TEXT FOR PRAYER

I am reading from Christs Object Lessons pg.53: -2TG18 14.1

When the mind is youthful and vigorous and susceptible of rapid development there is great temptation to be ambitious for self to serve self…. In this formative period of their childrens life the responsibility of parents is very great. It should be their study to surround the youth with right influences influences that will give them correct views of life and its true success…. The more the desire for pleasure is indulged the stronger it becomes. The interest of these youth is more and more absorbed in amusement until they come to look upon it as the great object of life. They form habits of idleness and self-indulgence that make it almost impossible for them ever to become steadfast Christians. -2TG18 14.2

We are here enjoined to pray that the youth be trained and weaned from serving self that the parents themselves learn this for in many instances parental impulses lead the children into worldliness and pride that the parents and children realize that the more the desire for pleasure is indulged the stronger it becomes and the more impossible it is to satisfy that we all understand that unless the youth are given correct views of life and its true success they will become absorbed in amusement and come to look upon it as the great object in life. -2TG18 14.3

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Rev 17:1-3 — And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials and talked with me saying unto me Come hither I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns. -2TG18 16.1

This beast is seen to portray the world in its day as are all the beasts of Daniel and The Revelation seen to portray the world in their day. -2TG18 16.2

The wilderness being opposite of the vineyard denotes that the beasts domain is not in the Promised Land not in the vineyard (Isa. 5:7) but in the lands of the Gentiles the wilderness. From his domain therefore is excluded the Holy Land. And by the fact that the woman is sitting on the beast driving it is positively shown that she is ruling it and that the beast itself is the symbol of the dominion of Babylon the Great. -2TG18 16.3

The beasts ten horns portray civil powers as do the horns of any symbolic beast. And if the wounded head of the leopard-like beast of chapter 13 is symbolical of a religious organization as is taught by the Denomination then his seven heads must likewise be figurative of religious bodies Thus it is that this beast in its entirety like all the other such beasts of the Bible symbolizes the Gentile world in its entirety — civil and religious bodies (horns and heads). -2TG18 16.4

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To blaspheme is for one to speak lightly of God to work hypocrisy to profess to be something other than what one actually is. Inspirations definition is this: …I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan. Rev. 2:9. -2TG18 17.1

Rev 17:4-6 — And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her I wondered with great admiration. -2TG18 17.2

This woman does not symbolize something new but something as old as the time of the martyrs for she is the cause of their slaying. What could she be but a counterfeit religion which originated with Cains unacceptable sacrifice? Since then she has brought forth sectarianism has become a mother of harlots. Her abominations you note are made very attractive being dispensed from a golden cup held in hands that are gorgeously decked with the costliest things of earth. -2TG18 17.3

Rev 17:7-13 — And the angel said unto me Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carrieth her which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen and one is and the other is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue a short space. And the beast that was and is not even he is the eighth and is of the seven and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. -2TG18 17.4

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Here is a beast whose make-up is similar to that of the leopard-like beast of chapter 13. The horns of this scarlet-colored beast though are crownless and none of his heads are wounded. Also rather than having the name of Blasphemy written only over his heads his whole body is full of names of blasphemies. -2TG18 18.1

In previous studies we learned that the leopard-like beast symbolizes the world from the fall of Pagan Rome to our time (The Great Controversy pg. 442). Now since the scarlet-colored beast also has ten horns and seven heads it is again seen that he too is in the stream of time a symbol of the world with its civil and religious powers — horns and heads. -2TG18 18.2

Inasmuch as his head is not wounded as is the head of the leopard-like beast and since the wound of the leopard-like is healed it is clear that the scarlet-colored beast represents the world in the time the wound is healed in the time the two-horned beast (Rev. 13:11-18) makes a likeness of the leopard-like beast in its pre-wounded state. -2TG18 18.3

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You notice that the horns of Daniels fourth beast were crownless and the horns of Johns leopard-like beast crowned and again that the horns of the scarlet-colored beast are crownless. Inspiration by means of these symbolical beasts portrays three periods of time one following the other: (1) the period before the European kings received their crowns (2) the period in which they were crowned (3) a period of crownless kings in which Babylon the Great reigns supreme. -2TG18 19.1

