The SOP tells us that probation comes to a close, shortly before the Second Coming.

“Just before we entered it [the time of trouble], we all received the seal of the living God. Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion.--7BC 968 (1846) pg 229. And also:
“.As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle.--6T 14 (1900).” Notice it says “we all receive the seal of the living God” and “the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads” Next lets look at what SOP also says will happen at this time:

“The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes, for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided.”--2SM 81 (1890). pg 228

Did you pick up how it says the “great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided” at the time of probation closing.

Lets read more of what the SOP tells us about the image of the beast of the Last Days:

“When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state, and employed it to further her own ends.. In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends. . . . The "image to the beast" represents that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas.--GC 443, 445 (1911).

So in what way do the daughter churches still follow the Roman Catholic church or the papacy, well we find they follow Sundaykeeping .

Now lets turn to Revelation 13 starting with verse 11:

“11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; 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.15 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.16 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:17 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.”

Now lets see what the SOP tells us the “great test for the people of God” at the end will be:

“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not.. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.” {GC 605.2}

But SOP also says this about the sign or seal of God that the Gods people received:

“This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed. All who prove their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to accept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah, and will receive the seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin, and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the mark of the beast”…. {Mar 164.4}

Notice it says “by observing His law, and refusing to accept a spurious sabbath” Now many Adventist tell themselves, I can delay truly giving my life to the Lord till the National Sunday Law, which SOP tells us signals at last, when Christ will be coming:

“The substitution of the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation, by merely human authority, of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. He will arise in His majesty to shake terribly the earth. He will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity, and the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.”–Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 141.

But if Adventist brethren wait till the National Sunday Law, by this time those who are sealed of God will be decided and those who receive the Mark of the Beast set, so not much will be changed when probation closes. They will already have been lost by this time if they don't act and truly convert and follow Christ. Like the days of Noah, there will be those left on the outside because they didn’t act before the door to the ark closed, and this will happen again when the door of probation will be closed

Now speaking to Gods church the SOP says this:
“The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The observance of the false sabbath will be urged upon us. The contest will be between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. Those who have yielded step by step to worldly demands, and conformed to worldly customs, will then yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. At that time the gold will be separated from the dross. . . . Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness. Those who have assumed the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ’s righteousness, will then appear in the shame of their own nakedness.”–Prophets and Kings, p. 188. {ChS 157.2}
So at the end there will be two groups, those who follow the commandments of men, and those who keep the commandments of God, all 10 not just nine.. One will receive the “Seal of God” the other “Mark of the Beast.” The church “militant” is the church in its present state consisting of wheat and tares, the church “Triumphant” is the church consisting of wheat only, which is close.
Jesus said: “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. . . . So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” {TM 45.1}

The Holy Spirit is being poured out at the end time for those who would be sealed, And this seal is the holy character which the Spirit of God creates in and changes in the saints..

Probation closing whether soon after the National Sunday Law or at its coming, will not change the judgment of those lost and those saved, we must prepare before it comes

(bold emphasis mine)

I agree Rick H. We can't wait for the NSL or it will be too late. The formation of the Image of the Beast in the United States will bring the test upon God's people and I can see that coming now.

My Bible study confirms that the Judgment Hour of the dead was allotted a specific duration.

Day = 1000-years
hour = 83 years 4 months because Jesus said there are 12 hours in a day

Judgment Hour of dead 22 October 1844 till 22 February 1928
The Thyatira Church had died in 1798 and was still dead 2/22/28

From February to June 1929 the healing was in progress

On the Day of Atonement 14 October 1929 Thyatira was alive,
the deadly wound had been healed

The Judgment Hour of the Living began 14 October 1929 through 14 February 2013

The time allotted for the Judgment Hour of the Living ended when the hour allotted for the solo post 1929 popes ended.

Benedict marked the occasion by resigning.

We are in the sealing time immediately before Christ returns.

It will not be long

The time of trouble has begun, but it has not advanced to the time of Jacob's trouble. It will get worse and culminate in the time of Jacob's trouble

We do well to study God's word and seek the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

We are very close to end of time, on this point I fully agree.
I also agree we must not wait for a Sunday law to pass before taking this seriously, the sealing time is now and will soon be over. This is very present truth!!! Today is the time to seek the Lord with all our hearts, minds and souls. Today we are to lift up our heads for our redemption draweth nigh.



However, I do not believe we should set a series of dates for events after 1844. Please permit me to explain why.

1. Christ could have come ere this.
In 1883 EGW wrote == " Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people" Ev 695

Thus all the judgment of living and dead and the sealing could have been finished ere 1883. The deadly wound could have been healed ere 1883.


2. The sealing work has been taking place in our lives for many years, it's a process, not a sudden stamped on condition. The Holy Spirit is doing that sealing work in our lives NOW if we are willing and surrendered, and just before probation closes God draws His "blanket" of protection marked with His seal over all who have submitted to the sealing process.
"Before the work is closed up and the sealing of God's people is finished, we shall receive the outpouring of the Spirit of God. Angels from heaven will be in our midst. The present is a fitting-up time for heaven when we must walk in full obedience to all the commands of God.--Letter 30, 1907. {1SM 111.3}
"Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until the sealing was past, until the covering was drawn over God's people, and they left without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues. God has begun to draw this covering over His people, and it will soon be drawn over all who are to have a shelter in the day of slaughter. God will work in power for His people; and Satan will be permitted to work also.
{EW 44.2}

3. The healing of the beast's wound.

To say the wound was healed in 1929 is to deny what caused the wound in the first place. It suggests the "wound" was the losing of the Vatican States, and the healing the regaining of the Vatican States, But in 1798 the Vatican did not lose the Vatican States. It was in 1870, when the annexation of the papal territory put an official end to the Papal States. This was reversed with the Lateran Treaty of 1929, which set up Vatican City as an independent state. To say the wound was healed in 1929 one would have to say it wasn't inflicted until 1870.

