The Remnant People Won’t be Following the Beast, its Image or its Mark

Pope Francis addressed the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on September 15, 2022, in Kazakhstan. All the representatives of the main religions that assembled were inspired to look up to and admire the Pope, who was there to advance world peace and religious unity. Who exactly were they admiring? They were admiring the beast of Bible prophecy that has changed the law of God, killed the saints of God, and is making the world drunk with the wine of her fornication. This is the beast that is receiving the admiration of the world today, to which the Protestant churches are showing great respect and reverence.

Protestants, who once exposed the crimes and false doctrines of the beast and who once referred to Rome as the “mother of harlots” (Revelation 17:5), have now betrayed the sacred trust that God placed in them, embraced the mother of harlots, and have joined her on the fallen, downward course. By embracing the wine of Babylon and by seeking her company, apostate Protestants will create an image of the beast, which will aid in enforcing the mark of the beast.

“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” Revelation 13:3.

The Papacy is represented by this beastly power, which was to sustain a fatal wound that would later be healed. This power was to be led into captivity as punishment for all the millions of people it had led into captivity. This power received a deadly wound in 1798 because of the many people who, under his rule, had also been killed.

This prophetic verse, however, also foretells of a global movement that is currently taking place right before our very eyes, commanding people to worship and follow the beast whose deadly wound has been healed. The world is coming together to obey Rome. They did this in Kazakhstan, and they continue to do so everywhere else. Penalties will soon be given as punishment for anyone who refuses to accept the beast’s mark and image.

Nevertheless, God will not remain silent despite the spiritual decay that is engulfing the world. As the world wonders after the beast, we are told in Revelation chapter 14:9–11 that the Third Angel’s Message will be announcing a message to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, warning them against the worship of the beast and its image and against receiving his mark in the forehead or in the hand.

These two movements are clearly active at the same time in today’s society. These two movements can be seen right now. There are two messages that are at variance with one another and that are sounding from one end of the earth to the other. On one side, the entire religious and political world is wondering after the beast, the image, and the mark. On the other side are the small remnant people, faithfully giving a direct warning against the worship of the beast, his image, and his mark.

There is no peace or compromise between these two parties. The beast and its image will stand in opposition to the Remnant people. There is only one way that the Remnant people can be at peace and coexist with the beast of Bible prophecy. Rome can only be appeased if the Remnant compromises or hides their faith:

“Here is the line of distinction between the worshipers of God and those who worship the beast and receive his mark. The great conflict is between the commandments of God and the requirements of the beast. It is because the saints are keeping all ten of the commandments that the dragon makes war upon them. If they will lower the standard and yield the peculiarities of their faith, the dragon will be at peace; but they excite his ire because they have dared to raise the standard and unfurl their banner in opposition to the Protestant world, who are worshiping the institution of papacy” (Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 223).

Inspiration tells us that the reason why the dragon is enraged with the commandment-keeping people is because they dare to raise a banner in opposition to the apostate Protestant world (the image of the beast) that is worshipping the institution of the papacy, Sunday. This is what every Seventh-day Adventist Church leader used to believe. Raymond F. Cottrell, Associate Editor for the Review and Herald, made the following accurate statements with regards to the distinctive Seventh-day Adventist message:

“Truth has never been popular … The distinctive truths proclaimed by Seventh-day Adventists for more than a century have never been popular in theological circles, and it is futile to expect that they ever will be. Present truth was not popular in the days of Noah, Jeremiah, Jesus, or Paul, and it is not pleasant to the unsurrendered heart.” (Can Truth Be Popular?, Raymond F. Cottrell, Review and Herald, May 15, 1958).

Raymond Cottrell also warned against obscuring our unique message in order to maintain unity with the other denominations. Raymond Cottrell, with prophetic insight, issued a serious warning to the church, a warning that, sadly, many have ignored:

“Were Seventh-day Adventists to yield their distinctive teachings in order to win and wear the robe of theological respectability, they would doubtless be accepted by other Christian bodies. But in so doing they would be traitors to the truths that have made them a people and bound them together in one great family around the world. They would no longer be Seventh-day Adventists.” (Can Truth Be Popular?, Raymond F. Cottrell, Review and Herald, May 15, 1958).

Traitors to the truth? These words describe exactly the situation in Adventism today. Where are the men and women in the church today who will speak out like this? Many of those in positions of authority are not Seventh-day Adventists, at least not by the standard of previous generations. There was a time when the majority of Seventh-day Adventist pastors, leaders, colporteurs, missionaries, evangelists, and laymen used to faithfully spread the complete Three Angels’ Messages across the world. We used to speak openly and publicly about the warning messages given in prophecy about the beast, the image, and the mark. Now, very few will even talk about these truths. Notice how Raymond Cottrell appealed to our people that we should not be seeking friendship and acceptance from the world, but instead focus on giving our distinctive message:

“Seventh-day Adventists are not seeking the plaudits of the world or of other Christian bodies. We seek only to give the trumpet of truth a clear, ringing note, in order that the present truth of the everlasting gospel may sound forth to all men, thereby bringing the reign of sin to a close and ushering in the eternal kingdom of our Lord. ‘In that day shall this song be sung … Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in’ (Isa. 26:1, 2). Only then will truth attain to universal popularity.” (Can Truth Be Popular?, Raymond F. Cottrell, Review and Herald, May 15, 1958).