The fact that nearly all crowned kings of the world have already been dethroned is proof in itself that Period No. 2, the period of the leopard-like beast (crowned horns) is about to pass away and that Period No. 3, the period of the scarlet-colored beast (crownless horns) is about to be ushered in. In order to make the transition the present distress of the nations is therefore inevitable. -2TG18 19.2

Rev 17:14-18 — These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called and chosen and faithful. And He saith unto me The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast these shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth. -2TG18 19.3

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Again the fact that the ten horns (kings) have one mind (unlike the toe-kings of Daniel 2:42, 43) but have no kingdom of their own besides the fact that the woman rules the beast and also the fact that the Communist leaders (crownless kings) of the nations and have one mind (work together for one common cause) — all these facts show that though Communism appears to be the next power to rule the world this symbolical prophecy points out that the world will next be ruled by an international religious system by Babylon the Great a rival of the religion of Christ and a counterfeit of the woman in Revelation chapter 12. The scarlet-colored beast therefore is the symbol of the world government into which the United Nations will finally evolve. -2TG18 20.1

Since those who have no part in the first resurrection all the unrepentant sinners from the beginning of the world to the Millennium are to be resurrected after the 1000 years they will then positively discover that their names were not written in the Book of Life — no not one of them even from the foundation of the world. The truth thus stands out clearly that then only will they behold the beast in its three phases ( that was and is not and yet is ) that is he was before the Millennium and is not during the Millennium and yet is after the Millennium. -2TG18 20.2

He is not during the 1000 years because at the commencement of the 1000 years the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire then the remnant all the rest who came not out of Babylons domain are slain with the sword of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Rev. 19:21, 16. -2TG18 20.3

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To summarize having lived before the Millennium and also after the Millennium and being dead during the Millennium the beast is seen in three phases in three periods: the pre-millennial in which he was the millennial in which he is not and post-millennial in which he is. -2TG18 21.1

He shall ascend out of the bottomless pit (out of the pit in which Satan himself is to be bound for a 1000 years) and then go into perdition (Rev. 17:8) that is he will shortly be put to his second death from which there is no resurrection. -2TG18 21.2

He is the eighth and is of the seven that is there are four beasts in Daniel 7, two in Revelation 13, and one in chapter 17 — seven beasts in all. But the seventh lives twice and thus after his resurrection he is the eighth but is of the seven. Then he goes into perdition — suffers the second death. -2TG18 21.3

The statement and there are seven kings shows that these kings are not in the symbolism that is they are not the horns nor are they the heads. All the horns and the heads are present on the beast whereas the seven kings are not there symbolized — five are fallen one is and the other is yet to come. -2TG18 21.4

We must fully realize that God through this symbolism summarizes the history of the entire world for the beast as I said before is symbolical not only of the pre-millennial world but also of the post-millennial wicked world. The seven kings of kingdoms from the foundation of the world before the flood (1) The ancient world before the flood (2) The ancient Babylonian Empire (3) The Medo-Persian Empire (4) the Grecian Empire (5) The Roman Empire. These are fallen. (6) The one that is is the world to which the present distress of nations is to give birth (the pre-millennial) and of which the beast itself in his first phase is the symbol. And (7) the one that is to come is the world after the 1000 years of which the beast itself in its third phase is also a symbol. -2TG18 21.5

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Thus along with this symbolism the world of sin is represented from its beginning to its very end. This beast therefore is the symbolical summary of the whole world. -2TG18 22.1

The one hour is obviously the time from the eleventh to the twelfth allegorical hours as set forth in Matthew 20:6. -2TG18 22.2

Number ten in this instance as elsewhere in the Bible carries the meaning of universality. The ten kings have no kingdom while the woman drives the beast but jointly with the beast they will have power as kings. The phrase as yet implies that after the one hour they will receive their kingdom. -2TG18 22.3

Rev 17:14 — These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called and chosen and faithful. -2TG18 22.4

