Habakkuk's Two Tables #26

Part Four: DANIEL

Presented by Jeff Pippenger

Invocation by Brother Jeff Pippenger: Heavenly Father, as we begin our study this morning, we ask that you would forgive us our sins, that you would make us right with you in every way that we might receive the light that you have for us this morning. We ask for the presence of your Holy Spirit to be with us, the presence of your holy angels that we might have the atmosphere of Heaven here with us. As we take up our study this morning, I ask that you would forgive my sins and hide me behind your cross, that you take control this morning of the message and overrule my ideas and words, and that you would also do the preparation of the hearts and minds of the Brothers and Sisters that are listening to this, that they can receive it as you see fit. We ask a blessing upon the work we are doing with the DVD recordings and the LiveStream. We ask that you would pour your Latter Rain down upon our vessels at this time by opening our understanding to you Word. And we thank you for all these things in Jesus's name. Amen.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: We are looking at Habakkuk's tables as typified in Bible prophecy, and we are looking at the fall of Babylon as illustrated in the stories of Nimrod, Belshazzar, and now we are going to take up Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar's Fall

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream

And if you would turn to Daniel, chapter 4, verses 1 through 3, we will begin.

Daniel, chapter 4, verse 1:

"1Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you."—

Please note that in the Book of Daniel, there is one chapter that Daniel did not write. Nebuchadnezzar writes this chapter.

Please note also that this is Nebuchadnezzar's second dream.

Keep that in your memory bank; because, we are going to compare this chapter and these dreams with William Miller, who had two dreams. And Miller's second dream, as Nebuchadnezzar's second dream is placed in the Spirit of Prophecy in Early Writings; so, we are suggesting a parallel here between Nebuchadnezzar's second dream and William Miller's second dream. We will deal with that later.

—"Peace be multiplied unto you. 2I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 3How great are his signs! And how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation." Daniel 4:1-3 (KJV).

And in your notes you have the definition of a sign.

SIGN: Strong's Concordance, H852—(Chaldee); corresponding to H226; a portent: - sign. H226—(in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.: - mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.

MIRACLE: Strong's Concordance, H8540—(Chaldee); from a root corresponding to H8539; a miracle: - wonder. H8539—A primitive root; to be in consternation: - be amazed, be astonished, marvel (-lously), wonder.

In the Chaldean, it corresponds to H226 in the Hebrew. It is a portent. H226 says a signal, a flag, a beacon, a monument, an omen, a prodigy, evidence, an (en-) sign, a token.

We have noted in our prior studies that the Tower of Babel was a monument, to Nimrod's folly; and, the handwriting on the wall is a monument in Belshazzar's situation, to his followers. And here Nebuchadnezzar is telling us about the signs and the wonders, the miracles the Lord has worked.

And miracle in H8540, in the Chaldean, it is from a root in the Hebrew, H8539; it is a miracle: = a wonder, to be amazed, astonished, marvel, and wonder.

What we are saying here is that the Scriptures, Nebuchadnezzar informs us that this story about the seven times, that the seven times is a sign. Okay?

Going back now away from verses 1 through 3 of Daniel and reading from Bible Echo, April 25, 1898.

"Belshazzar had been given many opportunities for knowing and doing the will of God. He had seen his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar banished from the society of men. He had seen the intellect in which the proud monarch gloried taken away by the One who gave it. He had seen—Belshazzar had seen all this—"the king driven from his kingdom, and made the companion of the beasts of the field. But Belshazzar's love of amusement and self-glorification effaced the lessons he should never have forgotten; and he committed sins similar to those that brought signal judgments on Nebuchadnezzar."—

And the reason why I am reading this—and we are talking about Nebuchadnezzar and I jumped into Belshazzar—is this is another argument that the judgment of the seven times against Nebuchadnezzar is a signal judgment, signal meaning one of the definitions of sign. This 2520 is a sign. All right?

And in a previous study, we showed that in Ancient Israel at the beginning they rejected a rest at the beginning of their history, and at the end they rejected a rest. They rejected the Rest of Grace, of going into the Promised Land at the beginning of their history; and, they rejected the Sabbath at the end of their history, with the destruction of Jerusalem, in the time of Jeremiah and Zedekiah. So, both at the beginning and the end of Ancient Israel was a rejection of the rest, and in both of those histories we are finding the year-day principle of Bible prophecy identified in Numbers and Ezekiel.

And we line that up with modern Israel rejecting the 2520 here at the beginning of this testing process and pointed out that the 2520 is the year-day principle all over again, and it is a type of rest, a resting of the land.

So, in the story of Ancient Israel, looking at the 2520 as the first test for Adventism paralleling the Rest of Grace for Ancient Israel, we find that the 2520 is a type of Sabbath, and the Bible tells us that the sabbaths are signs.

So, when it comes to the 2520, in the terms of it being a sabbath rest of the land, it is identified by the Bible as a sign.

And when it comes to Nebuchadnezzar saying, "I'm going to tell you about the signs the Lord worked with me when He punished me for 2520 days," and Sister White's comments on Belshazzar had seen the signal judgments on Nebuchadnezzar, I want you to see that the 2520 is a sign from all kinds of directions in the Scriptures, and all the Scriptures are speaking more about our day and age, than the day in which they lived.

Finishing off this passage by Sister White,

—"But Belshazzar's love of amusement and self-glorification effaced the lessons he should never have forgotten; and he committed sins similar to those that brought signal judgments on Nebuchadnezzar, He wasted the opportunities graciously granted him, neglecting to use the opportunities within his reach for becoming acquainted with truth. 'What must I do to be saved?' was a question that the great but foolish king passed by indifferently."—

We are going to see Nebuchadnezzar as a saved man, therefore representing the wise virgins; Belshazzar is a lost man, representing the foolish king, the foolish virgin.

—"This is the danger of heedless, reckless youth today. The hand of God will awaken the sinner as it did Belshazzar, but with many it will be too late to repent.

"The ruler of Babylon had riches and honour, and in his haughty self-indulgence he had lifted himself up against the God of heaven and earth. He had trusted in his own arm, not supposing that any would dare to say, 'Why doest thou this?' But as the mysterious hand traced letters on the wall of his palace, Belshazzar was awed and silenced. In a moment he was completely shorn of his strength and humbled as a child. He realized that he was at the mercy of One greater than Belshazzar. He had been making sport of sacred things. Now his conscience was awakened. He realized that he had had the privilege of knowing and doing the will of God. The history of his grandfather stood out as vividly before him as the writing on the wall." Bible Echo, April 25, 1898.

So, here is another argument that the history of his grandfather's punishment of the 2520, that it stood out as a sign, just as clearly as the handwriting on the wall. So, what we are putting in here at the beginning is that Nebuchadnezzar's seven times is a sign.

