Paul’s identification of pagan Rome as the power that restrained the papacy from rising to power in the year 538, became the witness that William Miller recognized that established “the daily,” in the book of Daniel as representing paganism. William Miller’s framework was based upon the two desolating powers of paganism followed by papalism. Miller’s most important discovery in support of that framework was Paul’s testimony in 2 Thessalonians, chapter two, where Paul identifies that the restraint upon the papacy, produced by pagan Rome, would be taken away, in order for the “man of sin” to be placed in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Paul’un, 538 yılında papalığın iktidara yükselmesini engelleyen güç olarak putperest Roma’yı teşhis etmesi, Daniel kitabındaki “sürekli”nin putperestliği temsil ettiğini yerleştiren tanıklık hâline geldiğini William Miller’ın fark ettiği delil oldu. William Miller’ın çerçevesi, papalizmi izleyen putperestliğin yıkıma uğratıcı iki gücü üzerine kuruluydu. Bu çerçeveyi destekleyen Miller’ın en önemli keşfi, Pavlus’un 2. Selanikliler ikinci bölümdeki tanıklığıydı; orada Pavlus, “günah adamı”nın Tanrı’nın tapınağına yerleştirilmesi ve kendisinin Tanrı olduğunu göstermesi için, putperest Roma’nın meydana getirdiği papalık üzerindeki engelin ortadan kaldırılacağını belirtir.
In the book of Daniel, the symbol of “the daily” representing paganism is always followed by a symbol of the papacy, whether it be represented as the transgression of desolation or the abomination of desolation. Yet in Christ’s warning to the Christians concerning the siege and destruction of Jerusalem that took place during the three-and-a-half years from 66 to 70 AD, Christ referred to “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet” as the sign for the Christians that were in Jerusalem to immediately flee. History identifies that the sign was not the symbol of papal Rome, but of pagan Rome. The sign was to be recognized by the faithful, if they were to avoid the siege and destruction. Is “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” a symbol of pagan Rome, or papal Rome?
Mu kitabu kya Danieri, akamanyiso ka “buli lunaku” akaakiikirira obupagaani bulijjo kagobererwa akamanyiso ak’Obwapapa, oba nga kaakiikirirwa ng’ekyokwonona eky’obuzikiriza oba ng’emizizo egy’obuzikiriza. Naye mu kulabula kwa Kristo eri Abakristaayo ku bikwata ku kuzingiza n’okuzikirizibwa kwa Yerusaalemi ebyaliwo mu myaka esatu n’ekitundu okuva mu 66 okutuuka mu 70 AD, Kristo yayogera ku “emizizo egy’obuzikiriza, eyayogerwako nnabbi Danieri” ng’akabonero eri Abakristaayo abaali mu Yerusaalemi okudduka amangu ago. Ebyafaayo biraga nti akabonero ako tekali kaakiikirira Rooma ey’Obwapapa, wabula Rooma ey’obupagaani. Akabonero ako kaali kateekwa okutegeerwa abeesigwa, bwe baali okwewala okuzingizibwa n’okuzikirizibwa. “Emizizo egy’obuzikiriza, eyayogerwako nnabbi Danieri,” kabonero ka Rooma ey’obupagaani, oba ka Rooma ey’Obwapapa?
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Matthew 24:15–22.
Nankuta, enu myamona ichinyeshi ichya bupundu, ichasambilwe na Daniela kasesema, chiminine pa ncende nsalile, (uwabelenga, aumvwishe:) apo abali mu Yudeya babutukile ku ntunda: uwali pa nzu yakwe aleke ukwikila panshi ukusenda icintu nangu cimo mu nzu yakwe: so no wali mwinsende aleke ukubwelela ku nyuma ukusenda ifyakufwala fyakwe. Lelo ilanda kuli abo abali ne fumo, na kuli abo abamwisa mu nshiku shilya! Nomba ipusheni ukuti ukubutuka kwenu kuleke ukuba mu mpela ya butanda, nangu pa bushiku bwa Sabata: pantu elo kukaba ukucushiwa ukukulu, ukwa musango uushatalile ukubako ukufuma ku kutendeka kwa calo ukufika nomba iyo, ee, nangu ukwakubako nakabili. Kabili nga nshiku shilya tashafwishe, takwali no mubili umo uwakupusuka: lelo pa mulandu wa basalwa, inshiku shilya shikafwishiwa. Mateo 24:15–22.
Sister White comments on how this warning was fulfilled in the history of the destruction of Jerusalem from 66 through 70 AD, and she identifies that the flag, or the standard of the Roman army, was the sign for the Christians still in Jerusalem to flee. So, was the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” pagan Rome, or was it papal Rome, as Miller based his framework upon?
සිස්ටර් වයිට්, ක්රි.ව. 66 සිට 70 දක්වා යෙරුසලම විනාශ වූ ඉතිහාසය තුළ මෙම අනතුරු ඇඟවීම කෙසේ ඉටු වූයේදැයි සඳහන් කරමින්, රෝම හමුදාවේ කොඩිය, එනම් ඔවුන්ගේ ධජය, තවමත් යෙරුසලමේ සිටි ක්රිස්තියානීන්ට පලා යා යුතු බව දැනුම් දුන් ලකුණ වූ බව හඳුන්වා දෙයි. එසේ නම්, “අනාගතවක්තෘ දානියෙල් විසින් කියනු ලැබූ පාළු කිරීමේ පිළිකුල” යනු ජාතික රෝමයද, නැතහොත් මිලර් තම ව්යුහය ගොඩනැගූ පරිදි පාප්ය රෝමයද?
William Miller was led to understand both manifestations of Rome (pagan followed by papal), but he was forced by the history in which he lived, to treat both kingdoms as one kingdom. And of course, they are one kingdom, but they also represent two successive kingdoms. Forced by the prophetic history of 1798, Miller had to address Rome as primarily one kingdom. In 1798, Miller believed Christ’s Second Coming was approximately twenty-five years in the future. He knew full well that papal Rome had received a deadly wound in 1798. For Miller, there were no other earthly kingdoms to follow papal Rome, for Christ was about to return.
