Habakkuk's Two Tables #85

CONCLUSION

Presented by Jeff Pippenger

Invocation by Brother Jeff Pippenger: Heavenly Father, as we begin our day of study, we thank you for a good night's rest. We thank you for bringing some other guests here safely. We ask that you would make this day a benefit to us all. We know that Emiliano yesterday was feeling a little bit down, and we ask that you would strengthen him and remove any illness that may be coming upon him, and keep him strong through this week. As we take up our study this morning, we ask that you would pour your Latter Rain out upon us, that you would open our understanding to truths that we need to understand as we take this message, this final message, to the Adventist Church and thereafter to the world. We want our humanity to be humbled in the dust, as was Isaiah's, and John's, and Daniel's when they saw you in the Heavenly Sanctuary. And as we send our prayers into the Most Holy Place at this time, we ask that you would accomplish that work for us and that you would purify us that we can understand the message that you have for us. Eternalize it in a way that will glorify and honor you. And I ask that you take control of the things that I intend to share that they also would glorify and honor you. Please be with us throughout this day. We want the angels from on High, the Heavenly angels to be with us that we might breathe the atmosphere of Heaven throughout this day; and, we ask that you would give them permission to give the distractions away. We thank you for all these things in Jesus's name. Amen.

The 2520

BROTHER PIPPENGER: So, I am at the point in the Habakkuk's Two Tables series where I am now trying to show the doctrines that are represented on the [1843 and 1850] Charts from the Word of God.

And, we are moving away from the presentation on the Daily, although we will return to it from time to time, and moving into the presentation on the 2520.

Make Daniel Understand the Mareh Vision

"And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the [mareh] vision." Daniel 8:16 (KJV).

CLEANSED: Strong's Concordance H6663—A primitive root; to be (causatively make) right (in a moral or forensic sense):—cleanse, clear self, (be, do) just (-ice, -ify, -ify self), (be, turn to) righteous (-ness).

Yesterday we were looking at the fact in Daniel 8 that Daniel had seen the châzôn vision, from Daniel 8, verse 2 through verse 13, the vision of prophetic history, which we had already taken time to describe.

And then in verse 15, after he had seen the châzôn vision, he sought for meaning of the châzôn vision; and, we found that Gabriel was appointed to explain to him what the mareh vision was.

The first thing that Gabriel did in verse 17, as he takes up his task to explain the mareh vision to Daniel was to give him some detail about the châzôn vision; so, we stayed there a little while and we showed that the châzôn vision is the vision that is sealed. It is the vision of prophetic history. It is the vision that is sealed up until the time of the end. It is the vision that is long.

And, we took it a step further and showed that in Daniel 10:1 the word thing is dâbâr; and, in Daniel 9:23 that dâbâr is translated as matter.

So, we showed that in Daniel 10:1 the thing is contrasted with the mareh vision; and, therefore, the dâbâr vision and the mareh vision are in Daniel 10:1; and, in Daniel 9:23 we see the matter is also the dâbâr and it also is contrasted with the mareh vision.

And then when we looked at what is stated about the dâbâr in verse 1 of Daniel 10, we saw that it also was of a long period of time; so, we identified that the dâbâr is simply another expression by Daniel for the châzôn vision, which is an important vision in terms of Daniel 10, verse 14: Gabriel tells Daniel that he is going to show him what will befall Daniel's people in the Latter Days, and that is illustrated with the châzôn vision.

And the châzôn vision is the vision that if you do not understand, the people perish: "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

But, now we are returning to Daniel, chapter 8, and we are beginning to deal with the mareh vision.

So, in Daniel 8:14, we showed yesterday that the vision of the 2300 days is actually, technically in the Hebrew the vision (the mareh vision) of the 2400 evenings and mornings.

And in verse 26, the vision of the evenings and mornings which was told is true.

FROM THE AUDIENCE: 2300.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: 2300.

Why am I saying 2400?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: I don't know.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Neither do I.

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Okay. Thank you.

How come he is the only one that caught that?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Oh, you caught it, but you just did not have the guts to say anything, huh?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: I want you to know that I have been listening to Emiliano, and I have been blessed, and I do not have anything to criticize. And it is not that I do not believe, but I do not understand everything he said the same way that he does. Do you?

I hope you do not understand everything the same way I do. I hope that we are being critical enough in our experience that we are going to go test everything that anyone says from the pulpit and not get the mindset that just because it is said by someone that we think is special for some reason that that makes it so. Okay?

