Conclusion
Signs of the Times
Prevailing political opinion seems to be that government should take care of the population's physical and personal needs whenever necessary. People seem to be willing to give up some of their freedom to have more security.
Matthew Chapter 24:13: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold".
A more detailed explanation can be found here:
Matthew 24:4 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Add to this the current moral climate. The attitude of too many today is to get whatever they can in any way they can. There is no moral compass in the world. We have a hedonistic society with our smart phones, Twitter accounts, cable TV, DVDs, music videos, etc. Sports stars and movie stars are revered to the point of being gods.
Any person or group who speaks out against this immorality will be hated. When a group stands out by keeping the entire Word of God, including all Ten Commandments, they will be persecuted. History proves that anyone who holds true to the entire Word of God will be in the minority and persecuted for their beliefs. Ungodly people will joke and persecute and Christians who keep Sunday will eventually want to punish Sabbathkeeprs. A Christian writer named Ellen White penned these words over 100 years ago:
"The question of enforcing Sunday observance has become one of national interest and importance. We well know what the result of this movement will be. But are we ready for the issue? Have we faithfully discharged the duty which God has committed to us of giving the people warning of the danger before them? There are many, even of those engaged in this movement for Sunday enforcement, who are blinded to the results which will follow this action. They do not see that they are striking directly against religious liberty. There are many who have never understood the claims of the Bible Sabbath and the false foundation upon which the Sunday institution rests."
Testimonies, Volume 5, Page 711
Put in the context of end-time prophecies, we can make the following points:
- The United States has been a magnet for freedom-loving people for 200 years.
- It was founded on the idea of a country without a king and a church without a pope.
- The U.S. Constitution is a masterpiece of human invention, in many ways unlike any governing document before it. For instance, the office of the President of the United States is unlike any head of state before it in its scope and responsibiities.
- The Protestant Reformation beginning early in the 16th century had three fundamental beliefs:
- Sole Authority of Scripture
- Justification by Faith Alone
- Priesthood of the Believer.
The reason this has been brought up is that Protestantism in the original form is almost dead. Protestant means someone who protests. In this case Luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli, Calvin, Wesley, - all early leaders of the Protestant church, protested the abuses of the Catholic church. Today nobody protests. In fact, many familiar Protestant leaders worship the pope. Most just go along to get along. This point cannot be overemphasized. Every major Protestant leader of the Protestant Reformation concluded that the papacy was beast of Revelation 13. The lamb-like beast in Revelation 13 is the United States. The image to the beast is Sunday worship. A complete Scriptural explanation for these statements is available here.
- A country speaks through its laws. Sunday laws, as we have pointed out, have been on the books of many states from the foundation of this country. A national Sunday law is not some outlandish idea. A Chritian's duty is to follow conscience, not follow man's laws when they contradict God's law. This is where the conflict lies. Civil law will say you must rest on Sunday and work to make a living on the other days. God's law say the seventh day should be set aside as a day of rest and worship of the Creator.
- Despite ideals, the United States has had prejudice and discrimination regarding race, gender and religion. There is no reason to believe that it won't continue and persecution regarding religion could result. Prophecy, particularly Daniel 2, Daniel 7, and Revelation 13, says that the beast power (papacy) will influence the United States to pass a national Sunday law that will cause persecution shortly followed by the second coming of Jesus Christ. Amen!
We each need the knowledge of the Bible and Bible prophecy and the courage to stand alone! Some day that might be necessary!
Points to Ponder
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"And he hath power to give life to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." Revelation 13:15, KJV "The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good, in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it". "In the annals of human history the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will." |