William Miller a-nyewake cha Rome itsi miandi ibiri ishiishano—iya kipagani, hanyuma iya kipapa—ariko yahatirijwe n’amateka yabayemo gufata ubwo bwami bwombi nk’ubwami bumwe. Kandi rwose ni ubwami bumwe, ariko kandi bugereranya ubwami bubiri bukurikirana. Kubera amateka y’ubuhanuzi yo mu 1798, Miller yagombaga kuvuga kuri Rome cyane cyane nk’ubwami bumwe. Mu 1798, Miller yizeraga ko Ukuza kwa Kabiri kwa Kristo kwari kukiri hafi y’imyaka makumyabiri n’itanu imbere. Yari azi neza rwose ko Rome ya kipapa yari yarahawe igikomere cyica mu 1798. Kuri Miller, nta bundi bwami bwo ku isi bwagombaga gukurikira Rome ya kipapa, kuko Kristo yari hafi kugaruka.
In the history where Miller was located, he understood the statue of chapter two of Daniel, represented four earthly kingdoms, for that was what Daniel testified to.
تەڤی تاریختەی میلەر لەوێدا بوو، ئەو تێگەیشت کە پەیکەری بەشی دووەمی دانیال نوێنەرایەتی چوار شانشینی زەوی دەکات، چونکە ئەوە ئەوەیە کە دانیال شایەتی پێدا.
And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. Daniel 2:40, 41.
Na ufalme wa nne utakuwa na nguvu kama chuma; kwa kuwa chuma huvunja vipande-vipande na kushinda vitu vyote; na kama chuma kivunjavyo vitu hivi vyote, ndivyo utakavyovunja vipande-vipande na kuponda. Na kwa kuwa uliziona hizo nyayo na vidole vyake, sehemu ya udongo wa mfinyanzi na sehemu ya chuma, ufalme huo utagawanyika; lakini ndani yake kutakuwa na sehemu ya nguvu ya chuma, kwa kuwa uliona chuma kimechanganyika na udongo wa matope. Danieli 2:40, 41.
Miller understood that there were only four kingdoms, and the fourth and final kingdom was Rome, which he knew from history was pagan Rome followed by papal Rome. The fourth kingdom for Miller, in agreement with Daniel’s word, was “divided,” but for Miller the division only represented a distinction between the literal and spiritual aspects of the kingdom of Rome. He was correct, but his understanding was limited.
Miller alitambua kwamba kulikuwapo falme nne tu, na ufalme wa nne na wa mwisho ulikuwa Roma, ambayo alijua kutokana na historia kuwa ilikuwa Roma ya kipagani ikifuatiwa na Roma ya kipapa. Kwa Miller, ufalme wa nne, kwa kupatana na neno la Danieli, ulikuwa “umegawanyika,” lakini kwake mgawanyiko huo uliwakilisha tu tofauti kati ya vipengele halisi na vya kiroho vya ufalme wa Roma. Alikuwa sahihi, lakini uelewa wake ulikuwa na mipaka.
Miller did not see that the division of pagan and papal Rome, was based upon the division that Paul was raised up to identify. Paul (and John the Baptist), identified that at the time period of the cross literal was to transition into spiritual. Without that understanding Miller was forced to accept that Rome was essentially one kingdom that had two phases. And of course, he was correct (but limited). He could not see that spiritual Rome was represented by literal Babylon, for spiritual Rome (the papacy) is also spiritual Babylon.
மில்லர், புறஜாதிய ரோமும் பாப்பரசர் ரோமும் எனும் பிரிவு, பவுல் தெளிவாகக் குறிப்பதற்கென்று எழுப்பப்பட்ட பிரிவின் அடிப்படையிலே அமைந்தது என்பதை உணரவில்லை. சிலுவையின் காலப்பகுதியில், சொற்பொருளானது ஆவிக்குரியதிற்குள் மாற்றமடைய வேண்டியது எனப் பவுல் (யோவான் ஸ்நானகரனும் கூட) குறிப்பிட்டார். அந்தப் புரிதல் இன்றியமையாததாக இல்லாத காரணத்தால், ரோம் என்பது அடிப்படையில் இரு கட்டங்களை உடைய ஒரே ராஜ்யம் என மில்லர் ஏற்க வேண்டியதாயிற்று. நிச்சயமாக, அதில் அவர் சரியானவராயிருந்தார் (ஆனால் வரம்புள்ள வகையில்). ஆவிக்குரிய ரோம், சொற்பொருளான பாபிலோனால் அடையாளப்படுத்தப்பட்டது என்பதை அவர் காண முடியவில்லை; ஏனெனில் ஆவிக்குரிய ரோம் (பாப்பரசாட்சி) ஆவிக்குரிய பாபிலோனும் ஆகும்.
Literal Babylon, as the first of four kingdoms in Daniel two, would typify the fourth kingdom, for the first always typifies the last. Pagan Rome had been typified by Babylon, but both pagan Rome and Babylon typified spiritual Rome (the papacy). The papacy therefore was the fifth kingdom, and it was represented by Babylon. This is a basic reason why Sister White compares the captivity of literal Israel in Babylon for seventy years, with the captivity of spiritual Israel in spiritual Babylon for twelve hundred and sixty years.
Kabuloni halisi, ikiwa ni wa kwanza kati ya falme nne katika Danieli mbili, ungekuwa mfano wa ufalme wa nne, kwa maana wa kwanza humwakilisha daima wa mwisho. Rumi ya kipagani ilikuwa imewakilishwa kwa mfano na Babeli, lakini Rumi ya kipagani na Babeli zote mbili zilikuwa mifano ya Rumi ya kiroho (upapa). Kwa hiyo upapa ulikuwa ufalme wa tano, nao uliwakilishwa na Babeli. Hii ndiyo sababu ya msingi inayomfanya Dada White kulinganisha utumwa wa Israeli halisi katika Babeli kwa miaka sabini na utumwa wa Israeli wa kiroho katika Babeli ya kiroho kwa miaka elfu moja mia mbili na sitini.
“God’s church on earth was as verily in captivity during this long period of relentless persecution as were the children of Israel held captive in Babylon during the period of the exile.” Prophets and Kings, 714.
“Kanisa la Mungu duniani lilikuwa kwa hakika katika utumwa katika kipindi hiki kirefu cha mateso yasiyokoma, kama vile wana wa Israeli walivyokuwa mateka katika Babeli wakati wa kipindi cha uhamisho.” Prophets and Kings, 714.
Miller therefore had no problem interchanging prophetic fulfillments that more specifically identified pagan Rome, with papal Rome. We will provide examples of this as we continue, but if we understand that Miller viewed pagan and papal Rome as one kingdom, we can understand why Miller would have no problem with Jesus referencing the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” as a fulfillment of pagan Rome, while still understanding the expression of the “abomination of desolation,” in the book of Daniel as a symbol of papal Rome. Miller could not see the three desolating powers, and for this reason his prophetic framework was limited, though accurate.
