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Bro. Ostis Wilson Jr.'s Commentary |
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Prophecies |
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Questions Concerning . . . |
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(Click on a heading to read
the respective article.) |
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Signs and Wonders Foretold by
Christ
Question: Please comment on Luke 21:25-27. Is this
speaking literally or spiritually? Also Mark 13:19-20.
Answer: Luke 21:25-27 reads thus: "And there shall be
signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon
the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and
the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for
looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for
the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see
the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
Mark 13:19-20 says, "For in those days shall be affliction,
such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God
created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the
Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but
for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened
the days."
It must surely be evident that some very cataclysmic and
catastrophic things are being set forth here. Let us at once
drop the idea of any literal interpretation on these
scriptures. But in a very real sense, spiritually and
figuratively, this scripture spoken by Jesus Himself has been
fearfully and wonderfully fulfilled and these things have come
to pass. Both of the passages incorporated in this question
are a part of Christ's discourse to His disciples concerning
the destruction of Jerusalem, the complete overthrow of the
Jewish polity, the end of the world, and of the signs of His
second coming. Luke merely refers to signs in the sun, moon,
and stars; but Matthew goes a little further in describing
those signs. I wish to insert here Matthew 24:29 which says,
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun
be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the
stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken." Since Matthew identifies those signs in more
detail, I would like to transfer the emphasis to Matthew 24:29
for the time being.
We must recognize that many prophecies have a twofold
fulfillment, especially prophecies concerning the Jews and
ancient Israel. The reason for this can be easily explained
because literal Israel was a type of spiritual Israel, and
some of the things which happened to them have been repeated
in the history of the Church in this age of time.
This scripture probably had its primary fulfillment in the
destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, and Adam
Clarke applies it totally to that, excluding all other
explanations. He says, "In the prophetic language, great
commotions upon earth are often represented under the notion
of commotions and changes in the heavens. The fall of Babylon
is represented by the stars and constellations of heaven
withdrawing their light, and the sun and moon being darkened
Isaiah 13:9-10; the destruction of Egypt, by the heavens being
covered, the sun enveloped with a cloud, and the moon
withholding her light Ezekiel 32:7-8. The destruction of the
Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes is represented by casting down
some of the host of heaven, and the stars to the ground Daniel
8:10." He further says in regard to this particular scripture,
"The Jewish heaven shall perish, and the sun and moon of its
glory and happiness shall be darkened brought to nothing. The
sun is the religion of the church; the moon is the government
of the state; and the stars are the judges and doctors of
both."
I will not make any argument with this, as the applications
seem to fit all right. But I do not at all consider that to be
the end of this prophecy. If it had a fulfillment at that
time, the historic annals of the Church in this age of time
surely show a terrible fulfillment of it in the Church.
However, I agree that it had a very catastrophic fulfillment
in the Jewish nation. I want to discuss it now as it pertains
to the history of the Church.
In Isaiah 21:11-12 we read, "The burden of Dumah. He calleth
to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night?... The
watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye
will enquire, enquire ye: return, come." The reference here is
to a time of night and darkness a time when men groped for the
Word of God and could not find it Amos 8:11-12. Dumah means
"silence" and, no doubt, refers to the period of about 400
years between Malachi and Christ when there was no prophet or
voice from God; just silence. When the call came to the
watchman, "What of the night?" or what time of night is it?
The answer came back, "The morning cometh." Surely that was a
comforting message for night and silence-weary Israel.
Accordingly, the morning came, the gospel day dawned and
Jesus, the Sun of righteousness arose with healing in His
wings (Malachi 4:2), and "The people which sat in darkness saw
great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of
death light is sprung up." (Matthew 4:16.) Jesus is the Light
of the world (John 8:12). The dawning of the gospel day was a
great event to the human race, and Jesus during His ministry
healed their dread diseases, cast out the devils, bore the
burdens, and alleviated the sufferings of those who came to
Him. His apostles and the early Christian Church continued the
same work and manifested the power and glory of God and the
light continued to shine for a considerable period of time.
After he had announced the coming of the morning, the watchman
followed up by saying, "And also the night." There was another
night coming after the dawning of the morning. In Amos 8:9 we
read, "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord
God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will
darken the earth in the clear day." The term, "In that day,"
was often used by the prophets to signify this gospel day in
which we live. In this day, right at noon when the sun was at
its zenith and shining in its glory and brilliance, it would
suddenly drop out of sight, and the clear day would become
dark. Read Micah 3:5-7, telling that the sun would go down
over the prophets, and it would be dark unto them and they
would have no vision.
In Isaiah 63:18 we read, "The people of thy holiness have
possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden
down thy sanctuary." This actually came to pass in the great
apostasy from the truth which came in about 270 A.D. About
this time a worldly and ambitious spirit began to work in many
of the ministers. Instead of the humble, lowly ministry which
characterized the early Church, ministers began to strive and
compete one with another for power, position, preeminence, and
worldly gain. Some became exalted above others and still
others became exalted over them, and this trend finally
resulted in the establishment of the Pope of Rome as the
universal head of the church.
Paul wrote in II Thessalonians 2:3-4 about the falling away
which would come after his time and the revealing of the man
of sin, the son of perdition "Who opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so
that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself
that he is God." In verses 9 and 10 he says, "Even him, whose
coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not
the love of the truth, that they might be saved." In verse 7
he spoke of the "mystery of iniquity" and said it was already
working. This "mystery of iniquity" was the worldly,
ambitious, striving, competing spirit for preeminence and
position which laid the groundwork for this "man of sin" to be
exalted to his supreme position.
The historian Mosheim wrote of these men that they
"Imperceptibly extended the limits of their authority, turned
their influence into dominion, and their councils into laws;
and openly asserted at length, that Christ had empowered them
to prescribe to his people, authoritative rules of faith and
manners." Taken from page 106 of The Revelation Explained by
F. G. Smith.
F. G. Smith again quotes from D'Aubigne's History of the
Reformation on page 195 of Revelation Explained. "Salvation no
longer flowing from the Word which was henceforward put out of
sight, the priests affirmed that it was conveyed by means of
the forms they had themselves invented, and that no one could
attain it except by these channels.... Christ communicated to
the apostles, and these to the bishops, the union of the Holy
Spirit; and this Spirit is to be procured only in that order
of succession.... Faith in the heart no longer connected the
members of the Church, and they were united by means of
bishops, archbishops, popes, mitres, canons and ceremonies."
One more quotation from D'Aubigne from page 185 of the same
book, "The living church retiring gradually within the lonely
sanctuary of a few solitary hearts, an external church was
substituted in its place, and all its forms were declared to
be of divine appointment."
When the "man of sin" exalted himself above all that is called
God, this pushed Christ into the background and put Him out of
sight. When these exalted men declared they had authority to
prescribe authoritative rules of faith and manners for the
people of God, that pushed the Word of God into the background
and put it out of sight. Jesus was the Sun of righteousness;
the Light of the world. He was darkened. The stars, which
symbolize ministers (Revelation 1:20) and those who
apostatized and departed from the true faith, fell from their
high and heavenly position.
