Chapter 6, The Modern Glorious Land He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. Daniel 11 verse 41 Daniel 11 verse 41 identifies the next area of conquest for the king of the north as the glorious land. The word translated as glorious is defined in Strong's Concordance as in the sense of prominence, splendor, as conspicuous, beautiful, goodly. In agreement with the definition above, this word is sometimes translated as goodly. At times it is used to describe ancient Palestine, ancient Israel's land of promise that flowed with milk and honey. This was the land which Moses so ardently longed to enter yet was forbidden. I pray thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain and Lebanon. Deuteronomy 3 verse 25 We read in the book Patriarchs and Prophets page 469 The great ruler of nations had declared that Moses was not to lead the congregation of Israel into the goodly land and the earnest pleading of God's servant could not secure a reversing of his sentence. He knew that he must die, yet he had not for a moment faltered in his care for Israel. He had faithfully sought to prepare the congregation to enter upon the promised inheritance. The goodly land was a promised inheritance designed to fulfill a specific purpose for ancient Israel. We read in the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary volume 1 page 1102 these words In Egypt their taste had become perverted. God designed to restore their appetite to a pure healthy state in order that they might enjoy the simple fruits that were given to Adam and Eve in Eden. He was about to establish them in a second Eden, a goodly land where they might enjoy the fruits and grains that he would provide for them. He purposed to remove the feverish diet upon which they had subsisted in Egypt, for he wished them to be in perfect health and soundness when they entered the goodly land to which he was leading them so that the surrounding heathen nations might be constrained to glorify the God of Israel, the God who had done so wonderful a work for his people, unless the people who acknowledged him as the God of heaven were in perfect soundness of health, his name could not be glorified." End of quote. And we read in the book Prophets and Kings page 16 these words God's law must be exalted, his authority maintained, and to the house of Israel was given this great and noble work. God separated them from the world that he might commit to them a sacred trust. He made them the depositories of his law and he purposed through them to preserve among men the knowledge of himself. Thus, the light of heaven was to shine out to a world enshrouded in darkness, and a voice was to be heard appealing to all peoples to turn from idolatry to serve the living God. With great power and with a mighty hand God brought his chosen people out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 32 verse 11, He sent Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen. They showed his signs among them and wonders in the land of Ham. He rebuked the Red Sea also and it was dried up so he led them through the depths. Psalm 105 verses 26 through 27 and Psalm 106 verse 9. He rescued them from their servile state that he might bring them to a good land, a land which in his providence he had prepared for them as a refuge from their enemies. He would bring them to himself and encircle them in his everlasting arms and in return for his goodness and mercy they were to exalt his name and make it glorious in the earth. The Lord's portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness. He led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye as an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings so the Lord alone did lead him and there was no strange God with him. Deuteronomy 32 verses 9 through 12. Thus he brought the Israelites unto himself that they might dwell as under the shadow of the Most High. Miraculously preserved from the perils of the wilderness wandering they were finally established in the land of promise as a favored nation." Palestine was designed by the Lord as a fertile and prosperous land capable of supplying all the temporal needs of ancient Israel. The Lord included in his providential design Palestine's location at the crossroads of the ancient world. This central location facilitated Israel's ease of interaction with mankind as they sought to preserve among men the knowledge of himself. God purposed to raise up a favored nation who would be the depositories of his law. If they would have upheld the terms of the sacred trust they would have exalted his name and made it glorious in the earth. To accommodate this holy purpose he designed a special land of prosperity divinely located on center stage in the theater of the world. The definition of the word glorious aptly describes Palestine and its purpose in the sense of its prominence and beauty. Daniel and the glorious land. Daniel speaks of the glorious land twice in chapter 11. He first mentions this land in Daniel 11 verse 16 but he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will and none shall stand before him and he shall stand in the glorious land which by his hand shall be consumed. Uriah Smith commenting on this verse states after putting an end to the war Pompeii demolished the walls of Jerusalem transferred several cities from the jurisdiction of Judea to that of Syria and imposed tribute on the Jews. For the first time Jerusalem was by conquest placed in the hands of Rome. That power was to hold the glorious land in its iron grasp till it had utterly consumed it. End of quote. And that is from Daniel and the Revelation page 247. Uriah Smith and other Adventist pioneers correctly viewed Daniel 11 verse 16 as describing pagan Rome's conquest of the glorious land of ancient Palestine. Pagan Rome's invasion and victory is prophetically illustrated by the symbolic use of the word hand. The hand is used prophetically to identify forced subjection. This symbol of subjection can describe literal or spiritual subjection depending upon the context. Understanding the symbolic meaning of hand as force identifies how the mark of the beast will be applied. In Daniel 11 verse 41 we see