FAITH FUNDAMENTALS IN PROPHECY

PROPHECY: CAN EMPIRES ESCAPE GOD FOREVER?

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” — Amos 3:7

ABSTRACT

Daniel’s vision of four beasts rising from a storm-tossed sea ends in the Ancient of Days seating judgment and granting the everlasting kingdom to His faithful saints.

WHOSE KINGDOM OUTLASTS THE STORM?

The first vision of Daniel opens with a quiet scene. An old man sits upright in his bed. He takes a pen into his trembling hand. Before any beast appears, before any horn rises, the prophet writes. This act of writing is deliberate. Prophecy in Scripture is not poetic decoration. It is sober documentation. The Holy Spirit treats prophecy as a legal record. The book of Daniel begins its great apocalyptic section with precise dating. The prophet himself tells us when the vision came. He tells us how he received it. He tells us what he did next. The order of those actions matters. Dream comes first. Writing comes second. Telling comes third. “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters” (Daniel 7:1, KJV). God does not trust His warnings to rumor. He commits them to the page. The written word survives the collapse of empires. The written word outlives the prophets who wrote it. Daniel was already an old man when this vision came. He had served under Nebuchadnezzar. He had survived the reign of Belshazzar. He had seen Babylon rise. He now watched it fall. Yet his response to the vision was not triumph. It was sorrow. “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me” (Daniel 7:15, KJV). The prophet’s grief teaches us something important. True prophetic understanding is a burden before it becomes a comfort. Those who see the future through God’s eyes carry a weight. They feel the cost of every falling empire. They mourn the suffering of every oppressed saint. Gabriel later explained the reason for his visits to Daniel. The angel spoke with tenderness and clarity. “And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling” (Daniel 10:11, KJV). To be greatly beloved does not exempt the prophet from trembling. Love and burden walk together in the Lord’s service. Daniel knew his book would not be fully understood in his own day. God commanded him to seal it up. The Lord reserved its full disclosure for the last generation. “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4, KJV). The book was written for us. The visions were sealed for our generation. The Lord has unrolled the scroll in these last days. Amos establishes the principle that governs all such disclosures. “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7, KJV). The Psalmist sings the same truth with a different key. “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14, KJV). The Lord hides nothing essential from His people. He reveals what we need to know when we need to know it. Ellen G. White sets the historical stage of Daniel’s vision with careful precision. “Shortly before the fall of Babylon, when Daniel was meditating on these prophecies and seeking God for an understanding of the times, a series of visions was given him concerning the rise and fall of kingdoms” (Prophets and Kings, p. 553, 1917). The inspired pen calls our generation to study these visions. “As we near the close of this world’s history, the prophecies recorded by Daniel demand our special attention, as they relate to the very time in which we are living. With them should be linked the teachings of the last book of the New Testament Scriptures” (Prophets and Kings, p. 547, 1917). The prophetic messenger warns against spiritual laziness in the study of the Word. The pen of inspiration declares, “Where there is not only a belief in God’s word, but a practical, active obedience to its precepts, piety will be sustained, and long-established opinions will not be adhered to in opposition to light” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, p. 686, 1889). The careful student must compare Scripture with Scripture. In Education we read, “The Bible is its own expositor. Scripture is to be compared with scripture. The student should learn to view the word as a whole, and to see the relation of its parts” (Education, p. 190, 1903). Through inspired counsel we are told that the last book of history is already traced in advance. “In the annals of human history, the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as if dependent on the will and prowess of man; the shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, above, behind, and through all the play and counterplay of human interest and power and passions, the agencies of the All-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will” (Education, p. 173, 1903). The pen of revelation also observes, “The Lord has given me light concerning our periodicals. What is it?—He has said that the dead are to speak. How?—Their works shall follow them. We are to repeat the words of the pioneers in our work” (Manuscript Releases, Volume 1, p. 55, 1981). Pioneer Uriah Smith opens his commentary on this very chapter with words that match the prophet’s own concern. “The book of Daniel is a book of prophecy, and it has been a cause of surprise that many in this age should disregard the great principles of its teaching. The plainness, definiteness, and extent of its subject matter, put it in the first rank of prophetic writings” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 9). The prophet’s pen is still our map. His record still guides us through the final storm. The written vision cannot be bribed. It cannot be censored. It waits for every honest seeker. While earthly empires hide their secrets from their own subjects, God discloses His secrets to His servants. The prophet wrote for a generation not yet born. That generation is ours. How does the faithful recording of prophetic truth equip us to face the closing scenes of earth’s history with clarity and courage?
What Stirs The Tumult Of The Nations?
What Daniel saw first was not a beast. It was weather. The prophet did not open his vision with a lion. He opened it with a storm. This detail is not decorative. The weather in Bible prophecy is always symbolic. It describes the moral atmosphere of history itself. Wind stands for strife. The sea stands for the troubled mass of humanity. When these two meet in a vision, kingdoms are being born. “Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea” (Daniel 7:2, KJV). In that single verse the political geography of three thousand years is laid out. The four winds are the tempests of strife. They are the agitations that produce conquest, migration, and revolution. The great sea is the crowded ocean of humanity. The Revelator interprets the waters. He tells us plainly what they represent. “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15, KJV). Bible prophecy is careful to define its own symbols. We do not have to guess. We compare Scripture with Scripture. The prophet Jeremiah describes the same phenomenon in language that sounds contemporary. “A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 25:31, KJV). The noise is real. The controversy is real. The sword is real. The Psalmist pictures the same ocean of unrest when he praises the God who controls it. “Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people” (Psalm 65:7, KJV). Notice the parallel. The noise of the waves matches the tumult of the peoples. Nature and nations speak the same prophetic language. Isaiah echoes this imagery in one of his most vivid warnings. “Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters” (Isaiah 17:12, KJV). The Apocalypse returns to this symbol with a fresh angle. Now we see angels holding back the winds. The restraint is deliberate. The delay is merciful. “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree” (Revelation 7:1, KJV). Upon this troubled sea four beasts climb. The prophet continues his report. “And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another” (Daniel 7:3, KJV). The beasts come from the sea. That is, they come from a crowded and restless territory. The pen of inspiration brings the picture to its doctrinal center. The symbols are explained in language that admits no ambiguity. “Winds are a symbol of strife. The four winds of heaven striving upon the great sea represent the terrible scenes of conquest and revolution by which kingdoms have attained to power” (The Great Controversy, p. 440, 1911). The prophetic voice warns that these winds are about to be released again. “The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, p. 14, 1909). Through inspired counsel we are told that the delay is ordered by heaven. The angels still hold the winds. The sealing work is not yet complete. “John sees the elements of nature—earthquake, tempest, and political strife—represented as being held by four angels. These winds are under control until God gives the word to let them go. There is the safety of the church of God” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 444, 1923). Inspired testimony adds a further note on the timing. “The four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle” (Last Day Events, p. 238, 1992). The pen of inspiration connects the restraint to the work of mercy. “Angels are holding the four winds, that they shall not blow, until the servants of God are sealed; but when God bids His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture” (Maranatha, p. 259, 1976). Inspired testimony again observes, “The winds of strife are soon to be let loose upon the world. We are to guard against the least approach to difficulty among ourselves. The enemy will watch his opportunity to come in with his train of evils, if any encouragement is given him” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6, p. 408, 1901). Pioneer Uriah Smith explains what it means when a beast comes up out of the sea. He gives the rule of prophetic interpretation with confidence. “Whenever a beast is seen to come up out of the sea, it denotes that the power arises in a thickly populated territory; and if the winds are represented as blowing upon the sea, political and civil strife are indicated” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 749). The vision refuses to flatter civilization. It presents history as a succession of predator forms. These forms rise out of the violent churning of the masses. Between the wind and the beast there is a causal chain. The noise produces the kingdom. The strife produces the empire. While the world treats international turmoil as random, the prophet hears in it the approach of the final crisis. The sea is loud. The winds are rising. The angels still hold the storm. How do the symbols of winds and sea reveal the divine restraint that still protects the remnant amid rising global turmoil?

Why Did The Lion Lose Its Wings?

