The Great Controversy: France and the French Reformation

Welcome to this Bible study on one of the most solemn and instructive periods in human history. The events surrounding the French Revolution serve as a powerful witness to the results of rejecting God’s Word and the ultimate triumph of His truth.

1. Introduction: The Background of the Conflict 🌍

The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan reached a fever pitch in France. While the Reformation offered an open Bible to Europe, the light was willfully rejected in this land. When a nation chooses darkness over light, the restraining Spirit of God is eventually withdrawn, allowing the seeds of rebellion to reach full maturity.

• ** John 3:19**: "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

• ** Hosea 4:6**: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee."

Guiding Questions:

• What happens to a nation or an individual when they repeatedly reject the "light" of truth?

• How does the "restraint of God’s Spirit" protect society from total chaos?

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2. Key Characters and Their Roles 👥

In this drama of the ages, various powers and groups represented the opposing sides of the controversy.

• The Two Witnesses (Positive): These represent the Old and New Testaments. They testify to God's law and the plan of salvation, even when forced to "prophesy in sackcloth" during times of great spiritual darkness.

• ** Psalm 119:105**: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

• ** Revelation 11:3**: "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."

• The Papacy (Negative): For over a millennium, this power suppressed the Scriptures and substituted human tradition for divine law, creating the very conditions that led to the later outbreak of atheism.

• ** Daniel 7:25**: "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws."

• The Beast from the Bottomless Pit (Negative): Representing the atheistic power that rose during the Revolution to make open war on the Bible, characterized by the spirit of Pharaoh (atheism) and Sodom (licentiousness).

• ** Revelation 11:7**: "The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."

• The Martyrs/Huguenots (Positive): The faithful who loved God's Word more than their lives. Their blood was shed like water, yet their testimony remained.

• ** Revelation 12:11**: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

Guiding Questions:

• Why does the Bible use "two witnesses" to describe the Old and New Testaments?

• In what ways can religious leaders unintentionally pave the way for atheism?

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3. Main Themes of the Controversy ⚔️

• The Authority of the Word of God: The primary battle was over whether the Bible or human/ecclesiastical authority would rule the conscience.

• ** Isaiah 40:8**: "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

• The Law of God as the Foundation of Liberty: France attempted to find "liberty" by casting off God's law, only to find that doing so led to the most terrible tyranny (The Reign of Terror).

• ** Psalm 119:45**: "And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts."

• ** James 1:25**: "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein... this man shall be blessed in his deed."

• The Harvest of Rebellion: God permits the world to see the "fruit" of choosing the service of Satan.

• ** Galatians 6:7**: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

Guiding Questions:

• Why is God's Law called the "Law of Liberty"?

• How does the French Revolution illustrate the "law of the harvest"?

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4. Striking Prophetic Fulfillment: Revelation 11 📖

The events in France between 1793 and 1797 perfectly match the prophetic specifications of the "Two Witnesses."

• The 1260-Day Period: This represents the 1260 years of papal supremacy (A.D. 538–1798) where the Bible was suppressed.

• ** Numbers 14:34 / Ezekiel 4:6**: The "day-for-a-year" principle in prophecy.

• The Death and Resurrection of the Witnesses: In 1793, the French Assembly officially abolished the Christian religion and banned the Bible. For three and a half years, the "witnesses" lay dead. Then, the decree was rescinded, and the Bible was exalted higher than ever before.

• ** Revelation 11:11**: "And after three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them."

• The Spirit of Egypt and Sodom: The nation manifested Pharaoh's defiance ("Who is the Lord?") and the moral corruption of Sodom.

• ** Exodus 5:2**: "And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice... I know not the Lord."

Guiding Questions:

• How does the specific timing (three and a half years) of the Bible's ban and restoration strengthen your faith in prophecy?

• How do we see the "Spirit of Egypt" (atheism) manifesting in our world today?

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5. Key Lessons for Us Today 💡

1. Safety is Only in Obedience: True national and individual prosperity depends on the principles of the Bible.

• ** Proverbs 14:34**: "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."

2. The Bible is Indestructible: Men may burn it, ban it, or ridicule it, but it remains the "anvil" that wears out every hammer.

• ** Isaiah 54:17**: "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn."

3. God's Patience Has a Limit: While God is long-suffering, He will eventually allow the "restraints" to be removed from those who stubbornly reject His grace.

• ** Ecclesiastes 8:11-12**: "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil... yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God."

4. The Role of Missions: Following the "resurrection" of the Bible, God opened the way for a worldwide spread of the Gospel through Bible societies and missions.

• ** Matthew 24:14**: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

Guiding Questions:

• How can we ensure that we are not "clothing the witnesses in sackcloth" in our own lives by neglecting the Bible?

• What is our responsibility in the modern mission to carry this "indestructible Word" to the world?

Final Thought: The history of the French Revolution is a loud cry to the world that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (** Hebrews 10:31**) when His law is trampled and His mercy is despised. Let us hold fast to the Word of Life! 🙏✨