whether they have the character prepared for the seal of God or the mark of the beast. It's the corporate dividing line, but the truth of the matter is, is that every one of us will have sealed our probation before that time by either developing a character for the mark of the beast or the seal of God, but you and I can interact with one another in the church setting before that time as wheat and tares, and you don't know if I'm a wheat and I don't know if you're a tare. We don't know. The Sunday Law is what will reveal for anyone that chooses to see who is the wheat and who is the tare, because at that point you're going to be forced to make a choice between Sabbath and Sunday. This is the crisis where character is revealed, and this must be understood as a truth that is very relevant to Bible prophecy. The Youth Instructor, January 16, 1896. We are now living in a most perilous time, and not one of us should be tardy in seeking a preparation for the coming of Christ. Let none follow the example of the foolish virgins and think that it will be safe to wait until the crisis comes before gaining a preparation of character to stand in that time. It will be too late to seek for the righteousness of Christ when the guests are called in and examined. Now is the time to put on the righteousness of Christ, the wedding garment that will fit you to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb. In the parable, the foolish virgins are represented as begging for oil and failing to receive it at their request. This is symbolic of those who have not prepared themselves by developing a character to stand in a time of crisis. It is as if they should go to their neighbors and say, give me your character or I shall be lost. Those that were wise could not impart their oil to the flickering lamps of the foolish virgins. Character is not transferable. It is not to be bought or sold. It is to be acquired. The Lord has given to every man an opportunity to obtain a righteous character through the hours of probation, but he has not provided a way by which one human agent may impart to another the character which he has developed by going through hard experiences, by learning lessons from the great teacher so that he may manifest patience under trial and exercise faith so he can remove mountains of impossibility. But the day is coming, and it is close upon us, when every phase of character will be revealed by special temptation. Those who remain true to principle, who exercise faith to the end, will be those who have proved true under test and trial during the previous hours of their probation and have formed characters after the likeness of Christ. Character is revealed in a crisis. The Sunday Law is the crisis that is going to reveal the character that we have developed. Acts of the Apostles, page 431. God desires his people to prepare for the soon coming crisis. Prepared or unprepared, they must all meet it, and those only who have brought their lives into conformity to the divine standard will stand firm at the time of test and trial. When secular rulers unite with ministers of religion to dictate in matters of conscience, then it will be seen who really fears and serves God. When the darkness is deepest, the light of God-like character will shine the brightest. When every other trust fails, then it will be seen who have an abiding trust in Jehovah. Now, this soon coming crisis, where our character is revealed, the test and trial, when does this take place? Well, in this passage, it's very clear. When secular rulers unite with ministers of religion to dictate in matters of conscience, that's the Sunday Law. At the Sunday Law test, that's the soon coming crisis where our character will be revealed. Review and Herald, October 17th, 1895. Character is revealed by a crisis. When the earnest voice proclaimed at midnight, behold, the bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet him. The sleeping virgins roused from their slumbers, and it was seen who had made preparation for the event. Both parties were taken unaware, but one was prepared for the emergency, and the other was found without preparation. Character is revealed by circumstances. Emergencies bring out the true metal of character. Some sudden and unlooked-for calamity, bereavement, or crisis, some unexpected sickness or anguish, something that brings the soul face to face with death, will bring out the true inwardness of character. It will be made manifest, whether or not there is any real faith in the promises of the Word of God. It will be made manifest, whether or not the soul is sustained by grace, whether there is oil in the vessel with the lamp. The crisis of the Sunday Law test is going to manifest what character we have. But notice that this Sunday Law test, in the context of the parable of the ten virgins here, it's sudden and unlooked-for calamity that comes. It comes suddenly, and it brings us face to face with death. And friends, it is, whether we receive the mark of the beast or the seal of God, we may live for a period of time after the Sunday Law test, but every Seventh-day Adventist will know at the Sunday Law test that it's life or death. Either way, if I go to the Sunday Law test, and I realize I have the spiritual strength to maintain Sabbath observance, and I give in and accept the Sunday Law and receive the mark of the beast, I know that I'm lost eternally. This test of