Habakkuk's Two Tables #41

PART SIX: 1989

Presented by Jeff Pippenger

Invocation by Brother Jeff Pippenger: Heavenly Father, we thank you for a night's rest and another day of life. And as we begin the next section in this study of Habakkuk's Tables, we ask that you would grant us your wisdom and your understanding that we might discern these truths as you would have us discern them. I ask that you take control of my thoughts this morning, my words that they may be words designed to edify your people and glorify and honor you. And I ask that you prepare those that are hearing these things, their minds and their hearts, to receive them as you see fit. We want the Latter Rain poured out upon us. We ask you to accomplish that for us at this time by opening our understanding to Daniel 11, verse 40, its significance and its purpose in the Scriptures. And we thank you for these things in Jesus's name. Amen.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: We are dealing with Habakkuk's Two Tables as typified in the Scriptures. And years ago, the first time we ever organized our own meeting in this ministry in 2004, we organized a meeting in order to get the presentation of the last six verses of Daniel 11 recorded where they would be available. And we, our ministry, haven't ever gone back and addressed the last six verses Daniel 11 specifically since then. So, that is eight years ago, and much new information about those last six verses has just come to light. So, even though one aspect of those last six verses of Daniel 11, 1989, and verse 40, is connected with William Miller's and Nebuchadnezzar's dream as far as the terminal point, when the Dirt Brush Man comes in and begins to sweep out the traditions and customs that have been handed down from generation to generation in Adventism, in order to do it justice we are going to take some time on the last six verses of Daniel 11. In 2004 that presentation was 40 hours. So, we are not going to take 40 hours, Lord willing; but, we are going to spend a great deal of time and not be directly referencing Habakkuk's Tables until we get to the conclusion, probably, and then move beyond this subject.

So, if you have not ever studied the last six verses of Daniel 11 for yourself in depth, this will be your opportunity.

In this little room, I know some of you are newer in this message than 2004. So, put your thinking caps on and get your pen so you can take some notes and ask some question in between if you need to.

So, we are going to go around a lot of mountains before we get to where we want to be.

Repeat and Enlarge

Daniel 8:1-2

In Daniel 8, verses 1 and 2, it says,

"¹In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. ²And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai." Daniel 8:1-2 (KJV).

What I want you to see, if you will, in the first verse, verse 1, it says "first." And in your notes it defines that word first.

FIRST: Strong's Concordance H8462—in the sense of opening; a commencement; relatively original (adverbially originally):—begin (-ning), first (time).

It is in the sense of opening; a commencement; the original.

So, in verse 1, you have two options; either works. It says,

"¹In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision"—

And in Daniel 8 there are two visions. There is the mareh vision and the châzôn [pronounced khaw-sone'] vision; but, in verse 1 it is the châzôn vision. It says,

—"¹In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a [châzôn] vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first."—

At the commencement.

So, you can either determine that Daniel is referencing the commencement of Belshazzar reign as king, or the commencement of this vision.

Daniel 7:1-2

But, in either case, if you go back to Daniel 7, verses 1 and 2, you will see the commencement of one or the other, either the commencement of Belshazzar as king or the commencement of this vision. It does not matter. It all works out the same in the wash.

Verse 1 of Daniel 7 says,

"¹In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon"—

And in Daniel 8 it is the third year of Belshazzar.

"¹In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. ²Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea." Daniel 7:1-2 (KJV).

So, what I want you to see here at the beginning is Daniel, in chapter 8, verses 1 and 2, he purposely ties together Daniel 7 and Daniel 8. They are operating upon the principle of repeat and enlarge.

And in Daniel 7 you have the kingdoms of Bible prophecy, and in Daniel 8 you have the kingdoms of Bible prophecy.

And in Daniel 7 you have the political manifestation of the kingdoms of Bible prophecy; therefore, those kingdoms are represented by beasts. And in Daniel 8 you have the spiritual manifestation of those kingdoms of Bible prophecy; therefore, the beasts are represented in sanctuary animals and terms throughout Daniel 8.

One of the primary themes in Bible prophecy is the combination of church and state; and, in Daniel 7 and 8, you see the church and state manifestations of the kingdoms of Bible prophecy.

Two Visions

So, in Daniel 8, the vision that Daniel sees here in the opening is the châzôn vision; and, we want to look at the châzôn vision in contrast with the mareh vision in Daniel 8 so we can draw some conclusions about it.

In verses 1 and 2 in Daniel 8, he introduces us to the fact that he has a vision that is connected with his first vision in Daniel 7.

And then in verse 3—let us go to verse 3 just to put it in context—it says,

"³Then I lifted up mine eyes,"—

Chapter 8, verse 3, here is where the vision begins.

"³Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram . . ." Daniel 8:3 (KJV).

So from this point on, Daniel is telling us about the châzôn vision; and, it is a sequence of historical events.

And when you get to verse 12 of this châzôn vision, it is still going on, and you can argue that verse 13 is still the châzôn vision. But, instead of seeing an illustration of symbolic history as he sees verses 3 through 12, when he gets to verse 13 he hears a heavenly dialogue.

In verse 13 it says,

"¹³Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily ~~sacrifice~~ and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? ¹⁴And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Daniel 8:13-14 (KJV).

So, this vision is symbolic history, then two verses of a heavenly dialogue which is the foundation of Adventism, as we know.

The Châzôn

Daniel 8:15, 16-19, 26-27; 1-2

Then in verse 15 it says,

"¹⁵And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision,"—

This is the châzôn vision. When he had seen the châzôn vision—which in the Hebrew means complete—when he had seen the châzôn vision,

—"and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man." Daniel 8:15 (KJV).

And it is worth noting, what Daniel is seeking to understand, here is the châzôn vision.

—"¹⁶And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision."—

Who is the man between the banks of the river? Who is it in the Scriptures that walks on the water? This is Palmoni, Christ.

And Daniel hears this Man's voice telling the angel that replaced Lucifer, Gabriel the Light Bearer, to make this man understand the vision. In verse 15 Daniel is wanting to understand the châzôn vision; but, Christ tells Gabriel, "Make Daniel understand the mareh vision."

