Daniel and Revealation, Part 1

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DANIEL AND THE REVELATION

REVEALED

By

Lidija Grujich

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Table of Contents Prologue …………………………………………………………… 1 Daniel Chapter(s) 1…….…………………………………….… 8 2…………………………………………….10 3…………………………………………….13 4……………………………………………. 5……………………………………………. 6……………………………………………. 7……………………………………………. 8……………………………………………. 9……………………………………………. 10…………………………………………… 11…………………………………………… 12…………………………………………… Revelation Chapter(s) 1…………………………………………… 2…………………………………………… 3…………………………………………… 4…………………………………………… 5…………………………………………… 6…………………………………………… 7…………………………………………… 8…………………………………………… 9…………………………………………… 10…………………………………………... 11…………………………………………... 12…………………………………………... 13…………………………………………... 14…………………………………………... 15…………………………………………... 16…………………………………………... 17…………………………………………... 18…………………………………………... 19…………………………………………... 20…………………………………………... 21…………………………………………... 22…………………………………………...

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PROLOGUE Upon first establishing the laws of our planet, the Creator of heaven and earth divided the light from the darkness on the very first day. “And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day,” Genesis 1: 4, 5. The earth and all it contained was created in six literal work days. Also, on the sixth day, as the crowning act of the work of the creation, God created man in His own image. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them,” Genesis 1; 27. “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made,” Genesis 2;3. In the Bible we see that God not only established laws regulating nature but He also established laws for the keeping and benefit of man himself. The first couple in the garden of Eden not only received God’s law but also were told of the consequences of the transgression of that law. “But of the three of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die,” Genesis 2;17. Even upon Adams own sons, we see two classes of people emerging. Between Cain and Abel, we see the obedient and the disobedient, the light and the darkness – separated, though they were brothers. “And Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him,” Genesis 4;8. “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” I John 3;12. More than a thousand years after God gave His holy law to be kept by man, we read, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually … And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them,” Genesis 6; 5,7. Yet although the wickedness of the antideluvian world was prevalent everywhere, we read, “..Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God,” Genesis 6;9. Here again we see the light and the darkness separated by their faith and deeds. As man had multiplied, so had evil multiplied. Yet God destroyed the transgressors of his law with a flood while only eight people (Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives) were saved whom we today are descendents of.

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When God created man, he told him to ‘be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth; (Genesis 1; 28). Yet after the flood men transgressed this command. They decided to build a city in the midst of which would be a tower that would be the foundation of a great civilization so that man would not be scattered throughout the earth. “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech … And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top [may reach] unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth … And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language … let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth,” Genesis 11: 1-9. As God required of man obedience toward all his commandments before the Flood, so He required it of man after the flood. Looking down through Bible History, we can see that God often punishes disobedient men even after the great flood. “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground,” Genesis 19: 24, 25. Later, in the book of the Exodus, 7th to 11th chapters, we read how God punished Pharaoh in the land of Egypt. God had sent Moses and Aaron to him with these words, “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness”, but Pharaoh answered, “Who [is] the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go,” Exodus 5; 1,2. It wasn’t until after the 10th plague that Israel was allowed to go and serve the Lord. They have served Egypt for over 200 years, “And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, [was] with rigour,” Exodus 1; 13, 14. During those years of bondage, Israel developed a hatred toward its tormentors thereby giving rise to a rough character. Thus arose a need for God to, through Moses, give His people His holy law on tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

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THE LAW OF GOD

1. I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

3. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

4. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

5. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God:

in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

6. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

7. Thou shalt not kill. 8. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 9. Thou shalt not steal. 10. Thou shalt not bear false witness

against thy neighbour. 11. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's

house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

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These are God’s ten commandments, written by His own finger on tables of stone. God gave them to Moses, who in turn taught them to the people. Then God commanded Moses to place them in the ark of the covenant (Exodus 20; 1-17, 31; 18 and 40;20). The earthly tabernacle being a figure or copy of the true heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9; 24), it is plain to see that, just as Israel was judged by these 10 commandments, so will mankind be judged by them in the heavenly judgement. There God Himself will be the Judge and Christ, our great Advocate and Defender. “…ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgement was set, and the books were opened,” Daniel 7; 10,13. The heavenly angels are witnesses at this heavenly judgement that takes place before His throne. These angels were present at the scenes that took place on earth. They have faithfully recorded the deeds of every human being. All our names are in the heavenly books. “For God shall bring every fork into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil,” Eccles. 12;14. The heavenly angels are present at every human gathering where presentations are made and decisions are passed. They attend the councils and conferences where men pass their laws. Every murder, every theft and every evil work is faithfully recorded only to be brought forth at the heavenly tribunal. “And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;” Genesis 4;9-11. A large class of Christians feel that God gave the ten commandments to the Jewish nation only by apostle Paul, the apostle to the gentiles writes, “What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet … Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good,” Romans 7;7-12. “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him,” 1 John 2;4. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city,” Revelation 22;14. When on this earth, Christ Himself said “…but if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments,” Matthew 19;17. Thus these ten commandments God has given to serve as mirrors whereby all mankind may see itself as it truly is. God requires obedience from the creatures He has created in His image.

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In the first commandment we see that we all have only one God which is in heaven. He says that He alone is the Lord God our Creator, and that we are not to have other gods. On God’s second commandment, we read that we are not to make any likenesses or images to worship; this includes pictures of saints that many today pray to and images that many bow to. All who show homage to the workmanship of men’s hands, in spite of the prevalent belief that they aid the worshipper by bringing to mind the true God, are transgressing the second commandment. John the revelator writes, “And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God,” Revelation 22;8, 9. The angel likened himself to those who kept the words of the book (saints) yet did not allow John to worship them or him but said, ‘worship God’ in accordance with the first commandment. He alone made heaven and earth and all things seen and unseen, He is the One that we are to worship and none other. The third commandment tells us that those who take the name of God in vain (that is, unnecessarily or thoughtlessly) will not be sinless before Him. Every Christian should ask himself how many times he has spoken that great and wonderful name in derision or jest or even in cursing. Parents utter such blasphemy before their children and the children delight in repeating it. It is a solemn thought that moral man whose every heartbeat and breath depend upon the great Lifegiver should so lightly esteem what he so little understands. “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men,” Matthew 28;2-4. In the fourth commandment, God says that in six days he created the heavens and the earth and all that in them is and that He rested on the seventh day. Therefore He blessed and sanctified that day. He further admonishes the inhabitants of the Earth to remember that day of rest and to keep it holy. No one within the gates of the true Christian is to work on that day, not even a stranger or guest in the house. Many Christians claim that they do not know which is the seventh day but the Bible is clear on this point and none will have an excuse for neglecting to find out which is the true Sabbath. “Ye shall keep the sabbath

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therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: … for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed,” Exodus 31;12-18. God established the Sabbath as a sign or wall of separation between God’s people and the rest of the world – between the obedient and the disobedient, just as He separated the light from the darkness. The Sabbath, therefore, is a sign of obedience towards the Creator of heaven and earth. Christ Himself kept the Sabbath (Luke 4;16). His disciples also kept it (Acts 13;14, 42, 44 and 18;4). From these verses, we can plainly see that these first Christians kept the seventh day Sabbath and not the first day of the week or Sunday. It was not until more than 300 years after Christ that the Sunday Sabbath begun to be imposed upon Christians. About 500 years after Christ the seventh day Sabbath was completely rejected by most civile and ecclesiastic authorities. Individuals who dared to keep the Sabbath holy were condemned by the authorities at large. Thus these four commandments outline our duties toward our God who created heaven and earth. The remaining six commandments outline our duty to our fellow man whom God created in His image. The fifth commandment outlines the relationship of respect that the child is to develop towards his parents. This is the commandment with a promise of a long life. The sixth commandment tells us not to kill either in though or deed. The seventh commandment is just as plain and admonishes us not to commit adultery. The eight commandment tells us not to steal while the ninth admonishes us not to bear false witness against out neighbour. The tenth commandment tells us not to covet any thing that is our neighbour’s. Thus we see that in keeping the first four commandments, we will love the Lord our God with all our heart and that in keeping the last six commandments, we will love our neighbour as ourself. The last six are to be regarded just as holy as the first four commandments are for God wrote them all into the tables of stone with His finger. In reading Bible history, we can see that God often punished his people for their neglect of God’s holy precepts. In Deuteronomy chapter 28 we read, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth … But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy

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God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee … The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth … thou shalt beget sons and daughters but thou shall not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity .. because thou hearkeneth not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statues which he commanded thee … Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all [things]; therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee .. Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee .. And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, [even] wood and stone.” These warning were fulfilled not only among the Jews but also among many supposedly Christian nations. God is the same – He does not change. After countless warnings and punishments, we read in II Chronicles 36;15-19, “And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand .. and they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire.” Further in Jeremiah chapter 39 we read, “In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it .. And it came to pass, [that] when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night .. and he went out the way of the plain. But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho ..

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they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him. Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon. And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.” Here we see the warning, ‘the lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies’, fulfilled. Now then, what Christian can claim that the old testament was for the Jews only? Can we not see that, although God’s wrath was often poured upon the Jews, yet similar punishment have often been meted out to supposedly Christian people. The apostle Paul declares, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come,” 1 Corinthians 10;11. Had Christians studied the old testament more carefully, they would have seen that, although God is merciful, full of compassion and slow to anger, He is also a righteous judge. He caused Israel to be taken into captivity and there to be in bondage 70 years. While there, the prophet Daniel received visions whose truth reached to the end of time.

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The Book of

D A N I E L

Chapter 1

1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

2. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of

the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

3. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring

certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; 4. Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and

cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

5. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine

which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

6. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and

Azariah:

7. Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of

the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the

eunuchs.

10. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

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11. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel,

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12. Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the

children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than

all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

16. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

17. As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and

wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the

prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

20. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he

found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

21. And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. Adam, the first man created by God was tempted on the point of appetite and there he fell. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat,” Genesis 3; 6. Adam was free in the garden of Eden to choose between obedience and disobedience to God. But Daniel and his companions were slaves in the land of the Chaldees. Yet we see that, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat nor with the wine which he drank,” Daniel 1; 8.

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Christ fasted 40 days and nights and, “… he was afterward an hungered. And the temper came to him and said if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread,” Matthew 4;2-4. “But he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Here Christ quoted the old testament (Deuteronomy 8;3) and thus overcame the temper. Daniel said, “let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink.” Daniel rejected the king’s meat for a vegetarian diet on behalf of himself and his companions. God honoured these victors by giving them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and to Daniel He gave understanding in all visions and dreams.

Daniel – Chapter 2

1. And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed

dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers,

and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to

know the dream. 4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants

the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

5. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

6. But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts

and rewards and great honour: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

7. They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will

show the interpretation of it.

8. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

9. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you:

for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof.

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10. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth

that can show the king's matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

11. And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it

before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

12. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon.

13. And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; and they sought Daniel

and his fellows to be slain.

14. Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon:

15. He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from

the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

16. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation.

17. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and

Azariah, his companions:

18. That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon.

19. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the

God of heaven.

20. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

21. And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings:

he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

22. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

23. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom

and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king's matter.

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24. Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise

[men] of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise [men] of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation.

25. Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I

have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

26. The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, Art thou able

to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

27. Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise [men], the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king;

28. But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king

Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

29. As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came [into thy mind] upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

30. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for [any] wisdom that I have more than

any living, but for [their] sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

31. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness

[was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible.

32. This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

33. His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

34. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon

his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

35. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36. This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

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37. Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom,

power, and strength, and glory.

38. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art] this head of gold.

39. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom

of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

40. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

41. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the

kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

42. And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom

shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

43. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

44. 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.

45. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands,

and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

46. Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and

commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.

47. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

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48. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon.

49. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over

the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat] in the gate of the king. In the second chapter Daniel gives the interpretation of a meaningful dream. In the second year of the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, God gave him a dream. Although God had used the Babylonian king to punish Israel, He now wanted to give him a warning. The prophet told the king that there would come three more kingdoms on the earth. Daniel clearly described the whole image to the king, and its parts made of various materials. Some if it was made of gold, some of silver, brass, iron and clay. It’s knees were made of iron and the feet of a mixture of iron and clay. As the king marvelled at this great image in his dream, he saw a stone strike the feet of it; then the iron, clay, brass, silver and gold were broken in pieces together. In the 35th verse we read, “Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” Daniel had said to the king, “thou art this head of gold …” In the prophecy of this image and of the stone that strikes the feet, it is plain to see that the whole image stands until the stone that was cut out without hands strikes the feet if the image. The spiritual leaders of all the Seventh day Adventist churches teach that this stone represents Christ’s second coming or Christ. We see that the stone strikes the image during the rule of the fourth kingdom on earth. If we would carefully read the 40th verse we would see that it is talking about the fourth kingdom. But in the 44th verse we read, “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.” Here we see that Christ’s kingdom (God’s people on earth) is represented by the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands. That stone is Christ’s kingdom which conquers all other earthly kingdoms in existence in the time of the fourth kingdom. Christ comes for the conquerors, not for the conquered. His kingdom conquers not only worldly kingdoms but also ecclesiastical kingdoms. This we will later see more clearly as we dig deeper in the treasure house of God’s word. We will see how, in the Christian era, some Christians were conquerors even when church and state were united in persecution against them.

Daniel – chapter 3

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1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height [was] threescore cubits, [and] the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

2. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and

the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the

counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4. Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and

languages, 5. That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery,

dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

6. And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the

midst of a burning fiery furnace.

7. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down [and] worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

8. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.

9. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.

10. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the

cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

11. And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, [that] he should be cast into the midst

of a burning fiery furnace.

12. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

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13. Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

14. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, [Is it] true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; [well]: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who [is] that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

15. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O

Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not careful to answer thee in this matter.

16. If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver [us] out of thine hand, O king.

17. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor

worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

18. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: [therefore] he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

19. And he commanded the most mighty men that [were] in his army to bind Shadrach,

Meshach, and Abednego, [and] to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace.

20. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their [other] garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

21. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding

hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

22. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the

midst of the burning fiery furnace.

23. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

24. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and

they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

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25. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, [and] spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come [hither]. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

26. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered

together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

27. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach,

and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

28. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any

thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

29. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of

Babylon. If men would but study the book of Daniel and learn it, they will have completed the highest education this would has to offer. All the kings, rulers, presidents of countries great and small, all counsellors and teachers as well as pastors, priests and ministers of all churches on earth need to study well this holy book. In the second chapter we saw that the truth was explained to the king that the head of gold on the image was the only part that represented the Babylonian kingdom. However, the king wanted to show or prove that this kingdom would endure forever. He therefore recreated the image as God had shown it to him in the dream but with one exception – whereas in the dream that God had given him, only the head of the image was of gold, king Nebuchadnezzar made the entire image of gold. He then commanded that this counterfeit mage be worshiped by all. He announced that all who refused to worship the image he had created would be put to death. All but three men in that whole multitude fell to their knees and worshiped the image. How were these three Hebrews different from the rest of the multitude? In the same way that night is deferent from day and light from darkness; these three men obeyed God’s law while the rest of the multitude transgressed it. The second commandment forbids the worship of images and the adoration of pictures (likenesses) and idols made by man. This king had no respect for human rights or freedom of conscience. He cared little for

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the lives of men whom God had created in His own image. Upon hearing that the trio did not obey his law, the king sent for them and asked, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?” The king gave them one more opportunity to escape the sentence of death. The king then repeated the order and asked them if they were prepared to worship the golden image. But the three young men answered, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” If we were in the place of these young men, would we be able to give such a response to the king? Or perhaps we will say that these men should have obeyed the civil authorities of that time. Their calm and simple answer infuriated the king. Enraged, he commanded that the furnace be made seven times hotter than normal. When they were thrown in the fire, the king saw three bondmen (although they were free in the Lord) walking in the midst of the fire unharmed. Then he discerned a fourth figure and claimed that it looked like the Son of God. The king of Babylon captured Israel more than five hundred years before the birth of Christ. How then is it that king Nebuchadnezzar recognized Him as the Son of God? If Christ had no existence before His coming into this world through Mary, how is it then that 500 years before Mary was born He walked in the midst of the fiery furnace with three captives? Concerning this point, a question arises before all the Christian world that claims to believe in the Bible: How is it that in the beginning God said, ‘Let us make man in out image, after our likeness’. To whom did God say this? Is it possible that, the Onlybegotten of Gpd existed as a heavenly being since time immemorial (Genesis 1;26). Studying further in the book of Daniel, we read in chapter 10, and verses 13 and 21, “but lo, Michael, on of the chief princes came to help me …” In other words, “there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael, your prince”. When Israel’s 70 years of Babylonian captivity had passed, God’s people were to be set free that they might return and rebuild the city and the temple in Jerusalem. Only the One that freed the three young men from death in the fiery furnace could free Israel from Babylonian captivity. That One is Michael our prince who shields his people. The prophet Isaiah writes, “When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee,” Isaiah 43;2. Daniel and his friends were lights in the land of Babylon. The king had learned from them the truth about the true God of heaven. He also learned about God’s law. Yet, his reaction was that of Pharaoh who said, ‘I know not God neither will I let Israel go’ (Exodus 5;2). Nebuchadnezzar’s response was, “…and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” (Daniel 3;15). This was quite a point since the fire was so hot that it slew the mighty men that bound Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw

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them in the furnace, (verse 22). Yet these three men who showed their faith by their deeds proved that they obeyed God’s law and not man’s. We also see that those who worshipped gods of gold, silver, wood and stone were not preserved in obeying the king’s command. In the 29th verse we see how the king went from one extreme to the other. At first, he had commanded that all worship the golden image and if they refused, they would be thrown in the fiery furnace and be killed immediately. Now he made a decree that if anyone spoke against the true God, he would be cut in pieces and his house be made a dunghill. God cannot approve either of these commands. He only blesses willing obedience – one based on love. Thus Christ said, “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind … thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandment hang all the law and the prophets,” (Matthew 22;37-40).

Daniel – chapter 4 1. Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all

the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 2. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought

toward me.

3. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

4. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:

5. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions

of my head troubled me. 6. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that

they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

7. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

8. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, according

to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,

9. O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy

gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

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10. Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst

of the earth, and the height thereof was great.

11. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:

12. The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it [was] meat for all:

the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

13. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one

came down from heaven;

14. He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:

15. Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and

brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:

16. Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him: and let

seven times pass over him.

17. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

18. This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the

interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

19. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his

thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

20. The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto

the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;

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21. Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it [was] meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:

22. It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and

reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

23. And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;

24. This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is

come upon my lord the king:

25. That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

26. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall

be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

27. Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

28. All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

29. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

30. 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?

31. While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, [saying], O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the

field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

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33. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

34. 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:

35. And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according

to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

36. At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom,

mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

37. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose

works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

In the second chapter of Daniel we read that the king had forgotten that dream yet he knew that it was very meaningful and that it had left a deep impression on him. He had called the magicians, astrologer and soothsayers that they might tell him what he dreamed. They asked him to relate his dream to them and they would tell the interpretation. But in the fourth chapter we read that the king did not forget this impressive dream and related it to the magicians, astrologers, and soothsayers. They could not interpret the king’s dream. Finally, the prophet Daniel came and the king related his dream about the great tree whose leaves and fruit provided meat for all the creatures around it. Yet a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven and tells what will have to be done to the tree. In the 17th verse we read, “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” These solemn words should be in the minds of all kings, monarchs, presidents, generals and even spiritual pastors, priests and ministers of all churches on earth. They should keep in mind that the all-knowing God who created heaven and earth is watching them. When we read the Biblical accounts of the kings of Israel, we see that all their deeds were faithfully recorded. “Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem … And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did,” II Chronicles 26;3,4. “Manasseh was twelve years old when he begun to reign, and he reigned fifty

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and five years in Jerusalem. But he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel,” II Chronicles 33;1,2. “Josiah was eight years old when he begun to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord … for in the eight year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the groves, and carved images and the molten images,” II Chronicles 34;1-4. “Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God,” II Chronicles 36;5. Here we see that the deeds of all the kings were faithfully recorded in the sacred pages of the Bible. So also we see the deeds of king Nebuchadnezzar which were recorded as a warning to all the rulers of the earth. Upon hearing the dream, Daniel was ‘astonished’ for one hour. Then he said, ‘it is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong … this is the decree of the most High … they shall drive thee from men’. Daniel also counsel the king to ‘break off’ his sins by right doing and his iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Yet twelve short months after the incidents, as the king stood in the palace and beheld the beauty of the city of Babylon, his pride welled up in his heart for he had forgotten the counsel of Daniel. Ascribing to himself the glory for the greatness of his city, he 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? While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.” His reason was taken from him for seven years. After that, his reason returned and he praised the God of heaven that lives forever for, ‘those that walk in pride, He is able to abase.’ Thus did this king learn that the most High rules in the kingdom of men and that all power and glory is His.


1. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

2. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels

which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.

3. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of

God which [was] at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

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4. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

5. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the

candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

6. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the

joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

7. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. [And] the king spake, and said to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

8. Then came in all the king's wise [men]: but they could not read the writing, nor make

known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

10. [Now] the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet

house: [and] the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

11. There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days

of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, [I say], thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers;

12. Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of

dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

13. Then was Daniel brought in before the king. [And] the king spake and said unto Daniel,

[Art] thou that Daniel, which [art] of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

14. I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and [that] light and

understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

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15. And now the wise [men], the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not show the interpretation of the thing:

16. And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now

if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

17. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy

rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

18. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and

majesty, and glory, and honour:

19. And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

20. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from

his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

21. And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

22. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all

this;

23. But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

24. Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

25. And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This

[is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

26. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

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27. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

28. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of

gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

29. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

30. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, [being] about threescore and two years old.

