January 16, 2025 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Hello, friends! Does the phrase, “the time of trouble” strike fear in your heart? It does for many, but if we have given our lives to Jesus, we have nothing to fear.
In Daniel 12:1, we read:
“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book” (KJV).
First, let’s notice the promise found in this verse—it says, “and at that time,” that is—the time of trouble—God’s people will be delivered, everyone whose names are written in the book of life.
So, when will this time be? We read in The Great Controversy,
“When the third angel’s message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received ‘the latter rain,’ ‘the refreshing from the presence of the Lord,’ and they are prepared for the trying hour before them’” (p. 613).
This means that through the power of the Holy Spirit, poured out through the latter rain, God’s people have faithfully proclaimed the messages of the three angels of Revelation 14, and the entire world has had opportunity to choose whether to accept or reject these heaven-sent messages.
The final test is described in the third angel’s message, found in Revelation 14:9 and 10—“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation” (NKJV).
As we have been reviewing these topics in previous videos, we have clearly seen who the beast is, what its image is, and what its mark is. And it all has to do with worship—who will have our loyalty and whom will we choose to worship? [INSERT: bit.ly/thegreatcontroversyplaylist].
We have also seen that those who choose to worship “the God who made heaven and earth” (Rev. 14:7) on the day He alone has made holy—that is, the seventh-day Sabbath—will receive the Seal of God.
So, in the end, everyone will have a choice to make—whether to worship God on His holy day and receive His Seal or go along with a human-devised day of worship and receive the Mark of the Beast.
It is after these decisions have been made that “Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, ‘It is done’ . . . Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins” (The Great Controversy, pp. 613, 614).
Friends, there will come a day when Christ will proclaim, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Rev. 22:11, KJV).
That is why it is so important that we do not put off making a decision to follow Christ now, with our whole heart—Now, indeed, is the day of salvation.
I invite you to pray with me just now.
Father in Heaven, thank you for giving us so much information about your special messages at the end of time. The first, the second and the third angel’s message is found in revelation 14. And the significance of the third angel calling us to worship fully God and not human devising. Now, Lord, bless us as we make a decision to follow Jesus completely and follow his Bible truth and not human error. Thank you for hearing us in this prayer. In Jesus name we ask it. Amen.