So, if you do not see that, if you do not understand the job description that has been assigned to Gabriel, you will miss some of the details of this passage of Scriptures.

Verse 17,

"¹⁷So he [Gabriel] came near where I [Daniel] stood: and when he came, I was afraid and fell upon my face; but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the [châzôn ] vision."—

This is going to take place at the Time of the End.

Okay. That is worth noting because of where we are heading is Daniel 11, verse 40, which is at the Time of the End.

Verse 18 says,

"¹⁸Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. ¹⁹And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be." Daniel 8:16-19 (KJV).

In verse 19, Gabriel tells Daniel, "Now, I'm going to make you know what's going to be in the last end of the indignation." There are two indignations that are referenced and the last one ends in 1844, and there is a reason that Gabriel tells him that; but, we are just looking at the word vision at this point.

Drop down to verses 26 and 27. In verse 26 you will see both visions. It says,

"²⁶And the vision"—the mareh vision; this is the mareh vision—"of the evening and the morning which was told is true; wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days."—

The vision that is shut up is the châzôn vision.

CHÂZÔN : Complete—Time of the End; shut up

Okay. That is what happens to the châzôn vision in Daniel 12. Daniel is told to seal it up. And here in Daniel 8, the same characteristics are associated with the châzôn vision.

The Mareh

Daniel 8:26, 14, 16

—"²⁶And the vision of the evening and the morning"—the mareh vision of the evening and the morning—"which was told is true; wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. ²⁷And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it." Daniel 8:26-27 (KJV).

MAREH: Daniel 8:14

EREB and bôqerS: Of the evening and of the morning.

Okay. In verse 26 the vision of the evening and of the morning, this expression, "evening and morning" in the Hebrew is repeatedly used in the Scriptures: "And the evening and the morning were the first day. . . . And the evening and the morning were the second day."

And here in verse 26, it says, ". . . the vision"—the mareh vision—"of the evening and the morning is true; . . ." And the only place this Hebrew ereb and bôqers is found in the Scriptures where it is not translated as "evening and morning," is Daniel 8:14, the foundation of Adventism.

If you look at verse 14, it says, "And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days." That days is ereb and bôqers. It would have been correct to translate verse 14 as "unto 2300 evenings and mornings, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." This is the only place this expression in the Bible is not translated as evenings and mornings; it is translated as simply days. And what it does is that it puts an emphasis on the fact that verse 26 says, "And the [mareh] vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true; . . . ," so, you know that Daniel 8:14, the foundation of Adventism, is the mareh vision.

And if you will go back to verse 16, Gabriel has been told to explain the mareh vision to Daniel, even though Daniel wanted to understand the châzôn vision; and, the châzôn vision is this complete vision of prophetic history from verse 3 to verse 14.

The Time Appointed and the Time of the End

In Daniel 8:17, we have already noted that this châzôn vision is shut up till the Time of the End.

1798

"¹⁷So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the [châzôn ] vision." Daniel 8:17 (KJV).

We want to put that characteristic in place.

1844

And now we want to deal with the indignation; because, in verse 19, Gabriel is going to make Daniel know what will be at "the last end of the indignation."

"And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be." Daniel 8:19 (KJV).

There are two indignations of God in the Bible. We will look at both of them quickly,

Isaiah 26:20-21; 30:27-33; Zephaniah 3:8; Revelation 14:9-11

Isaiah 26:20-21 says,

"²⁰Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. ²¹For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." Isaiah 26:20-21 (KJV).

There is an indignation of God against the wicked of the world, and we understand this to take place during the Seven Last Plagues.

Isaiah 30:27-33, it says,

"²⁷Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire: ²⁸And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err. ²⁹Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel. ³⁰And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. ³¹For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian"—

That is the King of the North that we are going to deal with in Daniel 11. It is the Papacy.

—"³¹For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. ³²And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it. ³³For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it." Isaiah 30:27-33 (KJV).

This is the punishment of the wicked at the end of the world.

Zephaniah 3:8. We are looking at the two indignations in the Scriptures. One is against the wicked at the end of the world, the other is against God's people. We need to understand this; because, Gabriel told Daniel he was going to make him understand what was the last end of the indignation.

In Zephaniah 3:8, it says,

"⁸Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy." Zephaniah 3:8 (KJV).

Go to Revelation 14:9-11, as we finish up with four witnesses that there is an indignation against the wicked at the end of the world. Revelation 14:9-11 says,

"⁹And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, ¹⁰The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: ¹¹And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Revelation 14:9-11 (KJV).

So, there is an indignation against the wicked, and there is also an indignation against God's people for breaking the covenant.

Deuteronomy 29:25-29; Isaiah 10:5-6; Lamentations 2:1-9; Ezekiel 22:23-31; Daniel 11:36; Zechariah 1:12

Go to Deuteronomy 29, verses 25 through 29.

"²⁵Then men shall say,"—

Men will ask why this happened to God's people.

—"²⁵Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: ²⁶For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them: ²⁷And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book: ²⁸And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day. ²⁹The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 29:25-29 (KJV).

There are no accidents in the Word of God. This is the indignation against God's people for breaking the covenant, speaking about them being scattered to the other nations; and, it is emphasized that this truth is a secret thing that has been revealed to us and our children forever, thus implying that there will be some of us that recognize it and some of us do not.

Isaiah 10:5-6. We are now looking at the indignation against God's people.

We have already looked at the indignation against the wicked. And, in one of those passages in Isaiah, God is referencing that He is going to punish the Assyrian, the Papacy, the King of the North; but, the Assyrian does a work for the Lord. He is the rod of His indignation. It is The Sunday Law that is going to be used to produce the two classes on Planet Earth, and the Lord uses the Papacy to accomplish this work. That is why he is called the rod of God's anger.

Beginning at verse 5 of Isaiah 10:

"⁵O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. ⁶I will send him"—

He will send the Papacy.

—"against an hypocritical nation,"—

Against the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

—"and against the people of my wrath"—

The people that receive the mark of the beast.

—"will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets." Isaiah 10:5-6 (KJV).

There is an indignation against God's people.

Lamentations, who wrote Lamentations?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Jeremiah.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Where do you find the book, Lamentations?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: After Jeremiah.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Right after Jeremiah.