This is my understanding, and so far as I know the
understanding of my brethren in general of this text of
Scripture.
My understanding of Mark 13:20, "And except that the Lord had
shortened those days, no flesh should be saved:..." is this:
The passage was in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem
and the overthrow of the Jewish nation, and this statement
referred specifically to them. The destruction of human life
was so extensive (Josephus, a Jewish historian accounts for at
least 1,357,000 that perished in the conquest of Judaea) that
had it gone on much longer, perhaps not a single Jew would
have been spared. The "...tribulation of those days..." in
Matthew 24:29 and the severe affliction spoken of in Mark
13:29 refer to the extremely severe conditions prevailing with
the Jews during the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and
the overthrow of the Jewish nation. The detailed description
of this given by Josephus is terrifying and sickening. Jesus
said there had never been anything like it from the beginning
of the creation and never would be anything to match it again.
The wrath and vengeance of Him to Whom vengeance belongs
against sin, rebellion, and rejection of His Son is a dreadful
thing. Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God." I urge all who read this to flee
from the wrath to come.
It was soon after these things that the conditions began to
develop which plunged the world into the Dark Ages referred to
in figure in Matthew 24:29. |
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The Dark and Cloudy Day (Ezekiel)
Question: Please discuss Ezekiel 34:12 "the cloudy and
dark day."
Answer: The gospel dispensation or gospel day is
divided into four parts and to get a clear understanding of
any one of them it must be viewed in connection with the
related other parts of the day. These periods are known as the
"morning time;" the "noon time" when the sun was darkened at
noon and the earth was darkened in the clear day (Amos 8:9)
which is known in history as the "dark age" of Popery; then a
period which was neither light nor dark (known to the Lord as
not day nor night in Zechariah 14:6-7, and known as the
"cloudy and dark day" in Ezekiel 34:12); then the "evening
time" which was to be light. (Zechariah 14:7.) Thus we have a
gospel day which was bright and glorious both in its morning
and evening, its beginning and ending. These two periods of
time of gross darkness, the dark ages of Popery, were followed
by a time of part light and part darkness as they approached
the Evening Time when the sun was again to shine forth in its
strength.
Now for a brief summary of each of those periods in order to
establish the "cloudy and dark day" in its relation to the
other periods of the gospel day.
In Isaiah 21:11 we read, "The burden of Dumah. He calleth me
out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of
the night?" According to the Pictorial Bible Dictionary (Zondervan),
Dumah means silence. This prophecy probably refers to the 400
year period between the close of the Old Testament with
Malachi to the beginning of the New Testament era and the
coming of Christ during which time there was no prophet from
God nor any word from Him. A lack or absence of any
communication with God surely produces spiritual darkness and
night. What the prophet is actually asking here is, "What time
of night is it?" Then in verse 12 the glad announcement is
given, "...The morning cometh,..." This was certainly an
encouraging announcement after so long a night of dismal
darkness. Again in Isaiah 60:1-3, we read, "Arise, shine; for
thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon
thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and
gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon
thee,... And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings
to the brightness of thy rising." This is another prophecy of
a glorious, new day which was to come.
These and many other Old Testament prophecies were gloriously
fulfilled in the coming of Christ and His ministry and work
and teachings among the people. He ushered in the dawning of
the new and glorious gospel day. In Matthew 4:16 we read
concerning Jesus, "The people which sat in darkness saw great
light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death
light is sprung up." And again in Luke 2:32, Jesus is declared
to be "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy
people Israel." Jesus is the "Light of the world," and with
His coming the darkness of night was dispelled and the
glorious light of the gospel was ushered in. This was the
glorious morning of the gospel day.
Many grand and glorious things could be written about that
morning time of the Church and the gospel going forth
conquering and to conquer, but space does not permit. Neither
is the question concerned with that.
In Isaiah 21:12, after the announcement that "The morning
cometh," it immediately followed, "And also the night:..."
There was an age of awful, terrible, frightful spiritual night
that followed the glorious light of the morning of the gospel
day. This was brought about by apostasy from the pure
standards of the pure gospel in the morning Church. This
apostasy brought about the setting up of a human, man-made
religious system (the Roman Catholic Church) in the place of
the spiritual Church built and presented to the world by Jesus
Christ, with the pope at the head of it in the stead of Jesus
Christ, the Head of the pure New Testament Church. This period
was prophesied in a number of prophecies. I will refer to
perhaps only a couple from the Old Testament and then maybe
one or two from the New Testament. Amos and Micah describe it
thus: "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord
God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will
darken the earth in the clear day" (Amos 8:9); and, "Therefore
night shall be unto you,...that ye shall not divine; and the
sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark
over them." (Micah 3:6).
After Jesus had described the destruction of Jerusalem and the
calamitous tribulation during that time, He said in Matthew
24:29, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall
the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the power of the
heavens shall be shaken." The language here is all figurative
or symbolic, and signifies a terrific upheaval and commotion
in the spiritual heavens and the darkening of the spiritual
atmosphere. This was the result of taking from the people the
pure Word of God and substituting in its place the theories
and doctrines of men and the substitution of the form for the
fact of godliness. This period lasted for 1260 years until the
time of the sixteenth century reformation by Martin Luther
which broke the power of the Catholic hierarchy.
Now we reach the period of time involved in our question "the
cloudy and dark day." The 34th chapter of Ezekiel is a
prophecy which may have a twofold fulfillment. It may have a
direct fulfillment in ancient Israel, but it certainly has a
fulfillment in the spiritual Israel in this gospel day. God's
rebuke of the unfaithful shepherds certainly describes the
ministry of the apostate church in their brutishness,
severity, arrogance, and tyranny over the people in those dark
ages. Then at the time of the reformation, light broke in upon
the darkness when Martin Luther declared the truth that "the
just shall live by faith." Justification by faith in Jesus had
not been taught to the people all during the dark ages. Now
there was some light shining through, but it shone dimly as
through a cloudy mist of fog. Following the 16th century
reformation we have a period of sect making and organized
religion known as Protestantism. There were many sects or
denominations formed, each having its own creed and doctrine.
This was perhaps due to the different leaders of the period
getting hold of certain truths as they began to be gradually
revealed as they were coming out of the dark night of papalism,
and each leader establishing a creed and doctrine on the
particular principle or principles of truth which he had
received. But there was still considerable darkness and
practices carried out of the dark ages mixed in with the truth
which had been revealed to them. Zechariah prophesied of this
time in Zechariah 14:6-7. "And it shall come to pass in that
day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall
be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor
night:..."
The people of God generally became identified with these
different sects and denominations, and consequently were
scattered and divided one from another. This was not God's
plan for His people. The New Testament teaches throughout the
unity of spirit and faith (doctrine), and oneness of the
people of God. Consequently, it is said in Zechariah 14:7,
immediately following the quotation of Scripture above,
"...But it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall
be light."
