Fundamental Doctrines of the Remnant 3
30. Special Resurrections –God refers to a couple of special resurrections in the Bible. He told us the potential resurrection of Isaac at the hands of Abraham (Hebrews 11:17-19). He told us about the special resurrection of Moses – who died (Deuteronomy 34:5-6) and was resurrected by Michael/Jesus (Jude 9; Matthew 17:3). Then there is the special resurrection of the saints who were resurrected at the time of Jesus’ resurrection (Matthew 27:50-53). In Daniel 12:2 and Revelation 1:7 Jesus teaches us about a special resurrection. He tells us that there is a pre-resurrection in which the saints who have preached the 3rd Angels message will be resurrected to hear “the covenant of peace) from the mouth of God (Early Writings page 285 and Great Controversy 637). In addition a special group of the wicked, and those who pierced Him, will be resurrected to see that all that Jesus said at Calvary was true. These also will see the coming of Jesus and will be slain by the brightness of His coming. In these resurrections God wanted to fulfill His promises to both groups of people that when He promises something it will come to pass.
31. What is the Little Horn of Daniel 7 & 8? – The Little Horn of Daniel 7-8 is the Roman Catholic Church. Daniel 2 says that there were four metals – Babylon was the head of Gold, and then Medo-Persian as the silver nation, Greece as the nation of Brass, and Rome the nation of Iron. In Daniel 2:43 there is a further development in the Iron nation and it is mixed with clay, a symbol of the church (Jeremiah 18:1-11). In Daniel 7 we have the four beasts consisting of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. In Daniel 7 the Little Horn grows out of the head of the fourth beast, amongst the ten horns. This horn comes up after the development of the ten horns – so historically the Little Horn comes up after the time of the development of the ten horns, and then plucks up three of those horns. If we place the Little Horn on the fourth beast it must come up after the time of the Grecian Beast kingdom. This Little Horn is able to speak governmental decrees, and it persecutes God’s saints, and then it seeks to change God’s times and laws. Then in Daniel 8 we have a similar rehearsal of historical events but this time the animals are sanctuary animals – so the focus is on the sanctuary system. In Daniel 8 the animals are the Ram – Medo-Persia, and the Goat – Greece. The third kingdom to be mentioned is the Little Horn kingdom that comes up from the winds of heaven in Daniel 8:8. This horn is connected to Daniel 7 by its name – Little Horn, just as it was named in Daniel 7:8. Daniel 8:23-25 a fierce king shall arise and he will attack even the Prince of Princes and only Rome was able to do that for Jesus came in the time of the Caesars (Luke 3:1) and it was be the decree of the Pilate, a Roman leader that Jesus was crucified. Greece did not do this. In the later developments of Rome the whole sanctuary intercessory ministry of Jesus was corrupted by the efforts of the Little Horn. It was taught that all prayers must go through the ambassadors of Rome before it could get to Jesus. (See on the Daily). This Little Horn kingdom is the same as that of the man of sin in II Thessalonians 2 and the Sea Beast of Revelation 13. It is the Roman Catholic Church system.
32. What are the Candlesticks of Rev 1-3? The 7 Candlesticks mentioned in Revelation 1-3 are God’s last complete church history – symbolized by one series of 7 which means completeness or a full picture of the ministry of God (Acts of Apostles page 585). Jesus chose to present to us 7 churches each with a different name, indicating its character and each revealing events in a specific time period. The 7 churches, or 7 candlesticks, is to get us to look back at the functions of the candlesticks in the temple. Jesus wants us to get a view of His intercessory ministry in the Holy Place in heaven for it is during the Holy Place ministry (31 AD to 1844 AD) that the majority of the work of the church is completed under. The 7th church, the church of Laodicea, is completed in the time from 1844 to the close of probation in the Most Holy Place. Each church is given a name, each church has a time period, and each church has a message, and a warning, and an overcoming, and a promise. The 7 church periods are roughly as follows – 1. Ephesus – Pure or Desirable – 31 AD – 100 AD; 2. Smyrna – Sweet Smelling – 100AD-313 AD; 3. Pergamos – Elevated – 313AD -538 AD; 4. Thyatira – Sacrifice of Contrition – 538 AD – 1517 AD; 5. Sardis – That Which Remains – 1517 AD – 1831 AD; 6. Philadelphia – Brotherly Love – 1831 AD – 1844 AD; 7. Laodicea – Judging the People – 1844 AD – the Close of Probationary time.