Noola akyo, Miller kaghalina nakuvaila makwata-kavala evihevo vya unabii vinoviwika kwa umakinifu Roma ya kipagani, na Roma ya kipapa. Tuhokola mifano ya jambo hili tunapoendelea, lakini kama tukielewa kwamba Miller aliiona Roma ya kipagani na ya kipapa kuwa ufalme mmoja, twaweza kuelewa kwa nini Miller asingekuwa na shida kwa Yesu kurejelea “chukizo la uharibifu, lililonenwa na nabii Danieli,” kama utimilifu wa Roma ya kipagani, huku bado akielewa usemi wa “chukizo la uharibifu,” katika kitabu cha Danieli kuwa ishara ya Roma ya kipapa. Miller hakuweza kuona zile nguvu tatu za kuharibu, na kwa sababu hii mfumo wake wa unabii ulikuwa na mipaka, ijapokuwa ulikuwa sahihi.
But how are we to understand the discrepancy of the historical fulfillment of 66 AD, when pagan Rome placed its standards in the sacred precincts of the temple in fulfillment of Christ’s prediction? Is “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” a symbol of pagan or papal Rome? The answer to that dilemma is fairly simple when you recognize three desolating powers, instead of two. We should begin with Sister White’s commentary on the fulfillment of Christ’s prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem.
Mu ni mu ya kulukidila kuswaswana kwa kuakuka kua mu masolo kwa 66 AD, pantu Loma ya bapagani yatalikile bitema byayo mu bipalu bia busantu bia ntempelo, mu kuakukila kwa bulembi bwa buprofete bwa Kristo? “Bubibi bua bupanga bukese, buakambwa kudi Daniele muprofete,” mbumanyinu bwa Loma ya bapagani anyi bwa Loma ya bupapa? Mpendu wa ku dilema edi mmupete wa pashishe, padiyeu ukamona bukole busatu bua kupangisha bukese, pamue ne bubidi to. Tudi ne bua kubanga ne mbandu ya Muanetu wa nkashi White pa kuakuka kua bulembi bwa buprofete bwa Kristo pa dibutuka dia Yelusaleme.
“In the Jews’ crucifixion of Christ was involved the destruction of Jerusalem. The blood shed upon Calvary was the weight that sank them to ruin for this world and for the world to come. So it will be in the great final day, when judgment shall fall upon the rejecters of God’s grace. Christ, their rock of offense, will then appear to them as an avenging mountain. The glory of His countenance, which to the righteous is life, will be to the wicked a consuming fire. Because of love rejected, grace despised, the sinner will be destroyed.
“Mu kusulubisa kwa Kristo n’Abayudaaya mwari harimu okwonesibwa kwa Yerusalemu. Omusaayi ogasesekire i Kalivali ni gwari oburemere obwabasiisize omu kuzikirira okw’ensi egi n’okw’ensi eriza. Nikwo kiriba ku izooba erya nyuma erikuru, obu omusango guligwa aha abo abangaine embabazi za Ruhanga. Kristo, orwazi rwabo rw’okugwisibwa, obwo niho alibabonekera nk’orushozi orw’okuhora empinduuza. Ekitiinisa ky’amaisho ge, ekiri oburamu eri abahikiriire, kiriba eri ababi nk’omuriro ogucwamu. Ahabw’okugana rukundo, n’okugaya embabazi, omusiisi alizikirira.”
“By many illustrations and repeated warnings, Jesus showed what would be the result to the Jews of rejecting the Son of God. In these words He was addressing all in every age who refuse to receive Him as their Redeemer. Every warning is for them. The desecrated temple, the disobedient son, the false husbandmen, the contemptuous builders, have their counterpart in the experience of every sinner. Unless he repent, the doom which they foreshadowed will be his.” The Desire of Ages, 600.
“Kwa mifano mingi na maonyo ya kurudiwa-rudiwa, Yesu alionyesha matokeo ambayo yangewapata Wayahudi kwa kumkataa Mwana wa Mungu. Kwa maneno haya alikuwa akiwaelekeza wote katika kila kizazi wanaokataa kumpokea kuwa Mkombozi wao. Kila onyo ni kwa ajili yao. Hekalu lililonajisiwa, mwana asiye mtiifu, wakulima wa uongo, wajenzi wenye dharau, vina ulinganifu wake katika uzoefu wa kila mwenye dhambi. Asipotubu, hukumu ambayo vitu hivyo vilikuwa kivuli chake itakuwa yake.” The Desire of Ages, 600.
When Paul identified the transition from literal to spiritual, he identifies that it occurred during the time period of the cross, and it should be noted that the destruction of Jerusalem is directly associated with the cross. The destruction of literal Jerusalem which was first accomplished by literal Babylon was accomplished a last time by literal Rome, for Jesus always represents the end with the beginning. The trampling down of the sanctuary and the host that began with the pagan power of Babylon, ended with the pagan power of Rome.
Paulo alipotambulisha mpito kutoka katika hali halisi kwenda katika hali ya kiroho, anaonyesha kwamba ulitokea katika kipindi cha msalaba, na yapasa kutambuliwa kwamba kuharibiwa kwa Yerusalemu kunahusishwa moja kwa moja na msalaba. Uharibifu wa Yerusalemu halisi, ambao mara ya kwanza ulitimizwa na Babeli halisi, ulitimizwa kwa mara ya mwisho na Rumi halisi, kwa maana Yesu daima huwakilisha mwisho pamoja na mwanzo. Kukanyagwa chini kwa patakatifu na jeshi, kulikokuwa kumeanza kwa nguvu ya kipagani ya Babeli, kulifikia mwisho wake kwa nguvu ya kipagani ya Rumi.
The spiritual trampling down of spiritual Jerusalem was accomplished by papal Rome and both of those periods of trampling down (literal and spiritual) typify the trampling down of God’s people by the third desolating power, which in terms of Rome is called modern Rome.
დასაბიჯება სულიერი იერუსალიმისა განხორციელდა პაპის რომის მიერ, და ეს ორივე პერიოდი დასაბიჯებისა (პირდაპირი და სულიერი) წინასახავს ღვთის ერის დასაბიჯებას მესამე გამაპარტახებელი ძალის მიერ, რომელსაც რომის თვალსაზრისით თანამედროვე რომი ეწოდება.
