Islam and Christianity Exposed, Part 3: The Future Conflict and the Mark Presented by Tim Hayden www.sealedremnant.com Review of Lessons 1 & 2, Geopolitical vs Spiritual We saw in the first lesson that the kings of the north and south hold the territories of Babylon and Egypt respectively. This should be clearly understood. We learned that three of the powers identified in the final conflict in Daniel 11 are the three powers discussed in Revelation: Egypt, Israel, and Babylon. Since Revelation identifies them as spiritual powers, then those same powers in Daniel should also be understood as spiritual powers. Understanding the relationship between Daniel and Revelation is critical to understanding the final conflict in Daniel 11. The Lord gave multiple prophecies to describe the same events. The verses in Daniel 11 where the kings of the north and south are discussed are shown in the next table. (The crucifixion of Jesus is in the table as a time reference to separate events before and after that point.) Kings of the South Daniel 11:5-15: Ptolemies in Egypt Daniel 11:22: Crucifixion of Jesus Daniel 11:25-31: Spiritual Egypt; Secularism, Humanism, and Atheism in Pagan Rome Daniel 11:40-43: Spiritual Egypt, Atheist France in 1798 and future Atheist powers Kings of the North Daniel 11:5-16: Seleucids in Babylon Daniel 11:22: Crucifixion of Jesus Daniel 11:40-45: Spiritual Babylon, Apostate Christianity in Europe and America Notice that the king of the north is missing from the prophecy between verses 16 and 40. The king of the south is discussed during that time and refers to pagan Rome after verse 22. The prophecy transitions from a limited Middle East focus (type) to a global spiritual focus (antitype) after the cross. Pagan Rome is never called the king of the north, but papal Rome is called the king of the north at the end of Daniel 11 because it will then rule over spiritual Babylon. We looked at Pastor Roosenberg s prophetic flow and found that he had to jump around in order to fit Islamic powers into the prophecy. He also says that there are parallel conflicts (geopolitical and religious) after AD 34. He says that his geopolitical conflicts are models of his simultaneous religious (spiritual) conflicts after Daniel 11:22. His interpretation is complex and inconsistent. On the other hand, we learned that the correct flow of prophecy is a single line linking the believers in national Israel in the Old Testament with the global group of believers in the New Testament. There is one prophetic line with a territory that expands as the believers come in from the various nations. The Old Testament-time powers are types, or models, of the New Testament-time powers. As we saw in lesson 2, when we use the spiritual method to interpret Daniel 11:23-31 and identify the king of the south as paganism in Rome, then the events of the prophecy are in perfect chronological order. There are six full verses on the life of Constantine the Great. Three verses before the institution of Copyright 2014-2015, Timothy John Hayden. All rights reserved. This entire document may be copied and freely distributed without modification.
his Sunday law, and three verses after his Sunday law. The Lord gave these events so we can identify the attack on His holy covenant in verse 28. It was Constantine s Sunday law, as shown in the image. With the correct flow of Daniel 11, we can see that there is a Sunday law in Daniel 11:28 that cannot be identified by the geopolitical interpretations in Seventh-day Adventism today. I will show in this lesson that there is another Sunday law identified in Daniel s final conflict, in Daniel 11:40. The Abomination and the 1260 years I will start this lesson by filling in some events in Daniel 11:32-39. This will bring us to the time of the end in verse 40 that I will examine more closely in this lesson. We have not yet looked at the last part of Daniel 11:31 where it talks about the abomination of desolation. I will just touch on it here and then quickly go over the events during the 1260 years of Papal dominion. We will look at the abomination of desolation again in lesson 4. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. (Daniel 11:31) Pastor Roosenberg has the abomination that maketh desolate in Daniel 11:31 as the beginning of papal persecution. He says that the attack on the host of Arian Christians by Clovis gave military support to the papacy in 508 to eradicate opposition. 1 The use of military power to persecute God s people is his abomination of desolation in that passage. We will look more at Pastor Roosenberg s use of the abomination of desolation in the next lesson. For now we will look at a few passages of scripture to see how it uses the word abomination: Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations.... Thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown.... And madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them. (Ezekiel 16:2, 15, 17) When the Jews united with the nations around them, they defiled themselves with the heathen and worshipped their idols, and God called them a harlot. Out of all the abominations that are spoken of in the scriptures, idolatry and the mingling of the church with the world are the two greatest abominations. Ezekiel gives more details: 2
Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh.... Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. (Ezekiel 16:26, 28) Before Ezekiel s day, the Jews were uniting with the Egyptians and the Assyrians. The Lord revealed that this was the essence of their abominations. It is equivalent to the mingling of church and state in New Testament times. The pioneers saw the abomination of desolation as the papal church-state power, and many of them understood it to be the same power as described in Revelation 17: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.... And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:5, 18) Clearly, papal Rome is called the MOTHER OF... ABOMINATIONS in Revelation. The placing of, or setting up of, the abomination of desolation in the last phrase of Daniel 11:31 was understood as the beginning of the 1260 years of papal church-state rule, and the following verses, Daniel 11:32-39, were understood by most to be the events that took place during that time. Consider Dr. Shea s view of the abomination of desolation: Thus the abomination that makes desolate may be described as a union of the secular and the religious the state and the church in which the religious aspect is defiled by its merging with the functions of the state. 2 Doctor Shea is in agreement that the abomination has to do with the mingling of the church with the state. This view clearly links the abomination of desolation with the Church of Rome and was believed and taught by the Millerites:... the term daily sacrifice generally was interpreted by Millerites as the daily sacrifice abomination or first abomination and was represented as paganism in general or pagan Rome more specifically. The abomination that maketh desolate was seen as the last abomination, or specifically papal Rome. Thus, Dan. 12:11 indicated that the paganism of the Roman empire would be taken away [AD 508], and papal Rome would be set up [AD 538]. 3 It can be seen that the Millerites believed that there were two abominations: pagan Rome and papal Rome. While paganism was an idolatrous religio-political system, papalism is an idolatrous church-state system. And, although they are very similar, the latter is more deceptive. The first denies Christ, the other claims Him. Fitch, who was a Millerite preacher, was clear that the papacy was the abomination of desolation: But history does state that in 538... the bishop of Rome became supreme head of the church.... From that time the abomination that maketh desolate was fully set up, and desolation did roll over the land. 4 Although they did not always use the same terminology, the concept of Rome having two desolation phases, pagan and papal, continued with the Seventh-day Adventist pioneers. Uriah Smith understood 3
that the taking away of the first abomination must happen before the papal abomination could be set up. He, and many others, understood them as separate and distinct powers: These [1290 and 1335 years] commence from the taking away of the daily (abomination) or Paganism [AD 508], and not from the setting up of the abomination of desolation, or the Papacy [AD 538]. Some confound these two events. But they are separate and distinct; and one had to be accomplished to make way for the other. 5 Many of the pioneers within Adventism (Miller, Bliss, Fitch, Himes, White, Smith, Haskell, and others) identified the fall of paganism (the daily taken away) to be in AD 508 and the beginning of papal Rome s civil rule in the city of Rome in AD 538. They understood the abomination that maketh desolate to be papal Rome. Since the days of the pioneers, other views of the abomination of desolation have been brought in, and the consensus abandoned. Interestingly, although Ellen White does not directly identify the daily or the abomination of desolation in Daniel 11:31, she recognized a transition from paganism to the papacy early in the sixth century: In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established.... Paganism had given place to the papacy.... And now [AD 538] began the 1260 years of papal oppression foretold in the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. 6 Although Pastor Roosenberg disagrees with the typical view of the abomination of desolation, it is based on scripture. With this understanding of the abomination in verse 31, Daniel 11:32-39 must describe events during the 1260 years of papal rule. A short interpretation of Daniel 11:32-35 is given next: Daniel 11:32-33: o Some of God s people were corrupted by flatteries o Others like the Waldenses were strong and worked, teaching people Bible truth o Many of them fell by sword, flame, captivity, and spoil Daniel 11:34-35: o Those who fell were given a little help by the Spirit o Their fall was allowed to purge them and to make them white until the time of the end o Still, there were those who flattered God s people While Pastor Roosenberg first applies these verses to events during the 1260 years of papal rule, 7 he later equates being made white or cleansed in Daniel 11:35 and 12:9-10 to the cleansing in the pre- Advent judgment following 1844. 8 He does this because Daniel 11:35 connects the cleansing to the time of the end, which he interprets as the beginning of the judgment in 1844. (Pastor Roosenberg has a chronological problem in Daniel 11:35 that will be examined more in lesson 4.) Using the version that Pastor Roosenberg used in his book, the New King James, notice the flow of the passage: Daniel 11:33 starts by saying that those who understand shall instruct many, and that they would be persecuted and would fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Speaking of the same people group, verse 34 then says that they would receive a little help through their trials. Daniel 11:35 finishes with the same group of people: 4
And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. (Daniel 11:35, NKJV) Daniel 11:33-35 must be understood as a unit. If the people who fall, and the cleansing they experience, in verse 35 are placed at the time of the judgment, then the people in Daniel 11:33-34 must also be placed at the time of the judgment. However, Daniel 11:35 indicates that the persecution and the cleansing would continue until the time of the end was reached. It is true that there is a cleansing that takes place in the judgment, but the events in Daniel 11:33-35 do not refer to the judgment. Those and the following verses describe events during the 1260 years of papal rule: Daniel 11:36-37: o The popes exalted themselves above God and blasphemed His name o They prospered throughout the 1260 years o They disregarded the desire of women by instituting celibacy Daniel 11:38-39: o The Papacy instituted idolatry and became rich through donations to their idols o Patron saints were set over the various cities and regions, and the Roman Church then controlled much territory Although there are some differences in interpretation of these verses, most agree that they also speak of events during the 1260 years of papal rule, including Pastor Roosenberg. Therefore, I will leave it to the reader to study these verses in more detail. The Time of the End in Islam and Christianity in Prophecy I want to start our examination of the final conflict with Pastor Roosenberg s view. His main concept revolves around three conflicts between Islam and Christianity, as previously shown. 