33. What are the Seals of Rev 4-7? The seals of Revelation 4-7 are to testify of the gospel of Jesus sent out to all the world from the second piece of furniture in the Sanctuary in Heaven – the Table of Shewbread. The Table of Shewbread is to tell us about how God cares for our needs – both physically and spiritually – as He did for Israel of old when they were moving from Egypt to Canaan. It would be helpful if we could see each one of the 7 seals, the completeness of this part of the gospel message, being another piece of the Bread of Heaven sent out to offer salvation full and free to all would hear. God’s church goes out first under the symbols of the four horsemen (a horse is a symbol of God’s church Zechariah 10:3) and then talks about three final events in the ministry of God’s people through the 7 seals. The seven seals roughly cover the following time periods which will be very similar to the periods of the 7 Churches. 1. Victory – 31 AD-100 AD; 2. Pagan Persecution 100AD – 313AD; 3. Apostasy – 313 AD – 538 AD; 4. Death – 538 AD – 1230 AD; 5. Martyrs – 1230 AD – 1755 AD; 6. Signs – 1755 AD – 1844 AD; 7. Move to the Most Holy Place – 1844 AD – Close of Probation.
34. What are the Trumpets of Rev 8-11? The Trumpets of Revelation 8-11 are to bring our focus to the third piece of furniture in the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary – the Altar of Incense. Prayer is one of the great intercessory activities of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God’s people. Again God will send out His gospel messages through His church in the form of 7 Trumpet Calls to repentance. Each message will be sent out, a response will take place and then a judgment will occur as a result of that rejected trumpet call. 1. Trumpet call to Jerusalem of old to call them to repentance 31 AD – 70 AD; 2. Call to Pagan Rome to repent – 70 AD – 313 AD; 3. Early Church calls by the disciples to repent and come back to Jesus – 313 AD – 538 AD; 4. Call to the Early Papal Church by the Albigenses and Waldenses– 538 AD – 1216 AD; 5. Early Inquisition in an attempt to deny the call of the early reformation by people like Wycliff, under the Dominicans 1216 AD – 1537 AD; 6. Later Inquisition under the Jesuits in an attempt to deny the trumpet call of the Reformation by Luther – 1537 AD – 1844 AD; 7. Final call to repentance under the gospel call of those who made it through 1844 AD – Close of Probation.
35. What is the Little Book of Rev 10? – The little book is described in Revelation 10:2 and 10:8-11 was a description of the events that took place between 1798 and 1844. God was pleased to reveal the issues in His little book, that section of Scripture that had been sealed up to the time of 1798 when the Bible began to be understood about the last great time prophecy of 1844. The events leading up to the great disappointment in 1844 were described in this book, and in the 7 thunders. See 7 Bible Commentary 971. The Angel that brings this little book was Jesus Himself for He is the Mighty Angel (Michael) clothed with a cloud of angel witnesses and He has the Covenant rainbow on His head. He sets His feet on earth and sea showing that He has dominion over the entire earth. He declares that there will soon be time no longer – meaning no more time prophecies – this is in preparation of October 22, 1844 when the last time prophecy will be fulfilled. Jesus tells John to take the little book and eat it – meaning that he represents God’s people in that time between 1798 and 1844, and that they will get special understanding of the events of that time just like Ezekiel did in Ezekiel chapters 2-3. God was going to have a people who told the time prophecies, helped prepare these people to go through the events and to prepare to preach again after the great disappointment.
36. What the Two Witnesses of Rev 11? – The two witness of Revelation 11 is another presentation of the Old Testament and New Testament coming to the people of God. Up until 1798 the people of God had limited access to the Bible. After the wound given to the Papacy the Bible was spread throughout the world through the Bible societies. With access to the Word of God, then prayers ascended to God asking for more light. God sent these two witnesses to prepare God’s people for the events of 1844, and He opened their understanding to the understanding of the time prophecies in Daniel 8:14 and in Daniel 9 and 12. They learned about the cleansing of the sanctuary and began to preach about the soon return of Jesus in 1844 – the last time period of the 2300 day prophecy. They preached that the 1260 days would be finished from 538 AD to 1798 AD and then the Bible would clarify the movement of Jesus from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place as described in Revelation 11:19.
