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# The Book of Daniel - Number One-Hundred and Eighty-Eight

Bhuku raDhanieri - Nhamba Imwe Zana nemakumi masere nesere

From Raphia to Panium: Unveiling the Prophetic Significance of Ancient Battles

Kubva kuRafiya kusvika kuPanium: Kuburitsa Pachena Kukosha kweChiporofita kweHondo dzeKare

Author

Jeff Pippenger

Published

April 18, 2024

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The Battle of Raphia and the Battle of Panium are two distinct historical events that occurred in different periods and contexts, but they both have significance in the history of ancient Judea and its surrounding regions. The Battle of Raphia took place in 217 BC. The Battle of Panium occurred in 200 BC between the Seleucid kingdom (king of the north) and the Ptolemaic kingdom (king of the south). These two battles are identified in verses eleven through fifteen of Daniel chapter eleven. These two battles preceded the Maccabean Revolt in 167 BC.

Hondo yeRafiya neHondo yePanium zviitiko zviviri zvakasiyana zvenhoroondo zvakaitika munguva dzakasiyana uye mumamiriro akasiyana, asi zvose zviri zviviri zvine kukosha munhoroondo yeJudhea yekare nenzvimbo dzakaikomberedza. Hondo yeRafiya yakaitika muna 217 BC. Hondo yePanium yakaitika muna 200 BC pakati peumambo hweSeleucid (mambo wokumusoro) neumambo hwePtolemaic (mambo wokumaodzanyemba). Hondo mbiri idzi dzinotaurwa mundima yegumi neimwe kusvika yegumi neshanu dzaDhanieri chitsauko 11. Hondo mbiri idzi dzakatangira Kupanduka kwavaMaccabee muna 167 BC.

The Battle of Panium took its name from the nearby geographical feature, Mount Panium, where the conflict occurred. The name Panium is derived from the Greek god Pan, to whom a temple was there dedicated. The site was known as Panium due to its association with the worship of Pan. The temple complex was often referred to as the Sanctuary of Pan, emphasizing its role as a place of religious devotion and worship dedicated to the god Pan. The term “Nymphaeum” refers to a monument or shrine dedicated to water nymphs in ancient Greek and Roman religion. The temple complex at Panium included a grotto and natural spring, which were believed to be inhabited by nymphs, and thus it was sometimes referred to as the Nymphaeum of Panium.

Hondo ya ku Panium yakatumidzwa zita rayo kubva panzvimbo yepedyo yenzvimbo, Gomo rePanium, pakaitikira kurwa uku. Zita rokuti Panium rinobva kuna mwari wechiGiriki anonzi Pan, uyo wakanga wakatsaurirwa kwaari temberi iripo ipapo. Nzvimbo iyi yaizivikanwa sePanium nokuda kwokubatanidzwa kwayo nokunamatwa kwaPan. Dungamativi retemberi iri raiwanzonzi Nzvimbo Tsvene yaPan, zvichisimbisa basa raro senzvimbo yokuzvipira kwechitendero nokunamata kwakatsaurirwa kuna mwari Pan. Shoko rokuti “Nymphaeum” rinoreva chivakwa chechirangaridzo kana nzvimbo tsvene yakatsaurirwa kuma-nymph emvura muchitendero chekare chechiGiriki nechiRoma. Dungamativi retemberi paPanium raisanganisira bako nechitubu chomusikirwo, izvo zvaidavirwa kuti zvaigarwa nema-nymph, uye naizvozvo dzimwe nguva rainzi Nymphaeum rePanium.

After the city was rebuilt and expanded by Herod Philip, son of Herod the Great, it was known as Caesarea Philippi in honor of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus and Herod Philip himself. The temple complex was an important religious center within this city.

Mushure mokunge guta ravakwazve rikawedzerwa naHerodhi Firipi, mwanakomana waHerodhi Mukuru, rakazozivikanwa seKesaria Firipi mukukudza Mambo weRoma Kesari Agasto pamwe naHerodhi Firipi pachake. Chivakwa chetemberi chaiva nzvimbo inokosha yokunamatira mukati meguta iri.

During the reign of Emperor Augustus, the temple was rededicated or renamed in honor of Augustus, reflecting the imperial cult and the integration of Roman religious practices into the local religious landscape. The area near the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi, where the temple of Pan was located, was sometimes referred to as the “Gates of Hell” or the “Gates of Hades.”