the Sunday Law test, the Seventh-day Adventist, they will spiritually understand it's life and death in agreement with this crisis that comes to the ten virgins. Now the close of probation is the very essence of the study that we're looking at, and it takes place at the Sunday Law in the United States. And perhaps the most important quote that we look at as far as identifying two aspects of the close of probation is the Great Controversy 594. The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble are clearly presented, but multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they've never been revealed. There's two parts to this presentation. The events connected with the close of probation, the Sunday Law, the coming together of church and state in the United States, the wars, the rumors of wars, the pestilences, the famines, these events connected with and leading to the close of human probation have been clearly presented, but also the work of preparation for the time of trouble. Friends, even if we understand all the events that are going to take place and we understand them in their proper order and we understand the relationship between one and another of these events that lead to the close of probation, but we fail to prepare our character to stand during the time of trouble, it'd be better off we didn't understand those events, because we would be held less accountable. The emphasis of this study is that we need to get our character ready to stand during the time of trouble, both the little time of trouble and the great time of trouble. Now, in Bible prophecy the closing of the door symbolizes the close of probation, and we need to see this clearly because in our further studies we're going to look at passages where a door is used to identify the close of probation. Desire of Ages, 636. The crisis is stilling gradually upon us. The highest excitement prevails, yet probation hour is fast closing, and every case is about to be eternally decided. Satan sees that his time is short. He has set all his agencies at work that men may be deceived, deluded, occupied, and entranced until the day of probation shall be ended and the door of mercy be forever shut. The day of probation ended, the door of mercy forever shut. A door closing in Bible prophecy is symbolizing the close of probation. Here's another one, Signs of the Times, December 20th, 1877. The Spirit of God continued to strive with rebellious men until the time God had specified had nearly expired when no one in his family entered the ark, and the hand of God closed the door of the ark. Mercy had stepped from the golden throne no longer to intercede for man. The door closes, probation closes. Review in Herald, Mark 26, 1889. You may have ears and not hear, you may have eyes and not see the light, nor receive the illumination that God has provided for you. You may close the door to the light as effectually as the Pharisees closed the door to Christ when he taught among them. The way was open, but their own course of action, but by their own course of action, they closed the door and severed their connection with Christ. We may do the same by rejecting light and truth. Important concept in the close of probation is ultimately when it's looked at, we close our own door of probation. Early Writings, page 251. I was shown what did take place in heaven at the close of the prophetic periods in 1844, as Jesus ended his ministration in the holy place and closed the door of that apartment. A great darkness settled upon those who had heard and rejected the message of his coming and they lost sight of him. There was a door that closed at the great disappointment in 1844 and those people that did not follow Christ into the most holy place, they were encompassed by darkness and other places were told that they began to continue to pray to the holy place and Satan took up his abode there. You'll never find a passage in the Spirit of Prophecy where she speaks about those people returning to the truth. Manuscript Releases, volume 16, page 270. The parable of the ten virgins was given by Christ himself and every specification should be carefully studied. A time will come when the door will be shut. We are represented either by the wise or the foolish virgins. We're going to be looking closely at the parable of the ten virgins because that's our story. She says every specification of this parable should be studied but then she specifically highlights one specification of the parable. A time will come when the door will be shut. Specification of the parable of the ten virgins that we must understand is the closing of the door, the close of probation. Foolish virgins are not allowed in. They close the door of their probation during their previous hours when they had opportunity to develop a character that was worthy of the seal of God. Now, some people still question whether the Sunday Law is the point where we close our probation. What I am presenting as the close of probation is that at the Sunday Law test, prior to that time, we will all have developed a character either for the mark of the beast or the seal of God. In God's providence, we'll already be there. Some of us long before there, some shortly before there. I'm not sure the time period for all of us. But when it comes to the Sunday Law in the United States, Seventh-day Adventists will hit the dividing line where they're going to demonstrate