense that God would show someone the beauty of everything that he did and let them explain it in writing so that everyone could read the story in more detail than ever before? 

Perhaps most notably, Ellen White predicted that the American Civil War would happen, at a time when no one really expected the conflict to turn to war. On the Sabbath of January 12, 1861, three months before the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter beginning the war, and at a time when most people were not expecting the conflict to lead to war, Mrs. White had a vision, witnessed by a crowded church, and after coming out of the vision she spoke of having been shown that there would be “a most terrible war” in which she saw cannon fire, hand to hand fighting, battle fields covered with the slain, and homes where people had lost loved ones. See {GCDB January 31, 1893, Art. A, par. 2}. Her words proved to be a true warning for what was coming on America before the civil war.  This shows us that it’s worth paying attention to the many things she has warned us about what is coming to America in the end times as well.

The books and writings of Ellen G. White also tell much more about the story of the Great Controversy between good and evil described in Revelation 12 and other prophecies. You can read most of her writings online for free at the white estate website; www.whiteestate.org, or search her writings at egwwritings.org. The White Estate website also has a link titled “Who Was Ellen White?” which helps explain who she is. Other articles at their website that answer some of false claims against her is entitled, “The Truth About ‘The White Lie’” and “The Plagiarism Charge.”

In modern times, as in the days of old, God has blessed his people with a messenger to bear special testimonies and to help prepare Christ’s people for his second coming. Just as God gave a culturally specific message through Moses to the children of Israel, he has given messages in the end times. Ellen White was like a Moses of the end times, with a message and special instructions for people who are preparing for the final entrance into the promised land.   

Just as other inspired writers from ages past, as she was inspired with visions and wisdom, she wrote the messages and viewpoints in her own words with the available information she had, according to the custom of the times. Thus, her every word or statement shouldn’t be considered holy, as if an edict from Heaven, but rather the intent and inspiration of the overall message.

Ellen White emphasized the mutual influence of mind, body, and spirit and spoke of how caring for these three aspects of our being enables us to think clearly, understand truth better, and honor God. She encouraged moving toward plant-based diets for the same reasons. Plant-based super carb diets (with carbohydrates coming mostly from whole grain sources, beans, etc.) are capable of restoring and maintaining health for most people. And because of Ellen White’s messages, generations of her readers have already been reducing their environmental impact before the issue was on the discussion table. This is further indication of the culturally appropriate t

Another depiction of the differences between the two women vying for the crown as Christ’s specially chosen bride (Philadelphia vs. Laodicea) arises from The Princess and the Pea (2002). The movie depicts a beautiful princess, Daria, growing up in difficult circumstances, unaware that she belongs in the palace. In her place, a woman named Hildegard is living in luxury, lavishing royal benefits upon herself. She is arrogant and keeps saying, “I told you, I don’t want to hear about my mother!” If you think of Ellen White as a spiritual mother to end-time believers and Sabbath keepers, the story can be seen as an allegory of modern Laodicea.

God has had a chosen people, that he lavished with every blessing, but they are mostly uninterested in the special messages and blessings he wanted to give them. They manifest many of the characteristics of Hildegard, always seeking to make a name for themselves instead of reflecting his likeness. Though many of God’s people have grown up in his house, they manifest the characteristics of Satan and show that he is their true father. They disregard the teachings that God has so graciously tried to give them.

In the movie, Hildegard wants to marry Prince Rolo, who represents Christ, because he’s a rich prince, but he has fallen in love with Daria. King Heath, who represents God the Father, becomes exasperated with Hildegard and says he wants to disinherit her and for Rolo to marry Daria and inherit the kingdom. Eventually, it’s discovered that Daria is the true princess after all and that they were switched at birth. So, Rolo marries her, and they live happily ever after. Though Heath represents God the Father, some elements of his role represent Christ, such as in how he appears to sacrifice his life in trying to save Rolo.

Like Laodicea, Hildegard represents the prosperous entity that has enjoyed the special privilege of closeness to God but hasn’t taken those truths to heart. Daria represents Philadelphia of Revelation 3, and all those who have remained true to the original spirit of the messages of truth that arose during the time of Philadelphia. Many of them are hidden like jewels within Laodicea, and many of them have no connection with it.

Rolo’s quest represents Christ searching for a people with the character of Philadelphia. Here Mariana is another view of Ellen White, in relation to God’s people, and also the Holy Spirit, who inspired her. Daria also represents many who are born of the Spirit that come from outside of religions or church institutions altogether and are going about their business in humble walks of life. Many of these will eventually be brought into God’s kingdom to inherit eternity.

So, who is Laodicea? An important clue from scripture which points to the chosen people of God, his house or home, is found in the word “Bethesda,” which means House of Mercy. Or, perhaps more clearly, BetheSDA. This name especially relates to the SDA Church in how it was given an inspired message including health principles intended to restore body, mind, and spirit by reversing disease and discomfort.  

But in modern times, just as in times of old, the story of God’s chosen people has often been one that caused him heartache and anguish, as his people so often turn away from principles of truth. And though God has great patience and love in dealing with his wayward children, there comes a day when he allows us to go our own way if we consistently push him out of our lives and refuse to follow his leading.

God has said that he wants a pure people, a holy nation. So, when there are some that will cooperate with God’s purposes while others will not, which do you think he will favor? Having been faithful in the past isn’t enough to qualify a church as the most favored in God’s sight; they must “hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” Hebrews 3:14.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has often been compared to Laodicea. Like the Jews, spiritual Israel of old, the SDA Church has become increasingly lukewarm. She has become formal and lost the spirit of true Christianity through complacency and a sense of being “rich and in need of nothing.” She has gloried in the higher-than-average socioeconomic status that her educational institutions have provided. These attitudes can be felt from the leadership level down to the local congregations. 

And in her quest for earthly fame and glory, the SDA Church has become increasingly liberal, as well as kissing the Pope’s ring through ecumenism. Key SDA universities, which continue to be accredited by the church, have even taught evolution as fact and employed evolutionists at the highest levels in their science departments. A secular partying spirit has taken over at many SDA universities; youth programs have been transformed into concerts of emotionalism and brain drug highs through chaotic and hypnotic music that encourages worldly desires instead of drawing the soul close to Christ.

Many SDA health institutions no longer teach or promote the special health messages that were given. This is great apostasy in God’s eyes since the story of BetheSDA is the story about a pool in Jerusalem where Jesus provided healing. The symbolic “healing waters” represent the health message emphasized in the Spirit of Prophecy writings. Much information about water and hydrotherapy treatments is contained in the SDA health message. And God gave instructions to help people restore their health through simple means such as a healthful diet, drinking fresh water, exercise, sunshine and trust in God. These simple methods have proven to be effective and scientifically valid. 

But instead of promoting these things and using drugs judiciously, sparingly, or mostly for emergencies, many of the SDA institutions have promoted dependency on drug medications as the primary modality offered, taking a Band-aid approach in the place of true healing. While many quieter, self-supporting institutions are doing the health work with great success under the blessing of God, the main health institutions are mostly not following the way God outlined. Hundreds of abortions are performed yearly in SDA hospitals, the ultimate irony for a place that was supposed to be a “house of mercy.” Though there may be extreme ethical dilemmas where abortion could be indicated, it should never be seen as an elective form of birth control.

These apostasies reached a tipping point in 2015 with the world church’s attempt for the third time to vote in ordination “without regard to gender.” This unique wording introduced gender ambiguity and role confusion. Confusion is the key mark of Babylon, not of God’s perfectly ordered universe. 

Further, it’s a mistake to bring issues of pop culture into the church when we already have God’s guidance on these matters. The messages given to the SDAs have never encouraged overbearing male authority. They are balanced while designating men as leaders after the example of Christ. In choosing a female to bear the message to the church, God further honored women. Yet even she defended male leadership as God’s chosen model.

The Creator’s intentions are not burdensome or abusive. He designed the human family like an artist who starts with a clay model. In creating Adam before Eve, spending special time with him explaining things and giving him authority to name the animals before Eve existed, he instituted male leadership from the beginning. In taking Eve from his side, he showed she was to be Adam’s co-leader in all things. Thus, women’s voices should always be heard. Women should be given positions of assistant leadership, without taking the primary roles.   

Seeking to overthrow God’s design is short-sighted and motivated by selfish ambition, which overestimates the importance of leadership instead of valuing other roles as well. A church organization, especially, cannot reject God’s design and expect to maintain the status of God’s most favored people who are said to represent his kingdom on Earth.

Basic matters that were established in the Garden of Eden, such as this, should never be seen as something we can vote on. Thus, the act of voting represented a tipping point in the spirit of rebellion against God’s government that was boiling up and spilling over throughout the church. Even though the vote didn’t pass through the world church, it was overwhelmingly supported by the North American Division which is the seat of the world church leadership.