9 Pastor Roosenberg s last conflict is still future. The events of his final conflict in Daniel 11:40-45 are roughly given in his book and are summarized in this section. At the time of the end [after 1844] the king of the South [Islamic nations] shall attack him [the papacy]; and the king of the North [the papacy and its allies] shall come against him [Islam] like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through [the allied powers go against Islam in a massive counterattack]. He shall also enter the Glorious Land [national Israel], and many countries shall be overthrown [other Middle East countries]; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon [western Jordan, and Muslims who accept Jesus]. (Daniel 11:40-41, NKJV) 10 Notice that Pastor Roosenberg has the time of the end beginning in 1844, but the final conflict is still future in his interpretation. This is a departure from previous Seventh-day Adventist interpretations that have the time of the end beginning in AD 1798. This change was necessary to make his last conflict between Islam and Christianity fit chronologically. (Pastor Roosenberg s chronology will be discussed more in lesson 4.) 5
Pastor Roosenberg originally took the interesting position that Edom, Moab, and Ammon were heirs of Abraham through his son Ishmael 11 and are therefore Muslim, but he was shown to be wrong. Moab and Ammon were the two sons of Lot, who was Abraham s nephew (Genesis 19:30-38), and Edom was Esau the son of Isaac and brother of Jacob (Genesis 25:24-30; 36:1, 19). These people groups have nothing to do with Ishmael. In his 2013 update, Pastor Roosenberg changed the sentence to say that they were related to Abraham through Lot, Esau, and Ishmael. Interestingly, he left Ishmael as an ancestor of those nations. Why did Pastor Roosenberg leave Ishmael as one of the ancestors of Edom, Moab, and Ammon? Could it be that he is trying to force Ishmael into their national lineage because some people believe that Ishmael was the ancestor of the Muslims, and he needs to have these people groups Muslim to work with his interpretation? Adding Lot and Esau does not change the fact that Ishmael was not an ancestor of Edom, Moab, or Ammon. After this, Pastor Roosenberg continues his interpretation of a conflict between Islam and Christianity in the following verses: He [the papacy and it allies] shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape [the radical center of Islam will be defeated, including Egypt]. He [the Papacy] shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his heels [moderate or secular Islamic areas or people who follow the Papacy]. (Daniel 11:42-43, NKJV) 12 Pastor Roosenberg has the overthrow of radical Islam, including Egypt, in these verses. He says nothing about the treasures of gold and silver, but he does speak about the Libyans and Ethiopians. He has them as moderate or secular Islamic areas or people who follow the Papacy. However, in ancient times these nations were allies of the Egyptians, as can be seen in the Old Testament type: The word of the Lord... against Egypt,... which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote.... They shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.... Egypt riseth up like a flood.... Let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. (Jeremiah 46:1-9) It seems that Pastor Roosenberg must be wrong about the Libyans and the Ethiopians, yet he is not always so specific about identifying the nations involved. When speaking of the king of the south as Islam, he says the geopolitical locations... are a general guideline. 13 Although he uses a geopolitical method to interpret the prophecy, he gives a more general meaning to the powers and locations involved. Since he believes that the king of the south is Islam, he could claim that an attack on Iran, or some other Middle East Muslim country, fulfills Daniel 11:40-43, as long as Egypt is included in the conflict. Moreover, shifting to a wider focus in Daniel 11:44, Pastor Roosenberg seemingly drops his geopolitical view for a moment and turns to a global religious conflict over the Sunday law: But news from the east and the north [the loud cry of Revelation 18] shall trouble him [the papal alliance]; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many [the papal alliance will enforce Rome s mark by making a Sunday law]. (Daniel 11:44, NKJV) 14 6
Notice that Pastor Roosenberg places the loud cry of Revelation 18:4-20, which is given as part of the latter rain, before the Sunday law is enforced in America. He claims that the loud cry will anger the Papacy, and their alliance will enforce its mark 15 ; that is, he claims that the proclamation of the loud cry described in Revelation 18 will cause the papal alliance to make a Sunday law in America. This is an interesting, and very dangerous, position to take. Consider the key passage of the loud cry message: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven... (Revelation 18:4-5) It s not possible to proclaim the loud cry until after the Sunday law is enforced. Certainly God s people will have His Spirit, and they will be warning against apostasy, but the Bible says that it s not until the sins of Babylon have reached unto heaven that the loud cry will be given to call people to come out of Babylon. Ellen White revealed this very point: When do her sins reach unto heaven? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation [the Sunday law]. 16 Ellen White is clear on the order of the loud cry and the Sunday law. Not until Sunday is enacted will the loud cry be given. So Pastor Roosenberg is clearly wrong on his interpretation as to when and why the Sunday law is made. After that, in verse 45, he has the papacy in control of Israel and the church: And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain [the papal alliance will enter or control Israel and the church]; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him [the Papacy ends at the coming of Christ]. (Daniel 11:45, NKJV) 17 I have already shown that there is no evidence that the papacy will simultaneously control literal Jerusalem and the church in the final conflict. God s people follow the Lamb. So the question is really, how does the king of the north plant its tents between the seas and the glorious holy mountain? I will answer this using the spiritual view. The Time of the End, a Spiritual View Now we will look at the spiritual view of these critical verses, which I believe to be the correct view. I will break down the verses and give as simple of an explanation as I can. The final conflict begins, And at the time of the end... (Daniel 11:40a). As I said before, the time of the end began in 1798. I will spend more time on this in lesson 4. A short study is given here as proof of the 1798 date. Consider the time of the end in Daniel 12: But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (Daniel 12:4) Daniel 12 is given to identify the beginning of the time of the end. Verse 4 mentions the time of the end specifically. Daniel was told to seal the book until that time. Reading on, the angel said that the end began at the end of the 1260 years: 7
And one said... How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen... sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half. (Daniel 12:6-7) Daniel 12 is a further explanation of the prophecy in Daniel 11. The beginning of the time of the end is the same time as the end of these wonders in Daniel 12:6. Daniel 12 identifies the beginning point of the time of the end. Ellen White also used Daniel 12 when writing about the beginning of the time of the end, and she identified it as AD 1798: But that part of his prophecy which related to the last days, Daniel was bidden to close up and seal to the time of the end.... But at the time of the end, says the prophet, many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12:4.... since 1798 the book of Daniel has been unsealed, [and] knowledge of the prophecies has increased. 18 Ellen White is clear that the time of the end began in 1798. The next part of Daniel 11:40 then tells us what happened in 1798: And at the time of the end shall the king of the south [spiritual Egypt, atheist France] push at him [the Papacy]... (Daniel 11:40b). Here the king of the south returns to the prophecy, and it must be an atheist power that attacked the papacy in 1798. I have already identified the king of the south in this verse as atheistic France. Anyone who has studied this will see that this interpretation is very logical and consistent. History proves that France was an atheist nation in 1798 when it attacked the papacy: The world, for the first time, heard an assembly of men, born and educated in civilization, and assuming the right to govern one of the finest of the European nations, uplift their united voice to deny the most solemn truth which man s soul receives, and renounce unanimously the belief and worship of a Deity. 19 To push at in the King James Bible is translated as attack in the New King James and as gore in Exodus 21:28: If an ox gore [or push at] a man or a woman, that they die... This indicates that the papacy would receive a deadly wound. It is the same as we find in Revelation 13:3 when speaking of the papal beast: And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death. It was atheist France that attacked the papacy in 1798 and gave it a deadly wound by removing its civil power: The murder of a Frenchman in Rome in 1798 gave the French an excuse for occupying the Eternal City and putting an end to the Papal temporal power. The aged Pontiff himself was carried off into exile in Valence... 20 After the attack on the papacy by atheist France, the prophecy shifts focus to the king of the north (Daniel 11:40c). After being absent from the prophecy since verse 16, the king of the north returns to the prophecy here in verse 40. I will show that this takes place when the Sunday law is made in America. Just as Babylon was the territory of the king of the north in the days of Seleucus, so spiritual Babylon will be the territory of the king of the north at the end of time. It is logical that Daniel 11:40-45 speaks of 8
spiritual Babylon because Revelation also speaks of this mystical power at the end of time. The following table gives the three well known divisions of mystical Babylon and the powers they represent, which we have looked at in a previous lesson: Division of Spiritual Babylon Dragon Beast from the Sea False Prophet, Beast from the Earth The Power it Represents Satan as he worked and continues to work through the nations of earth, to destroy God s Church. The union of the nations of Europe with the churches, especially the Roman Church. The United States, which will unite with the churches in America, creating the Image and the Mark of the Beast. When speaking of mystical Babylon, John called her, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17:5). She is called the Mother of Harlots because there are other daughter churches committing harlotry as their mother does. God s people at the end are mentioned as being undefiled by the doctrines of these other women (churches): And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand.... These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. (Revelation 14:1, 4) Charles Fitch first identified spiritual Babylon in the summer of 1843 as all of