HILLSIDE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

92
12
Judgment on Babylon
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Revelation 17, Jer. 51:13, Exod. 28:36–38, Rev. 13:1–8, Rev. 13:18, Rev. 16:2–12.
Memory Text: “And I heard another voice from heaven saying,
‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities’ ” (Revelation 18:4, 5, NKJV).
The sixth plague causes the symbolic drying up of the Euphrates, as the disillusioned people of the world withdraw their popular support from end-time Babylon. As we saw in last week’s lesson, the shattering of her power will be preceeded by extensive demonic activities counterfeiting the work of God (Rev. 16:13, 14). The demonic activity will be successful in uniting the wicked in preparation for the battle of Armageddon.
At the outset of the final battle, a great earthquake occurs as part of the seventh plague. The earthquake shatters the unity of Babylon and splits it into three parts (Rev. 16:18, 19). End-time Babylon is portrayed as a city, signifying the short-term union of the political and religious powers of the world in opposition to God’s people. This unity is shattered, causing the breakup of end-time Babylon.
We must keep in mind that Revelation 16:19 only anounces the political collapse of end-time Babylon. Chapters 17 and 18 tell us how this collapse actually will happen. Before describing the demise of end-time Babylon and the reasons for its fall (Rev. 17:12–18:24), Revelation 17 describes this end-time apostate religious system, this time in terms of a harlot riding a scarlet beast. In association with her daughters, the harlot Babylon, riding the scarlet beast, seduces the world against God (Rev. 17:1–11).
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 23.
*March 16–22
Lesson
93
March 17
The Harlot Babylon
Read Revelation 17:1. Jeremiah 51:13 shows that the “many waters”
upon which Babylon sits are the river Euphrates. According to
Revelation 17:15, what do many waters symbolize?
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A woman in the Bible is a symbol for God’s people. In Revelation,
God’s true church is portrayed as a pure woman (Rev. 12:1, 22:17).
A harlot thus represents a false apostate church. In Revelation 17:5,
this harlot is identified as Babylon the Great. Just as ancient Babylon
depended on the Euphrates River for its existence, so will end-time
Babylon rely on the support of the masses to enforce her plans.
Read Revelation 17:2 along with Revelation 14:8 and Revelation
18:2, 3. What two groups of people are specified as being involved
in an illicit relationship with, and being seduced by, end-time
Babylon?
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The first group is the kings of the earth, the governing political powers.
They are portrayed as being engaged in an adulterous relationship
with the harlot Babylon. In the Old Testament, the language of fornication
is used frequently to describe how apostate Israel turned away
from God to false religions (Isa. 1:21, Jer. 3:1–10). The adulterous
relationship between the kings of the earth and the harlot symbolizes
an illicit union between end-time Babylon and the governing political
powers—a union of church and state.
The second group in an illicit relationship with the harlot Babylon
is the inhabitants of the earth, the governed masses. These are made
spiritually drunk with the wine of Babylon’s fornication. In contrast to
the governing political powers, the general populace is intoxicated by
Babylon’s false teachings and practices, deceived into thinking that she
can protect them. When people are drunk, they do not think clearly and
are controlled easily (see Isa. 28:7). The whole world, with the exception
of a faithful remnant, will be led astray by Babylon.
In the very end, as today, and as has always been the case, the masses
of the people get it wrong. What should this tell us about the dangers
of following popular sentiment, no matter how popular?
Sunday
94
March 18
The Harlot Riding on the Scarlet Beast
Read Revelation 17:3. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls
filled with the seven last plagues offers to show John the judgment of
the harlot who sat on many waters. When John sees her, she is riding the
scarlet beast. In what ways do the symbols of water and beast suitably
describe the supporters of Babylon?
As John is carried in vision into the wilderness, he sees a woman on
a scarlet beast. While the harlot represents a religious entity, the beast
symbolizes a political power. The picture of religion riding the secular
and political powers points to two separate entities, something that was
not the case in the past, when religion and politics were integrated. The
prophecy shows, however, that these two entities will join together at the
end time. The concept of riding a beast denotes dominance; as the rider of
the scarlet beast, this end-time religious system will dominate the secular
and political powers.
Which characteristics of the harlot point to the dragon, the sea beast,
and the beast coming out of the earth in Revelation 12 and 13?
The harlot is pictured as extravagantly arrayed in purple and scarlet
and adorned with ornaments of gold, precious stones, and pearls; such
adornment was a practice of harlots in antiquity to enhance their power
of seduction (Jer. 4:30). As the color of blood, scarlet corresponds to
the oppressive character of this religious system.
The harlot’s dress counterfeits the attire of the high priest in the
Old Testament, attire that included the colors purple, scarlet, and gold
(Exod. 28:5, 6). The blasphemous inscription on the harlot’s forehead
also replaces the priestly inscription, “Holiness to the Lord” on
the miter of the high priest (Exod. 28:36–38). The cup in her hand
reminds us of the vessels of the sanctuary from which Belshazzar,
king of Babylon, and his guests drank wine (Dan. 5:2–4). The cup in
the harlot’s hand uses the appearance of truth to conceal the wine—the
falsehoods of Satan’s end-time religious system—in order to seduce the
world away from God.
The harlot Babylon is further described as drunk with the blood of the
saints and the martyrs of Jesus who died as a result of their witness to
Christ. This bloodguiltiness links end-time Babylon to medieval apostate
Christianity, which was led by the papacy and responsible for the deaths
of millions of Christians who remained faithful to the gospel.
The description of the harlot Babylon reflects the image of
Jezebel in the church of Thyatira (see Rev. 2:20–23). How do the
parallels between these two women elucidate the character of
end-time Babylon?
Monday
95
The Identification of the Scarlet Beast
Revelation 17:3 describes the scarlet beast in terms similar to the
sea beast of Revelation 13, which made war with, and overcame, God’s
people (Rev. 13:5–7). It was this earlier period of persecution that
caused the pure woman to flee into the wilderness during the prophetic
period of 1,260 days/years, from a.d. 538 to 1798 (Rev. 12:13, 14).
Though living in an age of ecumenism, Protestants would do well to
remember the terrible persecution of the past, because, according to
prophecy, something similar, but only worse, will happen again.
Read Revelation 17:8. Compare the wording of this verse with
Revelation 13:8. How does Revelation 13:3 clarify the three phases
of the existence and activities of the beast?
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The scarlet beast is identified as the one that was, and is not, and will
ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. This tripartite phrase
is, first of all, a counterfeit of the divine name, Yahweh—“who is and who
was and who is to come” (Rev. 1:4, NKJV; see also Rev. 4:8). It also further
points to the three phases of existence through which the beast has passed:
(1) The beast “was.” It existed in the past. Its prior activities lasted for
the prophetic period of 42 months, also known as 1,260 days/years (see
Rev. 13:5 and Lesson 9, Sunday).
(2) “Is not.” With its deadly wound (see Rev. 13:3), the beast went
into its nonexistence phase, at least, as a persecutor, in 1798. It vanished
for some time from the world scene; yet it survived.
(3) Finally, with the healing of the deadly wound, the beast will
regain its power and exert it in full satanic rage.
Revelation 17 describes the beast of Revelation 13:1–8 at the time
of the healing of its deadly wound. Upon this revived beast, the harlot
Babylon sits, as well. Once again there will be a short-lived union of
religion and politics as it existed during the Middle Ages, and persecution
again will take place.
“Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway,
let persecution be kindled, and the half-hearted and hypocritical
will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian will stand
firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, than in days of
prosperity.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 602. What
warning should we take from these words about what our Christian
experience needs to be now, even before final events unfold?
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Tuesday March 19
96
March 20
The Seven Heads of the Beast
Read Revelation 17:9–11 along with Revelation 13:18. The requirement
for understanding the seven heads is a mind of wisdom. What
kind of wisdom is in view here? How does one obtain this divinely
imparted wisdom (see James 1:5)?
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The angel explains that the seven heads are seven mountains. Some
translators think that these mountains allude to the seven hills upon