The Mystery of Iniquity Already Works

Daniel 4:4-7

All right. Going back to Daniel 4, to verse 4:

"4I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: 5I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 7Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them: but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof." Daniel 4:4-7 (KJV).

Now, the point is, is he has this dream—the point I want you to see—and what does he do? He calls the ambassadors of Satan to explain it to him.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S FALL (A Sign)

Judgment of the Living

Seven Times (Nebuchadnezzar)

Scattering (Nimrod)

2529 (Belshazzar

Daniel

Daniel Father JUDGMENT

Shem Manna Descends Divine

John the Baptist Pronouncement

Moses

WARNING MESSAGE

FOUNDATION

OLD PATHS FALLLING

MYSTERY OF INIQUITY - /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ /-/ / • AWAY

FIRST

2520 SUNDAY LAW

Jeremiah 6:16 – Rest Daniel 11:41

MODERN ISRAEL

FEAST FEAST BARABBAS

AAAAA AAAAA

JUDAS FOOT WASHING FOOT WASHING

REST OF GRACE SABBATH REST NEBUCHADNEZZAR

ANCIENT ISRAEL

BEGINNING END

Figure No. 45.

So, we see that in the story of Nebuchadnezzar—I know this [Figure No. 45] is real busy up here. This is his line we are dealing with here.

But, the Mystery of Iniquity was working, even in this history; because, the Mystery of Iniquity always is working. And for him to reach out to the soothsayers and the astrologers tells us that the Mystery of Iniquity is still active, even in this history, like in all the other histories we have been looking at.

A Warning Message

Daniel 4:8-12

Verse 8:

"8But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, 9O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. 10Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. 11The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: 12The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it." Daniel 4:8-12 (KJV).

So, Nebuchadnezzar calls in Daniel.

And this is Nebuchadnezzar's line here we are dealing with.

So, Daniel is the one that is going to give him his warning message. And to bring that down to the end of the world, the warning message for Adventism comes from the Book of Daniel.

So, we have seen the Mystery of Iniquity working in this history of Nebuchadnezzar.

We have marked that this seven times punishment is going to be a sign.

And now, in spite of him first calling for the astrologers, Daniel is coming in to interpret his dream, to give him his warning message.

Judgment of the Living—Divine Pronouncement

Daniel 4:13-16

Verse 13:

13I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;"—

There is judgment going on right here, and Nebuchadnezzar is alive. So, once again, in agreement with Nimrod and Belshazzar, this is an illustration of judgment of the living. Okay? This is typifying the Judgment of the Living, which takes place here at the end of the world.

And back to verse 14:

—"14He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and"—what?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Scatter his fruit.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: —"scatter his fruit;"—

Now, we are going to make a point about this. The fruit was for to feed the animals in his whole kingdom. Of his dream, the thing that gave sustenance to the entire kingdom was the fruit, and the fruit gets scattered

Now, William Miller came across food for Adventism. Right here [indicating the 1843 Chart]. This was the food. This was the fruit for his kingdom, for William Miller's kingdom; but, this fruit is going to get scattered. So, we want to mark the scattering here.

—"and scatter his fruit, let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: 15Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of our field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him." Daniel 4:13-16 (KJV).

A Tree—A Kingdom or a Church

Now, what is a tree?

Testimonies, volume 8, beginning at page 126, we are going to look at his dream a little bit.

"Study Nebuchadnezzar's dream as recorded in the fourth chapter of Daniel. The king saw a lofty tree planted in the earth. Flocks and herds from the mountains and hills enjoyed its shelter, and the birds of the air built their nests in its branches. Thus were represented Nebuchadnezzar's greatness and prosperity. Nations were gathered under his sovereignty. His kingdom was firmly established in the hearts of his loyal subjects.

"The king saw his prosperity, and because of it he was lifted up. Notwithstanding the warnings that God had given him, he did the very things which the Lord had told him not to do.

"He looked upon his kingdom with pride and exclaimed: 'Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?' Daniel 4:30. The instant that the words were uttered, the sentence of judgment was pronounced. The king's reason was taken away. The judgment that he had thought so perfect, the wisdom that he had prided himself on possessing, were removed. The jewel of the mind, that which elevates man above the beasts, he no longer retained.

"The scepter is no longer held in the hand of a proud and powerful monarch. The mighty ruler is a maniac. He now herds with the cattle to eat as they eat. He is a companion of the beasts of the field. The brow that once wore a coronet is disfigured by the absence of reason and intellect. The mandate has gone forth: 'Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit.' Verse 14.

"So the Lord magnifies Himself as the true and living God. Well might David exclaim: 'I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.' Psalm 37:35, 36. Let men become lifted up in pride, and the Lord will not sustain them and keep them from falling. Let a church become proud and boastful, not depending on God, not exalting His power, and that church will surely be left by the Lord, to be brought down to the ground."—

What happens when you cut down the tree? It is brought down to the ground.

—"Let a people glory in wealth, intellect, knowledge, or in anything but Christ, and they will soon be brought to confusion." Testimonies, volume 8, 126–127.

So, the tree of Nebuchadnezzar represents his kingdom. The fruit of the tree is the food that the kingdom was to eat.

And, we are not dealing with Miller's dream right now, but we want you to understand that William Miller's second dream that is in Early Writings is about him gathering together the spiritual food for the kingdom of Adventism; but, that king gets cut down.

Scattered Fruit

The word fruit. Now, notice this, the word fruit. I am not inventing this stuff.

FRUIT: Strong's Concordance, H4—(Chaldee); corresponding to H3: - fruit. H3—From the same as H24; a green plant: - greenness, fruit. H24—From an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, that is a young ear of grain; hence the name of the month Abib or Nisan: - Abib, ear, green ears of corn.

The fruit from the tree, it is Chaldean. It corresponds to H3. H3, from the same as H24, a green plant: - greenness. H24, where it all comes from, from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, that is a young ear of grain; hence the name of Abib, ear, green ears of corn.

Okay. So, this fruit that is used in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar is the green corn and it is associated with the springtime with the Passover season; and, of course, the Word of God is the grain that we are to eat. So, we are making this comparison between Nebuchadnezzar's fruit and Miller's fruit. The word can be tied in.

When is the month of Abib?

"4This day came ye out in the month of Abib." Exodus 13:4 (KJV).

They came out in the month of Abib, out of Egypt. That is Exodus 13:4.

And Exodus 23:15 says,

"15Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread:"—

When they come out in the month of Abib, it is the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

And who is the Unleavened Bread? He is the Bread that comes down out of Heaven. He is the manna that you are supposed to eat.

—"15Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)" Exodus 23:15 (KJV).

What am I saying? I am saying that the word that is used as fruit in Nebuchadnezzar's dream not only represents fruit that the animals in the dream can eat but it has the connection with the unleavened bread, which is the spiritual food that Adventism is supposed to eat that is represented on this 1843 Chart that fell from the Tree of Miller when the tree was cut down in 1863. But, we are not there yet.

