Great Controversy by E.G
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THE Great ControversyBETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN The Lives and Struggles of Christians through the Ages – And the Impending Crisis by E.G. White The complete book plus 58 Bible, historical, and promise sections, and 4 indexes Harvestime Books 84 HB-101 Great Controversy by E.G. White Plus supplementary material Harvestime Books Altamont, TN 37301 Printed in the United States of America Cover and text copyright © 1998 This book is a reissue of the 1884 edition of that remarkable classic, Great Controversy This book: This 1884 edition includes the complete original book of 37 chapters (an edition which had no author’s introduction). Nothing the author wrote has been omitted or changed. In addition, you will find an introduction to each chapter, fifty-eight Bible and historical charts, four indexes, and, within brackets, approximate paging notations to the 1888 and 1911 editions of this book. Explanation of bracketed numbers on page topstops: These refer to comparable paging in the standard 1888 and 1911 editions. Because of compacted size, each page in this book is equivalent to parts of two or three pages in those later editions. A double hyphen within brackets ( [--] ), on a page top, indicates the material on that page is not in the 1888 or 1911 editions. Additional copies: For additional copies of this book at re- markably low prices in boxful quantites, write to Harvestime Books, Altamont, TN 37301. When you write, ask for a copy of our “Mis- sionary Book Order Sheet,” containing low-cost boxful prices of this and other books, such as Desire of Ages, Ministry of Healing, Christ’s Object Lessons, Bible Readings, etc. Contents 1 Like a Blazing Volcano — The Destruction of Jerusalem 9 Charts: Jerusalem Taken by Titus 26 / Rebellion and Capture 27 / The Prophecy of Matthew 24 28 2 Whiter than Snow — Persecution in the First Centuries 29 Charts: The Apostasy Predicted 38 / Revelation 12: Predicting the Persecution 39 3 All the Steps Down — The Roman Church 40 Charts: The Mystery of Iniquity 51 / 48 Steps Down 52-53 4 Faithful unto Death — The Waldenses 54 Chart: Pagan Origins 69-70 5 Nearing the Daybreak — Early Reformers 71 Chart: The Great Falling Away Predicted 78 6 The Man who Shook Kingdoms — Luther’s Separation from Rome 79 Charts: Why Do God’s People Suffer? 98 / Declared to be Divine and Infallible 99 7 Here I Stand — Luther before the Diet 100 Charts: Trusting in the Lord 119 / The Only Authority 120 4 The Great Controversy 8 Luther Disappears — Progress of the Reformation 121 Chart: The Roman Channel of Grace 130-131 9 The Turning Point — Protest of the Princes 132 Chart: An Official Position 143 1 0 A Great Cloud of Witnesses — The Later Reformers 144 Chart: Salvation in Christ 158 1 1 Reap the Whirlwind — The Two Witnesses 159 Charts: The 1260 Year Prophecy 162 / The Amazing 1260 Year Prophecy 163 / The Importance of Prayer 166 / Centuries of Persecution 167 1 2 An Upward Path — God Honors the Humble 168 Chart: God, Our Refuge 173 1 3 Opening the Prophecies — William Miller 174 Chart: Supplying Our Needs 189 1 4 From Land to Land — The First Angel’s Message 190 Chart: Awaiting His Coming 195 1 5 A Warning Rejected — The Second Angel’s Message 196 Chart: Searching the Word of God 204 1 6 The Waiting Ones — The Tarrying Time 205 Chart: The Plan of Redemption 210 Table of Contents 5 1 7 Go Out to Meet Him — The Midnight Cry 211 Chart: Obedience by Faith 218 1 8 The Tabernacle of Prophecy — The Sanctuary 219 Charts: The 2300 Year Prophecy 222-223 / The Earthly Tabernacle 224-225 / Christ, Our Mediator–1 230 1 9 The Intercession of Christ — An Open and Shut Door 231 Chart: Christ, Our Mediator–2 234 20 The Mark of the Beast — The Third Angel’s Message 235 Charts: The Prophecy of Revelation 13 238 / The Law of God 244 / The Law of God as Changed by Man 245 / The Law of God in the New Testament 246 / The Seal and the Mark 247 / The Three Angels’ Message 250 2 1 Pathways to Eternity — The Third Message Rejected 251 Charts: The Weekly Cycle 256-257 / Catholicism Speaks 258-259 / Protestantism Speaks 260-261 22 When the Fire Goes Out — Modern Revivals 262 Chart: Healthful Living 271 