what character they've prepared. I'm identifying the close of probation in the sense that when we reach that time period, we either receive the mark of the beast or the seal of God, and our characters are set that way for eternity, either eternal death or eternal life. But that's what I'm speaking of about the close of probation. I know people close probation at their death, but we're not talking about this. We're talking about prophetically, in the time of the judgment of the living, when confronted with the Sunday Law test and knowledge of the issues between Sabbath and Sunday, we will demonstrate whether we have a character prepared for the mark of the beast or the seal of God. And when we demonstrate that by that test, probation is closed for us. And there are still people that we present this message to that struggle with this, and this is clear in the spirit of prophecy. The Great Controversy, 605. The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon man, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve him not. While the observance of the false Sabbath in compliance with the law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of an allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath in obedience to God's law is an evidence of loyalty to the creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other, choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God. Friends, the Sunday law. We either receive the mark of the beast or the seal of God. It's crystal clear. Now, there's other factors that have a bearing on this and that will be tested by this law when we have light in relationship to Sabbath and Sunday, but seventh day Adventist, we have the light. When the law arrives, we have the light. The test begins right there for us. That's where it's demonstrated at. Signs of the Times, November 8, 1899. There are two Christians in every church not accepting the Roman Catholic communion. None are condemned until they have had light and have seen the obligation of the fourth commandment, but when the decree shall go forth enforcing the counterfeit Sabbath and the loud cry of the third angel shall warn men against the worship of the beast in his image, the line will be clearly drawn between the false and the true. Then those who still continue in transgression will receive the mark of the beast. Now, friends, she's speaking about people in the Roman Catholic communion who do not understand these issues that will come to the same test that we have when the Sunday law arrives because we already understand the issues, but it's at this point that we're filled with the Holy Ghost, as Sister White said in her early quote, and we go out and present the Sabbath more fully, and then these people in Babylon are confronted with the identical test as it moves through the world, and this is one thing that we need to understand. Judgment is progressive. Begins in the United States, proceeds to the other countries in the world. It begins with God's church. It proceeds to the other people outside of God's church. The seventh day Adventist, we have the clearest light on the judgment, and we know that in the judgment we'll be judged by the light that we receive, but also we're going to be judged by the light that we could have received had we applied them ourselves, and at the time of the Sunday law in the United States, no seventh day Adventist will have an excuse for not understanding the issues between Sabbath and Sunday. This issue of Sunday is what the Lord uses to bring judgment to its close, and judgment begins with the house of God. We are the first that are confronted with this test. This test purifies the church. The church under the latter reign takes this testing message, the issues of Sabbath and Sunday to the world during a time of God's destructive judgments, during the little time of trouble when pestilence and famine and confusion are in the land, and God's other children in Babylon make their choice. It's that simple. Review and Herald, April 27th, 1911. If the light of truth has been presented to you, revealing the Sabbath of the fourth commandment and showing there is no foundation in the word of God for Sunday observance, and yet you still cling to the false Sabbath, refusing to keep the holy Sabbath, which God calls my holy day, you receive the mark of the beast. When does this take place? When you obey the decree that commands you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship God while you know that there is not a word in the Bible showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the mark of the beast and refuse the seal of God. If we receive this mark and our foreheads are in our hands, the judgments pronounced against the disobedient must fall upon us, but the seal of the living God is placed upon those who conscientiously keep the Sabbath of the Lord. Friends, it's crystal clear. Now, it's also one little passage in there that sometimes people miss. It says, when you obey the decree that commands you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship God, the Sunday law is going to say, not simply quit working, but worship God. This is a religious issue. Now, what is it that takes place at the Sunday law? God's people either receive the mark of the beast or the seal of God, but their character has been developed prior to this time. This is the warning of the Sunday law, is that it comes suddenly and unexpectedly and we need to have our character prepared before that time. A character prepared for the seal of God and Maranatha 200 gives us a clear definition of what the seal of God is all about. Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads, it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved. Just as soon as God's people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has already begun. The judgments of God are now upon the land to give us warning that we may know what is coming. Friends, this is one of the other concepts we need to factor into end time events, is that when God's people make themselves ready, then these final issues will arrive. Everything's in place for the Sunday law right now, but the angels are holding back the winds that God's people will get ready. Evangelism 235, God has given men the Sabbath as a sign between him and them as a test of their loyalty. Those who, after the light regarding God's law comes to them, continue to disobey and exalt human laws above the law of God in the great crisis before us, will receive the mark of the beast. Now, have Seventh-day Adventists already received light concerning God's law? Are we going to be held accountable for that light? When the law comes and we disobey, we will receive the mark of the beast. If we don't disobey, we receive the seal of God. Testimonies, Volume 2, page 691. Probation is granted to all that all may form characters for eternal life. An opportunity will be given to all to decide for life or death. Men will be judged according to the measure of light given them. None will be accountable for their darkness and their errors if the light has not been brought to them. They have not sinned in not accepting what has not been given them. All will be tested before Jesus leaves his position in the most holy place. The probation of all classes when the pleading for sinners is ended and the garments of vengeance. The probation of all closes when the pleading for sinners is ended and the garments of vengeance are put on. The light on Sabbath and Sunday will be taken to the whole world. Everyone will make their choice and probation, human probation, will close. Michael will stand up and then we'll begin the great time of trouble that we began this presentation with. Now another understanding we want to make is that at the Sunday loft, the church is purified and then begins the latter rain. This is Testimonies, Volume 5, page 214. Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost. What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth, these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity. Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of an ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God, candidates for heaven. Go forward, my brethren and sisters. I can only write briefly upon these points at this time, merely calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the scriptures for yourselves, that ye may understand the filthful solemnity of the present hour. Now, she says, when the decree goes forth, the stamp is impressed, and their character remains spotless forever. The decree is a sunny decree. They receive the seal of God at the sunny decree. Then the latrine falls upon them. Now, this is an important concept. Because in the world today, there's things taking place that give us indication that the sprinkling of the latrine has begun. And what I mean by that is, prophetically, you identify the outpouring of the Holy Spirit immediately after the Sunday Law purifies the church. But just prior to the Sunday Law, there's indication that the latrine begins to be sprinkled. Why? Well, the principle is this, is those that are preparing their character for the seal of God do so prior to the Sunday Law. They are making their vessels ready for the Holy Spirit, and the Lord is more willing to give his Holy Spirit unto them that ask than we are to give good gifts to our children. If we prepare our character today, right now, for the seal of God, the Lord is going to give us his spirit. But prior to the Sunday Law, the church is still impure. The wheat and tares are still together. The sheep and goats are still together. The gold and dross is still together. The Sunday Law purifies the church, allowing the Lord to pour out the latrine without measure upon his bride who has made herself ready. And prior to that time, there's a sprinkling that begins upon a church that is wheat and tares. And we can see this in Review and Herald, March 2nd, 1897. Many, having a great measure, fail to receive the former rain. They have not obtained all the benefits that God has thus provided for them. They expect the lack will be supplied by the latter rain. When the richest abundance of grace shall be bestowed, they intend to open their hearts to receive it. They are making a terrible mistake. The work that God has begun in the human heart in giving his light and knowledge must be continually going forward. Every individual must realize his own necessity. The heart must be emptied of every defilement and cleansed for the indwelling of the spirit. It was by confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. Then the human agent had only to ask for the blessing and wait for the Lord to perfect the work concerning him. It is God who began the work, and he will finish his work, making man complete in Jesus Christ. But