1 Timothy 4:1, commentary and pictures

The Spirit gives plain advance warning that in the last days some will turn away from the faith by listening to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons. Those last days are the present closing time of earth's history just before the Lord comes, when the falling away grows stronger until He descends. The turning comes from within among those who once had light and privilege, even leaders in trusted positions, whose faith rested on men rather than on Christ. Its core is modern spiritualism with fallen angels impersonating the dead to undermine Scripture, set aside God's law, and deny Christ's divinity, joined by pantheistic ideas of God in nature, false science, and popery. It attacks the foundation truths of Christ as the only-begotten Son one with the Father, the personality of God and of Christ, the heavenly sanctuary, and the Sabbath, while safety is to test every claim by the written Scriptures and hold fast the old landmarks firm to the end.

Express Prophecy for Latter Times

The Spirit speaks expressly, foretelling plainly and beforehand that in the latter times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. The warning describes dangers that will confront the church in the last days, and it is given for the benefit of those who will be living when those dangers arise. It is fulfilled when even men who have diligently studied the Bible depart in this way, and it is strange that such students are blinded so that they cannot discern the fulfillment, since their own experience should have taught them to recognize the after-workings of those who have departed. Those who have been convicted of the truth but resist the Holy Spirit cooperate with Satan and are blinded into this apostasy. That time of apostasy comes through every conceivable effort to throw doubt upon positions held for over half a century.

The latter times are the present last days, this particular time near the close of earth's history before the Lord's coming. They are days when fear and love of God have nearly left the world, and wickedness and religious deception increase rather than the whole world being converted before Christ comes. Departing from the faith means accepting spiritualistic sentiments and supposedly excellent theories such as those in Living Temple, becoming leavened with infidelity and specious heresy. It means turning from the grand foundation truths of the Bible including the sanctuary question and a personal God, and counting the testimonies of warning and reproof given for half a century as the unreliable product of a human mind rather than of divine origin. Giving heed means listening to influences exerted and reports circulated by leading men in the medical work at Battle Creek and yielding to the seducing influences Satan is exerting there. Those who do so are taken captive as poor souls easily deceived, are led astray into a very dangerous place, make the work hard and bring discouragement upon ministers, and unless changed will be swayed into accord with the wonderful miracle-working power to be seen in these last days. From this time on Satan will bring in deceptive influences of every kind, exercising his power through believers who have not kept the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. The warning therefore calls parents to keep children away from Battle Creek and to call them away without delay where this influence prevails, and calls for prayer, watching unto prayer, reconversion, constantly increasing knowledge of God, and true workers as true as steel to principle who are not fashioned after a worldly mold.

The departure will increase as the end draws near, and the apostasy will develop, grow stronger, and continue until the Lord descends from heaven. This increasing departure is seen in confederacies that form opposing parties of professed believers and promote delusive theories against the truth. Confederacies will grow in number and power, creating influences opposed to the truth and forming new parties of professed believers who act out their own delusive theories. Those who begin this self-started warfare will come more and more to practice the works of Satan. As this departure increases, believers need the Holy Spirit's power to confirm the truth and must hold fast to the foundational principles of their faith.

The warning was written beforehand so that workers laboring to save perishing souls will recognize the trial when it comes and will not be surprised or discouraged. Christ gave it beforehand so His people would know that the Lord understands their experience and be comforted that He will not leave them to the enemy's will. Its coming to pass in the turning away from truth and the strange doctrines presented in Battle Creek, and in doctrines that lead to dissension and strife, unsettle faith, confuse minds, and lead souls away from the true faith, greatly dishonoring the Lord, is therefore no cause for surprise because the Word declared beforehand what will be. This falling away gives no reason to lose confidence in God; trust stays unshaken with a clear mind and a heart fixed on God, thankful for His peace and grace, looking to His soon coming to rescue His faithful people. The departure includes the most depraved who are drawn through rescue work but lack moral courage to war against appetite and passion, and also those in the ministry who have had light and knowledge of the truth but will not be overcomers, will not restrict appetite and passions, and will not deny themselves for Christ's sake. Many with great opportunities and great light will thus walk in darkness and lose the kingdom, while poor outcasts, even publicans and sinners who grasp the hope set before them in the gospel, will go into the kingdom before them.

The departure involves speaking lies in hypocrisy, with conscience seared as with a hot iron. The seared conscience is marred by sin like a convict branded and defaced by a hot iron. It is fulfilled when those once convicted of the truth resist the Holy Spirit and walk and work in partnership with Satan the first apostate, blinded by his sophistry and joining his ranks. It is fulfilled when professed believers reject the infallible standard that will judge them and steadfastly set themselves against His commandments while exalting the precepts of men, turning away from a plain Thus saith the Lord into superstitious faith in every kind of apostasy. That departure places them in the final struggle on the side of the apostate power that deceives all who dwell on the earth. Before the last developments there will be a confusion of faith with no clear and definite ideas concerning the mystery of God, and one truth after another will be corrupted until spiritual discernment is lost. Those who depart proclaim their own righteousness and exalt themselves to gain confidence and to draw to their side those who have not received the love of the truth, while the authority of God is scarcely recognized and the world must be enlightened.

