Ellen G. White on Various Topics

Forbidden to Buy or Sell by Ellen G. White

Friday night several heard my voice exclaiming, "Look, Look!" Whether I was dreaming or in vision, I cannot tell. I slept alone. The time of trouble was upon us. I saw our people in great distress, weeping and praying, pleading the sure promises of God, while the wicked were all around us, mocking us and threatening to destroy us. They ridiculed our feebleness, they mocked at the smallness of our numbers, and taunted us with words calculated to cut deep. They charged us with taking an independent position from all the rest of the world. They had cut off our resources so that we could not buy or sell, and they referred to our abject poverty and stricken condition. They could not see how we could live without the world. We were dependent on the world, and we must concede to the customs, practices, and laws of the world, or go out of it. If we were the only people in the world whom the Lord favored, the appearances were awfully against us.

They declared that they had the truth, that miracles were among them; that angels from heaven talked with them and walked with them, that great power and signs and wonders were performed among them, and that this was the temporal millennium they had been expecting so long. The whole world was converted and in harmony with the Sunday law, and this little feeble people stood out in defiance of the laws of the land and the law of God, and claimed to be the only ones right on the earth.

They declared, "The angels from heaven have spoken to us," referring to those whom Satan personated that had died and they claimed had gone to heaven. "You will bear the testimony of the heavenly messengers." They sneered, they mocked, they derided and abused the sorrowing ones. There was much more but I have not time to write it.

But while anguish was upon the loyal and true who would not worship the beast or his image and accept and revere an idol Sabbath, One said, "Look up! Look up!" Every eye was lifted, and the heavens seemed to part as a scroll when it is rolled together, and as Stephen looked into heaven, we looked. The mockers were taunting and reviling us, and boasting of what they intended to do to us if we continued obstinate in holding fast our faith. But now we were as those who heard them not; we were gazing upon a scene that shut out everything else. 2MR 207,208

Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war against the commandments of God, will decree that no man may buy or sell, save he that has the mark of the beast, and, finally, that whoever refuses to receive the mark shall be put to death.[2 REV. 13:15, 17.] The word of God declares: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation."[1 REV. 14:9, 10.] But not one is made to feel the wrath of God until the truth has been brought in contact with his mind and conscience, and has been rejected. There are many in the churches of our country who have never, even in this land of light and knowledge, had an opportunity to hear the special truths for this time. The obligation of the fourth commandment has never been set before them in its true light. Jesus reads every heart, and tries every motive. The decree is not to be urged upon the people blindly. Every one is to have sufficient light to make his decision intelligently. The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty; for it is the point of truth especially controverted. 4SP 422

You will always find Satan on the side of the oppressor. God does not oppress. God does not bring them [people] in by persecution, for He has let them live all this time, but when Satan gets the lines in his hands, he takes the spurious sabbath and sets it up against the perfection of Christ and [says] you have got to keep it. That is the spirit of persecution and oppression and bondage. It goes right with the spurious sabbath that has not one syllable for its sanctity in the Word of God. "If you do not keep Sunday, you will not buy or sell." And not only that, but they work their oppression in every way possible, but thank God, He lives. He lived in the days of the apostles when the priests said, "Do not preach any more in the name of Jesus Christ." Somebody else's law was to come in there and show that God had a government. He sent His angel and said, "Go and tell Peter to go and make known My words." And when they came from Peter, lo he was not there. And one came and said, "He is in the Temple preaching." And they sent officers to bring him without violence, and they brought him before the council. They said to them [him], "Why do you teach in His name?" But Peter answer and said, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye." 5MR 47

The time is coming when we cannot sell at any price. The decree will soon go forth prohibiting men to buy or sell of any man save him that hath the mark of the beast. We came near having this realized in California a short time since; but this was only the threatening of the blowing of the four winds. As yet they are held by the four angels. We are not just ready. There is a work yet to be done, and then the angels will be bidden to let go, that the four winds may blow upon the earth. That will be a decisive time for God's children, a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. Now is our opportunity to work. 5T 152

I saw all that "would not receive the mark of the Beast, and of his Image, in their foreheads or in their hands," could not buy or sell. I saw that the number (666) of the Image Beast was made up; and that it was the beast that changed the Sabbath, and the Image Beast had followed on after, and kept the Pope's, and not God's Sabbath. And all we were required to do, was to give up God's Sabbath, and keep the Pope's, and then we should have the mark of the Beast, and of his Image. BROADSIDE3 APR.07,1847

In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death. [1 SEE REV. 13:11-17;] But to the obedient is given the promise, "He shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks, bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure."[2 ISA. 33:16.] By this promise the children of God will live. When the earth shall be wasted with famine, they shall be fed. "They shall be ashamed in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied."[3 PS. 37:19.] To that time of distress the prophet Habakkuk looked forward, and his words express the faith of the church: "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."[4 HAB. 3:17,18.] DA 122

The adherents of truth are now called upon to choose between disregarding a plain requirement of God's word or forfeiting their liberty. If we yield the word of God, and accept human customs and traditions, we may still be permitted to live among men, to buy and sell, and have our rights respected. But if we maintain our loyalty to God, it must be at the sacrifice of our rights among men. For the enemies of God's law have leagued together to crush out independent judgment in matters of religious faith, and to control the consciences of men. They are determined to put an end to the long-continued controversy concerning the Sabbath, to prohibit all further spread of the truth upon this point, and to secure the exaltation of Sunday, in the very face of the injunction of the fourth commandment. HM NOV.01,1893

Europe is stretching out her hands to us for help, and the way is opened to do a good work there if the press can be established, and publications go forth from it in the German, French, and Italian languages. Bro. Ribton says that Italy needs publications in her own language, in order for our ministry to be successful there. These repeated and urgent calls stir our immost soul; yet we are unable to personally aid the European mission as we would like to do. Now is the time to invest the means which God has intrusted to his stewards for this very work. Time is short; hoarded wealth will soon be worthless. When the decree shall go forth that none shall buy or sell except they have the mark of the beast, very much means will be of no avail. God calls for us now to do all in our power to send forth the warning to the world. RH MAR.21,1878

The deceiving power of Satan will continually increase to the very end. Through his agencies he will do great wonders, "so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do, . . . saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." ST JUN.04,1894