23 Judgment before the End — The Investigative Judgment 272 24 Fall from Paradise — The Origin of Evil 279 Chart: The Gospel and God’s Standard 285 6 The Great Controversy 25 The First Prophecy — Enmity between Man and Satan 286 Chart: Resisting the Snares 291 26 In Christ We Conquer — Agency of Evil Spirits 292 Chart: Biography of Satan 296 2 7 Sixty-five Snares in His Toolbox — The Snares of Satan 297 28 The First Lie — The First Great Deception 308 Chart: Eternal Life Only in Christ 322 29 Satan’s Masterpiece — Spiritualism 323 Chart: Beware of Wicked Spirits 330 30 Collision Course — Aims of the Papacy 331 Charts: The Number and the Mark 345-347 / How the Sabbath Was Changed to Sunday 348-352 3 1 Satan’s Master Plan — The Coming Conflict 353 Chart: Faith to Overcome 363 32 Build on the Rock — The Scriptures, a Safeguard 364 Chart: The Importance of the Bible 371 33 The Final Warning — The Loud Cry 372 Charts: Keeping the Truth 379 / The Test of Loyalty 380 Table of Contents 7 34 Beyond Probation — The Time of Trouble 381 Chart: Christ, Our Shelter 397 3 5 The Coming of the King — God’s People Delivered 398 Chart: The Second Coming of Christ 411 36 The Thousand Years — Desolation of the Earth 412 Charts: The Millennium 416 / The Biblical Millennium 417 3 7 An Eternity with Christ — The Controversy Ended 419 Chart: Living Forever with Christ 432 Appendix and Indexes — Chart: Historical Timeline 434 Source Index 435 Chart Index 440 Scripture Index 441 General Index 444 Additional Information 447 8 The Great Controversy “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.” —Revelation 12:17 “Here is the patience of the saints: Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” —Revelation 14:12 “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. “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” —Revelation 15:2-3 The Destruction of Jerusalem [17] 9 Chapter One Like a Blazing Volcano — The Destruction of Jerusalem ——————————————————————— One of the most magnificent temples in the entire world, one of the most beautiful cities: Here is the story of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, by the Romans under Titus. It was an appalling spectacle to the Roman; what was it to the Jew? The whole summit of the hill which commanded the city, blaz- ing like a volcano — Jerusalem, the city that a Roman general tried to spare— but was burned to the ground anyway, in spite of anything men could do to save it—because of a prophecy Jesus gave thirty- nine years earlier. ——————————————————————— “The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” Luke 19:43, 44. From the crest of Olivet, Jesus looks upon Jerusalem. ——————————— HISTORICAL DATING OF THIS AMAZING CHAPTER—CHAPTER—Nearly 40 years after Christ predicted these events, in A.D. 66, the Jews rebelled against the Roman Empire. Cestus withdrew his troops in October A.D 67. On May 10, A.D. 70, Titus besieged the city, and it fell in August. See pages 26-27 for a map and description of this remarkable battle. Places named in chapters 1 through 5 are listed on the first two maps on pages 440-441. Those mentioned in chapters 6 through 11 will be found on the last two (pp. 442-443) of those four map pages. 10 The Great Controversy Fair and peaceful is the scene spread out before Him. In the midst of gardens and vineyards and green slopes studded with pilgrims’ tents, rise the terraced hills, the stately pal- aces, and massive bulwarks of Israel’s capital. The daughter of Zion seems in her pride to say, “I sit a queen, and shall see no sorrow;” as lovely now, and deeming herself as secure in Heaven’s favor, as when, ages before, the royal minstrel sung, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion,” “the city of the great King.” Psalm 48:2. In full view are the magnificent buildings of the temple. The rays of the setting sun light up the snowy whiteness of its marble walls, and gleam from golden gate and tower and pinnacle. “The perfection of beauty” it stands, the pride of the Jewish na- tion. What child of Israel could gaze upon the scene without a thrill of joy and admiration! But far other thoughts occupy the mind of Jesus. “When he was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it.” Luke 19:41.