We are nearing the end of time now. Apostasy of this scope cannot be entertained without eternal consequences. In Daniel chapter 5 king Belshazzar refuses to follow the example of his father, Nebuchadnezzar, who had “blessed the Most High, and praised and honored Him who lives forever,” (Daniel 4:34). As he was using the sacred vessels of God’s temple for feasting and drunkenness a mysterious hand appeared on the wall writing the message that “God has numbered your kingdom and finished it; you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.”

This story might well be considered by the SDA Church which has collectively failed to follow the example of the Adventist forefathers in honoring God and has symbolically used the sacred vessels of God’s service for self-uplifting feasting and drunkenness. The SDA Church is facing the proverbial “handwriting on the wall.” Though many SDAs have clung to a few passages of Ellen White’s writings that seemed to indicate the church would never fall out of favor with God, they ignored passages that indicated it was a real danger.  For example;

“In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day Adventist church is to be weighed. She will be judged by the privileges and advantages that she has had. If her spiritual experience does not correspond to the advantages that Christ… on her will be pronounced the sentence: ‘Found wanting.’ {Last Day Events, LDE p. 59.3, Ellen White}

In some such quotes, she spoke of the destruction of SDA facilities as having significance related to God’s judgment. In view of these, I see it as of prophetic significance that the SDA elementary school called Blue Mountain Academy was destroyed a day after the matter of women’s ordination was brought to a vote by SDAs for the third time.

Inspiration likens the church to Israel and Jerusalem, as well as to the “Mountain of the Lord.” Zechariah 8:3, 7, 8 says “I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.” The earthly church is a spiritual representation of the heavenly Mount Zion. So, for an SDA institution bearing a name that verbally connects to “the Mountain of the Lord” to be judged right during the midst of General Conference session was significant.

The concept of judgment on a mountain naturally recalls the picture of a volcano, which verbally matches Christ’s warning to Laodicea that because of its lukewarm condition he will spew it out of his mouth. These symbols connect to the Mount St. Helens eruption. The history of this volcano in the US served as a warning of spiritual judgment that was coming on the Seventh-day Adventist Church if God’s people wouldn’t reform.

If you do an image search for pictures of Mount St. Helens, many of the pictures that turn up look like a mouth spewing out smoke and ash, just like the verse says God will do to Laodicea. There are many other elements in that eruption that specifically connect to the SDA Church. “Saint,” for example, obviously bears reference to the idea of the people of God, or body of Christ; as we see in Ephesians 4:12 and other verses; “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ...”

That Spirit Lake lay at the bottom of the mountain and was affected by the blast symbolizes that God intends for a spiritual understanding to come from this event, that it’s not to be seen in a literal or concrete way only. Just as Jesus often rebuked those who only interpreted his words about bread and other things with literal meaning, saying to them, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life,” (John 6:63).

The name “Helen” is also a variant of “Ellen,” which could symbolize the important role that the Spirit of Prophecy writings given by God’s servant Ellen White played in building up the “Mountain of the Lord,” God’s church, and how judgment is coming for those who refuse to follow those counsels.

Dates connect the eruption of Mount St. Helens directly to the SDA Church as well, because it happened on May 18, 1980, almost exactly 200 years after the “Dark Day” in America on May 19, 1780 which SDAs have seen as prophetically significant. The name “Seventh-day Adventist” was chosen in 1860, exactly 120 years before the 1980 eruption, the same number of years the mountain lay dormant.

The eruption in 1980 would have been significant for the SDA Church then too, as a warning, since it was at the close of a decade which had seen some of the greatest apostasy in our history. Some of these included the entrance of abortion into our hospitals on a large scale, the development of the women’s ordination movement, and the passing of women’s ordination as elders and appointment as head pastors of churches.

The circular chart that reported on the women’s ordination vote in 2015 was visually similar to a mouth and to the Mount St. Helens volcano, matching God’s description of spewing Laodicea out of his mouth. That it was mostly the North American Division that supported the vote correlates to how it was the northern flank of Mount St. Helens that collapsed in the eruption, creating the largest landslide in recorded history.

Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;  15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  19 as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.  20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Also corresponding to Mount St. Helens was the landslide vote to re-elect leadership that has been characterized by ecumenism on a scale never previously dreamed of or thought of by most Adventists. Documents were signed joining the health work with secular government agencies, as clearly forbidden inspired counsel. Relationships were courted with governments and UN officials who confer with the Pope, with the resulting report brought back that the church was to work with those agencies toward a common goal. Conferences and institutions were allowed to go their own way in rebellion against fundamental doctrines.

During the 2015 GC session, it was stated before and after the women’s ordination vote that whatever the vote turned out to be was what everyone must support because the General Conference in session is our “highest authority.” This placed the church over the Bible through inherently Catholic ideologies, in the same way that they felt they had the authority to change Sabbath to Sunday. We don’t have to join the Catholic Church to be converted to its principles. 

It’s dramatic to see footage showing a comparison of the summit height with the aftermath of Mount St. Helens. The explosion tore 1,300 feet off the mountain and left a crater a mile wide and 2,000 feet deep. There’s a video entitled “Mt. St. Helens Eruption May 18, 1980” by P L Sheffield that shows images of the area with narration and music, allowing you to picture how it represented the earthly kingdom of God. 

Immediately after the eruption, the clip shows a deer covered with ash. The “deer” connotation obviously represents “dear,” suggesting how the apostasy of God’s people has caused the spiritual death of many of God’s dearly beloved. The SDA Church organization has virtually ripened past the point of being able to provide effective leadership or support those who desire to follow the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy counsels. 

But the event was a warning of what would come if the church didn’t reform. The year 2015 was when prophecy indicated God would finally spew Laodicea out of his mouth. This, among other things, may be part of why we saw the four blood moons on biblical feast days as warning signs in 2014-15. That year seemed to be pivotal for the SDA Church as well as for America, as prophetically indicated, as we will consider more in another book. 

The General Conference session where the issue culminated was held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, July 2015. An SDA descendant of Davy Crocket was present at the meetings, and visitors toured the Alamo. Davy Crocket’s death at the Alamo seemed to represent the spiritual stoning of Stephen, as the prophetic moment in time passed. It was almost as if God were saying:

Dear BetheSDA,

Remember the Alamo. Don’t forget that while you are busy going your own way, chasing the deceitfulness of earthly riches and glory, assimilating with the world and trying to catch up with its liberal ideology, you are crucifying Christ afresh. If you continue on this path, you will alienate yourselves from Christ.

The history of the Jewish nation was also an example of what happened in the SDA Church. In the words of Ellen White:

“The Jewish nation was a symbol of the people of all ages who scorn the pleadings of Infinite Love. The tears of Christ when He wept over Jerusalem were for the sins of all time. In the judgments pronounced upon Israel, those who reject the reproofs and warnings of God’s Holy Spirit, may read their own condemnation.”{Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 587.3}

Jesus laments his wayward church in Luke 13 when he spoke of the things he would try to do to save the Jewish nation and the SDAs that would later follow in the same path. In Isaiah 5 he sings a song of lamentation to them;

1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: 6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

BetheSDA wanted to be ordinary, rather than God’s peculiar people, so he finally gave her what she wished for. Because of the choices that have been made to seek after worldly things and depart from God’s special instructions, it is no longer considered the church that most closely reflects the principles of God’s kingdom.

She has lost her crown.

That was when SDA became SADventist, in a sense:

For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Hebrews 12:17

Any church that calls upon God’s name, he will hear. And for this reason, the SDA Church can still be blessed, as all other churches are blessed by God. Even among those who accept worldly ideologies, many are not rebellious against God and truly love him as well as their fellow man. Those may not understand the issues and background of what God intended in establishing the SDA Church. But perhaps the take-home message for Laodicea, overall, could be summarized in the following verses (paraphrased):

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a woman soweth, that shall she also reap. Galatians 6:7

And:

Wherefore let her that thinketh she standeth take heed lest she fall. 2 Corinthians 10:12

But within the message to Laodicea there is hope, as the verses speak of his ongoing love for them along with the admonishment to repent and seek to follow the truth more closely. He counsels them to buy of him gold tried in the fire, white raiment, and to anoint their eyes with eye salve. Those who overcome, he will grant to sit with him on his throne.

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

As in days of old, when God was dealing with apostate Israel, he always returned to saying that his hand is outstretched still (Isaiah 9:12).

Jacob and Esau

Those who understand and remain faithful to the message and spirit of Adventism are as a remnant that will be counted as part of Philadelphia. God sees these as his precious children in whom is all his delight (Psalm 16:3; 3 John 1:4). Many of them are still standing on the firm foundation of truth and sanctifying themselves to prepare for his return. There are ministries, volunteer groups, and self-supporting institutions associated with the SDA Church that are still part of God’s faithful, peculiar people on Earth.

“Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:18

Not all who claim that status for themselves meet the standard, though. Various extremist groups that combine strict attitudes with pharisaical rules are more like the Galatians that Paul chided. Adventism has many splinter groups like these. To be part of Philadelphia requires being balanced, moderate, reasonable, and full of the love of Christ.

But God “did not leave himself without witness (Acts 14:17)” as far as maintaining a group of people who follow his will more closely. When Laodicea was spewed out of God’s mouth, the transfer of his special favor defaulted to another group. Since Philadelphia and Laodicea are both end-time churches, they must occur simultaneously.

In this way, they could be considered almost as twins. God often does things in pairs or dual fulfillments. Modern-day “Israel” seems to have taken the form of two houses, just as did Israel of old. And, just as with ancient Israel, it was the larger house that apostatized and turned from God in spirit. Those who remain faithful are a smaller group. They are like Gideon’s army of few, selected from the many.

The description of the Philadelphia church in Revelation referred to the time-period when Adventism was first developing. As the original group grew prosperous and complacent, it became Laodicea. But many of the faithful groups that will remain in God’s favor until Christ’s return arise after SDA grew large and prosperous. Thus, even though their spirit is like that of early Adventism, they count as the younger sibling, the Jacob church.

I say groups because there are several biblical indicators that the church of Philadelphia isn’t necessarily one denomination or organized entity, but that it is made up of all those who are faithful until the end. Philippians3:20 says our citizenship is in Heaven. The church membership of God’s last day remnant church, Philadelphia, who are being sanctified in preparation for his coming, is in Heaven. According to Hebrews 3:1, Jesus is the Apostle and high priest of our confession. We’ll explore this concept further along.

But, considering the role of Philadelphia in the end times, it’s interesting to note how God inspired Ellen White to directly address “the Philadelphia Church.” Here’s an excerpt of what she said;

“The Lord has rich blessings for those who will keep His commandments in Philadelphia. He desires you to bring the light of His commandments to those that are around you. You are to be living, fruit-bearing branches in the true vine.” {Ms154-1904 (August 14, 1904) par. 32}

Ellen White also compared God’s church to a ship facing shipwreck if not faithful. Through this correlation, Paul’s shipwreck journey recorded in Acts chapter 27 provides insights on what happened with the SDA Church. And a notable element of this story is that two ships are depicted as bearing the passengers to their heavenly destination. Right after the shipwreck, they come to an island where Paul does some missionary work strikingly similar to the ministry of Jesus. Then they set out on a second ship, which was already there on the same missionary island. Interestingly, that ship was called “TWIN brothers.”

In the use of the title “twin brothers” for the second ship bearing the messianic Jesus figure (Paul) and his companions to the final destination, there is an unmistakable implication that the final church will consist of two branches, like the twin brothers, Jacob and Esau. They are;

Philadelphia and Laodicea.

The first twin, Laodicea, failed to heed the Captain’s counsel and was driven along by prevailing winds of worldly ideologies. It broke apart where two seas meet, through internal strife between extreme conservative and liberal factions. Philadelphia, its younger twin, was on the same course and thus at the same missionary island where the other ship broke apart. It was there to take God’s people safely on the rest of their journey to finish the course.

The people coming from the fragmented ship had to go through a time of difficulty and swim through troubled waters to the shore. But Isaiah 43:2 said, for that time; “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.”

Ellen White relates a story like Paul’s account, which helps confirm the validity of this interpretation and its connection with the SDA Church. Not only are both accounts similar in details having to do with nautical journeys to islands, but also in the descriptions of storms and the symbolic idiom-type phrases that are used. And toward the beginning of both stories, there is mention of a place named “Fairhaven” or “Fair Havens” (Acts 27:8 “...we came to a place called Fair Havens”).

Another similarity is in how Ellen White mentions that her sister, who was her identical twin, was with her, placing the concept of “twin siblings” squarely in both stories. Her account is in Early Writings 23. And, if it weren’t already obvious from the nautical allegories relating to God’s people throughout scripture and inspired writings that ships are symbolic of the church, she makes it perfectly clear by calling the boat “a floating Bethel,” which means “house of God.” 

That she had a vision on the boat in the middle of the storm also helps to confirm that it is the SDA house of God being represented through the story. But the woman, who is a twin, having a vision amid a trial and then calling it “Bethel” holds strong symbolic connections to Jacob, since Bethel was where he first saw his vision of a ladder, representing the way to Heaven, just as a ship’s journey does.

Bethel was also where the Ark of the Covenant was kept for a while, and the people of God went there to inquire of him (Judges 20, 21). It was included in the kingdom of Israel when God’s people were divided into two groups, like how the first ship Sister White was on in the story represents the larger group of Laodicea, the SDA Church.

After Bethel became one of the places for worshipping the golden calf (1 Kings 12:28-33, 13:1) the prophet Hosea reproachfully called it “Beth-aven,” meaning “house of idols” (Hosea 10:5, 8). This language matches the sixth seal of Revelation’s description of judgment scenes that will occur at the Lord’s second coming.

Sister White’s twin sister was also named Beth, technically, since that is a common short form for her name, Elizabeth. And she was not an Adventist. How she visually resembled Ellen but had a different spirit reflects the twin theme of only one being faithful in spirit. And it confirms the representation to be part of the Adventist story.

Twin sibling churches also seem to be directly referred to in relation to the Seventh-day Adventist Church throughout the entire chapter of Romans 9 when it speaks of how not everyone who claims to be of God’s Israel is really his Israel, comparing it to how God says, “Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated,” and concluding by speaking of the true remnantat the end of time in which but few will be saved and referring to the seed that remains.

This chapter and these verses about Jacob and Esau, along with the mention of the remnant at the end of time and Sabbath are unmistakable links to the themes that point to the end-time church as being composed of twin siblings that follow the prophetic likeness of Jacob and Esau. And Genesis 25 confirms that Jacob and Esau represent two people groups when it says;

22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.”

This refers to their physical descendants, of course, but also to their spiritual descendants, since nearly everything in scripture has spiritual implications. Romans 9 also points this out in saying it is a spiritual heritage that the promise refers to, thus it refers to people groups in the spiritual likeness of Jacob and Esau. 

These stories connecting the final church to the concept of twin siblings, Jacob and Esau, foretold that one would sell its birthright status as the chosen people of God and that “The older shall serve the younger.” As Ellen White said:

“Esau... represents those who lightly value the redemption purchased for them by Christ and are ready to sacrifice their heirship to heaven for the perishable things of earth.” {EP 117.3-4}

The story of Rachel and Leah, though not twins, reflects similar themes (as mentioned). Among smaller groups that make up Philadelphia, following Adventist teachings and doctrines more faithfully than the larger SDA Church, perhaps the most notable one is the Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement (SDARM). This group is a worldwide church, like SDA, which began when its core members were disfellowshipped for remaining faithful to original Adventist teachings. 

SDARM is in every way a similar twin, although smaller, as the house of Judah was smaller than the house of Israel. SDA and SDARM are like the twin fawns of Song of Solomon, two branches of the same tree. One was broken off, but the other remains. In this way, the church has not fallen.

All the time that SDA members have thought they could take the church off in a different direction from what God indicated, while quoting Ellen White’s statements that the church will never fall, they didn’t consider that God might already have a smaller house of faithful members that would remain as his specially favored people.

You can’t outsmart God, he always has a plan.

Nevertheless, though SDARM has faithfully cherished basic Adventist beliefs, there are many truths opening up that they are unaware of. And there are a couple of basic doctrines that they seem to have confused, such as seeing the 144,000 as being made up of their members throughout the history of the church, and in how they forbid remarriage after divorce even when a former spouse has committed adultery (which goes against both scripture and Ellen White’s counsel). Some of their viewpoints are stricter than necessary for those who see things from a moderate standpoint. 

But, as stated, the Philadelphia that goes through to the end of time will not be just one particular organization. Evidence for this includes what Jesus said in John 4;

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father…23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

In this passage, Jesus was referring to the times of the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9 which indicated the end of the Jewish nation as God’s chosen people and pointed to when the Gospel would go to the gentiles, so that religion would no longer be centralized in Jerusalem. But, in relation to modern spiritual Israel as the SDA church within its background continent of North America, which has also been a nation that has enjoyed God’s special favor, the prophecy repeats, as we will examine further on. Thus, his words apply to our times too.

