Climax of World History
"After this I
saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the
four winds so that no wind should blow on the earth or the sea or against any
tree. And I saw another angel coming up from the east with the seal
of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels.... 'Do
not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we mark the servants of our
God with a seal on their foreheads. " Revelation
7:1-3, GNB
When at last each
individual decides for or against God, it brings the final crisis of earth's
history. Because He can no longer protect the wicked from the calamitous
results of their own wrong choices (Isaiah
Let us solemnly
study the sad contents of today's lesson.
GOD TRIES ONE MORE TIME
1. What did Jesus say must happen before the end of the world came?
Matthew 24:14
2. In lesson 24, we studied the last three-point message of love and
warning to the world found in Revelation 14:6-12. What two things are mentioned that will
happen to those who reject this message of love?
Revelation 14:10
Note: The "wrath of God" is poured out on those who receive
the mark. In other words, since they have decided to reject His seal of
protection and accept Satan's "mark" or lies, God, in loving
disappointment finally lets them go. Sadly, they, along with all the wicked,
separate themselves from the Source of all life, and will cease to exist. Hence the fires of destruction (see lesson 12).
THE TIME OF TROUBLE
3. Earth's history has been filled with war, famine, natural disasters,
and terrible inhumanity of mankind with his fellows. How will earth's final period compare?
Matthew 24:21
Note: Christ
said it would be worse than any previous time!
He called this period, "The Great Tribulation."
4. What causes this final outlashing of Satan against God's people?
Revelation 7:1-3
Revelation 12:12
Note: When
God's people are ready, Satan will be allowed to attack without restraint. (Another name for the Great Tribulation is "The
Time of Trouble.")
5. Has God given us any details of the worst things his people will go
through?
The Book of Job
Note:
In the book of
Job, God showed us Satan's strategy when given full freedom.
Satan attacked Job physically
through loss of property, loved ones, and health in the first 2 chapters of
Job; yet he could not make Job waver in his trust in the Lord.
In the next
38 chapters, however, Satan made his fiercest attack on Job—through
his religious friends.
The greatest test
will not be the torture or physical trouble, but the mental and emotional abuse
by "well-meaning" Christians.
6. Wouldn't it seem that evil men would be the ones
persecuting Christians?
John 16:2
Note:
The cruelest
persecutions have always been done in the name of God. Jesus made it clear that this will be
repeated.
7. How can anyone persecute, torture and destroy people in God's
name?
2 Corinthians 3:18
Note:
It is a law of
human nature that we become like what we worship and admire. Any child emulating his parents, friends,
rock or movie "stars" clearly demonstrates this.
These
"Christians" obviously worship a God who would approve of these "evangelistic"
methods. It was done throughout the dark
ages.
8. Does this mean our picture of God will determine which side we will be
on?
THE LAST TEMPTATION
9. What dream of Satan's will come true towards the end of this world's
history?
Revelation 13:3-4,8
(compare Isaiah14:12-14)
Revelation 17:8
10. How does this come
about? Why would anyone worship Satan?
Matthew 4:9
Note: In that barren wilderness, Satan offered Jesus, weak from being
without food, a "solution" to his needs: no suffering, no pain-
worship me and you can have it all.
In earth's darkest hour, Satan will come
to "solve" the world's problems- asking only worship.
11. Will the people
knowingly worship the devil?
2 Corinthians 11:14
Revelation 16:14
Revelation 17:8
Revelation 13:12-14
(Matthew 4:1,5,6)
Matthew 24:4-5,
2 Thessalonians 2:4
Matthew 24:24
Note: Listen to how the book Great Controversy describes this
moment:
"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. " page 624
12. Will it be easy to tell
that this counterfeit Jesus is a fraud?
2 Thessalonians 2:11
Matthew 24:24
Revelation 13:3,8,14
Note: Satan deceived one-third of the brilliant, intelligent angels right in the presence of God (Revelation 12:4)!
13. What kind of people
will be able to stand without being deceived by the master deceiver?
Ephesians 4:13-14
Hebrews 5:13-6:1
Note: We are often told we need to be like children in trust (Matthew
18:2,3). But
God wants us to grow up and become mature spiritual adults. Only a mature faith will withstand the
deception of the last days.
14. Revelation 7:1-3
tells us that God will not permit these delusions to come until His people are sealed. What is this sealing?
Ephesians 4:30
Ephesians 1:13
Note: Many ministries teach that miracles, signs and wonders are
evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence.
But in Zechariah 4:6, the Lord contrasts
might and power with the way His Spirit works.
Although God has unimaginable might and
power (remember, He merely spoke and hung the vast universe in space!),
He chose to use His Spirit to win the war.
