The Sunday-Law Decree and Revelation 18

Created by: Antonio Bernard

The third angel's message warns against the revival of the beast, the formation of the image of the beast, and the enforcement of the mark of the beast. (Rev. 14 :9.) To meet this crisis bro ght to view in Revelation 1!, "od will send the might# angel of Revelation 1$ to give %ower and force to the third angel's message . (&' ()) . )

Early Writings, %. ()), sa#s that this might# angel comes in at the right time . *ltho gh "od does not give the date in the timetable of last+da# events, ,e does sa# that ,is %eo%le sho ld not b e ignorant of the times and seasons . (1 Thess. - :1+- . "/ -94 .) 0t has alread# been seen that the great event in the heavenl# sanct ar# which brings the angel of Revelation 1$ to the aid of the ch rch is the 1 dgment of the living . 'hat is the corres%onding earthl# event which makes it im%erative for that added 2%ower and force2 to be given to the warning of the third angel 3

4 ch ncertaint# e5ists on this im%ortant %oint. *ll are agreed on how the third angel's message began, b t there is great conf sion abo t how the message is going to end . 6efore this writer are articles from the Review and Herald and elsewhere, stating that the angel of Revelation 1$ is now doing his work :

'. R. 6each 2*nd toda# ,e is adding ,is %ower according to %lan. ,e is giving, we believe, the 'latter rain' e5%erience . *ccording to ,is %romise, ,e is %o ring o t ,is 7%irit ' %on all flesh .' (8oel ( :($). There can be no mistaking this .'e ma# not discern it or e5%erience it, b t tho sands are .2 '

*. 9. :age 2The 9atter Rain for which we have been %ra#ing an d that has been e5%erienced in s ch meetings of o r leaders and evangelists as the recent one at /am% 6erkshire, ;ew <ork, fell in a marked wa# on o r reg lar and st dent literat re evangelists at 'a nita ,ot 7%rings, 8 ne !=+8 l# ! .11 '

R. ". /am%bell 2The latter rain is falling . The ,ol# 7%irit is being richl # 1. '. R . 6each, RH, 8an . ($, 19>-, % . 4 . (. *. 9 . :age, Central Union Reaper, 7e%t . 1), 19>$, % . 11 %o red o t all abo t s . . . . 'h# not read all abo t it i n the Review and Herald ." 3

W. J . Hackett "There are evidences around over the world of early showers of the latter rain . " H. W. Low e "Denominational teaching has been that under the latter rain the message swells to a loud cry and then comes the Sunday law !ersecution and the death decree"all before one general close of !robation .

#. $. S!ear

% . The shaking & .od,s ' . The latter rain & /0S1/$2D ( . The loud cry & S23420+2 ) . The final test & * . +lose of third angel,s message & - . +lose of human !robation

.od,s /0S1/$2D S23420+2

5 . #lotting out of sin & 6 . $eceiving the seal of .od 7 . +lose of +hrist, s !riestly ministry & %8 . Seven last !lagues . 90umbers * to 7 cluster and overla! . 0umerical order cannot be e:actly defined .;",

Pentecost A"#$
THE TIME

$%%%
OF THE EARL+ RAIN

Close of Probation

(
L A S T P L A ) * E S

THE TIME OF THE LATTER RAIN

National Sun&ay Little Time of Trouble La'

$%00
THE EARL+ RAIN

Latter Rain
Final Seal Final Lou& Cry

,u&-ment of t.e "ea& ,u&-ment of t.e Li/inHoly Place

Continual Atonement

Most Holy Place ( S ecial Atonement!