There are three desolating powers that each persecute God’s people. The dragon of paganism, followed by the sea beast of Catholicism, that is followed by the earth beast of the United States (the false prophet). Paganism was represented by various pagan powers that trampled down literal Israel. Papalism then trampled down spiritual Israel for twelve hundred and sixty years from 538 to 1798. The three-fold union of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet is modern Rome and it also tramples down God’s people during the “hour” of the Sunday law crisis. The three desolating powers of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet are also represented as pagan Rome, papal Rome and modern Rome.
Kuna mamlaka tatu za uharibifu, ambazo kila moja huwatesa watu wa Mungu. Joka wa upagani, akafuatwa na mnyama wa baharini wa Ukatoliki, naye akafuatwa na mnyama wa nchi wa Marekani (nabii wa uongo). Upagani uliwakilishwa na mamlaka mbalimbali za kipagani zilizolikanyaga Israeli halisi. Kisha upapa uliikanyaga Israeli ya kiroho kwa miaka elfu moja mia mbili na sitini kuanzia 538 hadi 1798. Muungano wa pande tatu wa joka, mnyama, na nabii wa uongo ni Roma ya kisasa, nayo pia huwakanyaga watu wa Mungu wakati wa “saa” ya msukosuko wa sheria ya Jumapili. Mamlaka hizo tatu za uharibifu za joka, mnyama, na nabii wa uongo pia huwakilishwa kama Roma ya kipagani, Roma ya kipapa, na Roma ya kisasa.
In terms of Revelation seventeen paganism is the first four kings, the fifth king is the papacy and the sixth, seventh and eighth kings is the three-fold union of modern Rome.
Kũringana na Ufunuo kũmi na mũgwanja, ũhetheni nĩ ũthamaki wa athamaki a mbere ana; mũthamaki wa gatano nĩ Upapa, na athamaki a gatandatũ, mũgwanja, na mũnana nĩ ũrĩa wa ngwataniro ya nginya itatũ ya Rumi ya kĩrĩrĩ.
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. Revelation 17:10, 11.
Kandi mĩthamaki mũgwanja marĩho: atano nĩmagũire, na ũmwe nĩarĩho, na ũngĩ ndarooka; na rĩrĩ aakũũka, no nginya atũũre ihinda inini. Nake nyamũ ĩrĩa yarĩho, na ndĩho, nĩ yo ya kanana, na nĩ ya acio mũgwanja, nayo igathiĩ kũrĩ ũhoni. Kũguũrũrio 17:10, 11.
In terms of Daniel chapter two, paganism is all four kingdoms from literal Babylon to literal Rome. Spiritual Babylon is the papacy (the head of gold), and the three-fold union of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (modern Rome), is represented by the three-fold union of spiritual Medo-Persia, spiritual Greece, and spiritual Rome (whose deadly wound is healed).
Kulingana na Danieli sura ya pili, upagani ni falme zote nne kuanzia Babeli halisi hadi Roma halisi. Babeli ya kiroho ni upapa (kichwa cha dhahabu), na muungano wa sehemu tatu wa joka, mnyama, na nabii wa uongo (Roma ya kisasa), unawakilishwa na muungano wa sehemu tatu wa Umedi-Uajemi wa kiroho, Ugiriki wa kiroho, na Roma ya kiroho (ambaye jeraha lake la mauti limeponywa).
When Jesus referred to the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” he was identifying a specific “sign” that Christians must recognize in each of the three Rome’s. Pagan Rome, papal Rome and modern Rome all persecute God’s people. That persecution is represented prophetically as trampling down the sanctuary and host. Jesus provided a warning of the approach of that persecution for each of the three periods of persecutions. When the “sign” of Rome’s authority was placed within the sanctuary, the time to flee Jerusalem had arrived. Jesus was not using Daniel’s expression of the “abomination of desolation,” as a symbol of an earthly power, but as a symbol of the sign that Christians needed to recognize.
Yesu aliporejelea “chukizo la uharibifu, lililonenwa na nabii Danieli,” alikuwa akitambulisha “ishara” maalumu ambayo Wakristo wanapaswa kuitambua katika kila moja ya Roma tatu. Roma ya kipagani, Roma ya upapa, na Roma ya kisasa zote huwatesa watu wa Mungu. Mateso hayo yanawakilishwa kinabii kama kukanyagwa kwa patakatifu na jeshi. Yesu alitoa onyo la kukaribia kwa mateso hayo kwa kila moja ya vipindi vitatu vya mateso. Wakati “ishara” ya mamlaka ya Roma iliwekwa ndani ya patakatifu, wakati wa kuikimbia Yerusalemu ulikuwa umewadia. Yesu hakuwa akitumia usemi wa Danieli wa “chukizo la uharibifu” kama ishara ya mamlaka ya kidunia, bali kama ishara ya ishara ambayo Wakristo walihitaji kuitambua.
“Jesus declared to the listening disciples the judgments that were to fall upon apostate Israel, and especially the retributive vengeance that would come upon them for their rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah. Unmistakable signs would precede the awful climax. The dreaded hour would come suddenly and swiftly. And the Saviour warned His followers: ‘When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.’ Matthew 24:15, 16; Luke 21:20, 21. When the idolatrous standards of the Romans should be set up in the holy ground, which extended some furlongs outside the city walls, then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight. When the warning sign should be seen, those who would escape must make no delay. Throughout the land of Judea, as well as in Jerusalem itself, the signal for flight must be immediately obeyed. He who chanced to be upon the housetop must not go down into his house, even to save his most valued treasures. Those who were working in the fields or vineyards must not take time to return for the outer garment laid aside while they should be toiling in the heat of the day. They must not hesitate a moment, lest they be involved in the general destruction.” The Great Controversy, 25.