37. What is the Ark of the Covenant in Rev 11:19 – The transition point between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place occurs in Revelation 11:19. In this text the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary is opened and John is permitted to see the Ark of the Covenant. The Most Holy Place is only opened during the time of the Day of Atonement on the 7th day of the Tenth month or the end of the religious year. This day also starts the Investigative Judgment and is testified to in Daniel 7:9-14 and Malachi 3:1-7. This movement into the Most Holy Place is described in the chapter in Early Writings called “the End of the 2300 Days”. It is also described in chapters 24-28 in the Great Controversy. This movement into the Most Holy Place occurs at the end of the 2300 days prophecy of Daniel 8:14 and signals the time of the development of the Seventh Day Adventist Church to preach the gospel and the time of the Judgment in Revelation 14:6-7 and the rest of the three angels messages of Revelation 14:1-12. The time had come in 1844 to raise up a people who could, and would, preach about the whole sanctuary doctrine and call the world to the awareness that the last of the sanctuary events had now occurred. All of God’s true people would be willing to preach this sanctuary doctrine that the Little Horn had done everything in its power to distort and hide. But God had proclaimed the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven and in October 22, 1844 that time had arrived and God had prepared a people to learn this doctrine and then to teach it.
38. What are the Beasts of Rev 13? – There are a number of major figures in Revelation 13 – the Sea Beast which is the composite beast that consisted of the leopard of Greece, the feet of the bear which was Persia, the speech of the lion of Babylon, and was granted power by the dragon of Rome. These beasts are described in various ways in Daniel 2, 7, 8-12. This beast is the same as the Little Horn of Daniel 7-8 the Papacy. This beast is described as coming up out of the seas of people, and proclaimed the blasphemy that it could forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7) and that claimed to have the authority of God (John 10:30-33). This power lasted the same amount of time as the Little Horn of Daniel 7 forty two months or 1260 days. This beast had the same pattern of blaspheming God’s people, His sanctuary, and His name just like the Little Horn as described in Daniel 8. Revelation 13: 7 says that he is the same beast who especially persecuted God’s people. Revelation 13 also says that this power is seeking the worship of all of the people of the world, thus making it a religious power. The only earthly kingdom that fulfills all of these issues is the Roman Catholic Church for she is the extension of the Roman Empire, with a religious history of 1260 years.
The second beast is described in verses 11-16 of Revelation 13. This is a government that comes up around 1798 and is viewed as a Christian nation – for he had two horns like a lamb. This nation was gentle and kind in the beginning but eventually speaks, or legislates, like a dragon, like Rome. This government is not seeking worship for itself so it tends to be more secular, but it does direct worship to the first beast, or Rome. This indicates that there is a strong connection between the earth beast and the sea beast, the earth beast supporting the sea beast. It does have religious connections in that it has the ability to call down deceptive miracles to deceive the people of the world and get them to develop an image to the beast. This government is the United States of America. It came up out of a desolate place – America, and it started out as a lamb like government for it consisted mostly of people trying to come to America to have freedom to worship in harmony with the conscience of the individual. After gaining enough power it proclaimed its freedom from England, fought its wars of independence, and when established it grew to greater and greater power. Eventually it will unite fully with the Roman Catholic Church and direct all of the worship of the people it controls to the Roman Catholic Church. It will do this through the making of an image to the Beast. It will formulate a worship system that looks Biblical but will direct its worship to the Beast, and essentially to the dragon. It does this through apostate Protestantism. Protestantism essentially started by protesting against the sins of the Roman Catholic Church. But since Protestantism did not fully break from the Roman Catholic Church, and kept many of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, it carried these ideas to America and started up its religious practices at a distance from its mother – Rome. Over time these errors have spread further and further and when united with the power of the United States of America will present a religious system that depends up false supernatural power, and will require a sign of worship, similar to