His reference to “mountains” in the passage symbolized church organizations, suggesting that after the prophecy fulfills, there would no longer be an earthly organization that counts as the centralized focus of God’s favor. It was a temporary situation when the disciples gathered from house to house and called their belief system “The Way.” Later, seventh-day Sabbath-keeping groups passed on the tradition of faithfulness and maintained God’s favored blessing throughout the ages up until SDA and SDARM. But after Daniel’s 70-week prophecy repeats, it would signal nearness to Jesus’ return and thus the unlikelihood that there would be another such “mountain.”

Hebrews 12 seems to describe the likeness of final believers. After referring to Esau’s loss of the birthright blessing and describing a mountain bearing similarity to the eruption of Mount St. Helens, even associating it with the darkness of the fourth trumpet's prophecy (which the event also fulfilled), it says;

18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet… 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake…

The passage then identifies the church as those who are both justified/forgiven (the spirits of just men) and sanctified (made perfect) with their membership being in Heavenly Mount Zion (which cannot be touched, as it emphasized that the earthly mountain could be touched);

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

This passage seems to be saying “ye are not come to” membership in that earthly mountain which erupted as a representation of Laodicea’s being spewed out of God’s mouth, but to “the church of the firstborn” who’s membership is “written in heaven.” The references to the fourth trumpet’s darkness and the judgment help identify that the message is speaking of the end times when those who are faithful to God would be preparing for Christ’s imminent return. The message is that their church membership would be written in Heaven in the New Jerusalem, rather than on Earth.  

This fact doesn’t mean that none of those faithful will have earthly church memberships, but simply that in God’s eyes the only significant membership will be the one written in Heaven where Jesus is ministering in the sanctuary. Philadelphia may be made up of members from several different churches and organizations, including members of the SDA Church, as well as some who are independent. But the centralized church membership that Heaven recognizes after Laodicea loses the birthright is written in Heaven. Thus, it won’t by “this mountain or that mountain” that counts as Zion anymore.

No one on Earth will be able to openly proclaim their church to be “Philadelphia” because it’s a designation that God alone judges. But those who are honestly striving to be a part of God’s final church, to keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, can rejoice that their names are written in Heaven and think of the heavenly Jerusalem temple as the place where their church membership is recorded.

Hebrews 12:22-24 is the verse to cherish for all those who are seeking to be a part of this final, faithful church. With Philadelphia based out of the New Jerusalem temple in Heaven, Jesus is the leader rather than corrupt mortals. He numbers those who are his by their character, not by any earthly database of names.

Some have suggested that some Ellen White quotes indicate we should never leave the original structure of the SDA Church. But those who claim the SDA Church cannot possibly fall from grace based on those Ellen White quotes are forgetting how she herself emphasized that God’s promises are conditional, based upon our response.

And in the case of generalized apostasy, the denomination itself has stepped off the firm foundation of truth. Those who must part company with apostate brethren to continue standing on that original foundation are not the ones forming a “new organization,” in the spiritual sense. Rather, they are simply carrying the same torch of the forefather pioneers as a continuation of the original structure.

The continual example of apostasy should not be kept before our eyes and those of our children, to tempt to complacency and moral declension. We have the right to depart from those who are not seeking the truth as it was originally delivered to us. These are the times in which house churches and small gatherings in many places, as well as individual worship, may be the best continuation of our faith rather than going to big, prosperous churches that have lost the spirit of faithfulness. This will better prepare us for times of persecution as well.

 It says after that time the messiah would be cut off and “in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate…” Those two events are understood to be the same thing, referring to Jesus’ death in the midst of the week which ended the need for the sacrifices pointing forward to it.

In the second fulfillment, from 1525, adding 483 years takes us to 2008 as the beginning of the last seven years. The “midst of the week” might be at the exact midpoint but not necessarily. It could refer to an event which occurs within the seven years, somewhere close to the middle of that time.

The event fulfilling this prophecy the most closely seems to have occurred on July 26, 2011, three years into the last seven years of the 490, when the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists met with Dr. Mirta Roses, director of Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) at the world church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland to sign a “memorandum of understanding” partnering the health work of the church with this secular governmental organization “to improve health” in the Americas.

Though the goals for doing something like this may seem innocent on the surface, it represented an official secularization of the church’s health work, which was established for opening opportunities for the Gospel and the message of Christ’s soon coming. By linking with a secular organization, the church tied itself down to secular purposes, effectually raising the cry, “We have no king but Ceasar.”

There are plenty of secular health organizations in this world, so why did church organizers think God would need his people to be one of them? He didn’t call his people to separate from other groups just so they could rush back to become like them again. God needs the kind of work that will accomplish the missionary purposes for which it was set up. Through joining with the world, church leaders showed they have their minds focused on earthly governments and things that appear “big” in the eyes of men more than on Christ and his mission of saving people spiritually.

It’s not the purpose of the church to join with the world. Though earthly governments are given a general knowledge of God’s purposes, such as practical common sense, etc., the church was given special knowledge to be used in combination with the messages of truth in patterning after Christ’s method of healing and preaching. Out of necessity, church members may need to work in secular environments, but the church itself must never abandon its special purposes to unite with “generic” health work.

Incidentally, the name Mirta means “crown of thorns.” And Jesus’ explanation of the Abomination of Desolation in Matthew 24:15, which was in part fulfilled by the Roman power standing on holy ground at the destruction of Jerusalem, applies to this situation in which the church signed its sacred health evangelistic work over to a secular organization.

This places the cutting off after 3 years rather than 3.5, as was the case in Jesus’ life, but still meets the description of how Daniel 9:27 identifies the cutting off as occurring in the “midst of the week.” This represents a principle of prophecy interpretation in which repeat fulfillments don’t necessarily need to occur in exactly the same way to match scriptural descriptions. 

The end of the 490-year prophecy brings us to the SDA General Conference Session, July of 2015, when the vote occurred in which the North American Division overwhelmingly supported the feminist and gender-neutral church leadership model, collapsing the “north face” of this spiritual Mount St. Helens. In rejecting the biblical model of male leadership, the NAD rejected Jesus himself with the unspoken declaration, “We will not have this man to reign over us,” fulfilling the parable he spoke in Luke 19; 

11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

This parable seems to have been spoken more for Seventh-day Adventists than to Jews, since they are the ones who profess to be waiting for the nobleman, Jesus, to “to return” with his kingdom, as even the name “Adventist” implies. Adventists are the ones who have professed to look forward to Christ’s return and have been the spiritual Jerusalem of modern times, but as faith is tested through the passing of time, the candles have begun to burn dim. In trusting to popular sentiment while rejecting biblical counsel, Jesus as the “Word made flesh” was effectually crucified afresh. 

Through this parable, Jesus also predicted that feminism would be the issue of contention among end-time Adventists waiting for Jesus’ return. And he indicated that by rejecting the biblical model of male leadership established in Eden and patterned after Christ’s leadership, the people are sending Jesus the message that they refuse his leadership as well. People seem to forget that Jesus is a human male like every other man in the church. That’s why what we “vote” on this question had the potential to unseat him as the head of the church.

As it says in 1 John 5:3, his commandments are not burdensome. Our Creator, who designed and equipped the human family, established the leadership role of men. Yet the idea of male leadership has been largely rejected after years of its abuse. It was made so noxious that it no longer seemed relevant. But the abuse of a God-ordained model shouldn’t be seen as an excuse to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Male and female roles should be understood in the context of nature, such as how the two sides of the human body are nearly equivalent in every way and perform equal service together, yet one side takes a dominant role. The intelligent contributions of women should always be regarded as just as valuable as those of men. Masculine and feminine perspectives are equally valuable in the same way that having two eyes provides depth perception to the body.

Leadership must be patterned after Jesus, the gentle servant leader who was never self-uplifting or domineering. In Luke 22:24-27, he contrasted worldly lordship with servant leadership and forbade his followers from lording it over each other. The male leadership model doesn’t excuse abusive or condescending attitudes, and those who practice such disqualify themselves from Christian leadership. They should be held accountable or dealt with accordingly by both men and women. Yet this also should seek to be redemptive and patterned after Christ and scripture.

Because the repeat of Daniel’s prophecy involves the United States as well, you would expect to see major events in the USA during that time. And, in fact, the Great Recession was occurring during a significant part of the years between 2008 and 2015, with large stock market drops at the beginning and end of that period. The Pope was also welcomed to address Congress on a biblical feast day in the fall of 2015.

Throughout that time, spiritual corruption was growing like never before in both the US and the SDA Church. The close of the time-period saw the blood moon tetrad on biblical feast days, and wild celebrations over legislation in June 2015, like the description of spiritual “Sodom and Egypt” in Revelation 11:10. The start of the same chapter speaks of measuring the temple and its worshippers, linking the events occurring with God’s people to the time of those celebrations.