We are in that glorious time now when the pure gospel light is
once more shining forth in its brilliance and beauty, and
God's people are being gathered to the one body of Christ. The
main thrust of the Evening Light Reformation message is the
unity of God's people and the one, true Church divine. This is
what is meant in Ezekiel 34:12, "...So will I seek out my
sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have
been scattered in the cloudy and dark day."
The cloudy and dark day period lasted 350 years from the time
of the 16th century reformation in 1530 until the time that
the Evening Light Reformation broke in 1880. The evening time
will last until Jesus comes again which rounds out and
completes the gospel day. |
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Seven Women Shall Take Hold of
One Man (Isaiah)
Question: I would like for you to explain Isaiah 4:1,
"And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man,..."
Answer: The full text of Isaiah 4:1 reads thus: "And in
that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We
will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us
be called by thy name, to take away our reproach."
I will first refer to Adam Clarke on this text. He says that
this verse belongs with the last two verses of Chapter 3 which
read, "Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the
war. And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being
desolate shall sit upon the ground." He says that this is
describing a great destruction and desolation in Jerusalem
(her and she) and Judea with the number of slain in battle
being so great that seven women shall be left to one man. He
quotes from Kimchi who says that this took place in the days
of Ahaz, when Pekah the son of Remaliah slew one hundred and
twenty thousand men of Judea in one day. (II Chronicles 28:6.)
Jeremiah describes such a situation in Jeremiah 15:8, "Their
widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas:..."
Adam Clarke's application of this text is totally literal.
However, there are many texts connected with the history of
Israel which have a two-fold meaning applying first to Israel
after the flesh and then finding a spiritual fulfillment in
Israel after the Spirit (spiritual Israel, or New Testament
saints; the Church). I feel that this is one of those
prophetic texts which applies to both literal and spiritual
Israel, and that we have a condition equivalent to this right
before our eyes today in modern Christendom.
First, let us consider that we are looking at a very desperate
situation here when the male population is so depleted by war
that there are seven women to every man. But even so, it
indicates a great depth of moral degeneracy when women are
willing to share the rights of marriage with several other
women in order to take away their reproach of virginity or of
widowhood, as the case may be, and just to have a man whose
name they bear and refer to as their husband. They were
willing to eat their own bread and wear their own apparel
(work and support themselves) if they could just be called by
a man's name as their husband. This is surely a low degree of
moral degeneracy. Also, the women were willing to take the
initiative and do the soliciting and courting in this case
which was totally taboo in their society. This is a really
desperate situation.
In the New Testament, the Church of God is referred to as a
woman, and not only a woman but a bride, "...the bride, the
Lamb's wife" (Revelation 21:9). Revelation 21:10 refers to her
as "...that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
heaven from God." This is that spiritual Jerusalem from above
which Paul refers to in Galatians 4:26 as "...the mother of us
all." This holy Jerusalem is a woman, also a wife, also a
mother with children many of them. Read the following texts
which confirm this: II Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:22-33
(all), Revelation 19:7-8, Revelation 21:2 & 9-10; also these
texts speaking prophetically of the church: Isaiah 61:10-11,
Isaiah 54:5-10, Isaiah 66:7-14. All of these texts refer to
Christ and His love and blessings for the Church, His Bride.
But there are many human institutions in the world today
called churches and they are depicted in the Scriptures as
women also. In Revelation 17 we have a description of a woman
which is called in verse one, "...the great whore that sitteth
upon many waters." In Revelation 17:3-4 she is called "a
woman" and "the woman," and a description of her vileness is
given. The description is given of her as riding upon a
scarlet-colored beast having seven heads and ten horns (verses
3 and 7), and in verse 9 the seven heads are identified with
seven mountains on which the woman sitteth; this all sums up
to a description identifying the city of Rome. It was situated
upon seven hills and it had seven kings or seven different
forms of government as described in verse 10. Verse 12
identifies the ten horns as ten kings which had not yet
received a kingdom, but these did receive kingdoms in the
decline and fall of the Roman Empire when it broke up into ten
minor kingdoms. The waters upon which the woman sat are
described in verse 15 as "...peoples, and multitudes, and
nations, and tongues." With all this description before us we
have this woman clearly identified as the Roman Catholic
Church. But that is not all; she was a mother of daughters who
were harlots, too (verse 5). These daughters represent the
multiplicity of Protestant denominations which have come out
of but have their roots in the Mother Church of Rome.
(Revelation 17:3-5, 7, 10, 12, 15)
It is a case of "like mother, like daughter." They are all
(mother and daughters) human institutions governed by men
through boards, synods, conferences, presbyters, etc., and all
sailing under the banners of their own creeds, disciplines,
and the like. There is not a single one of them which takes
the whole Word of God for its creed, because to do so would
entirely destroy and obliterate its God-dishonoring sect. The
Word of God lays a strong indictment against the entire
sectarian, denominational system.
Wait a minute now. You say, "What does all of this have to do
with Isaiah 4:1 and how does it apply?" The answer to that
question is easy and clear. All these women from the mother
(Roman Catholicism) on down through the daughters (Protestant
denominations) are nominally Christian and take hold on Christ
and want to be called by His Name to take away the reproach of
their spiritual fornication. They eat their own bread their
own doctrines of men which they mill out in their theological
seminaries and their own beliefs whether scriptural or not.
One of our brethren asked a member of one denomination if they
practiced feet-washing in that church. The answer was, "no."
Then the brother asked why. The answer was "because it is not
in our discipline." The brother read him the description and
command for this ordinance from the Scriptures. He still
insisted it was not in their manual so they did not practice
it. Then the brother asked if they would practice the
ordinance if it were in their manual. He agreed that they
would in such a case. Shame! Shame! They would do a thing if
it were incorporated in their discipline, but it being spelled
out in black and white in the Scriptures did not make it
binding upon them to obey. This is a simple, isolated
illustration of this point, but shows clearly how they "eat"
their own "bread." This is true in many other points and
doctrines which I do not have space here to go into.
They also wear their own apparel self-righteousness, salvation
through their own good works, church membership, and
benevolent and charitable deeds, etc.
In Revelation 11:1-12, we have a clear picture of God's two
witnesses in the earth and their activities, their death, and
their resurrection. These two witnesses are God's Word and
God's Spirit. They are the two vicars of the Son of God in His
church on earth. For 1260 years they are featured as having a
limited prophecy in sack cloth. This was during the reign of
the Mother (Catholicism), and it was true that the Word and
Spirit had a limited operation during this time because there
were many, many saints who did not identify with the human
system of Catholicism but remained separate unto God and
worshiped Him in Spirit and in Truth. They paid with their
lives, but were true and faithful to the Word and Spirit
anyway.