which the city of Rome is situated, and for this reason, they translate the
Greek word oroi (“mountains”) as “hills.” There are seven kings, too,
who are symbolized by the seven mountains. Also, these mountains are
successive, not simultaneous.
These mountains do not symbolize individual kings, because
Revelation does not deal with individual persons but with systems.
In the Bible, mountains often symbolize world powers or empires
(Jer. 51:25; Ezek. 35:2, 3). In biblical prophecy “kings” represent
kingdoms (see Dan. 2:37–39, Dan. 7:17). Thus, the seven mountains
symbolize seven great successive empires that dominated the
world throughout history, through which Satan opposed God and
harmed God’s people.
From John’s time perspective, five of these empires have fallen, one
is, and the other has not yet come. While no single view has been agreed
upon by all Adventist interpreters, many hold that the five that have fallen
are the great kingdoms that in Old Testament times dominated and (on
occasion) harmed God’s people: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia,
and Greece. The “one is” kingdom was the Roman Empire of John’s time.
The seventh kingdom that “has not yet come” is the sea beast of
Revelation 13—the papacy, which dominated and harmed God’s
people—that was to come after the time of John and after the fall of
the pagan Roman Empire. History has powerfully attested to the truth
of this prophecy, written many centuries before the events unfolded.
John is further told that the scarlet beast is an eighth world power,
although it is one of the seven heads (world powers). Which of the
seven? Because these heads are sequential in time, the eighth must be
the seventh head that received the deadly wound. It is at the time of this
eighth world power that the scarlet beast appears, carrying and advancing
the goals of the harlot Babylon. Today, we live at the time of the
healing of the deadly wound. This eighth world power will appear on
the scene right before the end and will go to perdition.
Wednesday
97
The Judgment of Babylon
Read Revelation 17:12–15 along with Revelation 16:14–16. What do
you learn from these texts about the “ten kings”?
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Different interpretations have been offered regarding the identities
of the ten kings. However, Revelation does not tell us who they are.
All we can derive from the text is that they are a short-lived political
confederacy appearing right before the end and supporting the harlot.
Their number signifies that the world powers will render total, unwavering
allegiance to the beast.
Revelation 17:13, 14 reiterates in a nutshell the battle of
Armageddon—introduced in Revelation 16:12–16. Induced by miracle-
working demonic powers in conjunction with the dragon, the sea
beast, and the false prophet, the worldwide political confederacy will
make war with the Lamb. In other words, the battle of Armageddon
is not a military battle in the Middle East but the final conflict of the
Second Coming in which Satan and his confederacy fight against
Christ and His angelic host.
Read Revelation 17:16–18. From what we saw in Revelation 16:2–12,
what lies behind the ten kings’ change of attitude toward Babylon?
Who is behind what happens to Babylon?
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Filled with hatred, the ten horns, which are the successor powers to the
divided nations of Europe, suddenly turn against the harlot Babylon (the
end-time manifestation of the papacy), making her desolate and naked;
they symbolically will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. In writing
about what will happen to the harlot Babylon, John employs language
similar to what God said would happen to adulterous Jerusalem (Jer.
4:30). Burning by fire was the punishment for a priest’s daughter who
was involved in sexual immorality (Lev. 21:9). The deceived political
powers have become disillusioned because of the inability of Babylon to
protect them from the plagues. They feel deceived and, in hostility, attack
her. This end-time apostate religious system, together with all those who
choose to identify themselves with it, experiences the fullness of divine
judgment.
A lot of questions about end-time events still remain unanswered
and, thus, can seem confusing to us now. What specific promise
is given in Revelation 17:14, and what should this promise mean
to us?
Thursday March 21
98
March 22
Further Thought: Before the full moral collapse of Babylon, a voice
from heaven urges God’s people still in Babylon to “ ‘Come out of her,
my people’ ” (Rev. 18:4). There are many worshipers of God who are
still in Babylon for various reasons. God uses His end-time church
to call these people out from this apostate religious system and not
to participate in its sins. They must come out of it in order to escape
its fate. God does not want anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9). Revelation
19:1–10 shows that many God-fearing people in Babylon will respond
to the call. Think, then, about the tremendous responsibility that rests
upon us as God’s remnant church. What should this responsibility tell
us about our need of God’s truth in our hearts and the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit in our lives?
Discussion Questions:
 As Revelation 18:4 shows, there are many God-fearing people
in Babylon whom God calls “ ‘my people.’ ” Reflect on the following
statement: “This message must be given, but while it must be
given, we should be careful not to thrust and crowd and condemn
those who have not the light that we have. We should not go out
of our way to make hard thrusts at the Catholics. Among the
Catholics there are many who are most conscientious Christians,
and who walk in all the light that shines upon them, and God
will work in their behalf. Those who have had great privileges
and opportunities, and who have failed to improve their physical,
mental, and moral powers, . . . are in greater danger and in greater
condemnation before God than those who are in error upon doctrinal
points, yet who seek to live to do good to others.”—Ellen G.
White, Evangelism, p. 575. What should this thought tell us about
how to treat others?
 Revelation 17 describes a harlot sitting on a scarlet beast.
While the woman in chapter 12 symbolizes God’s faithful church,
the one in chapter 17 refers to an apostate church seducing the
world away from God. In your view, what are the similarities and
differences between them? More important, what can we learn
from this comparison?
 The texts this week portray a very dismal state of the religious
and political world during the final stages before Christ’s victorious
return. What should this tell us about why it’s so important
right now that we stay faithful, true, and pure to the message that
God has given us? Read Revelation 16:15, an appeal for faithfulness
amid the depiction of worldwide apostasy. How can we apply
this warning to ourselves right now?
Friday
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org. 99
i n s i dSe tory
Rethinking Evolution
By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission
Stan Hudson’s world was turned upside down at the age of 19 when his
geology professor at the University of California announced that he believed
in God. The professor turned out to be a theistic evolutionist, a person who
believes that God exists but that the Earth was created through millions of
years of evolution.
The stance struck Stan, a budding scientist, as illogical. How could the
professor put God, if He existed, in a secondary rather than primary position?
Stan also was puzzled with the notion that an all-powerful God could be the
source of death. Theistic evolution teaches that death was part of God’s original
plan. Generations of animals had to die over millions of years to produce
the creatures that inhabit the Earth today.
But Stan was most upset with the realization that scientists were not as
open-minded as he had thought, and any scientist who questioned evolution
would face a major fight. He didn’t want to fight, so he quit the university.
Six months passed. One day, Stan’s roommate, David L. Friend, asked for a
Bible. Stan found one in his room, blew the dust off the cover, and gave it to
David to read. Seeing David reading the Bible impressed Stan, and soon he
began to read it, too.
After a while, Stan decided to pray. He knelt by his bed and said, “Dear God,
it looks like David and I are looking for You. Will You help us?”
The prayer, Stan later said, was probably the most powerful prayer that
heaven has ever heard from him.
Over the next few weeks, God grew bigger and bigger as He answered
small prayers, Stan said. For example, once Stan told David, “Let’s sell our
sofa,” and immediately they heard a knock on the door. Outside, a neighbor
asked, “Excuse me, do you have a sofa for sale?”
“A lot of little things like that delighted us,” Stan said. “We realized God
could see us and was involved in our lives.”
Stan became an Adventist pastor and served for 38 years in California,
Idaho, and Washington State. He never lost his love for science and has
been an outspoken advocate of the biblical six-day Creation week on Hope
Channel and 3ABN. He now directs the North Pacific
Union Conference’s Creation Study Center in Ridgefield,
Washington.
“Adventists are pretty much the last Creation-believing
denomination, and I am proud to be associated with it,”
he said. “It’s our mission specifically to preach about the
God ‘ “who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs
of water.” ’ (Rev. 14:7, NKJV). I like to turn up the volume
on the first angel’s message.”