පෙරදිග අගස්තුස් අධිරාජ්‍යයාගේ රාජ්‍ය සමයේ, අගස්තුස්ගේ ගෞරවය පිණිස දේවාලය නැවත අභිෂේක කරනු ලැබීය හෝ නැවත නම් කරනු ලැබීය; එයින් අධිරාජ්‍ය පූජාවත්, රෝමානු ආගමික ආචාර ප්‍රාදේශීය ආගමික පරිසරය තුළ ඒකාබද්ධ කිරීමත් ප්‍රතිබිම්බිත විය. පෑන්ගේ දේවාලය පිහිටි කායිසාරියා පිලිප්පි නම් ප්‍රාචීන නගරය ආසන්න ප්‍රදේශය, සමහර අවස්ථාවල “නිරයේ දොරටු” හෝ “හේදීස්ගේ දොරටු” යනුවෙන් ද හඳුන්වනු ලැබීය.

In verses sixteen through nineteen of Daniel chapter eleven, the three geographical areas of conquest that pagan Rome was to overcome in order to be established as the fourth kingdom of Bible prophecy and the king of the north in the chapter, are represented. In verse sixteen, the Roman general Pompey is identified as conquering Syria in 65 BC, and then Jerusalem in 63 BC. Verses seventeen through nineteen identify Julius Caesar’s conquering of Egypt, the third of the three obstacles. The Battle of Actium in 31 BC, marks the beginning of the three hundred and sixty years that pagan Rome would rule supremely in fulfillment of verse twenty-four, of Daniel chapter eleven.

M’mavesi a khumi na nthande a chaputala 11 cha Danieli, akuyimiridwa madera atatu a pa dziko lapansi a kugonjetsedwa amene Roma yachikunja inayenera kugonjetsa kuti ikhazikitsidwe monga ufumu wachinayi wa uneneri wa Baibulo ndiponso monga mfumu ya kumpoto m’chaputalamo. M’vesi 16, mkulu wa asilikali a Roma, Pompey, akutchulidwa kuti anagonjetsa Siriya mu 65 BC, kenaka Yerusalemu mu 63 BC. Mavesi 17 kufika 19 akutchula kugonjetsedwa kwa Igupto ndi Yuliyo Kaisara, chotchinga chachitatu mwa zitatuzo. Nkhondo ya Actium mu 31 BC, ndiyo imasonyeza chiyambi cha zaka mazana atatu ndi makumi asanu ndi limodzi zimene Roma yachikunja idzalamulira mwamphamvu kwambiri pokwaniritsa vesi 24 la chaputala 11 cha Danieli.

In verse twenty the reign of Augustus Caesar is marked, and in that history, Jesus was born. Then in verses twenty-one and twenty-two the wicked Tiberius Caesar’s reign is identified, thus marking the crucifixion of Christ. In verse twenty-three, the league which the Maccabean Jews entered into with pagan Rome is marked, and thus the flow of history that began in verse eleven is halted, and the historical narrative drops back to the period of 161 BC to 158 BC.

Mundima yechimakumi maviri kutonga kwaAgasto Kesari kunoratidzwa, uye munhoroondo iyoyo, Jesu akaberekwa. Ipapo mundima dzechimakumi maviri neimwe nechimakumi maviri nembiri kutonga kwaTiberio Kesari akaipa kunozivikanwa, nokudaro zvichiratidza kurovererwa kwaKristu pamuchinjikwa. Mundima yechimakumi maviri nenhatu, sungano yakaitwa nemaJudha eMakkabheo neRoma yechihedheni inoratidzwa, uye nokudaro kufamba kwenhoroondo kwakatanga mundima yegumi neimwe kunomiswa, uye rondedzero yenhoroondo inodzokera shure kunguva ya161 BC kusvika 158 BC.

Verse twenty-three represents the line of the Maccabees, and though it does not provide all the details of their prophetic line, the record of history does. In 217 BC, the Battle of Raphia took place, and in the aftermath a child king left Egypt vulnerable. As the Seleucid and Greek kings made plans to deal with the child king in the year 200 BC, Rome inserted itself into the history and became the defender of the Egyptian child king. In the same year the Battle of Panium took place. Then in 167 BC the guerilla warfare of the Maccabees, began.

Ndime ya makumi maviri nenhatu inomirira dzinza raMaccabees, uye kunyange isingapi zvizere zvese zvemadudzirwo emuporofita pamusoro pedzinza ravo, zvinyorwa zvenhoroondo zvinozvipa. Muna 217 BC, Hondo yeRaphia yakaitika, uye mushure mayo mambo achiri mwana akasiya Egipita iri panjodzi. Sezvo madzimambo eSeleucid neevaGiriki akaronga kubata mambo uyu aiva mwana mugore ra200 BC, Roma yakazvipinza munhoroondo ikava mudziviriri wamambo weEgipita aiva mwana. Mugore iroro rimwe chetero Hondo yePanium yakaitika. Zvino muna 167 BC hondo yerusarura yemaMaccabees yakatanga.

The Maccabean revolt began in Modein in 167 BC, and it consisted of the Maccabees not only engaging against the Seleucid Empire, but also engaging the Jews that they had determined were in alliance with the Seleucids. The revolt was religiously motivated, and it was carried out against an internal and external enemy. In 164 BC the Maccabees rededicated the temple, and this event is commemorated by the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. In that year the infamous Antiochus Epiphanes died. Then from 161 BC to 158 BC the “league” of verse twenty-three was entered into with Rome.