There’s little doubt that “Sodom” refers to promiscuity and violence the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were known for. Revelation 11 makes it clear that the Egypt being referred to is one that would celebrate sexual perversion. Ancient Egypt was also animistic, believing in the magical powers in nature, and worshiped pharaohs as gods. The modern-day equivalent of that is the secular, atheistic culture that worships nature by teaching that we evolved from monkeys and which idolatrously venerates political leaders and Hollywood “stars” to a god-like status. That is the “Egypt” that wildly celebrated with “Sodom” when the principles of scripture (with the two witnesses of the Old and New Testaments) were stoned to death in America’s streets by the national legalization of gay marriage.

This was merely a marker for sexual perversion of many types. The values of Americans have become increasingly confused since the sexual revolution, leading to weakened family bonds and unstable homes. Marriage, as created by God, stabilizes society and provides a framework for the optimal growth and development of children. The marriage bond is compromised through multiple partners, divorce, and sexual perversion of various types, leading to the decline of stability and happiness in society.

And while it’s true that human laws should not be made to legislate religion, specifically in relation to the first four of the Ten Commandments, basic laws for the safety and wellbeing of society usually encompass elements of the last six commands to prevent rampant vice, crime, murder and sexual offenses. Thus, a basic understanding of sexuality, as it relates to the human family, is necessary as a reference point for the development of laws, since violence often accompanies sexualization and perversion of various types, as occurred in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Not that sexuality should be legislated or enforced to a great degree, but to change the definition of marriage changes that basic reference point and officially lets loose reign on many things that could lead to violence and sexual offenses.

This isn’t to say that God doesn’t see the good in many who have various viewpoints on sexuality or that he isn’t sympathetic to those who struggle with their sexual identity. Christ demonstrated through his life that he loves all people, even if he disagrees with them. He was known for befriending all types of people. And scripture makes it clear that many of those whose behavior is considered “socially acceptable” have harder hearts toward God than the “harlots and publicans” that others looked down on. Nevertheless, while his personal compassion was strong, he didn’t condone behaviors that destabilize family units and compound people’s pain.

As humans, we don’t have enough experience to judge the long-term effects of our theories on the well-being of society. In this, we need to trust God’s comprehensive understanding. He also provides strength to help us live within his will when we determine to follow him and allow his love to heal what is broken within us.

Though I believe there’s more than one aspect to it, these events were clearly also a fulfillment of the “abomination that maketh desolate.” And it must be more than a coincidence that a president was in leadership during that time whose name, when said together with the word “nation,” bears phonetic similarity to the word “abomination,” as others have also noted. And there are many more abominable things occurring in the US as people go to greater and greater lengths in evil. 

But although I didn’t vote for Obama, when he was elected, I rejoiced to see a black man elected president. And as citizens of this country, I believe we should “honor the king,” as the Bible says, and treat him with respect. However, I could not support the spiritual direction he took our nation. And, again, as sometimes arranged by God, there are visual connections with the Egypt identified in Revelation 11 even in how he and his wife seem to bear visual similarity to the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, and portrayed attitudes of superiority while encouraging people to treat them as celebrity idol gods, reflecting the idolatrous religion of Egypt. 

Not that it is any better to go to the opposite political extreme. And what an ironically sad slogan to “make America great again” just after the passing of the 490-year Age of America. And once again, how can it be just coincidence that a man named “Trump” is in the White House right when the seventh trumpet is about to sound? For more information about the seven trumpets, see the book in this series preceding this one, called America on the Brink. 

These associations are evidence that God is seeking to bring people’s attention to what is happening in the cosmos. It’s a biblical page-turning, marking events occurring as predicted by the heavenly timetable.

But doesn’t America just feel different since 2015? The negativity, corruption, unrest, and social problems that create a constant sense of insecurity and loss are hard to put into words. I believe this is because we are grieving the Holy Spirit, “Comforter” away from our land, so that we don’t have the strong sense of peace, comfort, and hope that comes with God’s presence and blessing, as we did in the past. 

We can have that comfort and peace in our personal lives if we are drawing close to God, but the Holy Spirit’s comfort isn’t pervading American society now as it used to be. And the biggest danger to that is the risk we put ourselves in as a nation. God’s comforting Spirit is also our protector. When God’s Spirit is grieved away, we are not as safe from terrorist attacks, nuclear threats, or disasters.

The problems America is facing are enveloping the whole world, as evidence of the final maturation of evil. Symptoms of the terminal disease of sin are manifested all over the world in the constantly increasing uproar of hatred, rioting, disasters, wars and environmental degradation such as have never before been seen or imagined.

What a sad history that both the USA and the SDA Church climaxed in apostasy in the same year, 2015, as predicted by the 490-year prophesy of Daniel 9. This was “spiritual sunset,” plunging the world into the darkness of increasingly rampant evil and confusion.

…but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. Luke 22:53

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. Proverbs 4:19

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. Genesis 15:12

And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Genesis 28:11-12

The blood moon tetrad on biblical feast days of 2014–2015 was a warning of the fulfillment of the time prophecy as well. It was no coincidence that this phenomenon occurred in that particular year, though it has occurred at other times as well. The red color is a reflection of the sunsets all over the Earth, which serves as a warning of the coming of Earth’s spiritual sunset in the end times. 

But what we have seen so far is nothing compared to the deep darkness of night that will settle on Earth once people have made their final choices for good or evil and the heavenly declaration is made which marks the close of probation prior to Jesus’ coming in the clouds. After that time, all final decisions for eternity will have been made and the Time of Trouble will begin. This is spoken of in Daniel 12 when Michael stands up in judgment, and in Revelation 22:11:

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.  

 working to overcome both the United States and the SDA Church, the dragon gained his greatest revenge in modern times. But his wrath will not be appeased until he works destruction upon the entire planet. His ultimate plan is to take over the world and set himself up as leader in the place of God. While receiving homage to himself, he will simultaneously work havoc when those who receive him in the place of Christ open themselves up to his destructive power.

This will be “the Antichrist,” spoken of in scripture, when Satan impersonates Christ’s return. It will be the most masterful deception ever to come to planet Earth. Yet, it will only be a pretense of goodness, a cover for his plans to destroy everything (Revelation 9:11). The different depictions of him in scripture are of the same individual, Satan, the dragon, the fallen angel Apollyon who is the enemy of truth and life. He is the king of fallen angels, who fell like a star from Heaven to Earth. When he manifests his crowning deception by appearing as Christ, and masses of people worship him, it will release a pandora’s box of demonic activity like smoke from the bottomless pit.

We know these things are true based on many Bible passages. For example, there are multiple warnings about false Christs, and a strong warning that Jesus gave in Matthew 24. John tells us in 1 John 2:18 that there is one specific Antichrist who is expected to come, besides the many others; “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”

An important clue to this is found in 2 Corinthians 11:14; “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” This verse hints that the final Antichrist will be Satan himself, transforming himself into an angel of light. The visual likeness of Jesus, as described in Revelation 1, is likely what he may try to impersonate. Satan will try to fulfill all the verses that point forward to Jesus’ second coming in order to take the glory away from God and deceive people. He has always wanted to be worshiped as God himself, so that will be his crowning moment of self-glory.

That Satan will try to impersonate Christ’s coming is clear by the warnings that Christ gave in Matthew 24, including the fact that he clarified the manner of his coming which cannot be impersonated, saying that when He comes, it will be like the lightning flashing across the entire sky (he will not be walking on the ground, but in the sky);

23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. And 2 Corinthians 11:13 says; “... for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”

Just as Satan has tried to counterfeit everything God has done throughout the ages, he will try to counterfeit the second coming of Jesus in glory and make people think Jesus has returned to earth to set up his kingdom here for 1,000 years. This is why it’s so important that we understand the Bible correctly so we can avoid being fooled by those kinds of deceptions and false doctrines.

To lead up to this deception, he will first arrange the world under one government with autocratic rule that implements false religion (Revelation 13). America, which started out as a lamb-like beast coming up from the sparsely populated area (the land symbol in this chapter) is predicted to cooperate with the Vatican (the leopard-like beast) through speaking like a dragon to enact laws that honor Satan by restricting freedom of conscience and requiring participation in the one world religion that worships man as God. 

And though it’s one thing to believe in truths like this theoretically, it’s astonishing when you begin to see things taking shape that show how Satan is bringing about these sinister plans in our time. These things are starting to come to pass before our very eyes. The things I will share with you below are all easily verifiable, publicly available facts.

George H. W. Bush outlined plans and vision for the “New World Order” in 1990, repeatedly referring to the “rule of law” that is to “govern the conduct of nations,” and the “peacekeeping role” of the United Nations. This made it clear that there is to be enforcement of international law on a global scale.