So, let us not change the 2300 to the 2400. Okay?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: So, it is okay to listen to what I say. All right?

So, we are looking at the 2300 days and that it is the vision of the evenings and the mornings, and it is the mareh vision; and, Gabriel was commanded to make Daniel understand the mareh vision.

And just to give some context to it, if you go to the last verse of Daniel 8, verse 27, it says,

"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 [mareh] vision,"—

The vision of the 2300 days.

—"but none understood it." Daniel 8:27 (KJV).

So, even though Gabriel had been commanded in chapter 8 to make Daniel understand the mareh vision, Gabriel had not finished his job assignment by the time Daniel 8 comes to a conclusion.

The Last End of the Indignation: 1844

But, in verse 17, when Gabriel takes up his work of explaining the mareh vision to Daniel—and remember, Daniel was not worried about the mareh vision; he wanted to understand the châzôn vision; but, Gabriel got a different job assignment—in verse 17, it says,

"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. 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 8:17-19 (KJV).

Okay. Verse 19 is the first piece of information that Gabriel is going to give to Daniel so that he can understand the mareh vision.

And what is the mareh vision? It is the vision of the 2300 days that Gabriel is supposed to make Daniel understand.

And what I am saying is this is the first place where Gabriel begins to make Daniel understand 1844 (the 2300 days), the mareh vision.

Why is this important? There are probably so many reasons why this is important that there is no way human beings can explain it; but, a simple one is that Sister White says that the mareh vision is the Foundation of Adventism. She did not say it like that, but she says "the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 are the foundational pillar of Adventism." So, the mareh vision is the Foundation of Adventism. So, it is important, you would think, if we are Adventists to understand this.

So, the first piece of the puzzle that Gabriel gives to Daniel is verse 19, and he tells him about "the last end of the indignation," and he says it is "at the time appointed."

Time Appointed

And I passed over some notes, so I will pass over them. I am in the middle of page 1 [of the presentation notes].

[Note from Transcriptionist: All notes passed over have been incorporated into the transcription above.]

Time Appointed

APPOINTED—Strong's Concordance H4150: môw'êd (mo-ade'): From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand):—appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).

BROTHER PIPPENGER: This word translated as time appointed, mean appointed time, just simple and straightforward.

But, what I want you to see, even if you do not understand anything about the last indignation, or if someone did not understand anything about that verse, if they will take the definition of time appointed as it is set forth, it will tell you something to start with.

What will it tell you? That whatever the last indignation is, it has got to be a time prophecy; because, it has an appointed time to end. Okay? You know that right off the bat. Whatever it means, it has an appointed time that it is going to end. Right?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: So, you can see that right off the bat with the word moed [môw'êd], which means an appointment, or a fixed time or season; or a festival.

God's Indignations

So, we need to understand what is God's Indignation is; and, there are two types of righteous indignation that God identifies in His Word.

Against the Wicked

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

"²⁰ Come, 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. ²¹ For, 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).

"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 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).

"⁸ Therefore 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).

^"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, ¹⁰ The 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: ¹¹ And 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).

There is His indignation against the wicked.

I have some references there for you. I never intended to read those references because I think that we understand this fairly well.

Where it says His indignation "Against the Wicked," that is His indignation against the wicked in the Seven Last Plagues. Okay? That is where he is punishing mankind for rejecting the Gospel of Salvation.

Against God's People

Lamentations 2:1-9, 17; Ezekiel 22

"¹ How 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! ² The 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. ³ He 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. ⁴ He 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. ⁵ The 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 increase in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. ⁶ And 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. ⁷ The 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. ⁸ The 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. ⁹ Her 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. . . . ¹⁷ The Lord hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries." Lamentations 2:1-9, 17 (KJV).

"¹ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ²Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations. ³Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord God, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself. ⁴Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries. ⁵Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed. ⁶Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood. ⁷In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow. ⁸Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths. ⁹In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness. ¹⁰In thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution. ¹¹And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter. ¹²In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God. ¹³Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee. ¹⁴Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it. ¹⁵And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee. ¹⁶And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

"¹⁷And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ¹⁸Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. ¹⁹Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. ²⁰As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. ²¹Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. ²²As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you.

"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. ²⁶Her 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 (KJV).

But, He also has an indignation in God's Word that is against His people for them breaking the covenant that He made with Him, that they made with Him.

So, there are two indignations in God's Word, to start with: One against the wicked at the Close of Probation—and if you are not familiar with it, you can read Isaiah 26:20-21; 30:27-33; Zephaniah 3:8; and, of course, Revelation 14:9-11 [the foregoing cites are included above, and then read into the record by Brother Pippenger with comments as follows].

