You also have to be careful not to be to strict or literal with the text like those who tempt fate with snakes and poison thinking they are immune yet not follow God.

Like the Vietnam war, they are turning America against any help for Israel to continue fighting, and even this last passage of support had a hard time to get through. Now Israel is becoming isolated as it tries to continue and get its hostages back, as for the Image of the Beast, I think this administration is the beginning..

In looking at the first six chapters of Daniel as a type of the National and Universal Sunday laws, certain aspects can be seen that help us to know with certainty what to expect. This applies in both the physical and spiritual realms.

In the spiritual realm there is often the question of when do we receive the seal of God. The Spirit of prophecy lets us know that we are not sealed when the first Sunday law test comes, as it 'is the great test for God?s people.'

"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? In Revelation 13 this subject is plainly presented;" (Revelation 13:11-17, quoted).

"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?" (15MR 15.1-3)

In another place she lets us know when we do receive the seal:

"About four months since, I had a vision of events, all in the future. And I saw the time of trouble, such as never was,--Jesus told me it was the time of Jacob's trouble, and that we should be delivered out of it by the voice of God. Just before we entered it (Jacob's time of trouble), we all received the seal of the living God." (DS, March 14, 1846 par. 2)

When the Sunday law has gone global, it is then that Michael stands up and human probation closes. Then God?s people are plunged into Jacob's time of trouble. (GC 615-616)

The same thing is shown in Daniel. As we saw in the quotes in the first part, the raising of the image in Daniel 3 represents the raising of the Sunday law in America. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego represent God's people who are standing under the three angels messages as the Sunday law is enacted. They are thrown into the fiery furnace because of their refusal to bow to the image. The Bible records that 'they fell down bound in the midst of the burning fiery furnace.' God's people are not sealed at this point, because it is the great test they must have before they are sealed.

Two things are destroyed as a result of this test. The mighty men that cast Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace, and the bands that bound them. The destruction of these two things represent the final victory over our inherited and cultivated defects of character. It is in the heat of the trial that these things will be destroyed. This trial will be significant, in that we will experience wholesale persecution, reproach, hatred and contempt. Martyrs will also be produced.

It is interesting to note that these men had to successfully pass through the testing trials of Daniel 1 and Daniel 2 before they could pass through the test of Daniel 3. The same principle applies to the three angels' messages and the sanctuary. It is always the first two that prepare for the survival of the third.

This can be shown in type with the two angels that visited Lot. It was because of the instruction of those two angels that Lot survived the destruction of Sodom. 'Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot? Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.' Luke 17:26-30

The same is true with the two spies, or messengers (Josh. 6:25) who came to Rahab in Jericho. Again, it was only because of the instruction given by these two men that she knew to gather her family into her home, and to place the scarlet line out the window, thus enabling them to survive the destruction of the city. The scarlet line is the same as the blood on the doorpost, representing the atonement and merits of Christ, which caused the destroying angel to pass over.

Daniel 1, 2, and 3, are identical with the three angels, and these three angels are in turn, identical with the Courtyard, Holy Place, and Most Holy Place. The three testing temptations of Christ in the wilderness are also the same as the three tests of Daniel 1-3. The first temptation and Daniel 1 are on appetite, the second temptation and Daniel 2 are on presumption and prophecy, and the third temptation and Daniel 3 are about worship.

Daniel 4 and 5 represent the completion of the mystery of Godliness and the mystery of iniquity in each of the two classes of people. As a result of the seven times that Nebuchadnezzar passed through, just as the three Hebrews passed through the furnace heated seven times hotter, he is represented as having excellent majesty added unto him. (Dan. 4:36) Belshazzar, on the other hand, knew what Nebuchadnezzar passed through, but failed the test, and judgment was pronounced against him. These two men represent two classes of people.

The first class receive the seal of God, and the latter receive the mark of the beast. Just as they are sandwiched between chapter 3 and 6, so the spiritual condition of the two classes of people are brought to completion simultaneously between the National and Universal Sunday laws. The one class now perfectly reflects the character of Christ, and the other perfectly reflects the character of Satan.

Daniel 6 represents God?s people as sealed. Daniel is found with 'an excellent spirit within him,' and as 'faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.' (Daniel 6:3-4) Each group now have either the seal or the mark, and are prepared for the final battle.

