ccc“The greatest masterpiece of deception
to counterfeit God's wonderful plan of salvation is pagan
sun-worship. I wonder how many have heard or read, sometime
in your life, about the pagans worshipping the sun -- pagan
sun-worship? In all history of mankind, no form
of idolatry has been more widely practiced than that of
the worship of the sun. In fact, it might be said that
practically every form of idolatry is but an
out-growth of sun-worship. Historical facts
reveal that there us scarcely a nation in which the worship of
the sun in some form, has not found a place.
cccSun-worship has been the devil's
master key down through the centuries to counterfeit
God's truth and plan of salvation. It has robbed God of
true worship from millions of every generation gone by,
since the time of Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah.
Looking over the world today, we find many religions. Even
in the Christian religion, we find it today. There are hundreds
of different church organizations with different beliefs
and forms of worship. It is, indeed, hard for us to
comprehend or even imagine, what has taken place over the
centuries to bring about these conditions and beliefs and forms
of worship, as we find it today in so many countries.
cccJust because the devil has taken
advantage of the instinct in humans to worship, and
has led mankind to be apparently sincere in
their false systems and practices, is no reason
that it is not insulting to a true and righteous and holy God. We
stand horrified and filled with pity as we see the heathen,
sincere in his worship, lying on a bed of spikes or walking
through coals of fire, or offering his own children as human
sacrifices. But what an insult to God!
cccIn different countries, the sun-god
has been known by different names and under different forms;
such as, Ra, Osiris, Baal, Shamas, Adoni, Moloch, Tammuz,
Elagabalus, Baal-peor, Bel, Mithra, Appollo, Bacchus, Hercules,
and many others. No matter what name or under what form the
sun was worshipped, there was always a female divinity
associated with it. Because the warm rays of the sun
in the springtime caused the cold earth to warm and spring forth
in new life, it was held that the sun was the supreme power
of fruitfulness and manifested his powers in
reproduction. Sun-worship was, therefore, nothing more or
less than the worship of the principle of reproduction in man
and nature.
cccOn historian writes: 'As the sun
was the great god, the supreme lord, and
as he exerted his glorious powers in
reproduction, it was held to be the most acceptable worship
for his devotees so to employ themselves and their powers.
Consequently, prostitution was one chief characteristic
of sun-worship wherever found. The sacrifice of
virginity was the most acceptable offering that ever could be
made in the worship of the sun.'
The Origin of Sun-Worship
cccNow, let me read to you about a man who has
something to do with the beginning of sun-worship. I am
reading from the Bible, Genesis 10:8-10. Here it says, 'And Cush
begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He
was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even
as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the
beginning of his kingdom was Babel.' (Margin, Babylon.)
cccNimrod was a great grandson of Noah. He was a
great leader and was the first empire builder.
He was the founder of Babylon. His wife, history
tells us, was named Semiramis, and she was the first
deified queen of that city. Nimrod was the first
deified king. When Nimrod died, the people
mourned. They said that he was a god. Semiramis,
in order to elevate her position, told the people
that Nimrod was indeed the sun god, and that his
spirit was still living in the sun. She was already queen
of the city in which there had been built a tower to
reach unto Heaven. Then, to elevate her position, she said that
she was the queen of heaven, and her spirit was
that of the moon; and at her death, she would dwell in
the moon even as Nimrod was already in the sun.
cccEvery year, when the cold season began, the people
believed their son-god was leaving them. They came to
learn that his lowest dip on the horizon on about December 21,
was followed by his gradual return, until in midsummer, he was
directly overhead at noonday. It was on the 25 of December
that they began to notice this gradual return of the sun-god.
This day, they called the birthday of the sun. Thus, the
winter solstice came to be regarded as a time of great
importance; and, at the festival inaugurated, there was feasting
and merriment in honor of the return of the all
powerful sun-god. It was this belief in the annual journey
of their god that Elijah
alluded to in his conflict with the priests
of Baal, the Syro-Phoenician sun-god. (1 Kings 18:27,
if 'he is a god . . . he is in a journey, or
peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.')
cccAfter the death of Nimrod, Semiramis never
married again. Being the 'queen of heaven,' how could she
marry an ordinary man? But some years later, she gave
birth to a son. His name was Tammuz. And
he was born on the 25 of December. There was wild
rejoicing in the nation over which Semiramis was queen.
