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# The Book of Daniel - Number Fifty-Nine

Unveiling the Final Prophetic Secret: The Climactic Unsealing by the Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Author

Jeff Pippenger

Published

January 23, 2024

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Key Takeaways

- Just before the close of probation, a final prophetic secret is unsealed by the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
- Understanding the increase of knowledge resulting from this unsealing is emphasized.
- Two witnesses in Revelation shed light on what is unsealed during this period.
- The United States is identified as the sixth kingdom of Bible prophecy, characterized by a combination of Church and State.
- The article suggests that the United States will eventually enforce Sunday-keeping as a religious duty, leading to the worship of the papacy (the beast).
- The distinction between the “image of the beast” and the “mark of the beast” is made, with the former reaching its full development at the time of the Sunday law.
- The enforcement of Sunday-keeping in the United States is seen as a departure from its Constitution as a Protestant and Republican government.

Just before the close of probation the final prophetic secret is unsealed by the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and it is the wise who understand the increase of knowledge that is produced by that unsealing. Two witnesses in Revelation cast a light on part of what is unsealed at that time.

> Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. … And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. Revelation 13:18, 17:9.

The “last power that is to wage war against the church and the law of God, was symbolized by a beast with lamblike horns,” is the United States. It is the sixth kingdom of Bible prophecy, and the structure of its kingdom is the same structure (image), as was the fifth kingdom of Bible prophecy. It becomes a kingdom of the Church ruling over the State, and then forces the entire earth to accept that very arrangement. The combination of Church and State is fully developed in the United States at the soon-coming Sunday law.

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

The image of the beast and the mark of the beast are two different symbols, yet it is at the Sunday law that the image of the beast reaches its full development.

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

At the Sunday law, the Constitution of the United States is fully overthrown and the nation has separated fully from righteousness. Then, under the full control of Satan the United States forces the world to accept the same Church and State system that has just been established in the United States. The world government is the United Nations and the Roman church is the Church that rules over the relationship.

> “The world is filled with storm and war and variance. Yet under one head—the papal power—the people will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses.” Testimonies, volume 7, 182.

The system of Church and State that is represented as the image of the beast in prophecy is also a threefold union of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. The ten kings of Revelation seventeen, that are the seventh head, represent the dragon power.

> “Kings and rulers and governors have placed upon themselves the brand of antichrist, and are represented as the dragon who goes to make war with the saints—with those who keep the commandments of God and who have the faith of Jesus.” Testimonies to Ministers, 38.

The “ten kings” represent the United Nations, whose religion is spiritualism, and the religion of the false prophet is apostate Protestantism, and the beast’s religion is Catholicism, which is simply spiritualism covered with a profession of Christianity.

> “By the decree enforcing the institution of the Papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with Spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.” Testimonies, volume 5, 451.

At the Sunday law the threefold union of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet is accomplished. The United States then forces the world to accept the one-world government of the United Nations, for the world is thrown into a great crisis at the Sunday law, as Islam brings judgment upon the United States for the enforcement of worshipping the sun. Satan then appears to personate Christ and as the United States forces the world to accept the one world combination of church and state, it also forces the world to accept Sunday as the day of rest. The same testing process that has happened in the United States is then brought upon the entire world.

> “Foreign nations will follow the example of the United States. Though she leads out, yet the same crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the world.” Testimonies, volume 6, 395.

The principle that national apostasy is followed by national ruin comes upon each country as they accept the day of the sun as the day of worship. The escalating crisis is the “one hour” that the ten kings rule with the pope, the “man of sin”. They agreed to give their seventh kingdom unto the papal authority, because they are led to believe that the moral authority of the papacy is necessary to unify the world against the escalating war against Islam. In 1798, the United Nations had not yet arrived into history.

> And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. Revelation 17:12–14.

As has always been the case with the pope, kings will supply the power for the papacy to carry out the persecution against God’s people, and it is the ten kings that make war with the Lamb, but they are doing so at the bidding of the “man of sin.” The “man of sin” is also the “man” that the seven churches take hold of in Isaiah chapter four.