We should understand the Third Angel's Message.

What is He going to do to those people who have the mark of the beast?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: He is going to pour out the wrath of His indignation.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: He is going to pour out the wine of the wrath of . . .

FROM THE AUDIENCE: His indignation (responded in unison).

BROTHER PIPPENGER: . . . His indignation.

Okay. The punishment of the wicked is a subject of prophecy.

But, we want to look at the punishment of God's people, and go to Lamentations.

And Lamentations was penned by Jeremiah. So, if you are not familiar with where it is at, it is the Book right after Jeremiah.

In chapter 2, verse 1, it says this:

There is God's anger.

—"² The 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. ³ He 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. ⁴ He 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. ⁵ The 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 increase in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. ⁶ And 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. ⁷ The 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. ⁸ The 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. ⁹ Her 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. . . ."—

And in verse 17, it says,

—"¹⁷ The Lord hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries." Lamentations 2:1-9, 17 (KJV).

So, God's indignation here is being described, and it is against His people; and, Jeremiah also notes that it was a prophecy from "the days of old." This was a fulfillment of a prophecy of the days of old.

It says in verse 17, "¹⁷ The Lord hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: . . ."

So, God's indignation is a prophecy against His people that was set forth well before Jeremiah. Right?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Let us go to Ezekiel 22. We want a second witness that God's indignation represents His righteous indignation against His people.

Verse 1,

Notice it says, "sabbaths" in the plural, not simply the Seventh-day Sabbath. We will show you one of the sabbaths that is directly connected to this curse that was of old times ["days of old"] is the Seventh-year Sabbath of the Lord of the land resting.

Drop to verse 15.

—"¹⁵And I will scatter thee"—

We want to show that God's indignation is also the Scattering.

Verse 15:

—"¹⁵ And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee. ¹⁶And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

Did He gather them into the midst of Jerusalem? Yeah. He put a siege upon Jerusalem.

—"²⁰As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. ²¹Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. ²²As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you.

"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 [His] 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. ²⁶Her 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,"—plural—"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."—

What is being referred to there?

What did He do? What is He saying He did? Judgment: He passed judgment.

Who is He referring to; where is this illustration coming from?

Pardon me?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Jews?

BROTHER PIPPENGER: He is referring to the Jews; but, where is He getting this Biblical illustration?

Do we know of another place that was destroyed and there was a man that was trying to intercede saying, "If there be 50 righteous in there, will you not destroy it?"

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Abraham.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: That is Abraham. He sought for someone like Abraham; there was not anyone in there.

Verse 31:

—"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 (KJV).

So, what I am saying is, Daniel in verse 19 is not dealing with the indignation of God against the wicked when Michael stands up and probation closes. He is dealing with the indignation against God's people because they broke the covenant; and, the indignation that He delivers to them is the scattering, and it is based upon an ancient prophecy.

But, in verse 19, Gabriel tells Daniel it is "the last end of the indignation."

Which means what? Even if you do not know what the indignations are, what does it mean? At minimum, at minimum—you could argue more, but you would be wrong—at minimum it means there are at least indignations against God's people. If there is a last indignation, at minimum there has to be a first. You may argue that there are 10, and the last is the tenth; but, you would be wrong. There are two indignations: One against the Northern Kingdom, and one against the Southern Kingdom.

And in verse 19, Gabriel is telling Daniel, "I'm come to make you understand what will be in the last end of the indignation"; because, it is going to be the time appointed, which means this indignation is a period of time, but means it is a period of time that is based upon an ancient prophecy describing the scattering of God's people.

Do you follow me there? We have covered those arguments.

The North and South

Daniel 11:35-36; Matthew 24:14-15; Daniel 9:26-27; 8:19

"The North and South" is your subtitle.

Go to Daniel 11:36, one of the most, perhaps the most, controversial verse in the Book of Daniel in the history of Adventism. People still stumble there today.

Verse 36 is talking about the Papal power. Everyone, including Uriah Smith, agrees that the Papal power is placed upon the Earth at the end of verse 31, where it says the arms are going to place the abomination that maketh desolate. Everyone agrees that the abomination that maketh desolate was placed, in that verse, on the throne of the Earth in AD538. And then in verses 32, 33, 34 and 35 describe the persecution of the Dark Ages.

Let us start in verse 35. It says,

"³⁵ 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:"—

We have dealt with this.

