In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death. See Revelation 13:11-17. But to the obedient is given the promise, “He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” Isaiah 33:16. By this promise the children of God will live. When the earth shall be wasted with famine, they shall be fed. “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.” Psalm 37:19. To that time of distress the prophet Habakkuk looked forward, and his words express the faith of the church: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17, 18. DA 121.3
The Desire of Ages by Ellen G White
By Vince Rugari
January 12, 2023 — 6.00am
Facial recognition technology identified six blacklisted fans who tried to sneak into a previous A-League grand final in Sydney, but experts have warned it’s not necessarily the best way to tackle the difficult task of practically enforcing stadium bans.
Football Australia has issued a total of 17 bans to people who were involved in last month’s violent pitch invasion at AAMI Park, including three life bans and others ranging from five to 20 years.
Facial recognition technology appears to be the future for sporting venues around the world. SUPPLIED
But as the dust settles after the incident that shocked Australian sport and brought powerhouse club Melbourne Victory to its knees, now comes the tricky part for the clubs, competitions and venue staff responsible for putting these measures into action, which appears to be far easier said than done.
While four people on Football Australia or A-Leagues banned lists were prevented from attending the Melbourne derby, one of the main perpetrators was subject to a 10-year ban from all football activities by Football Victoria but still managed to get into the stadium and has since fled the country.
There are also unresolved questions about how spectator bans can be enforced at lower-tier facilities for women’s, youth, state league or other grassroots matches, where the security presence is greatly reduced in comparison to the stadiums where the full-time professionals play.
These records of the past clearly reveal the enmity of Rome toward the true Sabbath and its defenders, and the means which she employs to honor the institution of her creating. The word of God teaches that these scenes are to be repeated as Roman Catholics and Protestants shall unite for the exaltation of the Sunday.
The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan by Ellen G White
The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns shall cause “the earth and them which dwell therein” to worship the papacy—there symbolized by the beast “like unto a leopard.” The beast with two horns is also to say “to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast;” and, furthermore, it is to command all, “both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” to receive the mark of the beast. Revelation 13:11-16. It has been shown that the United States is the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns, and that this prophecy will be fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgment of her supremacy. But in this homage to the papacy the United States will not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power. “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.” Verse 3. The infliction of the deadly wound points to the downfall of the papacy in 1798. After this, says the prophet, “his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” Paul states plainly that the “man of sin” will continue until the second advent. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8. To the very close of time he will carry forward the work of deception. And the revelator declares, also referring to the papacy: “All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life.” Revelation 13:8. In both the Old and the New World, the papacy will receive homage in the honor paid to the Sunday institution, that rests solely upon the authority of the Roman Church.
Since the middle of the nineteenth century, students of prophecy in the United States have presented this testimony to the world. In the events now taking place is seen a rapid advance toward the fulfillment of the prediction. With Protestant teachers there is the same claim of divine authority for Sundaykeeping, and the same lack of Scriptural evidence, as with the papal leaders who fabricated miracles to supply the place of a command from God. The assertion that God’s judgments are visited upon men for their violation of the Sunday-sabbath, will be repeated; already it is beginning to be urged. And a movement to enforce Sunday observance is fast gaining ground.
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?
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.
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.)
And let it be remembered, it is the boast of Rome that she never changes. The principles of Gregory VII and Innocent III are still the principles of the Roman Catholic Church. And had she but the power, she would put them in practice with as much vigor now as in past centuries. Protestants little know what they are doing when they propose to accept the aid of Rome in the work of Sunday exaltation. While they are bent upon the accomplishment of their purpose, Rome is aiming to re-establish her power, to recover her lost supremacy. Let the principle once be established in the United States that the church may employ or control the power of the state; that religious observances may be enforced by secular laws; in short, that the authority of church and state is to dominate the conscience, and the triumph of Rome in this country is assured.
God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution. GC 578.2 – GC 581.2
FA chief executive James Johnson admitted on Tuesday that stadium bans were “complex” but not impossible to implement, and required close collaboration and information sharing between sporting bodies, security and police to allow those manning stadium entry points to identify banned supporters.
Victoria Police say the enforcement of stadium bans is a matter for host clubs and venues. GETTY IMAGES
According to industry sources, however, the system is imperfect and, in many ways, archaic, heavily reliant on the memories of security staff and their ability to quickly match patrons with photos, names or other data related to people on banned lists. Inevitably, some slip through the net, and often they are the ones who can cause trouble at a sporting event.
One obvious but highly controversial and almost dystopian solution appears to be gaining traction in Australia and throughout the world: facial recognition technology, which was rolled out in cameras throughout the SCG precinct in 2018 and has been in place at Sydney’s major stadia ever since.
In fact, industry sources have revealed that in a trial run of the software at the 2017 A-League grand final between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory at the old Allianz Stadium, six people who were banned from setting foot in the venue were picked out before they could get past the gates.
Facial recognition technology was deployed at the World Cup in Qatar, where 15,000 cameras were equipped with the software capable of surveillance for threats of terrorism and hooliganism. Organisers trumpeted it as “the future of stadium operations”.
It is also in use at the Randwick Racecourse by the Australian Turf Club, which deploys technology from Oosto to identify known troublemakers and self-excluded gaming patrons, having previously struggled to spot repeat offenders when relying on the human eye or memory alone.
It is not widespread in Europe, where privacy rights groups have vehemently opposed moves by clubs in England, Wales, Denmark and France to use it at football matches. In some countries, people who are prohibited from attending games are required to report to a police station at kick-off time to ensure they do not flout their bans.
However, it is likely to be rolled out at more major sporting venues throughout the world, despite widespread concerns about privacy and efficiency – reflected in Australia by the recent uproar when it was revealed retailers Bunnings, The Good Guys and Kmart had been analysing CCTV footage to create facial profiles of customers, including children, without their knowledge.
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Edward Santow, a professor at University of Technology Sydney, co-director of the Human Technology Institute, and Australia’s former Human Rights Commissioner, said facial recognition was not the “panacea” that many think it could be at sporting venues, and was far from foolproof in crowded areas with variable lighting and conditions.
“It needs to be very closely regulated and controlled,” he said. “Yes, the status quo doesn’t work very well, but you can solve that problem by creating an even bigger one.
“The more we use this sort of facial recognition in places like stadiums, the more we’re all basically part a police line-up every moment of our lives. And that really is a very significant incursion on people’s privacy.
“In Australia, we don’t have dedicated law on facial recognition, which means that the rules of the road are not clear enough, so you can have some pretty shonky operators, and we have had some, peddling their technology and causing all kinds of problems.”
Victoria Police said the enforcement of stadium bans was the responsibility of the host club and venue, but that those recently banned who are facing criminal charges are prohibited from attending A-League matches due to their bail conditions.
“Victoria Police will have no hesitation arresting anyone found in breach of these conditions,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
NSW Police were also contacted for comment. The Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust did not respond to a request for comment before deadline, including questions as to whether facial recognition technology is already in place at AAMI Park.
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