2 Thessalonians 2:3, commentary and pictures

Paul warned that the day of Christ shall not come except there come a falling away first and the man of sin, the son of perdition, be revealed. The falling away is the great apostasy that results in the establishment of the papal power, with the mystery of iniquity already working in Paul's day to prepare the way for the papacy. The man of sin is the papacy, the antichrist power energized and controlled by Satan, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, sitting in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. His exalting himself is thinking to change times and laws by removing the fourth commandment, the seventh-day Sabbath as God's memorial of creation, and substituting the first day, Sunday, in its place. He was to maintain supremacy for 1260 years ending in 1798, so Christ's coming could not take place before that time. He is revealed anew when light has come on the binding claims of God's law and a liberty-blessed nation enacts Sunday laws in place of the Ten Commandments, exalting the false sabbath where the seventh-day memorial should be.

Paul's Warning to Thessalonians

The day of Christ, the day of the Lord, will not come except there come a falling away first and the man of sin, the son of perdition, be revealed. That falling away is the great apostasy that results in the establishment of the papal power, also called the beast. The man of sin, also styled the mystery of iniquity and that wicked, is the papacy, the Romish power, papal Rome, foretold by Daniel, which was still to arise, wage war against God's people, trample on God's law, and carry out its deadly, blasphemous work before the church could look for the Lord's coming. Even in Paul's day the mystery of iniquity was already working, with errors creeping into the church that would prepare the way for the development of the papacy. That power was to maintain its supremacy for 1260 years, a period ending in 1798, so Christ's coming could not take place before that time, Paul's caution covers the whole Christian dispensation down to 1798, and only on this side of that time is the message of Christ's second coming and the nearness of the Judgment to be proclaimed.

Paul wrote to correct Thessalonians who were troubled and shaken by claims that the day of Christ was at hand or already at hand. Some even attributed those claims to Paul by special revelation, but that was not his message, and his warning guarded faith against confusion and against disappointment leading to unbelief. His teaching about Christ's coming did not excuse idleness, though error about its immediacy had led some to abandon ordinary work.

The command to let no man deceive by any means teaches last-day believers to test hopes about the advent by Scripture rather than by date-setting. Scripture reveals events that must take place first, so the Thessalonians had no basis for expecting Christ in their day, and the same test applies now. Expectations unsupported by Scripture lead to mistaken and misguided action, disappointment, ridicule, discouragement, and doubt of essential saving truths, and repeated date-setting weakens faith and fosters false security. Repeated setting of dates unsupported by Scripture serves the adversary by discrediting the true time movement of 1843 and 1844, and may lead people to choose a date so far in the future that they fall into false security.

The prophecy belongs to a figurative outline of historical events leading to the close of earth's history and must be applied carefully in its proper order. The working of the man of sin stands among the last features plainly revealed in earth's history at the close of a prophetic line fulfilled directly in historical events, applying to the present time of the third angel's message, and those who have passed over the prophetic ground with experimental knowledge in proclaiming the first, second, and third angels' messages are not so liable to be led into false paths about these closing fulfillments. Daniel and John interpret one another and make antichrist clear in the last days, while misapplied Scripture produces confusion rather than light. Misunderstanding antichrist can lead people to side with him against God in the final conflict between light and darkness, when worldly policy and false principles endanger true doctrine and piety and lead to respecting antichrist.

Great Falling Away

The falling away is the great apostasy that results in the establishment of the papal power, also called the beast. That day cannot come until this falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, and the papacy was to maintain its supremacy for 1260 years, a period that ended in 1798, so the coming of Christ could not take place before that time. The apostasy leads the church to seek civil power and prepares the way for the papacy, and in the same pattern later apostasy prepares the way for the image to the beast.

The mystery of iniquity was already working in Paul's day, with errors already beginning to creep into the church that would prepare the way for the development of the papacy. A restraining power delayed its full revelation until its appointed time. The apostasy developed gradually, as pagan customs and beliefs entered Christianity little by little, first in stealth and silence and then more openly as it increased in strength and gained control of minds. Fierce persecution under paganism restrained the spirit of compromise for a time, but as persecution ceased and Christianity gained favor at court and entered courts and palaces, the church laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ and His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers. In place of the requirements of God it substituted human theories and traditions, doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions. The nominal conversion of Constantine in the early part of the fourth century brought the world cloaked with a form of righteousness into the church, corruption rapidly progressed, and paganism while appearing vanquished became the conqueror, its spirit controlling the church with its doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions incorporated into faith and worship. The falling away began after the death of the apostles, as some departed from Christ's teaching and joined in heathen practices.