Oh, how important it is that all the rulers of this earth learn a life-long lesson in the words of this holy book. Daniel reminded the inheritor of Nebuchadnezzar’s throne of the deed of his father. The faithful who defend the honour of God stands freely in His name and speak the truth, not fearing the consequences. “O thou king,” said Daniel, “the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour”. Then he told the king how Nebuchadnezzar slew whom he would and kept alive whom he would and set up whom he would and put down whom he would. The Daniel continued recounting the seven years of Nebuchadnezzar’s life when he lost his reason and was driven from among men and ate grass like the oxen. “And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.” When the king had drunk wine with his guests, they had begun to praise the gods of gold, silver, brass and iron, wood and stone. The king did not discern between the holy and the common. The vessels that were dedicated to God’s house in Jerusalem, the king now placed before his gods (Daniel 1;2). The king said that in Daniel was the spirit of the gods, why then did he praise his own gods? Belshazzar was weighed in the balance if the heavenly scale and found wanting. That very nigh he was sain and the kingdom of Babylon fell to another.


1. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

2. And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give

accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

3. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

4. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the

kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

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5. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

6. Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him,

King Darius, live for ever.

7. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

8. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

9. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

10. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his

windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

11. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his

God.

12. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

13. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the

captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

14. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

15. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the

law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

16. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions.

Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

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17. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

18. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of

music brought before him: and his sleep went from him. 19. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king

spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

21. Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me:

forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

23. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up

out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

24. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they

cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

25. Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth;

Peace be multiplied unto you. 26. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the

God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

27. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who

hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

28. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. In the third chapter we could see how divine providence led these four faithful men. They were a great light in the land of Babylon. When the king commanded that the golden image be sanctified and all worship it, Daniel was not there. His faith was not tested to the utmost. But his three young companions witnessed of their faith in word and deed before the king of Babylon and before the multitude. In the end, the king himself proclaimed thorough his

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kingdom that there is not god like the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who was able to save in such a miraculous manner. He also decreed that if anyone were to speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, he would be cut in peaces and his house be made a dunghill. Thus we be sure that the people of Babylon were careful not to utter any blasphemy against the God of these Hebrews, not because they really respected that God but because they did not want to be cut in pieces and have their house made into a dunghill. After the Babylonian kingdom or the golden head of the image, came the Medopersian kingdom or the silver chest of the image in spite of the fact that the Babylonian king, in forming this image to be worshipped by the people, made the whole image of gold, thus depicting that his kingdom of gold would continue forever. It has to be as God foretold it for He is the creator of the earth as well as the universe. God had numbered the kingdom of Belshazzar, and finished it. Just as the three young men were witnesses of the true God to king Nebuchadnezzar and his people, so Daniel, by his faith and works, was a witness to king Darius and the Medipersian kingdom. The three bore their witness in the fiery furnace while Daniel bore his witness in the den of lions. Especially in the case of Daniel do we see the dire results of envy and hatred among those in position of trust. Daniel was innocent; the wisdom he had was given him by the God he served. Those who hated him could also have chosen to serve God but they did not. Thus they were left to the consequences of their decision. The decree of king Darius was not a wise one. He commanded that all tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. The people under his jurisdiction did not know Daniel’s God, but when they read the decree of the king, they feared it more than they feared the God who saved Daniel from the power of the lions. The great majority of those who rise to elevated positions quickly fall to pride shortly thereafter. God gave Nebuchadnezzar two meaningful dreams; one of the image, and the other of the great tree. In the image are depicted the kingdoms that exerted the most influence on God’s professed church but in the tree is depicted the faith of the king himself. Though the interpretations of both dreams were related to the king, only a year later did he haughtily ascribe glory to his might and power to his throne. While these proud words were yet in his mouth, the voice was heard, “the kingdom is departed from thee…”. The higher his pride took him, the lower he fell and the greater was his humiliation. For seven years he was not worthy of human companionship but dwelt in the companionship of dumb beasts until his reason returned. This holy book should be studied by all, but especially by those who seek high positions and places of honour. Let them ever remember that God sets up kings and brings them down and that none of their kingdoms will abide forever. Only Christ’s kingdom abides forever (Daniel 2;44). The experiences of king Nebuchadnezzar should never be forgotten by those whom God has entrusted with light concerning His great purposes and events soon to take place on this earth. Nebuchadnezzar betrayed his heavenly trust in that he made the image to be all of gold. In spite of this, his action did not change in the least the words spoken by God. Our heavenly Father knows our frame and reads our hearts and thoughts. In the dream given to the king, God

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had uncovered what was to be to the end of the world. But it was His will that the king would not be able to recall the dream until it was revealed to Daniel as well. God, who narrates well the events of this seemingly confused world, did not allow the dream to remain a secret. Daniel’s companions had to know of the dream in order to recognize the image erected by the king a counterfeit of the truth. But a deeper and more important question surfaces before those who would drink deeply of the word of God. Does this great image symbolically represent only the great kingdoms to the end of this world? Could this image also represent the religious leadership to the end? To the king, Daniel had said, “thou art this head of gold,” (Daniel 2;38). If we are to take this statement literally, than the head of gold represents Nebuchadnezzar alone, how then is it that in the 5th chapter we read, “thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians”? This occurred after Nebuchadnezzar’s death, when Belshazzar inherited the throne. In the 31st verse we read, “And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old”. Now let us ask ourselves, when the Babylonian kingdom fell, did the golden head on the image fall – or did it remain on the image? If the head remained on the image even after the fall of the Babylonian kingdom, then it is plain to see that the golden head does not represents Nebuchadnezzar alone – not does it represent the Babylonian kingdom only. In Daniel 2l34, 35, we see that the whole image stands until the stone smites the feet of it. THEN the whole image brakes in pieces. The Medes and Persians took over the Babylonian kingdom, yet just as the silver is inferior to the gold, so the character of the Medes and Persians was inferior to the character of the Babylonians. Thus we read in the 5th chapter how king Darius thoughtlessly signed the decree. On the one hand, he was deceived by those whom he had placed in positions of trust, on the other hand, he should not have been so willing to exalt himself as the suggestion of his appointees. Originally, the idea of multitudes praying to no one but himself appealed to him. The idea of people praying to him rather than to God for thirty days was tempting. King Nebuchadnezzar was not as blatant. Also, the princes and rulers of the Medopersian kingdom hated Daniel’s pure character. Had they themselves possessed such a character, would they have wanted to destroy him? But through it all, Daniel remained faithful to his God.

Daniel – chapter 7 1. 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. 2. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the

heaven strove upon the great sea.

3. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

4. 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.

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5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even

till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head

troubled me.

16. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

17. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

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18. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever,

even for ever and ever.

19. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20. And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before

whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

21. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to

destroy it unto the end.

27. 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.

28. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and

my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. Here the beasts that Daniel saw in a night vision coming up out of the sea whipped about by the four striving winds were described in detail in the order of their emergence. The first beast seen and described by Daniel was a lion, the second like a bear, and the third like a leopard. Yet the fourth beast could not be compared to any previously existing beast. This is why a comparison is not mentioned but the beast is simply described as beast as possible. Daniel said

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it was a beast to be feared; it was terrible and strong and had great iron teeth which broke its prey in pieces and it stumped the residue with its feet. These characteristics distinguished it from it predecessors. In the 17th verse, Daniel is given brief interpretation of these beasts, “These great beasts which are four, are four kings which shall arise out of the earth”. In the second chapter of Daniel, we saw a great image ‘whose form thereof was terrible’, and which was divided into four parts: the head was of gold, the chest and shoulders were of silver, the stomach and hips were of brass, and the fourth part, the knees were of iron but the fourth kingdom was partly strong and partly weak because the iron was mixed with miry clay towards the feet of the image. These four parts of the image depicted four kingdoms on earth. In the 7th chapter, these four kings or kingdoms are depicted as four beasts. The first beast is the Babylonian king or kingdom. The second beast whish was like a bear depicted Medopersia. The third beast resembled a leopard. In Daniel 8;20 & 21 we read that the ram with two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. The rough goat is the king of Grecia and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Yet we see that the first beast that resembles a lion has no horns. God had caused that this king conquered the peoples given him without much resistance. The second beast which had the appearance of a bear represents Medopersia which in one nigh slew the king of Babylon when attack was least expected. In Daniel 8:3-8, we read that when the great horn on the ram was broken, four other horns came up toward the four winds of heaven. Then we see that out of one of those horns came a little horn which grew very great toward the south and toward the east and toward the pleasant land.


1. In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, [even unto] me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.

2. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I [was] at Shushan [in] the

palace, which [is] in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.

3. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram

which had [two] horns: and the [two] horns [were] high; but one [was] higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

4. 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.

5. And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the

whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable horn between his eyes.

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6. And he came to the ram that had [two] horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

7. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him,

and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

8. Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was

broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

9. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant [land].

10. And it waxed great, [even] to the host of heaven; and it cast down [some] of the host

and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

11. Yea, he magnified [himself] even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily [sacrifice] was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

12. And an host was given [him] against the daily [sacrifice] by reason of transgression,

and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.

13. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

14. And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the

sanctuary be cleansed.

15. And it came to pass, when I, [even] I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

16. And I heard a man's voice between [the banks of] Ulai, which called, and said,

Gabriel, make this [man] to understand the vision.

17. So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end [shall be] the vision.

18. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground:

but he touched me, and set me upright.

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19. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end [shall be].

20. The ram which thou sawest having [two] horns [are] the kings of Media and Persia. 21. And the rough goat [is] the king of Grecia: and the great horn that [is] between his

eyes [is] the first king.

22. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

23. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a

king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

24. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

25. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall

magnify [himself] in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

26. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told [is] true: wherefore shut

thou up the vision; for it [shall be] for many days.

27. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick [certain] days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood [it].

Here we can see that the horns on these beasts represent people in high places of authority. In the 7th chapter these kings and kingdoms are depicted as wild beasts but in the 8th chapter, they are depicted as domesticated animals (ram and goat). In the great image, these two kingdoms are represented by the chest and arms of silver (Medopersia), and the belly and thighs of brass (Greek kingdom). Thus we have three depictions of these two beasts or kingdoms. Now, let us compare the character of God’s people of that time (the Jews) with the character of the Babylonian king. Of the Babylonian king we read, “O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him …”, Daniel 5;18-20. Now let us compare this to the character of the Jewish people to whom was entrusted God’s law on tables of stone. Just before their captivity into Babylon, we read, “And the

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LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy,” II Chronicles 36;15-16. In Jeremiah 25; 11, 12 we read, “And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” The prophet Jeremiah, whom God sent as a messenger to his people was received in the fallowing manner, “Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison. When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,” Jeremiah 37; 15, 16. Later Christ himself uttered the solemn words, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate,” Matthew 23; 37, 38. Any reader can readily see the striking similarity in character between the earthly king and God’s professed people. If they have the same character, then it is certain that they too are depicted in that great image, the wild beasts, and in the domesticated beasts as well. Yet even though the majority of believers had come corrupted by the same sins that earthly kings and rulers were corrupted with, we read that the four young men remained faithful to God even at the cost of their lives. The corrupting influence of the royal court, the envy, pride and injustice of their surroundings could not affect the righteous character of him whose faith is hid in Christ. Cruel and unjust practices were often indulged in. Hence the words of Daniel, “Break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor …” Daniel 4; 27. Now let us look as the condition of God’s people during the reign of King Cyrus at the close of the 70 years of captivity in Babylon. In Ezra 1; 1-5 we read, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem … then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.” Here we can plainly see that the same spirit that imbued King Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem also imbued God’s professed people. Thus we see that both are depicted by the same kingdom – the second kingdom – the silver chest and arms of the image, and the second beast like unto a bear.

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What was it that caused king Cyrus to be so good to the Jewish people? In Daniel chapter 9 we read, “In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments,” … so the prayer continues through Daniel 9; 1-19. Further in the 10th chapter (Daniel 10; 12, 13 & 21), we read of the assurance that Daniel’s prayer was heard from the beginning, “Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remain there with the kings of Persia. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.”


1. In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;

2. In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years,

whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

3. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting,

and sackcloth, and ashes:

4. And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

5. We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have

rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

6. Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this

day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

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8. O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our

fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

10. Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he

set before us by his servants the prophets.

11. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

12. And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges

that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

13. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our

prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

14. Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the

LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15. And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt

with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16. O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury

be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

17. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and

cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

18. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

19. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake,

O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

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20. And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my

people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;

21. Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the

vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

22. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to

give thee skill and understanding.

23. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and

the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

27. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the

week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

God spoke to Cyrus through the prophet Isaiah, “He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid,” Isaiah 44; 28. In chapter 45; 1-5, God says, “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; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which

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call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.” These words were spoken by Michael, the prince of God’s people, our merciful Lord, Jesus Christ, who came to the aid of the angel Gabriel when the 70-year period of captivity had been accomplished in the land of Babylon.


1. In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

2. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.

3. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint

myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

4. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

5. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen,

whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

6. His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

7. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision;

but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

8. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

9. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I

in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

10. And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

11. 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.

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12. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo,

Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

14. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days:

for yet the vision is for many days.

15. And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.

16. And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened

my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.

17. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me,

straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

18. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,

19. And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be

strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.

20. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight

with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.

21. But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and [there is] none

that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. About 100 years before the birth of Cyrus, the prophet Isaiah had written about his efforts to rebuild Jerusalem. Daniel had studied the prophecies of Jeremiah and understood that the 70 years of captivity had been accomplished yet God’s people were still not free to return to their country. Daniel had prayed for mercy for himself and his people and he confessed his and his people’s sins. He did not separate himself from the sins of his fathers but continued with prayer and fasting for three weeks. The angel Gabriel told Daniel that right at the beginning of his prayer, he had gone to Cyrus to impress his conscience to allow Israel to return to their land. But he says that

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the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood him (this ‘prince of this world’ is none other than Satan himself), wanting Israel to remain in bondage. This was the same prince that did not want Pharaoh to let God’s people go that they might serve Him. But Christ had a leading role in the deliverance of His people from Egyptian bondage. This was He who led Israel through the wilderness in the form of pillar of cloud by day to shade His people from the heat of the sun and a pillar of fire by night to lighten their path that they stumble not (Exodus 13; 21). That same Christ introduced Himself to Joshua as the captain of the Lord’s host (Joshua 5; 14, 15), and told him to loose the shoe from off his foot for the place whereon he stood was holy. It was holy because of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ was no longer there, however, the place was no longer holy. It is only the presence of Christ that makes a place holy.


1. Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

2. And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in

Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

3. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do

according to his will.

4. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

5. And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong

above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

6. And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

7. But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with

an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:

8. And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their

precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.

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9. So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own

land.

10. But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.

11. And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight

with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.

12. And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall

cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

13. For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

14. And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the

robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

15. So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

16. But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand

before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

17. He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright

ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

18. After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his

own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.

19. Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and

fall, and not be found.

20. Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

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21. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be

broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

23. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

24. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do

that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

25. And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a

great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

26. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall

overflow: and many shall fall down slain.

27. And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

28. Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the

holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

29. At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

30. For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and

return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

31. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and

shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

32. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the

people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

33. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

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34. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

35. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make

them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

36. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

37. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any

god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

38. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

39. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall

acknowledge [and] increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

40. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the

north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

41. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but

these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

42. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not

escape.

43. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

44. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go

forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

45. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

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During the time that Daniel prayed and fasted, the angel Gabriel fought with the price of the kingdom of Persia for the deliverance of Israel from captivity. Finally, Michael, the prince of God’s people, came to Gabriel’s aid. Now someone stronger than Gabriel was there – Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He it was that held Cyrus right hand (Isaiah 45; 1). Thus God enables Cyrus to help His people rebuild Jerusalem. In the 8th and 11th chapters we see that after Medopersia, the third or Greek kingdom follows. This would be the stomach and loins of brass on the great and terrible image or the leopard in the chapter of wild beasts or goat in the chapter of domesticated animals. The majority of captives did not return to their country. Only a small remnant who carried Jerusalem in their hearts returned to rebuild it. This was why the work of rebuilding lasted nearly 50 years. When the work was completed and Israel had rebuild the temple and reinstated its services and duties according to the law of Moses, it began to share the characteristics of the Grecian kingdom whose great horn was broken and for it cam up four notable ones towards the four winds of heaven. Here we see that a change took place not only in the Grecian kingdom but also among God’s people. In the midst of the Grecian kingdom’s rapid growth and conquests, the Grecian king often held feasts and days of revelry. So likewise did God’s people partake of that spirit. Because of the influence of the surrounding nations, and due to the fact that, in the eyes of the rest of the world, Jerusalem was situated in the flower of civilization. The services and pageantry of its temple became the pride of the Jews. Instead of overcoming sin and curtailing the senseless deaths of thousands of animals, they multiplied their sacrifices, until the means became an end in itself, and lost the visualization that the sacrificial lamb represented the Son of God as the true sin offering – slain because of their sin. More than 100 years before Christ, Jerusalem, because of her disobedience of God’s holy law, fell captive to Rome, the 4th beast which was ‘dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly’ and which ‘devoured and brake in pieces and stamped the residue with the feet of it,’ Daniel 7; 7.


1. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting

life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

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4. 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.

5. Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the

bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.

6. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

7. And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he

held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

8. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of

these things?

9. And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

10. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly:

and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

12. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and

thirty days.

13. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

Year after year passed and the leaders of God’s people began to teach them that the Messiah would come to topple Rome’s authority and free the Jewish people from its captives – although not one of the prophets prophesied that kind of Messiah. They taught the people that it would be in a manner that would best suit the Jewish leadership and not as it was really written. About 600 years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah foretold the following, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity

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of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth,” Isaiah 53; 3-7. Christ had said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world,” John 18; 36. When the prophecies concerning the Messiah began to be fulfilled, the Jewish nation refused to recognize Christ as the Messiah for he did not appear in the manner expected. Although many Christians believe that Christ had no existence prior to his coming to this world as Mary’s son, the Old Testament proves otherwise. It is plain to see that the Jewish leadership taught misconceptions concerning the Messiah prior to Christ’s first coming as Mary’s son. Will it not be the same prior to Christ’s second coming? If all Christians would study well the Old Testament, they would be better able to understand the New Testament. They would see that Christ existed from time immemorial. When Christ said to the Jews that their father Abraham rejoiced to see His day, the Jews vehemently asked, “Thou art not even yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” But Christ answered them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM,” John 8; 57, 58. Long before that, the sinless pair in Eden were told that ‘in the day’ that they ate of the forbidden fruit, they would die. But why didn’t they die on the day they ate? Because Christ immediately stood before the Father as the Lamb that would bear the sins of the world. He was willing to bear the punishment and die in their place. After Adam and Eve were banished from the garden of Eden, they came and offered sacrifices at the entrance to Eden. This was a token of their faith in the coming Redeemer who would, by his own blood, cleanse every repentant sinner. From then until the death of the Redeemer, God’s people offered sacrifices thereby expressing their faith in the coming Messiah. Before the sacrificial animal was slain, each sinner confessed his sins and transgressions against God’s law, thus symbolically laying them upon its head. Upon seeing Christ, John the Baptist, filled with the Holy Ghost cried, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world,” John 1; 29. The apostles Paul states that, “Almost all things are by the law, purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission,” Hebrews 9; 22. Through Moses, God said to the children of Israel, “The life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul,” Leviticus 17; 11. Here we see that God symbolically wanted to teach Israel that forgiveness of sin can only be obtained through Christ’s blood shed on Calvary. Sin is so heinous that only One who is equal to the law of God can, by sacrificing His life for a sinful world, satisfy the requirements of justice as set forth by God’s law. No other man has died for the sins of this world. Therefore, no other man can forgive sin. Christ said to the Jews, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” this was to return their attention to back hundreds of years to Moses and the burning bush. When Moses asked God what His name was, He answered, “I AM THAT I AM … Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me …”, Exodus 3; 14. Christ identified Himself as that I AM. Furthermore, in the book of Jude we read, that over a thousand years before His coming to this world as a man, Christ

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disputed with the devil over the body of Moses at his death, “Yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee,” Jude 1; 9. We might ask ourselves why Christ contended over the body of Moses. The answer can be found in Matthew 17; 1-3, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.” Thus we see that over a thousand years before Christ’s transfiguration, when Moses died in the mount Pisgah, Christ contended with satan for his body and resurrected Moses. Elijah was taken up to heaven without seeing death. Moses died on the borders of the promised land, “And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, and unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed; I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab according to the work of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bathpeor; but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day,” Deuteronomy 34; 4-6. Christ also resurrected Lazarus and said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live,” John 11; 25. Thus the conclusion is simple and every earnest Christian who sincerely wishes to know the truth can clearly understand that Christ, the Son of God, existed long before Mary was born. Mary did not give life to Christ for He existed before man was ever created. Christ says, “I and my Father are one,” John 10; 30. He was one with the Father long before Mary existed. Mary was just a human being, one with us who felt the truth of God’s words to all mortal men, “Dust thou are and unto dust shalt thou return,” Genesis 3; 19. This is the lot of mortal man after death. In Ecclesiastes 9; 5, 6, we read, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.” After Christ resurrected and spent 40 days with His disciples, He bodily ascended up into heaven. This is how He will return when He comes back again, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven,” Acts 1; 11. As Christ, our great example, ascended to heaven bodily, so will the righteous ascend to heaven at his second coming. Righteous Job says, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another,” Job 19; 25-27. The apostle Paul described Christ’s second coming, “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: 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,” I Thessalonians 4; 16, 17. This has been the blessed hope of all believers, from Adam until His second coming. That same voice said, “Lazarus, come forth,” and he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot

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with graveclothes (John 11; 43, 44), will one day resurrect His children and take them home. When the Jews saw that Christ had raised Lazarus from the dead, they knew that He was the creator of our world. In spite of this, they decided to kill Him. They were afraid that the people would turn from them to follow Christ and this they could not allow. Yet there were earnest Jews that were deceived by their leadership and raised their voices to swell the cry, “crucify him!”. Later, some of these repented and received Christ as a Son of God. It was for these that Christ, while on the cross, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” Luke 23; 43. Thus, when Christ resurrected Lazarus, who had been in grave four days, it was a testimony to all that this was He who had formed Adam from the dust. The leadership then knew without the doubt that this was the prophesied Messiah, yet they were not willing to receive the One who was born in a manger to lowly parents. What’s more, they were unwilling to admit that they had interpreted the prophecies concerning Messiah wrongly. It was difficult for them to confess their sins and humble themselves and beg forgiveness for One whom they had misrepresented to the people. Dear reader, if today you were to approach a leader of any Christian church, whether it be Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant, and ask him why they had rejected God’s fourth commandment, or why their churches have set up images and idols and taught the people to worship them and bow to them when God’s second commandment expressly forbids it, then you will see that the history of the Jewish nation is being repeated in today’s Christian world. In His day, Christ publicly condemn the leadership of God’s people. He openly said, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat … and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and ye are all brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven … But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation … Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess … Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness … Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? … O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee..,” Matthew 23. In Matthew 21; 12, 13 we read, “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.” To human eyes, the merchandising in the temple courts seemed appropriate. After all, many of the people came from far away, and since the sacrifice had to be without blemish, the trip often wore out the sacrificial animals. Therefore, the people simply brought money and bought their sacrificial animals right there, in

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the prime of health. Not only were these animals sold well above normal price, but the bleating of sheep, jingling of coins, and bickering over price as the crowd jostled one another, made the house of God appear like a common market where money changers argued for highest rates and the poor that came to sacrifice were appalled at the prices. All this made the worship of God appear cheap and unappealing. Now what do you think Christ would do if He were to walk in one of the Christian churches today? What would He do with the images of plaster, wood and stone sometimes overlaid with gold, before people bow and worship and pray to – pictures of men and women who at one time lived on the earth, and have been proclaimed by men to be ‘saints’? Yet we know God said, “thou shalt have no other gods before me,” Exodus 20; 2, 3. In Matthew 23; 9 Christ said, “call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father which is in heaven.” This was what Christ commanded to His disciples and the people. Later, just before His ascension, He said, “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,” Matthew 28; 19, 20. Thus we are not only to obey him but also to teach those truths to others. Jesus had given His promise to be with us even unto the end of the world. But this promise is conditional. He will watch over us to the end if we obey Him and Him alone. No ecclesiastical creeds or doctrines appointed by councils, decrees by assemblies, or agreed upon by conferences are included here. Unfortunately, there is not one established church today that obeys and teaches all the truth. Our dear Saviour barely lasted three and a half years in His own church. They sought to kill Him even before His time came. Do you think He would fare any better in any of the churches that claim to believe in Him today? To the leadership of His day, Christ said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers,” Matthew 23; 29-32. He who reads the innermost heart well knew that the leadership was bent on outward display and, in the eyes of the people, rigorous in their keeping of the law. Yet despite their apparent piety, they were planing to murder Him. He publicly denounced this hypocrisy of the leadership of God’s people. Here, reader, you must stop and honestly ask yourself; if Christ were to come into your church today and knock down the images of saints made of plaster and wood that you have been taught to pray to, what would your reaction be? Christ cleansed the temple twice during His ministry on earth. Were He here today, would He not do the same? What would the church leadership do to such a Saviour? Or if He addressed the Christian leadership of today with the same woes applied to the Pharisees, how would you treat some a Redeemer? Would you also plot to kill Him? Why do you think God buried Moses in a secret place (Deuteronomy 34; 6)? Of Moses it was written, “And there arose nor a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,” Deuteronomy 34; 10. God well knew what the people of Israel would do to Moses’ grave. Christ had accused the Pharisees of

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building and garnishing the tombs of the prophets once killed by their fathers. Would not the grave of Moses also have become an object of worship among them? This God opposed. Perhaps some of us are acquainted with the Seventh Day Adventist Church and know that it has no images or likeness to worship. Therefore you may think that that church would welcome Christ. Let us remember, though, that in His day, there were no images of wood or stone that were worshiped in the synagogues. That people also prided themselves on being keepers of God’s law and even appeared zealous for that law, condemning Christ for working miracles on the Sabbath day. The Jews were awaiting Christ first coming just as the Seventh Day Adventists are awaiting His second coming. Both claim to keep all God’s ten commandments. It is true that the Adventists do not worship forms of saints what lived long ago. However, if you look closely enough, you will see that they worship those whom they consider to be living saints – their leadership. You might even see that they worship these mortal men more than those who worship images. It is without a doubt, that today there live men who were considered saints, whom the people believe to be keepers of the gates of heaven. Yet how does Christ view all this? How does He who left his Heavenly Father above and came down to this dark world through a lowly mortal woman view our worship of other human beings? Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her,” Luke 1; 38. About 700 years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel,” Isaiah 7; 14. The prophet Isaiah finished the task assigned him by God. Others in the Bible also performed the duties assigned them by God. So Mary was willing to perform the duty assigned her by god. But Mary was not nailed to the cross of Calvary for our sins. Nowhere does the Bible teach us that salvation can be obtain through her. She lies in the grave like other faithful women who died in the hope of Christ’s second coming. “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,” I Thessalonians 4:16. Neither Christ not His apostles ever stated that Mary was to be worshiped and prayed to. She sleeps in the grave awaiting the trump of Christ when He comes again. It is true that Christ, when on the cross, did not forget His mother. “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then said he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home,” John 19: 26, 27. Here we see that Christ would have each of us learn a very important lesson – that we are to always care for the elderly and feeble. The belief in a natural immortality of the human soul came from him who first said in the garden of Eden, “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil,” Genesis 3: 4, 5.

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Christ is the only way the mortal man can achieve salvation and therefore, immortality. To all human beings He says, “I am the door of the sheep,” John 10; 7. There is no other door whereby we can enter heaven except for our merciful Shepherd. “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep,” John 10: 11. Every sheep should listen to the voice of our good Shepherd who gave His life to cleanse us and who mediates before the Father for us. For some time now I have had an indescribable yearning to lift Him up above every church leader, pope, priest, and Adventist minister and teacher, so that all the sheep might turn from following these hirelings (John 10: 13) and follow the true shepherd. “The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling and careth not for the sheep.” The apostle Paul writes, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s,” I Corinthians 6: 19, 20. “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple if the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people,” II Corinthians 6:16. So we being the temple of God are not to idolize or worship any human being whether living or dead. Out God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matthew 22: 32), for the Bible says that the dead know anything. They sleep until the Lifegiver comes again. Christ says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the mids of them,” Matthew 18: 20. This is His definition of a true church. “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly,” Matthew 6: 6. Our salvation has nothing to do with the awe-inspiring pageantry and ceremonies of todays churches. Christ Himself chose the apostle Paul to proclaim the gospel to the heathen. Thus, travelling from city to city, Paul came upon an interesting sight, “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead,” Acts 17: 23-31. Christ had said that He is the resurrection and the life. Not only did the

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hope of the disciples come alive again at His resurrection, but some righteous were resurrected also as a further assurance of the last resurrection. “… and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many,” Matthew 27: 51-53. No human being can destroy this testimony. Now let us consider the character of the people of Christ’s day. More specifically, let us consider Christ’s betrayal and crucifixion. Here were a rabble of Jews with Judas at their head on their way to arrest Christ. Judas was bribed by the money of the corrupt priesthood and he told the mob to grab him whom he would kiss. “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?” Thus they blasphemed against the Lord. “Now the chief priests and elders, and all the council sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death.” They asked Him, “tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God,” but He said, ‘thou hast said’. He neither denied nor confirmed it. Then they took Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. “And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.” Pilate then announced, “I found in him no fault at all”. This, willing to avoid an unpleasant situation, Pilate sent Christ to Herod. Now the character of Herod had become corrupted all the more because he had beheaded John the Baptist. “Then he questioned with him in many words, but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and send him again to Pilate … And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people; and behold, I have examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him. No, nor yet Herod; for I send you to him; and lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.” Although the Roman civil authorities found no fault in Christ, yet they were willing to ‘chastise him’ in order to appease the Jews. Yet they clamoured all the more for His blood. Now Pilate, wanting to extricate himself out of this predicament, offered to release Chrsit, as it was the custom at the time of the Passover to release a prisoner. He therefore asked the people whether he should release Christ or Barabbas. “And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas.” But Pilate, willing to release Jesus, spake to them again, “But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required,” Luke chapters 23 and 24. The leadership of God’s people had accused Jesus wrongly saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar,” Luke 23: 2. Christ had actually said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s,” Matthew 22: 21. The 9th commandment of the great Decalogue states,

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“thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour,” Exodus 20: 16. Thus they had wrongly accused Christ of breaking the law while they themselves trampled upon His law. Pilate was not a righteous judge in that he saw that Christ was innocent yet was willing to deliver Him to death in order to appease the people. “So Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified,” Mark 15: 15. Now all this occurred during the time of the Roman kingdom, where we can see that were it not for the religious forces of God’s supposed people, the civil authorities would have let Christ be. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, HE was preached all the more throughout the world. This all the more angered and infuriated those who had rejected and crucified Him. Thus when His believers scattered to take the gospel to other lands, it was the Jews who persecuted and killed them all the more. They so hated the truth, that they had stopped their ears do as not to listen to Stephen. “Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things? Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth,” Acts 7: 48-54. Now those that stoned Stephen were Jews. By then, although still under the auspices of Rome, the Jews (God’s professed people) felt brave enough to take the civil law into their own hands and stone Stephen. Who was the greater persecutor – the Roman civil authorities, or the religious authorities of that day? But the Lord brought some good out of that incident. “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks,” Acts 9: 1-5. Saul had persecuted Christ in the form of His disciples for Jesus said, “Insomuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me,” Matthew 25: 40. Thus we can see that while Saul persecuted the Christians, he was actually persecuting Christ. When he was converted and become a follower of Christ, we read, “And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple,” Acts 9: 23-26. Christ Himself chose Saul, whom He later called Paul. He knew what

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lay ahead of Saul when He said, “I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake,” Acts 9: 16. Further we read, “And he spake boldly in the name if the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians; but they went about to slay him,” Acts 9: 29. Thus from the very beginning of his conversation, Saul was often persecuted yet he proved to be a mighty warrior for Christ. “Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch,” Acts 11: 25, 26. Let us keep in mind that all this occupied under the jurisdiction of the Roman kingdom or fourth beast which was terrible and dreadful and to be feared. The Roman kingdom conquered the Greek kingdom when it was divided into four parts (the four horns that came up in the place of the one horn that broke off). When Christ said, “Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, thither ye cannot come. Then said Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles …” referring to the Greeks, John 7: 34, 35. Thus the Greeks were considered ‘dispersed’. The word of Christ, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand,” Matthew 12: 25, proved that in the case of the Greeks also. Shortly after the Greek kingdom was divided into four parts, it fell under the sovereignty of the Roman kingdom. There were differences of belief even among the Jews. Some (Pharisees) believed in a resurrection, others (Sadducees) did not. There were also the Herodians, who supported the Roman kingdom that bore rule over them. Yet although these three factions often argued bitterly and heatedly among themselves, they were united by their hatred toward the Son of God. Now I would like to pose a question for the reader – whose character most depicted the dreadful and terrible beast – the character of the Roman authority (Pilate who said ‘I find no fault in Him’) or the character of the professed church of God that cried ‘crucify him’ under inspiration of its leadership? The Roman judge wanted to appease the Jewish leadership. Was this not a union of church and state? Did not justice bow to the demands of the existing dominations? How many times has this happened in wordily history? After the Jews cried ‘we have no king but Caesar, did they not sever their last link with God as their leader? And did not Christ prophetically acknowledge it when he said “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate”? Could the Jews then call themselves the people of God simply because they keep the 4th commandment to this day? The apostle Paul says to the Jews, “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee,” Romans 11: 20, 21. Here Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, compared the Jewish nation to the natural branch of an olive tree. Thus the heathen or Gentiles were from a wild olive tree. The depiction here pictured is that God cut off the natural olive branch and grafted the wild olive branch in its place with the warning ‘be not highminded but

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fear’. Thus we see that converted heathens (with the exception of a few Jewish individuals) became the church of God – connected to Christ, the vine, in the place of Jewish nation. But if they did not live up to the expectation God had of them, they too would be removed. “And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” Romans 11; 23, 24. Did the early Christian church remain pure after it was grafted into the olive tree? Apostle Paul said, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them,” Acts 20: 29, 30. And although that young Christian church had hoped that Christ would come in her day, Paul warned, “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, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way,” II Thessalonians 2: 3-7. Here Paul prophesied a falling away from the true god and a coming of the man of sin who would sit in the place where Christ would be. Paul well knew that half converted people were flocking into the church. They thought perverse doctrines and turned some away from the truth to the adoration of men. Paul plainly states that this man of sin would not only sit in the church of God but would seek the worship and loyalty that belongs to God alone. Here again, I would appeal to the leader to earnestly ask himself, “am I aware of Christian leaders who want me to believe as they believe despite my conscientious scruples? Are there teachers around me that urge me to first consult them before consulting God’s word and to accept their interpretations of God’s word above the impressions God has given me? Do I encourage them to do this by consulting man in the place of God, the Author of all truth who promises to teach the simples ones? Are not those who seek such adoration also seeking the glory that belongs to God alone? Did not Christ admonish his disciples that it was the Gentiles and heathen that exercise dominion and authority over the people but that it should not be so among God’s people (Matthew 20: 25, 26)? Did not He say, ‘all ye are brethren’? It is true that He has given men responsibilities (teachers, prophets, ministers, etc.), but He has not given them authority over the ones whom He has purchased with His blood. Do we know where to draw the line and assert the God-given freedom? God says to us, “I am the Lord thy God … thy shalt have no other gods before me,” Exodus 20: 1, 2. Do we understand the full intent of that commandment? God never set up any man to be the conscience for another. It was ever His will that each man would be his own priest, “Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation…,” Exodus 19: 6, was what He promised the Jews if they continued in His way. God carries this expectation to His covenant with the Gentiles also, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation …,” I Peter 2: 9. When describing this covenant

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He states, “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me …”. This has ever been His goal with us. We are all a part of His body and we all have only one head – Christ. When the layer asked Christ what he should do to inherit eternal life, Christ answered, “What is written in the law? How readest thou?” Luke 10: 26. Here we see that it is the duty of every individual to read for himself and to find out what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. Christ asks that same question of us today, ‘how readest thou’? John the Revelator writes, “blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand,” Revelation 1: 3.

The

R E V E L A T I O N

Of John

Chapter 1

1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

2. Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all

things that he saw.

3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him

which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead,

and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and

dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

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7. 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. Even so, Amen.

8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and

which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

9. I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a

trumpet,

11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

12. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven

golden candlesticks;

13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

14. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a

flame of fire;

15. And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

16. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged

sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

18. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and

have the keys of hell and of death.

19. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

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20. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

A great number of Christian churches claim that this book is mysterious and that common man cannot hope to understand it. While it is true that this Revelation is depicted in symbols, and that many feel that only Daniel the prophet would be able to understand it, we must remember that the book is called ‘Revelation’ for a reason. The Bible says, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law,” Deuteronomy 29: 29. If then God has called it a ‘Revelation’, we may be sure that He wants us to read, understand, and share with others that He has revealed to us. A large number of the prophesies of this book have already been fulfilled in the Christian era. Some of those that have been fulfilled in the past will again be fulfilled in our time and is just about to come upon us. It is very important that we understand what has been fulfilled in the past and what will again be fulfilled in the future. All John’s visions in the book of Revelation apply to the time of the fourth beast or Roman kingdom. That is that dreadful and terrible beast that ought to be feared, that had great iron teeth and trampled the remnant or residue with its feet (Daniel 7: 7). It is not difficult to understand the symbolism of this book if we compare the verses of Revelation with the verses of Daniel. If Daniel received wisdom from God understand dreams and visions, could not the Lord give this gift to others? Is not the God of Daniel our God also? Christ Himself says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened,” Matthew 7: 7, 8. Heaven’s gifts cannot be obtained through any priests, pope, or ministers of today’s churches. It is a gift that only heaven bestows and only God knows whom He will give the gift to. This gift is not accidental or inherited. He who would have this gift must do as Christ said – he must ask. If we, therefore, truly ask, we will receive it. God’s words will not return empty but will be fulfilled. In the Old Testament, we find many places where heavenly angels visited God’s servants on earth. They brought messages that God’s servants needed to know. We also find such instances in the New Testament. There’s the case of Joseph, where the angel told him that Herod sought the child to kill it and that he was to go to Egypt. Thus Joseph stayed in Egypt until that Herod died. An angel also visited Mary and told her that she would bear a son. Angels rescued God’s servants from prison and saved their lives on various occasions (Matthew 2: 13 – 15, Acts 12: 5-10). Christ Himself appeared to Saul as he was going to persecute the Christians. Now in the first chapter of Revelation we read, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending … I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” Revelation 1: 8, 18. Here we see that Christ Himself appeared to John on the isle of Patmos. John was told to write down what he saw and heard and to send it to the seven churches in Asia – to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Although these seven cities were in Asia in John’s lifetime, yet their warnings and entreaties apply to all in the Christian era. Just as in Daniel chapter 7, we read of beasts that were symbolic even though such beasts

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existed at that time, so these seven churches are symbolic even though they actually existed at one time. These seven churches in Asia represent seven periods of time in the Christian era. We will more clearly see this when we carefully study the second and the third chapters of Revaltion. In the twentieth verse, Christ gives John a brief explanation and tells him that the seven stars in His right hand are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches. First let us see what stars represent in the Bible. In Genesis 15: 5 we read, “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, ‘So shall thy seed be”. God showed Abraham the stars and promised him that his descendents, who will by word and deed be as lights in this earth, would be just as numberless. Also, in a dream, God showed Joseph (who was a descendent of Abraham) a scene in which the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed to him. “And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me,” Genesis 37: 9. Joseph’s father, Jacob, well understood the meaning of this dream for in the following verse we read, “And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” This dream was later fulfilled when Joseph was sold as a slave and taken to Egypt where he became a great man. During a severe famine, his brethren came to buy food and, not recognizing their brother in the ruler before them, they bowed down to him. Jacob also bowed down to him later. Thus we see how God used the sun, moon and stars, light of this earth, to symbolize those who would be spiritual lights amidst this earth’s spiritual darkness. “The seven stars are angels of the seven churches.” Now let us see whether these refer to actual angels or to human beings who are accountable for the condition of their church. In the Greek Dictionary of the Bible (Strong’s Concordance, page 70, we see that the meaning of the word ‘angels’ means, “a messenger; especially an “angel”; by implication a pastor.” Also, we find that in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, the words, ‘angel’ and ‘messenger’ were the same. This is proven in the book of Malachi. In Chapter 2: 7 we read, “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.” Also in Malachi 3:1 we read of John the Baptist, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: 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.” In the Hebrew language, this word ‘messenger’ also means angel. As a matter of fact, the word ‘messenger’ in these verses in Malachi has often been translated to ‘angel’ in other translations of the Bible. Thus, we have a clearer picture of the stars in Christ’s right hand and of the angels of the seven churches. The seven candlesticks are seven churches which are seven periods of time in the Christian era. Also, we see that the seven angels are the priests or leadership of God’s church in those seven periods of time. The first church or the first period of time began with the apostles after Christ’s ascension to heaven. That church had great light for the apostles were witnesses of

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Christ’s life, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Thus, in spite of persecution, that church was a bright light amid the darkness of this earth.

Revelation - chapter 2

1. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them

which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not

fainted.

4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that

overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

8. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the

last, which was dead, and is alive;

9. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of

you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

11. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that

overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

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13. I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou

holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

14. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the

doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

15. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

16. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the

sword of my mouth.

17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

18. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of

God,who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

19. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman

Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

21. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great

tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

23. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

24. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and

which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

25. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

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26. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

27. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be

broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

28. And I will give him the morning star.

29. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Here we see that a bit of praise is ascribed to the angel or leadership of the church of Ephesus or the first Christian church. But in the fourth verse we read “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” As the apostles were martyred for the cause of truth, others came up in their stead who did not have the personal experiences with Christ as the apostles did. They did not see the deeds of His life as their predecessors did. Thus the love for the truth begun to wane. This is why in the fifth verse we read, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” When Christ removes the candlestick, then that church remains in darkness. That church and its leadership can still exist but Christ no longer abides in it. John saw Christ in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. If the candle is taken from a house, that house remains in darkness. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David wrote, “Thy word is a lamp under my feet, and a light unto my path,” Psalm 119: 105. Furthermore, in Zechariah 4: 2, 4, 5 , 6, we read, “And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof … So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” The prophet Zechariah received the definition from the angel that the seven candlesticks is the word of God. As John saw Christ carefully walking in the midst of these candlesticks, we can see that our Savior lovingly watches that not one candle goes out. Thus we can see that throughout the Christian era, from His first coming to His second coming, there will be faithful souls on Earth who will ever be lights to those in darkness. Thus, in the day of judgement, none will be excused on the grounds of ignorance of the word of God. Perhaps some feel that the warnings, rebukes, and calls to repentance sent to the seven churches in Asia do not apply to Christians throughout the world. Is not their sin our sin also? Does not God, out great Creator, have a right to expect obedience from us also? If we do not fulfil all the conditions that the Lord has given to these churches, we cannot obtain the promises given to these churches.

