| CHAPTER 7—THE BEGINNING OF THE END The Line In the Sand Soon the war which began over 6,000 years ago in Heaven will reach its climax. The final battles will be fought on our planet, as Adam’s children face the issues in the Great Controversy and make their final choice. The line will be drawn in the sand. The picturesque and highly symbolic book of Revelation paints the final battle in these words: “I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads;... the Dragon [Satan] gave the beast his own power, his throne, and his vast authority... The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. Everyone worshiped the dragon because he had given his authority to the beast. They worshiped the beast also, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can fight against it?’ The beast was allowed to make proud claims which were insulting to God, and it was permitted to have authority... It began to curse God, his name, and the place where he lives, and all those who live in heaven. It was allowed to fight against God’s people and to defeat them, and it was given authority over every tribe, nation, language, and race. All people living on earth will worship it, except those whose names were written before the creation of the world in the book of the living which belongs to the Lamb that was killed [Jesus]... This calls for endurance and faith on the part of God’s people, those who obey God’s commandments and are faithful to Jesus.”[348] Here We Go Again It is a proverb that history repeats itself. Solomon, known as the wisest man on earth, spoke these words: “What has happened before will happen again. What has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new in the whole world.”[349] Speaking specifically of the history of God’s people recorded in the Old Testament, the Apostle Paul tells us, “All this is an example for us... All these things happened to them as examples for others, and they were written down as a warning for us. For we live at a time when the end is about to come.”[350] “Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.”[351] The Holy Spirit is telling us that these events have more significance for us than they did for those who participated in them! These events require a lifetime of devoted study to mine the rich jewels God has hidden in these stories specifically for us in the last days; but we will briefly consider how the experiences of Cain and Abel, Job, and Jesus parallel and prophesy the experience of God’s people in the last days. |
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| 348 Revelation 13:1-9; Revelation 14:12. Read all of chapters 13 & 14 349 Ecclesiastes 1:9 350 I Corinthians 10:6,11 351 Romans 15:4 |
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