Lamentations 2, verses 1 through 9:

"¹How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! ²The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. ³He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about. ⁴He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire. ⁵The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. ⁶And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the Lord hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest. ⁷The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemn feast. ⁸The Lord hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together. ⁹Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the Lord." Lamentations 2:1-9 (KJV).

That is the indignation of God against His people.

Ezekiel 22:23-31. All the prophets speak about the end of the world; so, this indignation that was accomplished against Ancient Israel is prefiguring the indignation that is accomplished against the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the very near future at The Sunday Law.

Ezekiel 22:23-31:

"²³And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ²⁴Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. ²⁵There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof."—

The conspiracy came into Adventism in the early part of the 20^th Century.

^—6Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. ²⁷Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. ²⁸And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken. ²⁹The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. ³⁰And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. ³¹Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God." Ezekiel 22:23-31 (KJV).

Daniel 11:36: This is a very controversial verse in Advent history. This is where Uriah Smith made the wrong turn in Thoughts on Daniel and Revelation that negatively impacted Adventism from that point on to this very day. Verse 36 of Daniel 11 says,

"³⁶And the king"—

This is the Papacy. It is the king in the previous passage. Uriah Smith says at this point, "If we could say 'a king,' we could see a new power introduced into the verse." But, it does not say "a king." It says, "the king."

And "the king," the same king that is in verse 35, the King of the North, the Papacy, the one that has persecuted God's people since it was placed on the throne in AD538 in verse 31.

—"³⁶And the king shall do according to his will;"—"the [Papacy] shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished:"—there is an indignation—"for that that is determined shall be done." Daniel 11:36 (KJV).

How long did the Papacy prosper for? Until AD1798. There is an indignation that comes to a conclusion in AD1798. Of course, that is the first 2520 that began in 723BC; it concludes in AD1798.

Zechariah 1:12:

"¹²Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?" Zechariah 1:12 (KJV).

His indignation was demonstrated when He carried them to Babylon for 70 years. Sister White compares those 70 years with the 1260 years of Papal bondage to spiritual Israel that ended in 1798, at the end of the first indignation, at the point where the Papacy's prospering ended in 1798.

So, when it comes to Gabriel coming to Daniel in Daniel 8:19, and says, "I will show thee what shall be in the last end of the indignation," it is telling us that there is a first end of the indignation, 1798, and a last end of the indignation, 1844.

And Gabriel's command was to make Daniel understand the mareh vision of Daniel 8:14. So, in verse 19, Gabriel comes and says, "Okay. I am going to give you a second witness to 1844. I am going to make you understand what shall be in the last end of the indignation, which ends in 1844." He is giving him a second witness to the year 1844, but he is also answering Daniel 8:13, because the indignation that ends in 1844 is talking about the reestablishment of the host. Daniel 8:14 is talking about the reestablishment of the sanctuary.

And, Daniel 8:13 asked the question, "How long shall be the châzôn vision concerning Paganism and Papalism trampling down the sanctuary and the host?"

And the 2520 that ends in 1844 is answering when the host will be restored, and Daniel 8:14 that ended in 1844 is telling when the sanctuary will be restored.

We are not dealing with that, but we just cannot pass by it.

What I am wanting you to see, even though you do not know it at this point, is that in Daniel 8:17, which is still in your notes, it says that the time of the end shall be the châzôn vision. And what we are trying to do here this morning is work our way through to show that Daniel defines what the Time of the End is.

The châzôn vision in Daniel 8:17, it is shut up. It is going to take place at the Time of the End. We want to show you that the Time of the End is a term that Daniel uses to mark the conclusion of a time prophecy.

You have in your notes Daniel 11:24. It says,

"²⁴He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time." Daniel 11:24 (KJV).

Period that Pagan Rome Ruled the World

31BC AD330

Battle of Actium Constantine divides Kingdom

360 years in half, East and West

Figure No. 82.

Okay. He will "forecast his devices against his strongholds, even for a time." We are going to find that this is talking about how long Pagan Rome would rule the world, and it is going to last for a time—a time being a year—360 years. And Pagan Rome ruled the world supremely, beginning with the Battle of Actium in 31BC, and ending in the year AD330 when Constantine divided the kingdom in half.

TIME: Strong's Concordance H6256—From H5703; time. H5703—From H5710; properly a (peremptory) terminus, that is, (by implication) duration, in the sense of perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition).

This word TIME here is what you get the 360 years out of. A time is a year, and a year in Bible prophecy is 360 days, and a day is a year.

This word TIME means time; and, it also means terminus, or duration, perpetuity. It is talking about a time prophecy.

God's Helping Hand

Let me put in the record here what Sister White says about Uriah Smith's book, Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation: Manuscript Releases, volume 21, page 444.

Within the past couple of weeks we had a Bible study and were confronted with a common argument that you know: "I thought that there is so much error by Uriah Smith, and I thought that Uriah Smith rejected the message of Righteousness by Faith by Jones and Waggoner; therefore, I thought that we should not use his book at all."

And I referred the person to this quote here. And if you really understand this book, Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, then you see that there has been an orchestrated attack against this book for almost 120 years, to keep it out of the hands and the minds of God's people.

This is what Sister White says about Uriah Smith's book, Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, in spite of the humanity that is in that book. There are some mistakes in it. He was not a prophet; he was a human being.

"The Lord calls for workers to enter the canvassing field that the books containing the light of present truth may be circulated. The people in the world need to know that the signs of the times are fulfilling. Take to them the books that will enlighten them. Daniel and Revelation, The Great Controversy, Patriarchs and Prophets, and The Desire of Ages should now go to the world. The grand instruction contained in Daniel and Revelation has been eagerly perused by many in Australia. This book has been the means of bringing many precious souls to a knowledge of the truth. Everything that can be done should be done to circulate Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation. I know of no other book that can take the place of this one. It is God's helping hand.

"Those who have been long in the truth are asleep. They need to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The third angel's message is to be proclaimed with a loud voice. Tremendous issues are before us. We have no time to lose. God forbid that we should allow minor matters to eclipse the light which should be given to the world." Manuscript Releases, volume 21, 444.