Jüdojä Makkabiye kätduñ aŋkɑ 167 BCE niyä Modein, äri u kätdu Makkabeyä rhawe niyö Seleukid Samrajyake biruddhä sangram karslata paamanak nova, owunge anuwa Seleukidyan samaga sandhānagata vuya yäyi tīraṇaya kala Jüdayinṭaṭ biruddhavat kriyātmak viya. Ema kätdu āgamikava prēritayi, saha eya ābhyantara saha bāhira saturu dekakṭa biruddhava kriyātmaka karana lada. Aŋkɑ 164 BCE di Makkabeyō mandiraya nævata samarpanaya kalaha, saha me siddhiya Jüdo Hanukkah samaruven smaraṇaya karanu læbe. E varṣayehi kupraśiddha Antiochus Epiphanes miya giye. Anaturuva aŋkɑ 161 BCE sita 158 BCE dakvā viśi tunvana vacanayehi “saṁvidhānaya” Roma samaga æṭulu karana ladi.

The only direct reference to the Maccabees, their revolt and their league with Rome, is found in verse twenty-three, but the history of the dynasty, called the Hasmonean Dynasty began at Modein in 167 BC, and continued to the time of the cross. The final representatives of the Hasmonean Dynasty were the Pharisees of Christ’s time period. Therefore, there is a prophetic line of the history of apostate Judaism as represented by the Maccabees which began in 167 BC at the revolt of Modein, which ends in verses twenty-one and twenty-two when Jesus was crucified.

Marejeo ya moja kwa moja pekee kuhusu Wamakabayo, uasi wao na agano lao na Rumi, yanapatikana katika aya ya ishirini na tatu; lakini historia ya nasaba hiyo, iitwayo Nasaba ya Wahasmonea, ilianza huko Modein mwaka 167 KK, na ikaendelea hadi wakati wa msalaba. Wawakilishi wa mwisho wa Nasaba ya Wahasmonea walikuwa Mafarisayo wa kipindi cha Kristo. Kwa hiyo, kuna mstari wa kinabii wa historia ya Uyahudi ulioasi, kama unavyowakilishwa na Wamakabayo, ulioanza mwaka 167 KK katika uasi wa Modein, na unaoishia katika aya ya ishirini na moja na ishirini na mbili Yesu aliposomewa msalabani.

Their history reached a turning point in verse sixteen, when Rome, for the first time, through Pompey, conquered Jerusalem. His primary motivation for bringing the destruction upon Jerusalem at that time was a dispute among two factions of the Hasmonean Dynasty. From that point in time (63 BC), Judah was under Roman rule. The Hasmonean Dynasty of the Maccabees begins prophetically at the battle of Modein in 167 BC, then is placed under subjection to Rome in 63 BC. Soon after the beginning of that history the Maccabees initiated and entered into a league with Rome from 161 BC to 158 BC. They were in subjection to Rome from 63 BC until the cross and the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70.

Nhoroondo yavo yakasvika panguva yokushanduka mundima yegumi nenhanhatu, apo Roma, kekutanga, kubudikidza naPompey, yakakunda Jerusarema. Chikonzero chake chikuru chokuuisa kuparadzwa pamusoro peJerusarema panguva iyoyo chaiva gakava pakati pezvikwata zviviri zveUmambo hwevaHasmonean. Kubva panguva iyoyo (63 BC), Judha yakanga iri pasi poutongi hweRoma. Umambo hwevaHasmonean hwevaMaccabee hunotanga nenzira yechiporofita pahondo yeModein muna 167 BC, vozoti hwoiswa pasi pokutongwa neRoma muna 63 BC. Nguva pfupi mushure mokutanga kwenhoroondo iyoyo vaMaccabee vakatanga uye vakapinda muchibvumirano neRoma kubva muna 161 BC kusvika muna 158 BC. Vakanga vari pasi peRoma kubva muna 63 BC kusvikira pamuchinjikwa uye kuparadzwa kwekupedzisira kweJerusarema mugore ra70.

The prophetic line of the Maccabees is the line of apostate Judaism, and it therefore typifies the line of apostate Protestantism. From the Battle of Panium until the Sunday law of verse sixteen the prophetic events of 200 BC, 167 BC, 164 BC, and the league from 161 BC to 158 BC will be repeated in the history of apostate Protestantism. These waymarks will occur in the history of the eighth president who is of the seven in advance of the Sunday law. 200 BC represents the external line of the Republican horn in relation to 167 BC, representing the internal line of the apostate Protestant horn.