Brass and Iron Bands

Once they cut the tree down, they put bands of iron and brass upon it. Testimonies, volume 2, page 661, says,

"The Lord made a covenant with Israel that, if they would obey His commandments,"—

Now, we noted back here in Nimrod there was a covenant here, if you remember. The first indication that Nimrod and his followers had broken the covenant was that they decided to make the altar out of brick, and an altar during that time period was supposed to be made out of stone. They were in rebellion.

But, the Lord made a covenant with Babylon, too. Sister White is clear and the Bible is clear that if Babylon would have submitted to the Lord, it would have lasted for—I do not know if I could say forever, but He would have blessed that kingdom. All right? So, the Lord made a covenant with them, but they broke that covenant.

—"The Lord made a covenant with Israel that, if they would obey His commandments, He would give them rain in due season,"—

He made a covenant with Adventism that if we would obey His commandments, He would pour the Latter Rain upon us.

—"He would give them rain in due season, the land should yield her increase, and the trees of the field should yield their fruit. He promised that their threshing should reach unto the vintage and the vintage unto the sowing time, and that they should eat their bread to the full and dwell in their land safely. He would make their enemies to perish. He would not abhor them, but would walk with them and would be their God, and they should be His people. But if they disregarded His requirements, He would deal with them entirely contrary to all this. His curse should rest upon them in place of His blessing. He would break their pride of power"—

Now, right here Sister White is quoting from Leviticus 26, the seven times. Okay?

—"He would break their pride of power and would make the heavens over them as iron and the earth as brass."—

And these are the two metals that are wrapped around Nebuchadnezzar's stump.

—"'Your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. And if ye walk contrary unto Me,' 'then will I also walk contrary unto you.'" Testimonies, volume 2, 661.

So, during the time period when Nebuchadnezzar's stump is in the ground, it has these two bands around it, identifying that in this condition, no Latter Rain. Okay? So, if Nebuchadnezzar is prefiguring William Miller's dream, once that tree comes down, the Adventist tree, those two bands are wrapped around it and it is saying no Latter Rain for Adventism until this situation is resolved.

Brass—Affliction and Judgment

Okay. But, what specifically is iron and brass?

Acts of the Apostles, page 363:

"It was when the heavens were as brass over Paul that he trusted most fully in God. More than most men, he knew the meaning of affliction; but listen to his triumphant cry as, beset by temptation and conflict, his feet press heavenward: 'Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.' 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18." Acts of the Apostles, 363.

Brass is affliction. Was not Nebuchadnezzar being afflicted?

Prophets and Kings, page 139:

"Ahab knew that it was by the word of God that the heavens had become as brass, yet he sought to cast upon the prophet the blame for the heavy judgments resting on the land." Prophets and Kings, 139.

Brass represents judgments of God, affliction of God.

Iron—Sever Servitude

Testimonies, volume 4, page 172:

"God had said that His people should be saved, that the yoke He would lay upon them should be light, if they submitted uncomplainingly to His plan. Their servitude was represented by a yoke of wood, which was easily borne; but resistance would be met with corresponding severity, represented by the yoke of iron." Testimonies, volume 4, 172.

So, the yoke of iron is servitude, severe servitude.

Daniel's Altar Call

Daniel 4:27

Now, Daniel explains the dream and the interpretation thereof to Nebuchadnezzar. We should be familiar with this. And then in verse 27 of Daniel 4 he is going to give Nebuchadnezzar the altar call, as I call it.

Verse 27 says,

"27Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility." Daniel 4:27 (KJV).

Nebuchadnezzar has had the dream explained to him. He has had the altar call: "Overcome the gâdal; come to the foot of the cross and have the Daily taken away from your heart."

Probationary Time, Divine Pronouncement and Executive Judgment

Daniel 4:29-33

And he has been given a probationary time.

Verse 29:

"29At the end of twelve months"—

He was given 12 months testing period. So, this is a probationary time [indicating the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar's Fall to Judgment, the end of that fall].

And here is the altar call of Daniel [at the first waymark of Nebuchadnezzar's Fall], and the time of the judgment of the living for Nebuchadnezzar [ending at judgment]; but, down here at the end of this specific period of time, everything is going to go bad for Nebuchadnezzar.

"29At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30The king spake, and said, is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying,"—Babylon is fallen, is fallen—"there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws." Daniel 4:29-33 (KJV).

What was his problem?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Nebuchadnezzar's?

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Yes. What happened to him?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: He turned into an animal.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Did he turn into an animal or did he lose his mind?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: He lost his mind.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: He went crazy.

So, what did the Lord do for him?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: He restored him.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: He restored him.

How did He restore him?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: By giving him his mind back.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: How did He give him his mind back?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: For seven times He put him out with the beasts.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Okay. The Lord knew, because He created mankind, that in seven years every cell in your body is replaced. It is a seven-year cycle. At the end of 2520 days, every cell in our body has been replaced.

And, Nebuchadnezzar had turned into a maniac; so, what the Lord does, He puts natural remedies on him. He puts him on a raw food diet for 2520 days, during the time his whole body, his whole cellular structure of his body, is replaced; and, he is eating raw food.

At the end of those 2520 days, he is a changed man, both physically, mentally, and spiritually.

And what he is, he is a symbol of those that accept the First Angel's Message and is justified by faith.

Notice what Sister White says in Manuscript Releases, volume 20, page 117.

"What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself."—

Is that what the Lord does for Nebuchadnezzar?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: —"It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for main that which it is not in his power to do for himself. When men see their own nothingness, they are prepared to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. When they begin to praise and exalt God all the day long, then by beholding they are becoming changed into the same image. What is regeneration? It is revealing to man what is his own real nature, that in himself he is worthless." Manuscript Releases, volume 20, 117.

So, we have here Nebuchadnezzar at the beginning of Babylon representing someone that has been benefited by the Three Angels' Messages, someone that is representing the fulfillment of the Everlasting Gospel, a wise virgin; and, he is contrasted with Belshazzar at the end of Babylon, a foolish virgin, someone that has rejected the Three Angels' Messages and is going to die for eternity.

And in that definition of justification by faith, Sister White talks about the renewed man, and Nebuchadnezzar was renewed after 2520 days, even his cellular structure was renewed, his mind was renewed, his spirit was renewed.

The End of the Days

Daniel 4:34-37.

And she says that when they are justified by faith, a human being will praise the Lord all day long. And here is Nebuchadnezzar's praise in verse 34.

"34And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven,"—

What does it mean, "And at the end of the days"?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The end of time?

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Yes, that is the right answer; but, this is not the only place where we find "the end of the days" in the Book of Daniel. So, bear that in mind this expression, "the end of the days."