papal Rome spiritually conquering the glorious land of the United States in connection with a description of those who escape his hand. We will look more closely at the prophetic use of the word hand in the next chapter. Daniel 11 verse 16 portrays ancient Palestine being literally invaded as ancient Israel was literally conquered by pagan Rome but the glorious land for modern Israel will be spiritually conquered by papal Rome. Sister White counsels that all the experience of ancient Israel has important lessons which modern Israel should carefully consider. Ancient and modern. We read in the Signs of the Times November 11th 1880 these words The Almighty God of Israel is our God. In Him we may trust and if we obey his requirements He will work for us in as signal as a manner as he did for his ancient people. It should be the most earnest study and continual effort of modern Israel to bring themselves into close and intimate relationship with God. And then we read in volume one of the Testimonies, page 609, these words. I was pointed back to ancient Israel. But two of the adults of the vast army that left Egypt entered the land of Canaan. Their dead bodies were strewn in the wilderness because of their transgressions. Modern Israel are in greater danger of forgetting God and being led into idolatry than were his ancient people. End of quote. And then we read in the Signs of the Times, May 27th, 1880, these words. Unmistakable evidence is given that God is a jealous God and that he will require of modern Israel as he did of ancient Israel that they obey his law. For all who live upon the earth is this sacred history traced by the pen of inspiration. End of quote. When Sister White states the experience of Israel has a lesson for us and that this sacred history has been traced for all who live upon the earth, she recognizes the land of promise as an important part of the parallel between ancient and modern Israel. Carefully consider the next quotation. While primarily addressing the United States, Sister White first quotes Jeremiah 3, verses 18 and 19. This verse specifically refers to ancient Palestine as the land which Israel had been given for an inheritance. Sister White then identifies a specific favored land which has been divinely provided for, modern Israel. Also notice that both Jeremiah and Sister White make a clear distinction between God's people and the land given to God's people. We read in the signs of the times, June 12th, 1893, these words, in those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. But I said, how shall I put thee among the children and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the host of the nations? And I said, thou shalt call me my father and shalt not turn away from me. Jeremiah 3, verses 18 and 19. When the land which the Lord provided as an asylum for his people, that they might worship him according to the dictates of their own consciences,

The land over which for long years the shield of omnipotence has been spread, the land which God has favored by making it the depository of the pure religion of Christ, when that land shall, through its legislatures, abjure the principles of Protestantism and give countenance to Romish apostasy in tampering with God's law, it is then that the final work of the man of sin will be revealed." We noticed earlier that God's promise to ancient Israel was that they might dwell as under the shadow of the Most High as He encircled them in His everlasting arms. For modern Israel, the United States is the land which was provided as an asylum for His people. It is the land which is favored by the shield of omnipotence. Sister White specifies the land four times in this passage accentuating the geographical aspect of the United States. The United States was designed by God to accomplish the same purpose for modern Israel as did Palestine for ancient Israel. We read in the book Maranatha, page 193, these words, The Lord has done more for the United States than any other country upon which the sun shines. Here He provided an asylum for His people where they could worship Him according to the dictates of conscience. Here Christianity has progressed in its purity. The life-giving doctrine of the one mediator between God and man has been freely taught. God designed that this country should ever remain free for all people to worship Him in accordance with the dictates of conscience. He designed that its civil institutions in their expansive productions should represent the freedom of gospel privileges." And then we read in the Seventh-day Adventist Bible commentary, volume 7, page 975, these words, The United States is a land that has been under the special shield of the Omnipotent One. God has done great things for this country, but in the transgression of His law, men have been doing a work originated by the man of sin. Satan is working out his designs to involve the human family in disloyalty." The United States was designed to be a modern-day land of milk and honey in order that God's people could proclaim the final warning message to the world. Its prosperity, principles of government, and position as the great melting pot for the different nationalities of the world were designed to provide the same evangelistic advantages as were provided ancient Israel through the glorious land of ancient Palestine. At this point, we have failed to take full advantage of this providential advantage just as ancient Israel failed. Time is rapidly running out. We read in the book, Selected Messages, book 1, page 92, these words, Is it in vain that the declaration of eternal truth has been given to this nation to be carried to all the nations of the world? God has chosen a people and made them the repositories of truth, weighty with eternal results. To them has been given the light that must illuminate the world. Has God made a mistake? Are we indeed His chosen instrumentalities? Are we the men and women who are to bear to the world the messages of Revelation 14 to proclaim the message of salvation to those who are standing on the brink of ruin? Do we act as if we were? The war between the southern and northern kingdoms in Daniel, chapter 11, verse 40, marks 