> And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. Isaiah 4:1, 2.

The “seven women” represent that the papacy (the man of sin), has control over all the churches of the earth, just as he has control over all the nations. The “reproach” that the churches wish to avoid, is the “reproach” of rejecting the demand to worship on Sunday. Faithful Sabbath-keepers will be persecuted for their faithfulness, and Islam will also refuse to observe the day of the sun. The agreement that is arranged by the United States between the papacy and the United Nations is that the moral authority of the man of sin is what is needed to lead the world into accepting the warfare against Islam in order to establish peace upon the earth.

> But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–5.

The “peace and safety” message of Bible prophecy, which is always represented as a false message, is only logical in a period of time when there is no peace and safety. There is no reason to present a “peace and safety” message, when peace and safety exists. Islam removes all peace and safety. The “sudden destruction” associated with the false message is a destruction that escalates, for it is as “a woman” in “travail.” The first birth pang of the third Woe was September 11, 2001.

In the prophetic lines of Elijah and John the Baptist the deception of the papal power is illustrated. When Ahab travelled back to Samaria to inform Jezebel that Elijah’s God was the true God, for he had brought down fire out of heaven, Ahab then realized that Jezebel had deceived him concerning her hatred for Elijah. The same hatred and deception was illustrated when Herod promised half of his kingdom at his birthday party to Salome. Salome was Herodias’s daughter, thus Herod was the dragon, Herodias was the papacy and Salome was the false prophet.

In the story the deceiving power of Salome’s dance was used to lead Herod (the ten kings) to give half their kingdom over to a church (a woman). The woman (Salome) was under the direction of her mother (Catholicism), and Herod found out too late that the attitude of Herodias towards John was the same as Jezebel’s was towards Elijah. In both cases, the sabbath-keepers must die.

Islam progressively but rapidly removes the peace and safety from planet earth, and in so doing brings mankind together against Islam. Islam’s rapidly escalating warfare represents the argument that is employed to establish the worldwide image of the beast in the last days. The deception that is brought upon the world (the ten kings), is brought by the United States (Salome), and it leads the world to believe they must unite against Islam, but they find out too late, that the arrangement was just a ruse to be used to persecute sabbath-keepers. The deception is part of the reason the ten kings hate the whore, even though when under duress they agreed to give their seventh kingdom unto her.

> And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. Revelation 17:16, 17.

The globalists of the United Nations are not simply the “kings” of the earth, but they are also represented as “merchants”, thus the globalists consist of political and economic powers. The reason the angel that brought the vision of Revelation seventeen and eighteen to John, was to show John the judgment of the great whore of Tyre. Both categories of the globalists mourn the death of the papacy.

> Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more. Revelation 18:8–11.

The merchants and the kings both stand afar off and cry “alas, alas.” The word “alas” in the Greek is translated as “woe” in chapter eight of Revelation.

> And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! Revelation 8:13.

The three Woes represent the fifth, sixth and seventh Trumpets, and they are symbols of Islam. The kings, merchants and shipmasters all cry out “alas, alas” three times in chapter eighteen.

> And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. … The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. Revelation 18:9-10, 15–19.

The “hour” that the judgment of the papacy is accomplished, is the “hour” of Revelation eleven, that is the “hour of the great earthquake,” and it represents the Sunday law time period that begins at the Sunday law in the United States and continues until Michael stands up and human probation closes. The globalists that hated the whore, but still agreed to give their kingdom unto her for one hour, not only repeat “woe, woe” (alas, alas), three times, but they ask the question, “What city is like unto this great city?” They also asked that question in the book of Ezekiel.

> And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes: And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing. And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea? When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise. In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall. All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance. The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more. Ezekiel 27:30–36.