Yesu akatangaza kwa wanafunzi waliokuwa wakimsikiliza hukumu zilizokuwa zije juu ya Israeli iliyoasi, na hasa kisasi cha adhabu ambacho kingewajilia kwa sababu ya kumkataa kwao na kumsulibisha Masihi. Ishara zisizoweza kukosewa zingetangulia kilele hicho cha kutisha. Saa ile ya kuogofya ingekuja ghafula na upesi. Naye Mwokozi akawaonya wafuasi Wake: “Basi hapo mtakapoliona chukizo la uharibifu, lililonenwa na nabii Danieli, limesimama katika patakatifu, (asomaye na afahamu:) ndipo walio katika Uyahudi na wakimbilie milimani.” Mathayo 24:15, 16; Luka 21:20, 21. Bendera za Warumi za ibada ya sanamu zilipowekwa katika nchi takatifu, iliyonyooka kwa stadia kadhaa nje ya kuta za mji, ndipo wafuasi wa Kristo walipaswa kupata usalama kwa kukimbia. Ishara ya onyo ilipoonekana, wale ambao wangeponea iliwapasa wasikawie hata kidogo. Katika nchi yote ya Uyahudi, na vilevile katika Yerusalemu yenyewe, ishara ya kukimbia ilipaswa kutiiwa mara hiyo. Yeye ambaye angekuta yuko juu ya dari ya nyumba asishuke kuingia nyumbani mwake, hata kuokoa hazina zake zenye thamani kuu. Wale waliokuwa wakifanya kazi mashambani au mashamba ya mizabibu wasichukue muda wa kurudi kwa ajili ya vazi la nje waliloliweka kando walipokuwa wakitaabika katika joto la mchana. Haikuwapasa kusita hata kwa kitambo, wasije wakahusishwa katika maangamizi ya jumla.” Pambano Kuu, 25.
In the passage Sister White identifies the “abomination of desolation,” as an “unmistakable sign,” that was represented by the “idolatrous standards of the Romans,” which they set “up in the holy ground” of the sanctuary. Jesus was not using the “abomination of desolation” to represent either power of pagan or papal Rome, but as a “sign.” When the “sign” was placed in the holy ground of the temple, the Christians were to flee from Jerusalem “lest they be involved in the general destruction.” Sister White goes further later on in the same passage and identifies that the prophecy of Christ that identified the destruction had more than one fulfillment.
Mufungu imwĭne uyu, Kalumbu White alumbulula “icisemwa ca bupongoshi,” nge “cilangililo icitafwatikika,” ico cileimininako ku “fitanda fya buputule ifya baRoma,” ifyo bashimika “mu mpanga iyasembelwa” iya tempile. Yesu tashimikile “icisemwa ca bupongoshi” ukulanga amaka yonsenene aya Roma ya buhedeni nangu iya buPapa, lelo nga “cilangililo.” Ilyo “icilangililo” caimikwa mu mpanga iyasembelwa iya tempile, Abena Kristu bali no kutiza ukufuma mu Yerusalemu “epoo tabengilwe mu konaika kwa bonse.” Kalumbu White aleya pantanshi nakabili pa mpela ya uyu wine mufungu no kulumbulula ukuti ubusesemo bwa kwa Kristu ubwalingile konaika bwali na mafikilishyo ayengi.
“The Saviour’s prophecy concerning the visitation of judgments upon Jerusalem is to have another fulfillment, of which that terrible desolation was but a faint shadow. In the fate of the chosen city we may behold the doom of a world that has rejected God’s mercy and trampled upon His law. Dark are the records of human misery that earth has witnessed during its long centuries of crime. The heart sickens, and the mind grows faint in contemplation. Terrible have been the results of rejecting the authority of Heaven. But a scene yet darker is presented in the revelations of the future. The records of the past,—the long procession of tumults, conflicts, and revolutions, the ‘battle of the warrior … with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood’ (Isaiah 9:5),—what are these, in contrast with the terrors of that day when the restraining Spirit of God shall be wholly withdrawn from the wicked, no longer to hold in check the outburst of human passion and satanic wrath! The world will then behold, as never before, the results of Satan’s rule.
“Mutapulushi wa Mupusukilo pa buprofita bwakwe pa kulongoloka kwa misango pa Yerusalemu buli no kulondekamo ukupwishishamo na kumbi, apo ako kabungkulo aka kutinya kakali fye icilangililo icafoka. Mu mpela ya muzinda uwasalwa, twingamona ulubembu lwa calo ico cacilile uluse lwa kwa Lesa no kunyanta pa mafunde yakwe. Ifikala ifya bupupu bwa muntu ifyo isonde lyamona mu myaka yaliko iitali iya bubifi fyali ifyafita. Umutima ulalwala, ne mano yalafowela pa kutontonkanya pali ifyo. Ifyakutinya fyali ifyaba ukufuma mu kukana amaka ya mu Mulu. Lelo mu mambwe ya vya kusogolo kulapelwa icikope icafita ukucila. Ifyalembwa ifya kale,—umulongo uutali wa fitumpa, ifiita, ne fyakupilibulwa kwa mafulumende, ‘inkondo ya mwaume wa nkondo … ne cilili icakuvulungana, ne fya kufwala ifyafulunganishiwa mu mulopa’ (Esaya 9:5),—ifyo fyonsenifye ni nshi, nga twafananisha ne fyakutinya fya lya bushiku ilyo Umupashi wa kwa Lesa uwakukanya akafumishiwa limbi ku babi, ukwabula kabili ukubakanika ukupeputuka kwa mapange ya buntu no bukali bwa kwa Satana! Isonde e lyo likamona, nga filya talyamona nakalya kale, ifyaba mu bufumu bwa kwa Satana.”
“But in that day, as in the time of Jerusalem’s destruction, God’s people will be delivered, everyone that shall be found written among the living. Isaiah 4:3. Christ has declared that He will come the second time to gather His faithful ones to Himself: ‘Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ Matthew 24:30, 31. Then shall they that obey not the gospel be consumed with the spirit of His mouth and be destroyed with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8. Like Israel of old the wicked destroy themselves; they fall by their iniquity. By a life of sin, they have placed themselves so out of harmony with God, their natures have become so debased with evil, that the manifestation of His glory is to them a consuming fire.
“Lê belê di wê rojê de, wekî di dema hilweşîna Orşelîmê de, gelê Xwedê dê rizgar bibe, her yekê ku navê wî di nav zindiyan de hatibe nivîsîn. Îşa 4:3. Mesîh ragihandî ye ku Ew dê cara duyem were da ku kesên xwe yên dilsoz li cem xwe kom bike: ‘Hingê hemû eşîrên erdê dê şîn bibin, û ew ê Kurê Mirovî bibînin ku di ewrên ezmên de bi hêz û bi rûmeteke mezin tê. Û Ew ê milyaketên xwe bi dengekî bilind ê sûrê bişîne, û ew ê bijartiyên Wî ji çar ba yên cîhanê, ji serê ezmênekê heta serê yê din, li hev kom bikin.’ Metta 24:30, 31. Hingê yên ku mizgîniyê qebûl nakin dê bi rihê devê Wî were tunekirin û bi ronahiya hatina Wî were winda kirin. 2 Selanîkî 2:8. Wekî Îsraêla kevn, xerabkar xwe bi xwe tune dikin; ew bi neheqiya xwe dikevin. Bi jiyaneke gunehkar, wan xwe ew qas ji ahenga bi Xwedê re derxistine, û xweza wan ew qas bi xerabiyê hatine binxistin, ku eşkerekirina rûmeta Wî ji bo wan dibe agirê şewitandinê.”