If the Lord was to say that one week from now, next Sunday, that I was going to be in Russia; I was going to be at the Kremlin, on the front step of the Kremlin, and they were going to open the door and I was going to enter into the Kremlin; but, tomorrow I would just douse myself in gasoline. I would not just douse myself in gasoline; I would douse myself in gasoline and then I would get into a crematorium where they burn up dead bodies and they burnt me to dust. Would I be in the Kremlin next week?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Yes, because God's Word never fails. If God says something, it is going to happen.

This expression, "the end of the days," it is found three places in Daniel. It means something. And whatever it means, it is going to bring all the characteristics associated with it to every place it is expressed.

In the last verse of the Book of Daniel it says, "Go thy way, Daniel, until the end of the days when you are going to stand in your lot." That is a paraphrase.

But, here, this is the end of Nebuchadnezzar's days; and, the reason I want you to see that, is at the end of the days, whatever it means at the end of the days when Daniel stands in his lot, that is being typified right here at the end of the 2520.

And, of course, we know from Sister White's commentary that at the end of the days when Daniel stood in his lot, in one instance, is the time of the end in 1798. And here, it is the end of the 2520, which is "the end of the days." And 1798 was the end of the 2520.

So, that is why I am making a little emphasis here in advance of dealing with this, Nebuchadnezzar glorifying the Lord.

—""34And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me,"—

What happens when the Book of Daniel is unsealed? There is an increase of knowledge and people run to and fro in God's Word, and there is an increase of knowledge by those who are understanding.

—"and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? 36At the same time"—at what time? At the end of the days—"36my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. 37Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase." Daniel 4:34-37 (KJV).

Now, for me, for me, some things that I understand may not be—you cannot validate by the Word of God, so maybe they are not right. But, I have understood for a long time that when it says that His counselors sought him, that Daniel was there. So I have spent quite a bit of time, a few hours, looking for a Bible or Spirit of Prophecy proof that when Nebuchadnezzar's seven times was over, one of the counselors that sought him out was Daniel; and, I have not found one. So, if anyone here or anyone on LiveStream knows where that passage is, I would like it.

But, it does not matter; the logic is there. Was Daniel one of Nebuchadnezzar's counselors?

The reason that is important to me is that I want you to see that Daniel is there at the end of the days. Okay? Because, that has a prophetic application. But, I believe that Daniel was there. He was one of those counselors that sought him out.

And for me, Daniel, of all the other counselors, why would he be seeking him out? Because, he knew the 2520 was over. He was the one that was there that understood the dream and understood prophetic time. So, he would have been there saying, "Okay. This is the day it is all suppose to end." And sure enough it ended.

The First and the Last

In Prophets and Kings, page 533, we have read this before but this is important to see again.

"To the last ruler of Babylon, as in type to its first,"—

Belshazzar typified by Nebuchadnezzar

—"To the last ruler of Babylon, as in type to its first, had come the sentence of the divine Watcher: 'O king, . . . to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.' Daniel 4:31." Prophets and Kings, 533.

Sister White clearly identifies that Nebuchadnezzar typifies Belshazzar, and this is in agreement with Christ. Christ illustrates the end from the beginning.

And the judgment, the punishment for Belshazzar was Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin; 2520.

And the judgment for Nimrod was the scattering, which is another word for the 2520.

And the judgment for Nebuchadnezzar is the seven times, when the fruit was scattered, that equates to 2520 days.

So, upon the testimony of three, the judgment of the fall of Babylon is the 2520. And you can see that the stories of Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar are the story of Adventism.

But, what I want to remind us of is that before the judgment there is a falling away first. Right? We have spent a lot of time on that. It is important to see this.

The Falling Away is when the Mystery of Iniquity is fully accomplished in the person or the people's lives. Okay? When Belshazzar calls for the sacred vessels to be brought into the party, the Mystery of Iniquity is fully developed in his heart. His falling away is marked as a waymark right there. Then thereafter, Cyrus comes in and delivers judgment. We went over this, purposefully over and over again.

So, we want to make sure we see that distinction.

Okay. Let us go back to our notes.

Testimonies to Ministers, page 436:

"Belshazzar, awed by this representation of God's power, showing that they had a witness, though they knew it not, had had great opportunities of knowing the works of the living God, and His power, and of doing His will. He had been privileged with much light."—

Belshazzar had been privileged with much light.

—"His grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had been warned of his danger in forgetting God and glorifying himself. Belshazzar had a knowledge of his banishment from the society of men, and his association with the beasts of the field; and these facts,"—

What facts? The facts of the 2520 in Nebuchadnezzar's story.

—"these facts, which ought to have been a lesson to him, he disregarded,"—

He disregarded it. Belshazzar, at the end of Babylon, disregarded the warning message of the 2520 at the beginning of Babylon.

—"he disregarded, as if they had never occurred;"—

"It never happened! They were misunderstanding that 2520. Miller was wrong on that one!"

—"he disregarded, as if they had never occurred, and he went on repeating the sins of his grandfather."—

Gâdal, self-exaltation.

—"He dared to commit the crimes which brought God's judgments upon Nebuchadnezzar. He was condemned, not alone that he himself was doing wickedly, but that he had not availed himself of opportunities and capabilities, if cultivated, of being right." Testimonies to Ministers, 436.

Adventism could know the 2520, if they determined to [gesturing to the 1843 Chart].

The Old Paths

So, what we are saying now is down here the judgment of Belshazzar is based upon the warning message of Nebuchadnezzar's judgment. And Nebuchadnezzar's judgment is the beginning of Adventism, and Belshazzar is rejecting the beginning of Babylon.

Did I say "Adventism"?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Okay.

Belshazzar is rejecting the Old Paths. He is rejecting the foundational warning message, which is the story of Nebuchadnezzar and the 2520. That is what Belshazzar is doing, and he is rejecting the Old Paths.

Signs of the Times, July 20, 1891:

"In the history of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, God speaks to nations of today. We are to take to heart the lessons he sought to teach these rebellious kings; for if Belshazzar had pursued a course in harmony with the instruction given to his grandfather, he would have retained not only his kingdom but his life. He disregarded the lessons, and went on in rebellion against God, committing the very sins for which his grandfather had been reproved and punished. He, too, lifted himself up in pride and exaltation, and the final judgment of God fell upon him and his house. His great sin was that, notwithstanding God had given him light, he refused to walk in the paths of righteousness." Signs of the Times, July 20, 1891.

The paths of righteousness for Belshazzar are right down here with Nebuchadnezzar [pointing to the Foundation in Figure No. 45]; because, when Nebuchadnezzar stands up after the 2520 days, he is a righteous man, justified by faith. And the paths of righteousness had been established right here in the foundations of Babylon. And Belshazzar rejects the Old Paths of righteousness.