However, when one realizes the wound was inflicted in 1798 when there was an official change in LAW removing from the papacy the political power to enforce religion upon the masses, then we realize the healing of the wound will come when LAWS give the papacy (and her daughters) the right to enforce religion upon the masses.

4. The time of trouble has not yet begun
Though the winds of strife are building with relentless power, they are not yet released. Though everything is being set up for oppressive laws taking away religious freedoms, they have not yet been enforced. BUT Don't wait till those winds are released to surrender your lives to God, the sealing process is NOW, and if we submit to that process God's covering of salvation will be over us when those winds are released.

We are VERY CLOSE to the end of time.
When the end comes it will strike with sudden tremendous force.

But the scene was repeated. God could have gathered His people if the had let Him. But since they did not let Him He foretold what must come upon them.

Sister White speaks of the sealing time on many occasions. The final sealing time is in connection with the THIRD ANGELS message. When that sealing angel returns to Christ, Jesus declares 'It is done!"

Review Ezekiel 9

To deny that Pius VI received the deadly wound in 1798 is to deny a clear statement from the Spirit of Prophecy:





One of his heads---The Pius head received the deadly wound (Pius VI), and the Pius head received the healing of the deadly wound (Pius XI).

Pius VI lost his position as head of church and state when he was imprisoned in 1798--he died in captivity without ever being restored, but the Pius head was restored through Pius XI in 1929.

The healing process will continue, but 1798 and 1929 fulfill prophecy sufficiently to identify the seven pope that were to rule for One Hour (83-years 4-months) from 14 October 1929 (Day of Atonement that immediately followed the healing of the deadly wound) until 14 February 2013 (when Benedict ended the solo pope papacy)

The five fallen popes (Rev 17) were:
Pius XI & XII
John XXIII
Paul VI
John-Paul I

The one that is was John-Paul II

The one for the short space was Benedict

Babylonian tradition king reigns New Year's Day (March 29 to March 28)

If the king dies anytime before 3/28 that is his final year
and the new king is in his ascension year until 3/29

John-Paul II died 4/2/05 but by Babylonian tradition, his reign was counted until 3/28/06

Benedict XVI ascension year was John-Paul II's final year

Benedict XVI began his first year 3/29/06
Benedict XVI resigned effective 2/28/13
Benedict XVI resigned 1 month and 1 day short of 7-years

7-years is the number of completeness,
By resigning less than the number of completeness
Benedict only ruled a short space

When was the deadly wound healed?

Josiah Litch

Verse 12: "And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them that dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." That Bonaparte healed the deadly wound of popery, is clear from history. After the revolution of the 11th of Nov. 1799, when Bonaparte, Sieyes and Ducos, were appointed a provisional consulate, one of the first acts of reform accomplished by them was, "the discarding of the HEATHEN RITUAL, and the re-opening of the churches for Christian wohship; and of this the credit was wholly Napoleon's, who had to oppose the philosophic prejudices of almost all his colleagues."-[Lockhart's Napoleon, Vol. I., p. 154.] {1842 JoL, PREX1 107.2}

The same month the college of cardinals was convened and entered on the election of a new pope; succeeded in the election of pope Pius VII., March 1, 1800. Thus Bonaparte exercised, as the pope had done, supreme power in the church, overruling all his associates, and restoring popery. He caused the earth, by this exercise of power, to worship the beast whose deadly wound was healed. {1842 JoL, PREX1 107.3}

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Uriah Smith

This wounding is the same as the going into captivity. Revelation13:10. It was inflicted when the pope was taken prisoner by Berthier, the French general, and the papal government was for a time abolished, in 1798. Stripped of his power, both civil and ecclesiastical, the captive pope, Pius Vl, died in exile at Valence in France, Aug. 29, 1799. But the deadly wound was healed when the papacy was re- established, though with a diminution of its former power, by the election of a new pope, March 14, 1800. (See Bower's History of the Popes, pp. 404-428; Croly on the Apocalypse, London edition, p. 251.) {1897 UrS, DAR 563.3}

The deadly wound was healed. To say the head was dead until 1929 would be to deny the significant events involving the Papacy in the 19th century. The event to come is the 2-horned beast, the United States paying homage to the beast and the Sunday laws.

Litch and Smith did a wonderful work in their time, But knowledge is to increase.

Knowledge has increased.
Revelation 17 has revealed the 5 popes who where fallen, the one that was and is to be the 8th, and the one that continued for a short space.

All of that had not happened in their day and they could not compare it to their understanding until it happened.



This is my explanation of that paragraph:

Those who become confused in their understanding of the Word [that Daniel 7 is about Presidents Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, and Obama], who fail to see the meaning of antichrist [Obama is the last President-King of the North who will turn against the Covenant and God's people], will surely place themselves on the side of antichrist. There is no time now for us to assimilate with the world. Daniel is standing in his lot and in his place [The endtime meaning of Daniel is upon us]. The prophecies of Daniel and of John are to be understood. They interpret each other. They give to the world truths which every one should understand. These prophecies are to be witnesses in the world. By their fulfillment in these last days they will explain themselves [when the things happen that were foretold, there will be no doubt as it has happened with Revelation 18-- Benedict resigned because or the priest's loose loins/fornication scandal, the king of the earth Obama has accepted their fornication as the new norm in marriage, and Brexit]. {7BC 949.6}