In verse 7 the Mother's daughters (Protestant denominations)
came on the scene and took the prominent place in the
religious world, and through them the two witnesses (Word and
Spirit) were slain and put clear out of operation. This was
true because under denominationalism in those early days there
were great religious awakenings and "earth shaking" revivals
and the true people of God had been standing separate and
clear during the reign of the Mother were now drawn into this
system because they saw the spiritual manifestations of it.
But these were all human institutions, too, operating under
their own programs and man-made doctrines instead of giving
God's Word and Spirit free course among them. Consequently,
during that time when there was no separate body of people who
worshiped God in Spirit and in Truth only, the two witnesses
are represented as being killed.
Note in verses 8 and 9, they let their dead bodies lie in the
street and would not permit them to be buried in graves. Say
to any of these people who exalt their disciplines above the
plain Word of God, "Well, we don't go by the Bible anyway so
let us just throw it away and go on with our disciplines."
They will immediately remonstrate against that and class you
as a reprobate for suggesting such a thing even though it does
not mean all that much to them. In other words, they are
saying, "We will eat our own bread and go by our own rules and
creeds, but let us hold onto our Bibles to give a degree of
credibility to what we are doing."
Then we see in verse 10 how the people made merry and sent
gifts one to another while the two witnesses were dead. They
could do this and feel comfortable and find pleasure in it
because the Word was not condemning them and the Spirit could
not convict them ("torment them") because He only works in
conjunction with the Word. There is a great deal of having a
form of godliness but denying the power thereof in these days.
And this is manifest in people who are nominally Christian
(holding onto Christ and naming His Name to take away their
reproach), but are going on "eating" their own bread, wearing
their own apparel, and doing their own thing in their own way
nonetheless. |
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1290/1335 Days (Daniel)
Question: Please comment on Daniel 12:11-12.
Answer: I will first look at Daniel 12:11-12. The full
text of these verses is as follows: "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. Blessed is he that waiteth, and
cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty
days."
Frankly I have not studied a great deal on these verses and
may not be able to give much satisfaction to the inquirer on
it. However, since this question has come in, I have done
considerable research on this and have come up with some
points which I hope will be some help to the inquirer even if
they may not entirely satisfy him.
The time elements here date from the time the daily sacrifice
was taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate was
set up. There were 1290 days and 1335 days both dating from
this same beginning point. In the 8th chapter of Daniel,
verses 8 through 26 give a vision Daniel had of a "little
horn" that came up out of another horn and waxed "exceeding
great" and tells what he did, etc. In verse 11, it speaks of
him taking away the daily sacrifice and casting down the place
of his sanctuary. In verse 13, he speaks of the daily
sacrifice and the transgression of desolation. It is from the
time that this happened that we have the key to the two time
periods in the verses in question. Therefore I shall endeavor
to establish the identity of this king of fierce countenance
and when he did his dirty work against the people of God.
In the book, The Cleansing of the Sanctuary, by D. S. Warner
and H. M. Riggle, Bro. Warner deals at considerable length
with this prophecy of Daniel 8 and inserts lengthy quotes form
Josephus and the Maccabees. Josephus was a highly accredited
Jewish historian of the first century and quite contemporary
with Christ and the apostles. The Maccabees lived and wrote at
an earlier period before Christ and furnished much valuable
information and history of the Jews that was not available
from other sources.
On page 29 of The Cleansing of the Sanctuary, is a quote from
Josephus' Wars for the Jews, Chapter 1, Book 1, describing a
king by the name of Antiochus Epiphanes and described his
doings like this: Antiochus "came upon the Jews with a great
army, and took their city by force, and slew a great
multitude.... He also spoiled the temple, and put a stop to
the constant practice of offering a daily sacrifice of
expiation for three years and six months....
"Now Antiochus was not satisfied either with his unexpected
taking of the city, or with its pillage, or with the great
slaughter he made there; but being overcome with his violent
passions, and remembering what he had suffered during the
siege, he compelled the Jews to dissolve the laws of their
country, and to keep their infants uncircumcised. Also in a
quote of Josephus on page 31, it is said that Antiochus
emptied the temple of its secret treasures and left nothing at
all remaining which cast the Jews into great lamentation and
that he forbade them to offer those daily sacrifices which
they used to offer to God according to the law."
If further says that he built an idol altar upon God's altar
and offered swine upon it which was neither according to the
law, nor the Jewish religious worship in that country. He also
compelled them to build temples, and raise idol altars in
every city and village, and offer swine upon them every day.
This all makes it clear that Antiochus Epiphanes took away the
daily sacrifice and set up the abomination that maketh
desolate. If we can find out when he did this, we'll have the
key to Daniel 12:11-12.
According to I Maccabees. 1:54-55: "Now the fifteenth day of
the month Casleu, in the hundred and forty-fifth year, they
set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar and
builded idol altars throughout the cities of Judah on every
side; and burnt incense at the doors of their houses and in
the streets." According to I Maccabees. 4:52, Casleu is the
9th month.
Therefore the taking away of the daily sacrifice and setting
up of the abomination that maketh desolate occurred in the
145th year, 9th month, and 15th day of the Grecian empire.
1290 from this date would bring us to the 149th year, 4th
month, and 15th day. Counting 30 days to the month, these
years contain just 360 days. According to I Maccabees. 6:1-16,
it was in the 149th year that Antiochus heard of the defeat of
his armies of Israel and he took sick and died. According to I
Maccabees. 6:1-13, and II Maccabees. 9:1-17, Antiochus heard
of the defeat of his armies by Israel in the 149th year, 4th
month, and 15th day at which time he fell sick and repented of
all the evil he had done against Judea and Jerusalem. This
measures the 1290 days from the 145th year, 9th month, and 15
days when the daily sacrifice was taken away the starting
point for this calculation.
Then measuring from the same stake, 1335 days (Daniel 12:12)
would bring us to the 149th year, 5th month, and 30th day
which was the date of Antiochus' death (he was sick many
days). I Maccabees. 6:9. That was the end of this bitter
episode in the history of the Jews.
Daniel 11:31 is another reference to the taking away of the
daily sacrifice and the abomination of desolation. This was by
another power; the Roman Empire which was ruling the world in
Jesus' time. This came to pass in the destruction of Jerusalem
and the fall of the Jewish polity. This was an exact carbon
copy of what happened in the days of Antiochus, and was
carried on in the same way and so needs no further comment
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Four Beasts in Daniel (Scatter
the Power of the Holy People)
Question: Please explain the latter part of Daniel
12:7: "...And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the
power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."
Answer: Let us first establish the true identity of who
"he" is. The first part of this verse says, "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;..." In the seventh chapter of Daniel
is recorded a vision Daniel had of four beasts which came up
from the sea (verse 3) and a description of each one; but the
focus is on the fourth beast beginning at verse seven. In
verse 25 it says, "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." The time span here is the same as in Daniel 12:7.