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If we carefully study the second and third chapters of Revelation, we will see that the churches are symbolic and that all the warnings and entreaties addresses to them, apply to all of us as well. We need only to take them to heart. We would also see that the first church or apostolic church was the purest of the Christian churches that fallowed. That church had the purest truth. It had received the outpouring of the holy Spirit and wrought many miracles. It had continued in the work that Christ began in His mission to the Jews. Later, at the stoning of Stephen, when mercy ended for the Jewish nation, the light of a crucified and risen Savior was carried to the gentiles. This was why Christ said to that first church “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.” This is truly a praiseworthy report and it is easy to see that these characteristics applied to all Christians living in that period if time and not only to the Christians at Ephesus. Now let us ask ourselves some questions. Did that church as a whole (all the believers in that period of time0 repent of the fact that she had lost her first love for the truth as it is in Christ? Did Christ do as He said He would do, “I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place? Had that church of Ephesus received the warning, repented, and gone back to the first works she did when the Holy Spirit was poured out on her, would the second church have come at all? Let us remember that when the light is removed from a house, that house remains in darkness. Can we point to the church of Ephesus as one that has remained true? Had that church repented and gone back to her first works, would she not be in existence today? Is there an existing church today that does the works and miracles wrought by the church of Ephesus? If we cannot find such a church on earth, who is at fault? Isaiah 59: 1 – 4 explains who is at fault, “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor and pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.” Let us again ask ourselves, is there a Christian church on earth today that claims to sit on the chair of St. Peter the apostle? If there is such a church in our day, then let us carefully study the life of Peter and his position and compare and see if this church is the same. If we were to do this, I believe we would be very surprised. The apostle Peter denied Christ three times. Of him we read, “Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow wa also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art [one] of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly,” Matthew 26: 69 – 75.

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Christ never set up one of His disciples above the others. On the contrary, He said, “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many,” Matthew 20: 25 – 28. One Seventh Day Adventist once told me that John had been the chosen to be what is now the president of the General Conference of Seventh Day Adventist. In their Sabbath School lessons dated July 4, 1992, the lesson entitled, ‘First Among Equals’, I was surprised to see that that church also wishes to exalt Peter. The apostle Paul writes, “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence,” Colossians 1: 17, 18. Now if Christ is the head of his church and we, as members of His church are the body, we should all be aware of the fact that God never created a body to have two heads. However, if a church allows or appoints any man to come and be its head, then it should know that Christ will not be the head of their church. Nor will He be the head of any man in that church. When the members of a church each has Christ as his head, then can Christ truly be the head of that church. If a kingdom has one king or ruler, unity exists. However, if that kingdom has two kings or rulers, you can be sure that there will be no unity or harmony – on the contrary, there is often war. If Peter is set up to be the ‘First of Equals’, then this kingdom cannot be Christ’s kingdom, no matter what the church may claim. The kingdom is of this world. If we would truly continue the work of Peter, we must ever remember his words, “We ought to obey God rather than men,” Acts 5: 29. Now let us look at another instance in the life of Peter after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 2: 11 – 14, we read, “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?” Here we see that Paul rebuked Peter before everyone because Peter did not walk uprightly accordingly to the light of the gospel. Now we know that the apostle peter was among the first whom Jesus called to follow Him. The apostle Paul was the last apostle called into the work of the gospel. In Matthew 4: 17 – 20 we read, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.” Concerning his calling to the gospel, Paul says of himself, “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me,” I Corinthians

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15: 8- 10. Here we can see that Peter was among the first chosen to follow Him. Paul was the last and he claims to be as, ‘one born out of due time’. Yet this last apostle rebuked the first before everyone. Now let us ask ourselves another question. Would someone who claims to be sitting on Peter’s throne be able to accept such a public rebuke from one who is the last of Christ’s followers today? What then does this ‘throne of Peter’ consist of? This doctrine reminds me of the words spoken by Christ about two thousand years ago, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat … and love the uppermost rooms at the feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues,” Matthew 23: 2, 6. Have you ever wondered why it is that the leadership of God’s church, both in the old and new testaments, have never been willingly to accept the warnings, rebuke, and calls to repentance? God has never wrought a reformation through the same men that caused the apostasy. Had the church always cherished the pure truth as it is in Christ, it would never had apostatised. If we add a little black to the pure white, we get grey – something that is uncertain and cloudy. The people quickly fall asleep in the cradle of security. In our everyday lives, we are preparing our character either for eternity with Christ, or for eternal destruction. So it is with the leaders of todays churches. In working in the cause day after day and year after year, they have reached the point where their character is set either for life eternal or eternal death. Thus we see in the second and third chapter of Revelation where seven churches or seven periods of time in the Christian era are depicted. We must never forget that the promises made to these churches are on the condition of victory. While it is true that the warnings and rebukes are addressed to the popes, priests, and minsters or leadership of the churches, we must ever remember that the promises belong to the overcomers alone.


1. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

2. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have

not found thy works perfect before God.

3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they

shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

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5. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

6. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy,

he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

8. I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:

for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of

temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

13. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the

Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;

and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

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19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also

overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

22. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Now let us look at the last or Laodicean church (Revelation 3: 14-22). This is our final period of time in the Christian era. We can see that the message of the Faithful Witness (Christ) is addressed chiefly to the leadership of God’s people. Christ, who sees the end from the beginning, and who is the Faithful Witness of our true condition. He portrays how we are seen through heaven’s eyes. He says, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” This is the message of the Faithful Witness to the leadership of God’s people. If we would go from church to church and from member to member and ask the individuals in these churches whether they believe that their pope, priest, or minister is blind and naked, what do you think these individuals would say? Of these Christ says, “Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch,” Matthew 15:14. This is the characteristic of the spiritual leaders of God’s people. Jesus is the Faithful Witness who sees the end from the beginning. If the diagnosis of the heavenly Physician is rejected, then the Physician Himself is rejected as well. He says, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see,” Revelation 3:18. (White raiment is a pure character, eye salve is the spiritual discernment brought by the Holy Spirit. Christ counsels us to by of Him faith, love, a pure character, and the Holy Spirit – things that no earthly church has or can give. In order to obtain the white raiment of righteousness, we must buy it of Him. This means that we must give one thing up in order to gain another. But what can we give in exchange for these things. The world and all it contains is His (for He has redeemed it with His blood) and we are simply guests and pilgrims here. Nothing less than all that we have and are can obtain the faith and love of Jesus, the pure character washed in His blood, and the eyesalve of the Holy Spirit that our blind eyes may see. While it is true that the angel (leadership) of the Laodicean church does not know that he is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, yet if he truly believes in Christ and His message, he would accept the diagnosis of the Faithful Witness. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent.” In these touching words we see that there is still hope for us. We see that our dear Savior still loves us and beckons us to repent and to turn back from our evil ways. Todays world is on the brink of the

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destruction of this world just as the antediluvian world once was. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be,” Matthew 24:37-39. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me,” Revelation 3:20. Christ says He will sup with us or share the day’s meal with us. Therefore we see that our day of mercy is nearly ended and that we should now open the doors of hearts to let our dear Guest enter in. Christ does not use force to enter. He knocks and waits for us to open the door. If we refuse to open the door, He will depart and never return for this is the hour of His final knocking – when it is the time for the evening meal. After the supper, comes the dark and murky night. “Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but the hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it,” Amos 8: 11, 12. The door of heaven’s mercy will very soon be shut, just as the door of Noah’s ark was shut; when the people knew not that they had rejected the final warning of mercy. Yet Christ says, “if any man hear my voice…”. Here we see that He is no longer speaking to the angel (or leadership) of Laodicea but that he has turned to individuals. Christ well knows that in past history, the leadership of the past churches has rejected His appeal just as today the leadership of our churches has rejected and is still rejecting the message of the Faithful Witness. In their hearts they say, ‘I am rich and increased in goods and am not as the Faithful Witness described me’. What is most sad is that they feel they have need of nothing. The leadership seems self-satisfied and thinks itself rich in divine truth and able to lead themselves and others to eternal life when the Lifegiver Himself has defined their true condition. Thus He says, “I will spew thee out of my mouth,” Revelation 3:16. It is an awful thing to be spewed out of His mouth. He does not say ‘perhaps’ or ‘maybe’ but “I will…”. Christ detests lukewarmness. Lukewarmness depicts half-heartedness. It means walking on Satan’s side with one foot and on God’s side with the other. Christ wants all our hearts – and He wants no other renters. Christ will not sit at a table to sup with us if Satan is present there. Therefore He says, “I will thou wert cold or hot.” Halfheartedness is hypocrisy – just like the Pharisees. One last thing must be said here – the message of the Faithful Witness applies in the first place to Seventh Day Adventists. From their pulpits, their ministers throw the message to the individuals in their church. They teach that it applies to those who do not attend the church regularly or that openly waver between two opinions. The members know that the message is primarily addressed to the angel or leadership. Thus the message gets tossed back and forth with neither side admitting to its true condition. In this, the Seventh Day Adventists are rejecting the sentence – He will spew them out. He no longer recognizes them as His people.

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He now turns to individuals and says, “if any man hear my voice” and opens the door of his heart, I will sup with him. When the Jews rejected Christ, He also rejected them corporately and proclaimed, “Behold your house is left unto you desolate”. When the door of mercy closed for the Jewish nation corporately, it opened for the gentiles. So it is today. The door of mercy has closed for Seventh Day Adventists corporately, and is opened for those who have not had the opportunity to hear the final warning of mercy. Christ has stood outside the door of the Seventh Day Adventist church and knocked long enough. He has, for some time now, been offering to sell them the very things they need most but they have refused with the haughty words, “I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing”. Only those who see their need and feel their wretched condition will seek to obtain what the great Physician offers.


1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

2. And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one

sat on the throne.

3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

4. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four

and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were

seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

7. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast

had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

9. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne,

who liveth for ever and ever,

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10. The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created

all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.


1. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the

book, and to loose the seals thereof?

3. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

4. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book,

neither to look thereon.

5. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

6. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst

of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

8. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down

before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

9. And they sung a new song, saying, 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;

10. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the

beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

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12. Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

13. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such

as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

14. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and

worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Revelation - chapter 6 1. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of

thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was

given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. 3. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

4. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat

thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

5. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I

beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny,

and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 7. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come

and see. 8. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell

followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

9. And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were

slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not

judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

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11. And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

12. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake;

and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs,

when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and

island were moved out of their places. 15. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains,

and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that

sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?


1. 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.

2. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and

he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants

of our God in their foreheads. 4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred

and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed

twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed

twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

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7. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

8. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed

twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. 9. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations,

and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10. And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne,

and unto the Lamb. 11. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts,

and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12. Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and

power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in

white robes? and whence came they? 14. And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came

out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple:

and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them,

nor any heat. 17. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them

unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. The sixth seals are described in the sixth chapter of Revelation while the seventh seal is in the first verse of the eight chapter. As we have already seen that the seven churches are seven periods of time in the Christian era, the seven seals portray the spiritual condition of the earnest and faithful souls throughout those seven periods of time. Concerning the seven churches, it is plain to see that Jesus sends messengers and warnings primarily to the leadership (or angel) of God’s people in each of those periods of time. The seven seals give us more insight into heaven’s perspective of the true and faithful individuals in those periods of time. Later in the book of Revelation (in the eighth and ninth chapters) are described seven angels with trumpets. We need to learn to interpret these symbols.

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When Christ opened the first seal, John saw a white horse ‘and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer’. Here we see a description of the character of the first apostolic church. That church was the purest of all the later churches in the Christian era. Concerning himself, the apostle Paul says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing,” II Timothy 4: 7, 8. A crown signifies victory. An arrow is a weapon that could reach the enemy from afar. Since we are speaking of spiritual weaponry, we see that the apostles fought mighty spiritual battles while they lived in an era of persecution. The white horse signifies purity and righteousness. In Revelation 19: 11, the symbol of a white horse is used again, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” We can see that after the apostles were gone, and another generation came to the forefront depicting the second church or second seal, the church had begun to loose its pure character. We see that Paul’s prediction about the wolves that would come in and not spare the sheep, was fulfilled. There arose false teachers that turned away followers after themselves. Furthermore, we see that in the third seal, the horse had become even darker. In the fourth seal were fulfilled the words of Paul in II Thessalonians 2: 3, 4, “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, showing himself that he is God.” From generation to generation, earnest souls had lost some aspects of truth and had, little by little, unconsciously embraced false doctrines. Though the Scriptures were restricted to the common man, yet earnest souls strived to keep the truth they knew. When the civil authorities united with the apostate church of that time, these earnest souls, despite persecution, torture and martyrdom, remained faithful to the little truth they had. There is a great difference between the first seal and the fourth seal. We must not forget that in the time of the fourth seal, the dreadful beast which ought to be feared and which devoured and trumped the residue with the feet of it, bore rule. In the fifth seal, John saw under the altar, the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. Although we are living in the period of time if the seventh church, yet we are in the time of the sixth seal. Verses 12 and 13 have been fulfilled but verses 14 to 17 describe Christ’s second coming. We are not yet to that time. However, the period of the seventh seal (Revelation 8:1) is a small period of time that is fulfilled after Revelation 6: 12, 13 and before Revelation 6: 17 – 17. In the seventh chapter of Revelation, we read about the sealing of the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel. These twelve tribes of Israel are not the literal twelve tribes for, if you will recall, their branch was cut down of the true Vine (for they had chose to reject Him and had crucified Him) and another (the gentiles) was grafted in its place. The law of Jewish ceremonies, circumcision and sacrifices ended with the death of Christ, for they all pointed to

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Him as the Lamb of God (this law Moses himself wrote in a book as he was commanded of God and he commanded that it be placed in the side of the outside of the ark – Deuteronomy 31: 26). Yet God had commanded that the ten commandments, written by His own finger onto tables of stone, were to be kept inside the ark of the covenant (Exodus 40: 20). That eternal law, has never changes. Christ Himself kept it when on earth. Nowhere after his resurrection did he teach his apostles that the ten commandments were no longer to be kept. The apostle Paul states, “Wherefore the law is holy, the commandment holy, and just, and good,” Romans 7: 12. Furthermore, in I John 3:4 we read, “Whoso commiteth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” As both these verses were written to the Gentiles, we see that God’s law of the ten commandments is eternal. We can plainly see that idolatry, stealing, fornication and murder were just as sinful before Christ’s crucifixion as they were after it. How then is it that we have taught that the one commandment in the midst of this ten – the fourth commandment of the seventh day Sabbath – is no longer binding? How can the other nine commandments be binding even after His death but not the fourth commandment? If we as gentiles have been grafted unto the true vine, we should ever remember that God made the Sabbath a sign between Him and His people. In exodus 31: 16, 17 we read, “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Thus it is with spiritual Israel that was grafted onto the true Vine. God does not change. The law that He wrote into the stone tables is a transcript of His character. Christ says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 5: 17 – 19. Now I invite all to see whether heaven and earth still exist. If they still exist, how then is it that the seventh day Sabbath was rejected by so many so-called Christians? The Christian churches kept the seventh day Sabbath three hundred years after Christ’s death. Thus we see that neither Christ not the apostles changed the law. When Christ came to fulfil the law, that did not mean to do away with it. Quite the contrary, it means to establish it by keeping it. In the fourth century the Christian church opened wide its doors and a large on influx of half-converted pagans entered bringing with them their heathen traditions hidden under a guise of Christianity. King Constantine himself supposedly accepted Christianity. While publicly still a pagan, he decreed that Sunday be kept in place of the seventh day Sabbath. Some time later, as a converted Christian, he ordered the bishops of Rome to decree Sunday the lord’s day. Despite this, a large majority of the people still kept the seventh day Sabbath of the Lord. Little by little, Sunday was exalted more and more while the true Sabbath was abused. Finally, it was labelled ‘the Jewish Sabbath’. God’s seal as Creator of heaven and earth is in the fourth commandment. The Sabbath of the fourth commandment is what distinguishes between the true God and all other false gods; therefore it is the seal of God.

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Of the Roman kingdom or fourth beast, the prophet Daniel says, “… 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 … 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: 23, 25. The Sabbath day was kept from sundown to sundown as it is written, “and the evening and the morning were the third day”. When Nehemiah, who sought to bring about a Sabbath reform, saw that merchants were coming into Jerusalem on the Sabbath to sell their wares, he ‘commanded that the gates should be shut’ … ‘when they began to be dark before the Sabbath’ and not opened until after the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13: 19). That fourth beast has thought to change times and laws. God had said to keep the seventh day Sabbath holy, but the ruling hierarchy of the church had said to keep the first day of the week holy; God had said from sunset to sunset would be the measure of a day; but the ruling hierarchy of the church said from midnight to midnight. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of the prophet Daniel that the beast would, ‘think to change times and laws’. They had rejected the second commandment which forbids the worship of images and likenesses, and the fourth commandment which has the seal of the living God, Creator of heaven and earth. This fourth beast rejected the fourth commandment and set up Sunday as the day of the Lord. This is why the worship of Sunday (ordained by the beast) in place of the seventh day Sabbath (ordained by God) is portrayed in the Bible as receiving the mark of the beast. Conversely, keeping the Sabbath day holy is receiving the seal of God. John saw that angels were still holding back the destruction that will soon engulf this earth. They are holding it back until the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads (the seat of man’s understanding) with God’s seal. Now perhaps some might ask if the Sabbath has been the seal of God from the beginning of this earth’s history, would only 144,000 people be saved throughout earth’s history? Others believe that the 144,000 will be taken from the last living generation of men on earth (the majority of Seventh Day Adventist believe this). Still others believe that the 144,000 will be taken from devout Jews (for the Bible says it’s from the twelve tribes of Israel). In Revelation 1: 1 we read, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.” Here we see that all the prophecies of John must be fulfilled from John’s day until the earth is made new. If Christ says that Revelation is about ‘things which must shortly come to pass’, that means that it would not involve those that were His people before that (Jews). Therefore is it very important that all Christians understand the symbology of Revelation. The Jewish nation fell because they failed to carefully study the prophecies for their day. Yet we see that Christians are repeating this history. Some very important prophecies are being fulfilled today yet Christians not only don’t know about it, but the Seventh Day Adventists as well are lulled in the cradle of security, as were Jews just prior to Christ’s first coming. As mentioned previously, the seventh day Sabbath was kept by the Christians the first three hundred years after Christ. It wasn’t until the fourth century, when the Christian church made compromises in order to gain more converts, that heathen customs and traditions were brought

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in and Sunday worship was introduced. This was a gradual process and it wasn’t until the fifth century that Sunday worship was enforced by law in place of the seventh day Sabbath. Wherever the Roman church reigned throughout the world, the fires of persecution were kindled for those who refused to worship that dreadful beast. How long did this persecution continue? Daniel 7: 25 tells us, “… and they shall be given into his hand until a time (one year) and times (two years) and the dividing of time (half a year). Thus we have a total of three and a half years. But God said, “… I have appointed thee each day for a year”, Ezekiel 4:6. Thus, taking the old Jewish year of 360 days per year, if we were to take each day of those three and a half years and make it a year, we would get 1,260 symbolic days or literal years. This is confirmed in Revelation 12:6 where we read, “and the woman (true church) fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed here there a thousand and threescore days.” Furthermore, in Revelation 11: 3 we read, “and I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackloth.” These verses point to that period of time when the papal power persecuted, “with sword and with hunger and with death and with the beasts of the earth,” those who would not accept her doctrines – this is the period portrayed in the fourth seal (Revelation 6: 8). Millions of true Christians, once tortured in ways only Satan himself could devise, now rest in their graves. It was these that John saw and described in Revelation 7: 9-14. “These are they which came out of great tribulation,” Revelation 7: 14. During the dark ages of the 1,260 year period, most true Christians had gradually lost the light of the seventh day Sabbath for the Roman church had taken the Bible away from the people. In spite of this, every period of time had its faithful believers who cherished the light of the true Sabbath. Most of these lived in far off lands where the iron arm of the papal church had not yet reached. God never allowed His truth to be completely extinguished. The sixth century, when the papal power declared itself the head of the church of Christ, marks the beginning of the 1,260 year period. Christ never chose any one of his disciples to be the head of the church. The papal church, by the very act of persecuting their one time brethren, proved to the world that it was not the church of the meek and lowly Jesus, who never persecuted those that believed differently. How could the pope, who lives in riches and wordily splendour be the follower of that One who had no place to lay His head? No where is Sunday worship sanctioned in the Bible. It originated with the papal power when the pope proclaimed himself the head of Christ’s church and when the union of church and state occurred, then the Catholic church itself claimed to have the authority to change God’s law. During this long period of time, faithful reformers arose who protested against the false doctrines taught by Rome. These true Christians were labelled ‘heretics’ by the Catholic church and the fires were lit where the voices of many of these martyrs were silenced at the stake. Men were burned alive for disagreeing with this power. Yet the angels faithfully watch over the dust of God’s true servants, and when the Lifegiver shall come again in power and glory, these faithful ones will be awakened to everlasting life. Although the light of the seventh day Sabbath was nearly extinguished during this 1,260 year period, it revived once again when brought to American soil by some of the early settlers of this country. Persecuted ‘Protestants’ (as those who protested against the Catholic teachings were called), flocked to the shores of America in search of religious liberty. Hence the term,

