"Marvelous in her shrewdness and cunning is the Roman Church. She can read what is to be. She bides her time, seeing that the Protestant churches are paying her homage in their acceptance of the false sabbath and that they are preparing to enforce it by the very means which she herself employed in bygone days. Those who reject the light of truth will yet seek the aid of this self-styled infallible power to exalt an institution that originated with her. How readily she will come to the help of Protestants in this work it is not difficult to conjecture. Who understands better than the papal leaders how to deal with those who are disobedient to the church? GC 580.1"
"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
The EGW passage describes the Roman Church's cunning and its ability to deceive those who reject the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 speaks of the coming of the lawless one with deceptive power and signs, which aligns with the theme of deception and the rejection of truth.
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast."
The EGW passage describes the Roman Church's shrewdness and the world's acceptance of its false sabbath. Revelation 13:3 speaks of the world wondering after the beast whose deadly wound was healed, which aligns with the theme of worldwide admiration and acceptance of a powerful entity.
"The Roman Catholic Church, with all its ramifications throughout the world, forms one vast organization under the control, and designed to serve the interests, of the papal see. Its millions of communicants, in every country on the globe, are instructed to hold themselves as bound in allegiance to the pope. Whatever their nationality or their government, they are to regard the authority of the church as above all other. Though they may take the oath pledging their loyalty to the state, yet back of this lies the vow of obedience to Rome, absolving them from every pledge inimical to her interests. GC 580.2"
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."
The verse in Revelation describes the widespread influence of the 'whore,' which EGW interprets as the Roman Catholic Church. EGW's passage describes the global reach and influence of the Catholic Church, echoing the imagery of 'peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues' being under its sway.
"History testifies of her artful and persistent efforts to insinuate herself into the affairs of nations; and having gained a foothold, to further her own aims, even at the ruin of princes and people. In the year 1204, Pope Innocent III extracted from Peter II, king of Arragon, the following extraordinary oath: “I, Peter, king of Arragonians, profess and promise to be ever faithful and obedient to my lord, Pope Innocent, to his Catholic successors, and the Roman Church, and faithfully to preserve my kingdom in his obedience, defending the Catholic faith, and persecuting heretical pravity.”—John Dowling, The History of Romanism, b. 5, ch. 6, sec. 55. This is in harmony with the claims regarding the power of the Roman pontiff “that it is lawful for him to depose emperors” and “that he can absolve subjects from their allegiance to unrighteous rulers.”—Mosheim, b. 3, cent. 11, pt. 2, ch. 2, sec. 9, note 17. (See also Appendix note for page 447.) GC 580.3"
"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
Revelation 17:18 speaks of a 'great city' reigning over the kings of the earth. EGW's passage provides historical examples of the papacy exerting power over earthly rulers, illustrating the fulfillment of the prophetic description.