Whether all national boundaries are dissolved, international law that governs the nations would essentially be a one-world government, like the US that has different states under one government. But if you think the New World Order talk was just rhetoric that ended with George Bush senior’s term, consider how “Novis Ordo Seclorum,” means “new order of the ages” and appears on the Great Seal of the United States on the $1 bill. This essentially conveys the same sentiment.

The message appears under an unfinished Tower of Babel topped by an all-seeing eye. The occult symbol links to the secret societies of Freemasonry and Illuminati, that are working behind the scenes in modern governments. The imagery on the $1 bill is a daring expression of rebellion against God and reflects the sentiments of the builders of Babel, as described in Genesis 11. 

They were also seeking to establish a one-world government. As described in Genesis 11:4 they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’”

Bush Senior also used the terminology “to achieve the universal aspirations of mankind... (for) peace (etc.).” First Thessalonians 5:1-3 warns of what will come of these international “peace” goals prior to Christ’s coming;

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”

Babylon of old was the originator of sun worship, and the followers of Nimrod worshiped him as the sun god. When you study into the United Nations (UN) agenda, in combination with the Pope, you can see these same themes with clearly well-laid plans to establish a one-world government system of international law and one-world religion that enforces sun-worship in the form of the “Christian” sun-day, and which is associated with the occult, ultimately leading to the acceptance of the coming of Lucifer, disguised as Christ. 

Statements by Robert Muller, who was the Assistant Secretary-General of the UN for 40 years, provide unmistakable evidence that a one-world religion is a major UN goal. Wikipedia says this of him; ...“his ideas about world government, world peace and spirituality, led to the increased representation of religions in the UN, especially of New Age Movement. He was known by some as “the philosopher of the United Nations.” Many of Muller’s ideas and philosophy were based on the works of Alice Bailey.

Bailey’s occult viewpoints and philosophy in connection with the UN can also be seen clearly through the “Lucis Trust” organization which was originally formed as the “Lucifer Trust.” Wikipedia acknowledges the use of the name “Lucifer” in its background. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucis_Trust).

The stated goals of the organization include to “help mobilize the energy of goodwill” (a New Age concept of energy worship) and “To cooperate in the work of preparation for the reappearance of the Christ.” It has offered a spooky prayer called “The Great Invocation” explaining that it supposedly fits any religion in the world (one-world religion, ecumenism), of which it explains;

“Many religions believe in a World Teacher or Saviour, knowing him under such names as the Christ, the Lord Maitreya, the Imam Mahdi, the Bodhisattva, and the Messiah, and these terms are used in some of the Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish versions of the Great Invocation.”

But since the organization is named after and dedicated to Lucifer, we know that this is not the true Christ or God of Heaven being talked about here. Rather, it is Lucifer, the false christ, and his appearance that they are heralding and invoking through their prayer. Here is an excerpt from the prayer to Lucifer, which exposes his future plans to appear in the likeness of Christ;

A Mantram for the New Age and for all Humanity

From the point of Light within the Mind of God

Let light stream forth into the minds of men.

Let Light descend on Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God

Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.

May Christ return to Earth.

http://www.lucistrust.org/en/service_activities/the_great_invocation__1

The Bible fittingly warns that Satan transforms himself into an angel of “light.” You can see he does this even from this “prayer” that makes reference to “light.”  His “light” is false and provides false hope because Lucifer is merely a fallen angel and his desire is not to help and bless the world, but rather to get everyone to worship him and join his rebellion against Heaven.

Revelation 12 tells us the story of the fall of Lucifer from heaven, as well as Ezekiel 28. He was a beautiful angel, the leading angel in heaven, but his heart was lifted up because of his beauty and he began to worship himself and desire to have the absolute power of God to use for self-uplifting and destructive purposes. He is still seeking to uplift himself and trying to pass himself off as God, pretending to benefit humanity while working destruction everywhere.

The Bible reveals him as deceiving the nations throughout history. The forked tongue of snakes fittingly represents the work and words of Satan (Lucifer), because he speaks out of two sides of his mouth. At the same time he tries to represent his purposes as “good” and for the “benefit” of mankind, he has a sinister purpose and works for our degradation.

Here is a section from the book “The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan” (otherwise known as the “Great Controversy,”) which speaks in detail of the appearance of Satan impersonating Christ, as revealed to Ellen White;

“As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: ‘Christ has come! Christ has come!’ The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is ‘the great power of God.’” Acts 8:10. {Great Controversy, by Ellen White, p. 624.2 - 625.3}

She goes on to describe that he is not permitted to impersonate Christ’s manner of coming in the clouds, as described in the Bible, and that only those who have been careful students of scripture will be able to discern that it is a falsehood. Ezekiel 28:18-19 declares Lucifer’s final end; “...I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you...you have become a horror, and shall be no more forever.”

The Bible has given us warning so that we do not need to be deceived by the plans Lucifer has to take over the world and enforce one world religion that glorifies himself through honoring the day of the sun, or by his attempts to visibly impersonate the second coming of Christ.

Revelation 13 makes it clear that the great struggle in the end of time is about a question of worship. It’s obvious that only this is the type of thing that God would judge mankind for. He is not going to punish people for receiving a vaccine or a microchip under their skin. The seventh day Sabbath is God’s Seal because it is representatively right at the center of the Ten Commandments and names his territory, title and domain, just as a king’s official seal does. It functions as a signature, in the same way that no document is valid or enforceable without a signature. This is why Satan is so anxious to remove God’s seal from the Ten Commandments and replace it with his own mark of usurped authority, because he admires and covets God’s authority.

Those who ultimately reject God in their mind and heart (forehead) or through their actions that deny him (hand) by showing allegiance to Satan through accepting the Sunday laws in the end of time even after God has made every final effort to teach the whole world about his true Sabbath will be alienating themselves from God, receiving the Mark of the Beast and preparing to receive Lucifer as he impersonates Christ’s second coming.

From what we know of Christ’s words about the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46), as well as descriptions in Romans 2, there will ultimately be only two groups of people on Earth. They won’t be defined by race, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status or any external factors, only by character. Every day we make little choices that determine what group we will be in. Those who respond to God’s Spirit and follow principles of his law of love and truth are on the path of life, while those who focus only on themselves are on the path that leads to death. 

At this time in history, because of God’s grace, those living for self-destruction can still choose the upward path. The opposite is also true, and some choose the wrong path even after many years of going the right way. But scripture portrays that a time is coming when every good element and every evil element will come to full maturity so that everyone living will have made their decision for good or evil. 

End-time events, societal pressures, and effects of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring (scripturally described as the “latter rain”) will help to bring this about. Verses that describe the final fruition of good and evil include depictions of the harvest theme, ripened by the latter rain (Christ’s parable of the wheat and tares in Matthew 13:30), Revelation chapter 13, and Revelation 22:10-11 (a time is at hand when those who are just will still be just, and those who are unjust will remain so). 

At the current time, and leading up to the end of the ages, the seventh-day Sabbath is not a marker for those who are righteous, as there are still many good people who don’t yet keep it. But when good and evil come to fruition, to where all who are true to God and good in spirit will have come to understand and keep his law (including the true Sabbath), it will be. 

Likewise, at that point, all those who are unfaithful to God will eventually keep Sunday as the false Sabbath, which will “mark” them as associated with with “the beast” (a reference in Revelation 13 to Catholicism as the first beast). Whether it’s because they believe they should keep Sunday (symbolically marking the forehead, where our decisions are made), or whether they allow human laws to force their hand in compliance with something they don’t agree with (symbolically marked in the hand, representing our actions), Sunday worship will mark them as associated with Catholicism. 

Since Sunday worship originated with Rome, its continuation will eventually serve as a marker for being association with it (“the beast”). In that sense, Sunday worship will also be the image to the beast, described in Revelation 13:14 and 15, paying homage to Rome through requiring widespread honor of the papal institution. Through requiring people to honor a human institution in the place of God’s Sabbath, implemented at Creation, it’s an idol like any figurine or image people could bow down to, because accepting it requires viewing human laws as of more important than God and his laws. 

Right now, there are many true worshipers of God who keep Sunday, so it’s not yet the “mark of the beast.” Only at the end of time, when all the wheat and the tares are fully ripe after God has given everyone a chance to understand the true Sabbath, Sunday worship will become a representative mark of those who honor human laws more than God’s. 

Though there are still many sincere Catholics and Sunday keepers, God wishes to call his children to a greater understanding of truth in the last days to keep them from being deceived by the events soon to come. Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 of the grave danger from deceptions that would arise during the end times. There he spoke of the Sabbath in the context of the final time of trouble (verses 20 and 21), a reference to Daniel 12:1. The last fulfillment of the abomination that causes desolation (that he speaks of there) will involve enforcement of Sunday worship to glorify the Vatican and set aside God’s law. 