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‘Protestant America’. But these Protestants, who had just recently emerged from the long, Dark Ages of papal rule, did not leave behind some of the Roman doctrines. Therefore, they also, for a while, exhibited religious intolerance toward others. It was not until the setting up of the Constitution of the United States, which generated liberty of religion to all, that there was true freedom here in America. This Constitution was in accordance with God’s will and God blessed this country which has became the most powerful in the world. However, many Protestants still worship Sunday, believing it to be God’s Sabbath. God does not reject man for not keeping the truth if that man has not had a contact with the truth. It is when the truth is seen and rejected, that God rejects man. As time went on, and has happened to the preceding Christian churches, the Protestants, by and large, became more and more involved in gaining wealth and prosperity than in maintaining the truth. Soon it lost the love of the truth and Christian zeal, which so burned in them in times of persecution, now waxed cold and lifeless in time of wealth and prosperity. However, God, in His mercy, raised up a lowly farmer who began to earnestly study the Bible – especially the books of Daniel and Revelation. William Miller, and honest farmer living in the early 1800’s, became an American reformer. His Baptist parents taught him that, upon death, the body went into the ground while the soul went either to heaven or hell or some unbeknownst place of cleansing called ‘purgatory’. This teaching is not upheld by the Bible. It was first taught by the papal power (to fill its treasures by the sealing of indulgences). Those who protested against the Catholic faith and left it to become ‘Protestants’, brought this teaching with them. William Miller was greatly troubled by the teaching of everlasting torment, and in turning to the Bible, he found that this teaching was false. He saw an escape from the ominous death he was taught was awaiting him. In its place, he found a merciful and loving Saviour. Studying on, he came upon the prophecy, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” Daniel 8: 14. In God’s providence, William Miller found the beginning of this long 2,300 day period in Daniel 9: 24-26. In Daniel 9: 24 we read that ‘Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city …”. The only period from which the 70 weeks could be determined is the 2,300 day period for that is the only period of time mentioned in the vision of chapter 8. The 70 weeks must therefore be a part of the 2,300 days and the two periods must begin together. The angels said that these 70 weeks begin with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. William Miller found that this decree was issued in the late fall of 457 BC. Of these 70 weeks, in Daniel 9: 25 we read, “know therefore and understand, that from 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 streets shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” This is a total of 69 weeks. Keeping in mind that these are symbolic days (one symbolic day equals one literal year, Numbers 14: 34 and Ezekiel 4: 6), we see that the 69 weeks are actually 483 years. Therefore, from the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem (in the late fall of 457 BC) to the Messiah, the Prince (Christ’s baptism and beginning of His mission – 27 AD), there are 484 or 483 actual full years. Thus we have accounted for 69 weeks or 483 literal years of the 70 week period 9or 490 literal years). Of the last symbolic week or 7 years, in Daniel 9: 27 we read, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…”. Thus that last ‘week’ or 7 year period (3 ½ years of Christ’s preaching, His crucifixion ‘in the midst of the week’ and 3 ½ years more

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until the stoning of Stephen after which time the Jews took the message to the Gentiles), marked the end of the 490 symbolic day period after which time Israel, as a nation, was rejected of God. Here we can also see the ceremonial law or the law of sacrifices and circumcision (that was placed on the outside of the ark of the covenant) ceased with Christ’s crucifixion. With this 70 symbolic weeks period fulfilled (the 483 years plus the 7 years – 490 complete years), there remained 1810 literal years left until the fulfilment of the 2,300 symbolic days or literal years. This brings us to 1844. “Unto 2300 days (years) then shall the sanctuary be cleansed”

Thus William Miller came to the conclusion that Christ will come in 1844 to cleanse this earth by fire and take His faithful ones to heaven. The general belief at that time was that the ‘sanctuary’ was the place where the faithful met and worshipped. Many Christians still call their church their ‘sanctuary’. Therefore, William Miller believed that here, where the faithful worshipped, was the ‘sanctuary’ that Christ would come to cleanse. William Miller also preached the ‘hour of His judgement’ or Revelation 14: 6, 7, where we read, “fear god and give glory to Him for the hour of his judgement is come..”. Since his message caused quite a stir and brought in great crowds, the Protestant churches of America were glad to have him preach. However, when they saw that some of their members were actually taking William Miller seriously, they began to close their doors to this reformer and those who had gladly accepted his message were disfellowshipped. Had the leaders of the Protestant churches accepted the message of Christ’s coming, they would have rejected the false teachings of the thousand-year millennium on earth (as was then commonly taught). Had they accepted the message of the hour of His judgement, they would have rejected the false teaching of the natural immortality of the sinful soul. But the leaders of the Protestant churches did as the leaders of the fallen churches of the past ages – they rejected

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the message which God in His great mercy sent them to bring them out of the apostate teachings that they cherished and had gotten from the Roman church. For then years did William Miller publicly preach his message (1833 – 1844). As the Protestant churches disfellowshipped those who believed in this message, the rejected ones began to meet together and talk their hope of His soon coming and to worship. By the summer of 1844, approximately 50,000 had left their churches and were meeting separately. Then was heard the cry, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,” Revelation 14:8. The Bible calls every false teaching ‘poison wine’. The term ‘babylon’ signifies confusion. When the appointed time passed and Christ did not come, the majority of these 50,000 left and only a very small group remained that still believed that their reckoning of the prophetic time was correct and that the fault had to lay with the interpretation of the event that was to take place at the end of this prophesied period of time. They then turned to the Bible again to see what the ‘cleansing of the sanctuary’ actually meant. Thus they studied the first ‘sanctuary’ that Moses built (Exodus 25: 8, 9). When the faithful few carefully studied about the ark of the covenant containing the 10 commandments of God, the dish of manna and the rod of Aaron that budded, they understood that these things were built after the pattern of the sanctuary in heaven. “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. The faithful then saw that, as Aaron entered once a year into the Most Holy place to cleanse the earthly sanctuary, so Christ, by the sacrifice of His own blood, entered in 1844 into the Most Holy place of the sanctuary in heaven above “to appear in the presence of God for us”. As by faith, these faithful few followed Christ into the Most Holy place, they understood that, since the sanctuary on earth was but a replica of the sanctuary in heaven, the ten commandments are still binding. As they studied ten commandments, they found that they have been transgressing the forth commandment, the one bearing the seal of God. As in the time of the earthly sanctuary, the sinner confessed his sins on the head of the lamb, so now did these faithful few confess their sin of transgression of the Sabbath commandment and believe in the merits of the cleansing blood of the great Sacrifice. Thus, from 1844, they began to observe the seventh day Sabbath and to preach it to others believing it to be the seal of God of Revelation chapter 7. When the Holy Spirit impresses or seals the Sabbath truth in our understanding, no earthly power can take that from us. The seventh day is the Sabbath that God sanctified and blessed. He placed His spiritual seal on the Sabbath, but the pope placed his mark on Sunday. The apostles tell us that, “we ought to obey God rather than men”, Acts 5: 29.

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1. And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space

of half an hour. 2. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven

trumpets.

3. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

4. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up

before God out of the angel's hand.

5. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

6. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

7. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they

were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

8. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was

cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

9. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

10. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were

a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

11. And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

12. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third

part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

13. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a

loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

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1. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him

was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of

a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power,

as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any

green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

5. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be

tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

6. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and

death shall flee from them. 7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their

heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

9. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings

was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their

power was to hurt men five months. 11. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in

the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 12. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

13. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar

which is before God, 14. Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound

in the great river Euphrates.

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15. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a

month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I

heard the number of them. 17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of

fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

18. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the

brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents,

and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 20. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the

works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

21. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor

of their thefts.

Revelation - chapter 10 1. And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a

rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

2. And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his

left foot on the earth, 3. And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven

thunders uttered their voices. 4. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a

voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

5. And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to

heaven,

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6. And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the

mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. 8. And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the

little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

9. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto

me, Take [it], and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

10. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth

sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 11. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and

tongues, and kings. In the eight and ninth chapter of Revelation are described the six angels with six trumpets. The seventh angel and his trumpet is described in Revelation 11: 15-19. Thus, in the book of Revelation, we have seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets and in Revelation chapter 16 there are seven plagues. John saw these seven angels stand before God and seven trumpets were given them. He saw them blow their trumpets, one by one, and then was shown what occurred as a result of each trumpet sound. The leaders of the Seventh Day Adventist church teach that these seven angels with trumpets tells us of occurrences in the world concerning wars and politics. This explanation was written by a prominent member of their church named Uriah Smith. Nearly one hundred years ago, this man wrote a book on Daniel and the Revelation which Adventists adhere to and hold to be true. Thus the Adventists have conveniently relegated the eight and ninth chapters of Revelation out to the world for the contents of these chapters are not desirable. These trumpets would not be difficult for the Bible student to understand if he would compare verse with verse. Then he would see that the Bible interprets itself. Now let us look and see what God told Moses concerning trumpets. In Numbers 10: 1-8, we read, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east

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parts shall go forward. When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.” In Joel 2: 15 we read, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain..”. Also, in Corinthians 14: 8, the apostle Paul asks, “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” Here we can plainly see that the trumpets were blown among God’s people or in His church. Now if this was the case concerning physical Israel in olden days, is it nor the case with spiritual Israel that was grafted onto that olive tree? The seven angels with the seven trumpets blew those trumpets in the seven churches of the Christian era. As in the case of the trumpets of old, these trumpets made proclamations to God’s people. Oh, what blindness of the Adventist leaders to believe that the eight and ninth chapter apply to the wars and politics of this world! I would like us to look at the second, fourth, and seventh trumpets as examples. Concerning the second trumpet, “and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part if the sea became blood.” In this book on Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith claims that this was fulfilled in a famous battle at sea in which many ships were sunk and many people died. The Seventh Day Adventist churches generally agree with his explanation. Now I would like to ask the reader a question: how is it that in the second trumpet (or second period of time in the Christian era) one third of the sea becomes blood because of a battle at sea, yet in the seventh trumpet (or seventh period of time – from 1844 until the end) the time when two world wars were fought and (due to invention of submarine) thousand died at sea, yet there is no mention of a third of the sea becoming blood? Why do I say that the seventh trumpet began from 1844? Because that is the end of the 2,300 day (year) prophecy and Christ, as our High Priest entered into the Most Holy place in heaven where God’s law is, there to appear before the father’s throne. The heavenly books contain the names of all who have ever lived upon the earth. In Exodus 32: 31-33, we can see that these names can be written down and erased, “And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” In the Most Holy place, in the heavenly tribunal, God’s law, the ten commandments are to be the standard by which all will be judged. God’s mercy covered the sins of the Israelites that were repentant and confessed those sins upon the head of the Lamb (symbol of Christ as the Lamb of God), and endeavoured to never repeat those sins. Although those sins were removed from the sinner, yet the sins were not erased but merely transferred to the Most Holy place (for the High Priest sprinkled the sacrificial blood before the veil of the most Holy place as a symbol of their transference). Once a year, Aaron, the high priest, entered into the Most Holy place of the earthly sanctuary to symbolically cleanse the sanctuary (or remove the

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sins that were brought there during the past year). When he left the sanctuary, he confessed all these sins upon the head of the scapegoat – which symbolises Satan (Leviticus 16: 21). Although this took place yearly in the earthly sanctuary (which was but a symbolic representation of the work being down in the heavenly above), those sins of the Israelites still actually remained written in the books of heaven. It was not until 1844, when our great High Priest above entered into the Most Holy place of the heavenly sanctuary by virtue of His own blood sacrificed in our behalf, that those sins of the Israelites can actually be erased from the books of heaven and their names be retained in the book of life. If they had any sins unrepented of at the time of death, their names are erased from the book of life and written in the book of death. Just as Aaron, upon leaving the Most Holy place, transferred all the sins of the repentant sinner onto the scapegoat, so Christ, our great High Priest, will place all the sins of God’s repented people on Satan, the originator of sin. This Christ will do when the investigative judgement in heaven is done. Then there will be no Mediator between God and man – the door for mercy will be closed. Then (when all sin has been removed) will the work of the cleansing of the Most Holy place in the sanctuary be finished. An indepth study of the sanctuary services will teach us much about the plan of salvation. If we are not willing to study the past, we will not understand the future. The apostle Paul tells us that, “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: than the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works,” II Timothy 3: 16, 17. No let us look again at the trumpets that we might understand why the investigative judgement began in 1844. In the seventh trumpet we read, “and the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ (those whose names remain written in the book of life make up Christ’s kingdom) … and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged ..”, Revelation 11: 15, 18. Here we read about the judgement in heaven in the Most Holy place as previously explained. This judgement begins from Adam through to the last soul that died. After that, it continues to the living. That is why this booklet is designed to warn all the living. This judgement has already passed onto us. “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament ..,” Revelation 11: 19. These words concerning the ark of his testament in his temple, began to be fulfilled in 1844, when the faithful few who earnestly studied the Bible, by faith entered into the Most Holy place in heaven, for they were searching to find why He did not come in 1844. Once again, this period of time saw the greatest bloodshed with two world wars yet we do not read one word about third of the sea becoming blood as we read in the second trumpet. We can therefore plainly see that these trumpets do not refer to literal battles concerning the politics of the world. Now let us look at the fourth trumpet. “And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise,” Revelation 8: 12. The leaders of the Seventh Day Adventist church teach that this prophecy was fulfilled when the Roman empire split into 10 smaller countries so that they were weak

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(for when it was all one empire, it was strong but now that it is divided into ten parts, these parts have lost their lustre and became weak). But the Adventist church cannot uphold this teaching with Scripture for nowhere does the Bible use the symbols of the sun, moon and stars to refer to earthly rulers, no matter how powerful or rich they may be. John saw Christ holding the seven stars in his right hand. These were seven angels or the leadership of God’s churches throughout the seven periods of time in the Christian era. Likewise from Genesis to Revelation, wherever the stars were mentioned, they represented God’s faithful people on earth that were lights amid the moral darkness of their day. It is true, however, that the Bible portrays Satan as a fallen star because he once reflected God’s truth but latter fall away. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (or a day star), son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”, Isaiah 14: 12. In Revelation 12: 4-9 we read, “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth … and there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven … and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Here we caan see that stars represent those who are faithful and fallen stars are those who were once faithful but had fallen away. In verses 4-6 we can also see that a woman represents a church. In verse 1 we see that a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars represents the true church. Therefore, an impure woman as described in Revelation chapter 17 represents an apostate, fallen church. Satan deceived a third of the heavenly angels for he was their commander, the covering cherub. Just as he drew down a third of the angels of heaven, so we can also see that in the trumpets, a third was always destroyed. Likewise, the war between goon and evil that began in heaven is continued one after another, throughout the seven churches (or periods of time). By studying church history, we could see that, as with physical Israel, so with spiritual Israel: whenever God sent a message of warning or rebuke to His church, it was mostly leaders of that church that rebelled against the message from heaven and inspired others to do likewise. Thus those members who looked up to their ministers and priests as though they were heaven’s door, and not Christ, joined in the rebellion against God’s truth for that time. Satan and his angels once carried God’s messages, they were lightbearers to other worlds. Satan stood by God’s throne and received from His messages that he was to bear to other worlds. “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee,” Ezekiel 28: 14, 15. When Satan was cast down from heaven, the angel Gabriel took his place. This angel continued to be the bearer of messages from the throne of the Almighty. Thus we see why fallen angels are portrayed as fallen stars. But the Roman empire has never been a bearer of light, nor has it ever shone with truth as the sun in this earth. Quite the contrary, Rome has been depicted by the Bible as a dreadful beast, as a nation that persecuted millions of the true followers of Christ down through the period of the 1,260 symbolic days (or 1,260

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literal years). This we have seen in Revelation 12: 6. Therefore, Rome cannot be the sun, moon and stars. Concerning the third trumpet, the leaders of the Seventh Day Adventist church teach that the burning star that fell from heaven, and whose name was Wormwood, represent Atilla the Hun, a heathen who once waged war against Rome. Here again we see wrong interpretation, for Atilla the Hun has never been a light bearer. In the fifth trumpet (Revelation 9: 1) we read about the smoke out of the bottomless pit that darkened the sun and the air. The Seventh Day Adventist church teaches that this smoke represents the Turkish religion, yet at the same time, they teach that the smoke in the sixth trumpet (Revelation 9: 17) is real literal smoke for the Turks had often used weapons that created smoke. This is a blatant inconsistency. Concerning the sixth trumpet (Revelation 9: 16) we read, “and the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand; and I heard a number of them”. Since Uriah Smith could not find such a large number anywhere in wordily history, he pronounced the number unimportant for us to know. Once again, the Seventh Day Adventist leadership upholds and teaches this. John was commanded to write all ( “write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter,” Revelation 1: 19), but the Seventh Day Adventist leadership, with Uriah Smith at their head, claims that this is unimportant. Thus the leadership of the Seventh Day Adventist church had covered with darkness six chapters of the book of Revelation: they teach that the trumpets depict wars and wordily politics (chapter 8 and 9); they teach that in Revelation chapter 13, verses 1-10 apply to papal Rome, that verses 11-18 apply to America, as the two-horned beasts and that none of this chapter applies to the church itself; the 16th chapter describing the seven last plagues they teach will fall on the world and not the church; they also claim that the 17th chapter of Revelation applies to papal Rome; and that the 18th chapter applies to Protestant America. Since these chapters contains no desirable descriptions, they teach that they do not apply to the Seventh Day Adventist church. Hence we can see that not even the pope, in the 1,260 years of papal rule, could create as much poison wine as the Seventh Day Adventist church has created in roughly 150 years (since 1844). We can see that all false teaching, false interpretation, or man’s supposition is termed ‘poison wine’ by the Bible (Revelation 14: 8 and Revelation 18: 2). I fully realise that this booklet will stir up great anger among the Christian churches today and especially among the three organized Seventh Day Adventist churches. The early Seventh Day Adventist church was organized in a hierarchical fashion (with the president of the General Conference at the top of the original pyramid). After World War I, a branch of the church broke off. It was organized in exactly the same fashion as the second church. It too, was organized as the first two churches. Besides these three world wide Seventh Day Adventist

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churches, there is a myriad of smaller splinter groups. Such is the state of the Seventh Day Adventists. When we read the Bible, we see that it brings out a clear manner all the sins and faults of individual leaders and kings. It brings out not only the sins of wordily kings of that day, but also the sins of the leadership of God’s people. We read of the Solomon fall and his father David. We read of their repentance and the unavoidable consequences of their sins. In the end, we even read of the fall and rejection of Israel, of their crucifixion of the Son of God who came to save them. We also read of Peter’s denial pf Christ. All this is clearly brought out in the Scriptures and this blessed book has been dispersed through the world for all to see. How then it is that the Seventh Day Adventist (and the other Christian churches) are angered when their apostasy is brought out in the open? The Jewish church persecuted the early Christians but to no avail. The Catholic church vehemently persecuted the reformers that brought out the evil deeds and teachings of the papal church. Martin Luther nailed a thesis of over 90 points to the church door. The people who came to church read this protest against the apostasy of the popes and prelates. After 1844, the Seventh Day Adventists brought into their churches certain false teachings of Protestant origin. Are we than to keep quiet concerning the truths that the Seventh Day Adventist church has perverted? Are the sins of their leadership to remain secret? The main leadership of the Seventh Day Adventist church had persecuted in civil court a number of smaller Seventh Day Adventist splinter groups. These lawsuits have costed the church around a million dollars – money gotten from members’ tithes, and not from the pockets of the Seventh Day Adventist leadership. Is this to go unnoticed by the world?

Revelation - chapter 11 1. And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and

measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given

unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months. 3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two

hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the

earth. 5. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their

enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have

power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

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7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called

Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies

three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall

send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

11. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they

stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they

ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in

the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. 15. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The

kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

16. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces,

and worshipped God, 17. Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come;

because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they

should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

19. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of

his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

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1. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2. And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having

seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

5. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and

her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

6. 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.

7. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and

the dragon fought and his angels,

8. And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and

the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11. 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.

12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman

which brought forth the man child.

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14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might

cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

17. 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.


1. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having

seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a

bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

3. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was

healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5. 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.

6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and

power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9. If any man have an ear, let him hear.

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10. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword

must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

12. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and

them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he

had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast

should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a

mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it

is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.


1. And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

2. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a

great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

3. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

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4. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

5. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of

God.

6. 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,

7. Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his

judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

8. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city,

because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

9. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without

mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest

day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

12. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God,

and the faith of Jesus.

13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

14. 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.

15. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

16. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

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17. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp

sickle.

18. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

19. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and

cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

20. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

In the first ten verses o the thirteenth chapter of Revelation, we find a further description of that fourth beast, dreadful and terrible that ‘devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it’ (Daniel 7: 7). Here we see another aspect of this beast – it has some parts or characteristics of the previous beasts. This beasts was like unto a leopard (the leopard beasts represented the Grecian empire in Daniel 7: 6), it had feet like a bear (the bear beast of Daniel 7: 5 represented the Medopersian empire), and its mouth was as the mouth of a lion (the lion beast of Daniel 7: 4 represented the Babylon empire). Thus we see that this beast had the greatness and pride of Babylon, it had that characteristic of the Medopersian empire thet threw Daniel in the lion’s den at the behest of its counsellors, and finally it had the characteristic of the leopard beast or Grecian empire, a love of feasting and gluttony that celebrated quick conquests and rapid expansion of tis empire. But why did this beast have seven heads? All the heads had mouths like a lion and names of blasphemy on the heads (Revelation 13: 1-10). One horn on each head represented human power and influence found in the church. Two horns represented a union of church and state or man’s influence in its ecclesiastical and civil forms. “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed,” Revelation 13: 3. In order to understand what this would represents, let us look elsewhere in the Bible. In Isaiah 51: 9, we read, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?” In Nahum 3: 19, we read, “There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?” We can see that in the first verse quoted above, it was Satan that was wounded. He had manipulated Pharaoh, king of Egypt to go after the Israelites in the wilderness and to cry to bring them back to Egypt that they might not serve their God. In the second quote, Egypt received a deadly blow. This happened when he did not want to listen to God and let Israel go. However, this wound was most strikingly inflicted when Pharaoh and his men were buried in

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the watery graves in the Red Sea. It was then that Rahab was ‘broken in pieces’. In this incident, Satan, working through Pharaoh became angry when he saw that God’s people were free and would no longer serve them as slaves. They were not only conquered but embittered and angry. This, in essence, describes the controversy that began in heaven between Christ and His angels and Satan and his people. It is not difficult to determine which of the seven heads of the beast were wounded nor what kind of wound it was. In the sixth century, the papacy withheld the Bible from the people and kept them in darkness for 1260 years. Those who secretly kept a Bible then, did so at great risk. Of this time we read, “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth,” Revelation 11: 3. God guards over His Word, the Bible; and although at times it seems it was totally obliterated, yet He has never allowed his Light to be totally extinguished. From the time of the apostles through the ages down to Christ’s second coming, both New and Old Testaments will be preserved. Those two witnesses spoken of in Revelation are the Old and New Testaments. During the 1260 year period, they did indeed prophesy in sackcloth. There are many living in our day who believe that the Old Testament was for the Jews and the New Testament is for Christians. However, in Revelation 11; 3 we see that during that time (in the Christian era), both the Old and New Testaments prophesied in sackcloth. Satan, in the form of papal prelates and cardinals, waged war for 1260 years against Old and New Testaments. Those true Christians who were faithful to the Bible were trodden ‘under foot’, as we read in Revelation 11: 2. “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” If we take the Jewish month (30 days) and multiply it by 42, we would get 1260. Thus we see that the 42 months is the same as the 1260 symbolic days or literal years. These were times of persecution for God’s church. Toward the end of this period of time, France massacred thousands of Christians in one of the most horrible slaughters of all time. The French king, persuaded by the papal prelate, approved the murder of thousands of Protestants in cold blood. When the signal was given (a bell ringing at midnight), the streets of France ran red with blood. In Paris, huge bonfires were ablaze in the streets where the Bible was publicly burned. The results of this massacre greatly pleased the Roman leadership. Thus were fulfilled the words, “and when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified”, (Revelation 11: 8, 9). Paris is compared to the immorality and wickedness of Sodom and Egypt. In murdering Christ’s followers, Paris had crucified Christ Himself. What the papists had begun, the atheists had finished. The French Revolution wherein the pope himself was captured, followed shortly thereafter. Then the fateful words of Revelation 13: 10 were fulfilled, “he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword”. There and a half years after the massacre, the Bible began to be printed again, as it is written, “And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them (into two witnesses or the Old and New Testaments), and they

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stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them,” Revelation 11: 11, 12. It was at this time that the deadly wound was inflicted – when the Bible was once again printed and translated into many languages so that the common people can read it. Seventh Day Adventists have been taught that the deadly wound was inflicted when the pope was taken captive by the French general. However it is plain to see that the pope warred against the Old and New Testaments which, in the form of Protestants, rebuked the evil deeds and false doctrines of the papacy. It is easy to see, then, that the deadly wound was given when the Bible began to be widely printed and distributed. But now it was not printed secretly, but openly where all could behold them (‘and their enemies beheld them’). The wound was inflicted in the head, not the horn. Thus we see that the entire Catholic church had received the wound and not just the horn (or pope). When the deadly wound is healed, then all the heads will once more appear the same. In all the SDA churches, it has been taught and widely believed, that when the deadly wound is healed, the pope will once again obtain the power and authority to do what it did during the 1260 years. But when God sets a limit, it must be thus. Let us look and see how the Seventh Day Adventists interpret the symbology if the 7 heads on the beast. In the Sabbath School Lesson of 15th July 1989, the Seventh Day Adventist church claims that some interpreters of prophesy believe that the seven heads represent seven great powers that war against God’s truth and his people. These seven powers are: Egypt, Syria, Babylon, Medopersia, Greece, pagan Rome, and fallen Christianity. Can this interpretation be confirmed by a ‘thus saith the Lord’? Let us take a closer look at Revelation 17 as regards the seven heads on the beast according to Revelation chapters 13 and 17. In Revelation 17: 9, 10, we read, “and here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings, five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.” Since we read that the seven heads are seven mountains, let us look in past Bible history to see if we can find an interpretation for the mountain. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob;…”, Isaiah 2: 2, 3. In Isaiah 56: 7 we read. “even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer…”. In Daniel 9: 16 we read, “O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain …” Finally, in Zechariah 8: 3 we read, “Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.” Previously we had seen that God had chosen to depict His people as the sun, moon and stars – bodies that enlighten the earth. Now we see that He also uses the symbol of a mountain which can be seen from fat and near. There were times when Jerusalem was an holy

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mountain and there were other times when it was an abomination and desolation. When the Babylonians destroyed the city walls and temple, then Jerusalem was the joke of the surrounding nations. Then it could not have been God’s holy mountain. Thus it was with God’s people in the Christian era. In the beginning of the apostolic church, or the first church in the Christian era, God’s people were a holy mountain. But towards its end, when the pioneers of the church had gone to their graves and others took their place who twisted scripture, the church, as a whole had fallen. Thus, one by one, throughout the Christian era, each church started our as an holy mountain but finished up as one of the heads of the beast. Concerning that Sabbath School Lesson of 15th July 1989, of the Seventh day Adventist Church, an acquaintance of mine approached a minister of that church in my presence and asked him, “Who gave you the right to take these heads off the fourth beast of Revelation and to apply them any place them you want?” The minister said, “what’s wrong with that?” The acquaintance said, “then why not apply them to Cain and Abel?” Then the minister said, “who are you?” When the minister heard the name of the person, he began to ridicule him. Then that person walked out of the main Seventh Day Adventist church in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, never to return. To John, who was exiled on the Isle of Patmos for the testimony of God’s word, were shown the prophesies which ‘must shortly come to pass’. Now if the book of Revelation tells us what must ‘shortly come to pass’ (Revelation 1: 1), how then can some of the seven heads be depicting Babylon, Medopersia or Greece when these were already past history to John? In Christ’s day, Jerusalem was already under the authority of the Roman empire. John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos by order of the Roman empire. Thus we see that the seven heads cannot depict Egypt, Babylon, Medopersia or Greece for they were past already at John’s writing. Just as the sun. moon and stars enlighten this earth, so God has had faithful souls that enlightened the earth at all times. Even during the Dark Ages, when the Bible was taken away from the people with the excuse that it is impossible for the common man to understand and that only those who are authorized by the pope can interpret it, when it seemed that almost every light was put out, yet there still remained some lights that maintained the Bible and the Bible only, as the one infallible guide for man. In Luke 10: 21 we read, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes”. Thus we see that God will tech simple man who has faith in Him, while he who is wise in his own eyes will remain blind to the truth. Christ then adds, “…for so it seemed good in thy sight”. Those who neglect to study the truth when it is available and turn instead to the teachings of men will, in time, loose the ability to perceive that truth. Thus that light will became darkness for those who ‘have need of nothing’ while the humble seeker of truth, however lowly his position in life, will be enabled to understand the truth. This prayer of Christ’s had been fulfilled in every generation. It is plain to see that the first of those four beasts (the one representing Babylon) in Daniel’s vision did not begin until Daniel’s day. To suppose that Egypt could be one of those beasts when the angel expressly told Daniel otherwise is foolish indeed. If we would recall in Daniel chapter 7, the beasts that were shown to Daniel were: 1) one like a lion (Babylon), 2) one like a bear (Medopersia), 3)

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one like a leopard (Greece). The fourth beast that Daniel saw cannot be Egypt either because, if we would carefully study this beast (found in Daniel 7: 7), we would see that its ten horns prove it to be the same beast that’s in Revelation chapters 13 and 17 which had 7 heads and 10 horns. Concerning this beast, in Revelation 17: 9 we read, “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth”. Here we see that the woman sits on these seven heads. All Seventh Day Adventists have taught that this woman represents the Catholic church. This church came to power just before the 1260 years of persecution in the Christian era. It was not in power at any time before Christ’s first advent. Thus we see that Egypt and Babylon, Medopersia or Greece, which kingdoms were in power long before Christ, could not have been represented in the heads of the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns. The Seventh Day Adventist Sabbath School lesson of 15th July 1989 is therefore simply not correct. John says that this woman that sat on the beast was drunken with the ‘blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus’ (Revelation 17: 6). This description aptly describes the Roman Catholic church during the 1260 years. Millions of Christians were then cruelly martyred because of the edicts of the popes. Many of them were tortured in a manner only Satan himself could invent. Thus that impure woman became drunken with the blood of the saints. That woman did not exist when Egypt, Babylon or Medopersia or Greece were in power. That woman which sits on the heads of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns began in the Christian era. On her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17: 5). If that church is the mother of the other fallen churches which came after her, then it stands to reason that she must be the first church of the Christian era. This woman came into being after the apostles died. She became corrupt when the ‘man of sin’ sat in that church of God, as we have read in II Thessalonians 2: 4. There we wee that this man of sin was ‘showing himself that he is God’ (self-exaltation). Those who issues that Sabbath School lesson, apply four of the seven heads of the beast where they would, wanted to avoid the unpleasant truth that they, together with their church, represent the seventh head of that beast. That seventh head had to horns (union of church and state). Or it has also been depicted as the unification of all the Christian churches into one big world-wide church with ten horns (the dreadful beast of Daniel 7: 7) as was shown to Daniel. The ecumenical aspect of this beast is presented in Daniel while the aspect of the apostasy of God’s church in the seventh period of time, which will also join the ecumenical effort is presented in the seventh head of the beast of Revelation chapter 17. Taking a closer look at the apostasy of the true church of the seventh period of time (or the seventh head of the beast), we read in Revelation 17: 9, 10, “the seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings…”. Of these kings, in Ezekiel 16: 11-14, we read, “I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey,

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and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD. But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.” The leaders of the Seventh Day Adventist church, or the angel of the Laodicea, says in its heart, ‘I am rich and have need of nothing’ (Revelation 3: 17). Satan was thrown down to this earth because of pride and self-exaltation. He had nurtured that spirit in generation after generation of mankind, and therefore, from church to church. “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,” Proverbs 16: 18. Every church in the Christian era ‘didst prosper into a kingdom’. Nature teaches us that horns grow out of the heads of animals. Thus it is the head that gives strength to the horns to grow. The church is accountable for allowing such condition in the church. The membership, with their financial support, uphold their leadership. Only the membership has the authority to remove from office those whom they had elected. Those who are members in these fallen churches should arise and exclaim together with the apostles, “we ought to obey God rather than men”. The Catholic membership is accountable to God for they looked to man in the place of God. This applies to Protestants and Seventh Day Adventists as well. In its beginning, the Seventh Day Adventist church received wisdom from heaven and had attained to considerable light and truth as found in the Word of God, that previous generations did not have. They studied the Bible and found that Christ was in the Most Holy Place. Then they studied the Old Testament with its sanctuary services and found that the earthly ark of the covenant was a copy of heavenly one. Thus they knew that the ten commandments as given on Mt. Sinai, were still valid. Furthermore, they understood that all would be judged by this law that was God’s transcript of character. They further studied Daniel and the Revelation and understood the 14th chapter of Revelation. They saw that the Investigative Judgement began in 1844 in the Most Holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. That movement then continued to proclaim the ‘hour of his judgement’ which reviewed all cases of God’s professed people from Adam to the last person to die. That judgement continues unto the living. It is going on today. They also understood and proclaimed the message of the third angel of Revelation 14: 9-12. They understood that the pope had changed the fourth commandment placing Sunday in the place of the seventh day Sabbath. This was done when he sat in the church of God making himself that he is God (II Thessalonians 2: 4). They embraced the seventh day Sabbath, and rejected alcohol. They embraced the health reform when they saw that it was not God’s will in the beginning that man should eat other creatures (Genesis 1: 29). But when the pioneers of the church died and others came to fill their place, the church began to backslide. Satan had succeeded in spiritually blinding the leadership of the church and the membership followed a blind leadership. One by one, the church’s founding principles are being rejected in a most subtle manner while the members, rocked in the cradle of security, sleep a deadly sleep. They do not feel that the judgement on the living has already begun, nor do they see that, collectively, their church has been found wanting when weighed in the

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balances of the sanctuary just as the leadership of the Jewish church did not know that their time of probation had passed, collectively, when the gospel began to be preached to the Gentiles. Revelation 14: 14-16 began to be fulfilled in 1844 when Jesus entered the Most Holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. In Daniel 7: 13, 14 we read, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with clouds of heaven, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, and all people, nations, and languages, should serve him …”. This judgement is also described in Revelation 11: 15 and Revelation 14: 14-16. Then the judgement continues onto the living in Revelation 14: 17-20. The city mentioned in the 20th verse is the same city which was trodden underfoot 42 months, but this city in our time, or in the Laodicean period of time includes all Seventh Day Adventists. The clusters of the vine were gathered and cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God. They will receive their punishment when the judgement is completed in heaven at the end of the 1000 years or millennium. Then that city will receive its full punishment according to the deeds committed. That church which received the greatest light but did not live up to it, will also receive the greatest punishment. Those who did not put forth effort to find out what God expected of them and what the truth is, will, in the end, bear the full consequences of their action.

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A single horn on the head of a And here is the mind which hath beast signifies man’s power wisdom. The seven heads are prevalent in the church. seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. A double horn on the head of a And there are seven kings: five beast signifies the union of are fallen, and one is, and church and state the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. Revelation 17: 9,10.

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1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the

victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

3. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all

nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

5. And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

6. And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in

pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

7. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and

no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.


1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways,

and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and

grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

3. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a

dead man; and every living soul died in the sea.

4. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

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5. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to

drink; for they are worthy.

7. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him

to scorch men with fire.

9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was

full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

11. And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water

thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of

the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest

he walk naked, and they see his shame.

16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

18. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake,

such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

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19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a

talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.


1. And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me,

saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of

the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and

precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

5. And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,

THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

7. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery

of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

8. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,

and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on

which the woman sitteth.

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10. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth

into perdition.

12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

14. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is

Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

15. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are

peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom

unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

18. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

The present condition of Seventh Day Adventists is sad indeed. Those, to whom was entrusted the keeping of God’s sacred law, do not live according to that law. Paul’s words to the Jewish leadership are applicable today, “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?” Romans 2: 17-23. As stated earlier in this book, there are three organized Seventh Day Adventist churches in existence today. The first began shortly after 1844 but was not organized after a hierarchical fashion similar to the Catholic church until 1863. During the first World War, the great majority of Seventh Day Adventists took part in the war. Only a small minority remained

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firmly faithful to the fourth commandment, admonishing us to keep holy the Sabbath Day, and to the sixth commandment which states, ‘thou shalt not kill’, (Exodus 20: 8-11, 13). After the war (in 1925), this small group of seventh Day Adventists who remained true to the ten commandments separated from the general body and organized itself after the fashion of the first church (the president of the General Conference at the top of the pyramid. Shortly after the second World War (in 1951), this second church split into two due to an international struggle for position. The fact that, to this day, both the churches (the one begun in 1925 and the one begun in 1951) have the same statement of belief and believe in the same doctrine, proves that the split occurred because of power struggle. Thus we have three hierarchical pyramids, each with its own president, among Seventh Day Adventists. It was not god’s will that the church be organized in such a hierarchical fashion, having one man at its head, so that the whole body is controlled by one man or a small group of men at the top. Christ wants to be the head of His church. If He is the head and the church is the body, how can the hand tell the foot what to do; how then can that hand dictate what the foot is to believe? Does not Christ, as the head of the body have the right to determine what the church is to believe and teach others? Is it nor the duty of the whole body to obey the head? Why then do we need another head or god in the church to dictate what the body is to do? If the church chooses to set up a man in the place of Christ, then Christ cannot be the head of that church. If Christ is not the head of that church, then that church or body is dead. After the prophet Samuel became old, we read of God’s church of long ago, “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old … make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel … and Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Harken unto the voice of the people, in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. … Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king … This will be a manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself … and he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work … And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel: and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us”, I Samuel chapter 8. History repeats itself. We read in the Bible that there is nothing new under the sun. An apostate church will ever want man at its head in the place of the Lord of Hosts. Thus today upon these three Seventh Day Adventist Churches, as guardians of God’s law lies the duty of proclaiming to the inhabitants of the world, the validity of His law. Their duty si to prepare the faithful of the world for the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven. They must warn the trespassers of God’s law that a horrible fate awaits them. Noah fulfilled his duties by warning the inhabitants of the antedeluvian world. He preached a full 120 years. So the Seventh Day Adventist churches are to teach the world how to escape the death of the sinner

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and to obtain eternal life. This was God’s original plan for man before sin entered the world. However, when Adam transgressed His law, he was driven from the garden of Eden. God said to him, “cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” Geneses 3: 17-19. Thus we see that we bear the consequences of sin; not only because Adam sinned, but also because we also have sinned and transgressed God’s law. When Adam and Eve were banished from the garden of Eden, they returned to its gates from time to time, and there by God’s direction, they offered sacrifices. In the innocent lamb slain upon the altar, they saw the Son of God, the great Sacrifice, that was to be offered for their sins, and with broken and contrite hearts, they confessed their sins and prayed for forgiveness. Throughout the rest of their lives, they put forth earnest effort to obey God’s holy law. Of them we read, “And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.” Genesis 5: 4. How often do we as Christians contemplate the great sacrifice that was accomplished in our behalf? How often do we picture our dear Saviour on the cross of Golgotha and hear the blows of the nails being driven into those hands that were only raised in blessing others? If we allow this opportunity to pass by without acknowledging and repenting of our sins, we will be held accountable for the spilling of that precious blood, “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). All the heaven stands ready awaiting our decision. If we decide to follow Christ, angels will protect us in our every move, and minister to us in times of need. The Holy Spirit is constantly warning us through our conscience and wooing us to repentance before it is forever too late. If we neglect to prepare our characters for heaven while we are yet alive, our fate will be decided for the dead cannot change their character. Our Father has given his most precious gift, his only begotten Son, to die in our behalf, and He has preserved the Bible throughout the centuries and multiplied it throughout the earth. In that Bible, we can find what God requires of us. Therefore, we will have no excuse before God on the day of judgement. If we neglect the opportunities given us, we will find that on that last day we will be uttering the fateful words, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved,” Jeremiah 8: 20. Soon, Christ will proclaim the awful words, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still,” Revelation 22: 11. Then Christ will leave his office as mediator between God the Righteous Judge and the sinner. There will be no more mercy for the inhabitants of this earth. “And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled,” Revelation 15: 7, 8. The seven plagues are described in Revelation chapter 16.

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We have seen John describe the seven churches, seven seals and seven trumpets. Now we wind him describing the plagues one by one, as they are poured out and the results of their being poured out. Just as the churches are not literal but symbolic, so the seals and trumpets are not literal but symbolic. Why then do all three Seventh Day Adventist churches teach that plagues will be literal? Of the first plague we read, “And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.” We have already previously explained what a sore is. The second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, In Revelation 17: 15 we read, “the waters which thou sawest … are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues”. Thus we see that bodies of water are symbolic and that they represent peoples. The Seventh Day Adventist churches teach that only the sixth plague is symbolic (that the Euphrates River mentioned in the sixth plague represents Turkey for it flows through that land), but that the remaining plagues are literal. Had the leadership of the seventh Day Adventist Churches understood the seven trumpets correctly, they would have been able to understand the seven plagues. But they ascribed the trumpets to various wordily wars and politics thus covering the truth with wordily history. Once they falsely interpreted the seven trumpets, the course was set in order to appear consistent, the seven plagues had to be interpreted in a similar manner because both the seven trumpets and the seven plagues use similar language. Let us again briefly look at the explanation that the Seventh Day Adventist churches teach concerning the fulfilment of the past 6 trumpets. The church leadership teaches that the hail represents a people from the north. Thus they say that the hail is symbolic. Yet they say that the fire mingled with blood (Revelation 8: 7) is literal for that people from the north burned and pillaged wherever they went. Thus we see it explained as part literal and part symbolic. A little further on in the second trumpet we read of the third part of the sea becoming blood. This the church leadership explained was due to a famous sea battle wherein many ships were destroyed and many lost their lives. Yet is we look at the second plague where the sea also became as blood (Revelation 16: 3), the church leadership doe not explain that as a literal battle, In fact, they don’t even make mention of any literal battle in connection with the second plague as they do with the second trumpet. Once again, we see a glaring inconsistency. All this confusion could have been avoided had the leadership simply accepted the Biblical interpretation of water – people, multitudes, tongues and nations (Revelation 17: 15). When we accept the fact that the sores mentioned in the first vial (Revelation 16: 2) are not literal, we would see a strong similarity between the first plague and Egypt when it was wounded (for Pharaoh had lost the battle against God and was buried in the Red Sea). We would see that those who bow to the beast and his image (or those who honour worldly laws, civil or ecclesiastical, more than the law of God) would receive that plague (God’s wrath) at the hand of His messenger or angel. God has commanded, “thou shalt have no other gods before me”. This we dare not disobey except at the peril of our eternal lives.

