At War With the Church

It is a part of the Inspired Record that the remnant church would suffer persecution because of the fact that that church would uphold in their teaching and practice the commandments of God and would have manifested among them the Spirit of prophecy. Declares the inspired penman:TOJ 146.5

“The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17.TOJ 146.6

Opposition to the remnant church because of its teaching of the commandments of God, and particularly of Sabbath reform, has come from the world at large, from those who have never been connected with this movement. Almost the entire opposition to the Spirit of prophecy, as represented in the work of Mrs. E. G. White, has come from apostate Seventh-day Adventists. In this opposition they represent the wrath of the dragon against the remnant church, even as that same wrath is represented in the opposition in the world at large because of the observance of the Sabbath as one of the commandments of God.TOJ 146.7

Hence in the opposition which comes to us from these two sources we should recognize a sign of the times, a direct fulfillment of prophetic prediction made by the revelator two thousand years ago. This opposition, we may be sure, will grow no less, but will increase more and more, and it will not hesitate to use any and every unfair means in the accomplishment of its designs.TOJ 147.1