The early church's departure from the simplicity of the gospel led it to seek the aid of civil power, preparing the way for the papacy. In the same way apostasy in the church prepares the way for an image to the beast, and the religious decline before the Lord comes resembles the conditions of the early centuries. The apostasy was a period when the church did not enjoy the unity, knowledge, and perfection that spiritual gifts were meant to produce, including during its flight into the wilderness. The cessation of gifts, with the faith, hope, and charity of primitive Christians, was caused by the man of sin putting them away, not by God removing them.

The apostasy includes turning from the plain truths of God's word and from hearing the truth to fables and to teachers who present desired fables, with loss of spirituality. Multitudes accept fables prepared for them on every hand, while Satan wars against the remnant endeavoring to keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus, employing evil angels and human agents to hinder them, hide and cover the light, and cause distrust and disbelief of it. Those who turn from fables to feast upon unpopular truth are despised, hated, and persecuted by those presenting fables for reception. The foretold falling away in the last days includes people who have received great light and strong evidence of truth turning from it. This great apostasy develops, grows stronger, and continues until the Lord descends from heaven, and it cannot be prevented by human effort. The faithful are to hold fast to the faith already confirmed by the Holy Spirit and seek deeper, unwavering faith as people depart from the faith.

The falling away is seen in the Spirit of God being withdrawn from the world, from churches, and from nations. Those who had great light and opportunities and did not improve them will be first left because they have grieved away the Spirit of God. Satan's present working upon hearts and upon churches and nations is the activity of that falling away and should startle every student of prophecy because the end is near. Churches must arise and individual members must experience God's converting power in the heart, for Jesus died not only that sin might be removed by forgiveness but that human nature might be restored, rebeautified, reconstructed from its ruins, and made fit for the presence of God.

Man of Sin Revealed

The man of sin, also styled the son of perdition, the mystery of iniquity, and that wicked, is the papacy, the Romish power, papal Rome. The falling away is the great apostasy that results in the establishment of that power, with errors already working in Paul's day preparing the way for its development. Through the papacy Satan has manifested his character and brought out the principles of his government. That power was to maintain its supremacy for 1260 years, a period ending in 1798, so Christ's coming could not take place before that time and Paul's caution covers the whole Christian dispensation to 1798, with the message of Christ's second coming to be proclaimed on this side of that time. It was still to arise, wage war against God's people, trample on God's law, and complete its deadly, blasphemous work before the church could look for the Lord's coming.

The man of sin is the antichrist. The pope is antichrist, not Christ's vicar but the adversary of the Lord and the apostle of the devil, and the papal throne is Satan's throne. The prophecies of Daniel and John interpret one another and make antichrist clear in the last days, while misunderstanding him can lead people to side with him against God in the final conflict between light and darkness. The present wide departure from the doctrines and precepts of Scripture requires return to the great Protestant principle of the Bible and the Bible only as the rule of faith and duty, with the same unswerving adherence to the word of God shown by the protesters of Spires at the crisis of the Reformation as the only hope of reform today.

The man of sin is energized, instigated, and controlled by Satan, his delegate and vicegerent working at cross-purposes with God in continuation of the rebellion begun in heaven and working in the children of disobedience. Through him Satan displays his character and government, and his work was already beginning though the Lord will ultimately destroy him at His coming. He works through church authority combined with national authority, maintaining human customs and traditions in direct opposition to the religion of the Bible with erroneous religion and satanic zeal against those who take the Bible and the Bible alone and worship according to conscience, crippling consciences by being conscience for all men. Religious powers professing alliance to heaven and claiming the characteristics of a lamb show by their acts the heart of a dragon. Those who held that he is identified as Satan himself taught this because he perpetuated transgression by instituting Sunday observance in place of the seventh-day Sabbath, making the long-standing breach in God's law by replacing God's memorial of creation with a day He did not sanctify or bless.

