| Study Daniel and Revelation Together |
Today's Text:
Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. Daniel 10:14
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The Message:
Daniel identified himself with Israel's sins, and confessed their sins as his own. He prayed, "O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name." Yet Gabriel, the heavenly messenger, thrice called him a man greatly beloved. "And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of the supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision." [Daniel 9:19-23.]
Here is a communication direct from heaven to Daniel. How can we but see how closely the universe of heaven is connected with this fallen world! These communications given to Daniel should fill our souls with awe, with humility, with meekness, and lay our pride low in the dust.
I tried to present to the people the short time we have in which to work. I tried to present before them the necessity of prayer, earnest, heart-felt prayer. How little exaltation Daniel had when the Lord condescended to communicate with him.
"And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me. ... Then said he, knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will show thee what is noted in the Scripture of truth, and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince." [ Daniel 10:15-18, 20, 21.]
A wonderful connection is here seen between the universe of heaven and this world. The things revealed to Daniel were afterward complemented by the revelation made to John on the isle of Patmos. These two books should be carefully perused. Twice Daniel inquired, How long shall it be to the end of time? "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.... But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." [Daniel 12:8-10, 13.]
It was the Lion of the tribe of Judah who unsealed the book and gave to John the revelation of what should be in these last days. Daniel stood in his lot to bear his testimony, which was sealed until the time of the end, when the first angel's message should be proclaimed to our world. These matters are of infinite importance in these last days, but while "many shall be purified, and made white, and tried," "the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand." [Verse 10.] How true this is. Sin is the transgression of the law of God, and those in the denominational churches who will not accept the light in regard to the law of God, will not understand the proclamation of the first, second, and third angel's messages. The book of Daniel is unsealed in the revelation to John, and it carries us forward to the last scenes of this earth's history.
The case of Daniel reveals to us the fact that the Lord is always ready to hear the prayers of the contrite soul, and when we seek the Lord with all our hearts, He will answer our petitions. Here is revealed where Daniel obtained his skill and understanding; and if we will only ask of God wisdom, we may be blessed with increased ability, and with power from heaven. If we will come to God just as we are, and pray to Him in faith as did Daniel, we shall see of the salvation of God. We need to pray as we never prayed before.-Letter 59, 1896 (Manuscript Releases 18:14-16).
*Note: I have added in the parts that were left out by the compilers for what ever reason, that the true sentiment of the author may be seen.
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Commentary:
My friend, the study of the books of Daniel and Revelation will reveal to us the events that are to happen in these last days. The book of Revelation is not a closed book as some would have us believe, but it is a revelation of Jesus Christ. As we study these two books God opens to the mind of the reader wonderful things about Himself, His Son, and how he deals with sin.
Revelation reveals the character of Jesus. The message to the churches of Asia-Minor revealed that Jesus was in the midst of them. Though He was ministering in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary above, He is depicted as being in the midst of His church. Though Christ had taken upon Himself humanity and could no longer be everywhere at once, He was with His church by His Spirit.
The trinity teaches that the Spirit of God is a separate being from the Father and the Son, and thus the work of the Holy Spirit here on this earth is not the work of Christ, but the work of another being. But the Scriptures tell us a different story. It tells us that Christ is among His people by His Spirit, not the Spirit of another.
In the message that is given to each of the churches, Jesus presents Himself in a way that each of the churches needs. He gives them a message that is needed, and at the end of each message He says "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). The Spirit that is speaking to the churches is not the spirit of another being, but is the very Spirit of Christ.
When Jesus said that He would pray the Father would send them another comforter, He was not saying that He was sending another being to them, but that He would come to them in a different form. He said "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (John 14:16-18). The Comforter spoken of here was an illustration to them of how He would be with them always. Though He would be physically in heaven, He would be with them by His Spirit.
This very teaching is used by the trinity to promote the Holy Spirit (a being that is not the Father, nor the Son) as the Comforter, but the Scriptures do not support this. The Comforter spoken of here is the Spirit of truth, yet just a few verses before Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life:" (John 14:6). He said, speaking of the Comforter, "but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:17). They already knew the Comforter because they knew Jesus, and He dwelt with them.
The word for Comforter used only by John in the new testament is the Greek word Par-ak'-lay-tos, which means both comforter and advocate. It is used only five times in the Bible and only by John. Four of the five times it is translated as Comforter, and one time as Advocate. In John 14:26 Jesus says that the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, and in 1 John 2:1 it says that the Comforter is Jesus Christ the righteous. "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:" Though the translators chose advocate, the author used the word Par-ak'-lay-tos in the same way he used it in the book of John. We have an Comforter with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
My friend, no matter how you slice it, the trinity is not the One true God of the Bible. It is a false representation of God that destroys the whole gospel, and leads the believer to worship a false god.
May you turn away from the false god of the trinity unto the One true God through His Son Jesus Christ the righteous.
God bless,
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Video of the Week
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| The Law of Life - David Clayton |
A sermon from the 2018 Roan Mountain Camp Meeting
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