15. What did Jesus (Who
Himself is God) say is the way the Spirit works?
John 14:26
John 15:26
John 16:13
Note: The way the Spirit works is to bring us the truth, remind us
of the truth and evidence, and invite and entice us to righteousness and
self-sacrificing love (2 Timothy 1:7, Galatians 5:22-24).
16. What is this most
important truth we need to be "sealed" in by the Holy Spirit?
John 5:39
John 17:3-4,6
Jeremiah 9:23-24
(Jeremiah 31:34
Isaiah 11:9)
Note: The war began by Satan telling lies about God. His last effort to deceive mankind will be
his age-long goal to cause men to have a false picture of God (read the book of
Job).
17. What kind of stand did
Paul take on the good news about God?
Galatians 1:8-9
Note: This is what will be necessary in the last days, and what
it means to be "sealed" by the Holy Spirit: to be so settled into the
truth about God, both intellectually and spiritually, that we cannot be
moved. This is the faith Job
had, to be able to say, "No matter what happens or how bad
it looks, I will trust in God."
18. Will the majority of
the Christian world be on our side?
Revelation 13:3,8,14
19. What was the worst
trial for Job?
Job
Job 19:1-5
Job 26:1-2
Note: Only the first three chapters of Job describe his loss of
wealth, family, and health. Over thirty
chapters describe how good-intentioned and well-meaning theologian
friends "ganged up" on him, saying he was wrong about
God. This is what almost broke
him down!
SALVATION'S DOOR CLOSES
20. After God's final
message of love goes out to the world, what marvelous sign does John see?
Revelation 15:1
Note: Once again the "wrath of God" is mentioned, this time
in connection with the seven last plagues. Once God removes His
protective power from those who do not want it anyway, they are left open to
Satan's destructive power.
21. What great event in the
Heavenly Tabernacle signals the beginning of the seven plagues?
Revelation l5:8
Note: "No man
could enter the temple." This indicates that the judgment ends,
because every case has been decided—"And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was
no intercessor." Isaiah 59:16. (See lessons 19 & 20 for details on
the judgment.) Everyone has made up
their minds firmly by receiving the mark of the beast or the seal of God.
When sin entered the picture at the
beginning of the Great Controversy and Satan made his accusations against God,
God did not simply deny them and end it all there. He allowed ample time for
Satan to prove or disprove his statements.
We learned in study
#12 that the moment we sin, we separate ourselves from God, and thereby
separate ourselves from life, and die.
God, in His love, has kept us alive long enough for us to figure it all
out and have all the necessary information needed to make an intelligent
decision. Thus He gave sinners a "time of probation".
22. What announcement will
Jesus make that will indicate that the Heavenly judgment has ended, closing the
time of human probation? Revelation 22:11,12
(2 Chronicles 36:16)
Note: All Jesus is saying is, "Everyone stay
the way you are." The judgment in
Heaven ends when all people have made final decisions and none will ever
choose to change.
At that moment, the
time for choosing, or "human probation" for all people closes,
forever. This is often called, The
Close of Probation.
But God has not arbitrarily set up a
deadline, by which time everyone had better make up their mind, because its their last chance. Each person has closed his own
probation by his own choices. God can end it because He knows that all
who will respond have responded. Any more time would be futile; no matter how
much more time, evidence and pleading, everyone is "set" in their
ways.
23. Sometimes illness or
disaster clarifies a person's thinking and causes him to turn to God. In the
case of the plagues, however, no one will be converted. What purpose does God
have in allowing them?
Revelation l 6:10,11,21
Note: Up until the time of the plagues, God's Spirit has done His
utmost to try to convince each person to trust in God and come to Him for a
healing relationship. God has done all that He can-
2 Chronicles 36:16.
Since the beginning
of the Great Controversy, God has shielded all, wicked and righteous alike,
from experiencing the full results of sin's destructive power. However, as
God's sustaining, protective mercy is resisted by more and more of the
inhabitants of the earth, the results of sin's destructive influence is
exercised more freely. As a result, the environment and the social structure of
earth begins to receive a greater impact of disaster.
We can already see calamity in nature and the weather patterns of the world. It
could be that the seven last plagues are simply the climax of this process.
In the book of Job,
Satan caused calamity to befall Job. Yet the people credited the disasters to
God- Read Job 1:16. Even today,
natural disasters are called "acts of God" in legal documents!
Even though God is
not to blame for the sad consequences of sin, He has always taken the blame and
responsibility. This is the kind of person He is. And even many of His loyal
children have often not understood the truth about God, and believed He was
responsible or the cause of their suffering. When the plagues fall, the lost
believe God is causing them- Read Revelation 16:10,11,21.