Dividing of time here is the same as the half time in Daniel
12:7. In Revelation 13:1 we see a beast rising up out of the
sea. The following verses describe him and his character and
what he will do, and verse five says power was given unto him
to continue forty and two months. The time span here is the
same as in Daniel 12:7 and 7:25. "A time" in these texts is a
year, "times" is two years, and "a half" or "dividing of time"
would be six months. This amounts to 42 months and corresponds
with the duration of the beast of Revelation 13. These two
beasts (Daniel 7 and Revelation 13) possessed the same
character and disposition. The beast in Daniel 7 spoke great
words against the most High and wore out the saints of the
most High (verse 25). The beast of Revelation 13 opened his
mouth in blasphemy against God and all holy things (verse 6)
and he was given power to make war with the saints and to
overcome them. (Verse 7.) Daniel's beast of Daniel 7 and John
the Revelator's beast of Revelation 13 were identical.
Now to identify the "he" of Daniel 12:7 let us return to
Daniel 7:17. "These great beasts, which are four, are four
kings, which shall arise out of the earth." History records
four universal kingdoms: Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece and
Rome. Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar had visions which referred to
these four kingdoms, but the focus was always on the fourth
one; the Roman. This is because it was to be in existence at
the time Jesus Christ appeared on the earth to establish His
kingdom, and the first major conflict of the Church was with
this power. Daniel 7:23 says that this kingdom was to be
diverse from all kingdoms, and surely it was. It was a
combination of church and state a political-religious system
with the religious entity in the preeminence. Rome had its
emperor, but he held his office and authority subject to the
will of the pope, and all other political rulers throughout
the world did too. The pope was the absolute head and ruler of
the universal Catholic church and held absolute authority over
all dignitaries, both politically and ecclesiastically
throughout the world. There was never another kingdom in the
world before or since like this one. Paul, writing of him in
II Thessalonians 2:4, said, "Who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he
as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he
is God." Also in II Thessalonians 2:9 Paul says, "Even him,
whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders." This is the "he" spoken of in the
last part of Daniel 12:7 who was to "scatter the power of the
holy people," the saints of the most High God who are the only
holy people on the earth. Revelation 13:7 says, "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." The last part of this verse shows the universal
scope of this vast religious system and its head.
Revelation 13:1 describes a beast that arose up out of the
sea, to whom power was given over all kindreds, tongues and
nations. Note that it came up out of the sea. Revelation 17
gives quite an extensive description of this same beast but in
this case a vile harlot woman is riding upon his head and it
is said that this woman sat upon many waters. Verse 15
explains that the waters were peoples, multitudes, nations,
and tongues. This makes it clear that this system rose right
up from among the people; it was totally of human origin as
distinguished from the true kingdom of God which originated in
heaven and came down from heaven to earth. The double symbol
used here, (the scarlet colored beast and the woman riding
upon its head) signifies the twofold nature of this vile,
corrupt system political (the beast) and religious (the
woman). The kings of the earth committed fornication with her
(Verse 2.) In other words, the kings and rulers of all the
kingdoms of the earth consorted with her and supported her.
She was a vile, corrupt woman and had a cup in her hand full
of the abomination and filthiness of her fornication. She was
called, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Verse 5.) Verse six says she was
drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the
martyrs of Jesus. It was this corrupt, vile, abominable,
apostate, human system of religion that was responsible for
the bitter persecution and horrid death of many millions of
the true people of God who refused to embrace this false,
apostate, abominable human system of religion down through the
1260 years (42 months, or time, times and dividing of time)
during what is called "The Dark Ages" of this dispensation of
time. This is the "he" referred to in Daniel 12:7 who was
granted to "scatter the power of the holy people."
The scattering of the power of the holy people in Daniel 12:7
was accomplished by them being driven from public view, into
seclusion, or "underground" in the more modern vernacular,
being compelled to worship in secret and hidden places, in the
dens and caves of the earth, etc. In other words,
scripturally, "the WOMAN (true Church of God, the "holy
people" fled into the wilderness (seclusion), where she hath a
place prepared of God, that they should feed there a thousand
two hundred and threescore days." This time period corresponds
to the time period allotted to the beast of Daniel 7 and
Revelation 13.
"...All these things shall be finished" (Daniel 12:7) refers
to all that the Scripture says about the beast and the power
given unto him and what he would do in opposition to the
saints and the truth. Those prophecies all came to an end and
were fully accomplished at the end of the time period allotted
to the beast to operate. Also, the idea of universal kingdoms
in the earth was finished and closed when the Roman empire was
dissolved and came at an end. There will never be another
universal kingdom of men upon the earth. The only universal
kingdom existing now is the kingdom of God and it will endure
forever, even forever and ever; it shall never be destroyed.
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Salvation for the Gentiles
(Isaiah/Daniel)
Question: Please explain Isaiah 51:4 (especially the
last part of the verse); and also Daniel 12:7.
Answer: Isaiah 51:4 is part of a passage referring to
the salvation of Christ especially to the Gentiles. Verses 4-6
contain the passage particularly to the Gentiles. The
statement in the last part of verse 5 confirms this. It says,
"...The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they
trust." But who are the isles? It could not refer to Israel
because they were in Canaan which did not incorporate any of
the isles. Isaiah 60:9 says, "Surely the isles shall wait for
me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from
far,..." The 72nd Psalm through the 17th verse contains a
prophecy of Christ's glorious kingdom and His salvation and
verse 10 says, "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall
bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer
gifts." In Psalm 2:8, God the Father says to Jesus Christ the
Son, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy
possession." The entire 2nd Psalm is a prophecy of Christ and
His triumph and of His glorious kingdom. All these texts and
many more sum up to the influx of the Gentiles into the
Church.
The first three verses of the 51st chapter of Isaiah probably
refer more particularly to Israel but there is a statement in
verse two which also is important to this passage we are
considering now. God mentions here about Abraham and how He
called him, blessed him and multiplied him. The blessing that
God pronounced upon Abraham was not for the Jews only, for God
said unto him in Genesis 22:18, "And in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed;..." Paul, the apostle of the
Gentiles, argued this in Galatians 3:8-9 where he applies the
promise of Genesis 22:18 to the Gentiles through Christ who
was that SEED. And in verse 14 he spells it out specifically
"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles
through Jesus Christ;..."
Now I will consider particularly the last part of Isaiah 51:4,
"...And I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the
people," which is the specific part of the verse the question
deals with. I consider all I have said before as important to
a proper understanding, interpretation and emphasis on this.
First we will consider the term "judgment" because that is the
subject of this phrase. In Isaiah 42:4 it is said, "He shall
not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the
earth: and the isles shall wait for his law." Adam Clarke in
his comments on this verse in regard to the term "judgment"
says that "judgment" takes on a great latitude of
signification. It means rule, form, order, model, plan; rule
of right, or of religion; cause, trial, sentence,
condemnation, acquittal, deliverance, mercy, etc. He further
says that in this place "It certainly means the law to be
published by Messiah, the institution of the gospel." Then
"judgment being set in the earth" would certainly refer in
this text to the confirming and establishing of the law and
government of God in all its latitudes and the full
institution of all necessary facilities for the successful and
efficient operation of the church, His kingdom, the
promulgation of the gospel of Christ and the salvation of
immortal souls to the ends of the earth. It would also mean
the same thing in Isaiah 51:4.