The first beast of Daniel’s vision is a lion with eagle’s wings. The image is royal. It is swift. It is bright with gold. But the prophet watches something happen to this animal. Its wings are plucked. It is lifted off the ground. It stands upright like a man. A human heart is given to it. This is not a nature documentary. It is a parable of judgment. Babylon is the animal. Nebuchadnezzar is its king. The plucking of the wings is the humbling of his pride. “The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it” (Daniel 7:4, KJV). The lion is the king of beasts. The eagle is the king of birds. Together they picture the empire that ruled the ancient world from the Euphrates. Babylon treated Judah as prey. It carried the sacred vessels of Jehovah into the house of its own gods. Jeremiah charges the kingdom with its crime. “Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones” (Jeremiah 50:17, KJV). The sheep belonged to the Lord. The lions tore them apart. The court of heaven will reckon with such violence. Habakkuk catches the eagle velocity of the Chaldean armies. He describes a speed that anticipates modern warfare. “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs” (Habakkuk 1:6, KJV). Nebuchadnezzar himself stood on the roof of his palace. He looked out across the city he had rebuilt. He boasted in his own power. The boast was heard in heaven. Judgment fell that very hour. “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty” (Daniel 4:30, KJV). The king lost his mind at the height of his fame. He lived among beasts for seven years. He ate grass like an ox. The wings of the lion had been plucked. Isaiah had foretold the final collapse of the city long before its zenith. “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” (Isaiah 13:19, KJV). The beauty did not save the city. The walls did not save the city. The gods did not save the city. Nebuchadnezzar, however, was not finally forsaken. His recovery is one of the great conversions of the Old Testament. The king himself records the moment when his reason returned. He acknowledges the hand that had humbled him. “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34, KJV). The lion had been taught to stand upright. The eagle had been taught to walk. A man’s heart had replaced a beast’s heart. The prophetic messenger diagnoses the deeper reason for Babylon’s transformation. The failure is traced to a moral cause. “Babylon, shattered and broken at last, passed away because in prosperity its rulers had regarded themselves as independent of God, and had ascribed the glory of their kingdom to human achievement” (Prophets and Kings, p. 502, 1917). The Spirit of Prophecy adds a note on the divine intent behind Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling. “Nebuchadnezzar of old had been shown what would be the fate of the rich treasures of worldly wisdom disconnected from God. Daniel’s prophetic revelation to him… had depicted the utter destruction of all earthly wisdom and glory” (Prophets and Kings, p. 501, 1917). In Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students we read a further observation on the purpose of this pageant. “The rise and fall of nations as set forth in the books of Daniel and the Revelation need to be understood. Let them speak of the evidence they give of the truth, so often lost sight of, that the transgression of God’s law brings the sure result—ruin” (Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 456, 1913). The pen of inspiration tells us that the strength of empires has never been in their own resources. “The strength of nations and of individuals is not found in the opportunities or facilities that appear to make them invincible; it is not found in their boasted greatness. That which alone can make them great or strong is the power and purpose of God” (Prophets and Kings, p. 548, 1917). The gift of prophecy adds a final word on the king’s recovery. “Never again did Nebuchadnezzar, while reason was left him, forget the lesson learned. Never again did he boast of his greatness. Never again did he forget that there is One Ruler who is supreme—the Most High God” (Prophets and Kings, p. 521, 1917). In The Signs of the Times we read, “The lesson for us in the experience of Nebuchadnezzar is plain. Whatever confidence man may have in his own power, let him not ascribe his success to his own wisdom and skill” (The Signs of the Times, May 8, 1884). Pioneer Uriah Smith identifies the lion and the eagle as the fittest symbols available. “The lion, the king of beasts, and the eagle, the king of birds, joined together as we here have them, furnish apt symbols of the kingdom of Babylon in its power and glory” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 109). The plucking of the wings is the key to the paragraph. It teaches that divine humbling can precede human restoration. The vision shows a kingdom that must be brought to its knees before it can truly stand. While Babylon imagined that intellect alone could sustain glory, the Lord had other plans. While the lion roared in its own strength, the Lion of the tribe of Judah roared in the strength of His Father. What lesson does the humbling of the lion offer us when personal or national pride threatens to eclipse dependence on God?

What Makes The Bear Devour Flesh?

The second beast of the vision is a bear. It is not a symmetrical animal. It raises itself up on one side. Its shoulders are uneven. Its mouth holds three ribs between its teeth. A voice from the throne gives it a command. The command is short and chilling. “Arise, devour much flesh.” This is Medo-Persia. “And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh” (Daniel 7:5, KJV). The Medes rose first. The Persians rose second. The Persian shoulder was higher than the Median shoulder. The three ribs stand for the three kingdoms conquered by Medo-Persia. Those kingdoms were Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. Each was a major power in its own right. Each was chewed in the teeth of the bear. Isaiah had already named the Persian conqueror by name. He did this more than a century before Cyrus was born. “Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut” (Isaiah 45:1, KJV). The prophecy was so specific that skeptics have tried to date Isaiah late to escape it. But the Lord named Cyrus before Cyrus existed. The secret of the Lord is indeed with His prophets. Daniel himself was present in Babylon on the night of the transfer. He watched the handwriting appear on the wall. He watched the Persian army enter the city. He watched Belshazzar fall. “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old” (Daniel 5:30-31, KJV). The transfer of power happened in a single night. It had been forewarned in the dream of the image. It had been forewarned in the vision of the beasts. Now it was fulfilled before the prophet’s eyes. Later Daniel would see Medo-Persia under another symbol. He saw a ram with two horns pushing westward, northward, and southward. “I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great” (Daniel 8:4, KJV). The command to devour flesh was fulfilled to the letter. Jeremiah had foreseen the rise of this kingdom years before its advent. He identified the Lord as the architect of its ascent. “The LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple” (Jeremiah 51:11, KJV). The bear did not rise by accident. The bear rose by appointment. Haggai puts the principle in the plainest terms. “I will shake the heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen” (Haggai 2:21-22, KJV). No kingdom rises without the permission of heaven. No kingdom falls without the reckoning of heaven. The servant of the Lord states this principle with full confidence. “Every nation that has come upon the stage of action has been permitted to occupy its place on the earth, that it might be seen whether it would fulfill the purpose of the Watcher and the Holy One. Prophecy has traced the rise and fall of the world’s great empires—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome” (Education, pp. 176-177, 1903). The servant of the Lord continues in the same context. “With each of these, as with nations of less power, history repeated itself. Each had its period of test, each failed, its glory faded, its power departed, and its place was occupied by another” (Education, p. 177, 1903). In Education we read further, “Though the nations of earth today have no knowledge of His rule, though they deny His authority, yet in His providence things predicted are being fulfilled” (Education, p. 178, 1903). The pages of Prophets and Kings apply the pattern to our own time. “The same spirit of rebellion against God that made desolate the antediluvian world, and that called for the destruction of Sodom, is again working to produce a scene of universal corruption. Soon every decision will have been made” (Prophets and Kings, p. 277, 1917). Through inspired counsel we are told that the God of Daniel watches the nations with a steady eye. “Like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God’s purposes know no haste and no delay. Through the symbols of the great darkness and the smoking furnace, God had revealed to Abraham the bondage of Israel in Egypt” (Education, p. 178, 1903). From inspired pages we read, “He who controls the destinies of nations… is so guiding events that the voice of truth shall be heard by all” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, p. 136, 1909). Pioneer Uriah Smith explains the command to devour flesh. He sees in it a double meaning. “The command to arise and devour much flesh denotes the extreme cruelties often practiced by the Persians, and indicates also the wide extent of the conquests of this kingdom” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 113). The bear’s lopsided posture still speaks. It tells us that power is rarely balanced in the kingdoms of men. One shoulder always rises higher than the other. Yet even this uneven animal stood under the command of heaven. While the bear devoured to satisfy its hunger, the Ancient of Days governed even the devouring. How does recognizing divine permission in the rise of conquering powers deepen our trust in God’s sovereignty during times of international conflict?

How Fast Can The Leopard Really Fly?

The third beast is a leopard. But the leopard has been modified. It has grown four wings. It has grown four heads. It has been given dominion. This is the Greek empire under Alexander of Macedon. The leopard is fast. With four wings, it is very fast. The prophet’s description matches history with uncanny precision. “After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it” (Daniel 7:6, KJV). Alexander crossed the Hellespont at about twenty years of age. He reached the Indus River by his early thirties. He conquered the known world in less than a decade. No general before him had moved so fast. No general after him has done the like. The four heads are the four generals who divided the empire after Alexander’s sudden death at Babylon. Their names are Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. Daniel’s later vision in chapter eight identifies these four explicitly. “And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power” (Daniel 8:21-22, KJV). The great horn was Alexander. The four horns were his generals. The prophecy named them before they existed. Zechariah had pictured the rise of Greece long before its ascent. “For I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man” (Zechariah 9:13, KJV). The Lord saw Greece before Greece saw itself. The Psalmist cuts through the boasting of every proud kingdom. He warns against trust in military speed. “A horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength” (Psalm 33:17, KJV). Alexander’s horse was named Bucephalus. It is remembered in legend. Yet it did not save him from fever at Babylon. Solomon’s verdict on human velocity is older than any of these kingdoms. It outlasts all of them. “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11, KJV). Speed does not guarantee victory. Genius does not guarantee survival. Isaiah reduces the nations to their true weight in the balance of heaven. “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing” (Isaiah 40:15, KJV). The pride of Macedon was a single drop in that bucket. The Spirit of Prophecy frames the leopard’s rise within the moral economy of all empires. The inspired witness denies that any nation has risen by accident. “Had the kings and rulers of Medo-Persia and Greece and Rome acknowledged the God of heaven and united with His purposes, they would have been enabled to fulfill in their earthly reigns the design of the Creator. Earth’s glorious kingdoms would have witnessed to the saving power of a merciful God” (The Youth’s Instructor, September 29, 1903). The pen of inspiration observes the opposite outcome. “But like Tyre, these kingdoms spurned the Most High, and in the end they became vassals to their own greed and ambition” (The Youth’s Instructor, September 29, 1903). In Prophets and Kings we read, “It is still true that in human wisdom there is no safeguard against deception. Human greatness, apart from the grace of Christ, is only a shadow that passes away” (Prophets and Kings, p. 502, 1917). The voice of inspiration warns against the same moral drift in our own day. “We have no time to lose. Troublous times are before us. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, p. 14, 1909). Through inspired counsel we are told, “In the word of God are found wisdom, unmistakable evidence of a divine mind, an infinite plan. The Bible is man’s guide-book, pointing out the perils that beset his path, and showing him how successfully to avoid them” (Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 425, 1913). The voice of prophecy adds a closing note. “All perplexities of life’s experience will then be made plain. Where to us have appeared only confusion and disappointment, broken purposes and thwarted plans, will be seen a grand, overruling, victorious purpose, a divine harmony” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 474, 1905). Pioneer Uriah Smith describes the rapid conquest of Alexander as the literal fulfillment of the leopard’s four wings. “Alexander, in the short space of eight years, overran all this immense empire. The rapidity of his conquests is signified by the wings of a fowl upon the back of the leopard” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 114). The speed was real. The coherence was brief. The moment Alexander died, the empire split. The four wings became four heads. Division followed velocity as surely as night follows day. While Alexander won the world and lost coherence, the Lamb of God lost everything at Calvary and won a kingdom that cannot be shaken. While the leopard flew, it flew only to its own breaking. What warning does the fleeting speed of the leopard carry for our own generation’s pursuit of progress without God?

