The following brief selections from the spirit of prophecy are of much significance, and should serve both as a stimulus and a guide in the study of the books mentioned:
" Ministers should present the sure word of prophecy as the foundation of the faith of Seventh-day Adventists. The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation should be carefully studied, and in connection with them the words, ' Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.' ""Gospel Workers," p. 148.
" The book of Revelation opens with an injunction to us to understand the instruction that it contains. . . . When we as a people understand what this book means to us, there will be seen among us a great revival. . . . When the books of Daniel and Revelation are better understood, believers will have an entirely different religious experience."—" Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers," pp. 113, 114.
" The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the word of God from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary."—" Gospel Workers," p. 315.
The series of articles of which this is the first, is designed to call attention to the gospel message which is found in the books of Daniel and the Revelation, and the-perversions of that gospel which constitute an emphatic call for, and a complete justification of, the interpretation of the gospel as found in the second advent message.
The limitations of space prohibit any development of the suggestions here made. It is hoped that each Bible student will be able to do this for himself.
Some Fundamental Propositions
The consummation of the gospel is the second advent. Without it the gospel falls short of its divinely ordained end.
The goal of all history in the mind of God is the second advent. Without this, history is a hopeless jumble of unrelated events.
The everlasting gospel, as unfolded in the Scriptures, furnishes the true philosophy of history,— the gospel of the kingdom,
The advent hope has been the blessed hope of the true church in all ages.
This second advent movement is a fulfillment of prophecy, and its aim is " to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for Him."
The doctrine of the second advent is the everlasting gospel in its fullness, the consummation of all doctrine, in which needed emphasis is placed upon teachings which have been either neglected, perverted, or rejected.
The books of Daniel and the Revelation provide the prophetic setting, for the second advent movement, expose the work of Satan in the climax of all apostasy, and furnish the needed instruction for the revival of the advent hope.
In Revelation 14: 6-16 is found the key to the right interpretation of the everlasting gospel to the last generation, indicating what features of it should receive special emphasis.
A brief consideration of the circumstances under which the book of Daniel was written will contribute to a clearer understanding of its message.
The time was the middle of the sixth century a c., during the captivity in Babylon, and not the middle of the second century B. c., during the revolt of the Maccabees against the rule of Rome, as is held by some leading modern interpreters.
The overthrow of Jerusalem by Babylon was the greatest crisis in the history of Israel. The promises to David that his house, his throne, and his kingdom should endure forever (2 Sam. 7: 13-16), which had been relied upon even in the face of deliberate apostasy, had apparently failed. The ten tribes were carried away by Assyria in 722-21 B. c., when Samaria was captured by Sargon. In three successive campaigns Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had utterly destroyed Jerusalem in the time of Zedekiah, 586 B. c., and had carried a very large part of its people to his own land, while nearly all who were left had gone down into Egypt, contrary to the counsel of the prophet Jeremiah. While the 89th psalm may be prophetic of the Messiah's humiliation, yet it certainly is appropriate to the time of the captivity in Babylon. This psalm celebrates the faithfulness of Jehovah (vs. 1, 2), recites the covenant with David (vs. 3, 4, 35-37), and then vividly complains of the apparent failure of these promises, closing with the agonizing cry, " Lord, where are Thy former loving-kindnesses, which Thou swarest unto David in Thy faithfulness? " Verse 49.
The advent hope was then at its lowest ebb. The loss of the vividness of a present Messiah, a personal Redeemer, had resulted in the loss of the vividness of the hope of a Messiah, a Redeemer, who was to come. The religion of Babylon, a most complete system of idolatry (Jer. 50: 38), had invaded Jerusalem, the covenant relation between God and His people had been ignored, and all right to a divine protector against their enemies had been forfeited. The invisible king of Babylon had captured the hearts of the people before the visible king of Babylon captured their city.
The historical sketches and the remarkable prophecies recorded in the book of Daniel were designed to revive and to maintain the advent hope in the hearts of the people when Babylon had apparently triumphed, and when, from a human standpoint, the Messianic promises had been extinguished. This history has been repeated in the experience with modern Babylon, and the book of Daniel, supplemented by the book of Revelation, is now designed to revive and to maintain the advent hope in this generation, when the outlook for the final triumph of modern Babylon seems favorable, when modern Protestantism has largely discarded the divine revelation of a personal second advent, and when the scattered remnant have no other stay than the promises of God.
Characteristic Features of the Book of Daniel
The book of Daniel opens a new era in prophecy. The other prophets, from Amos to Jeremiah, while proclaiming the gospel of, the Coming One, notably in the case of Isaiah, had yet emphasized the danger of formality and apostasy, and had foretold the inevitable result — captivity both of Israel and of Judah. This was now a matter of history. Further warnings of the same kind are therefore no longer demanded. But what about the future? Will the Davidic promises be fulfilled? Will the advent hope ever be realized?
Some of the distinguishing characteristics of the book of Daniel may fittingly be pointed out. Here we find the first prophecy which gives a definite outline of the history of the world from the captivity to the end, with the unqualified assurance that the God of heaven will finally set up His kingdom. Daniel 2, 7, 11, 12.
Here we have the first prophecy which fully describes the great apostasy, headed by the man of sin of 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-7, and designated in the book of Revelation as Babylon. Rev. 17: 4, 5.
Here we have the first prophecy which gives the exact time for the appearance of the Messiah and His cutting off. Dan. 9: 24-26.
Here we have the first prophecy which gives the exact time when the great and final day of atonement commences. Dan. 8: 13, 14.
Here we have the first prophecy which reveals the fact that the kingdom and the dominion will be given to the Son of man, who will receive it in behalf of the saints. Dan. 7: 13, 14, 18, 27. This is especially significant in view of the application of this expression, the Son of man, by Christ to Himself about forty times in the four Gospels.