In Matthew 12:18 it is said concerning Jesus that He would
show judgment to the Gentiles. Verses 20 and 21 say, "A
bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not
quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his
name shall the Gentiles trust." Here we see Jesus setting the
judgment of God in the earth and see that judgment is
calculated to bring victory to souls. It will only bring
condemnation if it is rejected by souls. Jesus came to save;
not to condemn. Those were only condemned who loved darkness
and rejected the light of the world, Jesus.
In Isaiah 51:4 it is said "...I will make my judgment to
rest..." But what does it mean for His judgment to rest? Let
me illustrate by a certain procedure in the courts of our
judicial system. At a point in the trial the attorney on one
side of the case (either one) will say to the judge "we rest."
What this means is that we have presented all of our evidence,
we have heard testimony from all of our witnesses, we have
completed all of our argument, there is nothing more we can do
to strengthen our case. From this point on, the disposition of
the case rests with the jury or the judge however the case is
being tried.
It is the same case with God. He said in Isaiah 42:4, "...Till
he have set judgment in the earth:..." He is saying the same
thing here that He was saying in Isaiah 51:4. In one case He
set judgment in the earth and in the other He made judgment to
rest. It was through Jesus Christ that God set His judgment in
the earth and it was confirmed in Him in all of its aspects.
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. God's judgments
incorporate love, mercy, salvation, forgiveness and pardon the
same as wrath, indignation and condemnation against sin and
impenitent sinners. Jesus Christ absorbed the full measure of
God's wrath and vengeance against sin in Himself at Calvary.
But He also commended God's love or confirmed it to sinful men
by His dying for us. God's judgment of mercy, love, pardon,
redemption and salvation for every person of Adam's race from
the river to the ends of the earth was set in the earth that
day and confirmed in Christ that day. He tasted death for
every man. (Hebrews 2:9.)
Since full provisions have been made for mercy, pardon,
redemption and salvation for all men; no one is excluded, not
a one; and it has all been confirmed. Qualified witnesses have
been called and their testimony given, and all the evidence is
in and the argument is completed and there is absolutely
nothing more I can do to strengthen my case with mankind;
therefore I rest and my judgment rests with me and is set in
the earth through the preaching of the glorious gospel of
Jesus Christ the Son of God for the full duration of the
earth. The case now rests in the hands of the people of the
earth as to how they respond to the overtures of mercy and
love of God in Christ.
We read in Genesis 2:2 that at the conclusion of all of God's
work in the creation of this material universe and everything
in it, God rested. Then God launched another project of the
NEW CREATION. In this NEW CREATION He makes all things new,
and every redeemed soul in Christ Jesus is made a new creation
(II Corinthians 5:17) and when it was all finished and
completed Jesus said it was finished at Calvary (John 19:30).
The plan of salvation was complete and finished and just a few
days hence the Church would be established as an efficient,
operating body as the arm of God in the earth and the kingdom
of God would be confirmed and established by the coming of the
Holy Ghost. When God had finished the first material creation,
He looked it all over and determined it to be "very good."
(Genesis 1:31). Then He rested because it was all complete and
nothing could be added to it; neither could any improvement be
made upon it. Deuteronomy 32:4 says "...his work is
perfect:..." Likewise, when He had completed His NEW CREATION
(the Church, the kingdom of God, the plan of salvation) He
looked it over and was satisfied with it. Isaiah 53:11 says,
"He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be
satisfied:..." It was all complete and the sacrifice to
confirm it was acceptable and perfect. He said in Isaiah 5:4,
"What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have
not done in it?" It was all complete and perfect; nothing
could be added to it nor any improvement made upon it so He
rested having His judgment fully set in the earth and made His
judgment to rest.
Daniel 12:7 in its entirety reads thus: "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."
There are different texts both in Daniel and the Revelation
which incorporate this same time period. In the seventh
chapter of Daniel, Daniel had a vision of four beasts with the
fourth beast being different from all the others and claiming
Daniel's special interest. It was explained to him in verse 17
that these four beasts were four kings (kingdoms) which should
arise out of the earth, but Daniel's attention was focused on
that fourth beast and he made special inquiry concerning it. I
refer the reader to Daniel 7:15-25 for a description and
discussion of this beast. Please read.
Verse 23 describes his fierceness treading down, breaking in
pieces and devouring the whole earth. The ten horns out of
this beast are declared in verse 24 to be ten kings which
shall arise, but there was a little horn that came up among
the ten horns and subdued three of them (verse 8). Verse 24
also describes another king rising up among these kings which
shall be diverse from them. Verse 25 describes this king and
his blasphemies against God and his boastfulness and
exaltedness. The times were to be given into his hands for a
time, times and the dividing of time. This is the same time
period used in Daniel 12:7. Both of these powers are described
as doing the same work and accomplishing the same thing.
Daniel 7:25 says he shall wear out the saints of the most
High; and Daniel 12:7 says he shall accomplish to scatter the
power of the holy people. Inasmuch as the agents in these two
passages of scriptures are allotted the same time period and
do the same work and accomplish the same thing, we conclude
they are the same. The seventh chapter gives us a better
handle to work on, in that it gives a good description and
identification of the power, so we will found our discussion
from there.
The scriptures describe four universal kingdoms Babylon, Meda-Persia,
Greece and Rome. According to Daniel 7:23, this fourth beast
was kingdom number four which was the last one. This was Rome.
It is declared in this verse to be diverse from all the
others. It was so in that it was a politico/religious combine
with power to enforce its laws and decrees by carnal and
military means. The little horn which rose up out of this
kingdom from among the ten horns was the Roman Catholic power
which subdued three of the other horns or kings and then went
on to establish its power and rule over the whole earth and
his fury was exceeding hot against the saints and he made war
with them and wore them out and scattered their power.
Prophetic time is reckoned thus: TIME, one year, TIMES, two
years, and half a time or dividing of TIMES, a half year. So
we have in the time period allotted here 3 ½ years, 42 months
or 1260 days. Prophetic time was also reckoned a day for a
year which time period here would amount to 1260 years which
is the time allotted in the Revelation for the Roman Catholic
power to continue. So now we will go over to the Revelation
and pick up a few points there.
In the eleventh chapter of Revelation verse one says the
Revelator was given a reed and was told to measure the temple
and altar and those that worshiped therein. This temple was a
symbol of the spiritual temple of God which is His church and
the worshippers were the saints and the reed like unto a rod
represented the Word of God by which all spiritual things must
be measured. We must all face up to that measurement. He was
told to leave out the court which was without the temple and
not measure it because it was given unto the Gentiles and they
would tread the holy city under foot forty and two months
(verse two).