The Foundation

And we have seen repeatedly in our studies that beginning when the Divine Symbol comes down, in this waymark the Foundation is the issue, whether it is the laying of the foundation of the temple, or whether it is this 1843 Chart is the foundation of the Millerite History, or Noah building the structure to build the ark on. The Foundation is right here.

So, the foundation for the history of Babylon is right here. It is a waymark, and it is prefiguring, all the prophecies are prefiguring the end of the world.

We have read this more than once, probably, in this series so far, Testimonies, volume 8, beginning on page 296, but we will refer back to it once again.

"The enemy is seeking to divert the minds of our brethren and sisters from the work of preparing a people to stand in these last days."—

How is the enemy doing that?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Mystery of Iniquity.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Mystery of Iniquity.

And what is the Mystery of Iniquity? It is the mingling of the sacred and the common. It is the mingling of human philosophy with God's Word.

—"His sophistries are designed to lead minds away from the perils and duties of the hour. They estimate as of little value the light that Christ came from heaven to give to John for His people. They teach that the scenes just before us are not of sufficient importance to receive special attention. They make of no effect the truth of heavenly origin, and rob the people of God of their past experience, giving them instead a false science."—there is the Mystery of Iniquity—"'Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein.' [Jeremiah 6:16.]"—

Sister White ends that quote from Jeremiah 6:16 right in the middle of the verse.

What does it say if you walk in those old paths? You will find rest for your souls. Okay? This is where you are going to find the rest.

This is the rest that Ancient Israel rejected, the Rest of Grace. This is the rest that Belshazzar rejected, the foundational rest.

Then she says,

—"'Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein. [Jeremiah 6:16.]" Let none seek to tear away the foundations of our faith,—the foundations that were laid at the beginning of our work, by prayerful study of the Word and by revelation. Upon these foundations we have been building for more than fifty years."—

What was Belshazzar doing? He was ignoring, he was rejecting those foundational truths. He was rejecting the foundational warning message that came from the Book of Daniel.

—"Men may suppose that they have found a new way, that they can lay a stronger foundation than that which has been laid; but this is a great deception."—

What was the foundational work in the story of Judas? We put it in the record.

After the sermon of the Bread of Heaven, the manna descending, Judas is in rebellion and he comes to the Feast at Simon's house. He is frustrated that Mary is wasting that money of the perfume, when he could use that money to help the poor.

And in that same period, Jesus runs into the rich young ruler and lets the rich young ruler know that it is his covetousness that will keep him out of Heaven; and, Judas is frustrated at that, too, saying, "You know, we could have used the rich man; because if we had the money of Mary's perfume and the influence and resources of this rich guy, we could build the foundation of the Christian church with no sweat."

But, the foundation of the Christian church was not based upon money. It was based upon being humble at the feet of Jesus and washing His feet with tears and perfume.

Okay. They are building a new foundation.

—"Upon these foundations we have been building for more than fifty years. Men may suppose that they have found a new way, that they can lay a stronger foundation than that which has been laid; but this is a great deception."—

Symbolically represented by Judas.

—"'Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid.' [1 Corinthians 3:11.] In the past, many have undertaken to build a new faith, to establish new principles; but how long did their building stand? It soon fell; for it was not founded upon the Rock." Testimonies, volume 8, 296–297.

So, when it comes to this [first] waymark, here [indicating the Foundation], Nebuchadnezzar's seven times is the foundational warning message to Babylon. And down here [at the Falling Away], Belshazzar is rejecting the Old Paths.

Do you see that?

But this is all prefiguring the end of the world, because all the prophets are speaking more about the end of the world, including Daniel, than the day in which they live.

So, the foundational warning message in the stories of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar for Adventism, the foundational warning message is the seven times. And Belshazzar, Judas, is going to reject those Old Paths at the end of time.

And how do we prove this, how do we prove this? Well, we prove it line upon line; but, it is our work to prove it.

Four Works

Notice Isaiah 58:12. There are four works in this verse that we are going to deal with.

"12And they that shall be of thee"—

And all the prophets are speaking about the end of the world, so Isaiah is speaking about God's people at the end of the world.

—"12And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places:"—

Notice they are going to build the old waste places. There is one work.

—"thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." Isaiah 58:12 (KJV).

So, they are going to (1) build the old waste places, (2) raise up the foundations of many generations, (3) repair the breach, and (4) restore the paths to dwell in.

Okay. Repairer.

REPAIRER: Strong's Concordance, H1443—A primitive root; to wall in or around:—close up, fence up, hedge, enclose, make up [a wall], mason, repairer.

If you look up that word, repairer, because we are going to be repairing the breach, we are the repairers of the breach, repairer is a primitive root; to wall in or around:—close up, fence up, hedge, enclose, make up [a wall], mason, repairer. What does that represent?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Nehemiah.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Oh, Nehemiah: "Oh, they that be of thee." Your work has been represented by Nehemiah, the Fourth Decree, the finishing of the rebuilding of Jerusalem; repairer of the breach.

Restorer of the paths to dwell in: Now, we know the paths to dwell in. The paths to dwell in are what?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Old Paths.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Old Paths.

But here in Isaiah 58:12, you are going to restore the paths to dwell in. What is restorer?

RESTORER: Strong's Concordance, H7725—A primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbially again.

Restorer, a primitive root; to turn back. To turn back what? To the Old Paths. To turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbially again.

To restore the Old Paths is to return to the Old Paths, to restore the paths to dwell in.

The Old Waste Places

What are the old waste places, because we are going to build the old waste places?

Isaiah 61:1-4, it gives a secondary testimony to these old waste places. It says,

"1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me;"—

And we are going to read from Luke here, right after this. This is the passage in Isaiah that Christ quoted in the synagogue and then closed the Book.

It says,

—"1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me;"—

So, when Christ was reading that, what was He marking?

When was the Spirit of the Lord upon Christ? Right here [pointing to the manna descending on the first timeline in Figure No. 45], when the Divine Symbol comes down. That is what Christ was referring to.

So, here in Isaiah, this is also referring to a history that begins with the Divine Symbol comes down.

In our history, what would that be? The Angel of Revelation 18.

In Isaiah 61 we are trying to figure out what the waste places are.

—"1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,"—

And this is where Jesus stopped, "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Jesus stopped here, because Jesus was proclaiming the year of the Lord; because, everything He was doing was being governed by the time prophecy of Daniel 9.

But, when Jesus was here, it was not the day of God's vengeance. That is us. Okay? That is why He closed the Book right there.

—"2To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called"—what?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Trees of righteousness.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Ah, this kingdom is the tree. Right? Although we are not there with this study, this tree that was chopped down somewhere back in history and had a couple of bands put around it at the end of the world, it becomes a tree again; Miller's tree.

—"that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

"4And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations." Isaiah 61:1–4 (KJV).