Wow!
This quarters lessons dig deep.
Notice at the bottom of each Sabbath day's page there is reference to chapters in Great Controversy that are being referenced.
The lessons then use the historical backgrounds to draw lessons for us in our Christian life.

The first lesson covered the origin of Sin --
A mighty, powerful, intelligent, beautiful angel challenges God and His government.
After all, aren't angels intelligent and fully capable of thought, reasoning and choosing what they want and don't want. Aren't they holy? They don't need God telling them what they can and can't do. So he worked, stealthfully at first then more openly to convince the angel's that God's laws are restrictive, and that he would offer them a more exalted existence, they could be like god, be their own god.

The question arises, if God knew one of His intelligent, beautiful angels would rebel against Him, why did He create that angel?

If it wouldn't have been that particular angel that rebelled, sooner or later another would have. The only way to avoid it would have been NOT to created thinking, reasoning beings who had the power of choice.
But God wants people, angels, to serve Him because they love and trust Him, not because they are programed to do so.

He could have wiped Lucifer out right then and there,,
What would that have accomplished?
All the other angels would have served out of fear and dread.

So God said, OK Satan, you cannot stay in heaven, for sin cannot live in heaven.
BUT, you can demonstrate your idea of a kingdom on one planet .

In the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived, there was one tree that had forbidden fruit.
Satan was allowed access to that one tree. He could not follow Adam and Eve around the garden, and Adam and Eve were warned concerning this enemy.
But if they ate of that one tree. They listened to his lies and the gates of sin were opened. Satan and his angels could roam the earth and plague the human race, teaching them to disregard God, and be their own "gods".

You won't die, (you are immortal) Satan told Eve on the fateful day, you will be like god! (Defining your own right and wrong)

And that has been his alluring lie to mankind ever since.
And most believe him.

Inspite of the death, misery and woe, Satan's reign has given mankind; so many still believe they've achieved a higher level of existence by operating independent of God.

And the present administration is stoking the flames so to speak, take a look...
"The White House on Friday announced "transgender day of visibility" for March 31, which this year falls on Easter Sunday.

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility," President Biden wrote in a Friday statement. "I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity."

And its being done purposely as a matter of policy...'Since its inception, the Biden administration has made LGBT activism a cornerstone of its policy priorities. Biden boasted in his statement that he appointed transgender leaders to his administration and ended the ban on transgender Americans serving openly in the military.'...MSN https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/b...ransgender-day-of-visibility/ar-BB1kNEHy

And we have even more from SOP:
'At the commencement of the holy Sabbath, January 5, 1849, we engaged in prayer with Brother Belden's family at Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and the Holy Ghost fell upon us. I was taken off in vision to the most holy place, where I saw Jesus still interceding for Israel. . . . Then I saw that Jesus would not leave the most holy place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction.--EW, p. 36. {1BIO 154.6}

In quick succession last-day events were reviewed before her--the seven last plagues, the death decree, the deliverance at the voice of God, and then a scene she did not understand. {1BIO 155.1}

I asked my attending angel for an explanation of what I saw.
He told me that I could see no more then, but he would shortly show me what those things that I then saw meant.--Ibid., p. 37. {1BIO 155.2}

The explanation came the next afternoon in another vision. {1BIO 155.3}

I saw four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and were on their way to accomplish it. Jesus was clothed with priestly garments. He gazed in pity on the remnant, then raised His
hands, and with a voice of deep pity cried, "My blood, Father, My blood, My blood, My blood!" {1BIO 155.4}

Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from God, who sat upon the great white throne, and was shed all about Jesus. Then I saw an angel with a commission from Jesus, swiftly flying to the four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and waving something up and down in his hand, and crying with a loud voice, "Hold! Hold! Hold! Hold! until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads."--Ibid., p. 38. {1BIO 155.5}

Still perplexed as to the full significance of what was passing before her, she again made inquiry: {1BIO 155.6}

I asked my accompanying angel the meaning of what I heard, and what the four angels were about to do. He said to me that it was God that restrained the powers, and that He gave His angels charge over things on earth; that the four angels had power from God to hold the four winds, and they were about to let them go; but while their hands were loosening, and the four winds were about to blow, the merciful eye of Jesus gazed on the remnant that were not sealed, and He raised His hands to the Father and pleaded with Him that He had spilled His blood for them.

Then another angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels and bid them hold, until the servants of God were sealed with the seal of the living God in their foreheads.--Ibid. {1BIO 155.7}