Those Who Depart Described

The falling away foretold for the latter times comes from within, among those who claim to believe and practice the Bible, not only among its open enemies. It is a turning away from the doctrines of the Bible, even from the faith held sacred for the past fifty years. Those who leave esteem themselves as the very pillars of truth while they spread the impression that the work committed for this time will quickly come to an end. The greatest trials come from those who once stood for the truth but turn from it to the world and trample it with hatred and mockery. Their departure cannot overthrow the work, for God sustains it, His foundation stands sure, He reads hearts and knows those who are His, and He will still have a peculiar people true to His law who glorify His name and reprove unrighteousness.

In times of real peril some who have had great light and privileges but have not loved and received the truth will yield to temptation, be deceived by the enemy, and heed seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. The warning is applied to those who promote erroneous positions that create confusion and divert others from the truth. Faithful servants must answer attack with the truth of the Word, expose falsehood and show its real character, let the light of the law shine into moral darkness, present the claims of the Word as a solemn duty that cannot be neglected, and defend the truth and not self while bearing reproach without self-pity and with jealous care for the law.

Even those holding positions of trust and responsibility will depart, including ministers, physicians, teachers, conference leaders, and others with light and knowledge of the truth. Claims of learning do not protect from deception or departure. Old and gray-headed teachers who once taught and upheld the truths of the Bible turn from its grand truths and accept infidel sentiments, pulling down its bulwarks, with denial of a personal God as the next step, and spreading a leavening influence of specious heresy and infidelity that makes it necessary to keep children away from its center. Fallen angels deceive those who have received great light, including ministers and other leaders, and spiritualistic deceptions including the appearance of the dead lead some to reject warnings and speak evil of the truth.

The departure includes both the most depraved drawn through rescue work who lack moral courage to war against appetite and passion, and those in the ministry who will not be overcomers because they will not restrict appetite and passions nor deny themselves for Christ's sake. Such failures in the ministry bring disappointing results like Judas in Christ's day and great sorrow requiring correction of errors, yet the ministry retains its sacred, holy character and must not be belittled or ignored because of them. Many with great opportunities and great light will walk in darkness and lose the kingdom, while poor outcasts, even publicans and sinners who grasp the hope set before them in the gospel, will enter before them.

Those who depart are people who once had great light, knowledge of the truth, and precious privileges but were not sanctified by it, not thoroughly converted, and bore no fruit. Knowledge without sanctification does not protect them from developing corrupt characters but can make their harm greater, leading them to join apostates and betray sacred trusts. Some who appear to be sound Christians will abandon the faith when persecution comes and when God's law is made void, showing that they were not living branches of Christ, and more than expected will heed these influences amid severe trial. As trials thicken, the furnace reveals weakness and strength, and those who had great light but did not improve it will give heed to seducing spirits, depart from the faith, and go out from among God's people unless a deeper religious experience is gained.

Self-sufficient members who feel no special need to guard the avenues of the soul and do not heed warnings will most surely be drawn away from principles of truth to dishonor the faith. Giving heed means pleading for indulgence of appetite, enjoying things which animalize the nature, not knowing what it means to be meek and lowly in heart, taking no delight in contemplating the character of the Saviour, and becoming corrupt in thought and action under rebuke, crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting Him to open shame. When they do not receive the love of the truth they are deceived by the enemy and leave under one pretext or another, bringing separation within the ranks as trials test the people.

Departure is shown when men and women are converted to men but not to Jesus Christ, without solid foundation and without truth in the inner sanctuary of the soul. Their faith rests only on ministers rather than on Christ, so that when the ministers who preached to them depart from the faith, those whose faith was no higher go where their ministers go, leave their Redeemer, and deny the truth. Looking to people instead of Christ leaves a person among those who turn away and follow deceptive teachings of satanic origin. Those who hold to human teachers instead of God's Word pursue the course of those who abandon the faith, and after warning further reasoning cannot help them.

This leaving also comes from seeds sown by ministers who are themselves injured and unconverted, bearing evil fruit in the European field, and one who does this work is not fitted to act any part in the ministry of the Word unless converted, a work joined with decided transgression of the seventh commandment. By contrast, those who hold fast the beginning of confidence firm to the end will be overcomers and shall have the crown of life.

The departure reveals the quality of faith and makes manifest that those who leave were not truly of the faithful company. As with the disciples who left Jesus because they could not accept or understand His teaching and would not receive and live by His words which are spirit and life, so some who have followed Christ turn away when tested by spiritual truth. Those who depart were once real Christians who knew the right way, for they could not have forsaken it had they known nothing about it. Having knowledge of the truth while not sanctified by it, they work out wrong characters and do more harm because of that knowledge, and having forsaken the right way they come under Satan's jurisdiction to be used as his instruments against the truth as it is in Jesus, confederating with apostates and betraying sacred trusts while he exercises his masterly power to make them lose the crown of life which it is their privilege to obtain.