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The second plague will not involve a great number of people for the second angel 9or messenger) pours out his vial ‘upon the sea, it became as the blood of a dead man’. Thus we need to compare verse with verse (the seven plagues with the seven trumpets). We can easily see that the prevailing corruption and evil rampant in the world today is but a sign that God’s restraining hand is withdrawing form the earth. In the second trumpet we see that only a third part of the sea becomes blood (thus we see a mingling of mercy with the wrath of God), but in the second plague we see that the whole sea became blood (meaning that the plague was not mingled with mercy). Although we are on the verge of the beginning of the seven plagues, they have not yet begun to be poured out. The drops of God’s wrath are still mingled with mercy. But when mercy ceased to plead with the hardened heart of the sinner, then God’s wrath, the seven last plagues, will be poured out unmingled with mercy, for we read, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Ecclesiastes 8: 11. Now we read that it was the ‘great mountain burning with fire’ that fell into the sea causing one third of it to became blood. What does this mountain represent? In the Bible, the symbolic use of mountains referred to churches. Note in Isaiah 2: 2, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it”. Here we see that the mountain of the Lord’s house refers to his people or his church. Thus it was God’s church that apostatised (the early Christian church) and caused one third of the waters to become blood. (For further explanation of the symbolism of mountains or hills, please see the explanation of Revelation chapter 17). Now we must determine that the fire represents. These tasks are not that difficult if we would but remember that the Bible interprets itself and we must simply compare verse with verse to find the answer. If we would but look at Revelation 11: 5, 6 where the power of the Old and New Testament is described, we would see that, “if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killer. These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their prophesy: and have power over the waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will”. Thus we see that it is the truth rejected that seals the doom of the sinner as Christ said, “I do not condemn you – my words condemn you’. When the third trumpet sounded (Revelation 8: 11), a third of the waters became wormwood. If the great seas and rivers represented large groups of people, then smaller rivers and fountains represent smaller groups of people. The waters became bitter from the wormwood or from the star named Wormwood. If we wish to understand the meaning of the bitterness, we must first read Revelation 10: 10, “And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter”. This prophecy was fulfilled in 1844 when the first day Adventists awaited Christ’s return but were bitterly disappointed. This group, with William Miller at their head, did not understand the meaning of the words, “then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” (Daniel 9: 14), when Christ did not appear and their hopes were shattered, then the book became bitter in their belly; although it was sweet in their mouth (They loved and longed for the appearing of their Saviour). A similar experience was shared by the believers living in the time of the third trumpet when the waters became bitter due to the star that fell in it. In the third plague

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(Revelation 16: 6), we read, “For they have shed the blood of the saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy”. Here we can see that there will be prophets right up to the time of Christ’s coming and they will be persecuted and killed. Just as Jerusalem slew the prophets and stoned those whom God sent unto them, so will God’s so-called church be accountable for the blood of prophets in the time of the outpouring of the third plague (O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee…”, Matthew 23: 37). When the fourth angel blew his trumpet (or sounded his message), a third part of the sun, moon and stars were darkened. The leadership of the Seventh Day Adventist Church teaches that this was fulfilled when the Roman kingdom split into ten parts of countries – they teach that then the light of the Roman kingdom was extinguished. This cannot be proven from the Bible, however, for there we find that the sun, moon and stars have always represented God’s church. “And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” Genesis 37: 9, 10. Further we read, “And there appear a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars”, Revelation 12: 1. In the verses above (both in Joseph’s dream and in the description of God’s church), we can see that the sun, moon and stars refer to God’s people or His church. In the time of the fourth angel’s trumpet when the third part of the sun, moon and stars were darkened, the papacy had come to supreme power in the Christian church. That was when the union of church and state took place also. It marked the beginning of what we now call the ‘Dark Ages’ and the 1260 year period of persecution when the Old and New Testaments of the Bible prophesied in sackcloth. Contrary to the teaching of the Seventh Day Adventist leadership, the Roman kingdom, as a civil government, has nothing to do with the trumpet of the fourth angel, nor with the sun, moon and stars as specified in the Bible. The Bible depicts worldly powers that have in a special way persecuted God’s people as beasts – never as heavenly lights set up to enlighten the earth and to show changes in the times and seasons. The fifth angel pours out vial of God’s wrath on, “the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,” Revelation 16: 10. Now let us consider what the seat of the beast represents. As stated above, the symbolic beasts of the Bible represent those powers that have in a special way persecuted God’s people. It is, in a sense, the very spirit of persecution. We often say that pope is the beast because he persecuted the Christians that exposed his evil deeds and false teachings. Those who protested against the papacy were called Protestants. Thus the Protestants were persecuted by their leadership when they accepted Christ and became Christians. In 1844, the Protestant believers in the Advent message were ridiculed and disfellowshipped from their Protestant churches because they rejected some commonly held false teachings and believed the truth for their time. Now we find that the Seventh Day Adventist Church is prosecuting in civil courts those smaller

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independent Seventh Day Adventist groups that are protesting the evil deeds and false teachings of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The reader might wonder how could this happen in a country like the United States, which at one time pioneered the principle of separation of church and state. The Seventh Day Adventist Church registered its name as a corporation. Thus it was legally enabled to prosecute smaller independent groups that separated from the mother church but chose to keep the name ‘Seventh Day Adventist’. As this printing there are at least ten small independent groups that were forced to disband because of insufficient funds to carry matter to court. Thus the church is using civil powers and the judicial arm of the United States to forbid these smaller independent groups the right to call themselves Seventh Day Adventist. More than this, it is forcing them to deliver up to the courts any books that contain the name Seventh Day Adventist. A young preacher in Hawaii and his small congregation were among those prosecuted. He was summoned to court because he hung up a wooden clapboard sign that said, ‘Seventh day Adventist Congregational Church’. A court order was signed in Hawaii for the arrest of the young preacher. In a panic, he came to California and there obtained shelter from sympathizers. After about a year of hiding from place to place, he was arrested and placed in a jail cell. Some who knew of his plight mortgaged their homes to get him out on bail. The young preacher, broken in spirit, finally settled out of court. His faith faltered and he bowed to the two-horned beast (a power wherein church and state united). The Seventh Day Adventist Church spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of members tithe money – money supposedly dedicated to God’s work – in the prosecution of these small groups in order to establish a ‘court precedent’ that would endure them automatic victories in courts across the country. The two-horned beast of Revelation 13: 11-18 depicts the union of church and state. This beast is similar to the one depicted in Revelation 17: 9, 10 where we read of 7 heads which are 7 kings and 7 hills (all representing one thing). In order to better understand the ‘seat of the beast’ on whom the fifth angel pours out his vial of God’s wrath, let us look closer at the characteristics displayed by the Seventh Day Adventist leadership. The Faithful Witness proclaims, “…because thou sayest, I am rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing”, Revelation 3: 17. Furthermore, in Revelation 18: 7, 8 we read, “How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day (remember that one symbolic day represents a year), death and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her”. Now where this woman is, there her seat is also. Thus we see that the woman is the apostate church that directs the beast or spirit of persecution in each period of time (in the early Christian church it was the papacy, later, as the Protestant churches that apostatised, it was the Protestants who in 1844 reviled those who accepted the message of truth for that time, and finally in our day, it is the Seventh Day Adventist Church). The General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists, as not only the ruling body of the church but also as that body that registered its name with the state as a corporation, is the seat of the beast.

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The sixth angel “poured out his vial upon the great River Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared”. All three Seventh Day Adventist churches teach that the River Euphrates represents Turkey. The Bible specifies a great body of water to convey the picture of a great nation or group of people. Not only does Turkey not fit that description at the present time, but it will also not fit the description in the time of the 6th plague. Turkey did not play a significant role in the past prophecy of the Bible and it will not do so in the Bible prophecies concerning the future. The leadership of the Adventist church believe that the Great River Euphrates represents Turkey because part of that river flows through Turkey. If this is so, then in order to be consistent, they would have to interpret the 7 churches in Asia as the literal 7 churches are there. But this they do not do, for they teach that the 7 churches of Asia symbolize time periods (Revelation 1: 11). Also, it is inconsistent to claim (as the Seventh Day Adventist churches do) that the preceding 5 plagues are literal and that their water is literal water, yet that the 6th plague is symbolic and represents people. Yet this is being done. It is really not difficult to see what the great River Euphrates represents or what the drying up of its waters (people) actually means. The great River Euphrates represents a great nation on earth. It is the same nation as the one described in Revelation 13: 11-18. There we can see that this nation will play a distinctive role in end day prophecy which will speed up Christ’s coming. Of that two horned beasts we read that its horns were that of a lamb but that it spake as a dragon. Thus we see that in spite of its meek and innocent appearance, it spake as the dragon or papal church did during the dark ages. Thus this nation will act as did the papal church. This nation does great wonders even causing fire ‘to come down from heaven in the sight of men’. Note that in Revelation 13: 14, this beast only causes these miracles ‘in the sight of men’ or it made appear as though it wrought a miracle but it was not a true miracle. This nation already perform signs that have deceived those that dwell on earth. I would like to ask a question to you, dear reader, concerning one of these signs. When the Apollo 12 made its supposed landing on the moon, what would have to happen to the moon had the mission failed and the astronauts died there? Would the astronauts escaped Christ’s coming and the recompense of their work? We read in the Bible that only this earth will be cleansed by fire. Had the astronauts died on the moon, would not the moon’s destruction by fire also have been necessitated? Had they died on the moon, how would God’s words have been fulfilled in saying “dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3: 19)? Obviously those men were not made of moon dust. Furthermore, what if, as we are sometimes led to believe, there is eventually a moon station built there? Will its residents escape the judgement that will come upon ‘all the earth’? Yet the majority of this earth’s inhabitants firmly believe that the United States did in fact set men on the moon. They find any reasoning to the contrary sheer madness. In Genesis 1: 16 we read, “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also”. Now as God created the sun, moon and stars when He created the earth, can it be that He could create something so desolate and void as the moon has been portrayed to be? Look at the beauties of the earth that

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He has created – would He then create the moon as void and lifeless as the earth was before he created life on it? When Christ comes to take His faithful ones to heaven, the moon will be visited on the way to heaven. It will be a place of rest for the celestial travellers. There the faithful who had given their lives for the little truth they knew will learn that Sunday was the mark of the beast. While on this earth, they had kept the day in ignorance for Rome had taken away their Bibles. Thus on the moon, they will see the truth concerning the Sabbath and will keep the seventh day Sabbath – the day God had created and blessed – there. They will worship God together with all the heavenly host. And every Sabbath say throughout eternity, they will come before His throne to worship Him. “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 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: 22, 23. The redeemed of the earth will one day see the truth of the above words. The moon is a beautiful place with trees and verdure a living green, where the grass of the fields have a silvery hue due to the setting sun. They, together will the numberless host of heaven, will then welcome the Sabbath day there. From there the next destination will be Orion. Christ will present before the Father, the redeemed – those purchased by His blood. All will be dressed in pure white silk, which is a symbol of a pure character, “so shall we ever be with the Lord,” I Thessalonians 4: 17. Thus this beast or nation ‘doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men’. The words ‘in the sigh of men’ prove that the wonders are not real or legitimate. Speaking of Moses when he stood before Pharaoh in Egypt, we read, “and Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods,” Exodus 7: 10-12. Satan cannot create life. The serpents that the Egyptian magicians produced had no life in them. They simply appeared like serpents to human eyes. In a similar manner did the United States appear to be on the moon. There is only one nation on earth that has ‘power to give life unto the image of the beast’, one nation that can equal the power that the papal church had during its reign (1260 years of Dark Ages); a nation that, in its inception, has horns as a lamb. That nation is the United States of America. It will form an image of that beast which persecuted people for 1260 years. Of this image, set up by the United States, we read, “… saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,” Revelation 13: 14-17.

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The image of the beast is the papal bull enforcing Sunday sacredness and other false doctrines designed to nail God’s holy law to the cross of Calvary in an attempt to prove them invalid and applicable only to the Jews. In honour of the religious power that will play the role that the papacy played long ago, the two-horned beast (or the United States of America) will form (actually, it is already formed but it has not completely come to power) an image (law) that none may buy or sell (or that none may preach the Bible truth). As with the papacy of old, image (or law) already has a clause for the death decree for all ‘small and great, rich and poor, free and bond’ who dare to disregard the law of the land – a law that the papacy had also set up long ago in its war against the Bible and those who believe in it. All Seventh Day Adventists believe and teach that the papal power – that power which had persecuted God’s people in the past – is the main power that will persecute in the future. They teach that when the ‘deadly wound’ is healed, the papacy will once more persecute God’s people or Seventh Day Adventists. But these Seventh Day Adventists forgot that it was Jerusalem (the church just recently apostatised) that persecuted God’s messengers. The Jewish leadership persecuted those of their own people that accepted the Christian faith. The Protestants persecuted (insomuch as they were able for they weren’t given much civil power) those of their own who accepted the message of Christ’s soon coming and the judgement. Now let us ask ourselves why the Seventh Day Adventist leadership persecutes (in civil courts) those who disregard its authority; those who cannot with a clear conscience place man’s laws above God’s laws? Is the ‘deadly wound’ already healed? One more point must be added here in order to paint a more complete picture. In Revelation 17: 12-14 we read, “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb (Christ), and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful”. The ten horns are on the seven heads. The seven heads are the seven churches in the Christian era. When the deadly wound is healed, then all the heads on the beast will look the same. In the verses above we can see that all ten horns take part in the last ‘war with the Lamb’ and with those who are ‘called, and chosen, and faithful’. This prophecy tells us that all the established Christian churches on the earth (or all the seven heads and ten horns) will ‘make war with the lamb’ and with His chosen ones. Thus we can see that the image of the beast will be made before the close of probation. When the number if the faithful ones have been filled, and the last of the sons of God have been sealed, and the sealing angel with the writers inkhorn returns to heaven with the news that the sealing has been accomplished, the will Christ utter that solemn proclamation, “he that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still,” Revelation 22: 11. Christ then leaves His duty as mediator between the Righteous Judge and the sinner and mercy ceased to plead with the inhabitants of the earth. God’s merciful hand which had held back the mighty current of evil is withdrawn completely. At that time there is no human eye to pity or protect those who are ‘called, and chosen, and faithful’.

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Thus we see that all the churches will unite in their warfare against God’s people. I cannot understand, then, why the Seventh Day Adventists fear the pope and expect persecution from him when the very spirit of the papacy is felt throughout their own churches. The protestants protested against the papal authority during the 1260 years yet the present trend is towards unification of the churches. According to Religious News Service, May 19, 1977, on May 18, 1977, Dr. B. B. beach, then Secretary of the Northern Europe-West Africa Division of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, along with other representatives of the religious bodies which form the Conference of Secretaries of the world Confessional Families (Churches), had an audience with Pope Paul VI. The pope welcomed these men as ‘representatives of a considerable portion of Christian people’ and he sent the greetings of the papacy through them “to your confessional families”. In a Seventh Day Adventist periodical (Review, August 11, 1977), we read that Dr. B. B. Beach, “one of the 15 participants and the only Adventist in the group, presented a book and a medallion to Pope Paul VI on May 18. The book presented was the Adventist missionary book Faith in Action, and the medallion was a gold-covered symbol of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.” Dr. Beach also said it had been “a pleasure” to be able to attend the Conference meeting in Rome, and that the meeting had proved “a good opportunity” for reflecting on “the work that has been accomplished” by the Conference since its founding. Couple the above events with the facts that the Seventh Day Adventist Church partakes in the World Council of Churches, and that representatives (including a Catholic) have been invited and have attended the meeting of the Seventh Day Adventist General Conference sessions, and it is easy to see why the pope will not persecute the Seventh Day Adventist churches. Quite the contrary, the mainstream Christian denominations of today will unite with the Adventist churches to persecute those who accept the final warning found in Revelation chapter 18: 1-5, wherein is also the ‘other voice from heaven’ which proclaims, ‘come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues’. Soon the seven last plagues will be poured out upon Babylon the great, which has became a ‘habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ The word ‘Babylon’ denotes confusion. That word has its beginning in a people long ago that rebelled against God’s word. “Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth,” (Genesis 11: 9) and there they ‘left off to build the city”. The angel (or messenger of God) that brings this message proclaims the last warning of mercy. This message applies, in the first place, to all the Seventh day Adventist churches. In the proclamation of these messages, God’s people decide their fate – they choose either life or death. Throughout the history of the Christian churches, God, who sees the end from the beginning, has prepared a cure especially needed for the ills of his people in every period of time. Only those who accept this diagnosis and cure are those who remain faithful to God and continue to be His people. Those who reject his cure are not longer His people and are rejected of Him for His mercy is withdrawn from them. The message that God send to His church at just the right time is designed to test and purify it. Every one of these messages has some light and truth which exposes some false teachings cherished by God’s people. Satan,

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who also studies the Bible well, sees what these messages contains of and, before the time for these truths to be proclaimed comes, through the church leadership, he introduces into those churches just such false teachings that will induce the semi-faithful to reject the message from heaven. I would like to bring up a classic example of this fact. It was already been mentioned that there are three organized Seventh Day Adventist churches. The first began shortly after 1844, the second was organized in 1925 and called itself the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement, and the third, which split from the second after a power struggle in 1951, added ‘International Missionary Society’ to its name in order to distinguish itself from the second church. As mentioned earlier, both the second and third churches have the same doctrines and beliefs. As a matter of fact, both adhere to the same book of doctrines kept by the Reform Church before the split. Concerning this book of doctrines, point 16 clearly reveals the fact that both churches believe that they are fulfilling the prophecy of Revelation 18: 1. In other words, that they are this angel or messenger that enlightens the world. Yet the earnest Bible student will see that, presently, neither of the three Seventh Day Adventist churches is fulfilling that prophecy. Neither one is doing the work of that angel (or messenger of God). The last warning of mercy is interwoven in the message of Revelation chapter 18. Once this message is sounded, God has no more messages to give the inhabitants of this world. That is why is very important that every Christian study well who the messengers of the past were in order to discern the messengers of the present and future. Concerning the message of Revelation 14: 6, 7, the messenger was William Miller, and American reformer. God helped this zealous student of the Bible to understand the prophecies of Daniel 8: 14. William Miller understood that (taking into consideration Daniel 9: 25) the end of the prophetic period mentioned in Daniel was in 1844. He then began to warn the Protestant believers in other churches. He preached about Christ’s second coming and the hour of judgement. He wanted all believers to prepare for Christ’s coming. At first the doors of the Protestant churches were opened to him for he drew large crowds. By as they saw the number of people actually accepting his message, they tried to restrain the members from speaking of their hope in the second coming and even threatened them with discipline and disfellowshipment. The believers were then in a quandary. They loved their churches and did not want to have to leave them, but they loved the truth even more. Al last, they were forced to meet separately in order to study God’s Word freedom, and they shared their various hardships experienced in their respective churches. This message began to be preached in 1833, and as the believers were ridiculed and belittled by their leadership and fellow church members, the time came to preach the second angels message (Revelation 14: 8). Charlie Fitch preached that message and as a result of the second angel’s message, 50,00 left the Protestant churches by the summer of 1844. During this same time, Matthew chapter 25 (the parable of the ten virgins) was being fulfilled. Five were wise and five were foolish. But when Christ did not come as expected, many of the 50,000 left and only a few remained. These dew went back and studied the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation and found no mistake in their reckoning of the time. They knew that the mistake was not with God but with themselves. Thus they began to study the concept of the sanctuary that was to be cleansed (Daniel 8: 14). They studied about the earthly sanctuary that Moses had build accordingly to the pattern of the sanctuary in heaven.

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They also studied how the earthly sanctuary was cleansed. They also saw that the ten commandments are still binding. This prepared them to receive the third angels message. After the second angels message, the third angels message followed (Revelation 14: 9-12). Ellen G. White began to proclaim this message among those who had received the firs and second angels messages. In looking back, we can see that all three messengers first accepted the message as apply to themselves. All three saw their message as a choice between life and death and therefore faithfully preached it to others. Their message was that which they cried with a loud voice. Although the messengers had a distinct message, each succeeding messenger built upon the preceding message. In view of the previous paragraph, it is easy to see that it is impossible that the Seventh Day Adventist churches claim to be this angel of Revelation chapter 18, yet do not apply this chapter to themselves but claim that the other churches are Babylon. If in the first angels message, the believers first had to see their false doctrines concerning the judgement and state of the dead and reject them in order to carry the message to others, and if in the second angels message the believers first had to see that they were in an apostate church and to leave it before they could carry the message to others, also we see that concerning the third angels message, the believers first had to see their sins in their disregard of the seventh day Sabbath, before they could preach it to others, so if the Seventh Day Adventist churches are truly the four angel of Revelation chapter 18, they must first see that they comprise Babylon, then they must come out of it if they are to preach it to others. You cannot give what you do not haave nor what you did not experience. Now I would like to ask the reader a question. What happens to the church that for over 70 years has taught its members that they are that fourth angel of Revelation chapter 18, while in fact, it never accepted the message for itself, nor does it have the messenger of that message in its midst? Will that church discern the true messenger when he does come? Will it be able to discern between the false messenger and the true one? What will happen to this church that had poisoned other with its poison wine? Does God have the right to withdraw His mercy from a church that rejects and persecutes those individuals who accept the other voice (Revelation 18: 4) which calls, “come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues…?” No one can accept the other voice from heaven (Revelation 18: 4) unless they first apply the previous verse to themselves (Revelation 18: 2, 3). Now I will raise another question: do you really think that all 3 Seventh Day Adventist churches have fallen so low that they have become ‘the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird?’ Do you think that the Jewish church (or God’s church of old) was any worse before Christ’s first coming than is the Seventh Adventist Church now before Christ’s second coming?

