Chapter 18—Mystery of Iniquity
It has ever been the design of Satan to draw the minds of the people
from Jesus to man, and to destroy individual accountability. Satan
failed in his design when he tempted the Son of God. He succeeded
better as he came to fallen man. The doctrine of Christianity was
corrupted. Popes and priests presumed to take an exalted position,
and taught the people to look to them to pardon their sins, instead of
looking to Christ for themselves. The Bible was kept from them, in
order to conceal the truths which would condemn them.
The people were entirely deceived. They were taught that the
popes and priests were Christ’s representatives, when in fact they
were the representatives of Satan; and when they bowed to them, they
worshiped Satan. The people called for the Bible; but the priests
considered it dangerous to let them have the word of God to read for
themselves, lest they become enlightened, and their sins be exposed.
The people were taught to look to these deceivers, and receive every
word from them, as from the mouth of God. They held that power
over the mind, which God alone should hold. And if any dared to
follow their own convictions, the same hate which Satan and the Jews
exercised towards Jesus would be kindled against them, and those in
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authority would thirst for their blood. I was shown a time when Satan
especially triumphed. Multitudes of Christians were slain in a dreadful
manner because they would preserve the purity of their religion.
The Bible was hated, and efforts were made to rid the earth of the
precious word of God. The Bible was forbidden to be read on pain
of death, and all the copies of the holy Book which could be found
were burned. But I saw that God had a special care for his word. He
protected it. At different periods there were but a very few copies
of the Bible in existence, yet God would not suffer his word to be
lost. And in the last days, copies of the Bible were to be so multiplied
that every family could possess it. I saw that when there were but a
very few copies of the Bible, it was precious and comforting to the
persecuted followers of Jesus. It was read in the most secret manner,
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