there must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it. At no point in our experience can we dispense with the assistance of that which enables us to make the first start. The blessings received under the former rain are needful to us to the end. Yet these alone will not suffice. When we cherish the blessing of the early rain, we must not, on the other hand, lose sight of the fact that without the latter rain to fill our ears and ripen the grain, the harvest will not be ready for the sickle, and the labor of the sower will have been in vain. Divine grace is needed at the beginning, divine grace at every step of advance, and divine grace alone can complete the work. There is no place for us to rest in a careless attitude. We must never forget the warnings of Christ. Watch unto prayer. Watch unto prayer always. A connection with divine agency every moment is essential to our progress. We may have had a measure of the Spirit of God, but by prayer and faith we are continuing to seek more of the Spirit. It will never do to cease our efforts. If we do not progress, if we do not place ourselves in an attitude to receive both the former and the latter rain, we shall lose our souls, and the responsibility will lie at our own door. Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain. Do not rest satisfied that the ordinary course of the season rain will fall. Ask for it. The growth and perfection of the seed rests not with the husbandman. God alone can ripen the harvest, but man's cooperation is required. God's work for us demands the action of our mind, the exercise of our faith. We must seek his favors with the whole heart if the showers of grace are to come to us. We should improve every opportunity of placing ourselves in the channel of blessing. Christ has said, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst. The convocations of the church, as in the camp meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions where there is personal labor for souls are God's appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain. Now that passage, we read the total passage because it's so important, so powerful, but the part that I want you to see is in the first paragraph, there was three paragraphs, three paragraphs, the last couple, the last sentence in the first paragraph. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. She's speaking about the latter rain here, about people that have not been growing up into the Lord, they have not been receiving of the early rain, and unless you are doing that, during the time of the latter rain, she says, it may be falling on hearts all around us, but you won't discern it or receive it. There's a time period when the latter rain begins to sprinkle prior to the Sunday law test, which purifies the church. Friends, when the Sunday law comes, we receive the mark of the beast as seal of God, and those people that receive the mark of the beast, what is the mark of the beast? It's Sunday observance. They're not worshiping on Sabbath anymore. Suddenly, the church is purified, but there still is a group of people that are observing Sabbath. They've received the seal of God, and that's a pure church. That church receives the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and there is not the mixture of the wheat and tares at that point. It will not be falling on someone there and not falling on others, the latter rain I'm speaking of. So, this passage here, Sister White's talking about a time period when the wheat and tares are still together. Sister White speaks about this in another way in The Great Controversy, 605-606. Here to fore, those who presented the third angel's message have often been regarded as mere alarmists. Their predictions that religious intolerance would gain control in the United States, that church and state would unite to persecute those who keep the commandments of God, have been pronounced groundless and absurd. But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated, the event so long doubted and disbelieved is seen to be approaching, and the third message will produce an effect which it could not have had before. Now, what this passage is saying is, for the past 150 years, when Seventh-day Adventists have said there's going to be a Sunday law in the United States, that church and state were going to unite, that religious liberty was going to be removed, people said, that's absurd. But, she says, there'll come a time when the question of Sunday observance is widely agitated. At that time, the event that everybody doubted will be seen to be approaching, and the third message, that's the third message of the three angels' message, that's the warning against receiving the mark of the beast, that's the Sunday message, the Sabbath Sunday issue, it will produce an effect. Now, this effect is beginning the process of what Sister White talks about, the third angel's message swelling to the loud cry. There's a point in time, in history, when the Sunday law message that Adventists take to the world, the third angel's message, begins to grow. It begins to swell, and the reason it does so is because it suddenly becomes present truth. It becomes the testing issue for all of mankind, and it just becomes a bigger and bigger and bigger issue, and it begins prior to the Sunday law, when Sunday agitation gets started. The beginning of the growth of the third angel's message