Seducing Spirits and Doctrines Identified

Modern spiritualism is the central fulfillment of the warning that in the latter times some will turn from the faith by listening to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Fallen angels do this work by impersonating the dead, bringing the appearance of departed friends and relatives before the living with marvelous distinctness of familiar look, words, tone, actions and details of life. They comfort the bereaved with assurance that their loved ones enjoy the bliss of heaven, so that comfort is accepted without suspicion of danger. They gain trust through apparent comfort, true statements, cautions and warnings that prove correct, and accurate predictions of future events. The dead themselves know nothing and do not return to communicate, and as Satan used a serpent to deceive Eve so he uses the appearance of departed friends to deceive before Christ's second advent, with rejection of truth and neglect of God's word leaving people vulnerable. God's people must therefore meet these claims and miracles with the biblical truth that the dead know nothing, and must not give these spirits greater authority than God's word.

Once the belief that the dead return to communicate is accepted, Satan causes even those who died unprepared to appear happy in heaven and occupying exalted positions there, teaching that no difference is made between the righteous and the wicked. Having won confidence by stating some truths and foretelling events, the pretended visitors then use that appearance of reliability to undermine faith in the Scriptures, set aside the law of God, despise the Spirit of grace and count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing. They deny the divinity of Christ and place even the Creator on a level with themselves. In this they continue under a new disguise the rebellion against God begun in heaven and continued on earth for nearly six thousand years, the warfare against God begun in heaven.

Pantheistic and spiritualistic theories about God are also giving heed to seducing spirits, and false theories including pantheism show the danger to some wavering in medical missionary work. To teach that denies God is a personal being is departure from the faith and acceptance of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. In the last days a strain of spiritualism comes in among God's people accepting spiritualistic theories that God is in nature, in a leaf or in a tree, instead of a positive, personal God who sits upon His throne in heaven, who made the world by His own hands, and who rewards those who diligently seek Him. These errors are presented in a pleasing and flattering manner and as scientific insight received with enthusiasm, while evil angels deceive the speaker, and the enemy uses them to turn minds away from the work of preparing a people to stand in the last days. Receiving such spiritualistic ideas brings a person close to shipwrecking faith, and recovery from that shock can be especially difficult and leave a lasting wound. God's people must therefore remain on the true foundation and hold firmly to the banner of God's commandments and the faith of Jesus rather than give place to the enemy.

A false science falsely so called is another form of the same departure, when in the latter times, at this present time, some unite with seducing spirits by accepting erroneous conclusions and propounding new theories that lead away from truth. Satan, clothed as an angel of light, presents subjects for study that seem very interesting and full of scientific mystery, and men of learning in their research become enthused with theories of satanic origin, as illustrated by the book Living Temple. Ministers, teachers, and editors interweave these false sentiments into arguments, discourses, and publications while believing they are the same in principle as the teachings of the Spirit of truth, and again and again this influence will have to be met in men studying sciences of satanic origin. This coming false science seeks through human agents to make God and Jesus Christ of no account and to make void God's law, supported by great miracles performed before people, and claims of learning do not protect from deception or departure. It makes people leave the faith when scientific research becomes guide instead of the Word of God, for human knowledge of material and spiritual things is partial and imperfect, yet many treat mere theories and speculations as scientific facts and test Scripture by what is called science falsely. Because they cannot explain the Creator and His works by natural laws they doubt the records of the Old and New Testaments, then doubt the existence of God and give infinite power to nature, losing their anchor and ending in infidelity, trying to be wiser than the Creator and searching out mysteries God will never reveal instead of searching what He has made known and thereby seeing the glory, majesty, and power of Jehovah and their own littleness and being content with what is revealed for themselves and their children. Against these false teachings people must hold to salvation in Jesus Christ and remain in living, active faith in Him and the Holy Spirit.

Popery is the foretold latter-time apostasy that turns people from the faith by promoting false religious teaching. The Romish Church is that foretold apostasy, now presenting a fair front to the world, covering her record of horrible cruelties with apologies and clothing herself in Christ-like garments, but she is unchanged. Every principle of popery that existed in ages past exists today, and the doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held, with the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High, and a power whose record for a thousand years is written in the blood of the saints is not to be acknowledged as part of the church of Christ. It is her policy to assume whatever character will best accomplish her purpose, changing outward appearance to suit her aims like a chameleon, but beneath the variable appearance she conceals the invariable venom of the serpent, declaring that faith and promises to heretics need not be kept.

The departure also comes in this degenerate age through every species of sophistry that bewilders, with error glossed over and mingled with truth so that those not familiar with the distinctions the Scriptures make between the traditions of men and the word of God cannot distinguish truth from error. These sophistries replace the pure gospel of Jesus Christ among God's people, with nonessential disputes and questions brought in by those who do not obey the truth and therefore fall short of loving God above all and neighbors as themselves. Protestants accepting the spurious Sabbath, the child of the papacy, and exalting it above God's holy sanctified day instead of following the word of God is an example of this departure. It means holding the opinions of conceited philosophers above the truth of the Bible, disbelieving the very truths of God's word because human judgment cannot comprehend the mysteries of His work, and counting the faith of Paul, Peter, and John as old-fashioned, absurd, mystical, and unworthy of an intelligent mind. Those who do this are wise above what is written and become as Hazael, a scourge to God's people, and this unbelief is found in every district and in all ranks, taught in most schools and coming into lessons of nurseries, with thousands who profess to be Christians giving heed to lying spirits, so that everywhere the spirit of darkness in the garb of religion confronts God's people. Against this, truth rather than fiction and falsehood must be taught, with schools of their own to supplement home training and counteract those who do not follow the word of God, maintaining simplicity of dress, diet, and amusement and an atmosphere not deleterious to the moral nature, and educating children and households line upon line, precept upon precept to keep the way of the Lord and stand firmly for truth and righteousness.