We notice here that the time period is the same as was
discussed in the two prophecies of Daniel, (42 months 1260
days) so we can be certain that they are both speaking of the
same thing. This scripture did not say that the temple was
given to the Gentiles. There was still the true Church in
existence worshipping in the temple, but the court which lay
outside the temple was said to be given to the Gentiles. In
other words, the apostate church (so called) Gentiles,
uncircumcised in heart, unregenerated, false is what claimed
the spotlight and focus in the eyes of the world while the
real, true Church was concealed from public view within the
temple itself during this entire period of time. This is the
same identical thing as is described in Revelation 12:14,
where we read, "And to the woman [true church; Revelation
12:1, etc.] 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." Revelation 12:6 measures the woman's
time in the wilderness as 1260 days. This is the same time
period attached to the other references discussed so we know
we are still talking about the same thing. Also there are
identifying marks common to the fourth beast of Daniel 7 and
the beast of Revelation 13 which connects them together and
identifies them as the same.
I insert here a quote from F. G. Smith's book "The Revelation
Explained," page 185. "This mighty transformation to a church
containing nothing but uncircumcised Gentiles was fully
accomplished during the latter half of the third century, from
which date we must look for the true disciples of the Lord as
entirely separate from the hierarchy." This explains the
Gentiles treading down the court with the true Church
concealed from public view in the inner temple. The vast Roman
Church with its grand display of the form of godliness but
without the power of it became the visible church to the
public view and tread under foot the court of the temple and
the holy city (the visible phase of the Church).
Then on the same page of the same book the author inserts a
quote from D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation, Book 1,
Chapter 1. "The living church retiring within the lonely
sanctuary of a few solitary hearts, an external church was
substituted in its place, and all its forms declared to be of
divine appointment. Salvation no longer flowing from the Word,
which was henceforward put out of sight, the priests affirmed
that it was conveyed by means of the forms they had themselves
invented, and that no one could obtain it but by these
channels." This explains the flight of the woman (the true
Church) into the wilderness and is the same as the scattering
of the power of the holy people in our subject text (Daniel
12:7).
It was given to this false church to make war with the saints
and to overcome them (Revelation 13:7 and Daniel 7:21). Daniel
7:25 says this power would wear out the saints of the most
High. There was severe persecution of the true disciples of
Christ through this long 1260 year period of papal night and
millions upon millions became martyrs of the Christian faith.
The fury and extent of this persecution is shown in Revelation
17:6 where it says, "And I saw the woman (a symbol of this
apostate church) drunken with the blood of the saints, and
with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus:..." How sickening this
is but it actually happened and the true Church was driven
underground (went into the wilderness) and went into seclusion
and the power of the holy people was scattered during this
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The Prince of the Kingdom of
Persia (Daniel)
Question: Please discuss Daniel 10:13. Who was this
"Prince of Persia" and how could he withstand a divine
messenger?
Answer: I will first insert the full text of Daniel
10:13. "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."
For several verses prior to this, Daniel had set himself to
mourn in total fasting and prayer before God over a certain
thing that had been revealed to him by God (Verse 1). He
chastened himself in this manner taking no food or water for
three full weeks (21 days). Then at the end of this time, a
divine messenger appeared unto him in a vision (verse 12) and
announced to him that his words had been heard on the very
first day and he had come on account of his words. Then in
verse 13 he explained why he had been so long getting there;
the Prince of Persia withstood him for one and twenty days.
When he had finished his mission with Daniel, he said down in
verse 20, "...now will I return to fight with the prince of
Persia:..." From this verse and verse 13 and other related
scriptures and incidents, it appears evident that this Prince
of Persia is a very important person in the drama that is
being enacted here; and indeed he is. So let us see a little
how he fits in the picture and it will help us in explaining
and understanding some other points in the question.
The first four verses of the 45th chapter of Isaiah are very
revealing of Cyrus who is declared in Daniel 10:1 to be the
king (Prince) of Persia. Though he was a heathen king, God
called him His anointed. God chose this man and put His hand
on him and he was dedicated by God and set apart for a
specific and definite purpose: His work to liberate the
children of Israel who were held captive by the Babylonians.
God had judged them for their disobedience and decreed that
they would be captives in Babylon for 70 years. Now the time
of their captivity was about up and God was arranging and
maneuvering for their deliverance and He had chosen the Prince
of Persia and anointed him to accomplish this project. He told
him that He would hold his hand, subdue nations before him, go
before him, break in pieces the gates of brass and the gates
would not be shut. This was certainly a sure guarantee of
victory. Read Isaiah 45:1-3. Then in verse 4 we get a little
insight into how close God actually got with this man, Cyrus,
in that He called him by his name and gave him a surname, etc.
And He explained that this was all for the sake of Jacob His
servant and for Israel His elect. This makes it altogether
clear that all His relationship and work with Cyrus was in
behalf of the children of Israel and their deliverance. He was
to conquer the Babylonish kingdom and liberate the children of
Israel.
This Cyrus did, but at the same time the divine messenger
(probably Gabriel) came to Daniel (Daniel 10:13) and announced
that he had been withstood 21 days by the Prince of Persia. It
appears that Cyrus perhaps was halting in his decision and
hesitating and perhaps thinking it to be a massive
undertaking, which it certainly was, and he needed the
presence and encouragement and support of the divine messenger
with him to help him to decide to carry out the plan of God
for him. But when Michael came, he left him with Cyrus and he
went on to Daniel to answer his prayer. Adam Clarke expresses
this same thought in general in his comments on Daniel 10:13.
Then on the basis of this reasoning and conclusion it would
seem that from the thought stated in Daniel 10:13 of the
Prince of Persia WITHSTANDING the heavenly messenger, we would
get the thought of him DETAINING him. The urgency of the need,
in the face of the halting indecision of Cyrus, demanded that
he stay with him until Michael arrived to take charge of him
and relieve the first heavenly messenger to go to Daniel.
Therefore we are not to suppose that Cyrus actually rose up to
oppose conflict or combat with him to try to turn him back but
just had the need of his presence to bolster him and encourage
him in what the will of God was for him.
That was a magnanimous undertaking that lay before him there
could be no possible question. Babylon, the seat of government
of the Babylonish kingdom, was surrounded by a massive,
impregnable wall with gates of solid brass. This must be
overcome and the city taken. This was surely sufficient to
cause even men of strong spirit and courage to have second
thoughts about attacking such a formidable fortress. But with
the divine inspiration and anointing of the Almighty God upon
him and Michael with him, he undertook the venture. The
Euphrates River flowed under the wall and through the city.
There was no other possible entrance but this. Cyrus and his
engineers, by the inspiration of Almighty God, conceived the
idea of diverting the channel for the river. Then he cut it
through into the main channel and turned the course of the
water. When the water in the river had flowed on down to
expose the river bed, Cyrus' army rushed through into the city
and up to the palace gates. Adam Clarke says that when the
king heard the tumult outside, he ordered the gates to be
opened to see what was going on and when the gates were
opened, Cyrus' men rushed in and took charge of the palace,
slew the king and victory was theirs.