So, I am going to read some from Uriah Smith now concerning Daniel 11:24, where he is going to tell us that Daniel 11:24 that we are dealing with here is Pagan Rome, and that it is the time prophecy on how long Pagan Rome would rule the world supremely, from the Battle of Actium in 31BC, until Constantine divided the Roman Empire into East and West in the year AD330.

Most Seventh-day Adventists did not know there was a time prophecy for Pagan Rome. They know about Papal Rome, barely; but, Pagan Rome they did not know. But, right here in "God's helping hand," this is Uriah Smith.

"The usual manner in which nations had, before the days of Rome, entered upon valuable provinces and rich territory, was by war and conquest. Rome was now to do what had not been done by the fathers or the fathers' fathers;"—

It is going to conquer differently.

—"namely, receive these acquisitions through peaceful means. The custom, before unheard of, was now inaugurated, of kings' leaving by legacy their kingdoms to the Romans. Rome came into possession of large provinces in this manner.

"And those who thus came under the dominion of Rome derived no small advantage therefrom. They were treated with kindness and leniency. It was like having the prey and spoil distributed among them. They were protected from their enemies, and rested in peace and safety under the aegis of the Roman power.

"To the latter portion of this verse, Bishop Newton gives the idea of forecasting devices from strongholds, instead of against them. This the Romans did from the strong fortress of their seven-hilled city. 'Even for a time;' doubtless a prophetic time, 360 years. From what point are these years to be dated? Probably from the event brought to view in the following verse.

"'VERSE 25. And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.'

"By verses 23 and 24 we are brought down this side of the league between the Jews and the Romans, B.C. 161, to the time when Rome had acquired universal dominion. The verse now before us brings to view a vigorous campaign against the king of the south, Egypt, and the occurrence of a notable battle between great and mighty armies. Did such events as these transpire in the history of Rome about this time?—They did. This was the war between Egypt and Rome; and the battle was the battle of Actium. . . .

"The battle was fought September 2, B.C.31, at the mouth of the gulf of Ambracia, near the city of Actium. The world was the stake for which these stern warriors, Antony and Caesar, now played. The contest, long doubtful, was at length decided by the course which Cleopatra pursued; for she, frightened at the din of battle, took to flight when there was no danger, and drew after her the whole Egyptian fleet."—

She just left Antony there.

—"Antony, beholding this movement, and lost to everything but his blind passion for her, precipitately followed, and yielded a victory to Caesar, which, had his Egyptian forces proved true to him, and had he proved true to his own manhood, he might have gained.

"This battle doubtless marks the commencement of the 'time' mentioned in verse 24. And as during this 'time' devices were to be forecast from the stronghold, or Rome, we should conclude that at the end of that period western supremacy would cease, or such a change take place in the empire that the city would no longer be considered the seat of government. From B.C.31, a prophetic time, or 360 years, would bring us to A.D.330. And it hence becomes a noteworthy fact that the seat of empire was removed from Rome to Constantinople by Constantine the Great in that very year. (See Encyclopedia Americana, art. Constantinople.) . . .

"'VERSE 29. At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.'" —

And here is where I am wanting to get to.

Verse 24 gives us a time prophecy of 360 years; but, verse 27 and verse 29 talk about a time appointed, the time appointed being when this prophecy is going to be fulfilled. And this is what I want to put in the record here.

This is still Uriah Smith.

—"The time appointed is probably the prophetic time of verse 24, which has been previously mentioned. It closed, as already shown, in A.D.330, at which time this power was to return and come again toward the south, but not as on the former occasion, when it went to Egypt, nor as the latter, when it went to Judea. Those were expeditions which resulted in conquest and glory. This one led to demoralization and ruin. The removal of the seat of empire to Constantinople was the signal for the downfall of the empire. Rome then lost its prestige. The western division was exposed to the incursions of foreign enemies. On the death of Constantine, the Roman empire was divided into three parts, between his three sons, Constantius, Constantine II, and Constans."—

Constantine was really good at picking names for his children, right?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: —"Constantine II and Constans quarreled, and Constans, being victor, gained the supremacy of the whole West. He was soon slain by one of his commanders, who, in turn, was shortly after defeated by the surviving emperor, and in despair ended his own days, A.D.353. The barbarians of the North now began their incursions, and extended their conquests till the imperial power of the West expired in A.D.476."—

When he says the Barbarians of the North now began their incursions, what is that? That is the Trumpets of Revelation.

—"This was indeed different from the two former movements brought to view in the prophecy; and to this the fatal step of removing the seat of empire from Rome to Constantinople directly led." Uriah Smith, Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, 273, 275, 279–280.

The Time Appointed

Now, I have verses 27 and 29 in your notes. I want you to see something, and this is this history that we just went over, the history of this 360 years.

And verse 27 says,

"²⁷And both these kings'"—Antony and Caesar—"hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed."—

AD330 is called by Daniel in this verse two things: the end and the time appointed.

That word END there, is the same word that you will find in the expression "time of the end."

The "time of the end," that expression is found five times in God's Word, all in Daniel; but, this END, the same word.

The Hebrew word for time appointed is mô‛êd [pronounced mo-ade'], and it means in an appointed time. That is verse 27.

Verse 29 says [beginning at verse 28],

—"²⁸Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. ²⁹At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter." Daniel 11:27–29 (KJV).

What is the time appointed? AD330, this is the time appointed.

END: Strong's Concordance H7093—Contracted from H7112; an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after:— + after, (utmost) border, end, [in‑] finite, X process.

The END there, you can see the definition of it.

APPOINTED: Strong's Concordance H4150—properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season.

You can see the definition of TIME APPOINTED: an appointment, or a fixed time or season.

The Time of the End:

TIME: Strong's Concordance H6256—From H5703; time. H5703—From H5710; properly a (peremptory) terminus, that is, (by implication).

END: H7093—Contracted from H7112; an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after:— + after, (utmost) border, end, [in-] finite, X process.

The Time of the End, the expression "time of the end," it is the same word for END that we have already looked at. And it means the conclusion of a time prophecy.

So, what am I saying? Go back to Daniel 8:17, and I will try to pull this together for us.

Daniel 8:17 says,

This expression, "time of the end," is marking the end of a time prophecy.