She told the people that the spirit of the sun, her
husband, Nimrod, was the father of Tammuz. Thus, through the sin
of this queen, Satan was laying the foundation of a false system
that would counterfeit the miraculous birth of Jesus. Tammuz was
regarded as a miracle child of Semiramis.
cccTammuz was hailed as the son of the sun.
He was idolized and even worshipped. The first
letter of his name became, in time, the symbol
of sun-worship. Human sacrifices to the sun-god were
offered on this initial letter, made of wood, and known as
the cross, 'T.' His birthday, December 25, was
honored more and more. One historian writing of
the time of Rome says: 'The 25 of December, the day
that was observed at Rome as the day when the victorious god
reappeared on earth, was held at the Natalis invicti solis,
the birthday of the unconquered sun. The yule log is the
dead stock of Nimrod, deified as the sun-god, but cut down
by his enemies; the Christmas tree is Nimrod
redivivus--the slain god come to life again.' To further honor
the sun-god, the first day of the week was
dedicated to the sun. It became know as Sun's
day, and later called Sunday.
cccTo honor Semiramis, the goddess of the
moon, they set aside the first full moon after the
vernal equinox. Remembering that Tammuz was born on December
25, at once manifested the relation between the two days.
Between the 25 of March and the 25 of December,
there are exactly nine months. Thus, March 25 came to be honored
as the day when this false messiah, the son of the
sun-god, was conceived. Now, with that in mind, let me read
you this statement from a book giving the different festival days
recognized by the Papal church. 'The feast of the
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin (March 25) commemorates
the coming of the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce that she is
to be the mother of God.' Think of it, dear friends, Satan
worked many years before the conception and birth of the true
Messiah (Jesus) to counterfeit through sun-worship His miraculous
conception and birth.
cccNow, follow me closely. While yet a young man, Tammuz,
a hunter like his supposed father, was killed by a wild boar.
There was a great weeping and mourning through the entire kingdom,
and the forty days, before the first full moon
following the vernal equinox, were set apart as a time of 'weeping
for Tammuz.' Let me read about this. I am reading
from Ezekiel, chapter 8, verses 12-18. 'Then said He unto
me [i.e., then said the true Lord God Jesus Christ unto the
prophet Ezekiel], Son of man, hast thou seen what the
ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark,
every man in the chambers of his imagery?
for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord
hath forsaken the earth. He said also unto me, Turn thee yet
again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that
they do. Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's
house [i.e., of the Lord's professed house] which was
toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping
for Tammuz. Then said He unto me, Hast thou seen
this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see
greater abominations than these. And He brought me into
the inner court of the Lord's house [i.e., of the Lord's
professed house], and, behold, at the
door of the temple of the Lord [i.e., at the
door of the professed temple of the Lord], between the porch and
the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their
backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their
faces toward the east; and they worshipped the
sun toward the east. Then He said unto me, Hast thou seen
this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of
Judah that they commit the abominations which they
commit here? for they have filled the land with violence,
and have returned to provoke Me to anger: and, lo, they put the
branch to their nose [i.e., lo, they are as those who mock Me].
Therefore will I also deal in fury: Mine eye shall not spare,
neither will I have pity: and though they cry
[i.e., though they call out to, address by name, preach, publish,
cry unto, and/or cry] in Mine ears with a loud voice,
yet will I not hear them.'
cccGod's people [i.e., God'sprofessed people]
were constantly coming in contact with paganism [i.e.,
with spiritualism; and/or with secretly disguised witchcraft and
demon worship; and/or with heathenism; and/or with open idolatry
and thus open Sabbath polluting and thus an open false witness,
and much more--as seen in Ezekiel 20:16; PP 684-686],
which was nothing more or less than sun-worship. They were
constantly being tempted to follow the religion of the pagans
instead of the Bible. Satan succeeded many times in
leading God's people in sin and pagan sun-worship. The prophet
was shown greater and still greater abominations. He was shown
the people turning their backs on the temple of God and
worshipping the sun toward the east.
cccThey also worshipped the moon goddess, the
queen of heaven. Let me read [to] you what they did.