Ezekiel identifies the city as “Tyrus,” who is “destroyed in the midst of the sea?” Isaiah, speaking of the whore of Tyre (Tyrus), who is also the great whore of Revelation, who is the Catholic church, and also identifies her as the crowning city.

> Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth? The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth. Isaiah 23:7–9.

The papacy is the “crowning city,” for it is she that claims to sit as a queen over the threefold union.

> How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Revelation 18:7.

Ezekiel said the whore’s judgment is accomplished in the “midst of the sea,” in his lamentation for Tyrus.

> The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus. … The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas. Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas. Ezekiel 27:1, 2, 25, 26.

It is the “east wind” that brings judgment upon the whore of Tyre, the crowning city, and the “east wind” is a symbol of Islam. The warfare brought against Islam by the ten kings is what destroys the papacy of the last days. The realization of the ten kings that they have been deceived also produces fear in their hearts.

> Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah. Psalms 48:2–8.

The globalists looked upon the kingdom of God, as represented by the city of Jerusalem, but chose “that great city” Babylon as their head. When God judges that great city, they cry and lament as they recognize that they are lost, for the great city they chose is broken in the midst of the sea, by the warfare brought upon them by Islam (the east wind). And the warfare is a progressively escalating warfare, for it is as a woman in travail.

The kingdom of God that they have persecuted for the papacy is represented in Daniel chapter two, where we are informed that in “the days of these [globalist] kings,” God will set up His eternal kingdom.

> And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Daniel 2:44.

The Millerites believed that they were living in the “days of these kings,” but the ten kings of Revelation seventeen had not yet come into history, indeed, they are just coming into view now. The Millerites were correct, but their vision was limited. The kingdom of God that is set up in the days of the kings of Revelation seventeen and eighteen, is the time period of the latter rain.

> “I saw that all things are intensely looking and stretching their thoughts on the impending crisis before them. The sins of Israel must go to judgment beforehand. Every sin must be confessed at the sanctuary, then the work will move. It must be done now. The remnant in the time of trouble will cry, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?

> “The latter rain is coming on those that are pure—all then will receive it as formerly.

> “When the four angels let go, Christ will set up His kingdom. None receive the latter rain but those who are doing all they can. Christ would help us. All could be overcomers by the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus. All heaven is interested in the work. Angels are interested.” Spalding and Magan, 3.

In the time of the latter rain, when the angels release the four winds, which in the “days of these kings,” Christ sets up His kingdom. The latter rain is progressive, and began to sprinkle on September 11, 2001, when the third Woe arrived into history, but the angering of the nations was immediately restrained. It continues to escalate in intensity, until the Sunday law in the United States, when it brings about national ruin. That escalating judgment then continues as every other nation follows the example of the United States, and therefore suffers the same judgments. It escalates until the close of probation. It progresses as a woman in travail.

We will continue the consideration of the eighth being of the seven in the next article.

> “Just as long as those who profess the truth are serving Satan, his hellish shadow will cut off their views of God and heaven. They will be as those who have lost their first love. They cannot view eternal realities. That which God has prepared for us is represented in Zechariah, chapters 3 and 4, and 4:12–14: ‘And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my Lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.’

> “The Lord is full of resources. He has no lack of facilities. It is because of our lack of faith, our earthliness, our cheap talk, our unbelief, manifested in our conversation, that dark shadows gather about us. Christ is not revealed in word or character as the One altogether lovely, and the chiefest among ten thousand. When the soul is content to lift itself up unto vanity, the Spirit of the Lord can do little for it. Our shortsighted vision beholds the shadow, but cannot see the glory beyond. Angels are holding the four winds, represented as an angry horse seeking to break loose and rush over the face of the whole earth, bearing destruction and death in its path.

> “Shall we sleep on the very verge of the eternal world? Shall we be dull and cold and dead? Oh, that we might have in our churches the Spirit and breath of God breathed into His people, that they might stand upon their feet and live. We need to see that the way is narrow, and the gate strait. But as we pass through the strait gate, its wideness is without limit.” Manuscript Releases, volume 20, 217.

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