The great theme of the book of Daniel is the gospel of the Messiah and His kingdom as a basis for the revival of the advent hope, and the maintenance of this hope firm to the end.
The Gospel Must Be Preached in Babylon
The gospel was preached to Abraham in the promise, " In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. 12:3. (Cf. Gal. 3:8.) In the fulfillment of this promise God's people were to co-operate with Him. It was God's purpose to send the message of life to Babylon, but those who should have been the messengers failed to fulfill their part. In the providence of God it was so ordered that the king of Babylon sent a delegation to Jerusalem to inquire concerning the God who had delivered King Hezekiah from a mortal sickness (Isa. 39: 1; 2 Chron. 32: 31), but Hezekiah showed them the riches of his kingdom instead of the riches of the grace of God, and this called forth from the prophet the prediction of the captivity in Babylon. Isa. 39: 6, 7.
What would not be done under favorable circumstances must be done under unfavorable circumstances, and so the gospel was preached in Babylon during the captivity, and Daniel and his three companions were the preachers. But first these young men must be \proved, to see whether they could be trusted to reveal the gospel of the kingdom to their heathen captors. The record of this test is in the first chapter of Daniel. They refused to join in the worship of the gods of Babylon by declining to eat the food which had been consecrated to idols, proving themselves loyal to the God of Jerusalem under the most adverse circumstances. Then came the opportunity to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God to Nebuchadnezzar, and through him to the world.
The Secret of the Kingdom of God The rise and fall of kingdoms was the subject of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, as found in the second chapter of Daniel, and by his ability to tell the dream and to interpret it Daniel made known the secret, or the mystery, of the heavenly kingdom. The wise men of Babylon failed to meet the demand made upon them, and in excusing themselves they exposed the failure of all false religions — their gods did not dwell with flesh. Dan. 2: 11. In meeting their challenge Daniel demonstrated the essential truth of Christianity—personal communion with God. The king's response is very significant: " Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret." Dan. 2: 47. Daniel outlined world history, leading up to the triumph of the everlasting kingdom of God, and in doing this established the fact that " the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14: 17), and that he himself enjoyed intimate personal fellowship with the Great Revealer who afterward appeared as the Prophet of Nazareth. The central feature of Christianity is the union of divinity and humanity, when the King takes His place upon the throne of the heart and sets up His kingdom of righteousness within, becoming Himself the eternal life of him who receives Him. This is the gospel of the kingdom which Daniel made known to the king of Babylon, as recorded in the second chapter of Daniel. But we must not overlook the historical setting in which this gospel was taught to Nebuchadnezzar. The chronology of world empires enables us to determine when the setting up of the kingdom of glory is at hand. The gospel of the kingdom is the true philosophy of history.
The Gospel of Deliverance
In the experience of the third chapter of Daniel the gospel of the Son of God as the mighty deliverer is proclaimed. The response of the king testifies to this. Dan. 3: 28. It should be noted that the Deliverer did not save the three young men from going into the fiery furnace, but that He went in with them and brought them out safely. In the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God identified Himself with humanity under the sentence of death, and was made in all things " like unto His brethren, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Heb. 2:17. Thus the appearance of the fourth in the furnace of fire, and the deliverance of the three loyal worshipers of the true God, suggest the incarnation, the atoning death, the resurrection, and the priesthood of Christ. " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." " The word of the cross is to them that are perishing foolishness; but unto us who are being saved it is the Power of God." 1 Cor. 1: 18, margin. In this chapter some of the marks of Babylon, by which modern Babylon could easily be recognized, are plainly revealed: 1. An arbitrary monarchy. 2. A union of church and state. 3. Intolerance. 4. Persecution. 5. A decree enforcing religious worship.
Pride Abased and God Exalted
In the dream of the fourth chapter of Daniel and the attendant experience we have an emphatic lesson concerning the relation of the King and the kingdom of heaven to the kingdom of men, as is stated in three different places. Dan. 4:17, 25, 32. The king of Babylon glorified himself. Dan. 4:30. (Cf. Rev. 18:7.) This is in harmony with the fact that the prophet Jeremiah addressed Babylon as pride personified. Jer. 50:29-32. (Note the marginal readings.) Such a one is a mere animal in God's sight. Pa. 49:20. This was openly manifested in the case of Nebuchadnezzar. But he learned his lesson. His pride was abased, and he praised and extolled and honored the King of heaven, and became His servant.
Thus the gospel was preached in Babylon in three messages — God the revealer, God the deliverer, and God the ruler. But God is made known as the revealer in Christ the prophet, as deliverer in Christ the priest, and as ruler in Christ the king. So in the three messages to Babylon Christ was foreshadowed in His three great and all-inclusive offices, prophet, priest, and king. And by this full presentation of the saving gospel the heathen king of Babylon was converted. Will not the same preaching of the gospel convert some in Babylon to-day? But in order to be able to do this, we must each have the same Christian experience which Daniel had,— absolute loyalty to God and to the principles of His kingdom of righteousness.
The Reason for the Fall of Babylon
From the fifth chapter of Daniel we learn that the fall of Babylon was due to the rejection of the gospel message which had been preached in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. Of course Cyrus was at the gates of Babylon, but so was Sennacherib at the gates of Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah. Jerusalem was delivered because of the cry of the king to God, and Babylon was captured because the king, as stated by Daniel, " praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, 'bast thou not glorified." Dan. 5: 23. (Compare the message, " Fear God, and give Him glory." Rev. 14: 7.)
When the threefold message of Revelation 14: 6-16 has been fully given to Babylon in our day, then will come the utter overthrow of modern Babylon, and the end of the world. It is our responsibility to proclaim this gospel message " in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."
(To be continued)
