Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: ASTPP
Program Code: ASTPP000030
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00:15 Well hello, welcome to the last session
00:19 of Anchor Bible school. 00:21 It's good to see you all nice and dressed up. 00:24 And we have an exciting study in the next several minutes. 00:27 But we want to have a word of prayer to ask for 00:29 God's guidance, first of all. 00:31 And so let's just bow our heads for a word of prayer. 00:33 Father in heaven, we thank You for the privilege of 00:35 being here this afternoon. 00:37 We thank You because we are able to study this magnificent 00:41 prophecy of Daniel 11:40-45. 00:44 We ask for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit 00:46 that You might give us understanding of this 00:49 complex passage. 00:51 And we thank You for hearing our prayer. 00:53 We ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 00:57 Now basically we're discussing how we can discover 01:02 Ellen White's comments on any given text or passage 01:06 without her quoting it or even alluding to the language. 01:11 Daniel 11 is a good example of how to do it. 01:15 So we're going to follow the material that you have 01:18 before you, line by line, precept by precept, 01:21 here a little, there a little. 01:23 And hopefully we'll be able to cover it within the 01:25 time constraints that we have. 01:28 There is a passage in the book of Daniel 01:31 which has always been a subject of lively discussion 01:36 among Seventh-day Adventist theologians. 01:39 And that passage is Daniel 11:40-45. 01:43 Until recently, most of the Adventist scholars agreed 01:49 that the king of the north represents the papacy 01:53 and the king of the south represents 01:55 atheism or secularism. 01:59 But now a new view has appeared on the horizon 02:04 that sees radical Islam as playing a significant role 02:09 in the fulfillment of this specific prophecy. 02:14 Those who have embraced this view have concluded 02:17 that the events of 9/11 and the war against Al Qaeda 02:23 are so significant that they must be contemplated 02:27 somewhere in Bible prophecy. 02:30 This has sparked a new interest in the study of the 02:34 fifth and sixth trumpets in conjunction with 02:37 Daniel 11 verses 40 to 45. 02:42 Now usually Ellen White has provided invaluable 02:45 guidance in the interpretation of difficult prophetic passages. 02:51 But unlike other passages in the book of Daniel, 02:55 Ellen White seems to be silent on these specific verses. 03:02 Especially verses 40 to 45. 03:05 Nowhere to my knowledge does she ever quote verses 40 to 45, 03:11 nor does she echo the terminology that is used 03:16 in these verses. 03:18 This seeming silence has provided individuals 03:24 with the idea that Ellen White had nothing to say 03:27 about these specific verses. 03:31 We therefore ask, did Ellen White have anything to say 03:35 about the meaning of these verses, or does her apparent 03:41 silence indicate that their meaning would remain a mystery 03:46 until long after her death? 03:49 In this article, or this study, we will seek to answer 03:54 this question. 03:56 Now let's discuss, first of all, Ellen White's use of Daniel 11. 04:02 To my knowledge, there are only three primary Ellen G. White 04:07 reference to Daniel 11, except for one that is found 04:11 in the little booklet, 04:13 A Word to the Little Flock Scattered Abroad, 04:16 to which I'm going to make reference later in this study. 04:20 One of these three primary references is general 04:26 in nature and indirect. 04:29 Excuse me, one is indirect. 04:31 The other is general. 04:33 And the other is quite specific. 04:37 Only in the specific reference, once in her writings, 04:42 does Ellen White actually quote any verses from the chapter. 04:47 And those verses that she quotes are verses 30 to 36. 04:52 Unfortunately, as stated before, she never quotes, 04:57 nor does she even allude to the language, 05:01 of verses 40 to 45. 05:03 So it would seem well nigh impossible to discover 05:08 how Ellen White understood these verses. 05:11 Now let's take a look at these three specific quotations. 05:17 As I mentioned, one of them is indirect, 05:20 another one is very general, and the third is more specific. 05:24 And she actually quotes verses in that one. 05:28 The first quotation is indirect, because she does not 05:33 specifically mention Daniel 11 but only alludes to it. 05:40 And I'm going to show you in what sense she alludes 05:44 to Daniel 11 without actually mentioning Daniel 11. 05:49 In 1896, Ellen White wrote the following words, 05:55 "The light that Daniel received from God was given especially 06:01 for these last days. 06:03 The visions he saw by the banks of the Ulai..." 06:08 And I put in brackets there, Daniel 8 verse 2. 06:11 In other words, Daniel 8 was given next to the Ulai. 06:15 "...and the Hiddekel..." 06:17 The vision that was given by the Hiddekel was Daniel 10 verse 4 06:21 and chapter 11. 06:24 "...the great rivers of Shinar, are now in process 06:28 of fulfillment, and all the events foretold will soon 06:33 come to pass." 06:36 Now the second quotation is found in, 06:41 Testimonies volume 9, and it was written in 1909. 06:49 And if you're going to the next page, 06:50 we find the quotation there. 06:53 Here, Ellen White states, "The world is stirred 06:56 with the spirit of war. 06:58 The prophecy of the eleventh chapter of Daniel 07:02 has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. 07:06 Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the 07:09 prophecies will take place." 07:12 So in 1896, she wrote that the visions that Daniel received 07:18 by the Ulai, that's Daniel 8, and the Hiddekel, 07:22 Daniel 10 through chapter 11, the great rivers of Shinar, 07:27 were in the process of fulfillment. 07:29 And she says the events would soon come to pass. 07:32 And in the second statements, she actually mentions 07:35 the 11th of Daniel, but she doesn't quote any verses. 07:38 And she says that it has nearly reached 07:40 its complete fulfillment. 07:42 Now there's another quotation. 07:44 And this one was written in 1904. 07:47 It is the only quotation where Ellen White actually quotes 07:51 verses from Daniel 11. 07:53 As I mentioned before, she quotes verses 30-36. 07:58 And now I read that specific statement found in, 08:01 Manuscript Releases, volume 13, page 394. 08:08 She says, "We have no time to lose. 08:10 Troublous times are before us. 08:13 The world is stirred with the spirit of war. 08:16 Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the 08:20 prophecies will take place. 