AMERICA AND BABYLON
June 2nd – 8th, 2018
MEMORY TEXT*: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Daniel 12:1
SABBATH AFTERNOON: “The time is not far distant when the… mark of the beast will be urged upon us”, and Satan plans to mimic the traits of God to delude men. The false trinity—Satan (the dragon), the sea beast, and the land beast will work together to persecute many in the endtime. Daniel 7 depicts the sea beast as a composite of a leopard, a bear, and a lion. Papal Rome is the little horn power from the fourth beast (Rev 13:1-10).
SUNDAY: Protestant believes the symbols in Revelation 13:1-10 points to the papacy. The papacy succeeded the seat and power of ancient Roman empire and started to oppress God’s people in A.D. 538. In 1798, the papal power was terminated when pope Pius VI was taken as captive by the French army (that’s the deadly wound). Rome today exercise both political and religious power (deadly wound healed).
MONDAY: Just at the time the papacy lost its power (Rev, 13:11, 12), another beast unlike the sea beast which arose from water (masses of people) arises from the earth (uninhabited part of the world). This power (“lamblike”) didn’t overthrow any kingdom but grew (GC, p. 440) peacefully and received attention. This images with no doubt points to the United States of America. USA will unite with papacy to persecute.
TUESDAY: As Daniel and his friends were urged to worship a “golden image” or face a fiery furnace, so will Christians be urged to worship the beast or face persecution (Dan. 3:5; Matt. 4:8-10; Rev. 13:15). The seat of false worship is Babylon—all who posses the pride of Lucifer, like the Tower of Babel builders (Rev. 14:9-11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4; Isa. 14:14; Gen. 9:8-11). Many died because of false worship (Dan. 4:30; 5:3, 4).
WEDNESDAY: Babylon known for its great idolatry and sins was felled. All who heeded to the message of warning and fled from her were saved (Jer. 51:6, 7, 53, 57; Zech. 2:7; Rev. 17:5, 6; 18:2, 3), so will all who flee from the spiritual Babylon be saved (compare the pure woman in Rev. 12 & the harlot on the scarlet beast in Rev. 17). God calls his faithful still in Babylon to come out of her (Rev. 12:3, 13:1-3, 17:3, 14:9-11; 18:1-4).
THURSDAY: We’re saved to save. The call “come out of her, my people” is a one that tasks all Christians already saved from Babylon to lead those who are still in it to God. The world is filled with sin and this call “is the last that will ever be given to the world”. (Rev. 18:1-4). Adventists identified America as the second beast power as far back in 1851 (Rev. 13:11-15). No one has the “mark of the beast” now, “more needs to unfold”.
PREPARATION DAY: “Satan is working as never before. He is striving to act as director of the Christian world”. He failed when he attacked God’s law in heaven, and has now directed his attack to those who keep the law of God (Rev. 12:17, 14:12). “Just as he was defeated in heaven, he will be defeated here on earth”. It is his plan to deceive and delude men to break the law of God—either all or just one (James 2:10).
EGW – The Great Controversy, p. 582.
Credits/Edits
Source: Brother Steve Lawrence (SDA, Bermuda)
Format: Edited for presentation and to reflect KJV
*Substituted for verbatim: “Focus Text”