—"because it is yet for a time appointed."

The Time of the End there is dealing with the end of the persecution period of the Papacy. That is 1798; it is an appointed time.

The previous verses are talking about the persecution during the Dark Ages.

And then verse 36 says,

—"³⁶ And the king"—

And this is where Uriah Smith went astray. We have mentioned this before. Uriah Smith here just changes one word, just changes one word. He said, "If we could say 'a king' instead of 'the king,' we would see a new power introduced into the verse."

But, we cannot say "a king," because the verse does not say "a king." The verse says "the king," which means it is the king in the previous verse. It is the Papacy.

And it says,

—"³⁶ And the king [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: for that that is determined shall be done." Daniel 11:35-36 (KJV).

The Papacy is going to prosper until the indignation be accomplished.

1798

INDIGNATION

DETERMINED

Figure No. 174A.

And, we know, without getting too technical—this is a pretty easy one for us; we have already dealt with it.

When does the Papacy cease to prosper?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: AD1798 [in unison].

BROTHER PIPPENGER: But, did you notice that there is something determined for the Papacy, and it is going to be done, and it is going to be done in 1798?

But, he is going to prosper until the indignation be accomplished.

What does accomplished means in this context?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Finished.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Finished.

So, in 1798 there is an indignation finished, and this is the indignation against God's people (one of [the indignations]).

Go to Matthew 24:15. We have dealt with this before in this series.

Let us start in verse 14.

"¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. ¹⁵ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) . . ." Matthew 24:14-15 (KJV).

Who said that?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Jesus.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Jesus.

So, what did Jesus just tell you?

We are not dealing with this, but we do not want to pass by this.

What did Jesus just tell you? Because, it is something they do not tell you in Adventism today; it is something they argue about in Adventism today. What did Jesus just tell you in verse 14?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Indiscernible.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: He said, "This is the Gospel."

And in verse 15, He says, "Make sure that you understand the Gospel that is represented by the abomination of desolation in the Book of Daniel." I guess the prophecies of Daniel are the Gospel.

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: And anyone that tell you otherwise is just following the philosophy of W. W. Prescott that was brought into Adventism in 1919, which consisted of cutting the prophetic message out of the Gospel and creating a false Christ in the history of Adventism. But, that is not what we are dealing with here. We are just taking note of it.

Jesus tells us that we must understand the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet. This is a key verse for the Millerites; because, this takes the Millerites to Daniel 9, verse 26, because, the Millerites, they understand as we do that the abomination that maketh desolate in Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11, and the transgression of desolation in Daniel 8:13, that is the Papacy.

But, the Millerites, they understood the abomination of desolation that Jesus is referring to is not simply the Papacy; it is a general term that represents the two desolating powers of Bible prophecy. And they prove this by going to Daniel 9:26.

So, in some senses, if you remember a few days ago, we have read from Damsteegt where he, in his book The Foundation of Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission, on page 22, he tells us that the fundamental approach to Bible prophecy that Miller and the Millerites used was that there were two desolating powers in Bible prophecy. Well, if that is their fundamental approach to Bible prophecy, then their fundamental verse is verse 26 of Daniel 9; because, this is where they show the two desolating powers that they build everything else upon.

And in verse 26, it says,

"²⁶And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;"—

Who is the prince that comes and destroys the city and the sanctuary?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Rome.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Rome; Cestius and Titus; destroyed it in AD70.

Okay. So, this is one of the desolating powers; but, notice what the rest of the verse says.

—"and the end thereof"—

Okay. It is saying that the Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70; but, it goes on and says "and the end thereof," saying that "It ain't over yet!"

$—"$and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations—[in the plural]—"are determined." Daniel 9:26 (KJV).

So, we have been into Revelation 12 more than once to prove this verse, and we will not go there. In Revelation 12 you have the dragon; and, Sister White tells us that the dragon in Revelation 12 is Satan, but in a secondary sense it is Pagan Rome. But, by the time you get down to verses 14 and onward, it is no longer Pagan Rome that is persecuting the woman that has fled into the wilderness for 1260 days; it is Papal Rome.

And, let us go there, just so you can see what the symbol of Papal Rome is, if you are not familiar.

The dragon in the first part of Revelation 12 is Pagan Rome; but, by the time you get to verse 15, it says,

"¹⁵ And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. ¹⁶ And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth." Revelation 12:15-16 (KJV).

And, of course, this [the serpent] is Papal Rome. The symbol of Papal persecution is the flood.