08:22 The prophecy in the eleventh of Daniel has nearly 08:26 reached its complete fulfillment." 08:30 And then she says this, "Much of the history 08:34 that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy 08:37 will be repeated. 08:39 In the thirtieth verse a power is spoken of 08:43 that 'shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation 08:47 against the holy covenant: so shall he do; 08:50 he shall even return, and have intelligence 08:53 with them that forsake the holy covenant.'" 08:56 And then she quotes verses 31 to 36. 08:59 And she ends by saying, "Scenes similar to those 09:04 described in these words will take place." 09:08 Those are the only three quotations from the writings 09:11 of Ellen White where she either alludes to Daniel 11, 09:16 refers in general terms to Daniel 11, 09:20 and actually quotes verses from Daniel 11. 09:24 Now we need to analyze these statements 09:28 to find out what we can glean from them, 09:30 what information is valuable in determining her concept 09:34 of Daniel 11. 09:37 Now let's examine, first of all, the quotation from, 09:40 Testimonies to Ministers, page 112, the first one 09:44 that was written in 1896. 09:47 This statement has two key items of information. 09:51 First, the prophecies of Daniel 8 and 11 09:56 run concurrently and are parallel. 10:00 Is that point clear? 10:02 The prophecy by the Ulai was the one given in chapter 8. 10:08 And the one by the Hiddekel was the one given 10:11 in chapters 10 and 11. 10:14 And so basically, by saying that these prophecies 10:18 are in the process of fulfillment, 10:20 and soon what is prophesied will take place, 10:23 she's saying that Daniel 8 and Daniel 11 are parallel. 10:28 And we already studied that in one of our previous classes. 10:31 Remember that you have this book within the book. 10:34 And it begins with Persia in chapter 8, 10:37 and then chapter 11 begins with Persia also. 10:39 And they work their way through. 10:41 So what I want us to notice then is the prophecies of 10:45 Daniel 8 and 11, or 10 and 11, are parallel. 10:49 The second point that we need to take into account 10:52 is that both of these prophecies were in the process of 10:55 fulfillment when Ellen White wrote in 1896. 10:59 Unfortunately, in this statement, Ellen White 11:03 does not specify how much of the chapter had already 11:07 been fulfilled when she wrote the statement. 11:09 Correct? 11:11 She simply says that Daniel 8 and Daniel 11 11:14 were in the process of fulfillment. 11:16 But she doesn't say where the fulfillment was. 11:18 The beginning of the chapter, the middle of the chapter, 11:21 or the end of the chapter. 11:22 She merely stated that these prophecies were in the 11:25 process of fulfillment. 11:27 So we would be interested in knowing where the process was. 11:31 Now the quotation in, Testimonies for the Church, 11:34 volume 9, page 14, adds some very valuable information. 11:40 When Ellen White wrote this testimony in 1909, 11:43 she stated that the prophecy of Daniel 11, 11:46 this is the important detail, had nearly reached 11:49 its complete fulfillment. 11:51 So do we know from this statement where the 11:54 prophecy was in its fulfillment? 11:56 Yes, it was towards the what? 11:59 Towards the end of Daniel 11. 12:01 So the quotation in, Testimonies for the Church, 12:05 volume 9, page 14, adds some very valuable information. 12:09 When Ellen White wrote this testimony in 1909, 12:12 she stated that the prophecy of Daniel 11 had nearly 12:15 reached its complete fulfillment. 12:17 Thus, we can be certain that in 1909 the process of fulfillment 12:23 of Daniel 11 was in the last few verses of the chapter. 12:27 Is that point clear? 12:29 Now the third quotation, the one from, Manuscript Releases, 12:34 volume 13, and page 394, written in 1904, 12:39 contains some significant information 12:42 that is not found in the other two quotations. 12:46 In this statement, Ellen White explains that much of the 12:50 history that had taken place in fulfillment of this chapter 12:55 will be repeated. 12:57 The critical question then is this, 13:00 which history was she referring to that would be repeated? 13:04 Fortunately, we don't have to guess. 13:07 Because she immediately quotes verses 30 to 36. 13:11 Then right after she quotes these verses, 13:15 she again repeats the thought that much of the history 13:19 that has occurred in fulfillment of these verses will be 13:24 repeated, when she says, "Scenes similar to those 13:28 described in these words will take place." 13:31 Are you understanding that point? 13:33 Very, very important. 13:34 In other words, she says, "Much of the history that has 13:37 fulfilled this chapter will be repeated." 13:41 Then what does she quote? 13:43 Verses 30 to 36. 13:45 And after quoting verses 30 to 36, then she says, 13:48 "Scenes similar to those described in these words 13:52 will take place." 13:54 So which are the events that already took place 13:57 that were fulfilled? 13:58 The events in verses 30 to 36. 14:01 And in the future, we're going to find that scenes similar 14:05 to the ones in verses 30 to 36 will take place. 14:10 Clearly, Ellen White understood that verses 30 to 36, 14:15 and I might say also verses 37 to 39 14:19 even though she does not quote them, 14:21 had already been fulfilled in the past when she wrote. 14:25 Is that clear? 14:26 They had already been fulfilled. 14:27 She says, you know, they'll be scenes similar to these. 14:32 Now if verses 30 to 39 had already been fulfilled 14:36 in the past, then the similar future scenes 14:40 must be described where? 14:42 In verses 40 to 45. 14:45 Thus, verses 30 to 39 describe events in the past 14:50 while verses 40 to 45 describe events in the future. 14:55 Is that clear to you? 14:58 Not real clear. 15:01 Well let me go over it again, because this is a 15:03 very important point. 15:06 Let's go again to this paragraph. 15:09 Ellen White understood that verses 30 to 36, 15:12 and also 37 to 39, had already been fulfilled 15:17 in the past when she wrote. 15:18 Is that point clear? 15:21 If verses 30 to 39 had already been fulfilled in the past, 15:26 then the similar scenes that she said would be fulfilled 15:30 in the future must be verses 40 to 45. 15:34 Because if 30 to 39 were fulfilled, and there's 15:38 going to be future scenes similar to those, 15:41 then the only place you can look is verses 40 to 45. 15:45 Is that point clear? 15:47 It is important to realize that Ellen White, 15:50 this is vitally important, Ellen White is not saying 15:53 that these verses have a dual fulfillment. 