The man of sin is revealed in the pope in person, worshiped in his person and in his representative the cardinal, claiming by Satan's inspiration to be Christ's vicegerent upon earth. He is revealed also in priests and rulers who interpose themselves between Christ and souls, placing themselves as God, sitting in the temple of God, taking God's prerogatives and the attributes of the Saviour including power to pardon sin, that he may carry out his own schemes. His rule is marked by deception and oppression, including torture and imprisonment of those who refuse idolatry or refuse to let conscience serve wicked purposes, with martyrs tortured and put to death by men instigated by Satan. His word is put in place of Thus saith the Lord, teaching men to pray to Mary and to dead apostles and saints who lie in graves until the coming of the Son of man and the trump of God, with masses for deliverance from purgatory and all altars, sacrifices, traditions, and inventions for earning salvation fallacious and of no value in God's sight. The case of every soul imprisoned and every human being tortured has been noted, and the Judge of all the earth will call those persecutors to account. This sitting in the seat of God, proclaiming himself to be God and acting above God, is Satan usurping the prerogatives of Jehovah, exercised when religious powers united with civil power enforce false worship and persecute those who refuse to trample God's commandments.

The man of sin is the little horn of Daniel 7 and the beast foretold by Daniel, whose development that prophecy describes. The papacy is the foretold apostasy of the latter times. It is unchanged from the power that ruled in the days of the Reformation, still holding doctrines devised in the darkest ages, with the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded over kings and princes and claimed the prerogatives of God, and the same cruel and despotic spirit that crushed human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High. None should be deceived by her present fair front, apologies covering horrible cruelties, Christlike garments, and chameleon policy assuming whatever character best accomplishes her purpose while concealing invariable venom, and this power whose record for a thousand years is written in saints' blood must not be acknowledged as part of Christ's church. Its deceptive work continues until the second advent and the close of time.

The domination of the man of sin brought oppression of the church and suppression of Scripture, with terrible effects especially in France. That domination is associated with the period of papal supremacy dated from 538 to 1798, which the Reformation helped bring toward its end before it expired. Its warning is reflected in the use of excommunication, imprisonment, torture, and death to enforce submission.

Exalting Himself Above God

The man of sin opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped and above every object of worship, sitting in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. He takes to himself God's title, claims divine honor, aspires to a throne like God's, and is to be revealed by being exalted to take the place of God. He is the antichrist, a power energized by Satan, and his coming is with Satan's power, signs, lying wonders, and deception, while a restraining power delayed his full revelation until the appointed time though the mystery of iniquity was already at work. Those who reject the love of the truth and take pleasure in unrighteousness are deluded to believe a lie and are condemned, uniting with this power that makes void God's law and promotes a spurious Sabbath. He is revealed in the pope in person and in the cardinal as his representative, worshiped in his person as Christ's vicegerent upon earth by Satan's inspiration.

He puts his word in place of Thus saith the Lord. He interposes himself between Christ and souls, placing himself as God in the temple of God and taking upon himself the prerogatives of God and the attributes of the Saviour, including claiming power to pardon sin, that he may carry out his own schemes. Priests and rulers who do this are themselves only sinful humans, yet they act as mediator where God alone should be worshiped and demand religious homage due to God alone. His doctrine teaches men to pray to Mary and to dead apostles and saints, who are not in heaven but lie in their graves until the coming of the Son of man and the trump of God that calls the dead from their prison house. The offering of the mass, masses said for deliverance of souls from purgatory, and all altars, sacrifices, traditions and inventions whereby men hope to earn salvation are fallacious and of no value in God's sight. Under his rule deceptive doctrines lead to crime of every kind, with martyrs tortured and put to death by men instigated by Satan, oppression, imprisonment and torture, and every imprisoned soul and tortured human being noted by the recording angel for the Judge of the whole earth to call those persecutors to account.