So, if you go back to Daniel 9:26, it says, ". . . and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary,"—that is Pagan Rome in AD70—"and the end thereof shall be with a flood,"—that is Papal Rome—"and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." There is a war that is carried out by two desolating powers in the history of Ancient Israel: Paganism and Papalism. That is Daniel 9:26; it is Revelation 12.

But, notice verse 27 [of Daniel]:

"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations"—

At the cross, the overspreading of abominations, Ancient Israel has filled up the cup of their iniquity. What is ahead of them is the destruction of Jerusalem.

—"and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation,"—

What is the consummation? The conclusion.

—"and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate [desolator (marginal reference)]." Daniel 9:27 (KJV).

And if you have a marginal reference—do you have a marginal reference for [the last word of the verse] desolate? It is "the desolator."

So, what it is saying is, when you take verse 26 and 27 together, verse 26 is telling you the abomination of desolation that Jesus told us in Matthew 24 that we were to understand, the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet represents two desolating powers: the one destroys the city in AD70; symbolized by the flood, the Papacy is the one that carries out persecution until the end of the war.

And then in verse 27 it says that there is something is determined at the consummation of the war, "and that determined shall be poured upon the desolator"; and, the desolator at the end of the war is Papal Rome. It is determined that the desolator is going to be desolated; and, it will be at the end of the war; it will be at the end of the indignation. Because, we just read Daniel 11:36,

"³⁶And 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 11:36 (KJV).

And when the indignation is accomplished, that that is determined shall be done. And what is determined is Daniel 9:27. What is determined is that desolation is going to be poured upon the desolator in 1798.

So, what am I saying? I am saying that when Gabriel is commanded to make Daniel understand the mareh vision, when Gabriel is commanded to make Daniel understand 1844, that in verse 19 he shows Daniel another time prophecy. The "last end of the indignation" will be at a time appointed. When it is a "time appointed," it means it has a marked point where it is going to arrive; therefore, it is a time prophecy. But, this time prophecy is the last of two indignations, and the first indignation is marked by Daniel in Daniel 11:36 and Daniel 9:26-27. It concludes in 1798.

End of the second 2520 against the Southern Kingdom (Judah)

End of the first 2520 against the Northern Kingdom (Israel)

1798 1844

(FIRST END of) HIS INDIGNATION LAST END OF HIS INDIGNATION

DETERMINED DETERMINED

(At a time appointed) (At a time appointed)

Against Papal Rome Reestablishing/Gathering

the Host

Figure No. 174B.

But, the other indignation that ends (the last end of the indignation), it happens to end in 1844.

What does that show you? Well, one of the things that it shows you, if you want to see it, is that Gabriel instructed every prophet that is recorded in the Bible. So, Gabriel knows the rules that are in the Bible. And there is a rule in the Bible that is there—depending on how you approach the rule—it is probably there to 20 or 30 times, at least 20 times; and, the rule is, "upon the testimony of two a thing shall be established."

So, when Gabriel is commanded to make Daniel understand the mareh vision of 1844, the first thing he does is he gives him a second witness. He says, "Here is another time prophecy that also ends in 1844; because, if you are going to establish 1844, you need to have two witnesses to 1844."

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Amen.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: And at the end of the last indignation is the second witness to 1844.

And, of course, the men that are fighting this message, they pooh-pooh this truth, and perhaps so (perhaps rightly so) because they think that is what it is all about; and, that is really not what it is all about. That is just a secondary part of it.

Do you remember Daniel 8:13? That is really what we are dealing with, that the Daily and the transgression of desolation are going to do what? Trample down the sanctuary AND the host.

So, in Daniel 8:14, the sanctuary is going to be cleansed, and what does the word cleansed mean?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Made right.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Made right.

And, if you look at Exodus 25:8, it says,

"⁸ And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Exodus 25:8 (KJV).

The purpose of the sanctuary is that God would dwell among His people.

But, in Daniel 8:13, not only is the sanctuary trampled underfoot but the host (the people) is trampled underfoot; therefore, in order to make the sanctuary right in 1844, the sanctuary has to be made right, but a host has to be reestablished.

So, this last [end] of the indignation, it is not dealing with making—well, it is, but it is not—it is not emphasizing the cleansing of the sanctuary so much—I am not saying this right. It is emphasizing the making right of the sanctuary—it is identifying the restoration of the host; because, this indignation is against God's people. It is against the host. This [prior to 1798] is where in this history God's host is scattered, and this [1844] is where they are gathered. He has to gather the host together in 1844 when He is reestablishing the sanctuary to cease the treading down of both of those entities.