The end of the châzôn vision was going to be AD1798. And this châzôn vision here, it is shut up until 1798; and, you have more than one witness of this in the Book of Daniel. Daniel 12 gives you two more witnesses to this.

And Daniel 8:26 says, ". . . shut thou up the vision; . . ."

The end of this time prophecy of 1260 years [AD538 to AD1798] is marked as the time of the end. The end of this time prophecy of 360 years [31BC to AD330] is identified as the time appointed. But, these are two different time prophecies.

So, what I am saying is that when Daniel marks the end of a time prophecy, he calls it either "the time appointed" or "the time of the end" or "the end." There is nothing real profound about that, but it is worth taking note how Daniel identifies the end of a time prophecy is with those expressions: It is the end; it is the time of the end; it is the time appointed.

But, for the student of prophecy, if you are going to determine what the Time of the End is, then what do you have to determine? Which time prophecy is being discussed.

This time prophecy, 360 years, is different from this time prophecy of 1260 years. So, you have to determine, when he says "the time of the end" which time prophecy is under discussion.

Daniel 11:31

Now, Uriah Smith is going to comment on Daniel 11:31. At some point we will go through Daniel 11:31 in detail, and Uriah Smith comments on Daniel 11:31 at great length; but, I just simply want to take his last point. Look at Daniel 11:31.

Daniel 11:31 says,

"³¹And arms shall stand on his part,"—

This is Pagan Rome standing up for the Papacy.

—"and they [Pagan Rome] shall pollute the sanctuary of strength,"—

Uriah Smith just let us know the sanctuary of strength for Pagan Rome was the City of Rome. When they ruled from the City of Rome, they were invincible. When they left for Constantinople, they began to fall apart.

"Arms," Pagan Rome shall stand up for the Papacy, verse 31, and those arms will pollute the City of Rome, as the warfare that takes place in that history destroys it over and over again.

—"and [they, Pagan Rome] shall take away the daily ~~sacrifice~~, [Paganism] and they [the arms] shall place the abomination that maketh desolate." Daniel 11:31 (KJV).

Pagan Rome is going to place the Papacy on the throne of the Earth in AD538.

And here is just that last thought about that abomination of desolation is what Uriah Smith is commenting on from Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, page 289. He says,

"Thus the Gothic horn, the last of the three, was plucked up before the little horn of Daniel 7. Nothing now stood in the way of the pope to prevent his exercising the power conferred upon him by Justinian five years before. The saints, times, and laws were now in his hands, not in purpose only, but in fact. And this must therefore be taken as the year [538] when this abomination was placed, or set up, and as the point from which to date the predicted 1260 years of its supremacy." Uriah Smith, Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, 289.

Period that Papal Rome Ruled the World

AD538 1798

360 years

Figure No. 83.

So, the very last phrase of Daniel 11:31 is marked the year AD538, and its supremacy would go to there [1798], and we know that this is 1260 years.

Daniel 11:35

In Daniel 11:35, after the Papacy is placed on the throne of the Earth in AD538, verses 32, 33, 34, and 35 are telling us the history that follows once the Papacy takes control of the world.

And in verse 35 it says,

"³⁵And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed." Daniel 11:35 (KJV).

So, now you have got Daniel using both of these terms: the time of the end and a time appointed.

And what is the subject now? Is he just discussing Pagan Rome here in verse 35?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Negative responses.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: He is discussing Papal Rome.

So, what is the time of the end and a time appointed for Papal Rome?

Well, it has got to be the end of a time prophecy. Daniel has already put that in place. So, there has to be a time prophecy associated with Papal Rome, and that time prophecy is mentioned specifically seven times in the Scriptures; not specifically many, many more times than that. And it ends in 1798. So, the time appointed in this passage, the Time of the End in this passage is 1798.

Are you with me?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmative responses.)

1260 Years

Daniel 7:25; (11:33); 12:7, (11); Revelation 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; 13:5

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Underneath in your notes you will see that this 1260 years is specifically addressed in Daniel 7:25.

And the reason I have Daniel 11:33 in parentheses there is that it is not specifically addressed in verse 33. Notice verse 33 in Daniel 11.

"³³And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days." Daniel 11:35 (KJV).

This "many days" here is a reference to the 1260 years of Papal persecution. The Papacy is placed on the throne of the Earth in AD538; and, at the very last phrase of Daniel 11:31. And here in verse 33 it is describing the persecution of this time period, and it is called "many days." So, in verse 33, it is inferred.

Now, in Daniel 7:25, the 1260 years is definitely marked.

"²⁵And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Daniel 7:25 (KJV).

Daniel 12:7, definitely marked the 1260 years:

"⁷And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." Daniel 12:7 (KJV).

In verse 11 of Daniel 12, you have the 1260 years inferred. The reason I have that in parentheses is because it is the 1290, which begins in AD508, but also ends in 1798.

"¹¹And from the time that the daily ~~sacrifice~~ shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days." Daniel 12:11 (KJV).

Revelation 11, verse 2 and verse 3 both reference the 1260.

"²But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. ³And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." Revelation 11:2-3 (KJV).

And Revelation 12, verses 6 and 14, specifically reference the 1260, and Revelation 13:5.

"⁶And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. . . .

"¹⁴And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent." Revelation 12:6, 14 (KJV).

"⁵And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." Revelation 13:5 (KJV).

So, what you have there is seven direct references to this 1260-year time period.

And in verse 35 of Daniel 8, Daniel tells us that the end of this time period is the time appointed; it is the Time of the End.

Daniel 11:40

"⁴⁰ And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over." Daniel 11:40 (KJV).

Then in Daniel 11:40, there is no change. It does not matter what Uriah Smith says; there is no historical or grammatical change from verse 31, all the way to verse 40. The subject of these verses is the King of the North, and the King of the North from verse 31, all the way to the end of the chapter, is the Papacy.

So, when you get to Daniel 11, verse 40—and this is what we are dealing with this morning—it says, "And at the time of the end." You have to determine what time prophecy is being associated with the Papacy there.

What time prophecy is associated with the Papacy?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The 1260.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The 1260.

So, when verse 40 says, "And at the time of the end," where does verse 40 begin?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: 1798.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: 1798; verse 40 begins in 1798.

