We are doing a presentation on the four stages of the Sunday law, and I want to begin by asking you to turn in your Bible to Revelation 18. I mentioned this earlier in the presentation today. Revelation 18:1 describes what will happen when the Sunday law is passed.
The passage reads:
"And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
Verse 4 continues:
"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
This passage, Revelation 18:1-5, is known as the "LOUD CRY," empowered by the Holy Spirit, where the earth is illuminated with God's glory, and a message is delivered: Babylon the Great has fallen. The call to "come out of her" is clear. Verse 5 is particularly interesting: "Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
When do Babylon’s sins reach heaven? Sin is defined in 1 John 3:4 as the transgression of the law. Babylon’s violation of God’s law reaches all the way to heaven when she disregards His commandments, specifically the one related to the Sabbath, which reflects God's character.
Ellen White, in Last Day Events (p. 198), notes that Babylon’s sins reach heaven when God's law is made void by legislation. Revelation 18:1-5 describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain, empowering God’s people to deliver this loud cry because the Sunday law has been enacted.
Consider the parable of the ten virgins, where five are wise and five are foolish. The wise have oil in their lamps, representing the Holy Spirit, while the foolish do not. At midnight, a cry goes out, “Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” The entire church wakes up.
I believe the Midnight Cry of this parable is the loud cry of Revelation 18. The wise virgins, who have experienced conversion through the early rain, are prepared to receive the latter rain—the second outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Those who have developed Christ-like characters, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), will be empowered to identify Babylon as the beast power, responsible for passing laws against God’s law.
One reason the Holy Spirit hasn't been poured out yet is that we, as God’s people, might take credit for His power. But the Holy Spirit will be given to those who obey (Acts 5:32). When the latter rain is poured out, it will be on an obedient people, who identify Babylon as having disobeyed God by violating His Sabbath.
The Sunday law, which violates God’s law, is a sin that reaches heaven. When this law is passed, God’s people will proclaim the loud cry. It’s important to remember that we must deliver this message in the Spirit of Christ, not in the same spirit as Babylon. The message will be bold and clear, but also humble, avoiding arrogance or pride.
Now, let’s examine the four stages of the Sunday law. You will see these stages outlined more clearly in the Spirit of Prophecy. Someone asked me recently if a Bible passage directly outlines the stages of the Sunday law.
I believe Daniel 11:40-45 describes these stages, though it's not merely a regional conflict. It is the struggle between the papacy and God’s people, who are caught between secularism (King of the South) and the papacy (King of the North). The initial stage of the Sunday law begins when the King of the North enters the Glorious Land, progressing until the death decree is issued, at which point Michael stands up.
While we won't focus on Daniel 11 here, I want to highlight some key points. The Sunday law will progress through four stages:
Daniel 11 also speaks of the King of the North gaining financial control, having power over gold, silver, and precious things, indicating global financial control at that time.
As the Sunday law crisis unfolds, the loud cry message will be given, urging people to come out of Babylon. Revelation 18:4 warns: “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins.” This message must be given in the spirit of Christ. We are not going to wake up one day to a death decree immediately—it will happen in stages.
In Great Controversy (p. 603), Ellen White describes the fall of Babylon as something that has been ongoing since 1844, as the churches joined the papacy after rejecting the message of Christ’s second coming. Eventually, they will trample on the Sabbath, leading to persecution of those who keep it.
Finally, as the world experiences cataclysmic events, religious leaders will push for the Sunday law. Once enacted, the entire church will wake up, and the wise virgins will receive the latter rain, allowing them to boldly proclaim the loud cry.
In Great Controversy (p. 605), Ellen White explains that, though many have doubted the possibility of religious intolerance in America, as the enforcement of Sunday observance intensifies, these doubts will disappear. The third angel's message will then have a profound impact, leading to the final proclamation of the loud cry.
Thus, the Sunday law progresses through these stages, culminating in the ultimate conflict between God's people and the forces of Babylon.
Knowing About Jesus vs. Knowing Jesus
You may know about Jesus, but do you truly know Him? Knowing about Jesus doesn't necessarily mean you've been changed by Him. The reality is—and this is tough to grasp—when the storm of the last days approaches, many Seventh-day Adventists will leave the faith. However, the faithful Adventists, those who give the loud cry, will bring God’s people out of Babylon and into His end-time church. The Adventists who leave will be replaced by others from outside the church who remain faithful as the Sunday Law crisis escalates.
Ellen White writes that "men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, will employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls." These former believers will become the most bitter enemies of their previous brethren. When Sabbath keepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates will be the most efficient agents of Satan, misrepresenting and accusing them, stirring up the rulers against them through false reports and insinuations.