If you throw out the 2520, this last [end of the] indignation, then you have a sanctuary in 1844 with no host.

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Hmm.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: It is a purposeless sanctuary; because, the purpose of the sanctuary is that God may dwell among His host.

The Rod of His Indignation

Isaiah 10:5-6; Matthew 24:15; Daniel 9:26-27; 8:19

The Scriptures tell us, in connection with this indignation, that the Lord uses Pagan powers or powers outside of God's people to accomplish His indignation. So, go to Isaiah 10:5‑6.

"⁵ O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand"—

In whose hand?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Assyrian.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Assyrian's hand.

And what is his staff? This is their authority, their power.

—"⁵ O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mind indignation. ⁶ I will send him [the Assyrian] against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge,"—

Now, what you need to understand, the Assyrian is a symbol of the King of the North. He is the symbol of those that are going to receive the wrath of God in The Seven Last Plagues. So, this wrath here is not The Seven Last Plagues; this is the wrath against God's people, and the Lord is going to use the Assyrian to be the tool in the Lord's hands to accomplish that indignation.

Verse 6:

"⁶ I will send him [the Assyrian] against an hypocritical nation,"—

Who is the hypocritical nation?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Israel.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Israel (God's people).

—"and against the people of my wrath 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).

So, when it comes to God's indignation, He uses an exterior power to accomplish that indignation.

Go to Jeremiah 50, verses 1 through 18.

"¹ The word that the Lord spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. ²Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces. ³For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast."—

Who is going to bring down Babylon? A nation out of the North.

Who is the nation out of the North?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (No response.)

Who brought down Babylon?

BROTHER FROM THE AUDIENCE: The King of the North.

SISTER FROM THE AUDIENCE: No.

FROM THE GENERAL AUDIENCE: (Various responses.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Babylon was the King of the North.

Who brought down Babylon?

This is a pronouncement against—

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Medes and the Persians.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Medes and the Persians. Okay?

And, what do the Medes and the Persians represent? A confederacy, right?

Who brings down modern Babylon?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: A confederacy.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: A confederacy of Ten Kings are going to burn her with fire and eat her flesh.

In either case, Babylon gets punished, too.

Verse 3:

^—"3For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.

^"4In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. ⁵They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten."—

When Babylon is fallen, they are going to come out of Babylon. Is that right?

When did Babylon fall?

I am not asking for the year; I am not asking for the day. Babylon fell 70 years after Israel fell.

—"⁶My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. ⁷All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers. ⁸Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.

"⁹For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations"—

The United Nations, in our day and age.

—"an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain. ¹⁰And Chaldea shall be a spoil: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the Lord. ¹¹Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls; ¹²Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. ¹³Because of the wrath of the Lord it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues. ¹⁴Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the Lord. ¹⁵Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the Lord: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her. ¹⁶Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land."—

Now, here is where we are getting to.

—"¹⁷Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away:"—

Remember, the indignation is the Scattering.

—"the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. ¹⁸Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria." Jeremiah 50:1-18 (KJV).

And who is the king of Assyria?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (No audible response.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The king of Assyria is the rod of indignation that the Lord uses; but, when He is done using him, He is going to punish him.

But, how many indignations, how many rods are there here? There are two.

723BC AD1798

Indignation

Determined

1 King (dom)

Babylon

SAUL 677BC Indignation AD1884

490 years

70 yrs Indignation

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Determined

1 2 3

70 yrs

1260 yrs

Figure No. 175.

Israel is a scattered sheep. First, the king of Assyria came—and we are saying this is 723BC when the Northern Kingdom is scattered and never comes back by the king of Assyria.

Of course, the context here is Nebuchadnezzar, but we have more to say about that.

And, second, the king of Babylon.

What I am wanting you to see here is that there are two rods of indignation, one against the Northern Kingdom, and one against the Southern Kingdom.

And, I am marking Manasseh [at 677BC].

But, Nebuchadnezzar, what do you have? You have (1) Manasseh, (2) Amon, (3) Josiah, (4) Jehoahaz, (5) Jehoiakim, (6) Jehoiachin, and (7) Zedekiah. Here is where Nebuchadnezzar comes: in these last three kings.

So, when he is talking about the king of Babylon here, he is talking about Nebuchadnezzar; but, we are actually going to show that it starts back here in 677BC. But, all I want you to see is that both the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms had a rod of indignation that was used against them.