starts at that point, and it says in this passage that this current event, this historic event, this agitation for Sunday legislation produces an effect. In other words, a power begins to come into the movement. If there's agitation for Sunday enforcement going on right now, and I can go out and tell my neighbor, this is the message of Adventism, and by the way, you can see that Sunday is being agitated right here in this current event. Read it out of the newspaper. There's a power in the message that's different than a hundred years ago if I went out to that neighbor and said, there's going to be a Sunday law in the United States, but by the way, there's nothing going on to prove it in current events. Okay, so when we reach the time period where current events are agreeing with our prophetic message, there's a power that comes in the movement, and friends, there's only one power that comes into the movement, and that's the power of the Holy Spirit. That's not by might, not by strength, but by my spirit, saith the Lord. At the time the current event of Sunday agitation begins is also the time when the Holy Spirit begins to come into God's people, and the third angel's message begins to swell, because there's no power that comes into God's people other than the Holy Spirit. So what I'm saying here is that based on Testimonies Volume 5, it's clear that the latter rain comes after we're sealed and that we're sealed with the Sunday law. That is the prophetic fulfillment of when the latter rain arrives in history, but just prior to that time when Sunday legislation begins to be agitated, lifted up before the world, that there's a power that begins to come into the movement, and that power is the sprinkling of the latter rain. It's in agreement with the passage that we read where some, the tares in the church, won't even realize that the latter rain's beginning to fall all around them. They'll be in amongst people that are beginning to receive it and not even recognize it. Now, friends, in Adventism today, we're all very familiar that in July, the Pope of Rome came out with a letter calling for greater Sunday observance, but there's part of that that we have missed, and you can see this current event that we're going to look at has been largely missed by Adventism in one sense. I mean, throughout Adventism, we're talking about the Pope's Sunday letter, but you know the Pope wrote an encyclical calling for Sunday observance in 1991, and it's, of course, recorded, it's there, and not much was said about it. And then the one in July came out, and Adventists, at least they said something about it, but there's something they missed. The Vatican has its own newspaper that it publishes in Rome, and it comes out, it's a weekly newspaper, and I subscribe to it just to pay attention to what's going on and their thought, and I have sitting in front of me some issues from the Vatican newspaper, and the first one here is from the 8th of July, and it's got a picture of the Pope on front of it, and the headlines are, The Lord's Day Must Be Kept Holy by Participating in Sunday Mass, and in the picture of the Pope, it has apostolic letter, Dies Domini of the Holy Folly of John Paul II, and in this particular issue of the Vatican newspaper, a weekly edition called La Servitore Romano, it has the entire text for the Sunday Law letter that he wrote. The paper is just full of it. The headlines are, of course, The Lord's Day Must Be Kept Holy. Now, we all heard about that in Adventism, but what is interesting, that was the 8th of July issue. If you look at the 15th of July issue, the very next issue, the headlines on that are about another letter that the Pope wrote during this time. This is 15th of July, Add to Adem, Feed Him, and if you look at this letter, what it was is an addition of some laws into canon law, which strengthened the control of the papacy, but still, and this also impacts these end time events, but still, what I want you to see is still on the front page, and the bottom of the front page is their secondary article for this issue of the newspaper. It's called Sunday Shows God's Love for His Creatures. See, it simply wasn't the Sunday letter in the 8th of July. The very next week, they're emphasizing Sunday from another perspective. Now, if you go to the next week's edition, which is July 22nd, the headlines are this with some pictures of the Pope of Rome. It says, Sunday, Day of Rest and Community Prayer. Once again, emphasizing Sunday and agitating for Sunday. Now, if you go to the 29th of July issue, the headlines with the Pope of Rome underneath it is, Appreciate Sunday as Feast Day. You see, brothers and sisters, if you were to be subscribed to this weekly newspaper, you'd realize that when they come out with an issue on the front page, they don't continue that issue back to back, but every issue in July was agitating for Sunday observance. And when you get into August, the next month, you see that on August 12th, the headlines are, Sunday Mass is a Serious Obligation. The next issue, Discover Riches of the Lord of Days. Friends, the papacy is agitating for Sunday enforcement. It's not simply the letter. They began a publicity campaign in Rome that is continuing to this time. Now, we read a passage earlier in this presentation where it emphasizes that those people that are pushing for Sunday legislation, they don't know where this is tending, but Rome