15:56 She's not saying that verses 30 to 39 15:59 are going to be fulfilled twice, 16:01 once in the past and one in the future. 16:04 What she is saying is that much of the history 16:09 that fulfilled these verses will be repeated. 16:13 Stated another way, it is not the prophecy in verses 30 to 39 16:19 that will be fulfilled once again, but rather 16:21 much of the history which fulfilled the prophecy 16:24 in the past that will be repeated in similar fashion 16:27 in the future. 16:29 Is it different to say that the prophecy will be fulfilled twice 16:32 than to say that much of the history will be fulfilled twice? 16:35 It's very, very different. 16:37 These verses don't have a double fulfillment. 16:40 It's just that they were fulfilled in the past, 16:42 and in the future there are going to be scenes similar 16:45 to the ones that were already fulfilled in the past. 16:49 Now let's notice, let's pursue this. 16:52 At this juncture in our study, we must ask, 16:56 why will the historical scenes of the past repeat once again 17:01 in similar fashion? 17:03 The answer is not hard to find. 17:06 The arrogant and persecuting power that is described 17:09 in verses 30 to 39 is the Roman Catholic Papacy 17:14 as it behaved during the 1260 year career. 17:19 During this period, it joined church and state 17:22 and used the sword of the state to persecute dissenters. 17:26 So in other words, verses 30 to 39 17:28 are speaking about the career of the papacy 17:31 during the 1260 years. 17:33 As is well known, at the end of the 1260 years 17:38 the papacy received the deadly wound 17:41 when the state turned against it at the conclusion 17:44 of the French Revolution. 17:46 But this was not the end of the papacy's career, was it? 17:50 Prophecy predicts that after a period of convalescence 17:55 the deadly wound will be healed when the United States will 17:59 return the sword of the civil power into the papacy's hand. 18:04 Then the papacy will behave once more as it did in the past. 18:09 Thus the history of the past papal oppression 18:13 will be repeated in the future because the papacy 18:16 will rise once again in power. 18:19 Are you following me? 18:21 Now in summary, Ellen White believed that Daniel 11:30-36, 18:27 and that includes verses 30 to 39, 18:29 was fulfilled in the past. 18:32 Though she does not specifically quote verses 37 to 39, 18:35 when you study them carefully, it's part of the 18:37 career of the papacy. 18:39 She also believed that much of the history 18:42 described in these verses would be repeated in similar fashion 18:47 in the future. 18:48 Now if verses 30 to 39 had already been fulfilled 18:52 in the past in Ellen White's day, then the future 18:55 repetition of the history of these verses 18:58 must be found where? 19:01 In verses 40 to 45. 19:03 Notice the following three quotations on the 19:07 past and future role of the papacy. 19:11 Very interesting. 19:13 "The influence of Rome in the countries that once 19:16 acknowledged her dominion is far from being destroyed. 19:21 And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power. 19:26 'I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; 19:29 and his deadly wound was healed: 19:30 and all the world wondered after the beast.'" 19:34 So how many stages does the career of the papacy have? 19:37 Two. 19:39 Verses 30 to 39; the past. 19:41 Verses 40 to 45; the future. 19:45 Not a repetition of prophecy, but a repetition of history, 19:51 because it's the same power that is ruling. 19:54 Now notice the second statement. 19:56 By the way, that one is, Great Controversy, 579. 19:58 Notice the next statement. 20:00 "When our nation," that is the United States, 20:03 shall so abjure the principles of its government 20:07 as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act 20:12 join hands with popery; 20:14 it will be nothing else than..." Doing what? 20:18 "...than giving life..." 20:19 Which means that it must have been dead, right? 20:21 "...to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching 20:25 its opportunity to spring again..." 20:28 What does that indicate, "spring again"? 20:30 It means that it acted in the past, right? 20:33 "...to spring again into active despotism." 20:38 That's, Testimonies, volume 5, page 712. 20:42 And here comes the third quotation. 20:45 "When the land which the Lord provided as an asylum 20:48 for His people, that they might worship Him 20:50 according to the dictates of their own consciences, 20:53 the land over which for long years the shield of Omnipotence 20:57 has been spread, the land which God has favored 21:00 by making it the depository of the pure religion of Christ, 21:04 when that land shall, through its legislators, 21:07 abjure the principles of Protestantism 21:10 and give countenance to Romish apostasy in tampering with 21:14 God's law, it is then that the final work of the 21:17 man of sin will be revealed. 21:20 Protestants will throw their whole influence and strength 21:22 on the side of the Papacy. 21:24 By a national act enforcing the false sabbath..." 21:28 Now notice the terminology here. 21:30 "...they will give..." What? 21:32 "... life and vigor..." 21:35 So did this system have life and vigor then before this? 21:39 Only during the 1260 years. 21:41 But it lost it, right? 21:44 So she continues saying, 21:45 "...they will give life and vigor, 21:49 life and vigor... 21:53 ...reviving," notice the word once gain, "reviving..." 21:56 That means that she was dead before, right? 21:58 "...reviving her tyranny and oppression of conscience. 22:03 Then it will be time for God to work in mighty power 22:07 for the vindication of His truth." 22:11 So are you clear on this point so far? 22:14 Daniel 11:30-39 is the past career of the papacy 22:19 during the 1260 years. 22:21 Scenes similar to the history that took place 22:25 will be repeated in the future. 22:27 Not the prophecy, but scenes similar of the history 22:31 of that period. 22:33 So where would you expect to find the similar scenes 22:37 of history in the future? 22:39 It would have to be verses 40 to 45. 22:41 Because if 30 to 49 is past, 40 to 45 would be the only 22:46 place where you could look for the future scenes. 22:50 Now the question is, does Ellen White have anything 22:54 to say about the events that are described in verses 40 to 45? 22:59 See, she already described verses 30 to 36. 