One thing I always caution people against is following preachers instead of Jesus. Don’t follow me, or any other preacher, because human beings are prone to making mistakes. If you’re accustomed to agreeing with everything your favorite speaker says, chances are you’ll be misled. You need to know for yourself why you believe what you believe, because some of those men of talent and pleasing address will use their powers to deceive and mislead souls. We’ll hear people who once preached the truth with power, defending the Sunday Law—that’s going to be devastating. And if you’re used to following men instead of Jesus, you might just follow them out of the faith.
God uses preachers, but make sure you're following Jesus, not skillful orators.
Stage one of the Sunday Law is just a prohibition on work on Sundays, allowing us to continue our missionary efforts. But stage two is where things get more serious—you can still go to church on Sabbath if you want, but you must also honor Sunday. That’s when it becomes the mark of the beast, and we cannot go along with that.
When God’s people refuse to comply, the situation will escalate.
A law will be passed that prohibits worship on Sabbath entirely. "You’re not going to attend church on Sunday? Well, then we’ll stop you from going to church on Sabbath altogether!" At this point, fines and imprisonment will be imposed, and you won’t be able to buy or sell. This will cause many more to fall away. At the same time, the false prophet will be performing miracles, even making fire come down from heaven, deceiving many into thinking God is behind the Sunday Law movement.
People will think we’re fighting against God because we refuse to follow the Sunday Law. If you’ve spent your life compromising and accommodating to make everyone feel comfortable, you’ll be tempted to follow the Sunday Law when these supernatural signs occur. The mark of the beast will be placed either on the forehead—signifying agreement—or on the hand, symbolizing action. Satan doesn’t care if you believe in the Sunday Law or just follow it out of convenience; he just wants you to accept it.
The Great Controversy states that as the controversy extends into new fields and people's minds are awakened to God’s downtrodden law, Satan will become more enraged. The power attending the message will infuriate those who oppose it. The clergy will put forth almost superhuman efforts to suppress the truth. Protestants and Catholics will unite, calling upon civil power to enforce the Sunday Law. Commandment keepers will face fines, imprisonment, and even be offered influential positions and rewards to renounce their faith. But their steadfast answer will be, "Show us from the Word of God our error."
It’s essential that everything you stand for is based on the Bible, not what others tell you to believe. When the crisis hits, if your faith is built on the words of your pastor or favorite preacher, you’ll be swept away, especially if former Adventist ministers go along with the Sunday Law.
During this period, often called the "early time of trouble," Adventists will face fines, imprisonment, and persecution. Some may even be martyred. This time of trouble will occur between the passing of the Sunday Law and the close of probation. After probation closes, we will enter Jacob’s time of trouble, a more intense period of tribulation.
As the crisis escalates, we reach stage four—the death decree. This decree, found in Revelation 13:15-17, states that those who refuse to worship the image of the beast will be killed. Probation will close, Michael will stand up (Daniel 12:1), and the seven last plagues will begin to fall on the wicked. God’s people will endure Jacob’s time of trouble, while the wicked suffer the plagues.
The Great Controversy (p. 604) states that the powers of Earth will unite to war against the commandments of God. Civil penalties will be invoked against those who refuse to comply with the Sunday Law. Eventually, it will be declared that they deserve death. On one hand, the wrath of man—the death decree—will threaten the faithful. On the other hand, the wrath of God—His seven last plagues—will be poured out without mercy on those who receive the mark of the beast.
The choice will be clear: suffer the wrath of God by accepting the mark of the beast, or face persecution and the death decree by remaining faithful to God. The warning from Heaven is clear: "If any man worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark in his forehead or in his hand, he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God" (Revelation 14:9-10).
In these last days, it's crucial to stand on the Word of God and know Jesus personally, not just know about Him. Trusting Him now will prepare you for the trials ahead.
You know, it’s a message that we as Seventh-day Adventists have seemingly become embarrassed to preach anymore, yet Scripture commands us to give it with a loud voice. Are we ashamed of being Seventh-day Adventists? God has given us third angel’s messages for this time in Earth’s history, to be proclaimed to every nation, tongue, and people. Part of the third angel’s message warns that those who receive the mark of the beast will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation (Revelation 14:9-10). True love compels us to warn the wicked of what is coming.