Truths Attacked and Denied

The departure strikes first at Christ, denying His preexistence and therefore His divinity and refusing Him as a personal Saviour, which is a total denial of Christ. He was the only-begotten Son of God, one with the Father from the beginning, by whom the worlds were made, and to deny His miraculous incarnation is to turn from other truths of heavenly origin and accept fables of Satan's invention. Before the last developments of apostasy there will be a confusion of faith with no clear and definite ideas concerning the mystery of God, and one truth after another will be corrupted until spiritual discernment is lost and what Satan impresses on the mind is practiced. The conscience becomes seared as with a hot iron, marred by sin like a convict branded and defaced, while those who depart proclaim their own righteousness and exalt themselves to gain confidence and to draw to their side those who have not received the love of the truth.

Teaching which denies that God is a personal being and denies the personality of Christ is departure from the faith and acceptance of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. That denial pulls down the bulwarks of the faith plainly revealed in the Scriptures and brings a leavening influence of specious heresy and infidelity, fulfilled in Battle Creek through people drawn into heresies, deception, flattery, and rejection of light among ministers and medical missionary workers, even old grey-headed ministers who once believed and taught the foundation truths that made Seventh-day Adventists what they are. These deceptive teachings prepare people to accept Satan's miracles and to be swayed into accord with the wonderful miracle-working power to be seen in these last days. The departure includes rejecting fifty years of testimonies of warning and reproof as merely human and not divine, which leaves no dependence to be placed on the words and works of Christ and the whole Christian religion, and it comes because Satan has come down with great power to work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.

Departing from the faith means turning from the grand foundation truths of the Bible, especially the sanctuary question which is the foundation of faith, including its ministration in the heavenly sanctuary. It accepts spiritualistic sentiments and supposedly excellent theories such as those in Living Temple, becoming leavened with infidelity and specious heresy, and helps to confuse the understanding of others about the sanctuary by writings on the sanctuary question. The denial that there is a sanctuary is identified as one such departure, and those guided by the Holy Spirit turn away from such seducing spirits. Giving heed means listening to the influences exerted and reports circulated by leading men in the medical work at Battle Creek and yielding to the seducing influences Satan is exerting there, by which poor souls easily deceived are taken captive, led astray into a very dangerous place, make the work hard and bring discouragement upon ministers.

It sets aside God's law and always ends in abandoning saving truth, the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. In this degenerate age error is glossed over and mingled with truth so that those not familiar with the distinctions the Scriptures make between the traditions of men and the word of God cannot distinguish truth from error, and Protestants accept the spurious Sabbath, the child of the papacy, and exalt it above God's holy sanctified day instead of following the word of God. When the law of God is made void and the church is sifted by fiery trials that try all who dwell on the earth, in that perilous period when the world chooses between the holy Sabbath of the fourth commandment and the spurious sabbath and universal contempt is placed on the law of God, a great proportion of those supposed to be genuine Christians will give heed to seducing spirits. They will depart from the faith once delivered to the saints, turn traitors, betray sacred trusts, and prove the very worst persecutors of the loyal, and those who waver now and follow such apostates will be found with those who set aside the law of God when a decree goes out requiring everyone to worship the beast and his image, unless they repent and stand firmly on the faith once given to the saints by daily building right principles and stating without wavering their trust in the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus even while the religious world treats God's law as void. Some who appear to be sound Christians will abandon the faith when persecution comes, showing that they were not living branches of Christ and bore no fruit, and meeting such departure is needed and works for the good of all who love God and keep His commandments.

The time of apostasy is now here, and it comes through every conceivable effort to throw doubt upon the positions held for over half a century. Departing from the faith in the latter times means turning away from the faith held sacred for the past fifty years, attempting to move a pin or foundation stone from the structure of truth substantiated by the manifest working of God and to undermine the pillars of faith. The wily foe brings specious arguments to take the place of truth in minds, with assertions having no foundation in truth and words of Scripture interwoven with error to confuse, and those who depart take the Word they once used to confirm faith and now use it to uphold a false position and unsettle minds about light clearly given, especially the firmly established truths of the third angel's message where not one pin or pillar is to be moved, doing this to their own destruction while some accept and repeat the false teachings of those who have departed, whose arguments are forbidden to be repeated. Departing also means counting the testimonies of warning and reproof given for half a century as unreliable product of a human mind rather than divine origin, under the test of miracle-working deception aimed to deceive even the elect, requiring all to wake up and qualify themselves for that trial, to keep students from the influence of any physician who does not stand by the old landmarks, and to refuse entrapment by flooding spiritualistic theories and the seducing power of satanic agencies that unsettle faith in testimonies tested for half a century.