the churches of Christendom. Another Second Advent leader, L. D. Mansfield, also spoke of the churches as Babylon: I am more fully persuaded than ever before, that the religious organizations of the present day constitute no small portion of that Babylon which is to be thrown down with violence, and found no more at all. 21 The churches in Europe and America are obviously included in spiritual Babylon, which is first mentioned as fallen in Revelation 14:8. Ellen White clearly identified that corrupt power: Babylon is said to be the mother of harlots. By her daughters must be symbolized churches that cling to her doctrines and traditions, and follow her example of sacrificing the truth and the approval of God, in order to form an unlawful alliance with the world. The message of Revelation 14, announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt. Since this message follows the warning of the judgment, it must be given in the last days; therefore it cannot refer to the Roman Church alone, for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries.... Many of the Protestant churches are following Rome s example of iniquitous connection with the kings of the earth the state churches, by their relation to secular governments; and other denominations, by seeking the favor of the world. And the term Babylon confusion may be appropriately applied to these bodies, all professing to derive their doctrines from the Bible, yet divided into almost innumerable sects, with widely conflicting creeds and theories. 22 9
Note that Babylon is not papal Rome by itself, as many commentators have it. The Protestant and Evangelical churches are clearly part of that corrupt system of religion. Thus all churches, except Seventh-day Adventism, are included in Babylon. These churches will unite with the governments in Europe and America, and they will use that union to make religious laws. Notice how these two powers rise from the sea and the earth respectively. The beast from the sea is the first to rise: And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast [the papal church-state power] rise up out of the sea [the populated European continent].... And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death [papal civil power was lost in AD 1798]; and his deadly wound was healed [papal civil power restored in the near future]. (Revelation 13:1, 3) This beast from the sea is the papal church-state system that rises to power on the populated European continent (see Revelation 17:15). It ruled Europe for 1260 years, lost its civil power in AD 1798, and will regain that power in the near future. Once the European beast has resurrected, the second beast from the earth that rises from the sparsely populated North American continent (see Genesis 1:10) will then do its evil deeds: And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth [the sparsely populated North America continent].... And causeth the earth and them which dwell therein [the people in North America] to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed [the resurrected European church-state union]. And he [the American beast] doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth [North America] in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles [the fire] which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth [the people in North America], that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live [that they should unite church and state in America, as in Europe]. (Revelation 13:11-14) The European beast must rise before the American beast can cause those who dwell on the earth to worship it. After the first beast rises the fire falls on the earth to deceive people. Notice that the earth in this prophecy represents the sparsely populated North American continent. The fire falls to deceive Americans into creating an image of the European beast by uniting church and state in America. (Note that this fire is literal. It will be seen by people and will deceive them into making the image of the first beast. 23 ) Then the Sunday law (the mark of the first beast) will be enforced: And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark... (Revelation 13:16). In the legislation of Sunday, men will attempt to usurp the place of the Lord. But James said, There is one lawgiver (James 4:12), and Isaiah declared, The LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king (Isaiah 33:22). These passages show that for the Christian the Lord is the only lawgiver, judge, and king. When the United States enforces Sunday, papal Rome s mark of authority, they will by default declare the pope lawgiver, judge, and king. It is then that the pope becomes king of the north, leader of spiritual Babylon; it is then that the king of the north returns to the prophecy. Consider what Ellen White says about the enforcement of a Sunday law in America, and its relation to the papacy: 10
When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with popery; it will be nothing else than giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching its opportunity to spring again into active despotism. 24 Ellen White indicates that the Sunday law will closely unite the divisions of spiritual Babylon and will rekindle papal persecution of the church. The exaltation of Sunday will place the pope on the throne of spiritual Babylon; he will then be king of the north. When that happens, then the conflict spoken of in Daniel 11:40, and the persecution of the church that is spoken of in Daniel 11:41, will take place:... and the king of the north [the pope reigning in spiritual Babylon after Sunday is enforced] shall come against him [an atheistic power] like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries [the allied atheist powers], and shall overflow and pass over. (Daniel 11:40d) Once the Sunday law is made, the pope will become king of spiritual Babylon and will make war against some atheist nation and its allies. That atheist nation will not be France because France is no longer an atheist power, and it will be part of spiritual Babylon in the final conflict. A common, but incorrect, understanding of the king of the south in Daniel 11:40 is expressed by Marc Swearingen: Soviet communism had pushed at papal Rome for a time; yet, the papacy responded like a whirlwind to overflow and pass over, causing the disintegration of this atheistic superpower as a powerful fulfillment of Daniel 11:40. 