“Let men beware lest they neglect the lesson conveyed to them in the words of Christ. As He warned His disciples of Jerusalem’s destruction, giving them a sign of the approaching ruin, that they might make their escape; so He has warned the world of the day of final destruction and has given them tokens of its approach, that all who will may flee from the wrath to come. Jesus declares: ‘There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations.’ Luke 21:25; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24–26; Revelation 6:12–17. Those who behold these harbingers of His coming are to ‘know that it is near, even at the doors.’ Matthew 24:33. ‘Watch ye therefore,’ are His words of admonition. Mark 13:35. They that heed the warning shall not be left in darkness, that that day should overtake them unawares. But to them that will not watch, ‘the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:2–5.” The Great Controversy, 36, 37.
“အမျိုးသားတို့သည် ခရစ်တော်၏ နှုတ်ကပတ်တော်များအတွင်း သူတို့အား ပို့ဆောင်ထားသော သင်ခန်းစာကို လျစ်လျူရှုမိမည်ကို သတိပြုကြစို့။ ကိုယ်တော်သည် ယေရုရှလင်၏ ပျက်စီးခြင်းအကြောင်းကို မိမိ၏ တပည့်တော်တို့အား သတိပေးတော်မူ၍၊ သူတို့ ထွက်ပြေးလွတ်မြောက်နိုင်စေရန် နီးကပ်လာသော ထိုပျက်စီးခြင်း၏ နိမိတ်လက္ခဏာတစ်ရပ်ကို ပေးတော်မူခဲ့သကဲ့သို့၊ ထိုနည်းတူ ကိုယ်တော်သည်လည်း အဆုံးစွန်သော ပျက်စီးခြင်းနေ့အကြောင်းကို လောကအား သတိပေးတော်မူပြီး၊ ထိုနေ့ နီးကပ်လာခြင်း၏ အမှတ်လက္ခဏာများကို ပေးတော်မူခဲ့သည်။ သို့မှသာ လိုလားသူ အပေါင်းတို့သည် လာမည့် အမျက်တော်မှ ထွက်ပြေးလွတ်မြောက်နိုင်ကြမည်။ ယေရှုက ဤသို့ ကြေညာတော်မူသည်– ‘နေထဲ၌လည်းကောင်း၊ လထဲ၌လည်းကောင်း၊ ကြယ်ထဲ၌လည်းကောင်း နိမိတ်လက္ခဏာများ ရှိလိမ့်မည်။ မြေကြီးပေါ်၌လည်း လူမျိုးတကာတို့သည် စိတ်ပူပန်ခြင်းသို့ ရောက်ကြလိမ့်မည်။’ လုကာ 21:25; မဿဲ 24:29; မာကု 13:24–26; ဗျာဒိတ် 6:12–17။ ကိုယ်တော်၏ ကြွလာခြင်းမတိုင်မီ ပေါ်ထွန်းလာသော ဤရှေ့ပြေးလက္ခဏာများကို မြင်ရသောသူတို့သည် ‘ထိုအမှု နီးပြီ၊ တံခါးဝတိုင်အောင် ရောက်ပြီ’ ဟု သိမှတ်ရမည်။ မဿဲ 24:33။ ‘ထို့ကြောင့် စောင့်နေကြလော့’ ဟူသည်မှာ ကိုယ်တော်၏ သတိပေးနှိုးဆော်ချက်ဖြစ်သည်။ မာကု 13:35။ သတိပေးချက်ကို နားထောင်လိုက်နာသောသူတို့သည် ထိုနေ့က သူတို့ကို မမျှော်လင့်ဘဲ ဖမ်းဆီးမိစေရန် အမှောင်ထဲ၌ ကျန်ရစ်မည်မဟုတ်။ သို့သော် စောင့်မနေလိုသောသူတို့အတွက်မူ ‘သခင်ဘုရား၏နေ့သည် ညဉ့်အခါ သူခိုးလာသကဲ့သို့ လာလိမ့်မည်။’ ၁ သက်သာလောနိတ် 5:2–5။” မဟာပဋိပက္ခ, 36, 37.
When Sister White wrote these words there was still to be a future fulfillment of the destruction of Jerusalem. The retributive judgment that is carried out against modern Rome (the dragon, the beast and the false prophet), at the end of the world represents the final fall of spiritual Babylon, but spiritual Babylon (the papacy) already fell once in 1798. The destruction of Jerusalem represents God’s retributive judgment upon an apostate church.
គ្រានោះនៅពេលបងស្រី វ៉ាយត៍ បានសរសេរពាក្យទាំងនេះ ការបំពេញនៅពេលអនាគតនៃការបំផ្លាញក្រុងយេរូសាឡឹមនៅតែត្រូវកើតមាននៅខាងមុខ។ ការជំនុំជម្រះសងសឹកដែលត្រូវបានអនុវត្តប្រឆាំងនឹងរ៉ូមសម័យទំនើប (នាគ សត្វសាហាវ និងហោរាក្លែងក្លាយ) នៅចុងបញ្ចប់នៃលោកិយ តំណាងឲ្យការដួលរលំចុងក្រោយនៃបាប៊ីឡូនខាងវិញ្ញាណ ប៉ុន្តែបាប៊ីឡូនខាងវិញ្ញាណ (អំណាចសម្តេចប៉ាប) បានដួលរលំរួចម្តងហើយនៅឆ្នាំ 1798។ ការបំផ្លាញក្រុងយេរូសាឡឹម តំណាងឲ្យការជំនុំជម្រះសងសឹករបស់ព្រះលើក្រុមជំនុំក្បត់ជំនឿ។
The destruction of Jerusalem in the three and a half years from 66 AD to 70 AD typifies the destruction of God’s retributive judgment at the end of the world that is brought upon modern Rome (the dragon, the beast and the false prophet). The siege and destruction of Jerusalem, which was accomplished by paganism from 66 AD unto 70 AD, lasted exactly three and a half years.