Jeremiah 7:16-18. 'Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither
lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to Me:
for I will not hear thee. Seest thou not what they do in
the cities of Judah and in the streets of
Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers
kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make
cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out
drink offerings unto other gods [i.e., and/ or
idols; and/or God-dishonoring, forbidden, so-called true images
and pictures of God], that they may provoke Me
to anger.' These cakes were round and on them was cut a
cross in honor of the sun-god, and they were offered to the queen
of heaven.
cccBryant, in his Mythology says, 'One species of sacred
bread [i.e., so-called sacred bread] which used to be
offered to the gods was of great antiquity, and
called boun (buns).' Vol. 1, p. 373. The famous hot
cross buns, which are made and eaten on Good Friday,
are relics of paganism. At least 1500 years before Christ,
'buns' were offered in the worship of the
queen of heaven. Another name for this queen of heaven
was Ishtar from which we get our word, 'Easter.'
In the days of Jeremiah, the prophet, some of God's people
went into idolatry and offended God by this
practice in connection with sun-worship. It was so
decidedly displeasing to Him then, I wonder how
He feels today?
cccBut listen to this. Down through the centuries the
distinguishing mark that separated the pagans from God's
people was their day of worship, which was Sunday
or Sun's day. The pagans worshipped the sun on Sunday.
They took the first day of the week and gave it the highest honor
by naming it in honor of the sun-god and worshipping
the sun on that day. God's people kept Sabbath or seventh day
of the week--the day that God had blessed and made holy at
creation. Thus, the distinguishing mark of the heathen was
their Sunday; and the mark of God's people was the
Sabbath. (Read Ezekiel 20:12, 20.)
cccImagine, if you can, what a spectacle for the
Universe to behold! Through the centuries, God's people
kept the commandments of God including the Sabbath and offered
their sacrifices which typified or represented the death of
Christ--when He would come and die for sinners. On the
other hand, were the heathen [i.e., on the other hand,
were the open idolaters or those who were 'making to themselves
images to represent God,' as seen in ST May 6, 1880, or 1ST 154] who
worshipped the sun; kept Sunday and offered their own sons and
daughters in the fire [i.e., also see this `fire' for
these last days in Revelation 21:7-10, 27; 22:14-15] of
crucified human victims on crosses to appease the sun-god.
I say again, what a terrible thing for Heaven to behold!
How the devil tried to insult Christ's
sacrifice! Satan tried constantly to get God's
people away from the true God and the true Sabbath; but God
continued to send messages to His people through the prophets
that they should obey Him.
cccAs I have mentioned already, the pagans set a
time in honor of the female goddess, or queen of heaven. She
was considered the goddess of reproduction. She was [i.e.,
is] worshipped in different countries under different
names; but [her] Anglo-Saxon name was Eostre (Ishtar)
from which we get Easter. In connection
with the worship of this goddess of reproduction,
the pagans chose an 'egg' as a symbol of fertility. They
knew that a fertile egg would produce a chick. They also had a
rabbit as symbol of germination in connection
with the worship of this goddess of reproduction. The
rabbit is one of the fastest reproducing animals in the
world. Now, keep in mind that Sunday, the first
day of the week, was dedicated to the sun-god. They
went out early in the morning to some high mountain and
there, as the sun was soon coming up in the east,
they held this worship of the goddess Eostre. As I have
already said, sun-worship was nothing more or less than
the idolizing or worshipping of the reproductive powers in men
and women and in nature; therefore, this as well as many
other of their ancient ceremonies, centered around immorality.
Christ, the True Messiah Comes
cccFinally Christ, the Son of God was born. The exact
day of His birth no one knows [i.e., God 'has concealed the
precise day of Christ's birthday,' and 'this secrecy was to
prevent idolatry,' as we have been plainly told in AH 477; or in
RH December 9, 1884, or 1RH 487]. But He lived to be thirty-three
and one-half years when He was crucified, which
was in the Spring of the year at the time of the Passover.
