Counsel #28 — The Ultimate Showdown

Picture: Counsel #28 — The Ultimate ShowdownCCW 136.1

Seventh-day Adventists see the seal of God and the mark of the beast in Revelation as contrasting symbols in the ultimate cosmic conflict.^{[202]The ultimate cosmic conflict, the great controversy, is the war between Jesus Christ and Satan over the hearts and minds of humanity. Jesus fights to give us eternal salvation, while Satan battles to claim us for eternal death. This conflict is also known as the war between good and evil.} The seal signifies allegiance to God's Ten Commandments, particularly the 4th commandment (keeping Saturday holy) by those who have been filled and transformed by the Holy Spirit. The Sabbath, then, is a sign of God's creation and ongoing covenant with humanity. Conversely, the mark of the beast symbolizes following human traditions that contradict God's Word, culminating in enforced observance of Sunday worship, a day not made holy in Scripture.^{[203]https://executivecommittee.adventist.org/newsletter/article/answers-to-questions-on-the-mark-of-the-beast-and-end-time-events/}CCW 136.2

A three-fold religious coalition will ultimately demand a death decree for those who refuse the church-state mandated Sunday worship. This is the ultimate test of faith. Will you honor God's commandments or succumb to the pressure of human traditions?CCW 136.3

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12 NKJVCCW 136.4

“To us as to Israel the Sabbath is given ‘for a perpetual covenant.’ To those who reverence His holy day the Sabbath is a sign that God recognizes them as His chosen people. It is a pledge that He will fulfill to them His covenant… The fourth commandment alone of all the ten contains the seal of the great lawgiver, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.” Ellen White in Testimonies to the Church, vol. 6, p. 350CCW 136.5

Reflect: How might the ultimate test of faith be about who you choose to worship?CCW 136.6