84
11
The Seven Last Plagues
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 15:1; Rev. 7:1–3; Rev. 14:9, 10; Rev. 16:1–12; Rev. 17:1; Daniel 5; Rev. 16:16; 2 Thess. 2:9–12.
Memory Text: “ ‘Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested’ ” (Revelation 15:4, NKJV).
Revelation 11:18 summarizes events on earth right before the battle of Armageddon: “ ‘The nations were angry.’ ” This state of affairs on earth matches Jesus’ description of the last days (Luke 21:25) and is followed by God’s wrath, which are His judgments in the form of the seven last plagues upon the unrepentant (Rev. 15:1).
Revelation 15 opens with the picture of seven angels with seven bowls filled with this divine wrath. But before this outpouring happens, we have a future glimpse of God’s faithful people (Rev. 15:1–4). They are described as victorious “over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name” (Rev. 15:2, NKJV), as they stand on something resembling a sea of glass and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb—all images reminiscent of the Hebrews on the shores of the Red Sea, celebrating God’s victory over the Egyptians (Exodus 15).
These victorious saints are the same ones referred to as the 144,000 in Revelation 14:1–5. Having refused the mark of the beast, they are protected from the seven last plagues. Then, at the Second Advent their mortal bodies are transformed and clothed with immortality (1 Cor. 15:51–54), and they will join the resurrected saints when Jesus comes in power and glory (1 Thess. 4:17).
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 16.
*March 9–15
Lesson
85
March 10
The Meaning of the Seven Last
Plagues
People have already made their choice either for God or for Babylon.
Before Christ comes, however, the destructive winds of Satan’s fury that
have been restrained (Rev. 7:1–3) are unleashed, followed by the seven last
plagues.
Read Revelation 15:1 along with Exodus 7–11. How are the Egyptian
plagues, considered the backdrop for the seven last plagues, instructive
regarding their purpose and meaning?
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The seven last plagues are referred to as the “last” plagues because
they come at the very end of earth’s history. In contrast, the plagues
of the seven trumpets cover the time period that includes the entire
Christian age and are restricted in their scope. They are executed while
the gospel still is being preached (Rev. 10:8–11:14) and intercession is
taking place (Rev. 8:2–5). They are mixed with mercy, and their purpose
is to bring the enemies of God’s people to repentance.
On the other hand, the seven last plagues are poured out just prior to
the Second Coming. They are poured out upon those who, like Pharaoh,
hardened their hearts against God’s redeeming love and would not
repent (see Rev. 16:11). Divine wrath is God’s righteous judgment on
the choices people have made (see Rom. 1:26–28), and at that time the
lost are reaping the consequences of their own choices.
Read Revelation 15:5–8 along with Exodus 40:34, 35 and 1 Kings
8:10, 11. What does the statement that “no man was able to enter
the temple” (Rev. 15:8) suggest about the timing of the seven last
plagues?
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The expression “no one was able to enter into the temple” (Rev. 15:8,
NKJV) points to the close of probation (Rev. 22:11). As Christ’s mediatorial
ministry in heaven comes to an end, the door of opportunity to
repent closes forever. Therefore, the last plagues will not bring anyone
to repentance, but only disclose the hardness of the hearts of those who
chose to side with Babylon, prompting them to hate God even more
(Rev. 16:9, 11).
Look around at the world today, which is going to get only worse.
What does the fact that the plagues have been delayed this long
teach us about God’s mercy and patience?
Sunday
86
March 11
The Outpouring of the Last Plagues
With the cessation of Christ’s intercession in the heavenly sanctuary,
the destiny of each individual is forever determined. The time has come
for those who have spurned the gospel to experience God’s wrath in its
fullness.
The seven last plagues mirror the plagues poured out upon Egypt
(Exodus 7–11). As the Egyptian plagues affected the Egyptians while
the Israelites were spared, so God’s people will be protected during
this time of trouble (Ps. 91:3–10; see The Great Controversy, pp.
629, 630).The plagues on Egypt disclosed the hardness of Pharaoh’s
heart and showed the Egyptians the inability of their gods to protect
them. Similarly, the last plagues increasingly harden the hearts of the
worshipers of the sea beast and reveal the powerlessness of Babylon to
protect them from divine judgment.
Read Revelation 16:1–11. What is happening here, and how is it portrayed?
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The first four plagues “are not universal, or the inhabitants of the earth
would be wholly cut off.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p.
628. The first inflicts painful and loathsome sores exclusively on the
worshipers of the beast. The second and third plagues affect the sea and
the rivers and the springs of water, which turn into blood. Without water
to drink, rebellious humanity cannot survive. The fourth plague affects
the sun so that it scorches sinners, causing unbearable pain.
The unbearable pain inflicted by the plagues does not soften the hearts
of unrighteous humanity so as to change their rebellious attitudes. Instead,
they curse and blaspheme God, who executes these plagues. Nor do any
of them repent.
In Revelation 16:10, 11 (see also Exod. 10:21–23), we can see that the
fifth plague strikes the throne of the beast. It was Satan who delegated
the
throne to the beast (Rev. 13:2). Now even the seat of Satan’s authority cannot
withstand the force of these plagues. As people suffer in pain, they realize
the inability of Babylon to protect them. However, they have set their minds
against God, and even the terror of the plagues does not change their hearts.
How can we maintain so close a walk with the Lord that, if tragedy
strikes, we know enough of God’s love to trust Him even amid
suffering?
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Monday
87
Drying Up the Euphrates River
Read Revelation 16:12 along with Revelation 17:1 and 15. What does
the symbol of the Euphrates stand for? What is the significance
of the drying up of the Euphrates in the context of the seven last
plagues?
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In the Old Testament, the Euphrates was a critical means of support
for Israel’s enemies, Assyria and Babylon. The river flowed through
Babylon and was important to the city because it nourished crops
and provided water for people. Babylon could not survive without the
Euphrates.
Revelation 17:1 describes end-time Babylon as sitting upon many
waters, perhaps a reference to the Euphrates (see Jer. 51:13). Revelation
17:15 explains that the waters upon which end-time Babylon sits represent
the people who support it: the worldwide civil, secular, and political
powers behind the system. However, these powers eventually will
retract their support.
The scene of the sixth plague reflects the capture of ancient Babylon
by Cyrus the Persian (see Daniel 5). According to the ancient historian
Herodotus, on the night that King Belshazzar and his officials had a
feast, the Persians diverted the Euphrates and entered Babylon along
the riverbed, taking the city by surprise.
The symbolic drying up of the Euphrates in Revelation 16:12 results
in the collapse of Babylon in the end time. Because the Euphrates in
Revelation represents the world’s civil, secular, and political powers
giving their support to Babylon, the drying up of the Euphrates symbolizes
the withdrawal of their support and their subsequent attack against
Babylon, thereby causing its downfall.
As the people of the world witness the upheaval in nature (see Rev.
16:3–9), they turn to Babylon for protection. However, as the fifth plague
strikes the seat of Babylon’s authority (Rev. 16:10, 11), they see the futility
of seeking help there. Feeling deceived, they turn against Babylon,
causing her downfall (see Rev. 17:16). Yet, as we have seen, their hearts
remain hard against God and His people. As such, they become fertile
soil for the final deception by which Satan will draw the world to unite
against God’s people to wipe them off the face of the earth.
In what ways have you learned how risky it is to place your trust
in humans and in human institutions?
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Tuesday March 12
88
March 13
Satan’s Last Great Deception
Revelation 16:12 tells us that the purpose of the drying up of the
Euphrates is to prepare the way for “the kings from the east” (NKJV).
In the Old Testament, “the kings from the east” were Cyrus and his
forces coming down from the north, then approaching Babylon from
the east (Isa. 41:25). Their conquest of Babylon made the return of
God’s people to their homeland possible (Isa. 44:27, 28). In the same
way, the symbolic drying up of the Euphrates prepares the way for the
coming of the kings from the east to provide deliverance to God’s endtime
people.