31 AD THE

1*++ EARLY

1*** RAIN

National Sunday Law

AA 54

7
Close

TIME OR SEASON OF THE LATTER RAIN

EARLY RAIN
PRELIMINARY LOUD CRY FRUSTRATED LATTER RAIN PRELIMINARY SEAL

LATTER RAIN
FINAL LOUD CRY

L A S T P L A G U E S

of

LATTER RAIN ETERNAL SEAL

Probation
MARK OF THE BEAST

&#D 'ENT !" THE DEAD THE CLEANSIN BL!TTIN

&#D 'ENT !" THE LI(IN !" THE SANCT#A$% !#T !" SIN

H!L% PLACE

'!ST H!L% PLACE ) SPECIAL AT!NE'ENT

<et there are other articles b# *dventist writers sa#ing 1 st as definitel# that the latter rain is not falling. 7ome ministers have been heard declaring that the latter rain is falling in ?orea . 4ore recentl#, re%orts have been received that there is now m ch division and de%art re of so ls from the ch rch in ?orea .

The Review and Herald office has sent o t a letter soliciting s bscri%tions which sa#s, 2The latter rain is falling .2 Then the s bscriber reads the "eneral /onference %resident's words that it is not falling, b t that the ch rch m st now seek it. There are articles and statements b# res%ected ch rch leaders, declaring that the latter rain (Rev. 1$ :1) comes before the national 7 nda#+law decree is %assed in the @nited 7tates . (Rev . 1! :14+ 1).) An the other hand, eB all# recogniCed theologians and a n mber of charts %re%ared b# 6ible scholars show that the latter rain comes after the national 7 nda#+ law crisis of Revelation 1! :14+1).
(. $. . . +am!bell letter to subscribers of RH, %7-6 . ). W. J . Hackett !resident of the 0orth 1acific 4nion +onference letter to the field <ct . %7-6 . *. H. W. Lowe Defense Literature +ommittee letter =a y '8 %7-6 . -. #everidge $ . S!ear "When >re .od , s 1eo!le Sealed? " !ublished by the Defense Literature +ommittee of th e .eneral +onference %7-( ! . '( .

The 6ible an the 7%irit of :ro%hec# teaching

If the case is rested on the testimony of Inspiration, the overwhelming evidence supports the view that the latter rain falls after the national 7 nda# law . In fact, Revelation 13 :13, 14 shows that it is the false-latter rain which comes before the national Sunday law !"# $%%-$&' ( )* '+1 , -ere are the evidences of a postSunday-law latter rain :

The me

a!e o" Revelation 18 #$-%

.s the angel descends !)* '//, with the latter rain, he announces the complete' moral fall of 0abylon : 1.nd he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, 0abylon 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 2or all nations have drun3 of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the 3ings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are wa4ed rich through the abundance of her delicacies .nd I heard another voice from heaven saying, #ome out of her, my people, that ye be not parta3ers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues 2or her sins have reached unto heaven, and "od hat h remembered her ini5uities 16Rev 1% :'-$

The angel does not declare, 26ab#lon is abo t to fall .2 Rather, he sa#s, 26ab#lon is fallen,2 and describes those conditions which have ca sed her com%lete moral fall : (a) 7he 2is become the habitation of devils , and the hold of ever# fo l s%irit .2 That is, she has acce%ted the false latter rain which in realit# is s%irit alism . (Rev. 1! :1!, 14 . 1> :1!, 14 . "/ -$$. ) (b) 2*ll nations have dr nk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication Dillicit ch rch+state nionE .2 The angel of Revelation 1$ anno nces that ch rch and state have nited thro gho t /hristendom . ("/ !$9, !9=. )

The angel does not declare, 26ab#lon is abo t to fall .2 Rather, he sa#s, 26ab#lon is fallen,2 and describes those conditions which have ca sed her com%lete moral fall :

(c) 2For her sins have reached nto heaven .G *ccording to 0ns%iration, her sins 2will have reached nto heaven when the law of "od is made void . when the 7abbath of the 9ord is tram%led in the d st, and men are com%elled to acce%t in its stead an instit tion of the %a%ac# thro gh the strong hand of the law of the land .2+ )6/ 9)) . cf . -T 4-1 .