Mutsetse wechiporofita weMaccabees ndiwo mutsetse wechiJudha chakatsauka pakutenda, uye naizvozvo unomiririrawo mutsetse wechiPurotesitendi chakatsauka pakutenda. Kubva paHondo yePanium kusvikira pamurayiro weSvondo wevhesi regumi nenhanhatu, zviitiko zvechiporofita zvegore ra200 BC, 167 BC, 164 BC, uye sungano kubva muna 161 BC kusvika muna 158 BC zvichadzokororwa munhoroondo yechiPurotesitendi chakatsauka pakutenda. Zviratidzo izvi zvemunzira zvichaitika munhoroondo yemutungamiri wechisere anobva kune vanomwe, kusati kwasvika murayiro weSvondo. 200 BC inomiririra mutsetse wokunze werunyanga rweRepublican maererano na167 BC, rinomiririra mutsetse womukati werunyanga rwechiPurotesitendi chakatsauka pakutenda.

These waymarks are essentially hidden within the historical line of the Hasmonean Dynasty, but none-the-less form part of the hidden history of verse forty of Daniel eleven. It is a line that is part of the “that portion of the prophecy of Daniel relating to the last days.”

Ezi mpawu zendlela zifihlwe ngokuyinhloko emlandweni womugqa woBukhosi bamaHasmonean, kodwa noma kunjalo ziyingxenye yomlando ofihlekile wevesi lamashumi amane likaDaniyeli ishumi nanye. Kungumugqa oyingxenye “yaleyo ngxenye yesiprofetho sikaDaniyeli ephathelene nezinsuku zokugcina.”

The fact that Judaism celebrates Hanukkah in memory of the revolt of the Maccabees, does not define the Maccabees as righteous. Due to rebellion the shekinah never returned to the temple that was rebuilt after the captivity of seventy years. The final prophetic message came through Malachi roughly two centuries before the Maccabees. The history of the Maccabees identifies that they allowed their political leaders to also function as high priest, the very sin that the Egyptian Ptolemy attempted, and that King Uzziah also attempted. Tradition identifies that God intervened to prevent Ptolemy from the sacrilegious action, and God’s Word identifies directly that God did intervene when king Uzziah attempted to perform the work of the priest and king. The final fruit of their dynasty was the Pharisees. There is no reason to conclude the Maccabees were a symbol of righteousness, in spite of the historical reverence modern Judaism’s Jews may hold to.

Ukuthi ubuJuda bugubha iHanukkah ngenjongo yokukhumbula ukuvukela kwamaMaccabee, akusho ukuthi amaMaccabee achazwa njengabalungileyo. Ngenxa yokuhlubuka, iShekinah ayizange iphinde ibuyele ethempelini elalakhiwa kabusha emva kokuthunjwa kweminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa. Umlayezo wokugcina wesiprofetho wafika ngoMalaki cishe emakhulu amabili eminyaka ngaphambi kwamaMaccabee. Umlando wamaMaccabee uveza ukuthi bavumela abaholi babo bezombusazwe ukuba basebenze futhi njengompristi omkhulu, okuyisono sona kanye uPtolemy waseGibhithe azama ukusenza, nenkosi u-Uziya nayo eyazama ukusenza. Isiko libonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wangenelela ukuvimba uPtolemy kuleso senzo sokuhlambalaza okungcwele, futhi iZwi likaNkulunkulu lisho ngokuqondile ukuthi uNkulunkulu wangenelela lapho inkosi u-Uziya izama ukwenza umsebenzi wompristi nowenkosi. Isithelo sokugcina sobukhosi babo kwakungabaFarisi. Akukho sizathu sokuphetha ngokuthi amaMaccabee ayeyisibonakaliso sokulunga, naphezu kokuhlonishwa komlando amaJuda obuJuda besimanje abangase babe nako ngawo.

The Protestant reformation began in the time of Luther, and it was a progressive development. It was not a new tradition, for Jesus and His disciples were Protestants. It was an awakening to the darkness of the history where Luther and other reformers were awakened. The climax of that progressive reformation was the Millerite movement. God did not only need to awaken the early reformers to the sins of Babylon, but He intended to bring them into the full understanding of His law, and His work in the heavenly sanctuary. On April 19, 1844 the Protestants rejected the increasing light of the reformation and became apostate Protestantism.

Reformacioni ya Kiprotestanti ilianza katika wakati wa Luther, nayo ilikuwa maendeleo ya hatua kwa hatua. Haikuwa mapokeo mapya, kwa maana Yesu na wanafunzi Wake walikuwa Waprotestanti. Ilikuwa ni mwamko kutoka katika giza la historia ambamo Luther na warekebishaji wengine waliamshwa. Kilele cha reformacioni hiyo ya hatua kwa hatua kilikuwa ni vuguvugu la Millerite. Mungu hakuhitaji tu kuwaamsha warekebishaji wa mwanzo kwa habari ya dhambi za Babeli, bali alikusudia kuwaleta katika uelewa kamili wa sheria Yake, na wa kazi Yake katika patakatifu pa mbinguni. Tarehe 19 Aprili, 1844 Waprotestanti waliikataa nuru inayozidi kuongezeka ya reformacioni, nao wakawa Uprotestanti ulioasi.