The kings from the east in Revelation 16:12 are Christ and His army
of heavenly angels. At His second coming, Jesus will appear with
His angelic host, “clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev. 19:14,
NKJV), which is the dress of sinless angels (Rev. 15:6). Accompanied
by the host of heaven, Christ will, as Revelation 17:14 shows, overcome
the satanic forces that oppress His people (compare Matt. 24:30,
31). This final conflict against Christ and His people leading up to the
Second Coming is known as the battle of Armageddon.
Read Revelation 16:13, 14. What is the role of the three unclean spirits
in the preparation for the battle of Armageddon? How are they a
satanic counterfeit of the three angels’ messages in Revelation 14?
(See 1 Tim. 4:1.)
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Through the final events leading up to the close of probation, every
human being will be led to choose on which of the two sides he or she
will stand in the battle of Armageddon. As a prelude to this spiritual
warfare, John sees three demonic spirits resembling frogs. Satan’s last
attempt to deceive involves demonic, lying spirits.
The dragon (paganism and spiritualism), the sea beast (Roman
Catholicism), and the false prophet (apostate Protestantism) unite
under Satan’s command (see Rev. 13:11, 12). Satan enables the lamblike
beast to perform miraculous signs (see Rev. 13:13–17) that include
spiritualistic manifestations. These signs are part of Satan’s end-time
deceptive strategy to persuade the world to follow him rather than the
true God.
Blinded by their hatred of God and His truth, the leaders of the world
readily believe Satan’s lies, which are cloaked in a pleasing religious
guise (2 Thess. 2:9–12). Ultimately, they will unite in the final battle
leading to the end of this world.
Wednesday
89
Gathering for the Battle of Armageddon
Read Revelation 16:16. How successful will Satan’s end-time deception
be in gathering the people of the world to the battle of Armageddon?
The deceptive demonic miracles will achieve worldwide success. In
having spurned Bible teachings, people will believe a lie that will be
accompanied by deceptive miracles (see 2 Thess. 2:9–12). They will
unite together in purpose, symbolized by their gathering to a “place,”
which is in Hebrew called Armageddon, meaning “the mountain of
Megiddo.” Megiddo was not a mountain, but a fortress city located in
the Valley of Jezreel (or the Plain of Esdraelon) at the foot of the Mount
Carmel ridge. It was an important strategic site.
The Plain of Esdraelon was known for many decisive battles in Israel’s history
(see Judg. 5:19; Judg. 6:33; 2 Kings 9:27; 2 Kings 23:29, 30). Revelation
uses this historical background to depict a final great conflict, called
Armageddon, between Christ and the forces of evil. The people of the world
are portrayed as a unified army under the leadership of this satanic league.
The “mountain of Megiddo” is an apparent allusion to Mount Carmel
that towers above the valley in which the ancient city of Megiddo was
located. Mount Carmel was the site of one of the greatest clashes in Israel’s
history, between God’s true prophet (Elijah) and the false prophets of Baal
(1 Kings 18). This showdown answered the question “Who is the true
God?” The fire that came from heaven demonstrated that the Lord was the
only true God and the only one to be worshiped. While the spiritual issue of
the battle of Armageddon—Will we obey God or man?—is decided before
the plagues fall, those who side with the dragon, the beast, and the false
prophet (Rev. 16:13), will then be totally controlled by the devil (as Judas
was, leading up to Christ’s crucifixion [Luke 22:3]).
Having chosen the losing side, they will be among those who cry for the
mountains to hide them (Rev. 6:16; read also 2 Thess. 1:7, 8). Before the
plagues fall, however, Revelation 13:13, 14 portrays the earth beast bringing
fire down from heaven to deceive the world into thinking that Satan’s
counterfeit, which will include false revivals led by another spirit, is the
work of God.
Armageddon is not a military battle among nations to be fought somewhere
in the Middle East, but a global spiritual contest in which Christ
decisively confronts the forces of darkness (see 2 Cor. 10:4). The outcome
will be like that at Carmel but on a worldwide scale—with God’s
triumph over the forces of darkness.
For many years, people have been looking at political and military
turmoil in the Middle East as signs of the end and of Armageddon.
Despite many predictions and date-settings, Armageddon, as they
have envisioned it, has not come. How can we protect ourselves
from making similar mistakes in regard to interpreting these localized
events as the fulfillments of Bible prophecy?
Thursday March 14
90
March 15
Further Thought: “None but those who have fortified the mind with the
truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will
come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? . . . The apostle
Paul declared, looking down to the last days: ‘The time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine.’ 2 Timothy 4:3. That time has fully come. The
multitudes do not want Bible truth, because it interferes with the desires of the
sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions which they love.
“But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the
Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The
opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of
ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which
they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be
regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting
any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’
in its support. . . .
“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. . . . 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.”—Ellen G.
White, The Great Controversy, pp. 593–595, 624.
Discussion Questions:
 Read Jesus’ admonition in Revelation 16:15, inserted into the
description of the preparation for the battle of Armageddon. Note the
similar wording in Christ’s earlier appeal to the church of Laodicea (Rev.
3:18). How do Christ’s words show the significance of the Laodicean
message for God’s people living at the time of the preparation for the
final conflict? In what way does this message apply to you personally?
 White and clean garments in Revelation symbolize the righteousness
of Christ (Rev. 3:4, 5; Rev. 19:7–9). Only those who clothe themselves with
the robe of Christ’s righteousness will be able to stand firm in the final
crisis. How does one make his or her robes white and clean in the blood
of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14)?
Friday
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org. 91
i n s i dSe tory
Moses and Zimbabwe’s Police
By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission
The 26-year-old missionary gazed at the group of 50 Zimbabwean police
officers. The uniformed men and women had just participated in a colorful
parade in downtown Bulawayo, and they were waiting for him to speak.
Emmanuel Msimanga—a Global Mission pioneer assigned to the central
business district of Zimbabwe’s second-largest city—began to speak about
Moses.
“Even though Moses was in Egypt, he remembered that he was a Hebrew,”
he said. “Moses realized, ‘Even though I’m in Egypt, I’m not an Egyptian. I
don’t have to follow the ways of the land.’”
Emmanuel looked into earnest faces.
“Some people are amassing unjust gain. Do not follow that,” he said. “Live
a righteous life even though we live in a sinful world.”
Emmanuel, a 2017 theology graduate of Solusi University outside
Bulawayo, has a unique opportunity to share Christ. As a Global Mission
pioneer, he has been seeking ways to reach out to police officers, government
workers, and university students who live and work in his district. By simply
asking, he received permission to give a 30-minute devotional message at
training courses for local and regional officers.
Emmanuel had much more to say about Moses at the training course.
“Moses chose to suffer with the Israelites rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures
of sin for a season,” he said. Turning in his Bible to Hebrews 11:24, 25,
he read, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.”
Police officers thanked Emmanuel afterward. “This is the devotional we
need,” said one. “It tells us things that we don’t want to hear but we must hear.”
“It was a word of rebuke and correction,” said another. “God blessed me
today.”
Emmanuel invited the officers to enroll in free Voice of Prophecy Bible
studies and gave each a book.
No police officers have requested baptism, but Emmanuel is sure that the
Holy Spirit is at work. After just two months of his Global Mission pioneer
work, five university students in his district were ready
for baptism.
As Emmanuel pushes ahead, he is eager to keep
preaching righteousness. “Like Moses, we must always
stand for the right, even though the tide of the time says
we should be corrupt,” he said.
Part of a 2015 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering went to Solusi University
to double the size of its crowded cafeteria from 500 seats to 1,000.