knows where it's tending. It's pushing its agenda now. It's getting that agitation started because it knows what it wants, and it has read the signs, and the agitation of Sunday has begun. So, what does that mean? Well, if you go back to the Great Controversy 605, what that means is, but as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated, and by the way, since July, I've been in three continents, and in all of those continents, Adventists understand that the papacy began, came out with this letter on Sunday. They understand throughout the world this call for Sunday observance, so it is widely agitated. When this takes place, according to this passage in the Spirit of Prophecy, the third message will produce an effect which it could not have had before. In other words, a power comes into the third angel's message. In other words, if you will receive it by faith, and friends, if you do not believe that the end-time events come suddenly and unexpectedly, then it's almost impossible to receive the information I'm going to share here by faith. If you do not believe that these things come as an overwhelming surprise, that the final movements are rapid ones, it's hard to accept this little piece of information. And this isn't a giant revelation. This isn't anything that is earth-shaking, but friends, the beginning of the agitation for Sunday enforcement is underway, and therefore, when this takes place, a power comes into the third angel's message. The only power that comes into the third angel's message is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we can understand by faith that the latter rain, the sprinkling of the latter rain, is beginning to fall. And we must recognize that we're in the time period that demands that every day we're having that early rain experience and praying for that latter rain experience and bringing our life into agreement with that truth. But if you don't believe these events are going to overtake us by surprise, then it's very hard to accept that. You can write what's going on with the Vatican on Sunday observance now off on the same category as the letter that came out in 1991. Oh, we got another eight or nine years. Friends, this isn't so. We're at the end of time. Now, one of our other premises we want to develop in closing this message up is this. It's a fearful thing to come to the time of Sunday Law and realize that you received the Mark of the Beast. And when you consider the implications of that, as a group, not as individuals, but as a corporate body of people, Seventh-day Adventists, when they come to the Sunday Law time period, they're going to be divided into two groups. Those that receive the seal, those that receive the Mark of the Beast. And the logic of that means this. As a corporate body, Seventh-day Adventists are the first to go totally under the control of Satan. They're not the first individuals. They're the first corporate body at the end of the world that go totally under the control of Satan. They're the first to have the Holy Spirit totally removed from them. The Great Controversy, page 430. Men cannot with impunity reject the warning which God and mercy sends them. A message was sent from heaven to the world in Noah's day and their salvation depended upon the manner in which they treated the message. Because they rejected the warning, the Spirit of God was withdrawn from the sinful race and they perished in the waters of the flood. In the time of Abraham, mercy ceased to plead with the guilty inhabitants of Sodom and all but Lot and his wife and two daughters were consumed by the fire sent down from heaven. So in the days of Christ, the Son of God declared to the unbelieving Jews of that generation, Your house is left unto you desolate, Matthew 23, 38. Looking down to the last days, the same infinite power declares concerning those who received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness, 2 Thessalonians 2, 10-12. As they reject the teachings of his word, God withdraws his spirits and leaves them to the deceptions which they love. And the first people to reject the teachings of his word by receiving the mark of the beast during the Sunday Law test is Seventh-day Adventists. In other words, they're the first corporate body to go totally under the control of Satan. Selected Messages, Book 3, page 154. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you. I believe with all my heart that the spirit of God is being withdrawn from the world and those who have had great light and opportunities and have not improved them will be the first to be left. They have grieved away the spirit of God. The present activity of Satan is working upon hearts and upon churches and nations should... The present activity of Satan in working upon hearts and upon churches and nations should startle every student of prophecy. The end is near. Let our churches arise. Now, we've looked at some very important truths in this presentation, but I want to emphasize that what we are doing here is we're developing certain premises for the following presentations that will be more specific, more connected. We've gathered a lot of different items concerning Sunday and close of probation, history repeating itself, the sequence of events at the Sunday Law, and in our next presentation we'll begin to bring some of these concepts in to try to outline what is going to take place in the very near future.