Ellen White also shared these very same sentiments and gave the following instructions about not hiding, denying, or disguising our message in order to make “concessions” with the mystery of iniquity:

“Let not those who have the truth as it is in Jesus give sanction, even by their silence, to the work of the mystery of iniquity. Let them never cease to sound the note of alarm. Let the education and training of the members of our churches be such that the children and youth among us shall understand there are to be no concessions to this power, the man of sin. Teach them that although the time will come when we can wage the war only at the risk of property and liberty, yet the conflict must be met, in the spirit and meekness of Christ; the truth is to be maintained and advocated as it is in Jesus. Wealth, honor, comfort, home—everything else—is to be a secondary consideration. The truth must not be hid, it must not be denied or disguised, but fully avowed, and boldly proclaimed” (Selected Messages, Vol. 2, pp. 269, 270).

Sister White also admonishes us to “scorn” the practice of keeping God’s special truth from the public view:

“We are not to cringe and beg pardon of the world for telling them the truth: we should scorn concealment. Unfurl your colors to meet the cause of men and angels. Let it be understood that Seventh-day Adventists can make no compromise. In your opinions and faith there must not be the least appearance of waverings: the world has a right to know what to expect of us” (Evangelism, p. 179).

Then we are warned that if we refuse to give the “special” truths from this time, we do so at the peril of our souls:

“The Lord gives a special truth for the people in an emergency. Who dare refuse to publish it? He commands His servants to present the last invitation of mercy to the world. They cannot remain silent, except at the peril of their souls. Christ’s ambassadors have nothing to do with consequences. They must perform their duty and leave results with God” (Great Controversy, p. 609).

The reason for not concealing the special truths is because they will serve as a warning to the churches that have fallen:

“The Lord is about to punish the world for its iniquity. He is about to punish religious bodies for their rejection of the light and truth which has been given them. The great message, combining the first, second and third angels’ messages, is to be given to the world. This is to be the burden of our work. Those who truly believe in Christ will openly conform to the law of Jehovah. The Sabbath is the sign between God and His people, and we are to make visible our conformity to the law of God by observing the Sabbath. It is to be the mark of distinction between God’s chosen people and the world” (Kress Collection, 105).

Tragically, there are pastors and other leaders who participate in Sunday worship services and support Rome’s ecumenical agenda. The fact is that if we want to participate in communion and fellowship with the beast and its image, we must deny our individual beliefs and conceal the distinctive aspects of the faith. Unfortunately, we deprive Babylon of the chance to hear the final warning that God has for them when we abandon our mission and conceal our message in order to maintain peace with Babylon. When our people do this, they fail to understand the reason why God raised up the Remnant people.

On the other hand, there are devoted Seventh-day Adventists who will never hesitate to sound the alarm. They give the final message to their communities and to the rest of the world. Praise God that there will be a company of people in heaven that will be gathered out of this world, standing on the sea of glass. This company, by the power and grace of God, received the victory over the beast, his image, and his mark. These people are the fruitage of the message of Revelation 14:6-12:

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” Revelation 15:2.

The vision of heaven in Revelation 15:2 makes it clear that God wants to use the Remnant people to help produce a people who will triumph over the beast and his image, as well as his mark and the number of his name. This is why God raised up the Seventh-day Adventist movement. This is why God has us here. It is time for every Seventh-day Adventist to do some personal soul-searching and seriously consider the following questions:

• How can people get the victory over the beast if we don’t tell them who the beast is?

• How can people gain the victory over the image of the beast if we don’t tell them what the image of the beast is?

• How can people gain the victory over the mark of the beast if we don’t tell them what the mark is and how to avoid it?

• What good is it to warn people against following the beast when we ourselves are doing the same?

• How do we call people out of Babylon when we are going in?

• If we don’t communicate the distinctive Seventh-day Adventist message, what good is it to be a Seventh-day Adventist?

• What good is it to claim to believe in the Three Angels’ Message, if we don’t impart these important truths to those around us?

• What use is it to proclaim that the messages contained in Revelation 14:6–12 must go to the world if we are not making every effort to persuade everyone to understand and obey them?

• Most importantly, when will we actually start telling the public who the beast is, what his image is, and what the mark is? Do we warn the world about these things after Jesus comes or before?

