Luke 21:8

Christian, Be Not Deceived!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 

THE UPSURGING POWER OF EVIL MET BY THE DESCENDING POWER FROM HEAVEN. 

Having shown the vital connection between Rev. 17 and 18, we are now better prepared to observe the connection between the rising of the beast from the abyss and the angel who comes down from heaven with mighty power proclaiming the "loud cry". 

As we have shown in a previous chapter, the rising of the beast from the abyss envisages the return to life of the beast of persecution. As Jesus emerged from the tomb a mighty Conqueror over His foes, and, endowed with "all power ... in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18), "He went forth conquering, and to conquer" (Rev. 6:2). We have also shown that the basis of understanding Rev. 17, is the portrayal of the forces of Babylon as a counterfeit of the Lord and His work of salvation. So the rising of the beast from a state of death pictures the resurrection of religious tyranny when "kings, and rulers, and governors" will again, and next time in a world-wide manner, give their power and strength for the persecution of the saints. The following statement from the pen of God's servant is of special interest in this connection: "Kings, and rulers, and governors have placed upon themselves the brand of antichrist, and are represented as the dragon who goes to make war with the saints–with those who keep the commandments of God, and who have the faith of Jesus. In their enmity against the people of God, they show themselves guilty also of the choice of Barabbas instead of Christ" (TM. 39). Observe that this statement connects up Rev. 12:17 with Rev. 17:12-17: Rev. 12:17 declares that the dragon will make war upon God's remnant people, whereas Rev. 17:12-17 declares that the "kings" will give their strength to the persecuting beast in making war upon God's people. This shows that Rev. 12 presents the dragon as the symbol of the persecutions of all ages, ending with the final conflict over the Sabbath, and that Rev. 13 and Rev. 17 present the two segments of that long controversy: namely, that of the Dark Ages (pointing also to the final conflict), and that of the final conflict (Rev. 17) which is briefly touched upon in Rev. 12:17. 

When Rev. 17 is seen to throw fuller light upon the climax of the final conflict over the Sabbath, leading to the time when the wicked seek to slay the saints but cannot owing to God's intervention on behalf of His people, described under the 6th and 7th plagues, and when Rev. 18 is seen as an enlargement of that same 148 

conflict and of the fate to befall Babylon, it immediately shows the vital connection between the beast rising from the abyss and the coming of the mighty angel down from heaven to meet the rising of the powers of evil from beneath. Heaven accepts what will be the last challenge of Satan against the work and people of God. 

Rev. 17 portrays the resurgence of the beast of persecution and religious tyranny working through the State–the combination of the Church and the State. Now is this not the very feature which is so forcefully brought before us in Rev. 18? Is not the warning of the "loud cry" against this very evil of the combination of the Church and State? Does not the Revelator say that the mighty angel comes from heaven panoplied with extra power to meet this very exigency? The Revelator says: 

"And after these things [or in connection with these things as an explanation] I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her.... And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven" (Rev. 18:1-4). 

Thus we are directed to the time when "all nations"; when "the kings" of earth will have committed fornication with this Babylonian whore who is the chief actor in Rev. 17. As will be seen at a glance, the loud cry refers back to the evils of the kings and nations committing fornication with the Babylonian whore and of them having been made drunk with "the wine of the wrath of her fornication". This, of course, repeats facts that are disclosed in Rev. 17:2, 4; facts also that are mentioned in Rev. 14:8 and 18:9. Thus the "loud cry" can be understood only in the light that a special message comes down from heaven warning the world of the grave consequences of joining up with this spiritual harlot in the persecution of the people of God. Rev. 17 points to this calamitous union of Church and State; Rev. 18 points to the message that warns against this monstrous evil: the two chapters must be understood as parts of one whole and not read as two separate chapters containing two separate prophecies. 

In commenting upon the term "Babylon" employed in chapters 14, 17 and 18, the messenger of the Lord has written: 

"Not yet, however, can it be said that `Babylon is fallen ... because she made all nations [emphasis in GC] drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ She has not yet made all nations do this. . . . But the work of apostasy has not yet reached its culmination . . . Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished, throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfilment of Rev. 14:8 is yet future.... 

"Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the three 

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fold warning of Rev. 14:6-12, the church will have fully reach the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God, still in Babylon, will be called upon to separate from her communion" (GC. 389, 390). 

After quoting Rev. 18:1-4, the Lord's servant says: 

"This Scripture points forward to a time when the announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of Revelation 14, is to be repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message was first given, in the summer of 1844. A terrible condition of the religious world is here described. With every rejection of truth, the minds of the people will become darker, their hearts more stubborn, until they are entrenched in an infidel hardihood. In defiance of the warnings which God has given, they will continue to trample upon one of the precepts of the Decalogue, until they are led to persecute those who hold it sacred. . . 

