Lesson 11: From Battle to Victory
Daniel chapter 10 is a link between the vision of the 490 years probation for the Jewish nation after their return from Babylonian captivity (9:24-27), and the final vision of world history to the "time of the end" (chapters 11 and 12). It is fascinating because it gives us a behind-the-scenes view of the way God intercedes to beat back the powers of darkness that is hindering His work.
The misunderstanding concerning "the daily" and what the "prince of the host" is, shows up again in Thursday's lesson. The "prince of the host" is not Christ. Neither is Daniel 8:11 referring to a heavenly "host" or angels. The "host" in Daniel 8:11 is the pagan military "host" that gave his power to the rising papacy in A.D. 508, when the Frankish king, Clovis, was baptized into the papal church, and surrendered his entire army to the service of the bishop of Rome. In that way, paganism was "absorbed into" and exalted in the papal, "little horn" system.
If this view is not accepted as correct, then there is no explanation for the 1290 years in Daniel 12:11, which is speaking of the very same "desolating power" that is prophesied in Daniel 8:9-12; 9:27, and 11:31. "Those who hold to the view that the 'daily' refers to the continual priestly ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary and to the true worship of Christ in the gospel age find no satisfactory explanation of this text [Daniel 12:11]." [1]
Just as Satan was interfering with God's work in returning the Jews to Jerusalem and reestablishing them there as a sovereign nation (see Ezra 7:25, 26) in preparation for the first advent of Christ, so Satan has been working to hinder God's work through His remnant church that should be preparing for second advent of Christ. By infiltrating the modern remnant church with evangelical theology, such as "the daily" being the ministry of Christ, the claim that sin was finished at the cross (Calvinism), and futurism that is creeping into our prophetic teachings, God's people are being subtly led deeper into Laodicean lukewarmness.
"This means that Satan will endeavor to commandeer the whole system of substitution just as he took over the old sacrificial system to fight against Christ and the preaching of the new covenant. He [Satan] will proclaim that the gospel of the Reformation, the preaching of Martin Luther, is sufficient to prepare a people for the second advent, and the Lord will come when we have done enough proclaiming. He [Satan] will insist that substitution is sufficient and there is no need for repentance and cleansing." [2]
"We may have much so-called 'righteousness by faith,' but it is a far cry from the light that the Lord gave this people in the 1888 message. And not only has the charismatic movement made attempts to seduce the remnant church through an extremely subjective 'gospel,' but the opposite extreme of a purely objective Calvinist or Reformationist 'gospel' has exploited our widespread ignorance of the 1888 message." [3]
Just as Christ and Gabriel wrestled with the leader of the Medes, Christ and the Holy Spirit are now wrestling with the leadership of the modern remnant church. "The Lord had [a blessing] for us at Minneapolis ... but there was no reception. Some received the light for the people and rejoiced in it. Then there were others that stood right back, and their positionhas given confidence to others to talk unbelief." "Leading men are giving a mold to the work that will result in a loss of souls." [4]
Christ has called His people to repentance through His last message to the world--"be zealous therefore, and repent!" (Rev. 3:19). We continue to believe the smooth words of theologians and cynics who claim that there will never be a "last generation" through whom Christ will demonstrate His power to perfect our characters, and prepare a people for translation. Accepting the words of the skeptics causes us to believe that there is nothing for us to do but wait for the grave to take us. If there will never be a people that finally surrenders to Christ and allows Him to clean us up, then the hope of translation evaporates as a mist.
"We have been enriched by an acceptance of the message that was to illuminate the earth with glory and prepare that generation for translation. Yet no one has been translated, and the loud cry has not yet lighted the earth. This means either one of two things: the message was not what Ellen White said it was, or our acceptance of it was not what we have supposed it was." [5]
We must not overlook the desperation under which Satan toils to prevent God's last message to the dying world from going forward. When it is accepted and proclaimed with the power of the Holy Spirit through the latter rain, Satan's days are at an end. Therefore, he is doing everything he can, using anyone who will promote conflict and doubt that will turn God's people from the message of Christ and His righteousness.
9"According to Ellen White, the 1888 Conference was a miniature Calvary, a demonstration of the same spirit of unbelief and opposition to God's righteousness that inspired the ancient Jews. The spirit that actuated the opposers of the message was not a minor misunderstanding, a temporary underestimate of a debatable doctrine. It was inward rebellion against the Lord. If the Lord's messenger [Ellen White] means what she says over and over, it was a reenactment of the crucifixion of Christ--in principle. This reality is our great stone of stumbling and our rock of offense." [6]
It is past time for us to wake from our Laodicean stupor, repent of our continued resistance to the work of the Holy Spirit in us as individuals, and as a corporate body. It is time for Christ to receive the honor and blessing due to Him when every creature on earth will proclaim, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever" (Rev. 5:13).
--Ann Walper
Endnotes:
[1] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary,vol. 4, p. 881.
[2] Donald K. Short,Then Shall the Sanctuary Be Cleansed, p. 97, CFI ed. (2018).
[3] Robert J. Wieland,The 1888 Message: An Introduction, p. 34, Glad Tidings ed. (1980).
[4] Ellen G. White, quoted in Robert J. Wieland,Grace on Trial, p. 138, Glad Tidings ed. (2001).
[5] Ibid.
[6] Robert J. Wieland,Corporate Repentance: Plea of the True Witness, Glad Tidings ed., p. 127 (1992).
Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJea1K8wE94
"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm
| RR |