God’s Everlasting Gospel
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 14:6–12; Matt. 24:14;
Eccles. 12:13, 14; Exod. 20:2–11; Isa. 21:9; Isa. 34:8–10.
Memory Text: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who
keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12, NKJV).
Revelation shows that Satan’s end-time deception will be so successful that the world will choose to worship the beast and receive its mark. Yet, Revelation 14:1–5 tells us that God will have His remnant, those who will take their stand for the Lord when most of the world doesn’t.
In the end, people will have to choose, not whether to worship or not (everyone always worships something), but rather, whom to worship. The worshipers of the beast will receive the mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, symbolic of their choice to serve this apostate system with their deeds and/or minds.
At the same time, the world will witness a great proclamation of the gospel such as has not been seen since the day of Pentecost. Before the judgments of God are poured out upon rebellious humanity, God will send His warning messages “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev. 14:6, NKJV). God does not want anyone to perish but all to be saved, which is why Christ’s death was for all humanity. The question is who will accept that provision and who won’t.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 9.
*March 2–8
Lesson
77
March 3
The Three Angels’ Messages
Just before the end, God sends His warning messages, symbolically
portrayed in terms of three vocal angels flying in the sky. The
Greek word for angel (angelos) means “messenger.” Evidence from
Revelation suggests that the three angels stand for God’s people who
are entrusted with the end-time message to share with the world.
Read Revelation 14:6 along with Matthew 24:14. The first angel’s
message is referred to as the “everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6). What
does describing this proclamation as “the everlasting gospel” tell us
about the content and purpose of the first angel’s message? Why is
this message central to all that we believe?
_________________________________________________________
This first end-time message is the gospel proclamation in the context
of the hour of God’s judgment that has come upon the world. The gospel
is good news about God, who saves human beings on the basis of
faith in Jesus Christ and His work for them. The gospel is “everlasting”
because God never changes. His plan was put in place even before we
existed (2 Tim. 1:9, Titus 1:2). The first angel’s message includes both
salvation and judgment. It is good news for those who give glory to
God and worship Him as their Creator, but it also is a judgment warning
for those who reject the Creator and the sign of true worship He has
given—the seventh-day Sabbath.
The three angels are described as proclaiming the messages with “a
loud voice” (Rev. 14:7, 9). These messages are urgent and important;
they must be heard by all because it concerns their eternal destiny. As
such, they must be proclaimed to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.
This proclamation is particularly significant because, at the time of
the end, the beast will exercise authority over “every tribe, tongue, and
nation” (Rev. 13:7, NKJV). Satan’s deceptive activities, worldwide in
scope, are met by the end-time proclamation of the gospel worldwide.
The three angels’ messages are proclaimed by God’s people to counter
Satan and his end-time allies—the dragon, a symbol of paganism/
spiritualism; the sea beast, which signifies Roman Catholicism; and the
false prophet, or lamblike beast, representing apostate Protestantism
(Revelation 13). They will operate up through the time of the sixth
plague (Rev. 16:13, 14). Thus, the world is presented with two rival
messages, each with the goal to win the allegiance of the people on
earth.
As Seventh-day Adventists, we are called to reach the world with
the end-time truths contained in the three angels’ messages. What
are you doing to help do just that? What more could you be doing?
Sunday
78
March 4
The First Angel’s Message: Part 1
Read Revelation 14:7 along with Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14. What does it
mean to “fear God”? How does the concept of fearing God relate to
the gospel, and what does the gospel have to do with keeping God’s
commandments? (See also Rom. 7:7–13.) What is the connection
between fearing God and glorifying Him?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
The call to “ ‘fear God and give glory to Him’ ” (Rev. 14:7, NKJV)
is proclaimed in the context of the “everlasting gospel.” A realization
of what Christ has done for our salvation results in a positive response
to Him.
In the Bible, fearing God and giving glory to Him are closely related
(Ps. 22:23, Rev. 15:4). Together, they designate a right relationship
with God (Job 1:8) and obedience to Him.
To fear God does not mean to be afraid of Him but to take Him seriously
and allow His presence in our lives. God’s end-time people are
the ones who fear God (see Rev. 11:18, Rev. 19:5). God desires His
people to love Him (Deut. 11:13, Matt. 22:37), obey Him (Deut. 5:29,
Eccl. 12:13), and reflect His character (Gen. 22:12).
It is important for God’s people to give Him glory because “ ‘the
hour of His judgment has come’ ” (Rev. 14:7, NKJV). The judgment
in view here is the pre-Advent investigative judgment, which takes
place prior to the Second Coming. The purpose of this judgment is
to reveal whether or not we are truly serving God—a choice made
manifest by our works (see 2 Cor. 5:10). At the conclusion of this
judgment, the destiny of every person is decided (Rev. 22:11), and
Jesus will come to bring His reward to every person according to his
or her deeds (Rev. 22:12).
Judgment in Revelation 14 is a part of the gospel. To those who are in
a right relationship with God, judgment is good news; it means vindication,
salvation, freedom, and eternal life. However, it is bad news for
the disobedient, unless they repent and turn to God by accepting this
end-time, judgment-hour message. God does not want anyone to perish
but all to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
How could you stand, alone, in the judgment? What verdict
would your life reveal? What does your answer tell you about the
need for the gospel and why it is linked so closely together with
judgment in the first angel’s message?
_______________________________________________________
Monday
79
The First Angel’s Message: Part 2
Revelation shows that the central issues in the last crisis of earth’s history
will be worship and obedience to God, as revealed in keeping His commandments
(Rev. 14:12). The people of the world will fall into two groups:
those who fear and worship God, and those who fear and worship the beast.
Review the first four commandments of the Decalogue (Exod. 20:2–
11). Then go through Revelation 13. How does the beast’s demand
for worship (Rev. 13:15), the setting up of an image to the beast to
be worshiped (Rev. 13:14, 15), blasphemy of God and His name
(Rev. 13:5, 6), and receiving of the mark of the beast (Rev. 13:16,
17) point to Satan’s attacks on the first four commandments of the
Decalogue in the final crisis?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
The central concept of the first four commandments of the Decalogue
is worship. Revelation indicates that these commandments will become
the standard of loyalty to God in the final crisis. The final conflict
between Christ and Satan plainly will revolve around worship and the
first four commandments.
The key issue in the final crisis is emphasized in the second exhortation
of the first angel’s message. The call to “ ‘worship Him who
made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’ ” (Rev. 14:7,
NKJV) is almost an exact quotation of the fourth commandment of the
Decalogue (Exod. 20:11). This fact shows that the call to worship God
the Creator is a call to Sabbath observance.
Rest and worship on the seventh day—Saturday—is a special sign of
our relationship with God (Exod. 31:13, Ezek. 20:12). The first angel’s
message is a call to worship the Creator.
“While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the
law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal
of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of
the true Sabbath, in obedience to God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty
to the Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to
earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other choosing the
token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.”—Ellen
G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 605.
How is our view of Creation and Salvation related? Why is resting
on the Sabbath as God did so important?
_______________________________________________________
Tuesday March 5
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March 6
The Second Angel’s Message
The second angel’s message announces the fall, or apostasy, of
Babylon and identifies it as a false religious system. In Revelation 17:5,
“Babylon is said to be ‘the mother of harlots.’ By her daughters must be
symbolized churches that cling to her doctrines and traditions, and follow
her example of sacrificing the truth and the approval of God, in order to