23:02 She said that's past. 23:03 That's how the papacy acted in the past. 23:06 But the big question is, does Ellen White have anything to say 23:09 about verses 40 to 45, the future repetition of history 23:14 where the papacy will behave as it behaved in the past? 23:17 Well let's notice this. 23:19 Where would we even begin to look 23:22 if she never quotes these verses 23:24 or even alludes to their terminology? 23:28 I believe the key which will unlock her understanding 23:31 of these verses is found in her understanding 23:34 of Daniel 12 verse 1. 23:36 Though Ellen White never quoted or even alluded to the language 23:40 of Daniel 11:40-45, in the book, The Great Controversy, 23:45 she did quote the very next verse; Daniel 12 and verse 1. 23:50 I believe that the place where she quotes Daniel 12 verse 1 23:54 contains the key which unlocks her understanding 23:57 of the immediately preceding verses. 23:59 Are you seeing the principle that we talked about yesterday? 24:02 So if she quotes Daniel 12 verse 1, 24:05 maybe if you work backwards you'll know what she 24:08 has to say about verses 40 to 45 of the previous chapter. 24:13 In other words, you don't work inductively. 24:15 You work deductively. 24:17 You work like a detective. 24:20 You know, a detective gathers clues after the crime. 24:24 See, the criminal, he went through a series of steps. 24:26 So by deduction, you have to work forwards 24:30 from after the crime backwards. 24:32 Usually we work inductively. 24:35 But when you study Daniel 12 verse 1, 24:37 you have to work deductively, because Ellen White 24:41 doesn't have anything to say, apparently, about 24:44 verses 40 to 45. 24:46 But she does quote 12 verse 1. 24:48 So instead of working from verse 40 forwards, 24:51 which we can't do because she never uses the language of 24:54 verses 40 to 45, why not start at Daniel 12 verse 1 24:58 where she quotes that in, Great Controversy, 25:00 and see what she has to say before that specific verse. 25:06 Because Ellen White did not quote or even allude 25:09 to the terminology of verses 40 to 45 25:11 in, The Great Controversy, we cannot work from 25:14 verse 40 forwards because we don't know where her 25:18 comments on verse 40 are found. 25:21 What we must do then is work deductively 25:25 from Daniel 12:1-2 backwards. 25:28 So let's take a look at Daniel 12 verses 1 and 2. 25:32 "At that time Michael shall stand up..." 25:35 I have underlined four phrases here. 25:39 "At that time Michael shall stand up..." 25:42 That's phrase number one. 25:43 "...the great prince who stands watch over the 25:46 sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble..." 25:50 That's the second phrase, "there shall be a time of trouble." 25:52 "...such as never was since there was a nation, 25:55 even to that time. 25:57 And at that time your people shall be delivered..." 26:00 That's the third phrase, "your people shall be delivered." 26:02 "...everyone who is found written in the book. 26:05 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth..." 26:07 Here's number four. 26:09 "...shall awake, some to everlasting life, 26:11 some to shame and everlasting contempt." 26:15 So let me ask you, are those four events successive 26:20 one right after the other? 26:22 Of course they are. 26:23 First you have Michael standing up, 26:25 then you have the time of trouble, 26:26 then God's people are delivered, 26:28 and then you have the special resurrection, 26:30 those who awake. 26:31 They are a sequence of events. 26:34 So the bold type indicates that there are four sequential events 26:38 in Daniel 12:1-2. 26:40 The standing up of Michael, the time of trouble, 26:43 the deliverance of God's people, and the special resurrection. 26:48 Now let's notice how Ellen G. White developed these 26:51 four events in, The Great Controversy. 26:54 But let's do it in reverse order 26:56 beginning with the fourth item on the list; 26:59 the special resurrection. 27:00 Are you understanding what we're going to do? 27:02 We're going to work backwards. 27:03 And there's a reason for that. 27:05 Now where does Ellen White quote Daniel chapter 12 27:08 and verse 2, which is the fourth item? 27:11 Great Controversy, 637. 27:13 She says, "Graves are opened, and 'many of them that sleep 27:17 in the dust of the earth' 'awake, some to everlasting 27:21 life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.'" 27:25 So does Ellen White quote Daniel 12 verse 2? 27:28 Yes she does. 27:29 In, Great Controversy, 637. 27:32 Now would you expect, if Ellen White is giving these events 27:36 in chronological order, would you expect 27:38 the previous event, event number three, 27:41 to be a little bit before this one? 27:43 Of course. 27:45 So let's go to, Great Controversy, page 635, 27:47 to see if working backwards she mentions event number three. 27:52 Ellen White describes the third item on the list. 27:55 In fact, the chapter's title in, Great Controversy, 635, 28:00 is, God's People Delivered. 28:04 At the beginning of the chapter, she states, 28:06 "The people of God; some in prison cells, some hidden in 28:10 solitary retreats in the forests and the mountains, 28:13 still plead for divine protection, 28:15 while in every quarter companies of armed men, 28:18 urged on by hosts of evil angels, 28:21 are preparing for the work of death. 28:24 It is now, in the hour of utmost extremity, 28:28 that the God of Israel will interpose for the..." What? 28:31 "...for the deliverance of his chosen." 28:34 So does she mention deliverance, God's people will be delivered, 28:38 in page 635? 28:40 Now where would you expect to find phrase number two? 28:44 Maybe a little bit earlier? 28:47 But let me read another statement here before we 28:49 go to the second phrase in the order. 28:53 It will be noticed also that Ellen White concluded 28:57 the previous chapter, the previous one 28:59 to God's people delivered, with a clear allusion 29:03 to Daniel 12 verse 1, where we are told 29:06 that those who are written in the book will be delivered. 29:08 So she ends the chapter on the time of trouble 29:10 with the idea of God's people being delivered. 29:13 And then the very next chapter, the title is, 29:16 God's People Delivered. 29:17 Notice what she says. 29:18 "Glorious will be the..." What? 29:21 "...the deliverance of those who have patiently waited 29:24 for his coming, whose names are written in the book of life." 29:29 You see, we're working backwards? 29:31 Now, where would you expect to find phrase number two? 29:35 Earlier in, Great Controversy, right? 29:38 Now let's notice, Great Controversy, page 616. 