Listen, Friends, it is almost too terrible for words. You
remember Tammuz was exalted by Satan to
be the false messiah or rival of Jesus. The symbol of
the cross, the first letter of his name, 'T,'
was [i.e., and is] the sign of sun-worship. Down through
the years, many times, as Satan had succeeded in
leading Israel into sin and pagan sun-worship,
it had seemed that the sun-god was victorious over the
true God. Jesus, the Creator of the world, came into a
world that had forgotten Him. He suffered
every insult at its hands, and finally died upon the symbol of
sun-worship, the cross; as Paul says, 'even the death of the cross.'
( Philippians 2:8.)
cccWhat rejoicing then by the demons! The
Son of God delivered by His own people [i.e., by His own
professed people] and crucified by the sun-worshipping
Romans on the symbol of sun-worship! Think of the
great Son of God dying in such awful humiliation while the people
looked on, wagging their heads in mockery. What condescension!
But Satan saw that his disguise
was torn away. His administration was laid open before the
unfallen angels and before the Heavenly Universe. He had revealed
himself as a murderer. The last link of sympathy
between himself and the Heavenly world was broken. 'And I heard a
loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength,
and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the
accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before
our God day and night.' Revelation 12:10. Yet Satan
was not to be destroyed. For the sake of man, his
existence must be continued. Man, as well as angels, must
see the contrast between the Prince of light and the prince
of darkness. He must choose whom he will serve.
cccEarly Sunday morning, the first day
of the week, God raised His son from the grave, a
conqueror over sin and death.
The devil was a conquered foe. In the book of
Revelation, chapter 12 and verse 12, I read: 'Therefore rejoice,
ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of
the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come
down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he
hath but a short time.' Satan was not through in
his great warfare against God. He centered all his forces against
the Christians, who believed on Jesus, to persecute and
also to lead them into deception, if possible.
cccAs the disciples and early Christians went forth to
preach the gospel, they, of course, cane face to face with the
pagan world. The pagan's religion was [i.e., and still
is] sun-worship, and it had reached its very highest point
in the days of Rome. The Christians told of the One whom
they worshipped, the Son of God. They told how He had been born in
this world; how he lived and died; and how He had come to
life again. The devil succeeded in getting
hundreds of pagans to accept Christianity nominally
[i.e., to accept Christianity in-name-only], merely for gain
or influence. In heart, they were still
pagans [i.e., still witchcraft and demon worshippers;
and/or still sun-worshippers; and/or still spiritualists; and/or
still sun-god-worshippers; and/or still heathen; and/or still
open idolaters] and used their influence to lower
the standard of the church. As the Christians multiplied
and were scattered throughout the world, the temptation
and influence became stronger and stronger to
be more like the heathen in their form of worship,
in order to gain favor with them. The apostle
Paul mentioned about the 'mystery of iniquity' working already in
his day. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8.) He also warned the churches
of wolves coming in in sheep's clothing.
cccThe church historian, Mosheim,
tells how certain rites and ceremonies crept silently
into use and then 'claimed the rank of divine
institution.' He says, 'The pagans [i.e., and/or the
heathens] had been accustomed to numerous and splendid ceremonies
from their infancy, and when they saw the new religion to be
destitute of such ceremonies, they thought it too simple.
The Christians were pronounced atheists [i.e.,
and/or idolaters; and/or heathens; and/or followers of gods;
and/or believers in no God], because they were destitute of
temples, altars, victims, priests, and all the pomp which the
pagans supposed to be the essence of religion; for the unenlightened
persons [i.e., for the fasely so-called enlightened persons]
are prone to estimate religion by what meets the eyes. To silence
this accusation, the Christian leaders thought they must
introduce some rites and ceremonies which would strike
the senses of the people.' Under new
names and forms, many ceremonies and institutions of
pagan sun-worship were gradually sanctioned and
adopted into the church. The historian says
further, 'Before the second century was half gone, before
the last of the apostles had been dead forty years, this apostasy,
this working of the 'mystery of
iniquity,' had so largely spread over both the east
and west, that it is literally true, that a
large part of the Christian observances and institutions [sic],
even in this century had the aspect of the pagan mysteries.'
cccLet us notice now, a few striking and outstanding
things that took place; and, keep in mind, that the devil,
who is really the author of pagan sun-worship,
had been working for centuries to get this false
worship so implanted in the world that God's true plan
of salvation through Jesus Christ would be insulted and if
possible be made a failure.
cccFirst, the exact date of Christ's birthday was
[i.e., and still is] not known; and, so, it was suggested, Why
not call it the same date as the birth of Tammuz, which
was December 25? That too, was the time when the sun
had reached its lowest point on the horizon and started back up
the heavens. The sun-god had come to life, so to speak.