The faithful Millerites then were “given the mantle” and directed into the Most Holy Place to finish the work to become mature Protestant Christians. In 1863 those who had been given the mantle, through disobedience, set aside the mantle of Protestantism, and took the mantle of Laodicea. In the final period of the sealing of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, which began twenty-two years after September 11, 2001, in 2023, the Lion of the tribe of Judah is unsealing the truths that fill up the hidden history of verse forty of Daniel chapter eleven, which is the history from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 unto the soon coming Sunday law. In doing this, He has unsealed the history of apostate Judaism as a symbol of apostate Protestantism.

VaMillerite vakatendeka panguva iyoyo vakapiwa “jasi,” uye vakatungamirirwa kupinda muNzvimbo Tsvene-tsvene kuti vapedzise basa rokukura kuva vaKristu vePurotesitendi vakura. Muna 1863 avo vakanga vapiwa jasi, nokuda kwokusateerera, vakaisa parutivi jasi rePurotesitendi, vakatora jasi reRaodhikia. Munguva yokupedzisira yokuiswa chisimbiso kwezana namakumi mana navana ezviuru, kwakatanga makore makumi maviri nemaviri mushure maSeptember 11, 2001, muna 2023, Shumba yorudzi rwaJudha iri kusunungura zvisimbiso zvezvokwadi zvinopedzisa nhoroondo yakavanzika yendima makumi mana yaDanieri chitsauko gumi nerimwe, inova nhoroondo kubva pakuwa kweSoviet Union muna 1989 kusvikira kumutemo weSvondo uri kusvika nokukurumidza. Mukuita izvi, Akasunungura zvisimbiso zvenhoroondo yechiJudha chakatsauka sechiratidzo chechiPurotesitendi chakatsauka.

Both lines of God’s apostate people, whether those of literal Judah or spiritual Judah (both glorious lands), end at the conquering of Jerusalem, the former in 63 BC, and the latter at the soon coming Sunday law. Both lines represent warfare that is motivated by misguided religious convictions. Both lines represent a warfare against the religious philosophies of Greece, and both lines end up with the apostates being in subjection to Rome. I identify the three battles of verse forty representing the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, the Ukraine War, and Panium at the Sunday law for the purpose of identifying a distinction between those three battles and the three world wars.

Mitsara yose miviri yevanhu vaMwari vakatsauka pakutenda, kungava avo veJudha chaiyo kana Judha yemweya (nyika mbiri dzinobwinya), inoguma pakukundwa kweJerusarema, wokutanga muna 63 BC, uye wokupedzisira pamutemo weSvondo uri kuuya nokukurumidza. Mitsara yose iri miviri inomiririra hondo inokurudzirwa nezvitendero zvisina kutungamirirwa zvakanaka. Mitsara yose iri miviri inomiririrawo hondo inorwisana neuzivi hwechitendero hweGiriki, uye yose iri miviri inoguma nevakatsauka vachinge vari pasi peRoma. Ndinotsanangura hondo nhatu dzendima yemakumi mana sedzinomiririra kuputsika kweSoviet Union muna 1989, Hondo yeUkraine, nePanium pamutemo weSvondo, nechinangwa chokuratidza mutsauko uripo pakati pehondo nhatu idzodzo nehondo nhatu dzenyika yose.

> “God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution.” The Great Controversy, 581.

> “Lika la Xikwembu ri nyikile xitsundzuxo mayelana ni khombo leri nga ekusuhi; loko leswi swi nga tekeriwi enhlokweni, misava ya Vuprotestente yi ta tiva ntsena, loko se swi hundze nkarhi wa ku baleka ntlhamu, leswaku xikongomelo xa Rhoma i yini hakunene. Hi ku miyela u kula a va ni matimba. Tidyondzo ta yena ti tirhisa nkucetelo wa tona etiholweni ta vawisi va milawu, ematempeleni, ni le timbilwini ta vanhu. U hlengeleta swivumbeko swa yena leswi tlakukeke ni leswikulu, emakhonweni yo tumbela ya swona ku ta tlheriseriwa ku xanisiwa ka yena ka khale. Hi vukheta naswona a nga kanakanisiwi u tiyisa mavandla ya yena leswaku a tlakusa makungu ya yena hi nkarhi lowu nga ta fika wa leswaku a ba. Hinkwaswo leswi a swi navelaka i ndhawu yo tirhela eka yona hi vukorhokeri, naswona leyi se yi le ku nyikiweni ka yena. Kungali khale hi ta vona naswona hi ta twa leswaku xikongomelo xa xiphemu xa Rhoma i yini. Mani na mani loyi a nga ta pfumela naswona a yingisa rito ra Xikwembu, hikwalaho ka sweswo u ta kokeriwa ndzhukano ni ku xanisiwa.” The Great Controversy, 581.