6ab#lon e5%erienced a %artial moral fall in 1$44, b t her com%lete moral fall is #et f t re . ("/ !$9, !9=, >=!+>=- .)
From the foregoing, it can be seen that when the angel of Revelation 1$ comes down from heaven, the a%ostate 7 nda#+kee%ing ch rches have alread# acce%ted the false 2latter rain, 2 nited ch rch and state, and infl enced the state to enforce 7 nda# observance . 0s not Revelation 1$ :1+- clear eno gh evidence to %lace the latter rain after the test 3

The "reat Controversy gives an acc rate commentar# on the crisis of Revelation 1! :1!+1) . An %age -$$ & . " . 'hite describes the false revival that leads % to the %assing of the national 7 nda# law. (/f. "/ -9(.) /arr#ing on the seB ence of %ages >=! to >=4, she describes the terrible condition of 6ab#lon at the time the angel of Revelation 1$ descends . :age >=> states that men of "od, em%owered b# the 7%irit, deno nce 2the fearf l res lts of enforcing the observance of the ch rch b# civil a thorit# .2

The ne5t %age (% . >=) ) shows the controvers# e5tending and wa5ing more fierce . The tidings of the lo d cr# madden the clerg#, and nder their infl ence 2the la w will be invoked against commandment kee%ers . 2 7ome make the mistake of reading this %age as if the latter rain aro ses the clerg# to infl ence the state to introd ce the 7 nda# legislation . 6 t a caref l st d# of the material %rior to %age >=) will show that the law has alread# been enacted . The lo d cr# ca ses the clerg# to demand that the law be 2invoked,2 that is, called into o%eration against the saints .

The shaking
The second reason why the latter rain comes after the Sunday law is because it comes only after the mighty sifting of the church caused b y the Sunday-law test. Inspiration speaks of a great shaking in the church before the outpouring o f the latter rain . (Hosea - :14, 1- . > :1+! . 1T 1)9+1$! . &' (>9+()1 . -T $=+$( . >T 4==, 4=1 .) It is true that the shaking commences from within the church by many refusing the truth presented and spurning the "straight testimony ." ((74 1! . &' ()=. ) But this shaking is brought to a clima by the crisis of the Sunday law. Then the loud cry will follow.

2The 9ord has faithf l servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. . . . 2The time is not far distant when the test will come to ever# so l . The mark of the beast will be rged %on s . Those who have ste% b# ste% #ielded to worldl# demands and conformed to worldl# c stoms will not find it a hard matter to #ield to the %owers that be, rather than s b1ect themselves to derision, ins lt, threatened im%risonment, and death . The contest is between the commandments of "od and the commandments of men . 0n this time the gold will be se%arated from the dross in the ch rch . Tr e godliness will be clearl# disting ished from the a%%earance and tinsel of it . 4an# a star that we have admired for its brillianc# will then go o t in darkness . /haff like a clo d will be borne awa# on the wind, even from %laces where we see onl# floors of rich wheat . *ll who ass me the ornaments of the sanct ar#, b t are not clothed with /hrist's righteo sness , will a%%ear in the shame of their own nakedness . . . .

2Then will the ch rch of /hrist a%%ear 'fair as the moon , clear as the s n, and terrible as an arm# with banners .' +-T $=+$( . 2*s trials thicken aro nd s, both se%aration and nit# will be seen in o r ranks . 7ome who are now read# to take % wea%ons of warfare will in times of real %eril make it manifest that the# have not b ilt %on the solid rock . the# will #ield to tem%tation . Those who have had great light and %recio s %rivileges, b t have not im%roved them, will , nder one %rete5t or another, go o t from s . ;ot having received the love of the tr th, the# will be taken in the del sions of the enem# . the# will give heed to sed cing s%irits and doctrines of devils, and will de%art from the faith . 6 t , on the other hand, when the storm of %ersec tion reall# breaks %on s, the tr e shee% will hear the tr e 7he%herd' s voice .