It holds the opinions of conceited philosophers above the truth of the Bible, disbelieving the very truths of God's word because human judgment cannot comprehend the mysteries of His work, and counting the faith of Paul, Peter, and John as old-fashioned, absurd, mystical, and unworthy of an intelligent mind. Those who do this are wise above what is written and become as Hazael, a scourge to God's people. People leave the faith when scientific research becomes their guide instead of the Word of God, for human knowledge of material and spiritual things is partial and imperfect, yet many treat mere theories and speculations as scientific facts and test Scripture by what is called science falsely. Because they cannot explain the Creator and His works by natural laws, they doubt the records of the Old and New Testaments, then doubt the existence of God and give infinite power to nature, losing their anchor and ending in infidelity, trying to be wiser than the Creator and searching out mysteries God will never reveal through eternal ages instead of searching what God has made known of Himself and His purposes and thereby seeing the glory, majesty, and power of Jehovah and their own littleness and being content with what is revealed for themselves and their children. Departing from the faith means infidelity and apostasy, pretended illumination that is blind presumption, opposition to the plain word of God, and idolatrous exaltation of mere human reason above the revealed wisdom of God, with unbelief found in every district and in all ranks of society, taught in most schools and universities, colleges, high schools, common schools and nurseries and coming into the lessons of nurseries, with thousands who profess to be Christians giving heed to lying spirits, so that everywhere the spirit of darkness in the garb of religion confronts God's people and the seeker after truth.

How Apostasy Develops

The departure begins with those once convicted of truth who resist the Holy Spirit and reject reproof and light, and by that resistance they walk in partnership with Satan the first apostate, are blinded by his sophistry, and join his ranks. Persisting in strife, opposition, and their own false reasoning despite abundant light and evidence, they disregard warnings and cling to deception as in the first great apostasy in the heavenly courts. Turning from the plain word and the infallible standard that will judge them, they set themselves against the commandments while exalting human precepts, becoming open to superstitious belief in every kind of apostasy. Even those who had great light can be deluded when they reject love of truth and take pleasure in unrighteousness, taken over by fraud and underhand dealing without recognizing what spirit influences them, mistaking outward godliness and worldly conduct for genuine spiritual life. That course places them in the final struggle on the side of the apostate power that deceives earth's dwellers, leading into persecuting iniquity pictured as drunkenness with the blood of the saints.

Before the final development there is confusion of faith with no clear and definite ideas concerning the mystery of God, and one truth after another is corrupted until spiritual discernment is lost. The corruption centers on Christ, denying His preexistence and therefore His divinity as the only-begotten Son one with the Father from the beginning by whom the worlds were made, and denying His miraculous incarnation and need of Him as personal Saviour, which is total denial of Christ. Turning from truths of heavenly origin to accept fables of Satan's invention, they lose spiritual discernment and practice what Satan impresses on the mind. The seared conscience is marred and branded by sin like a convict defaced by a hot iron, while those who depart proclaim their own righteousness and exalt themselves to gain confidence and draw to their side those who have not received love of the truth. The same loss appears in trusted, paid guardians who place more confidence in their own judgment than in the message given, deceiving and continuing to be deceived through selfish ambitious projects and specious unbelief, spoiling the flock and leaving many unable to distinguish righteousness and truth from falsehood and error, until unless they repent evil angels become their teachers.

At first they do not believe what they assume, having turned ears from truth and opened the heart's door to Satan's sophistries. As they misinterpret Scripture, claim new light, enter by-paths, and repeat their own falsehoods, they come to treat their theories as important matters. By presenting arguments prepared by the synagogue of Satan, every repetition confirms them in false theories, until inspired by satanic agencies to present falsehood to others they finally come to believe a lie, deceiving and being deceived.

Satan and his angels will appear on earth as men and mingle among people, working through human agents with all power and signs and lying wonders. Those agents, though bought by Christ's life-blood, surrender to Satan's control, become blind, and forget they were cleansed from sins. The misleading work includes a coming false science seeking to make God and Christ of no account and to make void God's law, promoted through human agents and accompanied by great miracles performed before people. Hypnotism is one means used by those departed from faith through whom the enemy works to lead others astray. Trials come upon the true church when its own members follow these misleading spirits, even to Satan appearing as Christ declaring himself the Son of God while competing voices say Christ is here or there, against which each person must know individually that Christ abides with him and save him by righteousness through living faith with full vitality rather than remaining a dead church with which Christ cannot cooperate.

The way is prepared by failure to overcome appetite and passion, indulgence, licentiousness and spiritual free-love under a cloak of sanctification as in fanaticism soon after 1844, fraud and underhand dealing, pride, self-exaltation, envy, ambition, love of display, and seeking honor. The danger appears in different ways, including thoughts of being undervalued or not given proper honor, calling for readiness to resist Satan's influence and serve God humbly rather than seeking recognition or fearing others will advance ahead. It applies even to those with light and knowledge of truth in the ministry who will not be overcomers, will not restrict appetite and passions, and will not deny themselves for Christ's sake, as well as to the most depraved drawn through rescue work who lack moral courage to war against appetite and passion. Ambition, unchristian alliances with worldly people, love of display, rejection of God's counsel, and support of a self-exalting leader's influence draw souls from uprightness and lead others astray, and the church is called to recognize such influence and give it no honor or support. The warning was written so workers laboring to save perishing souls will not be discouraged when those helped backslide, and it shows many with great opportunities and great light walking in darkness and losing the kingdom while poor outcasts, even publicans and sinners grasping gospel hope, enter before them.