29:42 Ellen White describes the second item on the list 29:46 by explaining the time of trouble through which 29:48 God's people will go. 29:50 In fact, on page 616, she says, "The people of God 29:55 will then be plunged into those scenes of affliction 29:58 and distress described by the prophet as..." What? 30:03 "...as the time of trouble." 30:07 And so on page 616, she's describing item number two. 30:13 Are you seeing this? 30:14 637, 635, 616. 30:19 Where would you expect to find the first item on the list? 30:23 Earlier than 616. Correct? 30:26 Notice page 613. 30:29 Ellen White begins the chapter on, The Time of Trouble, 30:32 by quoting Daniel 12 verse 1 and then amplifies 30:36 the meaning of the standing up of Michael, 30:39 the first time on that list. 30:42 This is her quotation. 30:44 "Then Jesus ceases his intercession in the 30:47 sanctuary above." 30:48 "When he leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers 30:50 the inhabitants of the earth. 30:52 In that fearful time the righteous must live in the 30:56 sight of a holy God without a mediator." 31:00 So is she commenting there on the standing up of Michael 31:04 and the close of probation? 31:05 Absolutely. 31:06 So what have we been doing? 31:08 Instead of working forwards, we're working backwards. 31:12 Now let's review here. 31:15 613; the standing up of Michael. 31:18 616; the time of trouble. 31:21 635, God's people delivered. 31:24 And 637, the special resurrection. 31:29 Now, let's take a look at a very important little expression. 31:33 The importance of the expression, "at that time." 31:37 It is extremely important to realize that Daniel 12:1-2 31:43 cannot be understood independently of its context. 31:47 Daniel 12:1-2 is actually a continuation 31:51 of the flow of events that transpired in the 31:54 previous verses. 31:57 In other words, verses 40 to 45. 32:00 This is clearly indicated by the fact that Daniel 12 verse 1 32:04 begins with a time reference; "at that time," 32:10 which links Daniel 12 verse 1 with what occurred previously 32:14 in verses 40 to 45. 32:15 Are you with me or not? 32:18 Now the key question is, where would we expect 32:23 to find Ellen White's comments about what takes place 32:26 before Daniel 12 verse 1? 32:29 The answer is unmistakable. 32:31 It must be found in the pages that immediately precede 32:35 the chapter on the standing up of Michael 32:38 and the time of trouble. 32:41 Is this making sense? 32:43 See, we're doing the work of a detective. 32:45 We're working backwards. 32:47 You know, the detective, when there's a crime, he has to 32:51 work backwards and retrace the steps on the individual 32:54 who committed the crime. 32:55 We're not saying that this is a crime. 32:57 But we're using just an example of working backwards. 33:01 Now, we need to understand the literary structure 33:05 of Daniel 11:44b, that is the second half of the verse, 33:09 through verse 45 and Daniel 12 verse 1. 33:13 In other words, Daniel 11:44, the last part of the verse, 33:16 and verse 45, we're going to compare now with 33:19 Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1. 33:22 Now let's carefully consider the literary structure 33:25 of Daniel 11:44b through 45 as it relates to Daniel 12 verse 1 33:32 in order to ascertain to what event the expression, 33:36 "at that time," refers to. 33:39 A comparison of these two passages reveals 33:42 that they are describing the same events 33:46 in the same order, but with a different terminology 33:50 and emphasis. 33:51 In other words, 11:44b-45 and Daniel 12 verse 1 33:57 are describing the same events, but with different terminology 34:00 and a different emphasis. 34:02 You'll see what I mean. 34:04 Let's take Daniel 11:44b-45 first. 34:08 The king of the north goes out to destroy and annihilate many. 34:13 That's 11:44b. 34:16 The next event is in verse 45a where it says 34:20 the king of the north sets up the tents of his palace 34:23 in a strategic place between the sea and the 34:26 glorious holy mountain. 34:28 And then 11:45b says the king of the north 34:32 comes to his end with none to help him. 34:35 You see the sequence there? 34:37 He goes out to destroy, he sets up the tents of his palace, 34:40 and he comes to his end with none to help him. 34:43 Now let's notice Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1. 34:46 Michael stands up to defend His people. 34:49 Why does He stand up to defend His people? 34:52 Because in the "a" line above, the king of the north 34:55 has gone out to destroy them. 34:58 Why does the time of trouble such as never was ensue? 35:03 Because the king of the north has set up the tents of his 35:05 palace in a strategic place between the sea and the 35:08 glorious holy mountain. 35:11 And what is meant by the king of the north coming to his end 35:14 with none to help him? 35:16 It means that God's people will be what? 35:18 God's people will be delivered. 35:21 Are you understanding this? 35:23 Now let's continue the commentary. 35:25 Daniel 11:44b-45 and 12:1 are precisely parallel, 35:31 but they portray a different emphasis. 35:35 Whereas Daniel 11:44b-45 highlights the activities of 35:40 the king of the north and its destiny for oppressing 35:43 God's people, Daniel 12 verse 1 focuses on the jeopardy of 35:47 God's people at the hand of the king of the north 35:50 and their deliverance by God. 35:52 This is the way that it works out... 35:54 Now notice. 35:56 When the king of the north goes out with great fury to 35:58 destroy and annihilate many, Michael will stand up to 36:02 protect and defend them. 36:03 When the king of the north places the tent of his palace 36:06 in a strategic location to deliver the final death blow 36:09 against God's people, they will go through a terrible 36:12 time of trouble such as never was. 36:15 But the king of the north will come to his end 36:17 with none to help him when God intervenes to deliver His people 36:20 who are written in the book. 36:22 The expression, "at that time," thus links Daniel 11:44b-45 36:28 with Daniel 12 verse 1. 36:31 Are you following me? 36:33 Now what about Daniel 11:44a? 36:38 You say, "Why did you begin at Daniel 11:44b?" 36:41 Well let's notice at the first part of verse 44. 36:45 But what about Daniel 11:44a? 36:49 Here, we are told that tidings from the north and from the east 36:53 will trouble the king of the north. 36:55 This phrase explains the reason why the king of the north 36:58 will go out to attempt to destroy and annihilate many. 37:01 The last half of verse 44 says he's going to go out to 37:04 destroy and annihilate many. 37:06 Why is it that he's going to do that? 37:07 Because the first half of the verse says that tidings from 37:12 the north and from the east will what? 37:14 Will trouble the king of the north. 