25 Marc Swearingen gives the typical spiritual interpretation of the final conflict between the kings of the north and the south. He places the collapse of communism in Russia as the fulfillment of that prophecy, but he is wrong for two reasons: First, the pope did not then reign over spiritual Babylon; he was not then king of the north. And second, the spiritual wars in Daniel 11:40 use military language and must be literal engagements. Accordingly, Constantine s wars in Daniel 11:25-29 were real engagements with real armies and navies, and the French general Berthier led a real army into Rome, took pope Pius VI captive, and established a republic in Italy in 1798 (Daniel 11:40a). This brings up the question as to who spiritual Egypt, the king of the south, represents when the king of the north returns to the prophecy in verse 40. Consider the following from Dr. Morris: Many writers have noted that the relatively easy entrance of Marxism and communism into Chinese thought and life was greatly facilitated by the prior entrance of Darwinism, which in turn had been smoothed by the long compatibility of the Chinese religions with evolutionary ways of thinking. 26 Is it possible that the fulfillment of Daniel 11:40 will be a war with China and its allies (North Korea, Cuba, etc.)? China is today the greatest atheist power on earth and could certainly fulfill the prophecy. However, whoever these atheist powers are makes little difference at this point. One thing we know for sure is that there will be war as the Bible and Ellen White have identified: 11
The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecy of the eleventh chapter of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place. 27 Ellen White is clear that war is called for in Daniel 11, and although it has not yet commenced, it will soon. After the Sunday law is enacted, Satan will immediately bring war to divert people s attention from studying the gospel and the prophecies. In doing so, he will gain a harvest of souls: It is his [Satan s] object to incite the nations to war against one another, for he can thus divert the minds of the people from the work of preparation to stand in the day of God. 28 The King of the North Attacks the Church Although there is clearly a conflict in Daniel 11:40-45 between two opposing powers, the real focus in Daniel 11 is spiritual Babylon s attack on the church. Gabriel relayed this concept to Daniel at the beginning of the prophecy: Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days. (Daniel 10:14). Daniel s people at the end are the people of faith, God s church, not the unbelieving Jewish nation. This is the focus of Daniel 11:41: He [king of spiritual Babylon] shall enter also into the glorious land [God s church], and many countries [people] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon [many who have heard the third angel s message will escape Babylon s attack]. (Daniel 11:41) Note that the word countries is supplied by the translators, and should probably be people instead. This prophecy is talking about a time of shaking for God s church. Commenting on Daniel 11:41, Marc Swearingen also gave it a spiritual application in relation to the Sunday law: We could therefore render the verse to say that many shall be overthrown, meaning that many people will yield to Sunday legislation and be spiritually overthrown by receiving the mark of the beast. 29 Marc indicates that there will be many who leave God s church in the conflict, but there will also be some who are not deceived by the Sunday legislation and who come out of Babylon at that time. Edom, Moab, and Ammon were relatives of the Jews and represent those in Christendom who truly follow Jesus. They will then come out of their churches and join the remnant. Interestingly, in the type, when ancient Babylon came down upon the Jews, there were those who escaped to Edom, Moab, and Ammon. They later came out of those countries, returned to Judah, and joined the remnant in the land: Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah... all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven. (Jeremiah 40:11-12) Here again, Marc Swearingen expresses my understanding of Edom, Moab, and Ammon who escape great Babylon: 12
Yet, by the fact that they escape from the influence of the papacy means that they would experience a true heart-felt conversion, renounce their worldliness, leave their apostate, false religious systems, and make their stand for God. 30 Thus it is clear that Edom, Moab, and Ammon represent true Christians. After describing the attack on, and escape of, God s people, the prophecy then takes us back to the conflict between the kings of the north and south. The king of the north completely overthrows the allied powers of the south: He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape (Daniel 11:42). The allied atheist nations will be overthrown. Whether Egypt is referring to China or some other atheist nation is of minor importance because all nations on earth will be on one side or the other in the conflict. The only people on earth who will not be under Papal control when this war is over will be God s people. Great mystical Babylon will also then control the wealth of the nations: But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps [spiritual Babylon will control all of the finances of the allied atheist powers]. (Daniel 11:43) Once they are overthrown, all the wealth of the atheist allied nations will come under the control of great spiritual Babylon. The Libyans and the Ethiopians were ancient allies of Egypt and