The plagues fall after
the "close of probation". Even though the lost have had ample and
abundant evidence of God's character, they still believe the lies about God
first told by Satan- that He is vengeful, arbitrary and severe.
When the plagues
fall, the people believe God is punishing them. Thus the plagues reveal what
God's lost children have chosen to believe about Him.
It does not make
sense to believe that God is the source of these disasters, or that he brings
these events about in order to punish earth's wicked inhabitants. Punishment is
for the purpose of correcting behaviour (Hebrews 12:6-11; Proverbs 3:11,12; Revelation 3:19; I Corinthians 11:32). But since
everyone's decision is fixed by this time, no one will respond to correction.
If God were to "punish" in this manner, he would simply be taking
vengeance on his enemies. When we study the Bible as a whole, we cannot
accept this view of God, for then He would have the same attributes as
Satan. Revelation 15 says
that the 7 last plagues are full of "the wrath of God," which
the Bible clearly teaches is not God inflicting pain or suffering, but His
sadly letting us go.
Remember that God's
"strange act" of letting the sinner go was demonstrated on the cross.
With intense grief, he
"gives up" His children that do not want Him anyway, to eternal
separation from Him. To a loving parent, there could be nothing worse!
THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE
24. When Michael stands up, what event follows?
Daniel 12:1
25. How did Jeremiah
characterize the experience of God's people at this time?
Jeremiah 30:5-7
Note:
Jacob's time
of trouble occurred when he learned of his brother's plan to utterly destroy
him and his family. (Background story is
in Genesis 27:30-36, Genesis 28:10-22)
26. What did Jacob do
during the entire night of his brother's planned attack?
Genesis 32:24
Note:
When Michael
stands up (Daniel 12:1) and "leaves the Sanctuary," God's
people seem to be abandoned by God, like Job appeared to be. They seem hopeless. In his time of anguish and distress, Jacob
sought the Lord through prayer. He
"wrestled with God" all night long, and said, "I will not
let you go, until you bless me!"
The people of God will not have any sins
to repent of; the character of Christ will have been perfectly reproduced
within them. But because they feel their
unworthiness, they will go through deep distress and anguish. Their concern will be whether they have truly
honoured and fitly represented the God they love. Their only concern is if they
have done anything to misrepresent God or to separate them from Him.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES
27. How long will the
plagues last?
Revelation 18:8
Note: It is a possibility that the plagues will last about one year.
The Bible rule is: one prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6,
Numbers 14:34). Apparently, the plagues are not universal, or no one would
survive.
28. What is the first
plague?
Revelation 16:2
Note: During this plague, terrible sores erupt on those who have
received the mark of the beast and who worship his image. They have become like
him in their attitudes and actions.
Those who have
chosen to follow God accept His protection. (Psalm 91:1-10).
29. What happens during the
second and third plagues?
Revelation 16:3-7
Note: First the water in the seas and oceans become the consistency and
color of blood, and later all water becomes contaminated in this manner.
Life ceases to exist in the water. Again, these plagues cannot be universal, or
all life would cease to exist.
"And I heard the angel of the water
say, 'Just art Thou in these Thy judgments, Thou Who art and wast, O Holy One. For men have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast
given them blood to drink. It is their due!"' Revelation 16:5, RSV
During this plague,
God's people will be given fresh water—Isaiah 33:16.
Notice this comment
from E.G. White in a comparison between the destruction of Jerusalem and the
end of the world:
"The Jews had
forged their own fetters.... They were but reaping the harvest which their own
hands had sown (Jeremiah 26:18).... Their sufferings are often represented as a
punishment visited upon them by the direct decree of God. It is thus that
the great deceiver seeks to conceal his own work. By stubborn rejection
of divine love and mercy, the Jews had caused the protection of God to be
withdrawn from them, and Satan was permitted to rule them according to his
will. The horrible cruelties enacted
in the destruction of Jerusalem are a demonstration of Satan's vindictive
power over those who yield to his control....
"It is
the restraining power of God that prevents mankind from passing fully under the
control of Satan. The
disobedient and unthankful have great reason for gratitude for God's mercy and
long-suffering in holding in check the cruel, malignant power of the evil one. But
when men pass the limits of divine forbearance [their total rejection of Him, not His
lack of patience] that restraint is removed. God does not stand toward
the sinner as an executioner of the sentence of transgression; but
He leaves the rejecters of His mercy to reap what they have sown....
"In the fate of
the chosen city we may behold the doom of a world that has rejected God's mercy
and trampled upon His law... but a scene yet darker is presented by the
revelations of the future... The world will behold, as never before, the
results of Satan's rule.
