If there is anything we need today, it is this, we need a better comprehension of the character of God and how He is sovereign over the whole world and never uses force. One way to get at this topic is to realize that the Ten Commandments spread out over two particular areas as we read it in the Second Commandment.

Here is the first half,

"I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me..."

Now follows the other half,

"And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." Exodus 20:5,6.

The same idea is reiterated in the New Testament where we read,

"And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death." Romans 7:10.

What does that mean?

It means the gospel which is to save man from sin will also be the means of destroying the earth. [20]

This truth we find in the Ten Commandments, in Romans 7 and in 5T, 681, plus many other places which you can study out.

How does God deal with His people? They are moved by the elements, the attributes of God's love.

In contrast, what governs the wicked? We could say selfishness governs them, also hate, a particular synonymous term which describes their life.

Then, how does God deal with them?

We know that God is in control of the whole universe. It says that over and over again in the Bible.

It says that God is sovereign over everything and every person. Over the good and over the wicked by the power of the Cross. That is something we do good to always remember.

So, in order to recognize the broader view of the character of God and that is why we say that God is love, His nature and law, has always been and will always be based on love. That will never change.

"Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love. The sovereignty of God involves fullness of blessing to all created beings. . . . " {LHU 50.2}

"The law of God is as sacred as God Himself. It is a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, the expression of divine love and wisdom. The harmony of creation depends upon the perfect conformity of all beings, of everything, animate and inanimate, to the law of the Creator. God has ordained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but of all the operations of nature." {PP 52.3}

That involves `natural law' and `spiritual law' which in this world work themselves in good and evil and God governs everybody by these laws.

While everything is governed by natural law, man alone among all the living things on earth, is answerable to moral law.

"Everything is under fixed laws, which cannot be disregarded. But while everything in nature is governed by natural laws, man alone, of all that inhabits the earth, is amenable to moral law." {PP 52.3}

That God controls everything by law is certainly true. How is that truth reflected? It is reflected by the fact that all nations have laws which they expect their citizens to comply with in order for the state to function. Therefore, those who claim that no one can keep God's law are disproved by that for all these national laws were made with the presupposition that man can keep laws.

Consider this again,

"It is God who shields His creatures and hedges them in from the power of the destroyer."

That is underscored by this paraphrased statement,

"It is the blood of Christ that shields the sinner from receiving the full measure of his guilt." [30]

It is the blood of Christ he shed on the Cross, and we must never separate that from the lid of the `Ark of the Covenant' because that is where that blood was sprinkled on in the very significant `Day of Atonement.'

It is God's love to sinners which gives the wicked and the unthankful reason to thank God that His mercy is making it so light on sinners. But the time will come when they will pass the line of His mercy and forbearance and then wrath will come unmixed with mercy. [36]

So God in His mercy is calling upon the wicked and is holding back the natural consequences of their ill deeds from coming upon them. This is probably the most significant revelation on this subject.

But the Christian world has shown contempt for the Law of God and the Lord will do just what He has declared He would. He will withdraw His blessings from the earth, remove His protecting care, which is in Hebrew `daleth'?, which is the lid of the Ark [45], from those who are rebelling against His law and teaching and forcing others to do the same. Satan has control of all whom God does not especially guard." {GC88 589.2}

So Satan has control of all those whom God does not especially guard. Of course those whom God especially guards are the saints and during the time of Jacob's trouble it is those who have given the loud cry.

`The world, the wicked have almost filled up the cup of their iniquity and God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon it.' ... `Now, as never before, Satan is exercising his deceiving power to mislead and to destroy every unguarded soul.' {7T 141.1.2}

Today we must certainly take note of this especially for it seems to be underway.

We also read that Satan has brought about the destruction of Jerusalem and then made it appear that it was God who destroyed it, Hosea 13:9; 14:1. {GC 35.3; 589.}

Satan is endeavoring to bring destruction and make it appear that God did it, which is blasphemy. To attribute to God the character of men is blasphemy. To attribute to God the character of Satan is even worse.

The time will come when God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon us. That is why we read, when probation closes Satan has entire control of the final impenitent. And he will bring upon them this time of trouble such as there has never been since there was a nation, which is the seven last plagues.

So, I want to show that this is true, that the seven last plagues are brought on by Satan.

We could entertain the thought that the plagues are brought on by God. That is a reason why we must explain exactly what the difference is. As God controls all the physical features, if I would be slowly dying of cancer tonight, would the progress of this cancer be operating by the physical laws God has ordained?

Yes.

Considering now the spiritual aspects of the seven last plagues - which is primarily hate as it says in Exodus 20:5, `I will visit the iniquities of the fathers on those who hate.'

However, when you think of the function of sin in the sense of jealousy, selfishness and hate which is operating by the law of the `visitation of the iniquities of the fathers upon the children of the third and fourth generation,' you realize that it is God's law which is spoken of in Romans 7:10 as the law of sin and death. Therefore I referred to that text in 1.Cor, 15:56 where it says, `the sting of sin is death, and the strength of sin is the law.'