fought against Babylon, as we previously saw. In the final conflict, these powers will also be allies of spiritual Egypt. They will then be overthrown, and all of their finances will likewise come under the control of spiritual Babylon. This control of all money will cause God s people many problems: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark (Revelation 13:17). The no buy and no sell decree spoken of in Revelation will be enforced at that time. Despite the laws made against them, God s people will do His will and proclaim their message to the world: But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him (Daniel 11:44a). These tidings from the east and the north are part of the loud cry message that calls people out of Babylon, and will be given under the power of the latter rain: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Revelation 18:4) This message not only calls people out of Babylon, but has to do with the sealing and prepares people for the second coming of Jesus. Notice that the sealing comes from the north and the east: And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north.... And the LORD said unto him [the one who has the writer s inkhorn], Go... set a mark [God s seal] upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Ezekiel 9:2-4) And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God... (Revelation 7:2) 13
Jesus also comes from the north and the east, and the proclamation of Jesus s coming will be included in the loud cry message that calls people out of Babylon: And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north... This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. (Ezekiel 1:4, 28) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:27) And the sixth angel poured out his vial... that the way of the kings of the east [Jesus and the heavenly host] might be prepared. (Revelation 16:12) The loud cry brings the work of God s people to an end, and probation will then close. This message will trouble the king of the north. Being enraged because of the loud cry and sealing of God s people, the king of the north will issue a decree for their destruction: Therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many (Daniel 11:44b). We have this same death decree mentioned in Revelation: And he [the American beast] had power to give life unto the image of the beast [church-state union in America], that the image of the beast should both speak [legislate], and cause [enforce] that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:15) Ellen White likewise speaks of this death decree in the Great Controversy: A decree will finally be issued against those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, denouncing them as deserving of the severest punishment and giving the people liberty, after a certain time, to put them to death. 31 Ellen White places this death decree after the close of probation. So the final verse of this chapter happens after that time: And he [the king of the north, ruler of spiritual Babylon] shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain [spiritual Jerusalem, God s church]; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:45) Somehow, great spiritual Babylon will make a move to take control of God s church. I have come to the conclusion that Satan will at that time appear as Christ. When we speak of spiritual Babylon we must remember that the Dragon is a part of it. Satan, the Dragon, is its real leader. As the scripture says, Satan was enthroned in Rome. His seat was in Rome in the days of the church of Pergamos, during the reign of pagan Rome: I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan s seat is,... where Satan dwelleth (Revelation 2:13). And again, when the papacy came to power, the prophecy says that Satan gave his seat to the pope: And the dragon [Satan] gave him [the papal beast] his power, and his seat, and great authority (Revelation 13:2). Consider the following statement about Satan s appearance from John Januik: The Catholic Church has a prophecy which says: When Jesus Christ comes, then the Pope will give him his tiara and throne. 32 14
According to the prophecy cited by Mr. Januik, it is when Satan appears and claims to be Jesus that the pope gives his throne back to Satan. When Satan comes it will certainly be with great splendor: As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ.... The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: Christ has come! Christ has come! 33 The entire world will be deceived, even the great leaders of earth. Whether, or not, the Catholic prophecy that Mr. Januik speaks of exists, doesn t matter; everyone on earth will bow to Satan when he appears as Christ: Disguised as an angel of light, he [Satan] will walk the earth as a wonder-worker. In beautiful language he will present lofty sentiments. Good words will be spoken by him, and good deeds performed.... Crowned heads, presidents, rulers in high places, will bow to his false theories. 34 All of the leaders of the nations will bow to Satan. Although the pope is not mentioned in the statement above, he is certainly included. The pope will bow to Satan then, and even if no such Catholic prophecy was ever made, we can see that the pope and every other world leader will yield to the will of Lucifer. However, the deceived are not the ones Satan is coming for: Thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say,... How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isaiah 14:4, 12-14) Notice that Isaiah calls Lucifer the king of Babylon. He is also referred to here as a bright illuminated being; he is the shining one. 35 Lucifer said that he would exalt his throne above the stars of God. Stars are said to be the angels or messengers to the churches in Revelation 1:20. Satan will usurp the place of Christ in his attempt to deceive God s people into following him; in desperation he will try to enthrone himself in the church, the mount of the congregation. Consider what Ellen White says about Satan s last attempt to deceive God s people: Satan sees that he is about to lose his case [Satan claims, and therefore must prove, that it is impossible to obey God s commandments]. He cannot sweep in the whole world. He makes one last desperate effort to overcome the faithful by deception. He does this in personating Christ. He clothes himself with the garments of royalty which have been accurately described in the vision of John. [see Revelation 1:12-18]... The saints look on with amazement. Will they also be deceived? Will they worship Satan?... He [Satan] hears the unceasing cry for Christ to come, for Christ to deliver them. This last strategy is to personate Christ, and make them think their prayers are answered. 36 15