“Of Babylon, at the time brought to view in this prophecy, it is declared, 'Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.' She has filled up the measure of her guilt, and destruction is about to fall upon her.... Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be brought. The powers  of earth, uniting to war against the commandments of God, will decree that all, 'both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond' (Rev. 13:16) shall conform to the customs of the church by the observance of the false sabbath." (GC. 603) 

'Thus God's servant definitely links together as one great portrayal of the same conflict, Rev. 13, 14, 17 and 18. The loud cry is shown to be Heaven's warning against the union of Church and State depicted in Rev. 17. Rev. 12:17 points to that time. Rev. 13:11-17 also points to that same time, and so does Rev. 14:8-11 and Rev. 17. As will be observed in the Scriptures and also in the comments given of them by the Lord's servant, there is a repetition and an enlargement of the themes introduced in Rev. 12 and 13 until the climax of the revelation concerning the same actors and the same conflict is reached in Rev. 19. 

Having thus proved this from the Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy we now point out the significance of the beast rising from beneath, whose resurrection to life brings about this woeful state of affairs, thus necessitating the loud cry. As we have repeatedly had occasion to point out, those designations employed in Rev. 17 by which to depict the forces of Babylon must be seen as they relate to the work of Jesus. As we have shown, while counterfeiting the work of our Lord Jesus, the forces of Babylon are set in opposition to the forces of righteousness. As it said that "Babylon ... made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" (Rev. 14:8); "For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" (Rev. 18:3), so it also said that "the same shall drink of the wine o f the wrath of God" (Rev. 14:10); "to give unto her [Babylon] the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath" (Rev. 16:19); "the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Rev. 19:15). The fear of Babylon's reprisals for failing to render her homage is set forth in contrast with the fear of God and with the threatened judgments which will be poured out upon those who fear man rather than God. 

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In the same way, the beast that comes up from beneath is set forth in contrast to the angel coming down from heaven proclaiming the loud cry. The beast rising from beneath represents the power of evil that enters upon earth's stage for the last act in the great drama of sin. The servant of the Lord describes it in these words: "A power from beneath is leading men to war against Heaven. Human behave confederated with satanic agencies to make void the law of God." In the previous paragraph the Lord's servant says: "The followers of Christ [represented by the angel coming down from heaven] are to combine in a strong effort to call the attention of the world to the fast-fulfilling prophecies of the word of God. Shall those to whom great light has been given be cold and faithless now?" Then, still in the same article, the Lord's servant urges God's people to give the message, saying, "The church will see the providential working of the Lord of hosts. The light of truth will shine forth in clear, strong rays. . . . The earth will be lighted with the glory of the Lord" (9T. 43, 46). Thus the Lord's servant couples up the "power from beneath" (Rev. 17:8-11) with the earth being lighted with the glory of the angel giving the loud cry, and this angel is said to "come down from heaven, having great power". 

The beast ascending out of the abyss is set forth in contrast to the angel messenger coming down from heaven: one represents the power of evil, particularly of religious persecution, rising in strength until the whole world is taken in the snare; the other represents special power which Heaven will pour upon the remnant church in order to meet the rising power of evil. Throughout the Spirit of Prophecy are to be found many vivid descriptions of the greatness of that time, and the intensity with which the two powers–one from heaven and the other from beneath–will contest in that final conflict. The Lord's servant says: 

"I point you to the aggressive movements now being made for the restriction of religious liberty. God's sanctified memorial has been torn down, and in its place a false Sabbath, bearing no sanctity, stands before the world. And while the powers of darkness are stirring up the elements from beneath, the Lord of heaven is sending power from above to meet the emergency by arousing His living agencies to exalt the law of heaven. Now, just now, is our time to work in foreign countries. As America, the land of religious liberty, shall unite with the papacy in forcing the conscience and compelling men to honour the false Sabbath, the people of every country on the globe will be led to follow her example" (6T. 18). 

So we see that when America leads the world to enforce Sunday observance–"while the powers of darkness are stirring up the elements from beneath", then "the Lord of heaven" will send "power from above to meet the emergency by arousing His living agencies to exalt the law of heaven". 

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It will be observed that this is precisely what we have been able to discern from our study of the beast emerging from the abyss which is met by the power of God in the loud cry represented by the angel coming down from heaven having great power. 

Again the Lord's servant says: 

"Satan is a diligent Bible student. He knows that the time is short, and he seeks at every point to counteract the work of the Lord upon this earth. It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who shall be alive upon the earth when celestial glory [the earth lightened by the angel who comes down from heaven] and a repetition of the persecutions of the past [the persecuting beast from the abyss] are blended. They will walk in the light proceeding from the throne of God. By means of the angels there will be constant communication between heaven and earth. And Satan, surrounded by evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles of all kinds, to deceive, if possible, the very elect.” (9T. 16).