1798 as the starting point for the conflict between Catholicism and Atheism. The war portrayed in the verse is not resolved until the chariots and ships symbolizing the economic and military power of the United States are brought into alliance with Catholicism. The U.S. and the papacy formed an alliance based upon identifying the U.S.S.R., the modern King of the South, as a common enemy. This alliance parallels the activities of Clovis, King of France, who turned away from the predominant religious profession of his nation in order to come to the aid of Catholicism in its battle against Arianism. The alliance between Clovis and Catholicism began the assault against the Ostrogoths, Vandals and Heruli, which consisted of not only a war against the three nations, but also a war against the religious philosophy of Arianism which was held by these three nations. The alliance once formed Clovis and other nations of Europe, which were formally pagan, began the military conquest which placed the papacy on the throne of the world. From A.D. 508, the work of plucking up the three horns of Daniel 7 was carried on until the last of the three horns was defeated in A.D. 538. At that point, the abominable, desolating power of the papacy was set up. The alliance between Clovis and the Vatican led to the 1260 year rule of the papacy, culminating with the infliction of the deadly wound in 1798. Clovis' France empowered the papacy to begin the 1260 years and Napoleon's France used its power to bring the 1260 years to an official end. What began in an alliance ended with war and captivity. Verse 40 begins with the finish of the first epoch of papal rule in 1798, but then identifies the future retaliation against the king of the south and thus initiates the final epoch of papal rule. In this verse describing the final outcome of the alliance of Clovis, we see the United States symbolized as ships and chariots as it begins to repeat the infamous historical record of the alliance of Clovis. In the historical setting of 1798, Sister White also addresses the United States. We read in The Great Controversy, page 441, these words, What nation of the new world was in 1798 rising into power, giving promise of strength and greatness and attracting the attention of the world? The application of the symbol admits of no question. One nation and only one meets the specifications of this prophecy. It points unmistakably to the United States of America. Again and again, the thought, almost the exact words of the sacred writer has been unconsciously employed by the orator and the historian in describing the rise and growth of this nation. The beast was seen coming up out of the earth and, according to the translators, the word here rendered coming up literally signifies to grow or spring up as a plant. And he had two horns like a lamb. The lamb-like horns indicate youth, innocence and gentleness, fitly representing the character of the United States when presented to the prophet as coming up in 1798. Among the Christian exiles who first fled to America and sought an asylum from royal oppression and priestly intolerance were many who determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty. Their views found place in the Declaration of Independence which sets forth the great truth that all men are created equal and endowed with the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And the Constitution guarantees to the people the right of self-government, providing that representatives elected by the popular vote shall enact and administer the laws. Freedom of religious faith was also granted, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. The oppressed and downtrodden throughout Christendom have turned to this land with interest and hope. Millions have sought its shores and the United States has risen to a place among the most powerful nations of the earth." It is worthy to note here that Sister White sets forth the books of Daniel and Revelation as books which complement each other. When we recognize the United States prophetically in Daniel 11 verses 40 and 41, we line up this testimony with Revelation 13 like a hand in a glove. We know verse 40 is placing us historically at the time of the deadly wound. Revelation 13 is the testimony about the beast with the deadly wound and the beast which uses its power to heal that slain beast. These verses in Daniel project themselves perfectly into Revelation 13 and they also squarely line up with the spirit of prophecy's testimony concerning this time period in history. In 1798, atheism locates its capital within the realm of France, ultimately migrating to Russia and eventually growing into the empire of the USSR. In 1798, Catholicism becomes a slain beast, removed from its geopolitical position as king of the earth and yet ultimately designed to return to the very position which she has lost. Atheism and Catholicism are both portrayed as in the process of change. So too is the United States, for in 1798 the United States is still the young lamb-like beast of Revelation 13. In its youth, the United States is sustained by the purity of its Protestant doctrine but given time, it will cease to be a lamb as it begins to speak as a dragon. These three entities are tied together in Daniel 11 verse 40 and by verse 41, the United States through the passage of a national Sunday law completes the metamorphosis of Revelation 13 verse 11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb and he spake as a dragon. As well as identifying a historical starting point, inspiration portrays three specific powers in Daniel 11 verse 40. The three powers are placed within a setting in which their relationship is seen as three political powers striving for the mastery of the world but underlying the hunger for temporal power, we also find three conflicting spiritual and philosophical perspectives. Pharaoh's defiance against God symbolized atheism but in reality, while professing to not know God, Pharaoh and his countrymen worshipped many false gods including the sun, moon and stars. The underlying religion of the philosophy of atheism is none other than pure paganism which today is recognized as a form of paganism.