From verse ten, which identifies the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, unto the Battle of Panium in verse fifteen, the papacy has been “strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike.” These verses identify the prophetic circumstances that are the “snare” that has been prepared by the papacy, which will be impossible to “escape.” In the final engagement, represented by the Battle of Panium, the image of the beast will be formed in the United States. The formation of that image is the final test for God’s people of the last days.

Kusukela evesini leshumi, elikhomba ukuwa kweSoviet Union ngo-1989, kuze kufike eMpini yasePanium evesini leshumi nanhlanu, upapa ubulokhu “eqinisa amabutho akhe ukuze aqhubekisele phambili izinhloso zakhe siqu lapho isikhathi sokuhlasela kwakhe sesifikile.” La mavesi aveza izimo zesiprofetho eziyilo “gibe” elilungiswe upapa, okungeke kwenzeke ukuba “kubalekwe.” Ekubhekaneni kokugcina, okumelwe yiMpi yasePanium, umfanekiso wesilo uyokwakhiwa e-United States. Ukwakhiwa kwalowo mfanekiso kuyisivivinyo sokugcina sabantu bakaNkulunkulu bezinsuku zokugcina.

> “The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided. … In Revelation 13 this subject is plainly presented; [Revelation 13:11–17, quoted].

> “Jehovha wakandiratidza pachena kuti mufananidzo wechikara uchagadzirwa nguva yekuyedzwa isati yapera; nokuti ndiwo uchava muyedzo mukuru kuvanhu vaMwari, nawo magumo avo asingaperi achasarudzwa. … Mu Zvakazarurwa 13 nyaya iyi inoratidzwa pachena; [Zvakazarurwa 13:11–17, zvakatorwa].

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

> “Ichi ndicho chiyedzo icho vanhu vaMwari vanofanira kuva nacho vasati vaiswa chisimbiso. Vose vakaratidza kuvimbika kwavo kuna Mwari nokuchengeta murayiro Wake, uye nokuramba kugamuchira sabata renhema, vachava pasi pomureza waIshe Mwari Jehovha, uye vachagamuchira chisimbiso chaMwari mupenyu. Avo vanorasa chokwadi chine mavambo okudenga uye vakagamuchira sabata reSvondo, vachagamuchira chiratidzo chechikara.” Manuscript Releases, volume 15, 15.

The formation of the image of the beast is represented by the period when the league of Rome was entered into. The Protestant horn of the United States became the daughters of Rome in 1844, and the beginning of their history is repeated at the end of their history when they once again determine to imitate their mother.

Kuumbwa kwemufananidzo wechikara kunomiririrwa nenguva yakapindwa sungano yeRoma. Nyanga yechiPurotesitendi yeUnited States yakava vanasikana veRoma muna 1844, uye kutanga kwenhoroondo yavo kunodzokororwa pakuguma kwenhoroondo yavo apo vanozosarudza zvakare kutevedzera mai vavo.

> “I saw that the two-horned beast had a dragon’s mouth, and that his power was in his head, and that the decree would go out of his mouth. Then I saw the Mother of Harlots; that the mother was not the daughters, but separate and distinct from them. She has had her day, and it is past, and her daughters, the Protestant sects, were the next to come on the stage and act out the same mind that the mother had when she persecuted the saints. I saw that as the mother has been declining in power, the daughters had been growing, and soon they will exercise the power once exercised by the mother.

> “Ndakaona kuti chikara chine nyanga mbiri chaiva nomuromo weshato, uye kuti simba raro raiva mumusoro maro, uye kuti chirevo chaizobuda mumuromo maro. Ipapo ndakaona Amai veHure; kuti amai vakanga vasiri vanasikana, asi vakaparadzana navo uye vakasiyana navo pachena. Vakava nenguva yavo, uye yakatopfuura, uye vanasikana vavo, masangano echiPurotesitendi, ndivo vakazotevera kupinda pachikuva nokuratidza mwoyo mumwewo wakanga uri muna amai pavakatambudza vatsvene. Ndakaona kuti sezvo amai vanga vachiderera musimba, vanasikana vainge vachikura, uye nokukurumidza vachashandisa simba rakamboshandiswa naamai.”

> “I saw the nominal church and nominal Adventists, like Judas, would betray us to the Catholics to obtain their influence to come against the truth. The saints then will be an obscure people, little known to the Catholics; but the churches and nominal Adventists who know of our faith and customs (for they hated us on account of the Sabbath, for they could not refute it) will betray the saints and report them to the Catholics as those who disregard the institutions of the people; that is, that they keep the Sabbath and disregard Sunday.