Whose Iron Teeth Grind The Nations?

With the fourth beast the vision changes in tone. The prophet cannot find a name for what he sees. There is no lion, no bear, no leopard adequate to this creature. Daniel confesses his inability to classify it. He can only describe. The description is terrifying. “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns” (Daniel 7:7, KJV). This is Imperial Rome. Rome had iron teeth because Rome had iron legions. Rome devoured. Rome broke in pieces. Rome stamped the residue with its feet. The angel later confirms the identification with explicit language. “Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces” (Daniel 7:23, KJV). Rome’s ten horns are the barbarian kingdoms into which the western empire fragmented. They are the Alamanni, the Franks, the Burgundians, the Suevi, the Vandals, the Visigoths, the Saxons, the Ostrogoths, the Lombards, and the Heruli. Three of these would later be uprooted by the little horn. Luke records the edict under which our Lord was born into this very empire. “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed” (Luke 2:1, KJV). Jesus lived under Roman taxation. He walked on Roman roads. He was tried in a Roman court. The soldiers who executed Him were Roman soldiers. The Apostle John records the scene. “And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: where they crucified him” (John 19:16-18, KJV). The iron teeth broke the body of our Saviour. Yet the same cross broke the power of the iron teeth. The Apostle Paul felt the weight of Rome personally. He was beaten. He was imprisoned. He was executed by the sword on the Ostian Way. His last letter rings with quiet triumph. “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-7, KJV). Paul met the iron teeth. The iron teeth did not defeat him. The Psalmist had foreseen the collective hostility of the Roman system. “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:2-3, KJV). The conspiracy of the kings did not succeed. The Lord who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The prophet Jeremiah had warned of the universal reach of such a power. “And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him” (Jeremiah 27:6, KJV). The principle that God gives kingdoms to whom He will extends to all four beasts of Daniel’s vision. The inspired witness refuses to soften the portrait of Rome. The prophet’s language is allowed to stand. “The Holy Spirit, foreseeing the march of events, presented before John a picture of the persecution of the true followers of Christ. The prophet beheld the emperor of Rome standing on the battlements of the capital, uttering his threats” (The Story of Redemption, p. 318, 1947). In The Desire of Ages we read a comment on the cross itself. “The cross was associated with the power of Rome. It was the instrument of the most cruel and humiliating form of death. The lowest criminals were required to suffer death by crucifixion” (The Desire of Ages, pp. 416-417, 1898). In The Spirit of Prophecy we read, “The Romans were the fiercest and most cruel of the enemies that had ever risen against God’s people. Pagan Rome crucified the Lord of glory and murdered His disciples. It was also the nation that began the long work of persecuting the saints” (The Spirit of Prophecy, Volume 4, p. 57, 1884). In The Acts of the Apostles we read a description of the suffering endured under this kingdom. “Amid the wildest scenes, Christ’s disciples were to guard the dignity of their high calling. They were to show themselves worthy of the name by which they were called. Christ had bought them with His own blood” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 84, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told that the very cruelty of the system could not extinguish the truth. “The blood of the martyrs was to be as seed, which would yield its harvest. Their testimony would be borne down through the ages to come” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 598, 1911). The gift of prophecy adds a further word on the contrast between Rome and Christ. “Christ’s kingdom is set up in opposition to every other kingdom. He asks no license from man. His truth and power are all-sufficient” (The Review and Herald, May 5, 1896). Pioneer Uriah Smith identifies Rome as the iron kingdom predicted in both Daniel 2 and Daniel 7. “This kingdom is described in Daniel 2 by the legs of iron in the image, and in Daniel 7 by this fourth beast with its great iron teeth. Both symbols unite in pointing out the terrible strength and the universal character of the Roman Empire” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 117). The iron teeth of this beast did not merely chew. They ground hope itself into the dust. Yet the Lamb who stood before Pilate now sits upon the throne of heaven. While Rome used the cross to break men’s bodies, the Lamb used that cross to break the power of the beast. While the fourth beast trod down the earth, the fourth Man in the furnace walked with His faithful ones. How can we apply the contrast between brute force and the Lamb’s gentle government in our daily interactions within the remnant community?

Who Dares Change The Sacred Times?

Out of the fourth beast rises a horn. The horn is smaller than the others at first. But its mouth is larger than any mouth in the vision. This horn speaks great things. This horn makes war on the saints. This horn prevails against them for a set period of time. The horn is the hinge of the entire chapter. The angel gives its identification with care. “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings” (Daniel 7:24, KJV). The sins of the little horn are enumerated like an indictment in a court of law. They are four in number. He speaks great words against the Most High. He wears out the saints. He thinks to change times and laws. He holds them in his hand for a time and times and a half. “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (Daniel 7:25, KJV). The war on the saints was not symbolic. It was bloody. Daniel states it without softening. “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them” (Daniel 7:21, KJV). Applying the prophetic day-year principle, the 1260 days become 1260 years of papal supremacy. The period begins in 538, when Justinian’s decree acknowledging the bishop of Rome as head of all churches took effect. The period ends in 1798, when General Berthier took the pope captive. The Apostle Paul had foreseen the rise of this power in language that harmonizes fully with Daniel. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, KJV). Paul and Daniel describe the same system. John in the Apocalypse sees the same creature from another angle. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months” (Revelation 13:5, KJV). Forty-two prophetic months equal 1260 prophetic days. These again equal 1260 literal years. Against the horn’s long war stands the martyr’s confession. The saints did not overcome by force. They overcame by something greater. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Revelation 12:11, KJV). The Psalmist frames the divine perspective on all such powers. “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing” (Psalm 2:1, KJV). The rage is loud. The rage is long. But the rage is vain. The prophetic pen brings the history of this horn down to the soil of ordinary believers. The cost of fidelity in the Dark Ages is described plainly. “Christians were forced to choose either to yield their integrity and accept the papal ceremonies and worship, or to wear away their lives in dungeons or suffer death by the rack, the fagot, or the headsman’s axe” (The Great Controversy, pp. 54-55, 1911). The prophetic voice describes the theft of the Saviour’s office. “Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people looked to the pope, and to the priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority” (The Great Controversy, p. 55, 1911). In The Great Controversy we read further, “The papacy has attempted to change the law of God. The second commandment, forbidding image worship, has been dropped from the law, and the fourth commandment has been so changed as to authorize the observance of the first instead of the seventh day as the Sabbath” (The Great Controversy, p. 446, 1911). The pages of The Great Controversy comment on the historical rise of the papacy. “In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established. Its seat of power was fixed in the imperial city, and the bishop of Rome was declared to be the head over the entire church. Paganism had given place to the papacy” (The Great Controversy, p. 54, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told that this system is not yet finished. “The Papacy is just what prophecy declared that she would be, the apostasy of the latter times. It is a part of her policy to assume the character which will best accomplish her purpose” (The Great Controversy, p. 571, 1911). The gift of prophecy observes the present danger. “The spirit of compromise and conformity has taken possession of many who claim to be Protestants. They have come to view Rome much more favorably than formerly” (The Great Controversy, p. 563, 1911). Pioneer Uriah Smith traces the uprooting of three horns with historical precision. “The three horns plucked up were the Heruli in 493, the Vandals in 534, and the Ostrogoths in 538. The removal of this last barrier cleared the way for the undisputed supremacy of the Roman bishop” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 124). The history of this horn is the long autobiography of human religion climbing into the chair of God. While the horn thinks to change the times, the times themselves bow to the Ancient of Days. While the horn wages war on the saints, the saints wage war only with the Word. What practical steps can we take to guard the divine law against subtle attempts to alter its authority in our lives and in the community?

Whose Throne Burns In Flaming Fire?