He exalts human traditions above God's commandments, altering His holy commandments and replacing them with human traditions. Professed Christians join him in trying to make that law void. The power that changes any of God's precepts does Satan's work, for Satan is the originator of sin. He works through church authority combined with national authority to cripple consciences by being conscience for all men, maintaining customs and traditions of men in direct opposition to the religion of the Bible with erroneous religion and satanic zeal against those who take the Bible and the Bible alone and worship according to conscience. He is revealed by great swelling blasphemous words against the Most High that pour contempt upon God's holy law, so that those who call the law Christ came to exalt and make honorable and proclaimed from Sinai an old rickety law dead and buried and not deserving a gravestone, an old thunder and lightning law, an old bloody Jewish law, speak his words, and Satan is pleased to have influential men, even ministers of the gospel, as his allies to utter his own feelings against God.

He is the power that thinks to change times and laws, seeking supremacy by changing the Sabbath commandment as foretold in Daniel. He has placed Sunday, a child of the papacy, where God's holy Sabbath should be and led people to honor it as sacred, linking his work to exalting Sunday in place of God's Sabbath. Though he thinks to establish his supremacy thereby, he cannot actually change God's law while God reigns, for that prerogative belongs to God alone and God's law remains firm while He holds the throne. The human sabbath associated with him cannot replace the Sabbath God blessed and set apart as the memorial of creation, and rejecting that holy memorial has serious consequences.

Changing Sabbath Law

His change of times and laws is the removal of the fourth commandment, the seventh-day Sabbath ordained and sanctified in Eden as God's memorial of creation and sign of His government, and the substitution in its place of the first day, Sunday. Sunday is a common working day which God did not sanctify, bless, or command, yet it has been placed in the very bosom of the decalogue where God's holy day should be. The power that does this is the man of sin, identified as the papal power, which by exalting a spurious rest day exalts itself above God the Creator. Its work is done for Satan's purpose to belittle God's requirements and make His holy law of none effect, perpetuating transgression under Satan's control in the spirit of the first sinner. Accepting the rival sabbath removes God's memorial and defies Him, creating the breach God's people are called to repair.

The seventh-day Sabbath bears the mark of God's government, while the first day kept as the Sabbath bears the mark and signature of the man of sin and of the beast. Observing the spurious rest day acknowledges subjection to the kingdom of rebellion whose mark it bears, uniting with the deceiver by following Satan's suggestions instead of God's directions, making void the law, exalting Satan's principles above the principles that rule in heaven, and bringing unrighteousness into the world. After light has come, those who continue to regard Sunday as holy bear that signature in contrast to God's seal, while careful study of God's Word exposes the mistake of accepting the first day as the Sabbath. Nothing puts the man of sin's stamp upon the world so definitely as the world's acceptance of a spurious sabbath as holy while the seventh-day Sabbath set apart for God's honor and glory is trampled under foot, with worldly business and self-serving work done on God's time in disobedience to His commandments, insulting and robbing God.

Knowingly obeying the altered law gives allegiance to papal authority in place of God, for the deliberate alteration of the fourth commandment, substituting the first day for the seventh-day Sabbath, fulfills the prophecy of self-exaltation above God. Those who accept this humanly invented substitute dishonor God, and their offense is greater when they lead others to disregard the law. Accepting the authority of that power is apostasy from God, and the Protestant world has apostatized by accepting its presumptuous tampering with the precepts of Jehovah, so that all nations have been made drunk with the wine of Babylon. The conflict stands between acknowledging papal authority through Sunday observance and acknowledging God's authority through the seventh-day Sabbath. Accepting the claim to have changed the Sabbath rather than obeying God yields to Satan's temptation to worship him.

The change tore the Sabbath from its place, trampled the fourth commandment, desecrated God's holy day, and made a breach in the law of God that broke down allegiance to it. In Sunday observance the commandments of men are made supreme and human authority and church pretensions are made as the word of God to which all must bow, so that all who take part in that observance are laborers together with the man of sin. Just before the great day of God a warning message is sent forth to call people back to loyalty, to repair the breach and raise the foundation of many generations by precept and example, pleading for the desecrated Sabbath. God's people help repair that breach by upholding the commandments of God and carrying the third angel's message, resisting deception and opposition, turning from trampling the law and keeping the Sabbath from polluting it in order to have the seal of the living God.