Zechariah 1:12.

There was a sister that came here on Monday, and she was totally lost by the end of the presentation.

And another sister said, "You know, your sister is totally lost."

So, I said, "Were you?"

She said, "No."

I said, "Well, explain it to her."

But, my point is, part of the reason that she got totally lost, probably, and it may be the reason that you are going to get totally lost here. We are now starting into our study of the 2520. We are still in Daniel 8; but, the only way it makes sense for me to do it is to explain certain principles, get them in place, and then start pulling them together. But, you cannot do that in a few minutes; and, there is no reason for me to hurry now.

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: This is #85, all right? I am going to just keep going at the same speed. All right?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: So, just bear with this. We are entering into the 2520, and I am going to try to slowly and carefully put some things in place before we pull the trigger on everything. So, do not let yourself get lost.

Zechariah 1:12:

"¹² Then the angel of the Lord answered and aid, O Lord of hosts, how long will thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had"—what?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Indignation.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: —"indignation these threescore and ten years?" Zechariah 1:12 (KJV).

Now, we see that in the threescore and ten years, which is the 70 years, that this is an illustration of God's indignation in a 70-year period. All right?

And, we have read more than once in Habakkuk's Two Tables the next quote, where it says, from Prophets and Kings, page 714,

"God's church on earth was as verily in captivity during this long period of relentless persecution [1260 years of Papal rule] as were the children of Israel held captive in Babylon during the period of the exile." Prophets and Kings, 714.

So, this 70 years here [Figure No. 175] is tied together by Sister White with the 1260 years of Papal rule. They are typifying one another; and, we have dealt with this before.

So, this here is a miniature of God's indignation. It is definitely His indignation. It was accomplished; but, it, in itself, is an illustration of the indignation of God.

And you will notice, Jesus illustrates the end from the beginning. Where do these 70 years begin?

I already mentioned it in this presentation. I have mentioned in several times in this series.

Where do these 70 years begin?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: With the destruction of Jerusalem.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: With the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of Israel as a kingdom.

Where does it end, not date?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: At the destruction of Babylon.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: At the destruction of Babylon, when the Medes and Persians come under the gates.

So, Jesus begins this prophecy with the removal of a kingdom, and He ends this prophecy with the removal of a kingdom; because, He illustrates the end from the beginning.

And, of course, this has many places that it lines up in prophetic history. This is the time period of Babylon.

And Babylon is how many kingdoms? One; so, this is one king, one kingdom.

So, when you get to Isaiah 23, you are going to see this 70 years used as a symbol of one kingdom. In Isaiah 23 it is not the kingdom of Babylon; it is the kingdom of the United States. So, all I am saying that for at this point is to tell you that this 70 years is a prophetic symbol that produces lots of light from lots of different directions. And what I am saying here is that according to Zechariah 1:12, this 70 years is an illustration of God's indignation; and, we are dealing with God and His indignation against His people, so we want to put this in the record because there is light from the story of the 70 years that is going to contribute to the understanding of the 2520s being God's indignation. And, it is now in the record.

2 Chronicles 36:21; Leviticus 26:28-34

Go to 2 Chronicles 36:21.

Now, maybe someone has got a proof-text. I believe this; but, I do not know if there is a proof-text in the Bible or in the Spirit of Prophecy that says for sure that Ezra is the author of 2 Chronicles. I understand he is; I believe he is. A proof-text would be nice.

But, if it is Ezra that authored this, when did Ezra live?

If you are going to place Ezra in history, where would you place him? Where does he really stand and shine in history?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: During the Medo-Persian time period.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: In the Third Decree. All right. They came out of Babylon under three decrees: Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes. It is in the time period of Artaxerxes and Nehemiah where Ezra is active, right?

So, does he come before or after Daniel?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: After.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: After.

Okay. So, we are going to get into Daniel 9. I thought we were going to get in there tomorrow, but as I look at the clock probably Friday. But, we are going to find out that Daniel understood about this 70 years from the Books of Jeremiah; but, Ezra writes about these 70 years, which is an illustration of God's indignation. He writes about it as well, and we want to put this in the record.

It is in 2 Chronicles 36. And the reason that I could spit out these kings is because when I was reviewing this, this morning, if you go into—you back up in 2 Chronicles and you start in chapter 34 and read down through of 2 Chronicles, it will give you the history of these kings: Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah.

So, from Manasseh, to the carrying away of captivity, you have seven kings.