7elf+den#ing efforts will be % t forth to save the lost, and man# who have stra#ed from the fold will come back to follow the great 7he%herd . The %eo%le of "od will draw together and %resent to the enem# a nited front . 0n view of the common %eril, strife for s %remac# will cease . there will be no dis% ting as to who shall be acco nted greatest . ;o one of the tr e believers will sa# : '0 am of :a l . and 0 of *%ollos . and 0 of /e%has .' The testimon# of one and all will be : '0 cleave nto /hrist . 0 re1oice in ,im as m# %ersonal 7avio r . '

2Th s will the tr th be bro ght into %ractical life, and th s will be answered the %ra#er of /hrist, ttered 1 st before ,is h miliation and death : 'That the# all ma# be one. as Tho , Father, art in 4e, and 0 in Thee, that the# also ma# be one in @s : that the world ma# believe that Tho hast sent 4e .' 8ohn 1) :(1 . The love of /hrist, the love of o r brethren, will testif# to the world that we have been with 8es s and learned of ,im . Then will the message of the third angel swell to a lo d cr#, and the whole earth will be lightened with the glor# of the 9ord .2H>T 4==, 4=1 . These passages ha!e been "uoted at length so that the point may appear in its clear conte t . The Sunday-law crisis accomplishes the final sifting of the church . Then come the latter rain and loud cry.

The 7ealing The latter rain and the sealing are inse%arable events . 0f one is located, so is the other. Then does the sealing of the living saints take %lace before or after the enforcement of the 7 nda# law 3

2The 9ord has shown me clearl# that the image of the beast will be formed before %robation closes . for it is to be the great test for the %eo%le of "od, b# which their eternal destin# will be decided . . . . DRev . 1! :11+ 1) B otedE . . . .

2This is the test the %eo%le of "od m st have before the# are sealed .2+)1!/ 9)> .

2;ow, when the great work of 1 dging the living is abo t to begin, shall we allow nsanctified ambition to take %ossession of the heart and lead s to neglect the ed cation reB ired to meet the needs in this da# of %eril 3 20n ever# case the great decision is to be made whether we shall receive the mark of the beast or his image, or the seal of the living "od .2+>T 1!= . cf. -T 4)!+4)-, 4-1, -(- , -(> .

0t is com%letel# ntenable to %lace the time o f the latter rain before the sealing . 0n Testimonies for the Church, Iol. , !!. "#$, (1= (which is a commentar# on &Cekiel $ and $%, the 7%irit of :ro%hec# shows that immediatel# %rior to the commencement of the sealing of the 144,=== 2the danger and de%ression of the ch rch is greatest . G This des%eratel# low s%irit al condition of the ch rch wo ld not e5ist %rior to the sealing if the latter rain were falling.

PENTECOST

NATIONAL S*N"A+ LA1

CLOSE OF PRO2ATION

The eal o" the &oly S'irit in the Early Rain at conver ion Latter Rain THE SEAL OF THE HOL+
SPIRIT IN THE LATTER RAIN

THE SEAL OF THE HOL+ SPIRIT IN THE EARL+ RAIN

7ome disc ssion is needed on the statement , 2 . . . the lo d cr# of the third angel has alread# beg n in the revelation of the righteo sness of /hrist+174 !>! (written in 1$9() . The con te5t of this statement shows that & . " . 'hite was referring to the message of righteo sness b# faith which came to the ch rch in 1$$$ .

That &llen 'hite #et looked to the f t re for the %roclamation of the lo d cr# is clear from the following B otations . The dates when these statements were written sho ld be caref ll# noted : 20 have no s%ecific time of which to s%eak when the o t%o ring of the ,ol# 7%irit will take %laceHwhen the might# angel will come down from heaven, and nite with the third angel in closing % the work for this world . . . . H )6/ 9$4 (written in 1$9() .

. . the time will be fulfilled foretold in the $evelation and the mighty angel that shall lighten the earth with hi s glory will !roclaim the fall of #abylon . @5#+ 76 * 9written in %67'; . "When the storm of !ersecution really bursts u!on us . . . the !eo!le of .od will draw together . . . . Then will the message of the third angel swell to a loud cry and the whole earth will be lightened with the glory of the Lord .""2v -7 ( 9written in %788; .