The Sabbath is a golden link designed to serve as a bond of union uniting man to man and connecting earth to heaven and finite man to the infinite God. The man of sin has sought to break this golden chain by seeking to break the fourth commandment and exalting himself above God. The attempt has not succeeded; it is not broken, it exists yet, and will continue to exist as long as the new heavens and earth remain. He has changed God's signpost that points out obedience as the way to the city of God, making it point in the wrong direction by setting up a false sabbath and causing men and women to think that by resting on it they are obeying the command of the Creator. That human Sunday institution is the child of the papacy, adopted by the professed Christian world which refuses to obey God, turning the signpost round so it points to disobedience as happiness and leading multitudes opposite to the city of refuge, proving Adam and Eve are not the only ones who accepted the words of the wily foe. To set aside the plain divine command, to place a common working day where the Lord's great memorial should be, to compel men to respect it, and to vindicate that change is to vindicate the man of sin.

Even during his supremacy faithful souls hidden in secret places continued to honor the creation Sabbath kept since Eden by Adam and the patriarchs from Abel to Noah to Abraham to Jacob, preserving the knowledge of God's law in the earth from Sinai to the present. Since the Reformation there have been witnesses in every generation maintaining its observance amid reproach and persecution as a constant testimony to the perpetuity of God's law and the sacred obligation of the creation Sabbath of the fourth commandment.

Prophetic Time Fulfilled

The coming of Christ could not take place before the falling away and the revealing of the man of sin, who is the papacy, and that power was to maintain its supremacy for 1260 years ending in 1798. Paul's caution therefore covers the whole Christian dispensation down to 1798 and points to a distant future rather than to his own day. Only on this side of that time is the message of Christ's second coming and the nearness of the Judgment to be proclaimed. That domination brought oppression of the church and suppression of Scripture, with effects especially terrible in France. Its period of supremacy is dated from 538 to 1798, and the Reformation helped bring its persecution toward an end before that period expired.

The revelation of the man of sin is now taking place as the great controversy grows stronger near the close of earth's history. His working belongs to the last features plainly revealed in earth's history, standing at the close of a prophetic line that figuratively delineates events leading down to the close of this earth's history and is fulfilled directly in historical events set clearly before the people. That prophecy must be recognized in its proper order and applied carefully, since misapplied Scripture produces confusion rather than light. Those who have passed over the prophetic ground with experimental knowledge in proclaiming the first, second, and third angels' messages are not so liable to be led into false paths about these closing fulfillments, when God's people have the special third angel's message to give to the world.

Before he is disclosed to the world for who he is and what his work has been there will be one fierce struggle. That disclosure comes amid increasing deceptions, delusions, impostures, and cries of Lo here is Christ and Lo there is Christ, which are not to be followed. At that time the Protestant world becomes tender and affectionate toward him, while Mystic Babylon bound up with him has not spared the blood of the saints. God's people must then take their place as bold and valiant soldiers of Jesus Christ with their lives hid with Christ in God, wide awake to catch the beams of light from the angel who brightens the earth with his glory, seeing the messages of the past fifty years in their true force and bearing by repetition.

The man of sin can lose ascendancy and later have it restored through the actions of priests and rulers. His lost ascendancy will be restored when Protestants work upon the rulers of the land to make laws to restore it, and Roman Catholic principles will be taken under the care and protection of the state. Nations acting on shortsighted policy will help restore his power, for the world has converted the church and both are in harmony. This rise belongs to a crisis in which rulers unite with the Papacy and its ascendancy is connected with accepting Sunday as a false Sabbath and with laws enforcing Sunday observance that make void God's law. It comes when human iniquity has filled its measure and God's patience is worn out, and this national apostasy will speedily be followed by national ruin, when the protest of Bible truth will no longer be tolerated.

Deception Rejecting Truth

His coming is with Satan's power, signs, lying wonders, and all deception, held back for a time by a restraining power that delays his full revelation until the appointed time. This working is the last mighty effort to deceive and destroy, directed not only at the unbelieving world but at the great mass of professed Christians. Those who receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved are given strong delusion to believe a lie, and all who believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness are condemned and damned. The Lord will ultimately destroy this power at His coming.