form an unlawful alliance with the world.”—Ellen G. White, The Great
Controversy, pp. 382, 383.
Read Revelation 14:8 along with Revelation 18:2 and Isaiah 21:9. The
twofold repetition of the word “fallen” points to Babylon’s progressive
apostasy and signifies the certainty of her full moral collapse.
Babylon is described as already fallen, but her fall is also described
as future. Why is that?
The end-time Babylon in Revelation is a union of false religious systems
that includes Roman Catholicism and apostate Protestantism. These will
put themselves into the service of Satan against God’s people (see Rev.
13:11–18, Rev. 16:13, Rev. 17:5). This apostate religious union will manifest
the arrogance of ancient Babylon in exalting itself above God and will seek
to take His place in the world. The message of the second angel warns God’s
people that this wicked system will depart further and further from the truth
in consequence of her refusal of the light of the end-time gospel message.
Only when “the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished
throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete.”—
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 390.
Read again Revelation 14:8 along with Revelation 17:2 and Revelation
18:3. How does Babylon make the world drink the wine of her fornication?
What does this wine symbolize?
Revelation 17 pictures end-time Babylon as a harlot making people
on earth drunk with her wine of immorality (see Rev. 17:2).
The wine of Babylon refers to the false teachings and false gospel
offered by this apostate religious system. Today, as many Protestant
churches, in fulfillment of Bible prophecy, rapidly erase the differences
that once separated them from the Roman Catholic Church and turn away
from biblical truth, we witness the corrupting influence of Babylon’s wine
amongst the professed body of Christ: theistic evolution, which is implicitly
contrasted with the reference to Creation in the first angel’s message;
theological traditions replacing sola Scriptura; revised ethics abandoning
biblical definitions of gender, marriage, and so forth. Intoxicated
people cannot think clearly. As the people become spiritually inebriated by
Babylon’s wine, Babylon will seduce them into worshiping the sea beast
and receiving the mark of the beast.
Wednesday
81
The Third Angel’s Message
How does Revelation 14:12 depict God’s faithful people?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
In contrast to God’s faithful people, Revelation 14:9, 10 warns about
the fate of those who face God’s wrath. In the Old Testament, the
outpouring of God’s wrath is described symbolically as drinking wine
from a cup (Jer. 25:15, 16). The severity of the judgment upon the
worshipers of the beast is expressed as drinking the wine of the wrath
of God that is poured out “without mixture” (Rev. 14:10) into the cup
of His indignation. In ancient times, people often diluted wine with
water to reduce its intoxicating strength. But the wine of God’s wrath is
described as “unmixed” (akratou). The unmixed, undiluted wine represents
the pouring out of God’s wrath in its full strength, without mercy.
Read Revelation 14:10, 11 along with Revelation 20:10–15. How do
Isaiah 34:8–10 and Jude 7 shed light on the statement: “ ‘And the
smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever’ ” (NKJV)?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
The statement of the torment with fire and brimstone refers to total
destruction. Fire and brimstone is a means of judgment (Gen. 19:24,
Isa. 34:8–10). The ascending smoke of destruction is a well-known
image in the Bible. Isaiah prophesied of the future destruction of Edom
by fire and brimstone: it will become a burning pitch; “it shall not be
quenched night or day; its smoke shall ascend forever” (Isa. 34:10,
NKJV). Jude describes the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah as suffering
the punishment of “eternal fire” (Jude 7). These texts do not talk
about endless burning, for none of these cities is burning today. The
consequences are eternal, not the burning itself. The “eternal fire” in
Revelation refers to annihilation; the burning will be long enough to
make the consumption complete until nothing is left to burn.
Although we can be thankful for the great truth that the fires
of hell don’t torture the lost for eternity, the punishment is still
terrible enough. What should the permanence and the severity of
the punishment tell us about the sacred task that we have been
given to warn others about what is coming?
_______________________________________________________
Thursday March 7
82
March 8
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Final Warning,” pp.
603–612, in The Great Controversy.
Revelation shows that at the time of the end, God’s people are commissioned
with the proclamation of the end-time gospel to the world.
The work before us seems daunting, all but impossible. However, we
have the promise of God’s power.
“The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation
of the power of God than marked its opening. . . .
“The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the
deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented.
The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear
fruit.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 611, 612.
The conclusion of the proclamation of God’s final message will
result in a great separation that divides people in the world into two
camps: those who love and obey God and those who follow and obey
the beast. This separation is portrayed in terms of two harvests: the
gathering of the wheat into the storehouses (Rev. 14:14–16) and the
grapes to be trampled in the winepress (Rev. 14:17–20). This final
separation is the subject of Revelation 17 and 18.
Discussion Questions:
 Reflect on this thought: Who is preaching the three angels’
messages other than Seventh-day Adventists? What should this
tell us about just how important our work is and how seriously we
should take it?
 Why do you think that judgment is an unpopular concept
among many Christians? What relevance does the concept of the
pre-Advent judgment have for Christians today? How would you
help your fellow believers better understand the true meaning of
the pre-Advent judgment?
 Think about the question of the Sabbath in the context of final
events. The issue is: Whom will we worship—the Creator of “the
heaven and the earth” (Rev. 14:7, NASB), or the beast power? The
Bible teaches that the seventh-day Sabbath is the oldest (Gen. 2:2,
3), most foundational sign of God’s creatorship of “the heaven and
the earth.” What does that truth teach us about why the Sabbath,
as one of God’s commandments (Rev. 14:12), plays such a prominent
role in the final crisis?
Friday
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mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org. 83
i n s i dSe tory
Power Tools and a Boat
By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission
Church members are finding innovative ways to share the gospel across
the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Euro-Asia Division, a territory covering
much of the former Soviet Union, in an effort to jump-start membership
growth, which is largely flat.
“It’s a challenging territory, but God is working through Total Member
Involvement,” said division president Michael Kaminskiy (pictured).
Eleven Adventist health professionals went on a two-week boat cruise to
ancient Russian cities on the Volga River. The trip, which followed a popular
tourist route, was organized by a Russian nongovernmental health organization,
and the Adventists were invited to share health principles about water,
sunshine, exercise, and rest, as well as conduct stop-smoking classes.
The boat’s captain, who smoked heavily, attended the classes.
“He smoked so much that there was always a cloud of smoke around
him,” said Ivan Velgosha, president of the West Russian Union Conference.
By trip’s end, he had stopped smoking and made the boat a smoke-free
zone. The Adventists presented him with a book about healthful living and
told him that Jesus could help him never smoke again.
More than a month after the trip, the captain still hasn’t smoked, Velgosha
said.
In the city of Nizhny Novgorod, schoolchildren shared their love for God
by writing letters about His law. One child wrote, “We need to remember the
third commandment so we don’t say bad words about God.” Another child
wrote, “If people stopped stealing, we would be the richest country in the
world.” The children spent five days passing out the letters on city streets.
In eastern Ukraine, church members have found that free drawings for
electric drills are drawing men to evangelistic meetings. Women were coming
to the meetings, but the number of men in attendance sharply increased
when churches began to advertise the electric drills, said Stanislav Nosov,
president of the Ukrainian Union Conference.
“Men need tools to repair homes damaged in the conflict,” he said.
Daily drawings were held at two-week evangelistic
meetings conducted in several towns in
eastern Ukraine. Winners chose between a drill
and a set of pots, while anyone who attended
seven meetings in a row received a food package
with macaroni, sugar, milk, and other basic items.
Dozens of people have been baptized.
“God is doing wonderful things through Total
Member Involvement,” Kaminskiy said.