Ellen White asked these very same questions:

“Are we to wait until the fulfillment of the prophecies of the end before we say anything concerning them? Of what value will our words be then? Shall we wait until God’s judgments fall upon the transgressor before we tell him how to avoid them? Where is our faith in the word of God? Must we see things foretold come to pass before we will believe what He has said? In clear, distinct rays light has come to us, showing us that the great day of the Lord is near at hand, ‘even at the doors.’ Let us read and understand before it is too late” (Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 20).

If you accepted God’s call and joined the Remnant church, then you have the following obligations and will be held accountable by God:

“Everyone who has received the light of truth is under the same responsibility as was the prophet of Israel to whom came the word: ‘Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.’ Ezekiel 33:7-9.” (Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 19)

What has become of our sacred responsibility to warn the disobedient in order to save both our souls and theirs? Where is that fearless message that is to be proclaimed against the beast, his image, and his mark? Unfortunately, many Seventh-day Adventists today have failed to realize that prophecy accurately predicted that there would be an attempt to force everyone into a great multi-religious and multi-god fraternity in the last days. This worldwide ecumenical movement is called Babylon and has become “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2).

“Under one head—the papal power—the people will unite.” (Testimonies, Vol. 7, p. 182).

• Abraham didn’t embrace ancient, pagan, or Babylonian customs, rituals, and fellowship. God called him to come out of Babylon (Genesis 12:1).

• God didn’t allow Israel to continue living in the idolatrous Egyptian society. He called them out of Egypt (Exodus 13:3).

• Jesus and the apostles never allowed Greco-Roman pagan traditions to form part of the Christian life. They have called us to separate and come out of the world (Matthew 10:34-36; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

• Today, there is a “loud cry” message contained within the Third Angel’s Message that must go to the world:

“And in the loud cry of the third angel’s message a voice is heard from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities’.” (Review and Herald, December 6, 1892).

God’s command in Revelation 18:4 is a call to divide and not a call to dialog. If dialog leads to division, then praise God! But if dialog leads to endless interfaith Sunday worship services, then we need to understand that we haven’t yet grasped the urgency of God’s message. God is calling for division. He is calling us to be separate. The ecumenical message says, “Come in.” God’s Loud Cry message commands us to “Come out.” The Bible rejects ecumenism for the following reasons:

“I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” 1 Corinthians 10:20.

“What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16.

God has the same problem with the modern ecumenical movement and the corrupt churches that make up Babylon:

“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils … Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Revelation 18:2, 4, 5.

We cannot pray alongside devils and engage in Sunday ecumenical worship with them. We cannot say that all the different religions are simply different manifestations of the same God. For centuries, the Christian church rejected such heresy and sacrilege. But this is what the modern ecumenical movement has become. This is what Rome is promoting, and this is what all the churches are wanting to embrace. Truly, Babylon has become “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2).

Our world is divided into two groups with two distinct origins, two distinct characteristics and two distinct destinations. There is not just one universal fraternity as the Pope and the ecumenical movement would have us believe. As we come to the end of time, this distinction will become even more evident between those who belong to God and those who do not. Those who follow the teachings of Jesus, who love Him, keep His commandments and preach His gospel are part of the Remnant people (Revelation 12:17; 14:12; 22:14). And those who follow the beast, his image, and receive his mark, promote disobedience, moral relativity, man-made traditions and abominable, anti-biblical theories are symbolized by Babylon fallen. (Revelation 18:1-4). There is no middle ground.

In these final hours of earth’s history, may God give us a burden to share the special truths for this time. He has not given this message to the Sunday-keeping churches of Babylon, and our commission is to call people out of Babylon, not to join hands with them in solidarity. The time has come to faithfully proclaim the final invitation of mercy to the world. May God help every one of us to stand true to this last message of mercy.

“The alliances made by the Israelites with their heathen neighbors resulted in the loss of their identity as God’s peculiar people. They became leavened by the evil practices of those with whom they formed forbidden alliances. Affiliation with worldlings caused them to lose their first love, and their zeal for God’s service. The advantages they sold themselves to gain, brought only disappointment, and caused the loss of many souls” (Review and Herald, August 4, 1904, paragraph 9).

“The experience of Israel will be the experience of all who go to the world for strength, turning away from the living God. Those who forsake the mighty One, the source of all strength, and affiliate with worldlings, placing on them their dependence, become weak in moral power, as are those in whom they trust” (Ibid., paragraph 10).

“God comes with entreaties and assurances to those who are making mistakes. He seeks to show them their error, and lead them to repentance. But if they refuse to humble their hearts before him, if they strive to exalt themselves above him, he must speak to them in judgment. No semblance of nearness to God, no assertion of connection with him, will be accepted from those who persist in dishonoring him by leaning upon the arm of worldly power.” (Ibid., paragraph 11).