In the middle of the horn’s boasting, the scene suddenly shifts. The camera moves upward. The setting changes from earth to heaven. The boasting of the horn is replaced by the silence of the throne room. A court is in session. Thousands of angels attend. Books are opened. Judgment is under way. The prophet describes a scene that every saint will one day remember with reverence. “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire” (Daniel 7:9, KJV). The Ancient of Days is God the Father. His garment is white. His hair is white. His throne is a flame. His wheels are fire. This is not a symbolic picture of mercy alone. It is a picture of holiness on trial. The ministry of heaven is unveiled in the next verse. “A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:10, KJV). Books are the instrument of the judgment. Records determine decisions. Names are registered. Deeds are registered. Nothing is forgotten. Nothing is hidden. Into that courtroom walks the Son of Man. He comes with clouds. He comes as our Advocate. “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him” (Daniel 7:13, KJV). This is not the second coming to earth. This is the coming to the Ancient of Days. This is the entrance into the Most Holy Place. This is the beginning of the investigative judgment. What follows is the transfer of the deed. “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14, KJV). Malachi had promised this very entrance long before. “And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:1, KJV). Solomon had prayed toward this heavenly tribunal at the dedication of the first temple. “Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men)” (1 Kings 8:39, KJV). The inspired pen explains the movement of the Son of Man with the clarity of a sanctuary cartographer. There is no ambiguity about the meaning of the scene. “The coming of Christ here described is not His second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of Days in heaven to receive dominion and glory and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844” (The Great Controversy, p. 480, 1911). The servant of the Lord continues with the doctrinal center of the judgment. “The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. Says the prophet Daniel: The judgment was set, and the books were opened” (The Great Controversy, p. 479, 1911). Testimonies for the Church describes the awful solemnity of the session. “As the Holy One upon the throne slowly turned the leaves of the ledger, and His eyes rested for a moment upon individuals, His glance seemed to burn into their very souls, and at the same time almost every word was brought up before them” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 4, p. 385, 1881). In The Great Controversy we read, “Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God, to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man—to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits” (The Great Controversy, p. 480, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told that the work of judgment is already under way. “The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment” (The Great Controversy, p. 485, 1911). The voice of inspiration adds a sober note. “Those who live in the last days must pass through an experience similar to that of the Jewish people. The light that shines from the sanctuary above will illuminate every heart that turns toward it in faith” (The Great Controversy, p. 430, 1911). Pioneer Uriah Smith writes concerning the timing of the judgment. “This judgment is located by Daniel just previous to the destruction of the fourth beast, and the reign of the saints on the earth. It must therefore be in progress in the present age” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 140). The investigative judgment is the final operation of the High Priest before the close of probation. Earthly courts confuse justice. Earthly courts raise wicked horns to office. Earthly courts can be bribed. But heaven’s court cannot be bribed. While the little horn opens its mouth in blasphemy, the Ancient of Days opens His books in righteousness. How does the reality of this heavenly judgment influence our personal devotional life and our daily choices?

Where Does The Sanctuary Truly Stand?

The issues raised in Daniel’s vision are not abstract. They are not merely historical. They are existential choices between two systems of government. One system is the force of the beast. The other system is the love of the Lamb. The sanctuary is the focal point where these two systems meet and where the real resolution takes place. The Psalmist locates the path of truth in this very location. “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God” (Psalm 77:13, KJV). David himself had learned this lesson. He had been troubled by the prosperity of the wicked. He could not make sense of the world around him. Then he entered the sanctuary. Then he understood. “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end” (Psalm 73:16-17, KJV). The sanctuary is the lens through which history comes into focus. Moses had been given the original pattern. He had been commanded to construct a sanctuary. The purpose was clear and personal. “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8, KJV). The whole Old Testament sanctuary points forward. It points to the heavenly original. The prophet of the captivity receives the timeline that connects the two sanctuaries. He sees the termination of the type and the beginning of the antitype. “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14, KJV). The number is prophetic. The number is precise. The number locates us in time. The Apostle to the Hebrews unfolds the transition from type to reality. He teaches that our Lord entered a real place with a real ministry. “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24, KJV). The same writer gives us the anchor for our faith. “Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 6:20, KJV). Our hope is not on earth. Our hope is in heaven. Our hope enters the veil behind Jesus. The pen of inspiration observes that the sanctuary doctrine is the keystone of the faith given to this people. “The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time, or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill” (The Great Controversy, p. 488, 1911). In Early Writings we read a personal sanctuary vision. “I was then in vision taken to the heavenly sanctuary. The angel said, Look. I looked to a throne on which sat the Father and His Son Jesus Christ” (Early Writings, p. 54, 1882). In Early Writings we read further, “I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God’s dear waiting saints” (Early Writings, p. 33, 1882). The voice of the prophetic messenger emphasizes the centrality of the heavenly sanctuary for the church. “The sanctuary in heaven is the very centre of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time, and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin” (The Great Controversy, p. 488, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told the sanctuary is our foundation. “The correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith” (Evangelism, p. 221, 1946). The gifted pen records a specific vision of the law in the Most Holy Place. “I was amazed as I saw the fourth commandment in the very center of the ten precepts, with a soft halo of light encircling it. Said the angel, It is the only one of the ten which defines the living God” (Early Writings, p. 33, 1882). Pioneer J. N. Andrews identifies the Sabbath as the heart of the law in the sanctuary. “It constitutes the very heart of the law of God. And so long as that law endures, so long shall the authority of this sacred institution stand fast” (History of the Sabbath, J. N. Andrews, p. 10). The sanctuary provides a history of our race unsullied by human pride. It sets the scale of divine justice alongside the scale of divine mercy. The real question is not who owns the earth. The real question is who owns the heart. While the little horn claims the right to change times and laws, the sanctuary testifies that the times are in God’s hands. While the beast treads down the earth, the High Priest lifts up the soul. In what ways can we allow the sanctuary truth to shape our character so that we reflect the Lamb’s government more fully in the community?

How Does Daniel Two Match Daniel Seven?

The first vision of Daniel does not stand alone. It is the second of four great prophetic outlines in the book. The first outline appeared in Daniel chapter two. There the same four empires were pictured as parts of a great metallic image. The head was of gold. The breast and arms were of silver. The belly and thighs were of brass. The legs were of iron. The feet were of iron mixed with clay. Daniel explained the meaning of the image to Nebuchadnezzar. “Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth” (Daniel 2:38-39, KJV). The gold was Babylon. The silver was Medo-Persia. The brass was Greece. The iron was Rome. The same four empires appear in Daniel seven under different symbols. What the image presented to a pagan king as stately metals, the beasts present to the prophet as predatory animals. The difference is not decorative. It is theological. Nebuchadnezzar saw the empires from below. He saw their splendor and wealth. Daniel saw them from above. He saw their brutality and moral corruption. Both views are true. Together they give the full picture. Both visions end at the same place. The image is struck by a stone cut out without hands. The stone grows into a mountain that fills the earth. The beasts are judged by the Ancient of Days. The saints receive the kingdom. Daniel records the final verdict on the image. “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44, KJV). The language parallels chapter seven almost word for word. The same prophet records of the vision of the beasts. “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever” (Daniel 7:18, KJV). Both chapters promise the same outcome. Both chapters show the same sequence. Both chapters end with the same kingdom. Isaiah saw the same stone kingdom from yet another angle. “And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness” (Isaiah 16:5, KJV). Micah adds his testimony to the eternal mountain. “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it” (Micah 4:1, KJV). The Apostle Paul lifts up the same promise. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, KJV). The gift of prophecy teaches the parallel between the two visions with clarity. “Thus through patriarchs and prophets, as well as through types and symbols, God spoke to the world concerning the coming of a Deliverer from sin. A long line of inspired men received the revelation of His glory” (The Desire of Ages, p. 32, 1898). The pen of inspiration observes the doctrinal weight of the parallel. “The symbolic image that was shown to Nebuchadnezzar, though presenting the deterioration of the kingdoms of the earth, represented also the deterioration of religion and morality among the people of these kingdoms” (The Review and Herald, February 6, 1900). In Prophets and Kings we read, “Amid the strife and tumult of nations, He that sitteth between the cherubim still guides the affairs of this earth” (Prophets and Kings, p. 500, 1917). In The Acts of the Apostles the book of Daniel is placed alongside the Apocalypse as companion volumes. “The book of Daniel is unsealed in the revelation to John, and carries us forward to the last scenes of this earth’s history” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 585, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told to study both books together. “In the Revelation are portrayed the deep things of God. The very name given to its inspired pages, the Revelation, contradicts the statement that this is a sealed book. A revelation is something revealed” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 584, 1911). From inspired pages we learn the harmony of prophetic testimony. “The truths revealed are one throughout the ages. Old Testament prophets testified of Christ, and His apostles proclaim His glory. The same voice speaks through all” (Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 432, 1913). Pioneer Uriah Smith lays out the parallel between the chapters in plain terms. “The same four universal empires are brought to view in this chapter under the symbols of four wild beasts, as were brought to view in the second chapter under the symbol of the great image” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 109). Two prophetic pictures. One prophetic outline. One divine Author. The God who sees the end from the beginning leaves no doubt about the shape of history. The image and the beasts tell the same story in different keys. While the world sees only the latest headline, the believer sees the full page of prophecy. How does comparing Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 strengthen our confidence that the same God who named the ancient empires has named the modern powers?

Can We Trust The Prophet’s Timeline?