The truth of this will be demonstrated and exhibited in a very distinctive way, as foretold in the Word of God, `when Satan goes about to seek to destroy the whole populace of the earth.

So we see, the function of this law is as the law of God, so when we consider the plagues which seek to destroy and we consider how they are doing it, then we can say it is the `wrath' of God - he left them over to the one whose allegiance they exhibited during their life.

But if you are thinking of it as a law of principle, `Who made the decision to hate and to cause jealousy, and all the violence which these plagues involve, ... then it is right to say that it is Satan behind it all.' - It is important to distinguish between that. Because about everything that takes place in this world the Hebrew prophet says, God did so and so, God smote the people, God did this and so forth, ... but you must understand how He does this.

God uses the agency of evil to accomplish without them having to be led to do so. It became the nature of Satan after sin matured in him. God, therefore, is spoken of as using the agencies of evil to accomplish this.

That is why we read,

"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." 1.Cor. 5:5.

God will permit Satan to destroy the body that He might save the soul.

This may be visulalized by what it says here,

"The encounter with the demoniacs of Gergesa had a lesson for the disciples. It showed the depths of degradation to which Satan is seeking to drag the whole human race, and the mission of Christ to set men free from his power. Those wretched beings, dwelling in the place of graves, possessed by demons, in bondage to uncontrolled passions and loathsome lusts, represent what humanity would become if given up to satanic jurisdiction." {DA 341.1; Mt. 8:28}

The implication is, in the time of the plagues the whole world will be like that.

Let us read some detailed analyzing statements.

"Whenever men reject the Saviour's invitation, they are yielding themselves to Satan." {DA 341.1}

That is why the Bible teaches, anytime a person turns away from keeping the Ten Commandments, Satan will control them. That is the reason why the law is the great issue during the time of the seven last plagues, Rev. 15; 16.

Satan knows if he can successfully make an alteration in the law and get the people to accept the alteration, they will accept him and turn away from God. That is exactly what the whole world will do. Multitudes in every department in life, in the home, in the world of business and even in the church are doing this today.

It is because of this turning away from God that violence and crime in all levels of society has spread out over all the earth in such a marked way as we observe today. As a result moral darkness, like a pal of death, settles over man.

Through his specious temptations Satan will lead man into worse and worse evils. All we need to do today is to look around to see it in all its many forms.

The only safeguard against Satan's power is found in the presence of Jesus. Before man and angels, Satan has been revealed as enemy and destroyer, and Christ as man's friend and deliverer. We must be sure that we understand the role of each clear and distinctly in our mind.

It is amazing how many do not know what subjects are the most important ones in a time like this to study. Is it unbelief? Is it being under the influence of false doctrines and innuendoes they hear from other sources?

We must understand that Satan is real. He is our mortal enemy and Christ is our friend and Savior and they never cross over. Satan never does a loving, kind deed. Never. It is only in appearance that Satan does good. Only in appearance. When you examine it, it really is not good. Therefore, we must remember that Christ never crosses over and carries out the role of Satan and Satan never crosses over and carries out the role of Christ.

All who have been put on the role of Christ's righteousness will stand before him as chosen and faithful and true. Satan has no power to pluck them out of His hand, John 10:28,29.

"Not one soul who in penitence and faith has claimed His protection will Christ permit to pass under the enemy's power." {AG 31.5}

He will permit them in the time of Jacob's trouble to endure certain tests, but He will not permit them to be destroyed.

We read that God tempted Abraham, Gen. 22:1, that He tempted the children of Israel. That means that He permitted circumstances to occur to test our faith.

But some object and say, in James it says that God tempts no man (James 1:13), and in Genesis 22 it says, that God tempted Abraham. There are plenty other places where it says, that God tempted so and so.

What does it mean?

This means that God permitted circumstances to occur to test faith. God permitting something to occur is stated in some instances as if He did it.

Let us state it again.

If God permits something to occur to people because of their own choice, to turn against the law of God, accept some substitute and thereby align themselves with the seven head, ten horn dragon of the time of the third angel's message, if they choose to do that, God will permit the law of sin and death, finally, when probation closes and the lid of the mercy seat no longer pleads or holds back His blood from covering their guilt, and retaining their suffering - that the individual will now be in the circumstances he himself has created and God will permit this particular process known as the seven last plagues to occur.

Therefore, by virtue of the fact that God permits it, it may be said that the Plagues are from the wrath of God.

It is so, because the whole affair of the seven last plagues results from a moral decision concerning the moral law then the persons who make that moral decision are responsible for the consequences, which are the seven last plagues.

The Bible says, Satan was wroth with the people, (Rev. 12:17).

Let us read this most observing, insightful statement that can be found in print, about how God deals with people. This means that He permitted things to occur and He did not tempt Abraham, and the statement in James 1:13 is correct that God tempts no man.

But the Bible says over and over that God destroyed men. But in Isaiah 54 it says,

"For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee." Isa. 54:9.

That is also why God can say,

"Fury is not in me." Isa. 27:4.

The Bible says clearly that there is no fury in the Lord, that God is not a God of wrath and it says very distinctly that Satan is.