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We cannot say that the Seventh Day Adventist Church had no warning concerning her fallen condition. In 1888, God sent a messenger to the church at the General Conference in Minneapolis. That messenger proclaimed the message of Revelation chapter 18 before all the delegates in session. At that time there was only one organized Seventh Day Adventist Church. Its leadership heard the message and ridiculed and rejected it. Since they, like Israel of old, did not exercise the faith that would have enabled them to enter the promised land, then, like Israel of old, Seventh Day Adventists had to return to the spiritual wilderness of sin. That faithless generation had to leave their bones in that wilderness without seeing the promised land, and their children – the next generation – must be weighed on the same scale. The leadership of all three organized churches knows that God sent his messenger in 1888 and that the message was rejected. All three also believe that the angel (or messenger) will come again. The duty of this last messenger is to proclaim with a strong voice all the evils and false doctrine developed from 1844 to the coming of that messenger. It is our duty, dear reader, to prayerfully read and study Revelation chapter 18, and see whether these things are so. We cannot accept any man’s word for it but must see if there is a plain ‘thus saith the Lord’ in support of what is written here. History will teach us that all God’s messages apply to His people. These messages portray their true condition. They show how we appear to heaven’s eyes. God sends us these messages that we might see our fallen state and reject every drop of poison wine that we had been taught to cherish. Then it is our duty to humble ourselves before God and to confess our sins. We must search His Word and accept His warnings, rejecting all the false teachings that we have in ignorance held as truth. This we must do while Christ is still in the Most Holy place as our Mediator. The time of mercy is passed for the Seventh Day Adventist churches as corporate bodies. The leadership of today has heard the message of Revelation chapter 18. All the poison wine that they had manufactured with Satan’s help has been clearly brought before them. The leadership of all three churches well knows that when the judgement of the dead is finished in heaven, the judgement of the living begins. They well know that it will begin with themselves, ‘the ancient men’ who are ‘before the house’ (Ezekiel 9: 6). They well know that they have not been true to their trust. Thus they well understood the last message of warning and consciously rejected it because it rebuked their pride. Since they had rejected the message of the Faithful Witness of Laodicea, it now became natural to also reject the message from Revelation chapter 18. They did not want to admit that they were poor, miserable, blind and naked; so now they did not want to admit that they had manufactured poison wine with which they poisoned all the peoples of the earth. As mentioned earlier, they have covered or hid the true meaning of 6 chapters in the book of Revelation. They are chapters 8, 9, 13, 16, 17 and 18. Because of their rejection of the last warning of mercy, all three churches have become ‘the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird’ (Revelation 18: 2). It is little wonder, then, that the leadership is disfellowshipping those members that have personally received all the warnings given in God’s Word, and who have rejected the poison wine (false doctrines). This wine darkens the understanding of the people for whom Jesus had paid such a high price. Due to the poison wine, Seventh Day Adventists do not understand the third angels message from Revelation 14: 9-12. Shortly after 1844, the pioneers of the Seventh Day Adventist Church understood and

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believed Revelation 14: 6-12. They knew what the beast from Revelation 13: 1-10 was and what it did. They also knew what the two-horned beast from Revelation 13: 11-18 is and what it would do. All this was clearly explained in the book, ‘The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan’, published in 1884. This book was intended to be read by all the inhabitants of the earth. Yet the leadership of the Seventh Day Adventist church made changes in this book and in 1888, the year of their rejection of the message of Revelation chapter 18, another changed edition of the book appeared, and edition that was more favourable to the Adventist leadership. They had forgotten the words of Revelation 22: 18, 19, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book”. This warning applies to all books written under the direction of God’s spirit of prophecy – ‘The Great Controversy …’ included. Now that we have taken a look at the condition of the Seventh Day Adventist churches, let us return to Revelation chapter 16. The sixth angel will pour out his vial of God’s wrath unmingled with mercy upon the great River Euphrates. The words ‘great river’ tell us that a great nation on earth is spoken of here. Therefore we know that this cannot apply to Turkey (as all the Seventh Day Adventist churches teach and believe). We can find mention of the ‘great river Euphrates’ (Revelation 9: 14) in sixth trumpet. However, only in the sixth plague do we see two groups of people clearly portrayed; those that partake of the ‘spirits of devils’, and those who watch and keep their garments (character). These two classes of people will be gathered ‘together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. This is the only place in the Bible where the word ‘Armageddon’ is mentioned. Therefore let us take a closer look at the preceding verses (Revelation 16: 13), “and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet”. The people of Israel often had false prophets. So it is in the Christian era. False prophets are those who teach a lie, who pervert God’s word to their own destruction. In Isaiah 9: 14, 15 we read, “therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.’ Those that allow themselves to be led of such are doomed to destruction. As we have previously seen, Revelation chapter 18 applies directly to the Seventh Day Adventist churches for the other major denominations had previously apostatised. It has therefore become the habitation of devils and a hold of foul spirits. It is from that habitation that the spirits of devils will go forth unto the kings of the earth and the whole world ‘to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty”, Revelation 16: 12-16. The great River Euphrates represents America, that great nation on earth. It is this nation that will issue an edict that all who will not bow to the image of the beast (Revelation 13: 15) must be killed. This image is but a reflection of that power which persecuted throughout the 1260 years that we call the dark ages. It is not that direct papacy of old, but another power with similar characteristics. Just as the papacy of old (the apostatised church) changed God’s Sabbath from

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the seventh day to the first day of the week, so will this power (the Seventh Day Adventist church – the most recently apostatised church) exert influence on the civil authorities to put to death all who refuse to obey civil and ecclesiastical laws. Thus will those who maintain that ‘we ought to obey God rather than man’, find themselves in a time of trouble such as never before. History repeats itself. Just as Pilate, under pressure from the ecclesiastical authorities delivered up the Innocent One to death, so will the great nation of America do. Thus the great River Euphrates (or America) will ‘dry up’ or submit under pressure. They will reject the Constitution which guarantees religious liberty and will exert pressure on the human conscience in order to please the Seventh Day Adventist leadership. The Laodicean church will play a horrible role in the final history of this world. Some already feel the fulfilment of the words in Isaiah 66: 5, “Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed”. It is ironic that all three Seventh Day Adventist churches expect persecution from the pope yet all the while they are disfellowshipping those who take Christ and His Word as their guide in life; those who refuse to drink any more of the poison wine (false teachings) the leadership is still feeding the people with. When Mr. B. B. Beach first visited the pope, he was quoted as saying, “It is a distinct honour to be present as a secretary of the conference in an audience here in Rome with the Holy Father upon which I present to the pope a book describing the work of the Adventist church throughout the world”. In Matthew 23: 9 we read, “and call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your Father which is in heaven”. What then do the Seventh Day Adventists have to fear from the pope, since the two sides have been carrying on a dialogue since 1973? While the Seventh Day Adventist leadership has been teaching its members to look to the pope as to that dreadful beast, the spirit of the papacy has secretly been creeping in among them. Thus prophecy is fulfilled one more and the man of sin has gained entrance into the church of God. The history that Paul spoke of long ago is being repeated, for in II Thessalonians 2: 3-12, we read, “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 … For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming”. In these verses we can clearly see that the man of sin will be sitting in God’s church when Christ comes; and that he will be consumed with the brightness of His coming. The Catholic church has not been the church of God for centuries. Also, the Protestant churches had their fall announced in the second angel’s message. This can only refer to the Seventh Day Adventist churches. Just as in times of old, kings and rulers were subject to the authority of the pope, so in the near future we will see that the civil arm of America will be subject to the influence of the Seventh Day Adventist churches. Granted, the Adventist churches will not stand alone in this work, for they will be untied with the other main stream churches of the land – including the Catholic church, “… because they received not the love of the truth, that

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they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,” II Thessalonians 2: 10, 11. Have you ever asked yourself why the great river Euphrates is mentioned both in the sixth trumpet and in the sixth plague? In the sixth trumpet (Revelation 9: 13-21), we find the sixth angel being told to ‘loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates’. These four angels were prepared but bound on American soil where those of the old world were persecuted because of their religious convictions found shelter. Why were these four angels bound? When were they loosed and by whom? We read that these four angels were ready, “for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third par of men”. Keeping in mind the symbolic ‘day for a year’ definition, and calculating backwards from 1833 (when the sixth trumpet began), we come to the time of Luther’s reformation. Thus, from the time of Luther’s reformation, to William miller’s preaching of the first angel’s message, these angels were bound in the great river Euphrates. Then after 1833, they were loosed to ‘slay the third part of men’. Why? When the Protestants left the Catholic churches, they did not have all the light. To the believers of the (fourth) church of Thyatira, God said, “I will put upon you none other burden but that which ye have already hold fast till I come” (Revelation 2: 24, 25). Thus they brought with them the false teachings of the natural immortality of the soul and of the thousand-year reign on this earth (millennium). This they brought to American soil. The four angels that are bound here are not to be confused with the four angels holding back the winds of strife, for we see that their duties are opposite to each other (one holds back the winds of strife, prolonging human life, while the other can barely wait to kill). Satan could not have power over those Protestants who were earnestly desiring to do God’s will, even if they unknowingly cherished falsehood. But, when William Miller began to preach the first angel’s message denouncing those falsehoods, and the Protestant churches by and large rejected the truth, those four angels were loosed. For the most part. William Miller’s message was preached in America (the great river Euphrates). It is simply not true that, upon dying, all go to heaven, hell or purgatory. The Bible says that God reserved a time when He would judge (Revelation 14: 7). Thus those who accepted William Miller’s message rejected the teaching of the natural immortality of the soul. They also rejected the teaching of the glorious millennium here on earth, for they expected Christ to come in 1844 (the time when the 2,300 days period would end). In summary, the light of the first angel’s message (or William Miller’s message) illuminated the false teachings to the Protestants that they had therefore not seen. These great generals are four great leaders of Satan’s host. When they were loosed, they brought their armies, for we read in Revelation 9: 16, “and the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard a number of them”. Thus two hundred million well-armed demons stood to oppose William Miller’s preaching. More than this, God’s spirit withdrew from those who clearly saw the truth and rejected it, and they were left to believe a lie. They had lost eternal life, and were spiritually killed. Of this army, the prophet Joel writes, “For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion”, Joel 1: 6.

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However, Joel did not hear the number of them as did John the Revelator; he only said they were strong and without a number. These two hundred million well-armed soldiers operate under the banner of the prince of darkness. They are still unbound but they will be bound again during the thousand years (Revelation 20: 2). During those thousand years, Satan and his host will have no one to deceive. The redeemed will have gone to heaven with Christ and His angels, and the wicked will be dead – slain by the light of His coming. Thus they will wonder through the desolate earth and behold the results of their work. When the heavenly Jerusalem comes down with all the redeemed, Satan will be loosed for a short time (Revelation 20: 3) only to receive the judgment meted out to him, his host, and all the wicked. When the Protestant churches rejected the first angel’s message, God rejected them. In view of this, do you still think that those two hundred million are still in the Protestant churches, seeing they had already spiritually subdued and captured them? Where do you think this host went when the fourth angel’s message was preached to the Adventists at their 1888 General Conference and was rejected by them? I tell you that not one remained with the vanquished foe (Protestant churches) but all went on to the next battle (Seventh Day Adventist churches). Now if, as we read in Revelation chapter 18, the Seventh Day Adventist churches have become the habitation of devils, we can see where this great host settled, “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird”. It is from there that the three unclean spirits like frogs will come (Revelation 16: 12-16). Thus, with the help of the two-horned beast (America), the Seventh Day Adventists will do a terrible work. John did not see any difference between these three unclean spirits, whereas, concerning the beasts of Daniel (wordily powers), there were distinct differences. These three unclean spirits came out of the mouth of the dragon (representing Satan, who, with his host is in the Seventh Day Adventist churches), out of the mouth of the beast (representing the spirit of persecution, a combination of church and state, for the church cannot persecute without the help of the civil authorities), and out of the mouth of the false prophet (those who teach lies and falsehood, as explained earlier). Now le us see how the Seventh Day Adventist churches interpret the sixth trumpet and sixth plague. All three churches have accepted the interpretation of Uriah Smith as Bible truth and rejected the interpretation that the Bible itself provides (for it explains itself when the verse is compared with verse and past history is studied and compared with the prophecies before us). Uriah Smith’s book about Daniel and the Revelation has been extolled by the Adventists now for over a hundred years. As mentioned earlier, both Uriah Smith and the Adventist churches claim that the great river Euphrates represents Turkey. When looking for an explanation of the host of two hundred thousand, thousand, since he could not find in history an army that great, Uriah Smith said it was unimportant and the Adventist churches accept this. Thus they have covered up the number of Satan’s well-armed host. John also saw the horses of this well-armed host (horses represent power or strength). These horses had heads as the heads of lions, ‘and out of their mouth issued fire and smoke and brimstone’ (Revelation 9: 17). Uriah Smith says that this smoke is literal smoke for at that

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time the Turks had some war machines that issued much smoke. Thus one third of the people were killed the fire, smoke and brimstone. But if we would read the verse carefully, we will see that the smoke comes out of the horses mouth. If this is so, then the well-armed host was riding on their war machines? The fifth trumpet also mentions smoke (Revelation 9: 2), yet Uriah Smith says this smoke is spiritual and represents the Turkish religion. Since the sixth plague also mentions the great river Euphrates, the Seventh Day Adventist leadership claims that the river represents Turkey. They claim that the ten horns of the beast (in Revelation chapters 13 and 17 and by Daniel chapter 7) represent the ten European countries. Thus, they claim, the ten European countries will go to Jerusalem via Turkey to partake in the war of Armageddon in the time of the sixth plague (Revelation 16: 16). Then it is, they say, that the fulfilment of Revelation 14: 19, 20 will take place, “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” In Bible symbology, the vineyard or grapes always represented God’s church. In Isaiah 5: 7 we read, “For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry”. Christ in His day told a parable about a vineyard, “… a certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid,” (Luke 20: 9-16). There are many places in the Bible that use a vineyard as a symbol for Israel or God’s church. If we allow the Bible to interpret itself when it comes to verses that seem obscure to us, then we would see that the prophecies of John the Revelator do not speak of the Israel of old, but of His people or church in the Christian era. The city mentioned in Revelation 14: 20, out of whose winepress blood came out of, is that same city that was trodden underfoot for 42 months or 1260 years (Revelation 11: 8). Since Sodom, Egypt and Jerusalem are three different geographical places, this city obviously does not refer to any geographical place but to God’s church. Also, the city cannot refer to God’s church of old, for these verses immediately follow the third angel’s message. The city is His church in the time of the third angel’s message – the time Ezekiel spoke of in his 9th chapter, when the seal is placed upon all that ‘sight and cry’ for the abominations that were done in the midst of Jerusalem or God’s church. To gather the vines of the earth, ‘and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God’, is to remove their names

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from the book of Life and place them in the book of Death. This describes the judgement of the living. Reaping the wheat harvest, however (Revelation 14: 15, 16), began in 1844 when Christ enters into the Most Holy place. This marked the beginning of the Investigative Judgement, in which the dead were first judged, beginning with Adam and on to our time. What also represents God’s church. Note in Matthew 9: 36-38 where Christ, “when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest”. Also to Peter, He said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”. Thus we can clearly see that wheat also represents God’s people, just as the vineyard or grapes do. The Israelites often used trumpets, and the people were admonished to differentiate between its calls. Some trumpets calls sounded feast days and holy days while others called to battle. In the incident with the city of Jericho, trumpets were used, as commanded, and a fortified city was levelled. Therefore, not one leader on the Seventh Day Adventists churches will have an excuse for misinterpreting the trumpet as though referring to worldly wars. This is why they are described as the ‘false prophet’, out of whose mouth an unclean spirit emerged. Since the leadership of the Seventh Day Adventist churches misinterpreted the seven trumpets, they could not have understood the seven plagues. The sup of God’s wrath is mentioned in the third angel’s message (Revelation 14: 10). By now, Seventh Day Adventists should have warned the inhabitants of the world that if they continue to trample upon God’s law, they will drink of the cup of God’s wrath unmingled with mercy. Although the trumpets are not literal, yet they are being fulfilled one by one. From 1844, we have been living in the time of the 7th trumpet – the previous six have been fulfilled in the past. If the seven plagues were truly literal, if water literally became as the blood of a dead man, then Christ would not have said, ‘behold, I come as a thief in the night’ (Revelation 16: 15). If the water really became as blood, it would make headlines in the major newspapers and the world would know that the seven plagues were being poured. Thus Christ would have not come as a thief in the night. It is a terrible thing to realise that ones fate is fixed, that mercy will never again woo one’s heart. Judas, the traitor could not stand that feeling and went out and hung himself. Armageddon is the final conflict between Christ and Satan. However, both sides of the conflict will be represented by their respective followers. The righteous will represent Christ, and wicked will represent Satan. Those who would follow Christ into heaven, must first follow Him here in earth. The wicked, in choosing apostasy and rebellion, follow Satan, who first made that choice. Armageddon, therefore, will take place throughout the earth; wherever the righteous can be found. This battle begins when the command to slay the righteous comes to power. Then it is that the righteous will stand on the battlefield or Armageddon. In the seventh plague, the partial resurrection takes place as described in Daniel 12: 2. When the seven plague is finished, and God’s people have been delivered, Christ will appear in the

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clouds of heaven. Those who rebelled against His law will then cry to the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of the One that is coming, while the righteous cry, ‘Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him and He will deliver us’.

Revelation - chapter 18 1. And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great

power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,

and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of

the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye

be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

5. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

6. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

7. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and

sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

8. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and

she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

9. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

10. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon,

that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

12. The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen,

and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

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13. And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which

were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

15. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for

the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

16. And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

17. For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the

company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

18. And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

19. And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas,

that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath

avenged you on her.

21. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

22. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard

no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

23. And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the

bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

24. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain

upon the earth.


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1. And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

2. For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which

did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

3. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

4. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that

sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

5. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters,

and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

7. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is

come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

9. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage

supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

10. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was

called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

13. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word

of God.

14. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

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15. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

16. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND

LORD OF LORDS.

17. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

18. That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty

men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

19. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to

make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

20. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which

sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Revelation - chapter 20 1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a

great chain in his hand. 2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound

him a thousand years, 3. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he

should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw

the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

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5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death

hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog

and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints

about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the

beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the

heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and

another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead

which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.


1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,

prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

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3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4. 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.

5. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto

me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my

son.

8. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

9. And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the

seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

10. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that

great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11. Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12. And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels,

and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13. On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the

west three gates.

14. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates

thereof, and the wall thereof.

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16. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

17. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to

the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

18. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious

stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20. The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the

ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the

street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

22. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of

God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever

worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation – chapter 22

1. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the

throne of God and of the Lamb.

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2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it;

and his servants shall serve him:

4. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

5. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

6. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy

prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

7. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this

book.

8. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things.

9. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy

brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

10. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still:

and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according

as his work shall be.

13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters,

and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

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16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let

him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

18. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God

shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

20. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come,

Lord Jesus.

21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. I firmly believe that God is ‘merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth’. However, He is also a righteous judge. He will not bear much longer with the defamation of His holy name nor with the trampling of His holy law. I also firmly believe that many Seventh Day Adventists will rail against me because of this booklet. Nevertheless, it is addressed to all the inhabitants of the world. It was His will that the Bible depicts both evil and good deeds of His people as well as the history of the rulers that influenced His people. In these sacred chronicles, all can clearly see God’s dealing with man. He says to us all, “be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”, Matthew 5: 48. If we truly believe that our Heavenly Father is perfect, and that He exposes to all the world the sins of the Israelites as God’s people, would He then still be a righteous judge if He were to permit the sins of the Seventh Day Adventist churches to go unrevealed? The well know that someone on earth will proclaim all the corruptions that have been entering into the churches since 1844. Therefore, this booklet should not surprise them. Although some Seventh Day Adventist leaders claim that the church has a duty to protect its good name, still someone thought it is good to feature a story in the L. A. Times about the lawsuit filed by the Seventh Day Adventist church against John Marik, pastor of a small group of independent Adventists. Thus, even the average man saw it fit to uncover the deeds of the General Conference of the Seventh Day Adventists. Despite the leadership’s effort to protect its good name, the prophecies must be fulfilled, for God’s word does not return empty. The Bible is cheap enough here for even the poorest to obtain. Thus those who have chosen to neglect it will be without excuse. Christ warned us of this. In Matthew 24: 7-14, He said, “for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,

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in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 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”. Yet Christ continues and gives one last warning, “but pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened”, Matthew 24: 20-22. Furthermore Christ, through the prophet Ezekiel, says, “when I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die … if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live … if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand,” Ezekiel 33: 8, 14, 15. It is because of these warnings that this book is issued to the world.

Documents

Daniel and Revealation, Part 1