Whatever these waste cities are, they are the desolations. He is emphasizing this here strongly.

Remember, we are dealing with the four works of Isaiah 58:12. And those that restore the old paths, and those represented by Nehemiah, they are going to build the old waste places, which are these old desolations.

Now, you have here Luke 4:18-20 that I have already referenced. I have already made my point about it.

"18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him." Luke 4:18–20 (KJV).

Jesus closed the Book before He marked the day of vengeance; thus, we are repeating the history of Christ, only we have a bigger message. We are also going to announce the day of God's vengeance and we have the work of restoring the old waste places.

What are the old waste places? What are they?

Okay. We will define some of these words.

Luke 4:18–20.

OLD: Strong's Concordance, H5769—From H5956; properly concealed, that is, the vanishing point; generally time out of mind (past or future), that is, (practically) eternity. H5956—A primitive root; to veil from sight, that is, conceal (literally or figuratively):—X any ways, blind, dissembler, hide (self), secret (thing).

Old: The old waste places, this word old means concealed, something that has been concealed.

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Covered up.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Sealed up, covered up with rubbish and counterfeit coins, it has been concealed.

WASTE: Strong's Concordance, H2723—properly drought, that is, (by implication) a desolation: - decayed place, desolate (place, -tion), destruction, (laid) waste (place).

What is waste? It is properly drought, that is, (by implication) a desolation. These old waste places, they are referring to something that does not get any rain.

FORMER: Strong's Concordance, H7223—From H7221; first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun):—ancestor, (that were) before (-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore [-father] (-most), former (thing), of old time, past. H7221—a beginning: - beginning.

Former: Former what? Former desolations.

From H7221; first, in place, time; ancestor, beginning, former (thing), of old time; H7221, beginning. They are going to restore the desolations that were at the beginning.

What were the desolations that were at the beginning of Adventism?

Well, Brothers and Sisters, if you read Gerard Damsteegt's book on the Millerite History [Foundations of the Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission], he will tell you that the very fundamental approach to Bible prophecy of the Millerites—and he is correct on this one—is that the Millerites saw all Bible prophecy was based upon two desolating powers, Paganism followed by Papalism. And the symbol for the desolating power of Paganism is the Daily [referencing AD508 on the 1843 Chart], right here. On this 1850 Chart, when it refers to AD508, it says, "Pagan Dominion or The Daily taken away. Dan. 11:31."

The old desolations, the old waste places, the former desolations of Adventism was that those desolations represented Paganism and Papalism; but, here at the end of the world, what we teach is that the Daily represents Christ's Sanctuary ministry.

And the truth about what the Daily is has been concealed. And part of the work of Isaiah 58:12 is to reestablish the old waste places, to put the Daily and the correct definition back in place.

And we are taking the time here, because this is part of these Two Tables [the 1843 and 1850 Charts].

The former desolations will be reestablished in Adventism.

The Foundations of Many Generations

How will they be reestablished, because this is how we are going to also establish the foundational truths?

How are these truths to be unconcealed?

Isaiah 28:9-13:

"9Whom shall he teach knowledge?"—here at the end of the world—"and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?"—here at the end of the world—"them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

"13But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken." Isaiah 28:9–13 (KJV).

This message is a message because they refuse to hear it. It is a testing message because, when it is presented to them, they go fall backwards and are snared and are taken. Okay. It is a testing message that makes a distinction between those that understand the doctrine and those that refuse to hear the doctrine.

But, what I am wanting you to see here, if you have notes you can see where it says "precept upon precept; line upon line," I have that in bold face. The reason that I am doing that is I am trying to answer the question I raised: How do you prove these truths about the Foundation? Well, you do it by bringing line upon line. Right here, this is showing you how you do it.

But, connected with this is a Biblical rule that upon the testimony of two a thing is established, and you can see it right here in this passage. It says precept must be upon precept, precept must be upon precept. It is telling you upon the testimony of two; you need two testimonies to make it happen.

What does precept mean?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: It means a law.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: A law.

Law must be upon law. The law of line upon line must be with the law of upon the testimony of two.

And what does line mean? A cord, a cord. You bring this string together with this string, together with this string, and you are wrapping these lines together, you get a rope that cannot be broken.

In fact, there is a visionary dream by Sister White about God's people going up a narrow path, and it gets more and more narrow, and narrower; and, they are taking and setting things aside. And finally there is a cord that comes down from Heaven, and you have to believe that that cord will not break because you are going to swing over the chasm into the Earth made new.

And what makes you confident that that cord will not break? Because, cord/line upon cord/line, line upon line, line upon line, from here a little and there a little puts these truths so firmly into your mind that you can swing across the chasm with these truths. And this is how the foundations of many generations are conveyed.

Line Upon Line

Two Angels

But, let us deal with the testimony of two, just briefly.

Exodus 25:22 says,

"22And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel." Exodus 25:22 (KJV).

How many cherubims are watching over the mercy seat? Two.

And what is that ark called?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Ark of the Covenant.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Ark of the Covenant and . . .? Ark of the Testimony. Upon the testimony of these two cherubims a thing is established.

Now, you can pull all kinds of illustrations from this; but, of course, I am trying to make the point I am trying to make. So, I am just pulling the ones that I want. All right?

Two Angels give the testimony of the covenant.

Two Olive Trees

"Two Olive Trees," Revelation 11:3-4:

"3And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. Revelation 11:3–4.

That is the Old and New Testaments, is it not?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Or, it is the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy.

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Okay. Upon the test of two witnesses a thing is established.

Two Tables

Exodus 31:18:

"18And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony,"—

Upon the testimony of two a thing is established. He gave unto Moses,

—"two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with"—what?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: With the finger of God.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: —"the finger of God." Exodus 31:18 (KJV).

Okay. Two tables are a testimony. Upon the testimony of two a thing is established, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

Two Tables

Habakkuk 2:2:

"2And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." Habakkuk 2:2 (KJV).

Okay. These are Habakkuk's Two Tables [pointing to the 1843 and 1850 Charts], and they give a testimony. These are Habakkuk's Two Tables.

And whoever writes these, produces these Two Tables is supposed to make it plain, it says. And this word plain, do you know what it means? It is in your notes.

PLAIN: Strong's Concordance, H874—A primitive root; to dig; by analogy to engrave; figuratively to explain: - declare, (make) plain (-ly).

Plain: A primitive root; to dig, by analogy to engrave.

What is on these Two Tables, it has been engraved on these Two Tables. That is what plain means. Okay? These Two Tables have been engraved.

And what did Sister White say? "Directed by the hand of the Lord."

These Two Tables have been engraved by the finger of God.

And in Exodus 32:16 says,

"16And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables." Exodus 32:16 (KJV).

Whoa! Habakkuk's Two Tables provide two testimonies.