"But in that
day, as in the time of Jerusalem's destruction, God's people will be delivered
(Matthew 24:30,31)... like Israel of old, the
wicked destroy themselves; they fall by their iniquity. By a life of sin, they
have placed themselves so out of harmony with God, their natures have
become so debased with evil, that the manifestation of His glory (His
character of love) is to them a consuming fire "
Great Controversy, pp.
35-37.
30. What takes place
during the fourth plague?
Revelation 16:8,9
Note: Power is given to the sun" (permission by the fact that
God's protective mercy is forced away) to scorch men with intense heat.
With the terrible
drought and discomfort that this brings is a greater fear. Since the rejecters
of God's mercy view Him as a Being in need of
appeasement and they see themselves as having offended Him, there begins a
desperate search for a way to learn what will stop these frightening events.
This is depicted in Amos 8:11,12.
Eventually, Satan
convinces them to offer God more blood—the blood of those who refuse to
cooperate with them in appeasing God by conforming to their enforced religious
observances (Revelation
Thus they institute
the final death decree against those who have the seal of God, and
refuse to take the mark of the beast (Revelation
Note in verse 3,
Jesus' comment that the people do these things because they do not know Him-
they do not know what God is really like. The lies about
God's character which they believe leads them to conclude that this will
make God happy.
It is a law of
nature that we become like what we behold and worship, 2 Corinthians
31. When the fifth angel
pours out his vial over the seat of the beast, what happens?
Revelation l6:10,11
Note: This plague directly aims itself at the headquarters of the
Beast, which by popular consent now controls all world powers, both spiritually
and temporally.
Although this is a
literal darkness, it also signifies the intensity of the spiritual darkness
that grips the minds of the rejecters of God's grace. Perhaps because of the intense
cold plus the lingering effects of the previous plagues men experience intense
pain as well.
God is the Source
of all light and life. By rejecting Him, they reject both spiritual and
physical light and life. Read Revelation 18:23.
ARMAGEDDON- THE GREAT CONFRONTATION
32. What happens under the
sixth plague when the angel pours out his vial upon the great river
Revelation 16:12
Note: Old
The river
This brings about
the final confrontation between Christ and Satan. Thus it prepares the way for
Jesus and His people, "the Kings of the East" ("Kings of the
sunrising") for the "showdown".
33. What three-fold
alliance is created at this time to deceive the spiritually defenseless people?
Revelation 16:13-16
Note: Satan makes one last effort to unite the wicked against God and
His people by forming a Babylonian "trinity", comprising all the
religions of the world.
a) The DRAGON
represents Satan, but also old PAGAN
b) The BEAST, we
have seen, represents the PAPACY.
c) The FALSE
PROPHET represents APOSTATE PROTESTANTISM, which is pictured
in Revelation 13:11-17, being led by
Here is pictured Catholicism,
Protestantism and Paganism (all the religions of the
world) being united by the spirits of devils who work through them to prepare
world-wide attack on God's people and thus on God Himself. Great miracles will
be wrought through these spirits of devils to endeavor to prove that their work
is of God (verse 14).
34. The second coming of
Jesus takes place during the seventh plague. What two devastating upheavals of
nature take place at that time?
Revelation 16:17-21
Note: The hail in the last day (Job 38:22,23)
weighs about 55 to 65 pounds each. God's people will be protected
from the hail- Isaiah 32:18,19.
The earthquake is indescribably
devastating. It is also mentioned in Revelation 6:14-17, Isaiah 24:1,3,19, 20, and Jeremiah 4:23-26.
The gathering together of Satan's
armies against God's people takes place under the sixth plague, but the battle
itself takes place under the seventh plague.
The wicked are
about to slay God's people. Then Jesus and His angels descend from Heaven to protect
and save His faithful ones (Revelation
Note the reaction of the lost in Revelation
6:15-17 They are afraid, and believe that God is
coming to punish them! How very, very sad- They are afraid of God!
PEACE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE
35. What promise has God
made to his people in regard to?
Psalm 91:1-10
Psalm 112:7
Note: Angels will be our companions to protect us. One thing we can be sure of is not one of
God's children will be afraid during the dreadful and traumatic plague crisis.
Our thoughts will be only on Christ and His righteousness.
CONCLUSION
"You will keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3, NKJ
Jesus has not only
promised to send His angels to protect us from Satan's attacks (Psalm
91:11), but most importantly, he has promised to give us the peace which
comes from knowing Him as a Friend. There is nothing Satan or anyone else can do
to snatch us out of Jesus' hand. We are
safe, as long as we trust in Him.
This peace is
available to you now, and you can make it available to others. Share this good news
about your friend!
My response to Christ is:______________________________