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These kings are to be anti-religious and therefore anti-Christian. They shall eventually make war with the Lord and with His called chosen and faithful ones but the Lamb shall overcome the kings. -2TG18 23.1

The woman as shown before is the symbol of a confederated religious system with which the horns are not only in disagreement but are also her enemies. Consequently after the symbolical hour is passed they unseat her from the beast make her desolate and burn her with fire. Then it is that they receive their kingdom for a season and time. Dan. 7:12. -2TG18 23.2

Rev 17:17 — For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled. -2TG18 23.3

The call to come out of Babylon (Rev. 18:4) is a call to Gods people to come out of her geographic dominion. -2TG18 23.4

The eighteenth chapter is a continuation of the seventeenth and so we shall study it also: -2TG18 23.5

Rev 18:1 — And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven having great power and the earth was lightened with his glory. -2TG18 23.6

After what things? — After the scarlet-colored beast comes into being and while the woman Babylon is sitting upon him. It is then that the earth is to be lightened with the glory of the angel with the message of the hour. -2TG18 23.7

Rev 18:2-4 — And he cried mightily with a strong voice saying 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 the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 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. -2TG18 23.8

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A heavenly voice the Spirit of Truth is heard calling Gods people out of Babylon after the earth is lightened with the glory of the angel. For Gods people to come out so that they be not partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues they must necessarily be called into a place that is free from sin and thus be saved from Babylons plagues. Consequently they go into a purified sinless church and a land that is not in danger of the plagues. -2TG18 24.1

Rev 18:5-7 — For her sins have reached unto heaven and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart I sit a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow. -2TG18 24.2

She has rewarded Gods people with evil and now she is to be paid back double. She has boasted of ruling the world and has said in her heart that she is not a widow that God is her husband but she finds herself mistaken. -2TG18 24.3

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Rev 18:8-13 — Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God Who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoke of her burning standing afar off for the fear of her torment saying Alas alas that great city Babylon that mighty city the merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet and all thyine wood and all manner vessels of ivory and all manner vessels of most precious wood and of brass and iron and marble and cinnamon and odours and ointments and frankincense and wine and oil and fine flour and wheat and beasts and sheep and horses and chariots and slaves and souls of men. -2TG18 25.1

She has had everything put into her hands and her hands put into everything but now her glory comes to an end. -2TG18 25.2

Rev 18:14-21 — And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things which were made rich by her shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment weeping and wailing and saying Alas alas that great city that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls And they cast dust on their heads and cried weeping and wailing saying Alas alas that great city wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness for in one hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her thou heaven and ye holy apostles and prophets for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea saying Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all. -2TG18 25.3

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What violence and what an inglorious end when the ten horns take hold of Babylon the headquarters of that pretentious self-righteous world-wide power. Now is our time and opportunity to get ready for the four winds to be let loose and prepare an asylum a sinless place for the gathering of the people and for the finishing of the gospel work in all the world. -2TG18 26.1

Rev 18:22-24 — And the voice of harpers and musicians and of pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee and no craftsman of whatsoever craft he be shall be found any more in thee and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all that were slain upon the earth. -2TG18 26.1

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We see that this system of government is set up for no other purpose than to make its adherents rich in the name of religion a practice which supersedes all other forms of idolatry. -2TG18 27.1

If our hearts are set on wealth if our love of money becomes greater than our love to help set up the Kingdom then there is no hope. Such shall find themselves magnetically drawn down into Babylon. We must remember that the love of money is the root of all evil that it is easier for a camel to go through the needles eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom. But sad to say in spite of this solemn warning we see even the most informed in the things of God fall victims to such filthy lucre. -2TG18 27.2

If we have the dollar when we need it also are certain from day to day of our clothing food and a bed to sleep in we should feel rich. We should feel as if we had a million dollars in the bank. Yes if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and mind the Lords business being slothful in nothing and conscientious in everything then we shall have all these added unto us (Matt. 6:31-33). -2TG18 27.3

We have therefore again seen that the final world government is to be neither Communistic nor Capitalistic but ecclesiastical and more in favor of Capitalism than Communism. -2TG18 27.4

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