66 AD నుండి 70 AD వరకు గల మూడు నర సంవత్సరాలలో యెరూషలేము నాశనం కావడం, ప్రపంచాంతంలో ఆధునిక రోముపై (అనగా నాగు, మృగము, అబద్ధ ప్రవక్తపై) వచ్చు దేవుని ప్రతికార తీర్పు యొక్క వినాశనానికి ఒక మాదిరిగా నిలుస్తుంది. 66 AD నుండి 70 AD వరకు పౌరాణిక అన్యమతాధర్మం ద్వారా కార్యరూపం పొందిన యెరూషలేము ముట్టడి మరియు నాశనం, కచ్చితంగా మూడు నర సంవత్సరాలు కొనసాగింది.
The siege and destruction of spiritual Jerusalem which was accomplished by papalism lasted three and a half prophetic years, from 538 unto 1798. Those two illustrations typify the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in the “hour” of the Sunday law crisis that is brought about by modern Rome. The last of the three destructions of Jerusalem is reversed, as represented in the book of Daniel.
Kuzingirwa na kuangamizwa kwa Yerusalemu ya kiroho kulikotimizwa na upapa kulidumu kwa miaka mitatu na nusu ya kinabii, tangu 538 hadi 1798. Vielelezo hivyo viwili vinafananisha kuzingirwa na kuangamizwa kwa Yerusalemu katika “saa” ya kipindi cha msukosuko wa sheria ya Jumapili kinachosababishwa na Rumi ya kisasa. Uharibifu wa mwisho kati ya maangamizi matatu ya Yerusalemu unageuzwa, kama ilivyowakilishwa katika kitabu cha Danieli.
The book of Daniel begins with Babylon conquering and destroying Jerusalem and it ends with Babylon’s destruction and Jerusalem’s victory. In each of the three battles, there was a sign given to Christians that informed them to flee from the coming warfare. In AD 66, it was when the armies of pagan Rome placed their standards (their battle flags) in the sacred ground of the sanctuary. In the year 538, it was when the “man of sin” was revealed, sitting in the temple of God (the Christian church), showing himself that he was God, when he passed a Sunday law at the Counsel of Orleans in that year. Sunday enforcement is what the papacy identifies as the proof of their authority over the Christian world, for they argue (correctly) that there is no support for Sunday worship in God’s Word, and the fact that they instituted Sunday as the day of worship in Christianity is proof that the authority of their pagan traditions and customs are above the Bible.
Kitabu cha Danieli kinaanza kwa Babeli kuushinda na kuuangamiza Yerusalemu, na kinaishia kwa kuangamizwa kwa Babeli na ushindi wa Yerusalemu. Katika kila moja ya vita hivyo vitatu, kulitolewa ishara kwa Wakristo iliyowaarifu wakimbie vita vilivyokuwa vinakuja. Katika BK 66, ilikuwa wakati majeshi ya Roma ya kipagani yalipoweka viwango vyao (bendera zao za vita) katika ardhi takatifu ya patakatifu. Katika mwaka 538, ilikuwa wakati “mtu wa dhambi” alipofunuliwa, akiwa ameketi katika hekalu la Mungu (kanisa la Kikristo), akijionyesha mwenyewe kwamba yeye ni Mungu, alipoweka sheria ya Jumapili katika Baraza la Orleans katika mwaka huo. Utekelezaji wa ibada ya Jumapili ndicho upapa hutambulisha kuwa ni uthibitisho wa mamlaka yao juu ya ulimwengu wa Kikristo, kwa maana wanahoji (kwa usahihi) kwamba hakuna uthibitisho wowote wa ibada ya Jumapili katika Neno la Mungu, na ukweli kwamba wao ndio walioianzisha Jumapili kuwa siku ya ibada katika Ukristo ni uthibitisho kwamba mamlaka ya mapokeo na desturi zao za kipagani yako juu ya Biblia.
In the year 538, Christians were to separate from the Roman church, not simply because it was not truly a Christian church, but also because the sign of papal authority had been placed in the sacred grounds of God’s church. Sister White identifies the separation process of that history that began the period when God’s church fled into the wilderness for twelve hundred and sixty years.
Mu mwaka wa 538, Abakristo bari bakwiye kwitandukanya n’itorero ry’Abaroma, atari gusa kubera ko ritari itorero rya gikristo by’ukuri, ahubwo kandi kubera ko ikimenyetso cy’ububasha bwa papa cyari cyarashyizwe ahantu hera h’itorero ry’Imana. Mushiki wa White agaragaza uburyo bwo kwitandukanya bwaranze ayo mateka, bwatangije igihe itorero ry’Imana ryahungiye mu butayu imyaka igihumbi na magana abiri na mirongo itandatu.
“But there is no union between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness, and there can be no union between their followers. When Christians consented to unite with those who were but half converted from paganism, they entered upon a path which led further and further from the truth. Satan exulted that he had succeeded in deceiving so large a number of the followers of Christ. He then brought his power to bear more fully upon these, and inspired them to persecute those who remained true to God. None understood so well how to oppose the true Christian faith as did those who had once been its defenders; and these apostate Christians, uniting with their half-pagan companions, directed their warfare against the most essential features of the doctrines of Christ.
“Basi hakuna umoja kati ya Mkuu wa nuru na mkuu wa giza, wala hakuwezi kuwapo umoja kati ya wafuasi wao. Wakristo walipokubali kuungana na wale waliokuwa wameongoka nusu tu kutoka katika upagani, waliingia katika njia iliyowaongoza mbali zaidi na zaidi na kweli. Shetani alishangilia kwa kuwa alikuwa amefaulu kuwadanganya idadi kubwa namna hiyo ya wafuasi wa Kristo. Ndipo akaelekeza nguvu zake kwa ukamilifu zaidi juu yao, akawavuvia kuwatesa wale waliobaki waaminifu kwa Mungu. Hakuna walioelewa vema jinsi ya kuipinga imani ya kweli ya Kikristo kama wale waliokuwa wamewahi kuwa watetezi wake; nao hao Wakristo waasi, wakiungana na wenzao wa nusu-upagani, wakaelekeza vita yao dhidi ya sifa za msingi kabisa za mafundisho ya Kristo.
“It required a desperate struggle for those who would be faithful to stand firm against the deceptions and abominations which were disguised in sacerdotal garments and introduced into the church. The Bible was not accepted as the standard of faith. The doctrine of religious freedom was termed heresy, and its upholders were hated and proscribed.