It grows through placing confidence in men rather than the true and living God, looking to and trusting human leaders who themselves practice evil even after great light and after men who ought to stand firm as rock to principle. Following human leaders in pursuit of worldly policy and following any person to carry out the world's policy places people under the enemy's influence, in a snare from which they cannot escape unless the Lord intervenes, leading them far from God and to great lengths in departing. This snare brings wrong sentiments and wrong philosophy through satanic ingenuity, causing confusion and division and building up what God specified should not be built, repeating Israel's apostasy with the golden calf under Aaron with modern Aarons saying These be thy gods, drawing souls into Satan's net when every soul should be sealing the law among disciples. Safety is to look away from deceived men laboring under deception, look to God for light, be instructed by Christ, and work under the Holy Spirit's guidance, rather than giving trust to one long in error who claims to be misunderstood. Rebellion and disorder among those joining in religious work can lead eventually to attention to deceptive spirits and loss of the soul, like loyal angels in heaven who thought they must sympathize with the great deceiver as if wronged when he was the foundation of all rebellion.

Opening the heart to unbelief gives Satan entry to possess the soul, and the rapid change in character and countenance shows whom they have chosen to lead them. The departure appears in those who say the Sabbath does not amount to much and makes no difference whether kept, while claiming to preach sanctification. It begins with criticism of brethren in the ministry, suspicion of the gifts God set in the church, and always finding spot and stain, then moves to manufacturing webs of falsehood, abusing confidence, destroying reputations of truest friends, and spreading falsehoods and reproach, which is service under Satan's banner against unity. Truth given to believers is meant to strengthen against that departure, but those once firm for truth depart when they reject the Lord's word and cast aside clearly given light, and further messages can only confirm truth already presented.

The decline resembles the apostasy of the first centuries, a state of religious declension before the Lord's coming when some turn from faith to follow deceptive spirits and devil-inspired teachings. That apostasy prepares the way for the image to the beast, just as early church apostasy in seeking aid of civil government prepared the way for the papacy, the beast. It belongs to a time of ungodliness when Satan works with all power and signs and lying wonders, and those who received not love of the truth are left to accept strong delusion to believe a lie. When this state is reached the same results will follow as in the first centuries.

Present Fulfillment Named

The foretold departure is not future but present, for the time of apostasy is now here. It comes through every conceivable effort to throw doubt upon positions held for over half a century and to cast doubt on long-held light by refusing light and giving way to unbelief. As the end draws near the apostasy increases, seen in confederacies growing in number and power that create influences opposed to the truth and form new parties of professed believers who act out their own delusive theories. Those who thus depart start a warfare at their own charges and come more and more to practice the works of Satan, even appearing to perform miracles as they follow deceptive spirits and teachings. That present departure is proved by the record of counsels given over thirty years and the responses to them, so that publishing those letters of instruction and replies can save souls from wrecking their faith.

Its fulfillment centers at Battle Creek in the medical work, where giving heed means listening to the influences exerted and reports circulated by leading men there and yielding to the seducing influences Satan is exerting there. Departing means accepting spiritualistic sentiments and supposedly excellent theories such as those in Living Temple, becoming leavened with infidelity and specious heresy, and becoming confused over its beautiful theories while rejecting the warnings of God's Spirit. It means turning from the grand foundation truths of the Bible including the sanctuary question and a personal God, being drawn into heresies about the personality of Christ and God through deception, flattery and rejection of light, and counting the testimonies of warning and reproof given for half a century as unreliable product of a human mind rather than divine origin. Some in the medical missionary work who have been wavering give up the faith in this way, and as poor souls easily deceived they are taken captive, led astray into a very dangerous place, made instruments through whom the power of the enemy works to lead others astray and draw souls away from Christ, making the work hard and bringing discouragement upon ministers. Unless changed they will be swayed into accord with the wonderful miracle-working power to be seen in these last days, for the seducing spirits and doctrines of devils include hypnotism used by those who have departed.

Satan, clothed as an angel of light, presents subjects for study that seem very interesting and full of scientific mystery, and men of learning in their research become enthused with theories of satanic origin through which he works to make a nonentity of God and of Christ. The danger is that ministers, teachers, and editors interweave these false sentiments into their arguments, discourses, and publications while believing they are the same in principle as the teachings of the Spirit of truth, and again and again this influence will have to be met in men studying sciences of satanic origin. The perils of the last days are upon us, so the faithful must draw near to God that He may draw near to them, trust Him to keep what is committed to Him, bear a plain pointed testimony against the deception, refuse to link up with those who have departed, and beware, with parents called to keep children away from Battle Creek and to call them away without delay where this influence prevails.

The warning is applied by name to A. T. Jones, Dr. Kellogg, and Elder Tenney, who are described as working under the same leadership and opposing the truth and God's work. Men in Battle Creek including A. T. Jones and others have departed from the faith and given heed to seducing spirits, and Jones's years of spiritual decline and changed experience are presented as the example, with heavenly angels regarding him as departing from the faith and appearing in harmony with evil angels. Dr. Kellogg is said to have heeded seducing spirits and therefore cannot be acknowledged as a safe teacher for God's people, with the departure seen in teachings connected with John Kellogg. Seeking wisdom from them instead of from God, by going to Battle Creek for counsel about writing and publishing books, brings positive danger of being taken in a snare of the enemy, of being led to depart from the faith to Satan's exultation, and of having the visit used in a way detrimental to influence. Safety from this departure lies in walking in humility and meekness, looking unto Jesus as the author and finisher of the faith of everyone who will enter the pearly gates of the city of God.