Thus, gradually, but surely, December 25 came to be
known as the birthday of Christ [sic]. The papal church
finally instituted a special 'mass' on
that day, 'Christ's mass;' and so December 25
became 'Christmas.' The yule log,
burning in the fire, followed by the green tree
lighted with candles, all came in from the pagan's worship,
representing Nimrod being dead, while his
spirit still lived in the sun; and was alive again in Tammuz,
his son.
cccAgain, Christ was crucified and resurrected in the
Spring of the year, near the time of the moon festival. The
devil was on hand again to bring in the idea of
having a celebration the same time as the heathen,
even doing as they did, but call it 'in honor of the
resurrection.' The cakes to the queen of
heaven became the 'hot cross buns.' ( Read Jeremiah
7:16-18.) The forty days of 'weeping for
Tammuz' became 'Lent;' and, at the
close of Lent came 'Easter Sunday.'
(Read Ezekiel 8:12-14.) As I have mentioned, this goddess Ishtar
(Eostre) came to be known as the goddess of Springtime -- 'new
life,' or rather, as history records it, the goddess of 'reproduction.'
The pagans went out to some mountain-side, early Sunday
morning and worshipped this goddess as the sun
was rising in the east. They gave themselves to immorality
and indecency of every description. The eggs and
rabbits were used as symbols of fertility and germination --
'life.'
cccListen, friends, what an insult to our Lord and
Saviour, Jesus! Because He arose from the dead (came to
life) early Sunday morning, Satan
succeeded in transferring the insulting festival of the pagans
[i.e., festival of the heathens] over in honor [sic] of
Christ's resurrection; and, so, today, we still have eggs and
rabbits, and hot cross buns, and early sunrise service,
all in honor [sic] of Christ's resurrection. It all
came into the church gradually and was blessed by the Catholic
church and given to the world.
cccBut that isn't all. The pagans worshipped [i.e.,
and the pagans or heathens still worship] the sun on Sunday
(Sun's day). It was [i.e., and still is] the heathen
festival day in honor of the sun-god. Webster's unabridged
Dictionary says of Sun day, 'So called because
the day was anciently dedicated to the sun or to
its worship.' The North British Review,
Vol. 18, p. 409, calls Sunday 'The wild solar
holiday of all pagan times [i.e., of all heathen times].
And Gibbon, in a note to paragraph 2, chapter 20, says that 'Constantine
[sic] styles the Lord's day Dies Solis
(day of the sun), a name which could not offend the ears of
his pagan subjects [i.e., of his heathen subjects].'
The Schoff-Herzog Encyclopedia has the following to
say of the subject of Sunday: 'Sunday (Dies
Solis of the Roman
calendar, the day of the sun; because dedicated
to the sun), the first day of the week, was
adopted by the early Christians [sic] as a day of
worship. The 'Sun' of Latin adoration, they
interpreted [sic] as the 'Sun of Righteousness' . . . No
regulations for its observance are laid down in
the New Testament, nor, indeed is its observances
even enjoined.'
cccThink of it, the Sabbath (seventh day), which God
had blessed and made holy for man to worship the true God upon,
was gradually set aside and the festival day
of pagan sun-worship was taken into the church
[sic]. Professor Hutton Webster, Ph.D., in his book, 'Rest
Days,' p. 27, has this to say: 'What began,
however, as a pagan ordinance, ended as a Christian
regulation [sic], and a long series of imperial
decrees, during the fourth, fifth, and sixth
centuries enjoined with increasing stringency abstinence
from labor on Sunday.'
