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[Dedication]

In many ways "The Great Controversy" seems elementary knowledge for Seventh-day Adventists, thus it was a surprise to see some "progressive Adventists" arguing that there is no "Great Controversy".  The lucifer is not satan. That God is too powerful and all knowing and sovereign to wage war with a fallen angel etc. etc.

What happens to our theology if the Great Controversy is taken out?
1. Evolution then has a place in the scheme of things.  Without the Controversy the concept of a "fall" also seems to disappear.    The idea the God is progressively molding the human conscious into a more noble and intelligent creature takes the place of a fallen humanity that needs a Savior.

2.  The original war in heaven is scoffed at.

3.  The cross is no longer needed as a sacrifice for sin to redeem mankind, but becomes only a demonstration of "love" and a catylist to propell the human race to the next level of spiritual development.

4. The reason why a soveriegn God allows so much sickness and trouble and bad things to happen to people who call themselves Christians is hard to explain.  If God is all powerful and love, WHY?  There are no real answers unless we understand the Great Controversy.

On the other side of the coin --
There is a whole world out there in liturature and entertainment that has a surprising insight into the great controversy.
There is only one HUGE problem.  They have it backwards.   The theme usually centers around an earthly supernatural being (More often then not actually called a dragon) who credits himself with the achievements of civilation.  Then there is the threat of an invading Prince who claims the world is really his and he will come and destroy present civilization and eventually fill the world with His kingdom.  Then the whole story revolves around the "heros" men and women who engage in all types of heroic feats and often magical exercises,  to save the earth from the invader.   (Having worked with young people it's rather shocking how much of these stories our young people absorb)

Yet, we have the true Biblical story.

And it centers on Christ.

Revelation 12
12:1   And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 
 12:2   And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 
 12:3   And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 
 12:4   And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 
 12:5   And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne. 
 12:6   And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days. 
 12:7   And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 
 12:8   And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 
 12:9   And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 
 12:10   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. 
 12:11   And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 
 12:12   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. 
 12:13   And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child]. 
 12:14   And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 
 12:15   And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 
 12:16   And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 
 12:17   And 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. 

 

 

[Dedication]

How did Satan seek to usurp and destroy the truth about the plan of salvation, especially as revealed in the sacrificial system?
And why would the sacrificial system be important to him?


Every pagan religion had sacrifices.

  "The Lord first established the system of sacrificial offerings with Adam after his fall, which he taught to his descendants. This system was corrupted before the flood, and by those who separated themselves from the faithful followers of God and engaged in the building of the tower of Babel. They sacrificed to gods of their own [making] instead of the God of Heaven. They did not offer sacrifices because they had faith in the Redeemer to come, but because they thought they should please their gods by offering a great many beasts upon polluted idol altars. Their superstition led them to great extravagances. They taught the people that the more valuable the sacrifice, the greater pleasure would it give their idol gods, and the greater would be the prosperity and riches of their nation. Hence, human beings were often sacrificed to these senseless idols. Those nations had laws and regulations to control the actions of the people, which were cruel in the extreme. Their laws were made by those whose hearts were not softened by grace; and while they would pass over the most debasing crimes, a small offense would call forth the most cruel punishment from those in authority.  {1SP 266.4}


The people lost sight of the true meaning of the sacrifices.  That Christ, the Creator, would Himself come down to this world and take our sins upon His back and bear them to the cross.



 

[Dedication]

After the cross the sacrificial system was ended.  The daily of the earthly sanctuary ended.
But Satan again sought to usurp the means by which people are forgiven.

In the OT he had turned the sacrifices into a WORKS program rather than letting the symbolic service of people's need for a substitute to bear their sins come clear.

After the cross Christ ascended into the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood and began His work of purging our sins in the heavenly sanctuary.

Yet, the little horn of Daniel 8 sought to cast the place of the sanctuary back to earth and set himself within as the one to dispense forgiveness of sins.

[Dedication]

Satan's influence is constantly exerted upon men to distract the senses, control the mind for evil, and incite to violence and crime. He weakens the body, darkens the intellect, and debases the soul. Whenever men reject the Saviour's invitation, they are yielding themselves to Satan. Multitudes in every department in life, in the home, in business, and even in the church, are doing this today. It is because of this that violence and crime have overspread the earth, and moral darkness, like the pall of death, enshrouds the habitations of men. Through his specious temptations Satan leads men to worse and worse evils, till utter depravity and ruin are the result. The only safeguard against his power is found in the presence of Jesus. Before men and angels Satan has been revealed as man's enemy and destroyer; Christ, as man's friend and deliverer. His Spirit will develop in man all that will ennoble the character and dignify the nature. It will build man up for the glory of God in body and soul and spirit. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7. He has called us "to the obtaining of the glory"--character--"of our Lord Jesus Christ;" has called us to be "conformed to the image of His Son." 2 Thessalonians 2:14; Romans 8:29.  {DA 341.1}

[Dedication]

"The power and malice of Satan and his host might justly alarm us, were it not that we may find shelter and deliverance in the superior power of our Redeemer. We carefully secure our houses with bolts and locks to protect our property and our lives from evil men; but we seldom think of the evil angels who are constantly seeking access to us, and against whose attacks we have, in our own strength, no method of defense. If permitted, they can distract our minds, disorder, torment our bodies, destroy our possessions and our lives. Their only delight is in misery and destruction. Fearful is the condition of those who resist the divine claims, and yield to Satan's temptations, until God gives them up to the control of evil spirits. But those who follow Christ are ever safe under his watchcare. Angels that excel in strength are sent from Heaven to protect them. The wicked one cannot break through the guard which God has stationed about his people.  {GC88 517.2}

"Many fix their eyes upon the terrible wickedness existing around them, the apostasy and weakness on every side, and they talk of these things until their hearts are filled with sadness and doubt. They keep uppermost before the mind the masterly working of the archdeceiver and dwell upon the discouraging features of their experience, while they seem to lose sight of the heavenly Father's power and His matchless love. All this is as Satan would have it. It is a mistake to think of the enemy of righteousness as clothed with so great power, when we dwell so little upon the love of God and His might. We must talk of the mightiness of Christ. We are utterly powerless to rescue ourselves from the grasp of Satan; but God has appointed a way of escape. The Son of the Highest has strength to fight the battle for us, and "through Him that loved us" we may come off "more than conquerors." {CCh 79.3}