Rejection of truth unites men with this power and leaves them deceived, for those who reject the love of truth join the apostasy that makes void God's law, including promoting a spurious Sabbath. This warning against deception is connected with churches that reject messages of truth and accept a lie. That condition is Babylon's fall, the state of churches that reject the warnings in the first, second, and third angels' messages. In this falling away men rapidly range themselves under two banners, those watching and working for the Lord's appearing and those falling into line under the first great apostate. The falling away looks for a God in humanity, with Satan personifying the one sought and humanity hailed as God, and multitudes rejecting truth are so deluded that they accept the counterfeit.

Before the day comes rebellion reaches its full measure, with antichrist appearing as the true Christ. Satan, its real leader, will come as an angel of light, deceive people, and be exalted and treated as God. The rebellion against God's law will reach its full measure through apostate churches uniting to exalt him, but God will intervene against them. In the last deception the papal power, the apostate power that sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God, is united with fallen Protestant churches and with spiritualism under a corrupt leader. That confederacy fell by rejecting light and the messages of mercy sent to heal Babylon, after thinking to change times and laws, presenting a rival sabbath to the world to be worshiped, and drinking the blood of the saints. It is blessed by the false christ impersonating Christ, while the remnant who keep the word of Christ's patience refuse to worship this beast power and its image.

The days of apostasy will be ended, those who have believed a lie will be defeated, and truth and righteousness will come forth triumphant in victory. Though Satan in cooperation with his angels and with evil men will put forth every effort to gain the victory and will appear to succeed, truth and righteousness will triumph in the present most responsible and critical hour. The man of sin is a character whose influence stands in contrast to Christ's meekness and lowliness. People who do not reflect Christ's character will begin to reflect the character of the man of sin, and remaining spiritually neutral cannot last without spiritual loss.

Final Crisis Loyalty

The falling away foretold becomes national apostasy when rulers and people accept the papal religion and make void the law of God. It is apostasy from republican principles and from liberty of conscience in the home of the oppressed and center of Scriptural light, brought about by Protestant churches seeking secular support and by legislators strengthening Rome's corrupt faith. The man of sin is revealed when rulers unite with him to restore his lost ascendancy, taking a position above the Creator, with Protestants working upon rulers to make laws restoring it and Roman principles taken under care and protection of the state. That work is done through a religious amendment making void God's law, and those who act to bring it about fulfill prophecy and bring danger on the churches that must be met with direct warning and protest rather than drift. When rulers join his side and follow Satan's policy the nation's guilt is full, world and church in harmony on short-sighted policy, and national apostasy is speedily followed by national ruin when the protest of Bible truth is no longer tolerated and God intervenes in judgment when iniquity is full.

That union centers on the false sabbath, the first day of the week, with laws enforcing Sunday observance as the Sabbath in place of the Ten Commandments. The man of sin instituted this spurious sabbath at Satan's instigation to be exalted in God's place, and his revealing is his exaltation to take God's place. His revealing comes when a liberty-blessed nation enacts Sunday laws exalting a common working day where the seventh-day memorial should be, with national councils and national laws exalting the man-made sabbath while support is withdrawn from those proclaiming God's only standard of righteousness. Legislatures take the spurious institution under care and protection and place divine honors upon it, opening the way for any fallacy to be received, and those who teach the lie and lead others to feel at ease in transgression will be punished with the first great rebel. Protestantism in this crisis reaches across the gulf to clasp hands with the papacy in confederacy to trample the fourth-commandment Sabbath out of sight, urging Sunday upon all the world by law compelling observance and forcing conscience in a worldwide effort to suppress God's Sabbath.

By using laws to compel worship of the false sabbath and punish refusal, human authorities show themselves as God and fulfill the prophecy. The power thought to change times and laws, changing the Sabbath in hope of defeating God's plans and making God's commands of less force than human laws, and having always oppressed God's people, causes laws enforcing the first day and brings persecution, envy, hatred, humiliation, and abuse upon those who keep the seventh day holy in obedience to the fourth commandment. That oppressive power is felt not from popery alone but from the Protestant world as the image of the beast, through satanic agencies working through Romanism and apostate Protestantism, with decrees of national councils and national laws exalting the rival sabbath. Those who refuse to worship this idol are forbidden to buy or sell, and the mystery of iniquity carried into effect reaches to a decree allowing Sabbath keepers to be put to death. The coming Sabbath test thus reveals whether people obey God or human authority, for the Sabbath is God's sign of sanctification and perpetual covenant whose "forever" confirms His law cannot be changed.