The timeline of the vision is not arbitrary. The times are not literal days. They are prophetic days. Each prophetic day stands for a literal year. This is not a new invention. It is the principle given by the Lord Himself through Moses and Ezekiel. Ezekiel states it plainly when he is commanded to lie on his side for the iniquity of Israel. “I have appointed thee each day for a year” (Ezekiel 4:6, KJV). The principle appears again in the Pentateuch. The forty days of the spies became forty years of wilderness wandering. “After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise” (Numbers 14:34, KJV). With this principle in hand, the interpretation of Daniel’s vision becomes possible. The time and times and dividing of time amount to three and a half prophetic years. Three and a half prophetic years equal 1260 prophetic days. These equal 1260 literal years. “And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (Daniel 7:25, KJV). The Revelator confirms the same measurement in a different form. He speaks of forty-two months. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months” (Revelation 13:5, KJV). Forty-two prophetic months equal 1260 prophetic days. The arithmetic is unchanged. The Revelator gives us the same period in yet another form. He speaks of 1260 days directly. “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (Revelation 12:6, KJV). Three descriptions. One period. One power. The shift from Pagan Rome to Papal Rome is the diverse shift noted by the angel. “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and tread it down, and break it in pieces” (Daniel 7:23, KJV). The servant of the Lord clarifies the chronology with dates that function like a legal deposition. “This period, as stated in previous chapters, began with the supremacy of the papacy, A.D. 538, and terminated in 1798. At that time, the pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled” (The Great Controversy, p. 439, 1911). The pages of The Great Controversy provide the historical anchor for the beginning of the period. “In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established. Its seat of power was fixed in the imperial city, and the bishop of Rome was declared to be the head over the entire church. Paganism had given place to the papacy. The dragon had given to the beast his power, and his seat, and great authority” (The Great Controversy, p. 54, 1911). In Prophets and Kings we read, “In the annals of human history, the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as if dependent on the will and prowess of man; the shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice” (Prophets and Kings, p. 499, 1917). The inspired pen continues the same line of thought. “But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the All-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will” (Prophets and Kings, p. 500, 1917). Through inspired counsel we are told that the prophetic method has been long abused. “The truths most plainly revealed in the Bible have been involved in doubt and darkness by learned men, who, with a pretense of great wisdom, teach that the Scriptures have a mystical, a secret, spiritual meaning not apparent in the language employed” (The Great Controversy, p. 598, 1911). The voice of inspiration encourages careful study. “In the annals of human history, the growth of nations… But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside” (Prophets and Kings, p. 499, 1917). Pioneer Uriah Smith observes that each empire ran its appointed course. “Each empire has had its period of probation, each has been weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and each has been found wanting. The judgment upon them is written upon the ruined stones of their fallen cities” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 176). The prophetic map is not a record of accidents. It is a choreographed sequence leading to a predetermined climax. The world sees history as meaningless noise. The believer sees history as a panorama unrolling before the Spectator of all spectators. While empires rise to fall, the saints rise to inherit. While the horn is given a short calendar, the kingdom is given an everlasting one. How can deeper study of this prophetic timeline help us discern current events in the light of God’s unfolding plan?

What Began In Heaven In 1844?

The longest time prophecy in the Bible terminates in 1844. That year marks the beginning of the investigative phase of the judgment. It marks the opening of the High Priest’s work in the Most Holy Place. The prophecy that ends at 1844 spans 2300 prophetic days. By the day-year principle, 2300 prophetic days equal 2300 literal years. The prophet received the number in the clearest possible form. “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14, KJV). The angel Gabriel connects this long prophecy with the seventy weeks cut off for Israel. The explanation appears in Daniel chapter nine. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24, KJV). The starting date is fixed by the decree of Artaxerxes in the seventh year of his reign. That decree went forth in 457 B.C. “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times” (Daniel 9:25, KJV). From 457 B.C. to the Messiah the Prince is sixty-nine prophetic weeks, or 483 literal years. That brings us to A.D. 27, the exact year of the baptism of our Lord. The full seventy weeks, or 490 years, end in A.D. 34. The remaining 1810 years of the 2300 extend from A.D. 34 to 1844. The cleansing of the sanctuary is not a physical event on earth. It is a legal and spiritual work in heaven. The Apostle Peter speaks of this blotting out. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19, KJV). The Psalmist prays for the same blotting out. “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities” (Psalm 51:9, KJV). The writer of Hebrews gives us the pattern from which the cleansing flows. “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these” (Hebrews 9:23, KJV). The prophetic voice explains the shift with careful precision. “He comes to the Ancient of Days in heaven to receive dominion and glory and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844” (The Great Controversy, p. 480, 1911). The pen of inspiration describes the session of judgment that began in that year. “The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. Says the prophet Daniel: The judgment was set, and the books were opened” (The Great Controversy, p. 479, 1911). In The Great Controversy we read further, “In the typical service only those who had come before God with confession and repentance, and whose sins, through the blood of the sin offering, were transferred to the sanctuary, had a part in the service of the Day of Atonement. So in the great day of final atonement and investigative judgment the only cases considered are those of the professed people of God” (The Great Controversy, p. 480, 1911). From inspired pages we learn the seriousness of the hour. “We are living in the great day of atonement. In the typical service, while the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people” (The Great Controversy, p. 489, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated” (The Great Controversy, p. 485, 1911). The gift of prophecy continues, “The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven” (The Great Controversy, p. 489, 1911). Pioneer James White identifies the sanctuary truth as the cornerstone of Adventist faith. “The sanctuary of the Bible is the great foundation truth upon which the doctrines of our position rest. It is the key that unlocks the mystery of the disappointment of 1844” (Review and Herald, James White, February 3, 1863). The investigative judgment is the bridge between the cross of redemption and the crown of glory. The world treats 1844 as a great disappointment. The believer treats 1844 as a great appointment. While the beast works to destroy the sanctuary, the High Priest works to cleanse the soul. How can teaching this 1844 milestone help correct common misunderstandings about the timing of Christ’s work and inspire faithful living today?

Can Any Man Change God’s Holy Law?