And in 2 Chronicles 36:21, Zedekiah (the last of those kings), it is all over. They are getting carried to Babylon. Jerusalem is destroyed. That is right here at the beginning of the 70 years in this time period.

And what does it says in 2 Chronicles 36:21. Let us do verse 20. We have given the context, but that will help us flow into verse 21.

"²⁰And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia" ²¹To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years." 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 (KJV).

Okay. They are going to be in Babylon for 70 years, until when?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Until Babylon is destroyed.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: By whom?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Medes and Persians.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Until the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians. That is this 70 years. This is the kingdom of Babylon, and they are destroyed by the Medes and Persians.

But, while they are there, this 70 years is based upon their desecration of the land-resting sabbath. It says so.

And you have got to get this one. This here, this here is a slap in the face to the theologians of Adventism. Okay? This is a righteous indignation slap in the face. Okay? They go back and they say that there is no justification in the Hebrew for William Miller to assign a numerical value to Leviticus 26; after all, he was just a farm boy.

But, Ezra is not a farm boy, and Ezra understands the Hebrew. Okay? So, in verse 21 Ezra is referring to this 70-years captivity and he tells us, unlike the other references in the Bible about these 70 years, that this 70 years is based upon them desecrating letting the land rest, according to the statute. And the words he used is, ". . . until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years." There is only one other place in God's Word where this expression about letting the land rest is found, and it happens to be in the very sequence of verses that William Miller points to, right here [indicating the 7 years noted in the upper right-hand corner of the 1843 Chart], as identifying the 2520. Up here he says, "Leviticus 26:28-34."

Let us go there, Leviticus 26:28-34, and verse 27 just to put it in context.

^"27And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;—

"If you break the statutes and covenant that I have given you,"

—"²⁸Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins."—

And the modern theologians say this Hebrew word that is translated as seven times, Miller has no justification for applying a numerical value to this Hebrew word; and, this is where he gets it from. It is right there [again referring to the upper right-hand corner of the 1843 Chart].

But, notice the next verse.

—"²⁹And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. ³⁰And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. ³¹And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. ³²And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. ³³And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. ³⁴Then"—then—"shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths." Leviticus 26:28-34 (KJV).

Go back to 2 Chronicles 36:21: "To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years." The modern theologian, maybe they need to remove Ezra from God's Word, because Ezra just took Leviticus 28 through 34 and applied a numerical value to this curse. He says the land was resting for these 70 years, based upon Leviticus 26, the same passage that Miller uses to derive the numerical value for the 2520; and, they say he is wrong for doing so.

So, what does this mean? If you have 70 years that the land is resting to make up for all the years that the land did not rest, how many years did the land not rest?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Various responses.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: 490. In order to calculate it out, the land rested every seventh year. You have to take 70 × 7 to determine—if there are 70 years worth of sabbath years of rest, then it meant it took 490 years to build up that rebellion.

And, do you know what you do if you go back starting here [at the destruction of Jerusalem] 490 years?

What you will do is you will identify how long they had been in rebellion to the statute, and you will arrive right here. What is this?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: King Saul.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The first king, king Saul, 490 years before.

What did they do then [at that time, of the first king of Israel]? They rejected the Lord.

The Lord said, "Samuel, they haven't rejected you. They have rejected me." And for 490 years they desecrated the statute of Leviticus 25. And Ezra takes the curse of Leviticus 26 that is based upon the statute of Leviticus 25, and he shows that curse is to be understood according to the year-day principle of Bible prophecy, just exactly as William Miller applied it.

So, this 70 years, an illustration of the indignation, it produces a lot of information that we need to put in the record.

We are not done with that, and we will have to return to this tomorrow.

Shall we pray?

Benediction: Father in Heaven, we are amazed at the consistency that runs through your Word, the way that over thousands of years you can take a human instrument and lead them to make a prediction based upon your will and that that prediction always come through, but that every other human being that you choose to use in that fashion is in agreement with the other throughout that whole period of time. And, we are amazed that you could use such a one as William Miller coming out of the Dark Ages, a Deist, a farmer from such an ancient time and lead him to such profound understandings, understandings that become the foundation of those people that you are about to lift up as an ensign to Planet Earth here at the end of the world. We thank you for the work that he did. We thank you that you are allowing us to understand these things, that you are recovering the jewels and that you are making them shine ten times brighter than the sun. We ask a blessing upon the work that we are doing here in recording the DVDs and the LiveStreaming, and ask that you continue to watch over and bless that production. And as we break now for physical food, we also ask a blessing upon that. In Jesus's name, amen.