And what is 1798?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Time of the End.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: It is the Time of the End. It is the time appointed.

The Time of the End

In The Great Controversy, page 356, Sister White says this:

"But at the time of the end, says the prophet, 'Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.' Daniel 12:4. . . . Since 1798 the book of Daniel has been unsealed, knowledge of the prophecies has increased, and many have proclaimed the solemn message of the judgment near." The Great Controversy, 356.

Daniel 8:17; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9

In your notes you have Daniel 8:17, which is referencing the Time of the End that is shut up. Daniel 8:17 is referencing this 1260 years.

"¹⁷So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face; but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision." Daniel 8:17 (KJV).

The châzôn vision is shut up until 1798.

Daniel 11:35, the time appointed, the time of the end; that is 1798.

Daniel 11:40, at the time of the end, the King of the South pushes against him. That is 1798.

And in Daniel 12:4 and 9, you have the time of the end in both of those verses, identifying when the Book of Daniel would be unsealed. It was going to be sealed up until the Time of the End.

"⁴But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. . . .

"⁹And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." Daniel 12:4, 9 (KJV).

Those are the five places in God's Word that you will find the expression, "time of the end," referenced.

Okay. What I said yesterday you may not remember. It is not that important that you remember everything that I say. But what I said was that Daniel 11:40 is the most—I personally have never found a verse that has this much truth in it. There is no verse.

Now, I acknowledge that if we are faithful and we get to live for eternity that every verse is going to have that kind of depth; but, Daniel 11, verse 40, we are going to show you, the Lord willing, over the next couple of weeks that this verse has such depth that it is just overwhelming. Okay?

Wounded to Death?

And you have in your notes, "Wounded to Death?" In Revelation 13:3, it says,

"³And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3 (KJV).

What do we understand this to be?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Papacy.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: That is the Papacy receiving the deadly wound in 1798. Right? And that is correct. We are not arguing that. That is the only place that you are going to find that referenced though, the Papacy receives a deadly wound.

But, where is it in the Bible where the actual deadly wound that the Papacy receives is identified? There is only one place.

Here it is mentioned that the Papacy, one of the heads, would receive a deadly wound; and, through prophetic study you determined that that head is the Papacy, and at some point in time it is going to receive a deadly wound; but, there is only one verse that tells you how the Papacy receives a deadly wound.

What verse is that? Daniel 11:40.

Daniel 11:40

"⁴⁰And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over." Daniel 11:40 (KJV).

You see, if you do not understand that 1798 is the Time of the End in verse 40, and it says "And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him," if you think, as some people do, that the King of the North and the King of the South is some foolish idea that does not square with God's Word, if you do not think the King of the North is the Papacy receiving a deadly wound in 1798, then you cannot understand that the King of the South is atheistic France that delivers this deadly wound.

And if you cannot understand where the deadly wound is delivered in God's Word, how can you be the one that stands before the world and explains who the beast is? You do not even know where he got his deadly wound.

And Daniel 11:40 is where he gets his deadly wound.

You go look it up. You go look in the places where it is mentioned that he is going to rule for 1260 years, and there is no Scripture other than Daniel 11, verse 40, that tells you that the Papacy receives its deadly wound from atheistic France in 1798. This is the verse: Daniel 11:40.

So, it seems worthwhile as Seventh-day Adventists, those that are going to give the Loud Cry, the Third Angel's Message, that are going to tell the world who the beast is, so the world does not receive the mark of the beast, it seems important to understand what the Time of the End in verse 40 is, along with who the King of the North is and who the King of the South is.

At that point I am just trying to give some of the significance of verse 40.

The Events Connected with the Close of Probation

Notice this next quote. Usually, I quote this quote often, often; and, others do, too. And maybe mine is a bad example, but we generally cut this paragraph in half and we start in the middle, which is good; but we are going to start the whole paragraph here.

From The Great Controversy, page 595, it says,

"Before His crucifixion the Saviour explained to His disciples that He was to be put to death and to rise again from the tomb, and angels were present to impress His words on minds and hearts."—

All the prophecies are speaking about the end of the world; so, who are His disciples in this passage?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Seventh-day Adventists.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Seventh-day Adventists. We are His disciples at the end of the world. And, He explained the prophetic message to them in advance, but the Disciples do not know the prophetic message when it arrives.

—"But the disciples were looking for temporal deliverance from the Roman yoke, and they could not tolerate the thought that He in whom all their hopes centered should suffer an ignominious death."—

Huh. They had preconceived ideas from false education. They were holding onto the Mystery of Iniquity, so they could not understand the prophecies.

—"The words which they needed to remember were banished from their minds; and when the time of trial came, it found them unprepared. The death of Jesus as fully destroyed their hopes as if He had not forewarned them."—

Now notice what it says.

—"So in the prophecies the future is opened before us as plainly as it was opened to the disciples by the words of Christ. The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes"—

Who are the multitudes? The disciples: Seventh-day Adventists.

—"But multitudes [of Seventh-day Adventists] have no more understanding of these important truths"—

What important truths? The events connected with the close of probation.

—"But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been revealed."—

But, they have been revealed.

—"Satan watches to catch away every impression that would make them wise unto salvation,"—

Wow! These events connected with the close of probation are salvational! That is what she just said. You have an opportunity to understand these events, and Satan is there trying to snatch that truth from you; because, that truth would make you wise unto salvation. The events connected with the close of probation are salvational!

—"Satan watches to catch away every impression that would make them wise unto salvation, and the time of trouble will find them unready." The Great Controversy, 595.

They are lost!

So, where is the close of probation? Well, it is Daniel 12:1, when Michael stands up.

Notice what Sister White says about Daniel 12:1 in The Great Controversy, page 613.

"'At that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book.' Daniel 12:1.

"When the third angel's message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received 'the latter rain,' 'the refreshing from the presence of the Lord,' and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received 'the seal of the living God.' Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, 'It is done;' and all the angelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn announcement: 'He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.' Revelation 22:11. Every case has been decided for life or death." The Great Controversy, 613.

When Michael stands up, He makes this pronouncement. Daniel 12:1 is the close of probation.