> “Ndaona kuti kereke yezita nevaAdventista vezita, saJudhasi, vaizotitengesa kuvaKaturike kuti vawane simba ravo kuti vauye kuzorwa nechokwadi. Panguva iyoyo vatsvene vachava vanhu vasinganyanyoonekwi, vasingazivikanwi zvikuru kuvaKaturike; asi machechi nevaAdventista vezita vanoziva kutenda kwedu netsika dzedu (nokuti vaitivenga nemhaka yeSabata, nokuti vaisagona kuiramba) vachapandukira vatsvene uye vachavaudza kuvaKaturike sevaya vanozvidza zviga zvavanhu; ndiko kuti, kuti vanochengeta Sabata uye vanozvidza Svondo.

> “Then the Catholics bid the Protestants to go forward, and issue a decree that all who will not observe the first day of the week, instead of the seventh day, shall be slain. And the Catholics, whose numbers are large, will stand by the Protestants. The Catholics will give their power to the image of the beast. And the Protestants will work as their mother worked before them to destroy the saints. But before their decree bring or bear fruit, the saints will be delivered by the Voice of God.” Spalding and Magan, 1, 2.

> “Na hapo Wakatoliki watawaamuru Waprotestanti waendelee mbele, na kutoa amri kwamba wote wasioitunza siku ya kwanza ya juma, badala ya siku ya saba, wauawe. Nao Wakatoliki, ambao idadi yao ni kubwa, watasimama pamoja na Waprotestanti. Wakatoliki wataipa sanamu ya mnyama nguvu yao. Nao Waprotestanti watafanya kazi kama mama yao alivyofanya kabla yao ili kuwaangamiza watakatifu. Lakini kabla amri yao haijazaa au kuleta matunda, watakatifu wataokolewa kwa Sauti ya Mungu.” Spalding and Magan, 1, 2.

In the passage there are two groups of “nominal,” which means “in name only,” that betray God’s faithful ones to the Catholics. Ellen White’s understanding of nominal churches and nominal Adventists is different than what they actually represent in the last days, for her understanding of a “nominal Adventist,” would have represented a Christian who professed to believe in the return of Christ. But the prophets speak more for the last days, than the days in which they lived, and a “nominal Adventist,” in the last days represents the Laodicean Seventh-day Adventist church, and the nominal churches are the descendants of those who became the daughters of Rome in 1844.

Mu ndime iyi muli magulu awiri a “nominal,” kutanthauza kuti “a m’dzina lokha,” amene amapereka okhulupirika a Mulungu kwa Akatolika. Kumvetsa kwa Ellen White za mipingo ya nominal ndi Aadvendisti a nominal n’kosiyana ndi zimene amaimiradi m’masiku otsiriza; pakuti, mwa kumvetsa kwake, “Mwadvendisti wa nominal” akanayimira Mkhristu amene amati amakhulupirira kubweranso kwa Khristu. Koma aneneri amalankhula kwambiri za masiku otsiriza kuposa masiku amene iwo ankakhalamo; ndipo “Mwadvendisti wa nominal,” m’masiku otsiriza, amaimira mpingo wa Seventh-day Adventist wa Laodikea, ndipo mipingo ya nominal ndi mbadwa za iwo amene mu 1844 anakhala ana aakazi a Roma.

Seventh-day Adventists will hate the “obscure people,” who are God’s true representatives for they “cannot refute the Sabbath truth,” which represents the Sabbath of the land resting. The Seventh-day Adventist church professes to uphold the seventh-day as the day of worship, but in the last days the Sabbath they can not refute is the “seven times,” of Leviticus twenty-six, which was the first foundational truth they rejected in 1863.

Vaadventista vezuva rechinomwe vachavenga “vanhu vasingazivikanwi,” avo vari vamiriri vaMwari vechokwadi, nokuti “havagoni kuramba chokwadi cheSabata,” chinomirira Sabata rokuzorora kwenyika. Kereke yeVaadventista veZuva Rechinomwe inoti inomiririra uye inosimbisa zuva rechinomwe sezuva rokunamata, asi mumazuva okupedzisira Sabata ravasingagoni kuramba ndiro re“nguva nomwe,” reRevhitiko makumi maviri nenhanhatu, iro rakanga riri chokwadi chokutanga chenheyo chavakaramba muna 1863.

The passage that we are now addressing is identifying the prophetic dynamics associated with the history that begins at the soon coming Sunday law, but the final testing history that follows the Sunday law is first accomplished within the United States. At the Sunday law the United States will force the entire world to erect an image to the beast, but before they accomplish that work, they will have erected an image to the beast in the United States.

