The Bible reveals that the final crisis in Revelation will be religious, not political, not economic, and not merely social. Bible prophecy clearly shows that the last days will center on worship, authority, and allegiance to God versus human tradition.

<p>The Bible reveals that the final crisis in Revelation will be religious, not political, not economic, and not merely social. Bible prophecy clearly shows that the last days will center on worship, authority, and allegiance to God versus human tradition.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

HopeLives365

Mark Finley

The Sabbath vs. Sunday: The Coming Global Conflict

What if the next major crisis isn't economic or military, but religious?

Most people don't see it unfolding, but it's taking place right before their eyes.

In this presentation, we're going to probe what's really going on behind the scenes and how the stage is being set for the greatest religious crisis in history.

Reveal to us through your word divine truths, enable us to understand the events, the overwhelming events that are now taking place to prepare for earth's final crisis.

Let's suppose that you have tickets to the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, and the concert is just absolutely amazing.

The orchestra is world-class, the music is breathtaking, And then somebody jumps up in the middle of the concert, as you've been sitting back enjoying that beautiful music, somebody jumps up and says, fire, fire, fire.

First, the guy is crazy, an absolute lunatic.

Secondly, it's a terrorist who wants people to jump up out of their seats so he can mow them down with his AK-47.

But thirdly, that there is a real fire that's taking place.

Now if the person is a crazy man, you want the police to carry him out.

If the person's a terrorist, you want the police to take him down.

If the person is genuinely calling out fire, and there is a fire, you want to call him a hero.

You see, warnings are only valid if the situation, if the crisis is real.

In the book of Revelation, God gives to us the final warning in Earth's history and this warning is real.

It's not something that is mythical, some pipe dream.

It's a very real, authentic warning given by God in love for his people in the last days of Earth's history.

And the reason God outlines events in history is because he wants us to be prepared for those events.

You know in John chapter 14, you remember it was John the Revelator that wrote the book of Revelation.

But notice what we read in John chapter 14 in here and verse 29.

Jesus says, now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it does come to pass, you might believe.

So Jesus says, I've told you things before they come to pass so that as they come to pass, your faith will be strengthened and you will believe.

In 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, the Lord, again, through the apostle Paul, tells us that we need not be sleeping on the knife edge of eternity but that God will reveal to us the events that are taking place so that we can prepare for them.

We're looking there at chapter 5 and verses 1 to 5.

But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you for you yourselves know perfectly the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night when they say peace and safety sudden destruction comes upon them but You don't need to be in darkness so that the day would overcome you as a thief.

You're sons of the light, sons of the day.

Now listen, therefore let us not sleep as others, but as watch and be sober.

So there are Events that are coming upon our world that are overwhelming.

Soon a crisis is going to break that is unimaginable.

God has warned us of these things in his word.

He longs for us not to sleep, but to watch, to be alert, and to be awake.

With that background, let's delve right into the Book of Revelation.

What are these events that are coming upon our world?

The great theme of the Book of Revelation is worship.

Satan desires to have the worship that belongs only to God.

God longs for us to come and worship Him.

Jesus longs for us to come with our hearts open in worship.

Satan desires to usurp the throne of God and command worship.

This conflict of worship that is the heart of the great controversy between good and evil, the heart of this conflict between Christ and Satan, is clearly outlined in Revelation chapter 14.

So we jump there to Revelation the 14th chapter.

We're going to look at the conflict that's coming, the events that lead up to that conflict, and notice what's really going on behind the scenes.

Revelation chapter 14, we start with verse 6.

I saw another angel flying in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell upon the earth.

God's last day message is an urgent message, the angel flies.

It's an eternal message, the everlasting gospel.

And it's a universal message, it goes to the ends of the earth.

Then it says, fear God, respect God, take God seriously, Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come and worship him that made heaven earth sea and the fountains of waters.

Worship him in the light of the judgment, in the light of the second coming of Christ.

There is a call to take God seriously, to give him glory, and to worship the Creator.

The basis of all worship is the fact that God has created us.

Revelation 4.11 says, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power because you created all things.

So the worthiness of Christ to be Worshipped is the fact that he's the creator.

Has Jesus given to us an eternal sign of his creative authority?

Seventh day of the week, the Bible says God sanctified it.

So right there at creation, God set aside the seventh day Sabbath as a symbol of his creative authority.

And in Revelation 14, 7, where John says, worship the 1 that made heaven, earth, sea, and the fountains of water, he's quoting from the fourth commandment.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

For in 6 days the Lord made heaven, earth, sea, and all that in them is.

So the Sabbath becomes the eternal sign of God's creative authority.

It is the sign that we worship the Creator, that we give our allegiance to Him.

The scripture puts it this way, the third angel followed them saying if anybody worships the Beast in his image and receives his mark in his forehead or in his hand.

So the mark of the Beast must be the opposite of the worship of the Creator.

It must be a man-made day of worship rather than the Sabbath worship.

In verse 12 the Bible tells us in Revelation 14 about those that don't worship the Beast.

Here is the patience of the endurance of the Saints, here are those that keep the commandments of God in the faith of Jesus.

So those that don't worship the Beast worship the Creator.

And what commandment has to do with the worship of the Creator?

So therefore, the Mark of the Beast must be opposite of the Sabbath, not a divine command, but a man-made tradition.

In those early centuries, by a union of church and state, the Sabbath was changed by man from Saturday to Sunday.

And so Sunday then eventually, eventually, will be enforced by law and the beast power will command worship on the first day.

What events will lead up to this enforcement of the Mark of the Beast?

What events are even taking place in our world now?

Satan has 2 strategies that will lead the world to deception.

Strategy number 1, Satan will use miracles, signs, and wonders poured out through spiritualistic manifestations in a false religious revival.

He does great wonders so that He makes fire come down from heaven on earth in the sight of men and deceives them.

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The Sabbath vs. Sunday: The Coming Global Conflict

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