"During the loud cry . . . light will be communicated to every city and town . The earth will be filled with the knowledge of salvation . . . . the light of !resent truth will be seen flashing everywhere .""2v -7) 9written in %78); . "The time is corning when there will be as many converted in a day as there were on the day of 1entecost after the disci!les had received the Holy S!irit .""2v -7' 9written in %78*; . "/n the future the earth is to be lightened with the glory of .od."" /n Heavenly 1laces ! . (() 9written in %78*; . Aurthermore about %78( the !en of /ns!iration testified to the fact that the church was not e:!eriencing the loud cry in the following words B "The time has come for a thorough reformation to take !lace .""6T '*% .

/n the $eview and Herald of >!ril % %678 2 . . . White Cuoted $evelation %6 B% and then stated ">s yet we certainly have not seen the light that answers to this descri!tion ." Later in the $eview and Herald of 0ovember '7 %67' the servant of the Lord !ointed out that $evelation %( B%%@% * must be fulfilled before the angel of $evelation %6 B% begins the !roclamation of his message . Airst she Cuotes from $evelation %( describing the formation of the image of the beast and the national Sunday law.

Then after Cuoting briefly from $evelation %5 B%) she !roceeds directly to $evelation %6 B %@* which begins ">nd after these things / saw another angel come down from heaven having great !ower & and the earth was lightened with his glory . >nd he cried mightily with a strong voice saying #abylon the great is fallen is fallen . . . ." The messenger of the Lord knew the correct order of events . She recogniDed that the "image of the beast" in $evelation must be formed before the angel of $evelation % 6 could !roclaim the com!lete fall of #abylon . <nly "after these things" could that mighty angel which is to lighten the earth with his glory begin the !roclamation of the loud cry .

Then what did 2llen .. White mean when she stated in %67' " . . . the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of +hrist. . . .""%S= (-(. /t is like saying "World War // began in the a!!easement o f Hitler at =unich " or as some now state "World War /// has already begun in the Eietnam conflict.F /ns!iration was merely utiliDing the familiar manner of e:!ressing the imminence of an event.

Pentecost A"#$
THE TIME

$%%%
OF THE EARL+ RAIN

Close of Probation

(
L A S T P L A ) * E S

THE TIME OF THE LATTER RAIN

National Sun&ay Little Time of Trouble La'

$%00
THE EARL+ RAIN

Latter Rain
Final Seal Final Lou& Cry

,u&-ment of t.e "ea& ,u&-ment of t.e Li/inHoly Place

Continual Atonement

Most Holy Place ( S ecial Atonement!

31 AD THE

1*++ EARLY

1*** RAIN

National Sunday Law

AA 54

7
Close

TIME OR SEASON OF THE LATTER RAIN

EARLY RAIN
PRELIMINARY LOUD CRY FRUSTRATED LATTER RAIN PRELIMINARY SEAL

LATTER RAIN
FINAL LOUD CRY

L A S T P L A G U E S

of

LATTER RAIN ETERNAL SEAL

Probation
MARK OF THE BEAST

&#D 'ENT !" THE DEAD THE CLEANSIN BL!TTIN

&#D 'ENT !" THE LI(IN !" THE SANCT#A$% !#T !" SIN

H!L% PLACE

'!ST H!L% PLACE ) SPECIAL AT!NE'ENT

0ow is the time to !re!are. The seal of .od will never be !laced u!on the forehead of an im!ure man or woman. /t will never be !laced u!on the forehead of the ambitious world@loving man or woman. /t will never be !laced u!on the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. >ll who receive the seal must be without s!ot before .od"candidates for heaven. .o forward my brethren and sisters. / can only write briefly u!on these !oints at this time merely calling your attention to the necessity of !re!aration. Search the Scri!tures for yourselves that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the !resent hour. Testimonies for the +hurch *B'87 '%'@'%-

(or (urther in"ormation )indly ee the cla ic # * +The Sanctuary Re tored, -y Peter .arne +Pre'arin! "or the Latter Rain, -y Gordon /0 1ollier Sr0 * * .e u will oon come -ac2 "or u 0 3o time to ma2e money o" 'ower-'oint 're entation in order to !et rich0 Amen