Satan has already begun to implement his agenda for a world-wide false day of weekly worship in honor of the sun as a pagan symbol and of himself as the sun god, in disobedience to the seventh-day Sabbath which was instituted by our Creator God.  He plans to eventually implement universal Sun-day worship. And though that may be hard to imagine in times of peace, it’s not hard to picture such a development coming to fruition if the world were to increasingly fall into turmoil and crisis.  Sunday legislation could be, and is already being, promoted as a way to “get back to God” and seek his blessing to promote peace among people world-wide.

But since the 4th commandment contains God’s territory and name, like a seal or signature which makes any document valid, for Satan to implement a false day of worship invalidates all of the 10 commandments and allows him to usurp God’s authority. It effectively establishes Lucifer as the spiritual leader and god of this world. The Bible predicts in Revelation 13 that Satan’s efforts to establish false worship will on a world-wide scale will be among the final event’s of Earth’s history. Because of the above connections we can know that the papacy is the one of whom it was said…

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws...(Daniel 7:25).

Many Christians have mistakenly thought that some of the problems our nation faces could be solved by seeking a blessing through enforcing Sunday keeping and church going, but this is a mistake.  Enforcing Sunday worship will in no way bring the blessing of God upon our nation, but instead will be the ultimate apostasy that brings about full unity of our country with Satan who, the originator of pagan sun worship.

Protestants are grasping hands with the US government and the Vatican to form a false religion that will eventually become a “universal” (“Catholic”) world-wide religion. We can see right before our eyes that this idea is by no means far-fetched. The ecumenical movement in which protestant Christians are bowing at the Pope’s feet asking for forgiveness shows us how this union is already well under way. 

Many US presidents and government officials have visited Rome to pay homage to the Pope and can sometimes be seen bowing to him or kissing his hand. But the symbolism of the Vatican as Babylon also honors Lucifer and the church will take the same character of persecuting God’s true people, especially Sabbath keepers, in the end times that it did in the dark ages. 

Descriptions in Revelation 13:15-17 indicate economic sanctions and even the death penalty will eventually be implemented against those who refuse to comply with the false day of worship. This would be consistent with the history of Papal domination and its history of persecution and martyrs of those who refused to comply with Rome’s iron-fisted rule of corruption and false doctrines during the Dark Ages. 

The story of Esther foreshadows those times. The Jews, there, represent end-time Sabbath keepers, who are mostly gentiles grafted into the faith of Abraham that continue its basic tenets. There will be laws enacted to set a death penalty against those who refuse to bow down to the laws that honoring Rome through Sunday worship. 

And despite the martyrs that Revelation describes will happen, the story of Esther predicts the plans for genocide of true Sabbath keepers will fail, just as they did in the book of Esther, with the persecutors fate seen through the character Haman. This will occur just before Christ’s visible second coming in the sky to deliver his people and take them back to Heaven for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Jeremiah 4:23-27; Revelation 21:1-3). 

For more detail about this subject, I recommend reading chapter 39 titled “The Time of Trouble” from “The Great Controversy” by Ellen White. In the final chapters of the Great Controversy she has outlined things that she saw in vision all the way up to the final coming of Jesus and beyond. As with all her writings, the book is available to read online for free.

Another chapter from the same book which is very useful for helping us to understand what the end times will be like is chapter 15 “The Bible and the French Revolution.”  It shows in great detail with deep spiritual insight about how the French Revolution was a miniature example of the condition the whole world will be in during the time of trouble. 

The French Revolution was a time of fearful turmoil and pain where no one could trust anyone else, everything was in absolute chaos. This resulted spiritually from lifting up the Goddess of Reason in place of the Bible. This is what people are doing today in modern America and other countries. Here we see a negative image in the Statue of Liberty, because she is a gift from France and bears similarity to their Goddess of Reason. 

But the whole world is at risk of falling into the chaos that France did. When the spirit of God is removed and the government and economy have collapsed, the natural protections which keep society at peace are removed, and its ‘every man for himself; when disease, biological warfare and disasters everywhere; when people are insane with hunger, unable to get their medications, looting and pillaging… it will look like a literal zombie apocalypse.

This will be the dragon’s ultimate revenge. His grudge of jealousy against God, that started when he wanted to rule over Heaven, will culminate with the disillusion of society. Destruction is the only consistent purpose behind all of his deceptions. Though the winds of strife are currently being held back by God’s angels, Satan’s destructive forces will be let loose after probation closes.

But God’s people won’t be going to be shooting zombies or cutting their heads off. God will protect them safely in their wilderness hiding places for the short time until Jesus comes. Some will also be in prison during that time. But, unlike popular theology teaches, God’s people won’t skip having to go through the time of trouble because it will be a time of personal cleansing, like Jacob’s night of wrestling. That’s why the Bible speaks of it as Jacob’s time of trouble:  

“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:7

Nothing in the Bible teaches a secret rapture or that the righteous will be removed from the earth before the time of trouble. Revelation 12 teaches that the church will be in wilderness hiding during persecutions, like the Waldenses. The plagues followed by the Exodus from Egypt were the spiritual example of God’s people going through the difficulties of the time of trouble prior to leaving for Heaven. As God protected his people during the plagues, he will protect his people during the final time of trouble prior to his return.

Despite all the dragon’s fire-breathing wrath, he won’t get the satisfaction of destroying those who firmly hold onto Christ and his principles through the world’s most difficult hour. Christ will come at last to deliver them from his grasp. 

The Bible is our only reliable source of doctrine. In perilous times we must cling to the Bible’s teachings and study them for ourselves as if our eternity depends on it, rather than trusting our souls to “the experts,” going by gut feelings, or believing in emotional and/or “miraculous” testimonies that contradict the scriptures. 

Deceptive influences and evil forces are working constantly to lead people away from firmly grasping the saving truths of the Bible. It doesn’t matter people say or any church teaches, it only matters what the Bible says. We must not be prejudiced for or against any interpretation just because it is espoused by a certain group. 

We must examine the scriptural evidence for ourselves to see if it bears the test of scrutiny under careful and logical consideration, comparing verse with verse prayerfully. This is also how Bible study is good for developing the intellect. Purposeful study of God’s word is better than cross word puzzles or mind games for developing and maintaining mind and character.

False teachings about the end times are rampant. The manner of Christ’s coming, as described in the last chapter, is crucial to understand. False teachings about 1,000 years of peace on Earth immediately after Christ’s coming will lead many to accept the Antichrist. If we understand that Jesus is not going to set up his kingdom on this decimated Earth, we will be more likely to recognize the Antichrist, Satan. 

While all kinds of religious, Christian, New Age and spiritual teachers have been proclaiming that we are about to enter into a new age on Earth, a higher dimension of magical “energy,” the devil has been carefully orchestrating these mistaken beliefs. It’s easy to picture him bringing them together with a false sense of global unity prior to his appearance impersonating Christ...

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3, KJV 

While inspiring the world to believe he doesn’t exist (his best defense), Satan draws near to gain access to the control centers of people’s minds through teachings that open their souls to the entrance of demonic powers. Fleshly indulgences, hypnosis and meditation, media influences and human pride are among the elements that open the soul to demonic influences. 

Satan’s lies are the same in the end of time as they were in the Garden of Eden, which caused the loss of paradise then and the loss of eternal life now “Ye shall not surely die... ye shall be as gods.” Genesis 5:4-5, KJV. This is the essence of spiritualistic teachings that speak of God being within us and predict we are on the verge of a new, enlightened age. 

Knowing and being changed by the scriptures is the key to avoiding the deceptions of the last days. They reveal false teachers and can keep you from falling for spiritual scammers who want to cheat you of your eternal hope. We can avoid false Christ’s when we understand by the scriptures that Christ is coming to gather all of his people from one end of the sky to the other (Matthew 24:31), that every eye shall see him (Revelation 1:7) and that we will meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). He will not appear on earth here and there but will come in the clouds, as the lightning flashes from east to west (Matthew 25:23-27). 

The plain teaching of the scriptures is that God’s people will spend the millennium in Heaven with Jesus before coming back to Earth to live forever on the New Earth. In John 14:1-3 Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for his people among the mansions of his father’s house in Heaven, after which he will “come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” It is to Heaven that he will take his people. His cloud of angels will not come down and land on the broken and decimated Earth to set up a kingdom here at his first glorious appearance. The trumpets, seals and bowl judgments of Revelation predict the degradation and destruction of the earth prior to his coming. 

Jesus described the time of his coming as being like the days of Noah in which the people were caught up in a round of daily activities and did not understand “until the flood came and took them all away,” Matthew 24:37-39, KJV. In comparing it to the flood, the suggestion is that there will be devastation on a worldwide scale, matching the teachings of the book of Revelation.

