Luke 21:8

Christian, Be Not Deceived!

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​5. SATAN PLANS WAR AND STRIFE AGAINST GOD’S PEOPLE

“The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh day Adventists. It is the purpose of Satan to cause them to be blotted from the earth, in order that his supremacy of the world may not be disrupted” (Testimonies to Ministers 37). “He numbers the world as his subjects, but the little company who keep the commandments of God are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph would be complete” (Great Controversy, Page 618).

To bring the whole world to the place where it unites in the satanic desire, to slaughter God’s people, Satan will employ wars among the nations. We (SDA’s) have always believed that a war of gigantic proportions must occur before the coming of Christ. In fostering this belief many among us have termed this expected conflict the “Armageddon” of Revelation 16:12-16. Some have declared that this and other prophecies depict a world war; others have taught that a, “spiritual” conflict is portrayed therein. It would help to make these opposing beliefs less divergent for consideration, to be given to the fact that Satan plans to create wars and other troubles in order to blame God’s people for them. It is the writer’s firm conviction that Revelation 16:12-16 can be understood only in the light of the great controversy between Christ and Satan over the People of God; that the gathering of the nations is against the remnant church. That the war which Satan provokes against the remnant (Revelation 12:17) ends in the destruction of all their enemies at “Armageddon” - a symbolic name meaning the mountain of slaughter, referring to the great slaughter of the enemies of the church. However, one of the means which Satan employs to bring the world to the decision to slay the saints is by creating wars and other troubles, so that the angry multitudes will regard them “as the cause of the fearful convulsions of nature and the strife and bloodshed among men that filling the earth with woe” (Great Controversy, Page 614).

It should be observed that the wars and other troubles increase as soon as probation closes - this may be observed also in the extracts given earlier in this outline. It is not a matter of waiting until the 6th plague for the nations to go to war with each other, for this fighting will have commenced before that time, and it is this bloodshed that is blamed on to God’s people which leads to the symbolic gathering of all the nations in their determination to slay the saints, who, ere then, “will be regarded as the cause of the fearful convulsions of nature and the strife and bloodshed among men that are filling the earth with woe”.

Referring to the time of trouble before the pouring out of the seven plagues, the Lord’s servant says: “ ‘The commencement of the time of trouble’ does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as, not to prevent the work of the third angel” (Early Writings, page 85). As previously shown, when probation closes, then commences without restraint “all the elements of strife”. It is a mistake to teach that this warring of the nations will be postponed until the time of the 6th plague (though universal fratricidal slaughter then occurs), for before that time they will be engaged in conflict, but concerning which we are given no details. When God intervenes to save His people at the time the world has decided upon universal action to slay the saints, in the battle of that great day of God Almighty, when God employs His almighty power to deliver His people from this attempted slaughter of His people, there will then be further and more terrible bloodshed among the enemies of the remnant church. As in the past, when God intervened to save His people from their enemies, He caused them to become divided and confused so that they turned upon each other and slew each other - see Judges 7:22; 1 Samuel 14:20-23; 2 Kings 7:6, 7; 2 Chronicles 20:22-24.

Last-day prophecies depicting the uniting of the world forces against the people of God emphasize this important fact - that every man’s sword will be against his brother, see Haggai 2:21, 22; Ezekiel 38:21; Zechariah 14:13. The Revelator also depicts the uniting, or gathering, of the world forces against God’s people (Revelation 16:13, 14), which is followed by God’s intervention to save His people and the consequent division and confusion and slaughter among their Babylonian enemies. See Revelation 16:17- 21; 17:13-17. Thus in the consideration of the “Armageddon” slaughter it is difficult to entirely separate military wars among the nations generally (details of which are. not given) from the prophetic portrayal (Revelation 16:12-16 and other prophecies) in which all the powers of earth unite to slay God’s people. For Satan employs wars and other troubles to stir up anger against the people of God as the cause of these

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judgments; then, after God’s voice delivers His people (by causing the greatest earthquake which brings earthly cities down to the dust), the wicked turn on each other in fratricidal slaughter. Wars precede the concerted action of the powers of earth to slay the saints; universal slaughter among the unsaved follows that concerted action to slay the saints depicted in Revelation 16:13-16.