The events connected with the close of probation are the verses that lead up to Daniel 12:1, and these verses have been clearly revealed. The multitudes in Adventism have no more understanding of these verses as if they had never been revealed. And this is salvational.

Warnings

Now, you have these people that fight against this message, and they say, "Oh, Brother Pippenger and the others are putting the wrong emphasis on this passage from The Great Controversy about the events connected with the close of probation." And they go to the very next paragraph which says, right here,

"When God sends to men warnings so important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning powers to heed the message. The fearful judgments denounced against the worship of the beast and his image (Revelation 14:9–11), should lead all to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn what the mark of the beast is, and how they are to avoid receiving it."—

One of the champions of this argument that I am going to explain to you here is a guy by the name of Eugene Pruitt. He says here, where it says "events connected with the close of probation," the very next paragraph is saying that these events are the Three Angels' Messages of Revelation 14, and that these people that are emphasizing that these events are the last six verses of Daniel 11, they are wresting the meaning of this passage in The Great Controversy.

Well, not so. Sister White says in that previous paragraph, "the events connected with the close of probation." But, in this paragraph she is talking about warnings. Revelation 14 is not portraying a sequence of events. It is giving us three Angels that are identifying warning messages.

The events connected with the close of probation are illustrated in the last six verses of Daniel 11.

And because these men do not understand that Daniel 11:44, tidings out of the East and the North, is Daniel's representation of the Three Angels' Messages, they separate these truths from one another. Satan has just taken those impressions out of their minds that would make them wise unto salvation, and they lead others to do the very same thing.

Continuing on:

—"But the masses of the people turn away their ears from hearing the truth and are turned unto fables."—

The very thing that is done with this paragraph is what gets accomplished by those that twist this paragraph. They lead their listeners to fables.

—"The apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days: 'The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.' 2 Timothy 4:3. That time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth, because it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions which they love.

"But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain 'Thus saith the Lord' in its support.

"Satan is constantly endeavoring to attract attention to man in the place of God. He leads the people to look to bishops, to pastors, to professors of theology, as their guides, instead of searching the Scriptures to learn their duty for themselves. Then, by controlling the minds of these leaders, he can influence the multitudes according to his will." The Great Controversy, 594–595.

What is my point? My point here is this: Daniel 11, verse 40, begins in 1798, and it leads into Daniel 12:1, where Michael stands up; therefore, where we consider the last six verses of Daniel 11, we are considering the history that begins in 1798 and goes all the way until human probation closes. And those verses are describing the events that lead to the close of probation; whereas, Revelation 14, the Three Angels' Messages, they are warning messages. They are not events.

But, when you see the King of the North capturing the King of the South; and the King of the North capturing the glorious land; and Edom, Moab and [the chief children of] Ammon escaping the hand of the King of the North; and, then the King of the North captures Egypt, these are events connected, leading to the close of probation; and, they are salvational.

So, this message, it is the message of the events connected with the close of probation.

Miller and John the Baptist

I am going to change gears a little bit here. We have looked at this in this worship series, what we are going to look now, previously.

In Early Writings, beginning at page 229, it says,

With trembling, William Miller began to unfold to the people the mysteries of the kingdom of God, carrying his hearers down through the prophecies to the second advent of Christ. With every effort he gained strength. As John the Baptist heralded the first advent of Jesus and prepared the way for His coming, so William Miller and those who joined with him proclaimed the second advent of the Son of God." Early Writings, 229–230.

What I want you to see here, this is one of several places where Sister White compares William Miller with who?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: John the Baptist.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: John the Baptist. Okay.

Miller

So, what was William Miller's message? Because, William Miller's was the message of the First Angel. All right? He is the messenger of the First Angel.

And Sister White tells us in The Great Controversy, page 310, speaking of Miller,

"It was needful that men should be awakened to their danger; that they should be roused to prepare for the solemn events connected with the close of probation. The Great Controversy, 310.

Whoa! That is what the last six verses of Daniel 11 are. That is what multitudes in Adventism do not understand.

William Miller presented a message identifying the events connected with the close of probation.

John the Baptist

What about John the Baptist?

Matthew 3:7 says,

"⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Matthew 3:7 (KJV).

What is the wrath to come? The destruction of Jerusalem.

Who warned the Jews to flee from the wrath to come?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: John the Baptist.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: No. John the Baptist asked the question. It is John the Baptist saying, "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Who warned them to flee from the wrath to come?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Indiscernible response.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Pardon me?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Daniel.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Daniel. Daniel 9, "490 years are given to you, and then the wrath is coming": The stoning of Stephen.

So, was Miller's message identifying the events connected with the close of probation?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Yes.

What book was it based upon?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Daniel.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Daniel.

Was John the Baptist identifying the events connected with the close of probation? Yes.

What book was it based upon? Daniel.

The same message, the same messengers.

Of course, William Miller's message we would say is Daniel 8, the 2300 years; but, really, if you do not have Daniel 9 to explain the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14, then you do not have anything in Daniel 8:14.

Daniel 9 says, "From the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem." If you do not have the starting point for that 2300 days, as noted in Daniel 9, then you do not have anything. Right?

So, you can say that Miller's message was based upon Daniel 9, and John's message was based upon Daniel 9. John's message was based upon the 70 weeks of Daniel 9.

But, our message is based upon Daniel 11.

The beginning of Adventism is Daniel 9; the end of Adventism is Daniel 11. The message of Adventism is Daniel 9 and 11.

In The Great Controversy, page 22:

"Christ saw in Jerusalem a symbol of the world hardened in unbelief and rebellion, and hastening on to meet the retributive judgments of God. The woes of a fallen race, pressing upon His soul, forced from His lips that exceeding bitter cry. He saw the record of sin traced in human misery, tears, and blood; His heart was moved with infinite pity for the afflicted and suffering ones of earth; He yearned to relieve them all. But even His hand might not turn back the tide of human woe; few would seek their only Source of help. He was willing to pour out His soul unto death, to bring salvation within their reach; but few would come to Him that they might have life.