Two testimonies to what? Well, what we are looking at here is on this 1843 Table we have got the 2520, and on this 1850 Table we have got the 2520: upon the testimony of two, a thing is established.

What does Sister White say about these Tables? Spalding and Magan, page 1:

"I saw that the truth should be made plain upon tables,"—

Where is she deriving that statement from? Habakkuk 2.

—"that the earth and the fullness thereof is the Lord's, and that necessary means should not be spared to make it plain."—

Engraved on these Tables.

—"I saw that the old chart was directed by the Lord, and that not a figure of it should be altered except by inspiration."—

There is going to be a figure on the 1843 Chart that is altered by Inspiration: right up here, 1843 and 1843 [indicating the upper right-hand corner of the Chart]. It is going to be altered on this 1850 Chart, to 1844.

—"I saw that the figures of the chart were as God would have them, and that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures, so that none should see it till His hand was removed." Spalding and Magan, 1.

Manuscript Releases, volume, pages 201 – 203:

"On our return to Brother Nichol's, the Lord gave me a vision and showed me that the truth must be made plain upon tables,"—Habakkuk 2—"and it would cause many to decide for the truth by the third angel's message with the two former being made plain upon tables." Manuscript Releases, volume 5, 201–203.

This is this Chart here [placing his hand upon the 1850 Chart], Habakkuk 2.

Manuscript Releases, volume 15, page 213:

"The [1850] chart is being executed in Boston. God is in it. Brother Nichols has the charge of it." Manuscript Releases, volume 15, 213.

God is in it. God is in this 1850 Chart.

You do not see any endorsement like that with the 1863 chart, Brothers and Sisters. You do not see any connection with Habakkuk.

The Charts Ordered by God

Manuscript Releases, volume 13, page 359.

You have got to ask yourself why you find all these things in Manuscript Releases, when you understand that Manuscript Releases were not released until the 1980s or so. It means that these statements were hidden, concealed, until the 1980s—concealed: the Old Paths!

"I saw that God was in the publishment of the chart by Brother Nichols. I saw that there was a prophecy of this chart in the Bible,"—

Where does she say there is a prophecy of the 1863 chart in the Bible? She does not say it, but there is. There is definitely a prophecy of the 1863 chart in the Bible. We will deal with that as we progress.

We have already discussed it here: The golden calf, Aaron's counterfeit to the Law of God, is prefiguring the counterfeit of the Two Tables at the end, and that is why Aaron's golden calf is only one. Okay? But, we will deal with that later.

—"I saw that God was in the publishment of the chart by Brother Nichols. I saw that there was a prophecy of this chart in the Bible, and if this chart is designed for God's people, if it [is] sufficient for one it is for another, and if one needed a new chart painted on a larger scale, all need it just as much. . . .

"I saw that the charts [the 1843 and the 1850]"—the Tables, plural—"ordered by God struck the mind favorably,"—

These two Charts, these Two Tables, were ordered by God; and, the message on them was gravened by the hand of God. Upon the testimony of two a thing is established.

So, how do you explain the foundations? By bringing line upon line; that is how you raise up the foundations of many generations. This is how you repair the breach in the Wall, restore the paths of righteousness to walk in and return to the former desolations, opening up the truth about the Daily.

—"I saw that the charts [the 1843 and the 1850] ordered by God struck the mind favorably, even without an explanation. There is something light, lovely, and heavenly in the representation of the angels on the charts. The mind is almost imperceptibly led to God and heaven. But the other charts that have been gotten up disgust the mind, and cause the mind to dwell more on earth than heaven." Manuscript Releases, volume 13, 359.

There is one more waymark that we want to put in place, or I want to put in place here, as we close.

I am emphasizing things, of course, for future presentations. I mean, we have publicly in the past, in a very shallow way, shown that Daniel, chapter 1, is the First Angel's Message; Daniel, chapter 2, is the Second Angel's Message; Daniel, chapter 3, is the Third Angel's Message. We are going to begin to do that tomorrow in detail. And we are going to show that Daniel, chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar's dream, is William Miller's dream; and that Daniel, chapter 5, is the time that we are living in right now; and that Daniel, chapter 6, is The Sunday Law crisis.

So, some of these things that we are putting in place here are for that purpose. And as we go through those histories, we will be dealing with what has been typified on these Two Tables [the 1843 and 1850 Charts].

So, as we are moving away from the three falls of Babylon, with Nimrod, Belshazzar, and Nebuchadnezzar, I am just wanting to make sure that we understand that one of the most important waymarks is this Falling Away.

The Mystery of Iniquity

So, this will not do much for those of you who do not have notes in your hand, but earlier in a presentation we went through the Mystery of Iniquity very carefully, last Sunday. And all I did was go and cut and paste just expressions that are symbols of the Mystery of Iniquity.

I know that by now, this audience here, I have been testing whether you have got it in your head, and you do. You know what the Mystery of Iniquity is, but I want to really cement it home.

What I cut and pasted were expressions from last Sunday's presentation on symbols of the Mystery of Iniquity. I am just going to read them very quickly.

One of the words used was AMALGAMATE, which means to mix:

AMALGAMATE, v.i. To mix or unite in an amalgam; to blend. Webster's 1828 Dictionary.

This is the symbol, the definition of the Mystery of Iniquity.

But, perhaps the premier symbol is the expressions that follow:

So, one of if not the primary symbol of the Mystery of Iniquity is this unholy marriage.

Okay. And what we are saying now is the Mystery of Iniquity in each of these histories [see Figure No. 45], it reaches maturity, and this is marked as the "Falling Away First." It is followed by Judgment when the man of sin is revealed.

Are you with me?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: So, the perfection, the maturity, the climax of the Mystery of Iniquity is the "Falling Away" first, and then comes the man of sin.

I'm going to give you an example that you should be able to see now, without even thinking about it, and it is from Daniel. It is from Daniel 2, a commentary on Daniel 2. See if you do not see the Mystery of Iniquity in Sister White's comments. This is from The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 4, page 1168.

"We have come to a time when God's sacred work is represented by the feet of the image in which the iron was mixed with the miry clay."—

What is that?

Is iron supposed to be mingled with clay? Can you mingle iron with clay?

This is something that is the Mystery of Iniquity.

—"God has a people, a chosen people, whose discernment must be sanctified, who must not become unholy by laying upon the foundation wood, hay, and stubble."—

What are you suppose to lay on the foundation? Gold, First Angel's Message; Silver, Second Angels Message; Precious Stones, Third Angel's Message. The counterfeit is wood, hay, and stubble.