“Kwa wale waliotaka kuwa waaminifu, ilihitaji mapambano makali ya kukata tamaa ili wasimame imara dhidi ya udanganyifu na machukizo yaliyofichwa chini ya mavazi ya ukuhani na kuingizwa ndani ya kanisa. Biblia haikukubaliwa kuwa kipimo cha imani. Fundisho la uhuru wa dini liliitwa uzushi, na wale waliolishikilia walichukiwa na kutengwa.
“After a long and severe conflict, the faithful few decided to dissolve all union with the apostate church if she still refused to free herself from falsehood and idolatry. They saw that separation was an absolute necessity if they would obey the word of God. They dared not tolerate errors fatal to their own souls, and set an example which would imperil the faith of their children and children’s children. To secure peace and unity they were ready to make any concession consistent with fidelity to God; but they felt that even peace would be too dearly purchased at the sacrifice of principle. If unity could be secured only by the compromise of truth and righteousness, then let there be difference, and even war.” The Great Controversy, 45.
“Baada ya mapambano marefu na makali, waaminifu wale wachache waliamua kuvunja kila muungano na kanisa lililoasi ikiwa bado lingekataa kujinasua na uongo na ibada ya sanamu. Waliona kwamba kujitenga kulikuwa hitaji la lazima kabisa ili wapate kulitii neno la Mungu. Hawakuthubutu kuvumilia makosa yenye kuleta mauti kwa roho zao wenyewe, wala kuweka mfano ambao ungehatarisha imani ya watoto wao na ya watoto wa watoto wao. Ili kupata amani na umoja walikuwa tayari kufanya jawabu lolote linalopatana na uaminifu kwa Mungu; lakini walihisi kwamba hata amani ingenunuliwa kwa gharama kubwa mno ikiwa kwa kutoa kafara kanuni. Ikiwa umoja ungeweza kupatikana kwa njia ya kuafikiana na kweli na haki pekee, basi na kuwe na tofauti, na hata vita.” The Great Controversy, 45.
We will continue these thoughts in the next article.
Bitekerezo ibi tuzabikomeza mu nyandiko ikurikira.
“Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to be lifted. We who occupy this solemn, responsible position, what are we doing, what are we thinking about, that we cling to our selfish love of ease, while souls are perishing around us? Have our hearts become utterly callous? Cannot we feel or understand that we have a work to do for the salvation of others? Brethren, are you of the class who having eyes see not, and having ears hear not? Is it in vain that God has given you a knowledge of His will? Is it in vain that He has sent you warning after warning? Do you believe the declarations of eternal truth concerning what is about to come upon the earth, do you believe that God’s judgments are hanging over the people, and can you still sit at ease, indolent, careless, pleasure loving?
“Bulaa eeka uta mbee yetu. Pazia li karibu kuinuliwa. Sisi tulioko katika nafasi hii ya utukufu na wajibu mzito, tunafanya nini, tunawaza nini, hata tushikamane na upendo wetu wa ubinafsi wa kupenda raha, huku roho zikiangamia pande zote kutuzunguka? Je, mioyo yetu imekuwa migumu kabisa? Je, hatuwezi kuhisi wala kuelewa kwamba tunayo kazi ya kufanya kwa ajili ya wokovu wa wengine? Ndugu, je, ninyi ni wa jamii ile ambayo, ikiwa na macho, haioni, na ikiwa na masikio, haisikii? Je, ni bure kwamba Mungu amewapa ujuzi wa mapenzi Yake? Je, ni bure kwamba amewatuma maonyo baada ya maonyo? Je, mnayaamini matamko ya kweli ya milele kuhusu yale yatakayokuja juu ya dunia, je, mnaamini kwamba hukumu za Mungu zimetanda juu ya watu, nanyi bado mwaweza kuketi kwa kustarehe, wavivu, wasiojali, wapendao anasa?”
“It is no time now for God’s people to be fixing their affections or laying up their treasure in the world. The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains. And now, instead of seeking expensive dwellings here, we should be preparing to move to a better country, even a heavenly. Instead of spending our means in self-gratification, we should be studying to economize. Every talent lent of God should be used to His glory in giving the warning to the world. God has a work for His colaborers to do in the cities. Our missions must be sustained; new missions must be opened. To carry forward this work successfully will require no small outlay. Houses of worship are needed, where the people may be invited to hear the truths for this time. For this very purpose, God has entrusted a capital to His stewards. Let not your property be tied up in worldly enterprises, so that this work shall be hindered. Get your means where you can handle it for the benefit of the cause of God. Send your treasures before you into heaven.” Testimonies, volume 5, 464.
“Wakati huu si wakati wa watu wa Mungu kuuweka moyo wao katika ulimwengu au kujiwekea hazina duniani. Wakati hauko mbali, ambapo, kama wanafunzi wa kwanza, tutalazimishwa kutafuta mahali pa kujificha katika sehemu zilizo ukiwa na za upweke. Kama vile kuzingirwa kwa Yerusalemu na majeshi ya Warumi kulivyokuwa ishara ya kukimbia kwa Wakristo wa Uyahudi, ndivyo kutwaa mamlaka kwa taifa letu katika amri ya kuilazimisha sabato ya upapa kutakavyokuwa onyo kwetu. Hapo ndipo utakapokuwa wakati wa kuyaacha miji mikubwa, katika maandalizi ya kuyaacha miji midogo kwa ajili ya makao ya faragha katika mahali pa siri miongoni mwa milima. Na sasa, badala ya kutafuta makao ya gharama kubwa hapa, yapasa tujiandae kuhamia nchi iliyo bora zaidi, yaani, ya mbinguni. Badala ya kutumia mali zetu kwa kujiridhisha nafsi, yatupasa kujifunza kuweka matumizi katika mipaka ya uchumi. Kila talanta aliyokopesha Mungu yapasa itumike kwa utukufu Wake katika kutoa onyo kwa ulimwengu. Mungu ana kazi kwa washiriki Wake kufanya katika miji. Misheni zetu zapasa kudumishwa; misheni mpya zapasa kufunguliwa. Ili kuendeleza kazi hii kwa mafanikio kutahitaji matumizi makubwa si haba. Nyumba za ibada zinahitajika, ambamo watu waweza kualikwa kusikia kweli za wakati huu. Kwa kusudi hili hasa, Mungu ameweka mtaji mikononi mwa mawakili Wake. Mali yako isifungiwe katika shughuli za kidunia, hata kazi hii ikazuiliwa. Toa mali yako mahali unapoweza kuitumia kwa faida ya kazi ya Mungu. Tuma hazina zako mbele yako mbinguni.” Testimonies, juzuu la 5, 464.