Circumstances
and Consequences
Seminar 216-04
June 3-6, 2009
Seminar Topic:
The Two Witnesses
– Part IV
Larry Wilson
page l 1 l 2 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 6 l 7 l
-7-
After Babylon begins
to function as a religious authority
over the nations of the world,
Babylon’s laws will become
increasingly oppressive and
restrictive. It was said earlier that
laws will be enacted demanding that
everyone set aside one day for God
and worship.
Later on, these laws
will be amended and mandatory worship
on specific days will be required.
Man’s efforts to appease
God’s wrath explains how worship
will be the focal point for
persecution.
The Bible predicts,
“All inhabitants of the earth
will worship [obey] the beast –
all whose names have not been written
in the book of life belonging to the
Lamb that was slain from the creation
of the world.” (Revelation 13:8,
italics mine)
The tem commandments,
especially the fourth commandment,
will be constantly debated because
Babylon will energize the topic by
making the issue of worship highly
important.
The 144,000 will
present the holiness of God’s
seventh day Sabbath with clarity and
compelling power.
There is one reason
for rebelling against the fourth
commandment. It is man’s natural
hostility toward God’s
authority.
When the carnal nature
is confronted with the demands of
God’s law, hostility is the
result. Paul wrote, “The sinful
mind is hostile to God. It does not
submit to God’s law, nor can it
do so. Those controlled by the sinful
nature cannot please God.”
(Romans 8:7,8)
Cain foolishly
rationalized and assured himself that
God would be pleased with the choices
of fruit and vegetables (Genesis
4:3), but the Bible is clear, God was
not pleased at all.
God did not accept
Cain’s worship (Genesis 4:5)
because He saw Cain’s rebellion
for what it was.
Think about this: Why
would anyone refuse to rest on
God’s holy Sabbath after being
informed by one of God’s
prophets that God’s demands that
we rest from our labors on His holy
day?
The Ten Commandments
were written in stone. They are
inseparable and unchangeable.
The Bible is not in
conflict with itself. Paul wrote,
“For somewhere [in the
Scriptures, God] he has spoken about
the seventh day in these words:
‘And on the seventh day God
rested from all his work’….
There remains, then, a
Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
for anyone who enters God’s rest
also rests from his own work, just as
God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:4,
9,10)
During the Great
Tribulation, God will test the
inhabitants of Earth with His Sabbath
rest test.
Observing God’s
seventh-day Sabbath will become a
global test of faith when Babylon
legislates other days for worship.
Consider this
parallel: God required ancient Israel
to rest on His Sabbath before He
delivered them from slavery in Egypt.
Similarly, God will require mankind
to rest on His Sabbath before He sets
us free from the slavery of sin.
There was persecution
in ancient Egypt for resting on
Sabbath and there will be persecution
for everyone who defies
Babylon’s authority.
Incredible as it may
seem, many people will fear
Babylon’s persecution more than
God’s seven bowls.
However, the honest in
heart will receive the gospel of
Jesus and embrace the Creator’s
Sabbath.
A large number of
Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists,
Catholics, Protestants, Heathen, and
Atheists will receive the gospel of
Jesus Christ and rest on His Sabbath
day once they understand who Jesus
really is and what He wants!
page l 1 l 2 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 6 l 7 l
-7-