37:16 Notice what the verse says. 37:17 "But news from the east and the north shall trouble him..." 37:21 And that means, to alarm him or to disturb him. 37:24 That is, the king of the north. 37:26 "...therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy 37:30 and annihilate many." 37:32 What is it that leads the king of the north to go out and 37:35 try to destroy God's people? 37:37 There's some certain tidings that come from the north 37:39 and from the east that infuriate him. 37:42 Now, what is this news from the east and the north 37:47 that so infuriates the king of the north that he seeks 37:50 to destroy many? 37:51 We must to go the book of Revelation 37:54 for the answer, because we are told that the book of Daniel 37:58 is unsealed by the book of Revelation. 38:01 In fact, Ellen White says in, Christ Triumphant, page 344, 38:04 "The books of Daniel and the Revelation are one. 38:08 One is a prophecy, the other a revelation; 38:11 one a book sealed, and the other a book opened." 38:17 Now listen carefully. 38:19 Revelation 7 verse 2 describes an angel who ascends 38:23 from the east having the seal of the living God. 38:29 What is the seal of the living God? 38:31 It's the Sabbath message, folks. 38:33 This angel comes to seal the faithful of God 38:36 upon their foreheads. 38:38 In contrast, the land beast will impose what? 38:41 The mark of the beast on pain of death to those who refuse it. 38:46 So what are the tidings from the east? 38:49 It's the sealing message. 38:51 What about the tidings from the north? 38:53 Revelation 18:1-5 portrays a powerful angel 38:58 who descends from where? 39:00 From heaven. 39:01 And where is heaven? 39:03 In the sides of the north. That's right. 39:06 And gives a clarion call for God's people to reject 39:10 the mark of the beast and to get out of Babylon 39:13 before Babylon is destroyed. 39:15 Thus, the tidings from the north and from the east 39:18 are identified by the book of Revelation as the 39:21 message of the sealing and the call to come out of Babylon. 39:27 Good to hear those amens. 39:29 You're following along. Good. 39:32 Ellen White concurs with this biblical view. 39:35 The chapter immediately preceding the one on the 39:38 standing up of Michael and the time of trouble 39:41 is titled, The Final Warning. 39:44 Huh, how interesting. 39:46 The Final Warning. 39:48 Ellen White begins this chapter in, Great Controversy, 603... 39:52 Is that earlier? 39:54 Yes. 39:55 ..on page 603 by quoting Revelation 18 39:59 verse 1, verse 2, verses 4 and 5. 40:02 In perfect accordance with Revelation 7 verse 2, 40:05 she then described on page 605 the issue that 40:09 will divide the world. 40:10 This is what she says, 40:11 "While the observance of the false sabbath 40:14 in compliance with the law of the State, 40:16 contrary to the fourth commandment, 40:18 will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in 40:21 opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath, 40:24 in obedience to God's law, is an evidence of 40:27 loyalty to the Creator. 40:29 While one class, by accepting the sign of submission 40:32 to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, 40:35 the other, choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, 40:39 receive the seal of God." 40:41 So does the previous chapter deal with the sealing? 40:45 The angel that comes from the east? 40:46 Absolutely. 40:48 In the same chapter, Ellen White goes on to describe 40:52 the anger that this message will cause in the religious world. 40:55 Remember that the tidings from the north and the east 40:58 infuriate the king of the north. 41:00 Now notice what Ellen White says on page 607. 41:04 She says, "The power attending the message will only..." What? 41:08 "...will only madden those who oppose it." 41:11 And on pages 614 and 615, she says, "The power attending 41:16 the last warning has enraged the wicked; 41:19 their anger is kindled against all who have received 41:22 the message, and Satan will excite to still greater 41:25 intensity the spirit of hatred and persecution." 41:30 So what are the tidings from the north and from the east? 41:33 It's the loud cry of Revelation 18 41:36 and it is the sealing of Revelation chapter 7 41:39 that infuriates the king of the north. 41:41 And Ellen White comments this earlier than what we find 41:45 in Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1. 41:49 So does Ellen White have anything to say about 41:51 the tidings from the north and from the east, 41:53 and the anger of the king of the north 41:55 going out to destroy God's people? 41:57 Of course she does. 41:58 She doesn't use the verses, she doesn't use the terms. 42:01 But if you follow the sequence, you're going to find 42:04 that the sealing, the angel that comes from the east, 42:07 is equivalent to tidings from the east, 42:09 and the message of the loud cry that comes from 42:13 heaven, from the north, is the tidings from the north. 42:17 Now let's continue. 42:19 Thus, the news from the north is identified in 42:22 Revelation 18 as the loud cry of the angel who 42:25 descends from heaven, from the north. 42:27 And the news from the east is the message concerning the 42:31 seal of God in Revelation 7. 42:33 This message from the north and from the east 42:36 is described in Daniel 11:44a, 42:39 where the king of the north is filled with fury 42:43 to the point of wanting to destroy God's remnant, 42:47 as described in Daniel chapter 11 verse 44b. 42:52 So far so good? 42:54 Alright, very good. 42:55 Now, let's talk about the beginning point of 42:59 Daniel 11:40-45. 43:01 See, we've only dealt with some of the events. 43:04 I'm not going to go through all of the other events 43:06 that take us all the way to verse 40. 43:08 But you have the principle now, right? 43:11 You know now that you can work backwards. 43:13 So where would you expect to find Ellen White's comments 43:17 about what comes before verse 44 of chapter 11? 43:21 Well you have to go earlier, don't you. 43:24 Now, we have focused in this article, or this lecture, 43:28 primarily on the events from Daniel 11:44 to Daniel 12:2. 43:33 But if we continued moving backwards in, 43:35 The Great Controversy, before page 603, 43:39 we would find in reverse order that Ellen White expounds 43:42 upon each phrase of Daniel 11:40-45 43:46 ending with the chapter on the Bible and the French Revolution 43:50 where the deadly wound of Daniel 11:40a is described. 43:55 That's pages 265-288. 43:59 Though she does not employ the terminology of verses 40-45, 44:03 the sequence of events clearly reveals 44:06 that she is discussing these verses. 