The little horn’s attempt to change times and laws is the central act of rebellion in the Daniel vision. It is not a minor administrative adjustment. It is spiritual theft. It takes the signature of God off His own law. It replaces the seventh-day Sabbath with a human institution. The prophet records the indictment in a single verse. “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (Daniel 7:25, KJV). The horn did not actually change the law. God’s law cannot be changed. Our Lord Himself affirmed its permanence. “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18, KJV). The horn only thought to change the law. The Apostle Paul identified this power as the man of sin. He warned the Thessalonian believers to expect it. “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4, KJV). The Apostle James insists that the law is a unit. To break one commandment is to offend against all ten. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10, KJV). The Psalmist defends the permanence of the divine precepts. “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89, KJV). Isaiah adds his testimony. “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8, KJV). The horn may speak for centuries. The horn may change calendars. The horn may impose its ceremonies upon nations. But the law of God stands as it stood in Eden. The prophetic messenger describes this audacity as a heinous crime against heaven. “The papacy has attempted to change the law of God. The second commandment, forbidding image worship, has been dropped from the law, and the fourth commandment has been so changed as to authorize the observance of the first instead of the seventh day as the Sabbath” (The Great Controversy, p. 446, 1911). The prophetic voice observes how the Reformers discovered the fraud. “They began to examine the reasons for observing the first day of the week instead of the day which God had sanctified. They could find no evidence in the Scriptures that the fourth commandment had been abolished, or that the Sabbath had been changed” (The Great Controversy, p. 453, 1911). In Prophets and Kings we read the call to repair the breach. “In the time of the end every divine institution is to be restored. The breach made in the law at the time the Sabbath was changed by man, is to be repaired. God’s remnant people, standing before the world as reformers, are to show that the law of God is the foundation of all enduring reform” (Prophets and Kings, p. 678, 1917). Through inspired counsel we are warned that the Roman system has not changed its character. “The Romish Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation. She is employing every device to extend her influence and increase her power in preparation for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of the world” (The Great Controversy, p. 565, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told that the Sabbath is the test of the last generation. “The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty; for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve him not” (The Great Controversy, p. 605, 1911). Inspired testimony continues, “The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord’s memorial of creation. The mark of the beast is the opposite of this—the observance of the first day of the week” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 8, p. 117, 1904). Pioneer J. N. Andrews traces the historical corruption of the fourth commandment. “How came it to pass that this day has been abased to the dust, and another day elevated to its sacred honors? The Scriptures nowhere attribute this work to the Son of God. They nowhere teach that He purposed to change the day” (History of the Sabbath, J. N. Andrews, p. 332). The little horn’s long shadow stretches across the Dark Ages. It still obscures the path to the sanctuary for many sincere souls. The horn thinks to change the law on earth. The law remains unchanged in heaven. While the horn speaks great words, the Word of God speaks for itself. How can we gently correct misconceptions about the Sabbath using Scripture and inspired counsel in our teaching and preaching?
How Deep Is The Father’s Great Love?
Love is the first word of the chapter before it is the last word. A God who warns is a God who cares. A God who explains the future is a God who refuses to leave His children in the dark. Every beast of the night is preceded by a promise of the morning. Every judgment is framed by the steady radiance of mercy. The Apostle Paul writes with the weight of the cross behind every word. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, KJV). The Apostle John records the matter as an eyewitness. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10, KJV). The prophet Jeremiah, whose warnings were often mistaken for wrath, discloses the tender heart behind them. “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3, KJV). Isaiah adds his voice to the chorus of mercy. “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee” (Isaiah 54:10, KJV). The Psalmist sings the same song with a harpist’s breath. “Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds” (Psalm 36:5, KJV). The Beloved Apostle records the most familiar line of the gospel. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV). The inspired pen names this love with uncommon sweetness. “God’s love for the fallen race is a peculiar manifestation of love—a love born of mercy; for all human beings are undeserving. Mercy implies the imperfection of the object toward which it is shown. It was because of sin that mercy was brought into active exercise” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 517, 1923). The pen of inspiration declares the gift of heaven in one of its most well-known paragraphs. “God is love. Like rays of light from the sun, love and light and joy flow out from Him to all His creatures. It is His nature to give. His very life is the outflow of unselfish love” (Steps to Christ, p. 9, 1892). In Our High Calling we read, “His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it permeates everywhere. It is our lifting power. This love, experienced in the heart, permeates and controls every other attribute, and brings all into subjection to the will of God” (Our High Calling, p. 181, 1961). The pages of Steps to Christ continue, “The very heavens and earth reveal His love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures” (Steps to Christ, p. 9, 1892). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart. It testifies that having undertaken our redemption He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His work” (The Desire of Ages, p. 57, 1898). The voice of prophecy adds, “The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part—the brain, the heart, the nerves—it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 115, 1905). Pioneer J. N. Andrews notes that the Sabbath itself is a token of this love. “The Sabbath was made for man, being given him, to preserve the knowledge of his Creator, and to be a perpetual memorial of the divine rest. It is a token of the love of God and the dignity of man” (History of the Sabbath, J. N. Andrews, p. 514). That Daniel was allowed to see the horn before the horn rose is itself pastoral tenderness. That he was shown the beast before the beast appeared is a gift of grace. That he was given the judgment before the judgment sat is love in action. Earthly powers hide the truth from their subjects to keep them compliant. The Lord reveals the truth to His children to set them free. While the winds of heaven stir up the sea, the love of God stills the storm in the soul. How can we allow God’s revealed love in prophecy to transform our fears into a confident hope as we share truth with others?
What Does The King Require Of Us?
If the Ancient of Days has opened the books for us, then our first responsibility is to open our Bible for Him. Our second responsibility is to live in such a way that we would not be embarrassed to read the records. Responsibility is not a heavy chain. It is a high calling. To serve the God of Daniel is to stand for the right though the heavens fall. Solomon gives the summary of the whole matter. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, KJV). David echoes the same obligation in prayer. “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness” (Psalm 143:10, KJV). Our Lord Himself narrows the field of obligation to a single interior disposition. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30, KJV). The prophet Micah gives the triple summary that has taught generations how to walk. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8, KJV). Because the horn thought to change times and laws, we must guard the fourth commandment with particular care. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work” (Exodus 20:8-9, KJV). Joshua sounds the call for public commitment in every generation. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15, KJV). The servant of the Lord writes with the directness of a mother whose children must soon answer to the Judge. “It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 8, p. 22, 1904). The pen of inspiration sets forth the standard of character needed. “The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall” (Education, p. 57, 1903). In Testimonies for the Church we read, “We are living in the most solemn period of this world’s history. The destiny of earth’s teeming multitudes is about to be decided. Our own future well-being and also the salvation of other souls depend upon the course which we now pursue” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, p. 11, 1909). Inspired testimony calls for valor in the face of opposition. “We are not to surrender our faith, but to behave ourselves valiantly. The Lord will help us. As we take up the work given us to do, we shall find that He will help us to do it” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, p. 136, 1889). Through inspired counsel we are told, “God has made provision that all may become strong in His strength, wise in His wisdom. He calls upon us to look to Him, and to become changed into His image” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 8, p. 289, 1904). The gifted pen adds a final word on Christ’s waiting. “Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69, 1900). Pioneer J. N. Andrews writes, “To observe the law of God is the only road to heaven; and the last generation is called to obey that law under circumstances of peculiar difficulty. They will meet the same opposition that has always been encountered by those who have stood for the truth” (History of the Sabbath, J. N. Andrews, p. 512). Our duty is personal. Our duty is also corporate. Our duty is also eschatological. The judgment we see in vision is the same tribunal to which we will answer. The world demands a conscience for hire. The Ancient of Days asks for a conscience that cannot be purchased. While the horn changes the times, the believer hallows the Sabbath. In what specific areas of daily life can we demonstrate this high calling to honor God’s law more consistently?
Who Is The Neighbor At Our Door?
A vision this vast cannot end at our own doorstep. The horn that wore out the saints also bruised our neighbor. The kingdom which the saints shall inherit is not inherited alone. It is inherited together. Our duty to the person next to us is a constitutive part of our faith. A believer who loves God but ignores the bruised is a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. The Apostle Paul frames the whole duty in one verse. “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8, KJV). James brings the matter down to the level of casual encounters. “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors” (James 2:8-9, KJV). The Apostle John will not let his readers spiritualize the duty. He demands practical compassion. “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him” (1 John 3:17, KJV). Jesus Himself describes the final separation of sheep and goats by the test of practical kindness. “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40, KJV). Zechariah frames the same obligation in a positive command. “Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother” (Zechariah 7:9, KJV). Isaiah describes the kind of fast the Lord accepts. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke” (Isaiah 58:6, KJV). The pen of inspiration writes the full definition of true religion in one of its most practical passages. “Pure religion is practical. It leads its possessors to persevering and earnest effort for the good of their fellow men. Pure religion is a life, an abiding principle. Those who possess it will not have an occasional goodness, but constantly will they reveal the righteousness of Christ. Our influence upon others depends, not so much upon what we say, as upon what we are” (My Life Today, p. 233, 1952). The pen of inspiration observes the power of a courteous witness. “A kind, courteous Christian is the most powerful argument that can be produced in favor of Christianity. Kind words are as dew and gentle showers to the soul” (Gospel Workers, p. 122, 1915). In Testimonies for the Church we read, “Love is power. Intellectual and moral strength are involved in this principle, and cannot be separated from it. The power of wealth has a tendency to corrupt and destroy; the power of force is strong to do hurt; but the excellence and value of pure love consist in its efficiency to do good” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 2, p. 135, 1871). In The Adventist Home we read of practical religion in the home. “The religion of Christ in the home is to affect every member of the family. It is to lead the father and mother to consider the interests of each of their children. The true Christian will be kind, courteous, and considerate” (The Adventist Home, p. 16, 1952). Through inspired counsel we are told of the strongest argument for the faith. “The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian. Such a one is the most conclusive evidence that Christianity is true and real” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 470, 1905). In The Ministry of Healing we read the Saviour’s method of labor. “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, Follow Me” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 143, 1905). Pioneer James White observes that love is the great motive of Christian life. “The love of Christ constrains his people to love one another, and to act for the good of all mankind. The true Christian cannot be satisfied with mere profession; he must live out his faith before the world” (Review and Herald, James White, August 19, 1851). We cannot preach the judgment without practicing kindness. We cannot wait for the kingdom without rehearsing it in our daily relationships. The beasts of Daniel tore the residue with their feet. The saints lift up the bruised with their hands. While the beast treads down the earth, the remnant builds up the broken. How can our local congregations practically demonstrate this compassion to address misconceptions about prophecy and draw others to the saving truth?
Who Keeps The Faith Of Jesus Now?
The remnant church is the final company called out of the darkness of apostasy. It is gathered to hold the original position of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This church is not defined by its number. It is defined by its nature. It is the small group that chooses to remain faithful when the majority of the professing world yields itself to the beast. The Revelator identifies this company with unmistakable precision. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17, KJV). The Apocalypse describes the saints who stand victorious at the close. “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12, KJV). The prophet Isaiah declares the strict boundary of their testimony. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20, KJV). Micah describes the practical walk of this people in one of the most searching verses of the Old Testament. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8, KJV). Our Lord warns that fidelity is the mark of the few who enter life. “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14, KJV). The Revelator again describes their garments and their pilgrimage. “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14, KJV). The prophetic messenger warns that the test will come to every soul. “The contest will be between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. Those who have yielded step by step to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will then yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death” (Prophets and Kings, p. 188, 1917). The pen of inspiration sets forth the coming crisis. “The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith. At that time the superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily retarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, p. 463, 1889). In Prophets and Kings we read, “God’s remnant people, standing before the world as reformers, are to show that the law of God is the foundation of all enduring reform and that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is to stand as a memorial of creation, a constant reminder of the power of God” (Prophets and Kings, p. 678, 1917). The pages of The Great Controversy describe the shaking that will sift the professed church. “As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position, and join the ranks of the opposition” (The Great Controversy, p. 608, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told that the apparent weakness of the remnant is not its true condition. “The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place” (Selected Messages, Book 2, p. 380, 1958). The voice of prophecy continues, “The people of God, described by the prophet John, in his Revelation, as keeping the commandments of God, and having the faith of Jesus, are the true remnant church, prepared for translation” (Selected Messages, Book 3, p. 405, 1980). Pioneer Uriah Smith identifies the remnant by the unrolling of prophetic light. “The seal has been removed, and many are running to and fro, and knowledge has marvelously increased concerning those prophecies which were designed to give us light and point out the final movements of this earth’s history” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 13). The remnant stands as the repairer of the breach in a world that has discarded the divine pillars. The majority yields to the powers that be. The remnant yields only to the Power that is. While the dragon is wroth, the Lamb is worthy. In what practical ways can we as a community live out this remnant identity to become vibrant beacons of hope amid growing opposition?
When Does The Son Receive Dominion?
The Son of Man’s arrival in the heavenly court is the precursor to His glorious return to earth. It is the shift from His work as Mediator to His role as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This enthronement in the presence of the Ancient of Days is the moment when the deed of the earth is legally restored to the human family. The restoration comes through the Seed of the woman. The prophet records the coronation. “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him” (Daniel 7:13, KJV). The transfer of the kingdom follows immediately. “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14, KJV). These clouds are not weather. They are angels. Thousands of angels attend our High Priest as He enters the Most Holy Place. The inheritance is then extended to the saints themselves. “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever” (Daniel 7:18, KJV). The Apostle John glimpses the same heavenly coronation from a different angle. He sees the Lamb worthy to open the sealed book. “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9, KJV). The Apostle Paul proclaims the exaltation of the Son in the great Philippian hymn. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:9-10, KJV). The writer of Hebrews grounds the High Priestly ministry in the same scene. “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12, KJV). The gifted pen explains the heavenly scene with theological precision. “Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God, to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man—to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits” (The Great Controversy, p. 480, 1911). The pen of inspiration describes the reception of the kingdom. “He comes to the Ancient of Days in heaven to receive dominion and glory and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator” (The Great Controversy, p. 480, 1911). In Lift Him Up we read, “Jesus was born in a manger that we might be born to life eternal. He became part of the human family that we might become part of the heavenly family. He suffered that we might reign with Him” (Lift Him Up, p. 74, 1988). In The Desire of Ages we read of Christ standing as our representative. “Clothed with humanity, Christ came to earth to stand as the Head of humanity, as our Advocate and High Priest. When His ministry in the earthly courts is ended, He enters upon His work in the heavenly sanctuary” (The Desire of Ages, p. 296, 1898). Through inspired counsel we are told of the close of His mediation. “When Christ shall cease His work as mediator in man’s behalf, then this time of trouble will begin. Then the case of every soul will have been decided, and there will be no atoning blood to cleanse from sin” (The Great Controversy, p. 613, 1911). From inspired pages we learn the centrality of the intercession. “The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross” (The Great Controversy, p. 489, 1911). Pioneer Uriah Smith observes that we live on the further side of 1844. “It is our lot to live this side the time to which the angel told Daniel to thus shut up the words and seal the book. The prophecy has been opened. The message has been given” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 13). The Son of Man’s approach to the throne is the final movement of the sanctuary service before the executive phase begins. Earthly monarchs retain their thrones by force. Our King retains His throne by grace. While the little horn speaks pompous words, the Son of Man receives the greatness of all heaven. How can focusing on the Son of Man’s heavenly ministry strengthen our preaching of the soon return of Christ to diverse audiences?
