THE SCRIPTURES A SAFEGUARD

I [Ellen White] saw that the heavenly angels were filled with righteous anger at this bold work of Satan. I asked why all these deceitful teachings should be allowed to influence the minds of people. Are not the angels of God powerful? If commanded by God, could not these angels easily break the enemy's power?SRme 1.1710

Then I saw that God knew Satan would try every way possible to destroy everyone. So God had His Word written out. God made His purposes and plans for people plain and clear. The weakest mind can understand God's truth. After God gave His Word to people, He took special care of His Word so Satan and his representatives could not destroy the Word. Other books might be destroyed, but God's Word would continue forever.SRme 1.1711

I saw that near the end of earth's history Satan would increase his deceptions. God planned that at that time millions of copies of the Bible would be printed. Anybody who wanted a Bible would be able to have one. If the people prayerfully studied the Bible, the Holy Spirit would help them understand the Word. People would know the truth and would not be deceived by Satan's lies or miracles.SRme 1.1712

I saw that God had especially watched over the Bible, but when there were only a few Bibles, men had changed some words in the Bible. The men thought they were making the Bible easier to understand, but they were not. Instead, they were putting into the Bible popular ideas and what their ancestors believed.SRme 1.1713

But true seekers for truth do not need to be deceived. The Word of God is a perfect chain, one part joined to and explaining another part. The Word of God clearly shows the way of salvation. The Holy Spirit guides people in understanding the truth the Bible teaches.SRme 1.1714

I was shown that the angels of God are never to control the will of any person. People can choose for themselves. People can choose either life or death. Many people desire life, but they continue to follow the crowd, the easy road. God gave His Son to die for all people, but people choose to rebel against God's government. People who do not accept the salvation so dearly bought, must receive some punishment.SRme 1.1715

I was shown that God would never shut the wicked up in hell to endure everlasting pain. But God cannot take wicked people to heaven. Wicked people would be miserable in the pure, holy company of angels and the righteousSRme 1.1716

people. So God will destroy wicked people completely. The wicked people will be as if they had never lived.SRme 1.1717

This will satisfy God's justice. God created people from the dust of the earth. The people who are not obedient and are not holy will be burned by fire and return to dust again. I saw that God's loving way of dealing with sinners should make us admire His character and praise His holy name. After the wicked are destroyed from off the earth, all heavenly beings will say, "Amen!"SRme 1.1718

Satan feels happy when he sees people follow his deceptions but say they are followers of Christ. Satan keeps planning new ways to deceive the followers of Christ. His plans are more and more deceptive. Satan led the leaders of the Roman church to make people think the leaders were more important than God. These leaders stirred up the people to persecute and destroy men and women who would not accept Satan's false doctrines.SRme 1.1719

Oh, the terrible suffering and pain the precious followers of Christ had to endure! Angels kept a faithful record of all the evil that was done. Satan and his angels proudly told the holy angels that every follower of Jesus would be killed. Satan said that there would not be a true Christian left on the earth. But persecution kept God's church pure. No person with an evil heart would join God's church because anyone who dared say he believed in Christ was in danger of the most terrible persecution that Satan could invent.SRme 1.1720