The Christian and Protestant world has accepted this child of the papacy and cradled and nourished it, thus defying God and apostatizing by accepting its presumptuous work of tampering with Jehovah's precepts. All nations have been made drunk with Babylon's wine by accepting it and regarding it sacred, wondering after the beast and committing fornication, though the institution has no word of authority in God's oracles. Protestantism joins the papacy to suppress the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, reaching across the gulf in confederacy to trample it out of sight, calling obedience to Jehovah's Sabbath disloyalty. In the last deception this power is united with fallen Protestant churches and spiritualism under a corrupt leader and blessed by a false christ impersonating Christ, while the remnant who keep Christ's patience refuse to worship the beast and its image. As God called Israel out of Egypt to keep His Sabbath, so He calls His people out of Babylon not to worship the beast nor his image.

The man of sin is revealed in the individual when light has come on the binding claims of God's law and the transgressor refuses to walk in the light. By continued transgression he takes his place with the man of sin, exalts Satan above God, becomes one with apostasy acting with Satan's confederacy, chooses sin's dominion with the law's penalty upon him, and shows a carnal heart not subject to God's law at enmity with God, repeating Adam's transgression and accepting the fallen foe's insinuations. In the United States this same work advances when people transgress God's law, carrying forward the man of sin's work by which Satan draws the family into disloyalty.

His rise comes in a solemn and fearful time while the Spirit of God is surely but gradually withdrawn from earth and man, while plagues and judgments already fall on despisers of grace, while casualties by sea and land and by fire and floods in towns and cities foreshadow events of greatest magnitude, and while evil elements combine and consolidate for vigorous resistance to God and truth. Popery now increases in power amid extending infidelity and abounding sectarianism, formalism, and sin, with God dishonored, Christ rejected, and soul-destroying specious errors intruding everywhere as Satan as masterworker lays plans under pretense of godliness to take the world captive.

God's people are to stand firm for Him, not hide their banner, not disobey to escape persecution, and not go with the multitude to do evil, and the Lord will work in their behalf showing plainly He is God of gods. They must not take a neutral position respecting the idol sabbath of the first day bearing his signature, for any voice or act respecting or lifting up the spurious dishonors God, confuses minds, leaves them to Satan's devices, and is disloyalty; the commandments of God and faith of Jesus must be inscribed on the banner from conviction of duty. Clear Scripture exposes the substitution of a common day for God's holy Sabbath, calling for acceptance of the Sabbath rather than fighting against God. Sunday observance makes commandments of men supreme and human authority and church pretensions as God's word to which all must bow, making a breach in God's law, so all upholding it labor together with the man of sin while those with God's zeal labor together with God to make up the breach and raise the foundation of many generations by keeping the Sabbath from polluting it and highly esteeming the commandments when contempt is poured on the law.

All who receive the mark of the beast in forehead or hand by union enforcing the Sunday sabbath and compelling conformity to the Sunday law unite with the man of sin who made void God's law. The issue divides one small loyal company bearing the seventh-day Sabbath sign of the fourth commandment in loyalty to God from the party breaking His commandments by that enforced union with opposers of the Sabbath. The seven last plagues will come upon all united with him, and the day of recompense brings the Lord's outstretched hand to punish those exalting the idol sabbath in Jehovah's place, making them monuments of divine displeasure and holy vengeance and proving it fearful to fall into the hands of the living God who is a consuming fire.

The papacy created the world's Sunday sabbath as its image, and the claim that Christ changed the seventh day to the first is false and contrary to God's Word. That work by traditions and inventions makes void God's law, reduces His holy law to a dead letter, and puts more-than-common contempt upon the commandments. It exalts the first day to be observed by all men and requires men to bow down and worship it, as Nebuchadnezzar exalted the golden image in the plain of Dura, and thousands bearing aloft the world's sabbath standard in worshiping the beast's image and receiving his mark repeat Babylon's worship. When wickedness reaches this height it is fast reaching its height, and it is time for the Lord to work.