Who Stands When The Sickle Swings?
The culmination of the first vision of Daniel is the final harvest of the world. The character of Christ is perfectly reproduced in His people. The precious grain is gathered into the garner. This harvest is the end result of the investigative judgment. Every soul has by then made its final decision for or against the authority of the Creator. The Revelator paints the scene with unmistakable solemnity. “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle” (Revelation 14:14, KJV). The command from the heavenly temple follows at once. “Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Revelation 14:15, KJV). The sickle marks the end of probation. The time for repentance has passed. The time for possession has come. Our Lord described the final separation of wheat and tares. “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:30, KJV). The prophet Joel speaks with the same urgency. “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great” (Joel 3:13, KJV). The Psalmist sings the joy of those gathered in at last. “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6, KJV). Daniel himself completes the picture of the saints’ possession. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Daniel 7:27, KJV). The inspired pen notes that Christ is waiting for a specific manifestation in His people. “Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69, 1900). The pen of inspiration adds a sobering comment on the delay. “Had the purpose of God been carried out by His people in giving to the world the message of mercy, Christ would, ere this, have come to the earth, and the saints would have received their welcome into the city of God” (The Desire of Ages, p. 633, 1898). In early Adventist literature we read, “Those only who have the seal of the living God will be sheltered from the storm of wrath that will soon fall on the heads of those who have rejected the truth” (The Present Truth, Ellen G. White, April 1849). The prophetic voice describes the quick ripening of the last harvest. “Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69, 1900). Through inspired counsel we are told what the ripening of the grain represents. “The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God’s grace in the soul. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69, 1900). The voice of inspiration writes of the glory that awaits. “No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God. In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called a country. There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters” (The Story of Redemption, p. 431, 1947). Pioneer Uriah Smith affirms the final triumph of the saints. “Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. This is the consummation of every hope of the believer” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 140). The harvest ends the horizontal timeline of earthly beasts. The harvest begins the vertical eternity of God’s government. The little horn continues its long campaign of wearing out the saints. The Ancient of Days completes His work of restoring the soul. While the beast meets the flame, the saint meets the Lord. In what ways can personal study of the harvest imagery prepare us to live with urgency and purity as we await Christ’s return?
What Follows The Close Of Probation?
The investigative judgment is not the final scene of the vision. It is the penultimate scene. After the books are closed in heaven, the King descends to earth. The Son of Man who came to the Ancient of Days in clouds of angels now comes to the earth in clouds of glory. The distinction is important. The first coming to the Ancient of Days was invisible to mortal eyes. The second coming to the earth will be visible to every eye. Our Lord described the second advent with particular care. “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27, KJV). There will be no secret rapture. There will be no hidden appearing. The coming will be open and universal. The Revelator confirms the same visibility. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him” (Revelation 1:7, KJV). The Apostle Paul describes the sound that accompanies the descent. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV). The voice is not a whisper. The trumpet is not a private signal. The archangel is not a stealth envoy. The coming is loud. The coming is public. The coming ends the day of grace. Paul adds the destiny of the living saints. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17, KJV). Our Lord gives the gathering order to His angels. “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31, KJV). The prophet Isaiah pictures the same moment in the poetry of triumph. “And in that day shall it be said, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Isaiah 25:9, KJV). The servant of the Lord describes the descent of the King with characteristic vividness. “Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man” (The Great Controversy, p. 640, 1911). The pen of inspiration continues the description. “In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant” (The Great Controversy, p. 640, 1911). In The Great Controversy we read further. “The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place” (The Great Controversy, p. 641, 1911). From inspired pages we receive the voice that raises the righteous dead. “Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise” (The Great Controversy, p. 644, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told of the transformation of the living. “Our vile bodies are to be changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body. Then the righteous dead will be raised, and we who are alive will be changed. Death will have lost his sting, and the grave her victory” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, p. 59, 1855). The gift of prophecy adds the shout of the gathered saints. “Living saints, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, are changed. At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air” (Early Writings, p. 287, 1882). Pioneer James White writes on the certainty of the advent hope. “Our hope is not in a refined generation who shall spiritualize away this earth, but in the personal, literal, visible return of our Lord in the clouds of heaven, with all the holy angels with Him” (Review and Herald, James White, September 16, 1862). The second advent is the executive phase of the judgment already underway in heaven. The investigation decides. The advent executes. The investigation takes place out of sight. The advent takes place in the sky. While the world scoffs at the coming, the saints lift up their heads. While the cities burn, the redeemed rise to meet their King. How does a clear picture of the second advent purify our daily priorities and sharpen our witness?
Why Trust The Prophet’s Ancient Map?
The prophetic record is the most ancient and comprehensive history we possess. It is a document preserved by a divine hand. It was given to guide the inhabitants of the earth through the closing scenes of the controversy. This record is not subject to human caprice or political bias. It originates in the mind of One who sees the end from the beginning. Daniel’s testimony frames its origin. “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters” (Daniel 7:1, KJV). Isaiah sets forth the divine prerogative to foretell events. “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10, KJV). The Apostle Peter places the prophetic word above even the mount of transfiguration. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV). Peter continues with the crucial explanation of prophetic origin. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21, KJV). The Lord Himself affirms the continuing reliability of His word through Amos. “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7, KJV). Our Lord places the prophetic Scripture beyond dispute. “The scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35, KJV). The prophetic messenger observes that only in God’s Word do we find an authentic history of our race. “In God’s word only do we behold the power that laid the foundations of the earth and that stretched out the heavens. Here only do we find an authentic account of the origin of nations. Here only is given a history of our race unsullied by human prejudice or human pride” (Education, p. 173, 1903). The pen of inspiration continues the thought in the same chapter. “Like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God’s purposes know no haste and no delay. Through the symbols of the great darkness and the smoking furnace, God had revealed to Abraham the bondage of Israel in Egypt, and had declared that the time of their sojourning should be four hundred years” (Education, p. 173, 1903). In Prophets and Kings we read, “As we near the close of this world’s history, the prophecies recorded by Daniel demand our special attention, as they relate to the very time in which we are living” (Prophets and Kings, p. 547, 1917). The pages of The Great Controversy declare the illuminating work of the Spirit upon Scripture. “God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do this work. He guided the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write” (The Great Controversy, p. vi, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The Bible was not written for the scholar alone; on the contrary, it was designed for the common people. The great truths necessary for salvation are made as clear as noonday; and none will mistake and lose their way except those who follow their own judgment” (Steps to Christ, p. 89, 1892). The voice of inspiration observes the living voice of Scripture. “The Bible is God’s voice speaking to us, just as surely as though we could hear it with our ears. If we realized this, with what awe would we open God’s word, and with what earnestness would we search its precepts” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6, p. 393, 1901). Pioneer Uriah Smith observes that unbelief is silenced by the accuracy of the prophetic record. “Prophecy points out the first advent with such precision that no room is left for doubt, and gives so accurately the outlines of the great events of our world’s history, that infidelity is silenced, and the hand of God is clearly manifest” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 13). The map is reliable because its Author is steady. The script is settled because its Writer is sovereign. Human schemes fail. Human schemers are forgotten. The Word of the Lord endures forever. While the world wanders in darkness, the prophet writes by the light. How can we use this reliable prophetic map in teaching to help others see God’s hand in history and in current events?
How Shall The Remnant Keep Strength?
The spiritual vigor required for the end time is not a product of human effort. It is the fruit of a living connection with the Sun of Righteousness. This vitality prepares the believer to join the final proclamation of the everlasting gospel. The message is the final appeal to humanity. It is a clear ray of light. It brings Jesus before the world. It challenges every soul to choose between the seal of God and the mark of the beast. The Revelator sets forth the heart of this closing commission. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6, KJV). The prophet Habakkuk speaks of the climactic glory that accompanies this work. “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14, KJV). Our Lord promised the gospel witness to every nation before the end. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14, KJV). The Psalmist teaches that the Word hidden in the heart is the secret of moral strength. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11, KJV). The prophet Isaiah identifies the source of renewed strength in God’s waiting people. “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31, KJV). The prophet Zechariah describes the quality of the Spirit upon His people. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6, KJV). The voice of inspiration notes that light is to shine forth from God’s people in clear, distinct rays. “Light is to shine forth from God’s people in clear, distinct rays, bringing Jesus before the churches and before the world. The end is near. God’s people are to reveal the character of Christ in their daily lives” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, p. 26, 1909). The pen of inspiration emphasizes the brevity of the hour. “We have no time to lose. Troublous times are before us. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment. Much of the history that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy will be repeated” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, p. 14, 1909). In The Great Controversy we read, “Those who live in the last days must pass through a trying ordeal. Their characters are to be purified, as gold in the furnace. Every opposing element will confront them, and the religion of Christ will be put to the test as never before” (The Great Controversy, p. 625, 1911). In Education we read the ideal set before the remnant. “Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness—godlikeness—is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress” (Education, p. 18, 1903). Through inspired counsel we are told of the need for experimental knowledge. “An experimental knowledge of the plan of salvation is essential for the students in our schools. They need to be taught how to preserve the integrity of the soul under temptation” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6, p. 224, 1901). The gifted pen continues, “Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully” (Early Writings, p. 71, 1882). Pioneer Uriah Smith observes that the unrolling of prophetic truth calls for careful attention. “When many shall give their sedulous attention to the understanding of these things, and knowledge shall be increased, we are to expect the end to be near at hand” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 13). The preparation is the personal work of the sanctuary performed in the quiet chamber of prayer. The nations marshal their forces for the last great battle. The remnant marshals her heart for the final session of the High Priest. While the world prepares for war, the saints prepare for the kingdom. In what practical ways can we cultivate this spiritual vigor to live the message effectively in our homes and in our congregations?
What City Waits Beyond The Beasts?
The final reflections of the vision must focus on the city whose builder and maker is God. This city rises out of the fog of history. Its light cannot be legislated. Its light cannot be extinguished by any beast or horn. This city is the end of the long march of empires. It is the place where the residue of history is washed away by the water of life. The broken bones of the nations are healed by the leaves of the tree of life. The prophet crowns the vision with the great transfer. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Daniel 7:27, KJV). The patriarch Abraham had already set his face toward this same city. The writer of Hebrews records his anticipation. “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10, KJV). The Apostle John beheld the descent of that city. “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2, KJV). The same apostle records the promise that reverses every effect of the fall. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4, KJV). Our Lord Himself promised a prepared place for His people. “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2, KJV). The Apostle Peter frames the hope of the new earth. “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13, KJV). The pen of inspiration reminds the church of its settled confidence. “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history” (Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 196, 1915). In Patriarchs and Prophets we read a description of the restoration. “The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God’s favor. All that was lost by sin is restored. Not only man but the earth is redeemed, to be the eternal abode of the obedient” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 342, 1890). In The Great Controversy we read, “As the years of eternity roll, they will bring richer and more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase” (The Great Controversy, p. 678, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told of the endless morning of the saints. “We shall ever feel the freshness of the morning and shall ever be far from its close. And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ” (The Great Controversy, p. 678, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told, “There the redeemed shall know, even as also they are known. The loves and sympathies which God Himself has planted in the soul shall there find truest and sweetest exercise” (The Great Controversy, p. 677, 1911). The voice of inspiration writes on the qualification of the citizens. “God takes none to heaven but those who are first made saints in this world through the grace of Christ. Character is made, not in a moment, but by the patient training of a lifetime” (My Life Today, p. 267, 1952). Pioneer Uriah Smith observes the soon-coming transfer of earthly governments. “This prophecy specially contemplates an increase of knowledge with reference to the age in which we live, and the soon-coming transfer of all earthly governments to the King of kings and Lord of lords” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, p. 13). The map is finished. The map is true. The landmarks are clear to every soul who will look with believing eyes. The fourth beast devoured and crushed. The Ancient of Days gathers and heals. While the sea of humanity churns with unrest, the city of God stands with eternal peace. How can these final reflections on the eternal city motivate us to address misconceptions and live out the prophetic message with renewed commitment?
Who Shall Possess The Kingdom Forever?
Daniel’s first vision closes by setting a table in heaven and a throne in history. The two are the same table and the same throne. The Ancient of Days does not run two governments. He runs one. The lion, the bear, the leopard, and the dreadful beast are the long autobiographies of human pride. The little horn is the long autobiography of human religion when it climbs into the chair of God. The Son of Man descending to the Ancient of Days is the long autobiography of the Lamb. The Lamb buys back what pride and religion could not purchase. The prophet declares the final verdict of the vision. “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever” (Daniel 7:18, KJV). Solomon’s invitation still stands with undimmed authority. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, KJV). The Apostle Jude’s benediction still blesses every wearied pilgrim. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:24-25, KJV). The Lawgiver’s ancient command still rings across the centuries. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8, KJV). Our Saviour gives His parting assurance to all who watch. “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12, KJV). The prophet Isaiah sets the eternal refrain of worship in the new earth. “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 66:23, KJV). Sr. White deposits the last word of the chapter in the heart of every believer. “As we near the close of this world’s history, the prophecies recorded by Daniel demand our special attention, as they relate to the very time in which we are living. With them should be linked the teachings of the last book of the New Testament Scriptures” (Prophets and Kings, p. 547, 1917). The pen of inspiration summarizes the final restoration. “The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God’s favor. All that was lost by sin is restored” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 342, 1890). In The Great Controversy we read the closing anthem of the redeemed. “The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space” (The Great Controversy, p. 678, 1911). The gifted pen continues with words that close that great volume. “From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love” (The Great Controversy, p. 678, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told of the school of eternity. “Heaven is a school; its field of study, the universe; its teacher, the Infinite One. A branch of this school was established in Eden; and, the plan of redemption accomplished, education will again be taken up in the Eden school” (Education, p. 301, 1903). From inspired pages the thought closes with a vision of shared worship. “All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God’s redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar—worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul” (The Great Controversy, p. 677, 1911). Pioneer J. N. Andrews observes that the Sabbath lies at the foundation of all eternal worship. “The Sabbath therefore lies at the very foundation of divine worship, for it teaches this great truth in the most impressive manner, and no other institution does this. The true ground of divine worship, not of that on the seventh day merely, but of all worship, is found in the distinction between the Creator and His creatures” (History of the Sabbath, J. N. Andrews, p. 27). The map is finished. The vision is sure. The saints are about to take the kingdom. The winds of strife are almost loosed. The High Priest is almost ready to seal the servants of God. While the beast meets the burning flame, the saint meets the eternal morning. How shall we then live so that when the Ancient of Days gives the kingdom, we shall be found among the saints of the Most High?