—"Every soul who is loyal to the commandments of God will see that the distinguishing feature of our faith is the seventh-day Sabbath. If the government would honor the Sabbath as God has commanded, it would stand in the strength of God and in defense of the faith once delivered to the saints. But statesmen will uphold the spurious sabbath, and will mingle their religious faith with the observance of this child of the papacy, placing it above the Sabbath which the Lord has sanctified and blessed, setting it apart for man to keep holy, as a sign between Him and His people to a thousand generations. The mingling of churchcraft and statecraft is represented by the iron and the clay."—

What is the mingling of churchcraft and statecraft?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Mystery of Iniquity.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: It is the Mystery of Iniquity.

And when the world does that—this is at the end of the world in the time of the ten toes—that is the Falling Away.

What comes? The man of sin is going to be revealed and judgment is going to take place.

Right? Do you see that sequence?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: That is the image of the beast, Brothers and Sisters. The combination of church and state; the mingling of churchcraft and statecraft is the image of the beast.

—"The mingling of churchcraft and statecraft is represented by the iron and the clay. This union is weakening all the power of the churches. This investing the church with the power of the state will bring evil results. Men have almost passed the point of God's forbearance. They have invested their strength in politics, and have united with the papacy. But the time will come when God will punish those who have made void His law, and their evil work will recoil upon themselves." The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 4, 1168.

The Great Controversy, page 445:

"The 'image to the beast' represents that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas. The 'mark of the beast' still remains to be defined." The Great Controversy, 445.

Many Adventists do not get this one. They think the mark of the beast and the image of the beast are the same thing; and, Sister White here plainly says, "Even if you do not understand what they represent, I just defined the image of the beast. The mark of the beast I will define later." That is what she just said. They are not the same thing.

She says the image of the beast is the combination of church and state: churchcraft, statecraft. It is an unholy alliance. It is the Mystery of Iniquity. And it happens at The Sunday Law in the United States, the full development.

Revelation 13:11:

"11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." Revelation 13:11 (KJV).

Who is this? This is the United States.

When does the United States speak as a dragon? At The Sunday Law.

The Great Controversy, page 442:

"The 'speaking' of the nation is the action of its legislative and judicial authorities." The Great Controversy, 442.

When they speak, they are going to pass a Sunday Law.

What has to happen before The Sunday Law?

The mark of the beast is one thing. What has to happen before? Church and state have to come together. The Mystery of Iniquity has to be accomplished first, in order for the man of sin to be revealed. It has to come first.

The Great Controversy, page 443:

"But what is the 'image to the beast'? and how is it to be formed? The image is made by the two-horned beast, and is an image to the beast. It is also called an image of the beast. Then to learn what the image is like and how it is to be formed we must study the characteristics of the beast itself—the papacy.

"When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs,"—

What is that? The early church accepting heathen rites and customs, that is the Mystery of Iniquity.

—"she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the punishment of 'heresy.' In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends." The Great Controversy, 443.

Before it can pass The Sunday Law, the church has to take control of the civil government. All right?

When it speaks as a dragon in Revelation 13:11, that is the mark of the beast. Before that time, the Protestants of the United States have to hijack the government of the United States. And when they do, that is the image of the beast, and it is the unholy relationship that is the Mystery of Iniquity.

The Great Controversy, pages 448 – 449:

"The enforcement of Sundaykeeping on the part of Protestant churches is an enforcement of the worship of the papacy—of the beast. Those who, understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false instead of the true Sabbath are thereby paying homage to that power by which alone it is commanded. But in the very act of enforcing a religious duty by secular power, the churches would themselves form an image to the beast; hence the enforcement of Sundaykeeping in the United States would be an enforcement of the worship of the beast and his image." The Great Controversy, 448–449.

Okay. Now, Sister White was dealing with a false prophetess in her day and age who was teaching several erroneous ideas, and one of them had to do with the image of the beast. And in response to her (this was not to the false prophetess; it was to the promoter of the false prophetess), here is what Sister White says, Manuscript Releases, volume 15, page 15:

"Several times during our conversation, in which you become very much in earnest, you repeated the sentence, 'O consistency, thou art a jewel!' I repeat the same with decided force to you. You say that Anna's visions place the forming of the image of the beast after probation closes. This is not so. You claim to believe the testimonies; let them set you right on this point. The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God,"—

What is to be the great test for the people of God? The image of the beast.

—"by which their eternal destiny will be decided."—

The image of the beast is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast is The Sunday Law, and we have a test of the image of the beast that comes before The Sunday Law, and the image of the beast is a symbol of—what?—the Mystery of Iniquity reaching its climax, its conclusion. And it is the "Falling Away" first in order for the man to be revealed.

—"The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided. Your position is such a jumble of inconsistencies that but few will be deceived.

"In Revelation 13 this subject is plainly presented; [Revelation 13:11–17, quoted].

"This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed."—

When are we sealed? The Sunday Law.

There is a test by which our eternal destiny is decided, the image of the beast test that we must pass before The Sunday Law; because, that is where we are sealed.

—"This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed. All who proved their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to accept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah, and will receive the seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the mark of the beast" Manuscript Releases, volume 15, 15.

Summary

Now, I am putting some things in place for our studies; but, do you remember where we just read, where Sister White was talking about Daniel, chapter 2, the iron and clay that are in the toes of the image?

And what did she say that was? It was churchcraft and statecraft.

What is that?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: It is church and state.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: It is church and state. It is the Mystery of Iniquity.

So, if you take Daniel 2 and you lay it over this line here [Nebuchadnezzar's Fall of Figure No. 45], Daniel 2, the iron and the clay, is right here [at the Falling Away first]. This is churchcraft and statecraft. This is the image of the beast. This is the climax of the Mystery of Iniquity.

What comes next?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The man of sin is revealed.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Judgment in the man of sin.

Is that what Daniel 2 says? First you have the iron and clay in the toes, churchcraft and statecraft; and, then what happens? A Rock comes and delivers judgment thereafter.

The image of the beast is the Falling Away that precedes the marking of judgment in the man of sin.

So, in reality, our probation closes before The Sunday Law, Brothers and Sisters.

Shall we pray?

Benediction: Heavenly Father, we know that the Mystery of Iniquity doth already work, and as Laodiceans we all have been impacted by this amalgamation of the holy with unholy in several different spheres of our experience. We ask that you give us the discernment to recognize these inroads that Satan has made with us individually, that we might through the power of your Word, the power of your Holy Spirit separate from these ideas, these habits. We pray as this message continues to go forth in DVDs and in the LiveStreaming that you would bless it, that you would give discernment to those that are considering these things, for it is clear that the Mystery of Iniquity has almost finished its work in Adventism and that Belshazzar is about to call a feast just prior to The Sunday Law. We want those in Adventism that are willing to be awakened, to be awakened. And if this can be part of the work to do that, we ask that you would bless in that direction. As we break now for each of our individual day's work, we would ask that you would bless us and protect us; and, we thank you for all these things in Jesus's name. Amen.