The same departure threatens Elder Prescott and Elder Daniells with becoming wrapped in delusion through attractive specious arguments different from genuine Bible truth and through trumpet-like advocacy of mistaken ideas of the Daily. Departing is giving heed to seducing spirits that appear as a very attractive personage presenting specious arguments and sentiments, with those hungering and thirsting for something new in great danger of weaving spiritualistic, beautiful sentiments into experience that would deceive, if possible, the very elect. Those affected claim great spiritual discernment and divine inspiration while seeing defects in their delusive ideas that place truth in uncertainty, confuse God's people, and sow skepticism, set unbelief, and strange crops of evil where Satan carries his messages, which is standing on the devil's side. Nothing is gained by pressing mistakes before those who have thus departed, so attention belongs instead to the unworked fields and the world-wide work, talking, praying, and believing every word of the truth as it is in Jesus in simplicity. If the errors are discerned God promises healing, but if they go on picking flaws in the messages God has given He will remove His Spirit from them.

This present danger is the alpha whose omega will be startling in nature, already before them and already working. The departure is already happening through persuasive, charming ideas that draw people away from the authority of God's word and through the science of the great deceiver, boasted of as years of studying science, which does for men just what it did for Satan in the heavenly courts. Christ is the sufficiency against it, for those who receive Him as a personal Saviour are rooted and built up in Him so they are not carried away, and they reveal honesty and integrity in all dealings with no robbery and no underhand dealing. The warning applies now under the test of miracle-working deception aimed to deceive even the elect, requiring all to wake up and qualify themselves for that trial, to keep students from the influence of any physician who does not stand by the old landmarks, and to refuse entrapment by flooding spiritualistic theories and the seducing power of satanic agencies that unsettle faith in testimonies tested for half a century. It is fulfilled in movements going forward in Battle Creek for years, where Satan's sophistries prove souls with stained purity and rebellious purpose, and where unsettling the faith of young men and women in the testimonies leaves them in mind and soul a prey to the seducing power.

Earlier fulfillments of the same warning were seen in fanaticism encountered soon after 1844, when some indulged unholy lusts under the cloak of sanctification and advocated spiritual free-love. The errors and strange doctrines that appeared around the establishment of the first sanitarium are presented as the same example, for they resembled errors that arose soon after the disappointment of 1844, including fanaticism that claimed to be the witness of the Holy Ghost.

In the latter times, in the time of trouble, some depart from the faith to give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils when Satan personates those who died and are claimed to have gone to heaven, speaking as heavenly messengers, with angels claimed to talk and walk with men. The doctrines of devils then claim to have the truth with miracles and great power and signs and wonders, claim the whole world is converted and in harmony with the Sunday law, and claim this is the temporal millennium long expected. They charge God's little, feeble, poor Sabbath-keeping people with taking an independent position and standing out against the laws of the land, demanding they concede to the customs, practices and laws of the world or go out of it, cutting off their resources so they cannot buy or sell, mocking their feebleness and smallness, and threatening to destroy them.

Call to Faithful Response

Against the foretold departure ministers are to preach the Word, and by putting the brethren in remembrance of these things they become good ministers of Jesus Christ, nourished by words of faith and good doctrine, because the latter times are this present time when some leave the faith by listening to misleading spirits and evil teachings while speaking lies in hypocrisy with deadened consciences. Handling and repeating erroneous spiritual theories itself leads away from the faith, so ministers and teachers are not to give those theories a platform, study them to confuse hearers, or enter controversy over them, but are to present, uphold and magnify sacred sanctifying truth. Workers must not be enticed by departed persons into controversy or into repeating their claims and heresies that would draw workers from firm loyalty to God's word, but must refuse the enticement, stand firmly for principles of the faith, and carry on the work with simplicity and meekness. Men who once ably defended the testimonies under inspiration yet changed to oppose them need to read their own earlier productions to see who changed, and those earlier affirmative arguments should be set before the people and given to all newly come to the faith.

Every claim is to be tested by the written Scriptures, for lightly regarding any truth puts the mind at risk of error, truths of Scripture must be studied carefully, and Scripture decides every question essential to salvation. This includes claims of guidance by the Holy Spirit, since believers will face seducing spirits that lead away from the faith and only the Word of God decides what is true. Those who humbly examine Scripture and obey the light received will not be left to deception by the enemy swayed by doctrines of devils. Spiritualism with its smooth fair words is such deception, denying Christ who bought with His blood, so its teachings must be tested by God's revealed will and refused fellowship. The Word is the guide for resisting seducing spirits and contending for the faith once delivered to the saints, shown by following Christ's example in purity of character in daily life and in speech and action that helps others find the right way. Safety is in listening as for life to what the Scriptures say, guarding against suggestions carrying Satan's deceptions, purifying the heart from selfishness, seeking the Pearl of great price, and receiving with meekness the planted word, for eternal welfare and salvation depend on hearing aright.