Satan will in desperation personate Christ. At that time, God s people will have rejected the Sunday law and will have been sealed. Satan will also have instigated the death decree against them. But God s people will still be resisting him. So he will be desperate to get them to sin. Notice which commandment Satan tries to get God s people to break at that time. Not the Sabbath commandment; he already failed with that test. He will try to get them to break the first commandment, as he did to Jesus in the wilderness of temptation (see Matthew 4:9). Satan will be desperate and attempt to get the saints to worship him, so he will try to get them to believe He is Christ come to answer their prayers. More evidence of this is found in the next verse. Jesus finishes His work at about the same time that the death decree is made in Daniel 11:44b. The righteous are there all sealed and the wicked marked. The plagues will then begin to fall, and God s people will be delivered while the wicked are destroyed by the plagues. The prophecy here retraces to fill in more information: And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people [once Jesus finishes His work, He takes the kingdom]: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time [there will be a great trial for God s people, and the plagues will begin to fall on the lost]: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1) Pastor Stephen Bohr says that the events of Daniel 11:44b-45 are parallel with Daniel 12:1, as can be seen in the chart below. 37 He also gives the page numbers in the Great Controversy where the events in Daniel 12:1 are talked about: Daniel 11:44b-45 Daniel 12:1 The King of the North goes out to destroy and Michael stands up to defend His people annihilate many (11:44b) (12:1a, GC 613) The King of the North sets up the tents of his A time of trouble such as never was palace in a strategic place between the sea and the (12:1b, GC 616) glorious holy mountain (11:45a) The King of the North comes to his end with none to help him (11:45b) God s people delivered (12:1c, GC 635) I will now take Pastor Bohr s concept and expand on it by adding my interpretation of the events in Daniel 11:44b-45, as well as add the page numbers from The Great Controversy where those events are found. It can be seen in the table below that the events I have identified in Daniel 11:44b-45 and Daniel 12:1 fit in perfect order with their respective events in The Great Controversy: 16
Daniel 11:44b-45 Daniel 12:1 The nations of earth make a death decree against Jesus stands up when His work in the heavenly Sabbath keepers (11:44b, GC 615-616) sanctuary is done (12:1a, GC 613-614) Satan personates Christ, sets up his throne over A time of trouble such as never was for God s God s church, and tries to deceive God s people people begins, and they are under great distress (11:45a, GC 624-625) (12:1b, GC 616-626) The plagues fall on the wicked, and spiritual Babylon and Satan come to their end (11:45b, GC 627-629, 637-644, and 671-673) God s people are finally delivered (12:1c, GC 629-652) It is clear that the events I have identified in Daniel 11:44b-45 do coincide with the description of the events that Ellen White has given in The Great Controversy. More study should be done here, but it seems entirely possible that these are the events that Daniel is speaking of. Likewise, Satan knows that his time is getting short, and he is working to cover up the meaning of Daniel s last prophecy. He wants us to look to the Middle East instead of unmasking his deceptions. He can then sweep in Seventh-day Adventists with the rest of Christendom. After the events described above, the resurrections will take place as identified in the next verse of Daniel s prophecy: And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2). Those who are resurrected to shame and everlasting contempt are the lost ones who come up in the special resurrection (see Mark 14:61-62; Revelation 1:7). Those raised to everlasting life are God s children. In the end, God s people will shine as the stars. Never again will they be oppressed by Satan or his followers: And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever (Daniel 12:3). This is the end of Daniel s last prophecy. Concluding Thoughts on Lesson 3 A simple outline of Pastor Roosenberg s final events is here given. Note specifically the order of items 7 and 8. Pastor Roosenberg has the loud cry coming before the Sunday law is enforced. 1. Dan. 11:40: Islam will attack the Papacy sometime in the near future 2. Dan. 11:40: Papacy and allies will reply with a massive counter attack like a whirlwind 3. Dan. 11:41: The papal alliance enters Israel and other Middle East nations will fall to it 4. Dan. 11:41: Moderate Jordan and Islamic children of Abraham will escape 5. Dan. 11:42: The radical center of Islam, including Egypt, will then be defeated 6. Dan. 11:43: Moderate or secular Islamic areas/people will follow the Papacy 7. Dan. 11:44: The tidings of the loud cry of Revelation 18 will then be proclaimed 8. Dan. 11:44: This causes the Papal alliance to enforce the Beast s Mark (Sunday) 9. Dan. 11:45: The Papal allies enter or control national Israel and the Church 10. Dan. 11:45: The Papacy and its allies end at the Second Coming of Jesus 17