By Andrew McChesney Mordecai Msimanga turned to God and became a missionary to his fellow Zimbabweans after accidentally hearing a sermon from the Song of Solomon. As a young man, Mordecai was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Rhodesia in 1963 and moved to the country’s second-largest city, Bulawayo, to find work. He stopped … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Revelation shows that the Sabbath will be a sign of obedience at the end of history. We have to remember, however, that a person’s observance of Sunday now does not itself mean that he or she has the mark of the beast. Sunday keeping will become “the mark of the beast” only when, having clearly understood … Continue reading –>
Revelation chapter 13 indicates that the lamblike beast will have the leading role in the final crisis. This world power will establish a global system in an attempt to control the beliefs of people. This system will mirror medieval Christianity under papal control. Read Revelation 13:16-17 along with Deuteronomy 6:4-8. What does putting the mark on the right … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 13:12-13. How do 1 Kings 18:38 and Acts 2:3 help us understand the nature of the lamblike beast’s deceptive activities – the greatest of which is bringing fire down from heaven? By working miracles, the lamblike beast will convince many that its words are true despite not being in full harmony with Scripture. “Through the agency of spiritualism, … Continue reading –>
The first half of Revelation chapter 13 describes the Roman Catholic power active during the prophetic period of 1,260 days/years. With the events of the French Revolution, this religio-political system received a deadly wound. However, the mortal wound will eventually be healed, restoring this system to life. The second half of the chapter describes how … Continue reading –>
Revelation 13:5 specifies a time period of persecution that we talked about in yesterday’s study. The 42 months of the beast’s activities is the same time period as the 1,260 days/years of the persecution of the woman/church in Revelation 12:6, Revelation 12:14. (A prophetic day symbolizes a year [Num. 14:34, Ezek. 4:6]. See Tuesday’s study in Lesson 7). The year A.D. … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 13:1-4, Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8. What are the characteristics of this beast, and what are the phases of its existence? John watches as a monstrous beast rises out of the sea. While a beast represents a political power, the description of the sea beast points to a political power that has religion as a dominant characteristic. … Continue reading –>
By Andrew McChesney Tracey Lee, a mother of four living near Fort Worth, Texas, wondered what gift she could give to God. She didn’t have much money, and she has struggled for years with attention-deficit disorder. But between homeschooling and five pets, she realized that she had one thing that she could dedicate to the … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Snares of Satan”, pp. 518-530, in The Great Controversy. The purpose of Revelation chapter 12 is, first of all, to tell God’s people that end-time events are a part of the great conflict between Christ and Satan. The book warns God’s people about what they are facing today and are about to … Continue reading –>
Revelation 12:17 marks a shift in Satan’s strategy as he tries to win the people of the world and even seeks to deceive Christ’s faithful followers. Throughout Christian history, Satan has opposed God’s work of salvation, primarily by means of subtle compromise within the church and through coercion and persecution from without. History shows that, while … Continue reading –>
