Yes, following the French Revolution things really opened up for the Bible truths to be spread across the world! And yes, the Advent movement came into being!
But the issue concerning the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit in Rev. 11:7 also needs to be understood in it's role in the last days.
We find this important question in the book Great Controversy
The iniquity and spiritual darkness that prevailed under the supremacy of Rome were the inevitable result of her suppression of the Scriptures; but where is to be found the cause of the widespread infidelity, the rejection of the law of God, and the consequent corruption, under the full blaze of gospel light in an age of religious freedom? Now that Satan can no longer keep the world under his control by withholding the Scriptures, he resorts to other means to accomplish the same object. To destroy faith in the Bible serves his purpose as well as to destroy the Bible itself. GC 586
Could that antireligious beast that manifested itself in France, which possessed the moral degradation of Sodom, the atheistic arrogance of Egypt, and the same rebelliousness against the WORD as demonstrated in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified, be the reason for this departure into darkness?
The beast of Revelation 11:7 arose to destroy the Bible and all it stands for.
Satan, knowing that he had lost the fight of keeping the Bible away from the people, now moved to another plan. Destroy faith in the Bible.
The French Revolution was a drastic picture of what a society that throws out God's law of life looks like. Just because the beast was no longer in OBVIOUS full blown sight after the three and a half years, does not mean it went away. The seeds of this new form of rebellion were planted, they sent deep roots into society and they were growing.
Yes, the Bible was spread all over the earth, in the years after 1798, However:
The books of the philosophers of the Revolution also became wide spread.
"Voltaire became one of Satan's most successful agents to lead men away from God. Thousands will rise up in the judgment and charge the ruin of their souls upon the infidel Voltaire." {CG 196.3}
"Voltaire and his associates cast aside God's Word altogether, and spread everywhere the poison of infidelity." GC 282
Voltaire realized that interesting literary activity was an excellent way of spreading revolutionary ideas. So he embedded his philosophies in entertaining literature, plays and comedies. His philosophical libertinism and hedonism writings are circulating to this day, and honored for their "freedom and equality" themes.
Let believers in the truth for this time, turn away from authors that teach infidelity. Let not the works of skeptics appear on your library shelves, where your children can have access to them. Let those who have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, no longer deem it an essential feature of a good education to have a knowledge of the writings of those who deny the existence of God, and pour contempt upon his holy word. Give no place to the agents of Satan, since there is nothing by which to vindicate their doings; a clean thing cannot come out of an unclean.-- Review and Herald, Nov. 10, 1891.
Yes, the hour of God's judgment began as Christ was brought before the ancient of Days, in the heavenly court. (Rev. 14:7. Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 Rev. 3:5)
The door to the most Holy Place was opened and the ark of the testimony revealed the ten commandments with the fourth 7th day Sabbath was seen! (Rev. 11:19)
But Satan was working through his new atheistic beast to counter all the light that was streaming forth from heaven!
DARWIN
Wrote his first paper on evolution in 1844.
God's message -- worship Him that created heaven and earth.
Darwin -- no, the earth sort of created itself, no need to believe in or to worship a Creator.
NIETZSCHE
Born in 1844
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche[ii] (15 October 1844 ? 25 August 1900) was a German classical scholar, philosopher, and critic of culture, who became one of the most influential of all modern thinkers. Yet, his philosophy was against God, against the Biblical account of creation, against morality and rules defining right and wrong, basically against everything Biblical.
MARXISM
1844 Karl Marx wrote: ?Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844,?
this work was written by Karl Marx that year, even though not published till later.
It contained the foundation and philosophies of Communism.
SPIRITUALISM
1844 - Spiritualism was a religious movement that gained momentum in America during the mid-1800s. It held that people could communicate with the deceased through mediums.
Was it just coincidence that all these events (and more atheistic events) happened in 1844?
Or had the world reached a deciding point.
1. God was bringing forth truth.
2. The Devil was equipping his new "beast" to counter everything God was doing.
And where are we today?
The last couple decades has seen that very beast of Rev. 11:7 coming to full maturity once more, he's not subtle anymore. The antireligion, atheistic, immorality celebrating, calling evil good, and good evil, beast.
The difference this time, will simply be a mirror image. Instead of the papal beast being set into the background, devoid of political power, in the very near future the papal beast will be restored to power.
The American beast (apostate Protestantism) will unite with the papacy, they will presume to fight against the beast from the bottomless pit. Only problem -- neither side are honoring the God of Creation or His law
And yes, history will be repeated (not prophecy, but history will be repeated)
The prophecy pointed to France, and what happened in France is a warning of what happens when God and His law are cast aside. A time of trouble even worse than what befell France.
Distinct reference is made in scripture and Spirit of prophecy to that abnormal national experience known as ?The French Revolution.? (Revelation 11:7-10. And the Great Controversy) The time when the principles of antireligion and infidelity were given full opportunity to bud and blossom and bear fruit, that all the world might judge of their nature; when people were left to show to what deeds of darkness the carnal heart would lead, unrestrained by any principles of righteousness and truth. It was noted in prophecy and history as a warning to us living today.
And the descriptions given in inspiration, are such to indicate earth's population will fall to a large extent, if not wholly, under the same principles of evil.
It is a serious question, today, whether the final stages of this condition is not already appearing before our eyes, and if we may be standing on the very threshold to see wherein ?history repeats itself? in its worst forms.
"The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent . . . . Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old. {FLB 215.5
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