We invite you to check out some extra Resources for The Book of Revelation .

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Lesson 9*February 23—March 1

Satan and His Allies

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Revelation 13, Rev. 17:8, Dan. 7:24, 2 Thess. 2:2-12, Rev. 12:14-16, 1 Kings 18:38.

Memory Text: “Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and he went to wage war with the remnant of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17, MEV).

Revelation 12 describes Satan’s attacks against God’s faithful people, including persecution by pagan Rome and later papal Rome during the 1,260 day/years (A.D. 538-1798; see Rev. 12:6, 13, 14 and Lesson 7, Tuesday). Chapter 13 describes in more detail Satan’s attacks during Christian history with the help of two allies, both portrayed as beasts. Under Satan’s direction, the dragon and these two beasts will unite at the end of time to oppose God’s redemptive activities and seek to win the allegiance of the world.

A word of caution is necessary. It is easier to interpret prophecies already fulfilled in the past. But when we come to prophecies yet to be fulfilled, as we do in Tuesday’s study, we need to be more cautious. God shows us what will happen at the time of the end so that we will not be surprised, but He does not tell us every detail we would like to know.

We must always remember that while these prophecies tell us what will happen at the end, they do not tell us when and exactly howthe final events will unfold. We must, therefore, be careful not to speculate beyond what prophecy tells us. Let us not forget that the prophecies of Revelation have practical purposes: to teach us how to live today and to be prepared for the future.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 2.

Sunday ↥        February 24

The Beast From the Sea

Read Revelation 13:1-4, 8 and Revelation 17:8. What are the characteristics of this beast, and what are the phases of its existence?

John watches as a monstrous beast rises out of the sea. While a beast represents a political power, the description of the sea beast points to a political power that has religion as a dominant characteristic. The sea symbolizes the largely populated area of Europe out of which the sea beast rises to power after the downfall of the Roman Empire (Rev. 17:15).

John describes the beast as it emerges from the water. The beast has seven heads and ten horns, the same as the dragon in Revelation 12:3-4, showing its close connection with pagan Rome. Upon the heads of the beast is a blasphemous name, and upon the horns are royal crowns. The heads of the beast are the kingdoms that Satan has used to persecute God’s people throughout history (Rev. 17:9-11). The blasphemous name points to the divine title the beast claims. The ten horns point to Daniel 7:24, symbolizing the nations that sprang out of the Roman Empire after its demise. These characteristics of the sea beast all point to the papacy that grew out of the Roman Empire.

The beast from the sea resembles a leopard with feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. As such, the beast combines the characteristics of the four beasts (symbols of world empires) in Daniel 7:2-7: Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. However, John lists them in reverse order, which from his first-century perspective shows that the sea beast is related to the fourth beast of Daniel 7, the Roman Empire.

The dragon (the pagan Roman Empire empowered by Satan) gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. Just as the Father has given His throne and authority to Christ (Rev. 2:27), so Satan invests the beast as his coregent and representative on earth.

Revelation 13:5-7 states that the period of the beast’s persecuting activities through Christian history is 42 “months”. As we have seen, persecution of the pure woman lasted for “a time and times and half a time;” that is three and a half “times” or prophetic “years” (Rev. 12:13-14; compare Dan. 7:25). Forty-two prophetic “months” equals 30 days multiplied by 42, or 1,260 days/years (Rev. 12:6). Therefore, “a time and times and half a time”, 42 “months”, and 1,260 “days” all refer to the same time period of 1,260 years. This phase ends when John sees “one of his [the beast’s] heads as if it had been mortally wounded” (emphasis added). The subsequent healing of this “deadly wound” points to a time after 1798 when the beast would be revived and its power restored. The healing of the deadly wound draws the admiration of the world, and they worship both the dragon and the beast.

Monday ↥        February 25

The Activities of the Sea Beast

Revelation 13:5 specifies a time period of persecution that we talked about in yesterday’s study. The 42 months of the beast’s activities is the same time period as the 1,260 days/years of the persecution of the woman/church in Revelation 12:6, 14. (A prophetic day symbolizes a year [Num. 14:34, Ezek. 4:6]. See Tuesday’s study in Lesson 7). The year A.D. 538 marks appropriately the beginning of this prophetic period when the Roman church, with the pope as its head, established itself as a church-state power that dominated the Western world throughout medieval times. The events of the French Revolution inflicted the deadly wound upon the beast in A.D. 1798, thus bringing the church’s oppressive rule and the state-empowered religion to a temporary end.

Compare Revelation 13:5-8 with Daniel 7:24-25 and 2 Thessalonians 2:2-12. In what way do the activities of the sea beast mirror the descriptions of the little horn and the man of lawlessness?

The sea beast’s activities during the prophetic 1,260 days/years are stated in terms of blasphemies. In the New Testament, blasphemy can denote a claim of equality with God (John 10:33, Matt. 26:63-65) and the action of usurping His authority (Mark 2:7). The sea beast’s blasphemies are directed “against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven” (Rev. 13:6, NKJV). The dwelling of God is the sanctuary in heaven, where Christ ministers on behalf of our salvation. The sea beast seeks to negate Christ’s mediatorial work by attempting to replace it with a human priesthood that claims to administer salvation and the forgiveness of sins. Assuming these powers that belong only to God is the essence of blasphemy.

Revelation 13 points to a time of major apostasy in Christianity, which was fulfilled when Roman Catholicism claimed the position and authority of God with the pope as its head. Those who refused submission to Rome experienced persecution and martyrdom. Although today such statements are viewed as harsh, even bigoted, the present cannot erase the history, no matter how much some people wish that it would.

How can we stay faithful to prophecy about church history and yet, at the same time, be kind and cautious as we present these truths to others?

Tuesday ↥        February 26

The Beast Arising Out of the Earth

The first half of Revelation 13 describes the Roman Catholic power active during the prophetic period of 1,260 days/years. With the events of the French Revolution, this religio-political system received a deadly wound. However, the mortal wound will eventually be healed, restoring this system to life. The second half of the chapter describes how the healing of the sea beast’s deadly wound actually will happen.

Read Revelation 13:11. What are the characteristics of the second beast? In light of Revelation 12:14-16, what is the significance of the fact that this beast emerges out of the earth?

John observes the emergence of another beast. Unlike the first beast, the second beast arises out from the earth. This second beast is a world power, with influence of the same caliber as the first beast. However, in contrast to the sea beast, which had a terrifying appearance, the earth beast appears harmless, at least at first. It has “two horns like a lamb” (Rev. 13:11, NKJV). This lamb beast is a symbol for Christ. Thus, this end-time power appears to be Christlike.

This power arises in territory that protected the woman, a symbol of God’s true church, from the dragon’s persecuting flood at the conclusion of the 1,260 days/years (Rev. 12:14-16). This earth beast is obviously a new player on the scene, having arisen as a world power after the sea beast received the deadly wound during the events of the French Revolution, which means the earth beast is exclusively an end-time player.

“What nation of the New World was in 1798 rising into power, giving promise of strength and greatness, and attracting the attention of the world? The application of the symbol admits of no question. One nation, and only one, meets the specifications of this prophecy; it points unmistakably to the United States of America”. - Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 440.

Revelation 13:11 shows, however, that America, largely Protestant, will eventually start speaking like the dragon, like the devil himself, with a worldwide influence similar to the Roman Empire. This end-time power will be instrumental in making the whole world worship the first beast, which received the deadly wound. In other words, the United States, which at one time had provided protection and a haven for the church, at some point will play a persecuting role in last-day events.