Thus military wars are involved in the understanding of Revelation 16:13-16, but the prophetic picture is completely spoiled when it is interpreted as depicting a military war: it depicts the united effort of the Satan-led world to destroy God’s people, an effort which results in their world-wide slaughter with each man’s sword against his brother. “The swords which were to slay God’s people are now employed to destroy their enemies. Everywhere there is strife and bloodshed” (Great Controversy, Page 656). “After the saints had been delivered by the voice of God [at the commencement of the 7th plague, Revelation 16:17, the wicked multitude turned their rage upon one another. The earth seemed to be deluged with blood and dead bodies were from one end of it to the other” (Early Writings, page 290). After quoting Zechariah 14:12, 13 (“A great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his brother”), the Lord’s servant says: “In the mad strife of their own fierce passions, and by the awful outpouring of God’s unmingled wrath, fall the wicked inhabitants of the earth - priests, rulers, and people, rich and poor, high and low. ‘And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried. (Jeremiah 25:33)” (Great Controversy, Page 657).

Thus war and strife which Satan employs as a means of stirring up the masses to unite to destroy the remnant, God permits as a counter-strategy in which those who are prevented from killing His people turn and slay each other. It must be observed, however, that this war and strife before, and after, the deliverance of God’s people is employed in reference to them. Thus it is plainly seen that any interpretation of Revelation 16:12-16 which declares that this prophecy envisages a military war over the oil wells of the Middle East, or over Turkish territory, or anything of that nature, is definitely a misinterpretation which completely hides the real Purpose of the prophecy. God’s blessed assurance that His sealed remnant will be protected when their enemies seek to slay them and that He will confuse and scatter these would-be murderers of the saints causing them to turn and slay each other. Thus the reason why this prophecy is given is to give strength to God’s remnant to face the coming crisis, having confidence in their Father’s love, in His keeping promises. Satan employs the teaching of a purely military conflict - based upon Revelation 16:12-16 and other prophecies - as a means of weakening the faith of the remnant.

From the foregoing presentation of the balance between the true interpretation of Revelation 16:12-16 and parallel prophecies in relation to the uniting of the world forces to slay the sealed saints, and the part played by wars and strife before, and after, the deliverance of the remnant, we can understand better why the Lord’s servant has on several occasions seemed to commingle military conflicts with the conflict over the Sabbath and God’s people. Observe the following: “Everything in our world is in agitation. There are wars, and rumors of wars. The nations are angry. Events are changing to bring about the day of God. But while already nation is rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, there is not now a general engagement. As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle. Satan is busily laying his plans for the last mighty conflict, when all will take sides [The Sabbath question is to be the issue in the great final conflict in which all the world will act a part, 6 Testimonies, page 352]. Satan is working to the utmost to make himself as God, and to destroy all who oppose his power” (6 Testimonies, page 14).

Here again we are given the relationship between military wars and strife with the conflict over God’s people and the Sabbath. Through coercive Sunday laws Satan will succeed in foisting his will upon the world. Thus he will “make himself as God”. And as a part of his scheme to accomplish this purpose he plans “to destroy all who oppose his power”. “Satan is busily laying his plans for the last mighty conflict, when all will take sides, either with God, as evidenced by loyalty to the Creator’s sign, the Sabbath day, or with Satan, by accepting the mark of the beast. What is included in Satan’s planning “to destroy all who oppose his power? Military wars and strife aplenty so that the, saints “will be regarded as the cause of the fearful convulsions of nature and the strife and bloodshed among men that are filling the earth with woe”.

Thus Satan has a double purpose in the bloodshed he incites among the nations: (1) he finds devilish delight in slaughter; (2) he will use that slaughter to blame God’s people so that the nations will be stirred to slay them.

“It suits his Satanic majesty well to see slaughter and carnage upon the earth. He loves to see the poor soldiers mowed down like grass” (1 Testimonies, page 366). “Satan delights in war. It is his object to incite the nations to war against one another; for he can thus divert the minds of the people from the work

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of preparation to stand in the day of God- (Great Controversy, Page 589). Thus by war he diverts people from preparation for the close of probation. Then, again, he will use war as a means of-stirring up hatred against God’s people in order to have them slain by the nations.