44:10 In Daniel 11:40a, we are told that the king of the south 44:14 would push at the king of the north 44:17 at the time of the end. 44:19 Ellen White clearly identifies the beginning of the 44:22 time of the end as the year 1798 when France 44:26 dealt the papacy its deadly wound. 44:29 So where does Daniel 11 verse 40 begin? 44:34 It begins with the French Revolution. 44:36 And it begins in, Great Controversy, page 356. 44:40 The word, "push," does not adequately portray 44:44 the idea of the text. 44:46 The historical event that is described by this word 44:49 was not a friendly nudge or a shove. 44:52 The NIV translates, "will engage him in battle," 44:58 while the ESV translates, "shall attack him." 45:02 That is, in the year 1798, some power described as 45:06 the king of the south would attack the king of the north. 45:10 So where do you begin in, The Great Controversy, 45:13 the study of verse 40? 45:16 You begin where she comments on the French Revolution, page 356. 45:21 And so, as you continue studying after page 356, 45:25 you're going to discover all of the events 45:27 between verse 40 and verse 44. 45:31 Now let's continue here. 45:33 There is a wide consensus among students of prophecy 45:37 in the Seventh-day Adventist church 45:39 that the king of the north represents the papacy. 45:42 And until recently, there was a broad consensus that 45:45 the king of the south represents secularism 45:49 as it is manifested in the French Revolution. 45:52 But times have changed. 45:54 And some Adventist preachers, as they look at current events, 45:58 are re-interpreting the king of the south 46:00 as a symbol of militant Islam. 46:04 Literally and geographically speaking, the king of the 46:07 south was Egypt. 46:09 Because Egypt was the kingdom that was south of Israel. 46:13 But in the end time, we are not dealing with literal 46:15 geographical locations, but rather with global systems. 46:19 We've studied that. 46:21 Who is the king of the south, spiritually speaking. 46:25 I believe that Revelation 11, which is linked with the 46:28 fifth and sixth trumpets, by the way, 46:30 clearly identifies France as spiritual Egypt. 46:34 While Babylon represents a global apostate 46:37 religious system, Egypt symbolizes the secular powers 46:41 of the world that threw off the yoke of papal Rome 46:45 beginning with France. 46:47 Revelation 17 explains that for a very short while 46:51 at the end of time, the secular powers of the world 46:55 will once again join together in unholy wedlock 46:58 with the harlot. 47:00 But in the end, the kings of the earth will hate the 47:04 Babylonian harlot and destroy her. 47:08 Babylon was the literal and geographical 47:14 king of the north in biblical times, 47:16 because it was the enemy that invaded literal Israel 47:19 from the literal north. 47:21 But today, the king of the north is a global spiritual system 47:25 of counterfeit religion, the Roman Catholic Papacy. 47:28 The papacy is certainly not literally 47:30 north of literal Israel. 47:32 Actually, it is west. 47:34 We must therefore interpret the king of the north 47:36 and the king of the south symbolically. 47:40 And what was the main characteristic 47:42 of France in 1798? 47:44 Why is France called Egypt? 47:46 The spirit of the French Revolution was atheism. 47:50 But actually, Daniel 11:40a involves far more than atheism. 47:55 The genius of the French Revolution 47:58 culminating with the captivity of Pope Pious VI 48:01 was to secularize the government and separate it 48:05 from its adulterous relationship with the church. 48:08 In the course of several decades after the French Revolution, 48:11 country after country in Europe established secular governments 48:15 separate from the dominance of the papacy. 48:19 Ellen White has stated why the papacy 48:21 has not been able to ascend to power once more. 48:24 She says, "Let the restraints now imposed by secular 48:28 governments be removed and Rome be re-instated 48:31 in her former power and there would speedily be 48:34 a revival of her tyranny and persecution." 48:39 So Daniel 11 verse 40 says that the king of the south 48:43 would push at the king of the north. 48:46 And the time of the end there is 1798, 48:50 according to the spirit of prophecy. 48:51 So we have to look for an event where the king of the south 48:53 attacked the king of the north in 1798, or around that time. 48:57 What event do we find that fulfills that prophecy? 49:01 France. 49:03 Because France said, "I don't know God." 49:07 France rejected the true God and attacked Babylon, 49:12 or the king of the north, which is the papacy. 49:16 And Ellen White comments that on page 356. 49:20 So we know what the starting point is. 49:22 The starting point for Daniel 11 verse 40 49:25 is page 356. 49:27 The ending point of Daniel 12 verse 2 49:31 is found in, Great Controversy, page 637. 49:35 So what do you have in between? 49:38 All of the events between verse 40 49:40 and Daniel 12 verse 2. 49:42 So all you have to do is study the pages in between there 49:46 and you're going to find Ellen White's concept 49:48 of verses 40 to 45. 49:50 Are you with me or not? 49:51 Now, we have the following beginning and ending points 49:55 then for Daniel 11 verses 40 to 45. 49:59 Daniel 11:40a is commented on in, Great Controversy, 265-288. 50:06 That's the French Revolution. 50:08 France attacks the papacy, inflicts the deadly wound, 50:12 the elicit love relationship between church and state 50:14 is severed, and thus the papacy is restrained. 50:18 The next passage is Daniel 11:40b through 11:43. 50:24 In Great Controversy, Ellen White, from page 289 to page 605 50:29 comments on these events. 50:30 These verses describe events that transpire 50:34 between the infliction of the deadly wound in 1798 50:37 and the loud cry. 50:39 Then Daniel 11:44a you have in, Great Controversy, 605. 50:45 It's the loud cry and the sealing message 50:48 that trouble and enrage the king of the north, or the papacy. 50:51 Then you have Daniel 11:44b and Daniel 12 verse 1, 50:57 the first part of the verse, in, Great Controversy, 607, 51:01 where you have the rage of the wicked 51:04 increasing because of the loud cry and the wicked wanting to 51:08 destroy God's people. 51:10 And then you have Daniel 11 verse 45a 51:14 and 12:1b, which are parallel, beginning with, 51:17 Great Controversy, 613 and following. 51:20 There you have the universal death decree 51:22 against God's people. 