When the United States was first identified as the second beast of Revelation 13, it had nowhere near the power and influence it has now. How does this fact help affirm the identification of the United States as the power depicted in this prophecy?

Wednesday ↥        February 27

The Image of the Beast

Read Revelation 13:12-13. How do 1 Kings 18:38 and Acts 2:3 help us understand the nature of the lamblike beast’s deceptive activities - the greatest of which is bringing fire down from heaven?

By working miracles, the lamblike beast will convince many that its words are true despite not being in full harmony with Scripture. “Through the agency of spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed”. - Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 588. These miracles help the lamblike beast to persuade the inhabitants of the earth to make an image to the sea beast that received the deadly wound.

The healing of the sea beast’s deadly wound refers to the restoration of the Roman papacy as a religio-political power. The lamblike beast will also begin speaking like a dragon and exercising the power of the sea beast, showing that it will become as intolerant as the nations represented by these symbols.

“Such action would be directly contrary to the principles of this government, to the genius of its free institutions, to the direct and solemn avowals of the Declaration of Independence, and to the Constitution. … But the inconsistency of such action is no greater than is represented in the symbol. It is the beast with lamblike horns - in profession pure, gentle, and harmless - that speaks as a dragon. …

‘Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast’. Here is clearly presented a form of government in which the legislative power rests with the people, a most striking evidence that the United States is the nation denoted in the prophecy.

But what is the ‘image to the beast’? and how is it to be formed? The image is made by the two-horned beast, and is an image to the beast. It is also called an image of the beast. Then to learn what the image is like and how it is to be formed we must study the characteristics of the beast itself - the papacy.

When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the punishment of ‘heresy’ …

When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result …

The ‘image to the beast’ represents that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas”. - Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 442-445.

Thursday ↥        February 28

The Mark of the Beast

Revelation 13 indicates that the lamblike beast will have the leading role in the final crisis. This world power will establish a global system in an attempt to control the beliefs of people. This system will mirror medieval Christianity under papal control.

Read Revelation 13:16-17 along with Deuteronomy 6:4-8. What does putting the mark on the right hand or the forehead have to do with the commandments of God?

People of all social classes will be pressured to receive the mark of the beast on their right hands or their foreheads. Just as the seal in the forehead identifies those whom God regards as His (Rev. 7:3-4; Rev. 14:1), so the mark of the beast identifies the worshipers of the beast.

The mark of the beast is not a visible sign of any kind. Its placement on the right hand or on the forehead counterfeits the instruction Moses gave the Israelites to bind God’s law as a sign upon their hands or their foreheads (Deut. 6:8). The right hand has to do with behavior, while the forehead has to do with the mind or mental agreement. Some will choose to receive the mark of the beast to escape the threat of death, while others will be fully committed mentally and spiritually to this apostate system of worship.

The central issues in the final crisis will be worship and obedience to God in keeping His commandments (Rev. 14:12). The Sabbath commandment in particular, will be the test of faithfulness and obedience to God. As the Sabbath is the distinctive sign of the obedience of God’s faithful people (Ezek. 20:12, 20), so the mark of the beast is the sign of allegiance to the beast.

The mark of the beast involves the substitution of a human commandment for God’s commandment. The greatest evidence of this fact is the humanly established institution of Sunday (Dan. 7:25) as the day of worship instead of the seventh-day Sabbath, the day mandated in Scripture by our Creator. The attempt to change the sign of God’s authority to another day is an attempt to usurp the role and power of God Himself. “The mark of the beast is the papal sabbath. … When the decree shall go forth enforcing the counterfeit sabbath, and the loud cry of the third angel shall warn men against the worship of the beast and his image, … then those who still continue in transgression will receive the mark of the beast”. - Ellen G. White, Evangelism, pp. 234, 235.

Revelation 13:18 (NKJV) says: “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666”. Who is this man? Paul describes him as “the man of sin” (2 Thess. 2:3). This designation points to the papal power symbolized by the sea beast, whose blasphemous name on its heads points to the divine title it claims for itself, supposedly standing in the place of the Son of God on earth.

Friday ↥        March 1

Further Thought: Revelation shows that the Sabbath will be a sign of obedience at the end of history. We have to remember, however, that a person’s observance of Sunday now does not itself mean that he or she has the mark of the beast. Sunday keeping will become “the mark of the beast” only when, having clearly understood the issues involved in choosing a day of worship, despite the deceptions out there, people make their choice either for or against God. However, that time still lies in the future.

“No one has yet received the mark of the beast. The testing time has not yet come. There are true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion. None are condemned until they have had the light and have seen the obligation of the fourth commandment. But when the decree shall go forth enforcing the counterfeit sabbath, and the loud cry of the third angel shall warn men against the worship of the beast and his image, the line will be clearly drawn between the false and the true. Then those who still continue in transgression will receive the mark of the beast”. - Ellen G. White, Evangelism, pp. 234, 235.

Let us remember that Sunday observance today does not make a person lost any more than Sabbath observance makes a person saved. The time is coming, however, when “the mark of the beast” will become the central issue and when choosing a day of worship will be the test of faithfulness. Revelation appeals to God’s people to take the Bible and, with a heart-searching spirit, study the prophetic word for themselves and make every effort to reach with the gospel those who are today unreached for Christ.

Discussion Questions:

Inside Story~ 

Solomon and a Cow

By Andrew McChesney

Mordecai Msimanga turned to God and became a missionary to his fellow Zimbabweans after accidentally hearing a sermon from the Song of Solomon.

As a young man, Mordecai was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Rhodesia in 1963 and moved to the country’s second-largest city, Bulawayo, to find work. He stopped praying and reading the Bible.

“I became a stubborn person who ran away from the church for 22 years”, he said.

During those years, he became a soldier and fought in Zimbabwe’s war for independence. After independence in 1980, he lived for himself and refused to consider God.

One day, he decided to buy a cow. The seller, however, was attending an Adventist camp meeting, so Mordecai went to look for him. Arriving at the camp meeting field, he learned that the seller had left for a short time, so he sat down on the ground to wait.

The preacher was reading from the Song of Solomon, and the words cut Mordecai to the heart.

“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes”, the preacher read from Song of Solomon 2:15 (KJV).

He said the foxes were gobbling up the Israelites’ crops and God was permitting this because the Israelites were stubbornly refusing to repent and obey Him.

As Mordecai listened, he realized that he also faced destruction if he stubbornly refused to repent and obey God.

“I was the same as the Israelites who ran away from God”, he said.

He remembered the many times that God had protected him in the past. He had gone to war and returned without a single injury. His sins seemed enormous. Mordecai began to sob. He couldn’t contain his grief as the tears rolled down his cheeks, and his weeping turned into loud cries of anguish.

“I understood that I was a sinner in front of my God”, he said later.

Mordecai stood up and, crying loudly, walked up to the stage. The preacher halted his sermon and immediately made an altar call. Dozens of people, touched by the tears of the hardened military veteran, came forward to give their hearts to Jesus.

Mordecai, 68, has worked since 2006 as a Global Mission pioneer, a missionary who spreads the gospel among his own people in unreached areas. He has cast out evil spirits and converted an entire church of 16 people, including the pastor.

Mordecai praised God that his plan to buy a cow collapsed.

“The Spirit of God led me to sit and listen, and I thank God for that”, he said.

Read more at the link: bit.ly/mordecai-zimbabwe

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.  email: info@adventistmission.org  website: www.adventistmission.org

All Rights Reserved. No part of the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide may be edited, altered, modified, adapted, translated, reproduced, or published by any person or entity without prior written authorization from the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

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