Ndime yomwe tsopano tikukambirana ikuzindikiritsa kayendedwe ka uneneri kogwirizana ndi mbiri imene imayambira pa lamulo la Lamlungu limene likubwera posachedwa; koma mbiri yomaliza ya kuyesedwa imene imatsatira lamulo la Lamlungu imayamba kukwaniritsidwa m’United States. Pa lamulo la Lamlungu, United States idzakakamiza dziko lonse lapansi kumanga fano la chilombo; koma asanakwaniritse ntchito imeneyo, adzakhala atamanga kale fano la chilombo mu United States.

> “As America, the land of religious liberty, shall unite with the Papacy in forcing the conscience and compelling men to honor the false sabbath, the people of every country on the globe will be led to follow her example.” Testimonies, volume 6, 18.

> “Méurica, ny tanindrazan’ny fahafahana ara-pivavahana, raha hiray amin’ny Fanjakana Papaly amin’ny fanerena ny feon’ny fieritreretan’ny olona sy hanery ny olona hanome voninahitra ny sabata sandoka, dia hotarihina hanaraka ny ohatra asehony ny vahoaka amin’ny firenena rehetra ambonin’ny tany.” Testimonies, boky faha-6, 18.

> “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.

> “Marudzi okuva mu mawanga amalala galigoberera ekyokulabirako kya United States. Newankubadde nga ye y’akulembera, naye era ekizibu kye kimu kirituuka ku bantu baffe mu bitundu byonna eby’ensi.” Testimonies, volume 6, 395.

The great test for the people of God, occurs before the Sunday law, for at the Sunday law probation closes for Seventh-day Adventists. The test is represented as the formation of the image of the beast, and the image of the beast is the combination of church and state, with the church in control of the relationship. Just as the Protestants became a daughter of Rome in 1844, and a daughter is the image of her mother, the apostate Protestants will accomplish a parallel work in the last days, for Jesus always illustrates the end of a thing with the beginning of a thing.

Chiyedzo chikuru kuvanhu vaMwari chinoitika mutemo weSvondo usati wavapo, nokuti pamutemo weSvondo nguva yokuedzwa inovharwa kuVaAdventista veZuva reChinomwe. Chiyedzo ichi chinomiririrwa sokuumbwa kwemufananidzo wechikara, uye mufananidzo wechikara ndiko kubatanidzwa kwechechi nehurumende, chechi iri iyo inodzora hukama ihwohwo. Sokunge vaPurotesitendi vakava mwanasikana weRoma muna 1844, uye mwanasikana mufananidzo waamai vake, saizvozvo vaPurotesitendi vakatsauka vachaita basa rinofanana mumazuva okupedzisira, nokuti Jesu nguva dzose anoratidza kuguma kwechinhu nokutanga kwechinhu.

The history represented by the “league” of verse twenty-three of Daniel chapter eleven, represented a professed apostate people of the glorious land reaching out to form a union with Rome. 161 BC to 158 BC represents the formation of the image of the beast that culminates at the Sunday law.

Nhoroondo inomiririrwa ne“sungano” yendima yemakumi maviri nenhatu yaDanieri chitsauko chegumi nerimwe, yaimirira vanhu vaizviti ndivo vaMwari asi vakatsauka venyika inobwinya, vachitambanudza ruoko kuti vaumbe kubatana neRoma. 161 BC kusvika 158 BC inomiririra kuumbwa kwemufananidzo wechikara kunosvika pakuzadziswa pamutemo weSvondo.

We will continue this study in the next article.

Tidzaenderera mberi nechidzidzo ichi muchinyorwa chinotevera.

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

> “Asi ‘chithuzithunzi cha chilombo’ nchiyani? ndipo chidzapangidwa bwanji? Chithunzicho chimapangidwa ndi chilombo cha nyanga ziwiri, ndipo ndi chithunzi chofanana ndi chilombocho. Chimatchulidwanso kuti chithunzi cha chilombo. Choncho, kuti tidziwe momwe chithunzicho chilili ndi mmene chidzapangidwire, tiyenera kuphunzira makhalidwe a chilombocho chokha—upapa.

> “When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the punishment of ‘heresy.’ In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends.” The Great Controversy, 443.

> “Kereke yokutanga payakazoshatiswa nokubva pakureruka kwevhangeri nokugamuchira tsika nemagariro echihedheni, yakarasikirwa noMweya nesimba raMwari; uye kuti itonge hana dzavanhu, yakatsvaka rutsigiro rwesimba renyika. Mugumisiro wacho wakava upapa, kereke yaidzora simba rehurumende uye yaishandisa iro kuti ifambise mberi zvinangwa zvayo pachayo, zvikurukuru pakuranga ‘dzidziso dzenhema.’ Kuti United States iumbe mufananidzo wechikara, simba rechitendero rinofanira kutonga hurumende yevagari nenzira yokuti masimba ehurumende azoshandiswawo nekereke kuzadzisa zvinangwa zvayo pachayo.” The Great Controversy, 443.

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