Prophetic Symbol	Earthly Fulfillment	Duration / Significant Date	Nature of Dominion
Lion with Eagle Wings	Babylon	606 B.C. – 539 B.C.	Intellectual and Regal Pride
Bear raised on one side	Medo-Persia	539 B.C. – 331 B.C.	Voracious and Lopsided Force
Leopard with four heads	Greece	331 B.C. – 168 B.C.	Velocity and Fragmentation
Beast with Iron Teeth	Pagan Rome	168 B.C. – 476 A.D.	Technology of Universal Crush
Little Horn of Blasphemy	Papal Rome	538 A.D. – 1798 A.D.	Blasphemy and Changed Law
Investigative Judgment	Heavenly Sanctuary	1844 A.D. – Current	Review of Records and Character
Kingdom of Glory	Saints of Most High	Second Advent – Eternity	Everlasting and Righteous

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SELF-REFLECTION

How can we, in our personal devotional life, delve deeper into these prophetic truths, allowing them to shape our character and priorities?

How can we adapt these complex themes to be understandable and relevant to diverse audiences, from seasoned church members to new seekers or those from different faith traditions, without compromising theological accuracy?

What are the most common misconceptions about these topics in our community, and how can we gently but effectively correct them using Scripture and the writings of Sr. White?

In what practical ways can our local congregations and individual members become more vibrant beacons of truth and hope, living out the reality of Christ’s soon return and God’s ultimate victory over evil?

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