Cyrus was now master of all the nations of the world. (II
Chronicles 36:23.) He said the Lord God of heaven who gave him
all this, had told him to build Him an house in Jerusalem. He
made a proclamation that all of God's people among them could
go up for this project, and he issued a decree in writing
(Ezra 1:1-4) which was entered in the record books. Seventeen
years later in the sixth chapter of Ezra, Darius, the king at
that time, found the decree of Cyrus in the records and he
made another decree that even extended Cyrus' and made more
provisions. About 62 years later, when Artaxerxes was king he
made a more generous decree yet in favor of the Jews. And
finally in Nehemiah the command was to rebuild the wall and
restore the streets of Jerusalem and to adopt laws and
establish their nation.
All this was accomplished under God through the Prince of
Persia, Cyrus, whom God had anointed and dedicated to this
purpose. |
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The Sacrifices and Worship of the
Heathen Idolater (Isaiah)
Question: Please explain and discuss Isaiah 66:17.
Answer: Isaiah 66:17 reads thus: They that sanctify
themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in
the midst, eating swines flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse,
shall be consumed together, saith the Lord.
We must remember that the history of the human race presented a
pretty dark and ugly picture until Christ came into the world and
they that sat in darkness saw great light. (Matthew 4:16.) Nearly
all the world was steeped in pagan, heathen, idolatrous darkness.
God had gathered out a small nation of people (Israel) which were
the fewest of all people (Deuteronomy 7:7), for Himself, and the
remainder of the world s peoples were in this dreadful condition.
But a prophecy of hope for all these poor benighted souls appears in
the latter part of Isaiah 66:19 where it says, ...They shall declare
my glory among the Gentiles. The Gentiles were all the people of the
earth except the Jews (Israel), whom God had chosen out of the
nations to be His own peculiar people, to reveal His glory through
them. But the long-range importance of this prophecy was Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, whom God sent forth into the world to
manifest His glory unto all the peoples of the world.
Now with this little introduction to the subject, let us return to
Isaiah 66:17, the principal text for the discussion. This verse has
to do with the sacrifices and worship of the heathen idolators and
their system of worship, which was quite elaborate. They sanctified
and purified themselves the same things that God did for His people
in their sacrifices and worship to sanctify and purify them. But
these people offered abominable sacrifices on their altars (swine s
flesh and the mouse) and ate these things, all of which God had
declared to be an abomination and forbidden. (Leviticus 11:1-44.)
They had groves planted in the high places and altars set up among
the trees, and apparently offered sacrifices to different gods upon
these separate altars. The text says, ...behind one tree in the
midst,... The margin says one tree after another. I think this would
describe it better because there were always groves where the
heathen worshiped and offered their sacrifices. The Lord said at the
close of this verse that all their abominable sacrifices, and the
abominable things they ate, and they themselves would all be
consumed together in God s wrath. They set up their worship system
pretty much like God s, with altars and sacrifices, and sought to
accomplish the same results that God did in His people. But the sad
and yet glorious fact is, that the kinds of sacrifices and worship
which the true God prescribed had the effect upon the true worshiper
of exalting him to a higher plane of living and more like God, while
the heathen s sacrifices and worship had the effect of transferring
his own corrupt nature to his god because there was no life nor
essence in his god to exalt and lift him up. So he sank to a lower
plane of corruption than before. Someone (an atheist, I suppose) has
said that God never created man in His own image as Christians
believe; but man created a god after his own likeness and in his
image. I accept this to be pretty much true of the heathen pagan,
and in a measure of religionists in our day who have no exalted idea
of Christlikeness in Christian lives.
Now I will refer to a few other texts which describe the way of the
heathen to confirm what I have already said. In Isaiah 65:1-7 God
described the condition of the Gentiles (pagans). In verse 3 He said
they continually provoked Him to anger to His face; they sacrificed
in gardens (Isaiah 66:17 says they sanctified and purified
themselves in the gardens), they burned incense upon altars of brick
(whereas God required that His altars be built of whole stones,
Deuteronomy 27:6), they ate swine s flesh and broth (or pieces
margin) of abominable things in their vessels (which God forbade in
Leviticus 11), and they said, Don t come near me, stand by thyself;
for I am holier than thou. (Isaiah 65:4-5.) God said these were
smoke in His nostrils, a fire that burned all the day. Yet He
extended His arms to them and offered them salvation.
In Deuteronomy 7, God instructed the Israelites that when they
entered into the Canaan Land they should utterly destroy the people
that were there (verse two) and make no covenant with them. They
were to destroy their altars, break down their images and burn them
with fire, and cut down their groves. (verse five.) He said the
reason for this was that the Israelites were a holy people unto the
Lord their God (verse six) and the people of the land were not
acceptable to Him, neither were their altars, their sacrifices,
their groves, nor their worship. God still requires that same
separateness today between the people who worship Him in spirit and
in truth and the formal religionists who teach for doctrines the
commandments of men and thus worship Him in form only.
Read also Exodus 23:24; Exodus 34:12-14; Deuteronomy 12:1-4; II
Kings 16:4; I Kings 14:22-23, etc.
We see then how God hates idolatry and what an abomination it is to
Him. We also see what an elaborate arrangement the heathen made for
his place and system high places, beautiful groves, and gardens,
etc. It was all so abominable and obnoxious to God that He required
every trace and memory of it to be totally obliterated. He even
required in Numbers 33:52 that all their pictures be destroyed.
Pictures had a strange and powerful fascination to them, so God
required that all the pictures that would be a reminder or a
suggestion of idolatry to them be destroyed.
In closing this discussion, let us think a little of our idolatry.
Is it as much an abomination to God as theirs? The Bible says
covetousness is idolatry. (Colossians 3:5.) To covet this world s
riches and to desire more than God has provided us with of the
material things of this world is a form of idolatry in God s sight.
He hates that disposition of heart. His Word says, Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such
things as ye have:... Hebrews 13:5. Discontent is a grievous thing
in the sight of God. We are instructed in I John 2:15 to Love not
the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. James 4:4 says,
"...Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy
of God." In Matthew 22:37 Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. In
verse 38 He said, This is the first and great commandment. Ah,
folks, let us realize that this is the fundamental basic of holy
living, and of our relationship with God to love Him with all our
being. Therefore, it becomes evident that to accept into our heart a
love of the world, or any of the things of the world (self-love or a
love for anything that is not godly), is to set up a rival love in
the heart which God detests and will not tolerate. From Luke 14:26
and Luke 14:33 we see that a father, mother, wife, child, etc., and
yea, anything we have can become an idol to us if we do not forsake
it all for Jesus sake. (See also Matthew 10:37.) We cannot love any
person or thing more than we love Christ without becoming idolaters.
Quite a sobering thought, isn't it? |
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