The warning calls believers to hold firmly to the faith and truth given them and to hold fast the beginning of confidence firm to the end, resisting sophistry that would draw them from its foundation, for deceptive spiritual influences and demonic teachings will arise within the church and increase. This departure can occur within the church and its institutions, and those who leave can be used to lead others astray, so teachings that undermine truth must be refused and believers must stand apart from those determined to abandon the faith, trusting God will keep what is committed to Him. Unity is bounded by this line: believers are to seek unity with one another in Christ but not unite with those abandoning the faith nor give heed to leaders drawing away from truth, while proclaiming the testing message with kind and sincere hearts and care for those being led astray.

Safety is to look away from men laboring under deception and to look to God for light, to be instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and to do the work under the Holy Spirit's guidance, rather than allowing a deceived person to lead off the highway prepared for God's redeemed. The danger is giving confidence and trust to one long in error who claims to be misunderstood and being led by him instead of by God, like the work in heaven when loyal angels thought they must show sympathy toward the great deceiver as if wronged, when in reality he was the foundation of all rebellion. Stormy times are coming when many abandon the faith by listening to deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, so believers must remain loyal to Christ, rely on the Lord for strength, and pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance amid Satan's efforts to deceive. The only hope in the trying scenes before Jesus soon comes is to look constantly to Jesus as Author and Finisher of faith, hiding life in Christ in God and remaining true and faithful to the end in order to gather around the great white throne. Those accepting spiritualism and fanciful charming theories that draw from faithful love need to return to first principles of truth, for humility and reconversion can free from Satan's snare and restore to God's family while holding confidence firm to the end and rejecting false teaching. That strain of spiritualism comes subtly in charming manner tempting even ministers, teachers and medical workers, including charming pictures of congenial women with suggestion of eternal love in the future life weaning affection from those they should love, and escape requires breaking the spell, becoming teachable, standing where there is no departure from the faith, and through humility and reconversion being adopted again into God's family standing free and sound. Watchfulness, self-control and purity keep deceptive spirits from gaining influence over people.

The peril is real because in the last days many who belonged to God's people will leave the faith and false prophets will deceive many, so believers need a personal informed grasp of truth and reasons for faith rather than dependence on sermons or ministers. Every soul claiming to believe must have intelligent individual knowledge of what is truth, understanding doctrines studied carefully and prayerfully, the rise and progress of the third angel's message, and the texts of Daniel and Revelation thoroughly, opening Scriptures text by text to find strong evidences sustaining fundamental doctrines upon the platform of eternal truth and the waymarks the Lord established to mark position in prophecy, because when men turn from those waymarks they go they know not whither, false prophets will arise, and everything that can be shaken will be shaken. A superficial faith produces a superficial experience where even those with light and truth quickly accept Satan's deceptions and are charmed with spurious holiness, leaving souls open to departure. Seducing spirits find favorable success where minds have been kept in long ignorance, trammeled and abused as bodies were under slavery, taught not to think or judge for themselves and fed perverted Scripture by corrupt teachers, a whole system originated by Satan who as tyrant oppresses whenever opportunity offers and ruins whenever he can, and where enslavement left many unable to read or judge, faithful teachers who present Scripture in purity bring light enabling people to search and understand truth.

The departure helps create the impression that God's work for this time will soon end, with those leaving turning from Bible doctrines yet esteeming themselves pillars of truth, but it cannot overthrow the work, for God sustains it, His foundation stands sure, His work goes on to fulfill sure prophecy, He reads hearts and knows those who are His and stand steadfast by faith loyal to Him and His law. Satan is at enmity with truth and works with all power and signs and lying wonders and deceivableness of unrighteousness to seduce souls, so there is constant conflict with no release until deliverance from this present evil world, and the whole armor of God must be put on in order to stand, for God will still have a peculiar people true to His law who glorify His name and reprove unrighteousness. The greatest trials come from people who once stood for truth but turn to the world and trample it with hatred and mockery, yet faithful servants must answer attacks with truth of His Word, expose falsehood and show its real character, let light of Jehovah's law shine into moral darkness, present claims of His Word as solemn duty that cannot be neglected, defending truth and not self and bearing reproach and misrepresentation without self-pity with jealous care for law of the Most High. In the latter times a rebellious world under Satan expresses sentiments, doctrines and counsels of demons, and masters of iniquity become strong and terrible in satanic passion against the scattered feeble company of the loyal, yet the just are freed from suffering by force or fraud as long as loyal and true, believing and standing in defense of truth and firmly defending laws of God, for strong is the Lord God who judges Babylon and a mightier than the strong man armed is set for defense, giving all power and greatness and excellence of character before the throne in the sunless splendors of eternal day.

This warning calls not for discouragement but for continued earnest effort and reliance on divine power, and God's people are to continue work and not let efforts to help and teach weaken. The danger is met by becoming thoroughly familiar with instruction that points out errors and dangers, establishes in truth, and helps discern and remain on the right path. Because Satan stirs many to depart, accounts of the cause's early experiences and warnings about dangers of present and future must be published. Since departure can confuse others and make the message sound uncertain, truth and its evidences must be repeated clearly and powerfully to strengthen people in assurance. Some who depart become lost in fog in Satan's snares yet some will still be recovered, angels wait for opportunities to cooperate in recovery, and believers must not cease laboring for them but give them truth of the Word and strong evidences of reasonableness of faith.