On the matter of the plagues, the reason that they could be called the plagues of God is, He has suffered it. On the cross Christ suffered the sins of the entire world. He suffered the wrath of the entire world. That is why the term `wrath of God' means that He suffered it in man's place and because He controls everything and permits it to come to man in their suffering, it is said that God causes it according to this particular statement. Therefore are these particular reasons very, very significant and they will not be easy to come by. You ought to see that they are very, very important.

"God is a vigilant observer of the actions of the children of men. Nothing occurs in earth or heaven without the knowledge of the Creator. Nothing can happen without His permission...." {ML 291.2}"

Why is that the case?

If I hammer a common nail and I hit my finger, could God prevent me from being hurt in this?

No. Because I hit the wrong nail when I hit my finger.

But, is it true that Christ has suffered the pain that came about because of me? Yes.

Christ has suffered the pain of the whole human race. And whenever He permits something to come to a person, the suffering comes after the conduct of the sinner himself. That is why the Bible says, He punishes us less than our sins deserve - because He is holding back the pain because He suffered it all on the Cross. So, what He permits is stated as if He did it.

That is one of the most far-reaching Bible revelations and very helpful to serve Him better.

It explains many seemingly contradictory statements which people often use against the Word of God.

But we know, that nothing can happen without God's permission.

"Satan seeks to conceal from men the divine agency in the physical world - to keep out of sight the unwearied working of the first great cause." {PP 509.2}

Now you have to think a little bit to comprehend the depth of that.

Satan tries to conceal that God is operating in the processes of sin and death, - because He suffered it. Satan is trying to conceal from the world that He is involved in the physical processes and that He is trying to hide that God is the first great cause.

Even of that which comes to sinners as the result of their own transgression.

Example in point.

A lady received a ticket in the mail for running a red light. What was her complaint? She said, `How can they do that, don't they know that we don't have any money, that we are all out of work?'

Seems like she put the horse before the wagon. Did it never occur to her that we don't have the right to violate traffic laws?

There is only one way the city is guilty when they shorten the yellow light so as to collect more money. That is not just, on their part.

Satan is trying to conceal from man, the first great cause, which means that God has died for the sins of the whole world and before He permits any person to suffer the consequence of their own sin, he first must go to the First Cause of God's love in Jesus Christ.

This ought to change our whole picture of who God is.

And it ought to stand out for us, that what He permits to occur is stated as if He did it.

Let us change that a little so we can understand it even better.

What God permits to come to the sinner, as a result of his own sin, Christ has already suffered. Therefore, God never permits any suffering to come to any sinner that He has not already suffered. That is why it is called the `First Great Cause.'

So let us be aware that this is no trivial matter and that we can handle it with mere casual observance. Not so. Let us observe what we find in the Bible.

"And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah." 2.Samuel 24:1.

This text says, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moved David and so on...

The same event is recorded in the next scripture. We read,

"And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." 1.Chronicles 21:1.

One text says Satan stood up against Israel and the other, the Lord in His anger caused David to number Israel which they were not supposed to do, Exodus 30:12. They were to rely on God only and harbor no feelings of envious power over other people.

But with respect to these two writers how they varied the same text. Whom are we to believe? Who did what?

They are both correct.

One of them relates for us that God is first cause and the other gives it to you with Satan as the second cause.

Why is God first?

Because He suffered for every sin and He must give permission before any suffering comes to that person for His own transgression. That is the story of Job also.

We also read, that the story of Job was to reveal that Satan causes suffering and God intervenes to prevent it - and that is correct.

Let us read this,

"By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near." {5T 451.1}

The battle is going on because Protestants reach over and grasp spiritualism and the papacy and form a threefold union. But there are those who convict them of their guilt and they are disturbed by their guilt and they launch out to destroy those who are convicting them of their guilt.

What we have here is a definite principle of the effect of the gospel all around the world.

We learn from this, that, the more God's people reveal the righteousness of the Law of God, the more they stir up the opposition of those who do not keep the law because it bothers their guilty conscience and they do not like it and they want to destroy who preach that the law of God is still valid. That is the same reason why Cain killed Abel.

So when you see that the saints are getting better at presenting the gospel in its purity, you will see the wicked become more riled against them, and that will indicate we are near to the Coming of Christ.

So when the Sunday law comes you may know that we are on the edge of the end of the world and Christ will come in a short time.

[20] "Let ministers and people remember that gospel truth hardens when it does not save. The rejection of light leaves men captives, bound about by chains of darkness and unbelief. "The soul that refuses to listen to the invitations of mercy from day to day can soon listen to the most urgent appeals without an emotion stirring his soul. As laborers with God we need more fervent piety and less self-exaltation. The more self is exalted, the more will faith in the Testimonies of the Spirit of God be lessened. . . . Those who trust wholly in themselves will see less and less of God in the Testimonies of His Spirit." [VOL. 5, P. 134 (1882).] {5T 681.3}

[30] "The pleading blood of Christ has shielded the sinner from receiving the full measure of his guilt ..." {GC 629}

[36] GC 36.1.

[45] 2.Kings 12:9.