The Mystery Of
Iniquity
It has
ever been the design of Satan to draw
the minds of the people from Jesus to
man and to destroy individual
accountability. Satan failed in his
design when he tempted the Son of
God; but he succeeded better when he
came to fallen man. Christianity
became corrupted. Popes and priests
presumed to take the exalted
position, and taught the people to
look to them for the pardon of their
sins, instead of looking to Christ
for themselves.
The
people were wholly deceived. They
were taught that the popes and
priests were Christ’s
representatives, when in fact they
were representatives of Satan, and
those who bowed to them worshiped
Satan. The people called for the
Bible; but the priests considered it
dangerous to let them have it to read
for themselves, lest they should
become enlightened and expose the
sins of the leaders. The people were
taught to receive every word from the
deceivers as from the mouth of God.
They held that power over their mind
that God alone should hold. If any
dared to follow their own
convictions, the same hate which
Satan and the Jews exercised toward
Jesus would be kindled against them,
and those in authority would thirst
for their blood.
I was
shown a time when Satan especially
triumphed. Multitudes of Christians
were slain in a dreadful manner,
because they could preserve the
purity of their religion. The Bible
was hated, and efforts were made to
rid the earth of it. The people were
forbidden to read it, on pain of
death; and all copies that could be
found were burned. But I saw that God
had a special care for His Word. He
protected it. At different periods
there were but a few copies of the
Bible in existence, yet He would not
suffer His Word to be lost, for in
the last days copies of it were to be
multiplied that every family could
possess it. I saw that when there
were but few copies of the Bible, it
was precious and comforting to the
persecuted followers of Jesus. It was
read in the most secret manner, and
those who had this exalted privilege
felt that they had an interview with
God, with His Son Jesus, and with His
disciples. But this blessed privilege
cost many of them their lives. If
discovered, they were taken to the
headman’s block, to the stake,
or to the dungeon to die of
starvation.
Satan
could not hinder the plan of
salvation. Jesus was crucified, and
rose again on the third day. But
Satan told his angels that he could
make the crucifixion and resurrection
tell to his advantage. He was willing
that those who professed faith in
Jesus should believe that the laws
regulating the Jewish sacrifices and
offerings ceased at the death of
Christ, if he could push them father
and make them believe that the law of
the ten commandments also died with
Christ.
I saw
that many readily yielded to this
device of Satan. All heaven was moved
with indignation as they saw the holy
law of God trampled underfoot. Jesus
and all the heavenly host were
acquainted with the nature of
God’s law; they knew that He
would not change or abrogate it. The
hopeless condition of man after the
fall caused the deepest sorrow
in heaven, and moved Jesus to offer
to die for the transgressors of
God’s holy law. But if that law
could be abrogated, man might have
been saved without the death of
Jesus. Consequently His death did not
destroy the law of the Father, but
magnified and honored it and enforced
obedience to all its holy precepts.
Had
the church remained pure and
steadfast, Satan could not have
deceived them, and led them to
trample on the law of God. In this
bold plan, Satan strikes directly
against the foundation of God’s
government in heaven and on earth.
His rebellion caused him to be
expelled from heaven. After he
rebelled, in order to save himself he
wished God to change His law, but was
told before the whole heavenly host
that God’s law was unalterable.
Satan knows that if he can cause
others to violate God’s law, he
has gained them to his cause; for
every transgressor of that law must
die.
Satan
decided to go still farther. He told
his angels that some would be so
jealous of God’s law that they
would be caught in this snare; the
Ten Commandments were so plain that
many would believe that they were
still binding, and therefore he must
seek to corrupt only one of the
commandments. He then led on his
representatives to attempt to change
the fourth, or Sabbath, commandment,
thus altering the only one of the ten
that brings to view the true God, the
Maker of the heavens and the earth.
Satan presented before them the
glorious resurrection of Jesus, and
told them that by His rising on the
first day of the week, He changed the
Sabbath from the seventh to the first
day of the week.
Thus
Satan used the resurrection to serve
his purpose. He and his angels
rejoiced that the errors they had
prepared took so well with the
professed friends of Christ. What one
looked upon with religious horror,
another would receive. Thus different
errors were received and defended
with zeal. The will of God, so
plainly revealed in His Word, was
covered up with errors and
traditions, which have been taught as
the commandments of God. Although
this heaven-daring deception will be
suffered to be carried on until the
second appearing of Jesus, yet
through all this time of error and
deception, God has not been left
without witnesses. Amid the darkness
and persecution of the church there
have always been true and faithful
ones who kept all of God’s
commandments.
I saw
that the angelic hosts were filled
with amazement as they beheld the
sufferings and death of the King of
glory. But I saw that it was no
marvel to them that the Lord of life
and glory, He who filled all heaven
with joy and splendor, should break
the bands of death, and walk forth
from the prison house, a triumphant
conqueror. Therefore, if either of
these events should be commemorated
by a day of rest, it is the
crucifixion. But I saw that neither
of these events was designed to alter
or abrogate God’s law; on the
contrary, they gave the strongest
proof of its immutability.
Both
of these important events have their
memorials. By partaking of the
Lord’s supper, the broken bread
and the fruit of the vine, we show
forth the Lord’s death until He
comes. The scenes of His sufferings
and death are thus brought fresh to
our minds. The resurrection of Christ
is commemorated by our being buried
with Him by baptism, and raised out
of the watery grave, in likeness of
His resurrection, to live in newness
of life.
I was shown that the
law of God would stand fast forever,
and exist in the new earth to all
eternity. At the creation, when the
foundations of the earth were laid,
the sons of God looked with
admiration upon the work of the
Creator, and all the heavenly host
shouted for joy. It was then that the
foundation of the Sabbath was laid.
At the close of the six days of
creation, God rested from on the
seventh day from all His work that He
had made; and He blessed the seventh
day and sanctified it, because that
in it He had rested from all His
work. The Sabbath was instituted in
Eden before the fall, and was
observed by Adam and Eve, and all the
heavenly host. God rested on the
seventh day, and blessed and hallowed
it. I saw that the Sabbath never will
be done away; but that the redeemed
saints, and the angelic host, will
observe it in honor of the great
Creator to all eternity.