The next paragraph:

"The Majesty of heaven in tears! the Son of the infinite God troubled in spirit, bowed down with anguish! The scene filled all heaven with wonder. That scene reveals to us the exceeding sinfulness of sin; it shows how hard a task it is, even for Infinite Power, to save the guilty from the consequences of transgressing the law of God. Jesus, looking down to the last generation, saw the world involved in a deception similar to that which caused the destruction of Jerusalem. The great sin of the Jews was their rejection of Christ; the great sin of the Christian world would be their rejection of the law of God, the foundation of His government in heaven and earth. The precepts of Jehovah would be despised and set at nought. Millions in bondage to sin, slaves of Satan, doomed to suffer the second death, would refuse to listen to the words of truth in their day of visitation. Terrible blindness! strange infatuation!" The Great Controversy, 22.

AD70 is an illustration of the end of the world. It is the events connected with the close of probation.

The Judgment Message of Daniel

The Great Controversy, page 353, you see Sister White comparing the Millerite message with the message of the Disciples, both based upon Daniel 9. We have just explained that.

"Those who proclaimed this warning gave the right message at the right time. But as the early disciples declared, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand,' based on the prophecy of Daniel 9, while they failed to perceive that the death of the Messiah was foretold in the same scripture, so Miller and his associates preached the message based on Daniel 8:14 and Revelation 14:7, and failed to see that there were still other messages brought to view in Revelation 14, which were also to be given before the advent of the Lord. As the disciples were mistaken in regard to the kingdom to be set up at the end of the seventy weeks, so Adventists were mistaken in regard to the event to take place at the expiration of the 2300 days. In both cases there was an acceptance of, or rather an adherence to, popular errors that blinded the mind to the truth. Both classes fulfilled the will of God in delivering the message which He desired to be given, and both, through their own misapprehension of their message, suffered disappointment." The Great Controversy, 353.

Okay. I want to put one more thing in the record, and then we will close.

Manuscript Releases, number 13, page 394—The Lord willing, we will spend a great deal of time on this quote; but, we are just going to take one point out of here in closing—Sister White says,

"We have no time to lose. Troublous times are before us. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place. The prophecy in the eleventh of Daniel"—the prophecy in the eleventh of Daniel—"has nearly reached its complete fulfillment."—

She does not say the prophecy in Revelation 13. She does not say the prophecy in Revelation 17. She does not say the prophecy in Daniel 8.

—"The prophecy in the eleventh of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. . . ."—

So, what verses is Sister White speaking of?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The last six verses of Daniel 11.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: How do you know that?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Indiscernible response.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: 1 Corinthians 14:32, "³²And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. ³³For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." (KJV)

The prophets have to agree with one another.

Do they have to agree with themselves?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Amen.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: In The Great Controversy, page 356, Sister White says the Time of the End is 1798, and she said that in the middle of the 19^th Century, long after 1798. So, Sister White knows that verse 40 of Daniel 11 begins in 1798; so, Sister White knows that the first 39 verses of Daniel 11 are past history. Right?

So, when she references the future fulfillment of Daniel 11, what verses is she identifying? Verses 40 through 45.

See, there are some principles in this passage that we will deal with in depth, the Lord willing; but, I am going to bring this to a close here, and this is where I wanted to close.

Daniel 11, verse 40, is going to be fulfilled with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, and this will mark the end of Nebuchadnezzar's and Miller's dreams. The Dirt Brush Man arrives in 1989, because it is the Time of the End for the 144,000, when the book of Daniel is going to be unsealed and the Dirt Brush Man is going to begin sweeping the rubbish out the window; and, there is going to be an increase of knowledge and God's people are going to run to and fro in God's Word and begin to understand the increase of light.

And this increase of light comes from where?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Daniel 11.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Daniel 11, verse 40. Okay?

So, as we begin to look at Daniel 11:40, what we have done here today is identified from the Book of Daniel what the Time of the End is [1798] from the Book of Daniel; and, we put Sister White on top of it: The Great Controversy, page 356.

—"We have no time to lose. Troublous times are before us. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place. The prophecy in the eleventh of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Much of the history that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy will be repeated. In the thirtieth verse a power is spoken of that 'shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.' Daniel 11:30–36.

"Scenes similar to those described in these words will take place. We see evidence that Satan is fast obtaining the control of human minds who have not the fear of God before them. Let all read and understand the prophecies of this book, for we are now entering upon the time of trouble spoken of:

"'And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.' Daniel 12:1–4." Manuscript Releases, number 13, 394.

Verse 40 of Daniel 11 begins in 1798, but it goes all the way to Daniel 12:1, until Michael stands up and human probation closes. We have just identified the history that we are going to be looking at, and we have just seen Sister White referencing that very history of verses 40 through 45. We have identified those verses as events connected with the close of probation that parallel the message of the cross that was given to the Disciples, but the Disciples did not remember the message of the cross because they had been infected by bad education.

And we have been instructed that these events are salvational: the last six verses of Daniel 11 are salvational.

We have identified the first message in the time of Christ was the message that identified the events connected with the close of probation, and that the First Angel's Message in the history of the Millerites was the message that identified the events connected with the close of probation; and, therefore, we are saying that the last is verses of Daniel 11 is the First Angel's Message for God's people at the end of the world, because it is the message that identifies the events connected with the close of probation.

We are initially in our study of Daniel 11, verse 40, and 1989. We are going to spend some time just trying to emphasize the significance of this verse, before we proceed with a point-by-point description of the last six verses. But, we will do that, Lord willing.

Shall we pray?

Benediction: Heavenly Father, we want to be benefitted by the increase of knowledge that you as the Dirt Brush Man and the Lion of the tribe of Judah have been opening to us, as you remove the Seals one at a time. But we know that we are bound that preconceived ideas, false education, by the Mystery of Iniquity, and that we need to be freed up from those influences in our personal experience that prevent us from correctly recognizing this light. We ask that through the power of your Holy Spirit and the work of your Angels, and our own diligent efforts, in this regard that you would remove these things that are prohibiting us from understanding this truth as we should. We thank you for allowing us to come together and start the day studying your Word. We set this day before you and ask that you would bless our service for you, and whatever we take up that you would make it safe for us today and that what we do will be something that glorifies you and honors you. We thank you for the work that is being accomplished. We ask a blessing upon that as well. In Jesus's name, amen.