symbolized in the pantheistic philosophy of the New Age movement. The religion of the King of the South is none other than modern spiritualism, symbolized by the dragon in Revelation 16 verse 13. And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Understanding this brings the three powers of Daniel 11 verse 40 into a more profound setting, for the beast and false prophet of Revelation 16 verse 13 are Catholicism and apostate Protestantism. The three forces which draw the world unto Armageddon begin their struggle to do so in Daniel 11 verse 40. Beginning with the counter-attack against the atheistic power of the King of the South, the sequence of events which unfold through the following verses describe the growth of the spiritual power of Catholicism, which prevails through the support of the forces of apostate Protestantism. The spiritual victories represented have a literal counterpart as the geography of the world is, step by step, brought under the dominion and ultimate control of the papacy as sustained and supported by the United States. The glorious land of the United States is the next target for spiritual conquest by the Papal King of the North. We read in the Signs of the Times, July 4th, 1899, these words. The greatest and most favored nation upon the earth is the United States. A gracious providence has shielded this country and poured upon her the choicest of heaven's blessings. Here, the persecuted and oppressed have found refuge. Here, the Christian faith in its purity has been taught. This people have been the recipients of great light and unrivaled mercies, but these gifts have been repaid by ingratitude and forgetfulness of God. The Infinite One keeps a reckoning with the nations and their guilt is proportioned to the light rejected. A fearful record now stands in the register of heaven against our land. But the crime which shall fill up the measure of her iniquity is that of making void the law of God. In the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah will come the last great conflict of the controversy between truth and error. Upon this battle, we are now entering a battle not between rival churches contending for the supremacy, but between the religion of the Bible and the religion of fable and tradition. The agencies which will unite against truth and righteousness in this contest are now actively at work." And then we read in Selected Messages Book 3, page 387, these words, America, where the greatest light from heaven has been shining upon the people, can become the place of greatest peril and darkness because the people do not continue to practice the truth and walk in the light. And we read in Review and Herald, May 2, 1893, these words, The people of the United States have been a favored people, but when they restrict religious liberty, surrender Protestantism, and give countenance to potpourri, the measure of their guilt will be full, and national apostasy will be registered in the books of heaven. The result of this apostasy will be national ruin. And then we read in The Spirit of Prophecy, Volume 4, page 410, these words, Our land is in jeopardy. The time is drawing on when its legislators shall so abjure the principles of Protestantism as to give countenance to Romish apostasy. The people for whom God has so marvelously wrought, strengthening them to throw off the galling yoke of potpourri, will by a national act give vigor to the corrupt faith of Rome, and thus arouse the tyranny which only awaits for a touch to start again into cruelty and despotism. With rapid steps are we already approaching this period. The previous passages from The Spirit of Prophecy which set forth the purpose of the United States contain another important insight which we passed by until now. In those previous nine passages we sought to identify the modern glorious land as the United States. Review these once more and you will find that all of these passages address not simply the United States but they also address the National Sunday Law. Both references to the glorious land in Daniel 11 identify the entrance of Rome into the land of Israel. In agreement with Daniel, Sister White also places her information of the modern glorious land in connection with the Papal King of the North entering into it through the passage of a National Sunday Law. The history of ancient Israel presents an important parallel that modern Israel must prayerfully consider. One lesson of utmost importance in this series is the recognition that, just as God provided the glorious land of Palestine for ancient Israel, He has also provided the glorious land of the United States to the Seventh-day Adventist people, His modern Israel. We have been assigned the task of proclaiming the final warning message to a world which is fearfully ignorant of the issues involved and impending catastrophes connected with these final movements of probation. Ancient Israel was given a similar assignment and failed. The signs of the times in connection with the unfolding light of prophecy demand that we as a people begin to remove any obstacles from our personal experience which might prevent us from being among those who loudly proclaim this final message.