cccNow, let me ask you a question, Did you ever wonder
who blessed Sunday [sic] and gave it the name 'Lord's
Day?' And editorial in the 'Catholic Mirror,'
September 23, 1893, says: 'The Catholic church for over
one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant
[i.e., pronounced as Protest--ant, in its original sense], by
virtue of her divine mission [sic], changed the day
from Saturday to Sunday. . . The Christian
[sic] Sabbath (Sunday) is therefore to this day the
acknowledged offspring of the Catholic church.'
cccEusebus, bishop and biographer of Constantine [sic],
A.D. 330, says, 'All things whatsoever that it was duty
to do on the Sabbath, these we have transferred [sic] to the Lord's
Day (Sunday) [sic].'
cccIn the Augsburg Confession of Faith,
section 10, part 2, as quoted in Cox's Sabbath Manual
is found this significant statement, 'The observance
of the Lord's day (Sunday) [sic] is founded not on any
command of God, but on the authority of the church [i.e.,
but some will remember that God's Word has 'supreme authority,'
as seen in AA 68-69].'
cccThus we see that the Catholic church
adopted the pagan's sun's day and blessed it and gave it to
the world instead of the Sabbath of God. The true Lord's day
is the Sabbath. Jesus said, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and
not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of
the Sabbath.' Mark 2:27, 28. In Ex. 20:10, I read, 'The seventh
day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.' In Isa. 58:12-14, God
makes several promises to those who will take their foot off the
Sabbath, and stop doing their own work on His holy day. In Rev.
1:10, John says, 'I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day,' meaning
the Sabbath. Nowhere does the Bible speak of Sunday
as the Lord's day. ccc
cccAnother statement from the Augsburg Confession
of Faith says, 'They (the Catholics) allege the changing
of the Sabbath into the Lord's day [sic],
contrary, as it seemeth, to the decalogue; and they have no
example more in their mouth's than the change of
the Sabbath. They will needs have the power to
be very great, because it hath done away with a
precept of the decalogue.' Library of Original Sources,
Vol. v, pp. 173, 174. ccc
Baptist Minister Speaks
ccc'There was and is a commandment to keep holy the
Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday.
It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the
Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day
of the week, with all its duties, privileges, and
sanction. Earnestly desiring information on this subject, which I
have studied for many years, I ask, where can the record of such
a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament, absolutely not.
There is no Scriptural evidence of the change of
the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first day
of the week. . . .
cccOf course, I quite well know that Sunday did
come into use in early Christian [sic] history as a religious
day [sic], as we learn from the
Christian Fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it
comes branded with the mark of paganism, and christened
with the name of the sun god, when adopted and
sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and bequeathed as
a sacred legacy [sic] to Protestantism
[i.e., pronounced Prau--testant--ism; and, not prounced
Protest--ant--ism in this case].' Dr. Edward
Hiscox, author of the Baptist Manual, in
a paper read before a New York minister's conference held in
1893.
cccNotice carefully what this Baptist
author says, ‘What a pity that it comes branded with
the mark of paganism, and christened with the
name of the sun god, when adopted and sanctioned by the papal
apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy
[sic] to Protestantism [i.e.,
pronounced Prau--testant--ism in this case].’
Bible Prophesies This Counterfeit
cccNow, here is the most serious part of this entire study. What does the Bible say about it and how does God feel about it? Would you really like to know? Take your Bible and follow closely. Turn to Daniel, the seventh chapter, and read verses, 1-8. Notice that Daniel, the prophet, had a vision and saw four beasts. The fourth beast has ten horns; and, then, another horn comes up that uproots three of the ten. Now, read verses 17 and 23. Notice that these beasts represent kingdoms or powers. The fourth beast represents that fourth kingdom upon the earth. Every historian and Bible student knows that the four kingdoms represented here are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome. Rome is the fourth. The ten horns represent the ten divisions of the Roman Empire. Verse 24. Then the other horn that came up and uprooted three of the ten is a power that came up after the Roman Empire was divided. What power was it? It was the Papacy. What will it do? Read verse 25. There is says that it will speak great words against the Most High (God) and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change times and laws. Does the Papacy claim to have changed God's law?--[i.e., yes, it changed the fourth commandment, which concerns the true Sabbath; it entirely dropped the second commandment, which is against open idolatry and/or against open heathenism; and it changed the tenth commandment, which is against coveting, into two parts to retain the semblance of having ten commandments]. Notice the following from one of their catechisms:
cccccc’Question -- Which is the Sabbath day?
ccccccAnswer -- Saturday is the Sabbath day.
ccccccQuestions -- Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
ccccccAnswer -- We observe Sunday instead of
Saturday because the Catholic church, in the Council of
Laodicea, transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.'
Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine,
by Rev. Peter Geiermen, page 50.
cccccc
cccIf you will turn to Revelation the 13th chapter, you
will find recorded a vision that John had in which he saw
a beast with characteristics of the four
that Daniel saw. John saw a power
that spoke blasphemy against God. The Papal
church came out of Rome, but has in it all the
pagan forms and services [i.e., all the heathen forms and
services], which came from pagan sun-worship. Keep
in mind, that sun-worship originated back at the
time of Babel or Babylon and has come down
through Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome. The Catholic
church took these different rites and services, and
blessed them in honor [sic] of Christ and His service. It claims
to have the authority [sic] to change
God's law, and uses the change of the
Sabbath to the first day of the week [sic] as
the highest evidence or mark of her authority.
Read Rev. 13:16-18.
cccGod's mark of His authority [i.e., of His 'supreme
authority,' as seen in AA 69] is the Sabbath, blessed and made
holy at the time of creation, in honor of creation. Ex. 20:8-11.
It is also a sign of redemption and sanctification. Ezek. 20:12,
20. God's Sabbath has always been a sign of the obedience
and loyalty to the true God, the Creator. Sunday
was the day of worship in honor of the sun-god -- a counterfeit
worship against the true God. Sunday
is therefore, a symbol of rebellion against the true
God and His plan of worship.
It is spoken of in the Bible as the mark of the beast -- a
counterfeit of God's mark, the true Sabbath day.
cccGod is jealous for His Son, His law, His holy
Sabbath, and His truth. In His love and mercy, He is sending a
warning message to the entire world,
telling them to worship the Creator, and that Babylon
is fallen, the great false system based on sun-worship. The
message also warns the world not to worship the
beast power, nor receive its mark in their
forehead or hand (by believing or acting). Notice how strong the
message of warning is: 'And I saw another angel fly in the midst
of Heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that
dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue,
and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give
glory to Him; for the hour of His Judgment is come:
and worship Him that made Heaven, and earth, and
the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another
angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city,
because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of
her fornication. And the third angel followed them,
saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the
beast and his image, and receive his mark
in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine
of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the
cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire
and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the
presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up
for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship
the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark
of his name.' Revelation 14:6-11.
cccThe prophet saw in holy vision that warning
message going to all the world just before the end. Then
he also saw a group keeping the commandments of God. 'Here
is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' Revelation 14:12.
cccThe Bible closes by pronouncing a blessing on all
who keep the commandments and look for Jesus to come. 'Blessed
are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city.' Revelation 22:14.
cccMay God help us to be ready when Jesus comes. He is
coming soon.” — Pastor M. L. Venden; "'Pagan
Sun-Worship, THE DEVIL'S MASTER COUNTERFEIT,
EASTER, -- How Eggs and Rabbits
Came to be Used in Honor of Christ's Resurrection;'"
-- Evangelistic Bible Lecture Series;
(this historical Seventh-day Adventist evangelistic sermon was
preached by Pastor M. L. Venden in Flint, MI, in 1943; and, in
1983, a printed copy of this same evangelistic sermon was given
as a word of encouragement to Pastor Michael O. Hodges, who had
already been “terminated” by the visible and openly
heathen church of the Laodiceans for teaching the same things and
for continuing to sound the warning against the ever deepening
and openly heathen apostasy); reproduced here in its entirety;
bracketed comments supplied.
Pastor Michael O. Hodges
Copyright 2003.
Permission is hereby given to reprint any
of these studies and articles provided that they are duplicated
in their entirety without any change or comment.