51:24 It is signed as the king of the north sets up his tents 51:27 in a strategic position to deliver the final death blow 51:31 against God's people. 51:32 This causes a time of trouble for God's people 51:35 such as never has been. 51:37 Then you have Daniel 11:45b, which is parallel 51:42 to Daniel 12 verse 1c, or the third part of the verse. 51:46 And that is commented on in, Great Controversy, 51:49 635 and following. 51:52 There, the king of the north comes to his end 51:54 with none to help him because his supporters forsake him. 51:58 And as a result, God's people are delivered. 52:01 And then Daniel chapter 12 and verse 2, which is 52:05 commented on in, Great Controversy, 637, 52:08 Ellen White describes the special resurrection 52:11 of those who died in the faith of the third angel's message. 52:15 Thus, the two reference points for the beginning and ending 52:18 of Daniel 11:40-45 are the French Revolution 52:22 at the beginning as described in, Great Controversy, 265-288, 52:27 and the deliverance of God's people and the special 52:30 resurrection in, Great Controversy, 635 and 637. 52:35 In between these two reference points 52:37 we have the events that Ellen White describes 52:40 in, Great Controversy, 289-604. 52:44 A careful study of these pages will reveal 52:46 that Ellen White comments on all the details 52:49 in verses 40b through verse 43 without actually using 52:55 the language. 52:56 Are you following along with this? 52:58 It's extremely interesting. 53:00 So does Ellen White have anything to say 53:02 about verses 40-45? 53:04 You bet she does. 53:06 But she doesn't use the verse, she doesn't quote the verses, 53:09 and she doesn't use the language. 53:10 So people say, "Oh, Ellen White was silent on that." 53:13 No she wasn't. 53:14 She simply uses different terminology. 53:17 And there's a historical reason for that. 53:19 Now let's go quickly here, because time is almost up. 53:22 It is simply amazing how Ellen White vividly describes 53:25 the events of Daniel 11:40-45 without ever quoting the verses 53:30 or alluding to the language. 53:32 Why didn't she just come out and quote the verses 53:35 and then comment on them? 53:36 There's a clear historical reason. 53:38 The original view of the pioneers was that the 53:41 king of the north represents the Roman Catholic Papacy. 53:44 This is the clear view expressed in the pamphlet, 53:47 A Word to the Little Flock Scattered Abroad, 53:49 co-authored by James and Ellen White in 1847. 53:54 But in the early 1870's, Uriah Smith, who was the 53:58 highly respected editor of the, 54:00 Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 54:01 changed the view of the pioneers by re-interpreting the king of 54:05 the north as Turkey. 54:07 You see, in Smith's day, Turkey was prominent in the news. 54:10 So he changed the traditional view to fit current events. 54:15 James White was flabbergasted by Smith's new view 54:19 and accused him of removing one of the landmarks 54:21 of the advent movement. 54:23 Things started getting nasty and members began taking sides. 54:27 In this context, Ellen White instructed her husband 54:30 to desist of his criticism. 54:32 She knew that an understanding of Daniel 11:40-45 54:37 was not a matter of life and death at that time. 54:41 Her main concern at that moment was to preserve 54:43 the unity of the church. 54:45 If Ellen White had quoted the verses of Daniel 11:40-45 54:49 and offered a view contradictory to Uriah Smith's, 54:53 she would have been accused of nepotism. 54:55 So she commented on these verses without quoting them 54:59 or alluding to the language, knowing full well 55:03 that someday someone would discover her view of the matter. 55:07 Significantly, in the eschatological portion of, 55:11 The Great Controversy, Ellen White does not mention 55:14 Islam even once as playing any role in the fulfillment of 55:18 Bible prophecy in the end time. 55:20 It appears that Ellen White saw no prophetic significance 55:23 to the rise of radical Islam. 55:25 The same is true of the great chain prophecies of Scripture. 55:28 There is no reference to Islam in the prophecies of 55:30 Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Daniel 8, Daniel 9, Revelation 12, 55:35 Revelation 13, Matthew 24, and Revelation 17. 55:39 Neither is there any reference to Islam in the series of the 55:42 churches and the seals. 55:44 Ellen White's silence on the role of Islam in Bible prophecy 55:48 has puzzled some Seventh-day Adventist scholars 55:51 who have concluded that Ellen White simply did not 55:53 have all the light on end time events. 55:56 At least one of these scholars has even reached the conclusion 55:58 that Ellen White was wrong in her interpretation of 56:01 the little horn as the symbol of the papacy. 56:04 And he re-interpreted it as Islam. 56:07 That's Sam Bacchiocchi. 56:08 Don't get me wrong. 56:10 I'm not saying that Islam might not play a role 56:12 in the precipitation of end time events 56:15 as they are described in, The Great Controversy. 56:18 It is true that Islam might serve as a catalyst 56:21 for the fulfillment of Bible prophecies 56:23 concerning the United States and the papacy. 56:25 But I do not believe that the rising power 56:27 of militant Islam is contemplated directly 56:31 by prophecy itself. 56:33 That is to say, in the light of the biblical evidence, 56:36 I do not believe that radical Islam fulfills any specific 56:39 end time prophecy, but very well could serve as a catalyst 56:43 for the fulfillment of prophecy. 56:44 After all, radical Islam has brought the United States 56:47 to prominence and has led it to flex its military muscles, 56:51 and has made the curtailing of our civil and religious 56:54 liberties easier. 56:55 And it has also misdirected the eyes of Christians, 56:58 and even a few Seventh-day Adventists, to the Middle East 57:01 for the fulfillment of prophecy. 57:03 Thus hiding from view the powers that will play a role 57:05 in the end time events; 57:06 the papacy and apostate Protestantism. 57:09 Time has proven that Uriah Smith's re-interpretation of 57:13 the king of the north was wrong. 57:15 Will we learn from his mistake? 57:17 Will we ever learn that the best way to understand prophecy 57:21 is not to read the newspapers or to watch CNN, 57:24 but rather to study our Bibles. 57:29 So were you able to follow along? 57:31 It's a fascinating study, isn't it. 57:33 I mean, it's like detective work. 57:35 It's fun. 57:37 I had a great time working my way through this. 57:40 And you know, time and again, Ellen White makes comments 57:42 that you can discover if you just use these principles. |
Revised 2015-09-02