“He [Satan] will bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation. Even now he is at work. In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. Destruction will be upon both man and beast. And then the great deceiver will persuade men that those who serve God are causing these evils” (Great Controversy, Page 589, 590).

‘Thus wars in general please Satan’s devilish nature. Creatures who were created by Christ and for whom He died killing each other! Then, having led them to war upon each other, he employs their warfare to stir up the nations to decide to slay God’s people. Thus literal military wars become mixed up with the world’s attempted slaughter of God’s people - the former being employed by Satan to bring about the latter.

“Satan is busily laying his plans for the last mighty conflict when all will take sides” (6 Testimonies, page 14) - create wars, militarily, then use them as a strategy to blame them on to the people of God and thus cause people to be willing and anxious to destroy the remnant.

It might help some to obtain a clearer understanding when it is remembered that the war upon the remnant can be in progress while at the same time the various nations have war among themselves, or have strife internally. “The willing subjects of Satan are faithful, active, and united in one object. And although they hate and war with one another, yet they improve every opportunity to advance their common interest” (1 Testimonies, page 346). “The world is filled with storm and war and variance. Yet under one head-the Papal power-the people will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses” (7 Testimonies, page 182).

“Just before probation closes, at the time when God’s people are about to be sealed so that they will be protected during the day of God’s wrath, during the time when the world will seek to slay them, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel” (Early Writings, page 85). Before probation closes, the world will experience considerable trouble, strife and bloodshed, so that “the great deceiver will persuade men that those who serve God are causing these evils” (Great Controversy, page 589, 596). Already, at that time, Satan will be urging the destruction of God’s people as a means of bringing about better conditions. When probation closes and the world is plunged into unprecedented perils, disasters, and wars, Satan will more vehemently work upon the populace to slay the sealed saints to bring an end to these disastrous occurrences. “Urged on by Satan, the rulers of this world are seeking to destroy them. But could their eyes be opened, as were the eyes of Elisha’s servant at Dothan, they would see the angels of God encamped about them, by their brightness and glory holding in check the hosts of darkness. While Satan was urging his accusations, and seeking to destroy this company, holy angels, unseen, were passing to and fro, placing upon them the seal of the living God” (5 Testimonies, page 475; Prophets and Kings, Page 587).

“Fearful tests and trials await the people of God. The spirit of war is stirring the nations from one end of the earth to the other. But in the midst of the time of trouble that is coming a time of trouble such as has not been since there was a nation God’s chosen [sealed] people will stand unmoved. Satan and his host cannot destroy them; for angels that excel in strength will protect them” (9 Testimonies, page 17).

“In some places, before the time for the decree to be executed, the wicked rushed upon the saints to slay them; but angels in the form of men of war fought for them. Satan wished to have the privilege of destroying the saints of the Most High., but Jesus bade His angels watch over them. God would be honored [as the Protector of His people] by making a covenant with those who had kept His law, in the sight of the heathen round about them; and Jesus would be honored by translating, without their seeing death, the faithful, waiting ones who had so long expected Him. Next came the multitude of the angry wicked, and next a mass of evil angels, hurrying on the wicked to slay the saints. But before they could approach God’s people, the wicked must first pass this company of mighty, holy angels. This was impossible. The angels of God were causing them to recede, and also causing the evil angels who were pressing around them to fall back. God would not suffer His name to be reproached [He would keep His covenant to protect His people] among the heathen. The time had nearly come when He was to manifest His mighty power, and gloriously deliver His saints. For His name’s glory He would deliver His saints, every one of those who had patiently waited for Him. God would not suffer the wicked to destroy those who were expecting translation, and who would not bow to the decree of the beast or receive his mark. I saw that if the wicked were permitted to slay the saints, Satan and all his evil host, and all who hate God, would be gratified. Those who have mocked

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will witness the care of God for His people, and behold their glorious deliverance” (Early Writings, page 283, 284).

Those sealed are assured that their lives will be preserved through the frightful upheavals of nature, from death and disaster that will stalk through the world, and come unharmed through the fury of the wicked who will be persuaded by Satan to regard them, as the cause of the fearful convulsions of nature and the strife and bloodshed among men that are filling the earth with woe” (Great Controversy, Page 614).