Then we reach the final act of the drama that provides the impetus for the death decree. Revelation 12:17 says, “The dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” There’s so much to be said about Revelation 12:17. First, it's ironic that two core aspects of Adventism that are under attack today are obedience and the spirit of prophecy. How much clearer could it be? Satan targets those who keep God's commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, which Revelation 19:10 defines as the spirit of prophecy.
Some may claim that the testimony of Jesus refers to personal testimony of what Christ has done in one’s life. However, Revelation 12:17, connected with Revelation 19:10, shows that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. In Revelation 19:10, when John was about to bow and worship the angel, the angel told him not to, saying, “I am of your fellow brethren who have the testimony of Jesus; worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
In Revelation 22, John makes the same mistake, and again, the angel corrects him, reminding him that he is a fellow servant and prophet. God’s end-time church keeps His commandments and has the testimony of Jesus, manifested through the spirit of prophecy. Some may not like this, but it doesn’t change the truth. It’s not about Ellen White—it’s about the testimony of Jesus, though Ellen White has been treated like prophets of old, rejected and thrown aside. Satan is going after God’s remnant church.
Why would Scripture say that God’s people keep His commandments if it wasn’t possible to obey them? All of God’s biddings are enablings.
Through the power of Christ, God will have a people who keep His commandments. It's not just Revelation 12:17—it's also Revelation 14:12, which says, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
Satan targets those who keep God’s commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy. In The Great Controversy (p. 624), Ellen White writes: “As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ.” The church has long awaited the Savior’s second coming, but the great deceiver will make it appear as if Christ has come. Satan will manifest himself as a majestic being, with dazzling brightness, resembling Christ as described in Revelation. The glory surrounding him will surpass anything mortal eyes have ever seen. A shout of triumph will ring out: “Christ has come! Christ has come!” People will bow down in adoration as Satan blesses them, just as Christ blessed His disciples.
This is why Christ warned, “If they say He is in the desert, do not go,” because Satan’s impersonation will look exactly like Christ, sound like Him, and seem loving and merciful. The only difference is that he will teach error, not truth. Satan will present some of the same gracious truths that Jesus spoke, but the error mixed in will be deadly.
Satan will heal the sick, perform miracles, and declare that he has changed the Sabbath to Sunday. He will command all to honor Sunday as the new day of worship, and those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath will be accused of blasphemy. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. People will say, “How could you deny Christ? Look at the miracles He’s performing!” But a mixture of truth and error is not the great power of God—only truth as it is in Jesus has that power.
God’s people, however, will not be deceived. The teachings of this false Christ will not align with Scripture. His blessings will be for the worshippers of the beast and his image, the very ones upon whom the Bible declares God’s unmingled wrath will be poured out.
When the protection of human laws is withdrawn from those who honor God’s law, there will be a simultaneous movement in various lands to destroy them. This will mirror the story of Esther, where a decree was issued to annihilate God’s people on a certain day. During this time, the people of God—some in prison, others in hiding—will still plead for divine protection, while evil men, urged on by demonic forces, prepare for their destruction.
But it is at this very moment, in the darkest hour, that the God of Israel will interpose for the deliverance of His people. With shouts of triumph and mocking, throngs of wicked men will prepare to strike, but then, a dense darkness will cover the earth. A rainbow, shining with the glory of God, will encircle each praying group. The angry multitudes will be suddenly arrested, their voices silenced, and their rage forgotten. The symbol of God’s covenant will appear in the sky, and the wicked will be filled with fear, longing to escape its brightness.
This is the moment when the voice from heaven declares, “It is done.” God’s people will be delivered just as they are about to be destroyed, and the seventh plague will soon be poured out.
As we approach this time, it is important to ask ourselves: How are we preparing for this coming crisis? The Great Controversy (p. 621) says: “The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger.” We must develop a faith that will not falter even under severe trial.
Now is the time to strengthen our faith, so that when the latter rain is poured out, it will fall upon those who have cultivated the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Like Jacob, we must persevere in prayer, clinging to God’s promises, for victory will come to those who are earnest and persistent.
As Ellen White reminds us in The Great Controversy (p. 623), Christ declared, “The prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me.” Satan could find no sin in Christ to exploit, and this is the condition in which those who stand during the time of trouble must be found. Through the indwelling Christ, we too can live in victory over sin, preparing for the final crisis.
In summary, the Sunday law will come and wake up a sleeping church, revealing the wise and foolish virgins. The wise will receive the latter rain because they have the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. As the crisis escalates, fines, imprisonment, and supernatural manifestations will test God’s people, but those who remain faithful—even in the face of death—will be delivered by God.
God has not called us to be just another denomination. He has called us to be faithful to His truth in these last days.
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