Those who cling to partial interpretations are making excuses because they don’t wish to understand things more deeply. Perhaps they are afraid of truths that might be self-sacrificing or call them to abandon pleasurable habits. Thus, they conspire together to tell themselves and each other there is no reason to open their minds to any deeper understanding of the prophecies and truths of the Bible. 

But matters of doctrine are not about majority vote. Though people may vote about what to believe, the truth is untouched by man’s opinion and merely awaits discovery. Anyone with a Bible who is open to receive the truths can discover them, whether authorized by ecclesiastical authority or not.

If any man willeth to do my will, he shall know the doctrine. 

Many falsely teach focusing on Jerusalem for the fulfillment of end-time prophecies, though the New Testament is clear that after the time of Christ the seed of Abraham is considered spiritual, all those who believe. We can understand that Jesus is not coming back to old Jerusalem through recognizing that New Testament verses and prophecies about Israel are in reference to all believers all over the world who have been “grafted in.” Focusing on the literal country of Israel is a distraction which will lead many people to accept Satan when he comes as the Antichrist to impersonate Christ.

But one of the first and most important questions we must understand regarding events in the times of Earth is regarding the judgment of fire. This topic has been hotly debated and has been misunderstood for thousands of years, either mixed with dark ages mythological ideas of eternal torment or denied altogether. 

Nevertheless, the Bible teaches plainly that there will be a fiery judgment, but that it will be at the end of the ages. Notice how both 2 Peter 3:10-13 and Revelation 20:6-21:1 depict the fires of judgment as enveloping the earth, which itself is burned up and “passes away,” then is recreated. 

We know this to be hell itself because even the devil is destroyed in this fire. That being the case, it is clearly the same “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” that Christ spoke of in Matthew 25:41, which will “leave them neither root nor branch,” as Malachi 4:1 says in reference to Satan as the root and his followers as the branches. 

In describing the history and future of Satan, Ezekiel 28 concludes of him, “never shalt thou be any more” after describing that he will be burned up. Jude 1:13 and 2 Peter 2:17 draw the same conclusion of those who do evil, after speaking of the fiery judgment to come, saying, “to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” This describes an unconscious state of non-existence, like a dream-less sleep.  

When Revelation 20:10 speaks of torment “for ever and ever,” the words for “ever,” “and ever” are both the Greek word “aión,” Strong’s Concordance #165, which indicates a space of time or an age, indicating it has an ending, and it can also indicate a human lifetime. It is speaking of those who do evil as burning until the end of their lives, that is, until they die. 

In the same section, death and the grave are also said to be annihilated in the fire, after which 21:4, KJV, says, “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” This description makes it clear that hellfire will not last into the age of the New Earth. There will be no one sorrowing or crying in pain in hell while the righteous sit down to try to enjoy a meal. Otherwise, there could never be joy for anyone at all, since love and sympathy are the fruits of genuine Christianity. 

The word for “everlasting,” in regard to the fire Christ spoke of in Matthew 25:41, is translated from the Greek word “aiónios,” Strong’s Concordance #166, which is based on the word “aión,” and indicates either agelong or eternal. But Jude 1:7 also uses the word “aiónios” in describing the fire that Sodom and Gomorrah experienced, which are no longer still burning. This is an example of how we should let the Bible explain itself, considering everything it says on any given subject to put a whole picture together from the burden of evidence.

God will not keep the wicked burning throughout eternity. Multiple verses about hell all throughout the Bible match this same viewpoint, and the few that could seemingly be interpreted as eternally burning hellfire are symbolic rather than literal. This demonstrates how it’s an important principle of Bible study to consider all verses on any given topic to come up with an accurate doctrine.

Some think that Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus proves the doctrines of eternal hellfire at death for the wicked, but this was obviously an idiomatic reference to make a point to the pharisees and not intended to teach doctrine, since it doesn’t match his own teachings about Heaven and hell, and since he refers to Heaven as the bosom of Abraham there, which was a Jewish idiom for paradise. His main point is clearly given at the end, where he says, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:31, KJV. 

This warning predicted by name someone who he would raise from the dead to demonstrate his power as the Messiah, suggesting that the richly clothed priests and rulers were like the rich man in his parable and would not believe in him even after the one named Lazarus was raised from the dead. But notice that after Lazarus had been dead for four days and raised back to life he had no “after death experiences” to report and did not mention having seen Abraham because he had just been “sleeping” in death, as Jesus said. And for those who do have dream-like experiences after the heart stops, when the brain is still working for a while, this is not a reliable source of doctrine and is something that may even be influenced by evil forces. 

In regard to the fiery judgment, it’s clear in biblical teaching that it is reserved for a specific time in the future, after the righteous spend a thousand years with Christ, and when it takes place it will be on Earth and utterly destroy the earth at the same time. This day of judgment, when the righteous and wicked face off, is what Armageddon ultimately symbolizes (Revelation 16:14-16; 20:7-9). Here is a review of the key verses about this final judgment:

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9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 1… And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Revelation 20:9, 21:1 KJV

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(Verses in reference to Satan); 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee… and never shalt thou be any more. Ezekiel 28:18-19, KJV 

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13 (They are) raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. Jude 1:13, KJV

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4 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. Malachi 4:1, 3, KJV

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Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 2 Peter 3: 12, 13, KJV

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According to God’s word, no one who has died is already in Heaven or hell except Enoch and Elijah, who were taken to Heaven without dying, and those who were resurrected with Jesus (Matthew 27:52, 53). Jesus said that he himself, after he was resurrected, had not yet ascended to his Father (John 20:17). King David has not yet ascended to Heaven (Acts 2:34), Paul the Apostle and all the other saints are also awaiting the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:54). 

Jesus plainly taught that his followers would not be taken to Heaven until after he returns to Earth when he said in John 15:2-3, “...I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” And in Matthew 25:31-46 he said that the sheep and the goats, representing the righteous and the wicked, will not be judged and sent to their ultimate destinations until he comes in glory.

The order of events listed in Revelation are sometimes confusing because they may be repeated with added detail, so at first glance they may seem unclear. For example, in Revelation 20, we can see after it discusses the final end of the wicked, it then goes back to how they had been raised to life and judged prior to that. It’s still talking about the same people (Revelation 20:5-6, 12-15). 

However, an exception to this is in Revelation 19: 20 – 21 which at first glance seems to be listed out of sequence in talking about the beast and the false prophet being thrown alive into the lake of fire prior to the millennium. The language there is definite in contrast to what happens to everyone else, so cannot possibly be out of order. Thus, it is most likely symbolizing an event which happens prior to Christ’s coming. 

Being “thrown alive” into the lake of fire it could signify that they experience a taste of the furies of hell prior to the end of the Millenium in which God’s people are in Heaven. Being thrown in “alive” would indicate volcanic activity that happens without them first dying and being resurrected, as the other wicked will experience prior to the fiery judgment day. 

Another clue is in how these two individuals are not merely men, but are kingdoms. The whole chapter reflects elements of Daniel 7 which teaches that beasts represent kingdoms. The two kingdoms are also associated with Babylon, whose destruction by fire is predicted in Revelation 18 and will be witnessed by other living nations and kingdoms who lament for them at the time. 

Careful study of descriptions of the beast and the false prophet in Revelation 13 and other verses make it clear that the Vatican and the United States will play those roles. Thus, the passage likely points to powerful super volcano activity in both areas after they are involved in legislating global false worship, prior to Christ’s coming. This prophecy should serve as a serious warning to those who support Sunday legislation and conferring with the Vatican.

Though not a deity to be worshipped, the sun does provide prophetic clues to what the earth may look like when enveloped by the lake of fire during that cleansing time. Videos of the sun’s surface with sunspots and arc explosions seem to reflect that likeness to some degree. 

Perhaps God has placed that fiery ball where we can see it as a warning of what is to come. 

In that cleansing, every trace of the curse of sin will be consumed by the fire, lava and magma, after which Christ will recreate the Earth anew for it to be the eternal home of those who are saved. The dragon, and all his followers, will be completely destroyed and “be no more forever.” But since it says in Malachi 4 that Gods people will walk upon the ashes, perhaps all that will eventually remain to mark this age will be a thin black line of ash in the earth’s crust, where the old kingdom once was. 

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There’s a storm coming. Are you ready?

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When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high…

At the end of the storm

There's a golden sky…

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Rodgers and Hammerstein 1945

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REFERENCES

1 Georgia Historical Society, Early Spanish Exploration in N. America http://georgiahistory.com/education-outreach/online-exhibits/featured-historical-figures/hernando-de-soto/early-spanish-exploration-in-north-america/ 

2 https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.bing.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1071&context=sciaa_staffpub PDF