what Nebuchadnezzar did in Daniel 3 be declaring a worship system by which one has to negate a principle of worship of God and giving this worship to a false god, Rome, and Satan who is behind Rome and the United States of America. This worship system is called the Mark of the Beast in Revelation 13:15-18. This sign is a violation of the laws of God, for obedience to God’s laws are a sign on the forehead and a mark on the hand in Exodus 13:1-9; 16; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; 11:18-22. The primary issue of disagreement will eventually be the conflict over Sabbath worship versus Sunday worship for this point is the great point of contention between the worshippers of the God of the Bible versus the worship of the things of man. In Daniel 3 Nebuchadnezzar wanted everyone to worship a golden image, in I Kings 11:1-9 Solomon proclaimed the ecumenical worship of his heathen wives, and it turned his heart away from the laws of God (Deuteronomy 17:14-20) and it turned Israel away from obedience to God. Any worship system that turns God’s people away from God creates a mark of the beast a symbol that all can recognize as a denial of God. Sabbath worship will be that great issue in the end. Great Controversy 448-449. The power that encourages this worship is apostate Protestantism those churches (women) who proclaim independence from the doctrines of Rome, but who in effect teach the worship of Rome’s doctrines. This threefold union is described in more detail in Revelation 16:13-14. The teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, backslidden United States of America, joined with apostate Protestantism forms the three unclean spiritual teachings of the Devil, the Roman Catholic Church and apostate Protestantism. This unholy trinity will unite to deceive the world, just before the second coming of Christ.
39. What is the Mark of the Beast? The Mark of the Beast is also called the number of his name, and is also call the number of a man. In all of these names it is clear that the number and mark of this issue is not the number of God. God’s number is 7. The number 7 is revealed in the number of days in the week, especially the 7th day Sabbath and is in fact the sign/mark of God’s ability to sanctify us Exodus 31:12-17 and Ezekiel 20:12. God also says that the sign of our knowledge of who our Creator is also connected to the Sabbath Ezekiel 20:20. This number 7 is also revealed in a variety of Bible experiences like the Creation week where Jesus invites man, created on the 6th day to enter into a Sabbath experience with Him on the 7th day. It was God’s gift to man. Mark 2:27-28. Also this experience with 7s is reflected in a holy and spiritual experience with God like with the series of 7s in the conquest of Jericho Joshua 6:4 – the children of Israel were to show their obedience to Jesus (Joshua 5:13-15) by following the 7 priests who blew 7 trumpets, while marching around Jericho 7 times and doing this on the 7th day Sabbath. They had a 7777 experience and God blessed them by giving them the victory over Jericho. Abraham used 7 ewe lambs to testify the truth to Abimelech Genesis 21:27-30. When Judah was fully surrendered to God the Philistines brought gifts and the Arabians brought gifts to Jehoshaphat of 7700 rams and 7700 he goats – II Chronicles 17:9-11. In II Chronicles 29:21 Hezekiah did not offer the great volumes of sacrifices like Solomon did but he chose a select number – 7 bullocks, 7 rams, 7 lambs, and 7 he goats. Multiples of sevens indicate that God’s people are in tune with the mind of Christ and are willing to deal with Him with surrendered hearts and actions including keeping the Sabbath.
In contrast with the 7777 experience those who rebel against Jesus are those who refuse the 7777 sign and will choose to disobey Jesus on most every issue. Instead of the dietary issues they will eat pigs – Isaiah 65:1-4, if God wants them to turn to the right they will turn to the left, if God wants them to worship Him on the 7th day they will worship on the day after the Sabbath Isaiah 56:1-12. The most classic display of rebellion is that of Solomon. Solomon was told to observe specific commandments as king in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. When Solomon was blessed with special wisdom he found ways to turn away from God including acquiring 666 talents of gold in I Kings 10:14. This sign/number/mark was a testimony of the amount of rebellion that was taking place in the kingdom and which finally resulted in the ecumenical movement of marrying all of his pagan wives/churches and entering into their worship services and with his heart turned away from God. In addition to this Solomon sought to kill the Lord’s anointed in I Kings 11:26-40 thus Solomon displayed all of the signs of rebellion as listed in the definition of the Papacy in Great Controversy page 443. In conclusion 666 is a sign, mark, or testimony of the heart in relationship to worshipping God. A 666 heart is a sign of rebellion, and a 7777 heart is a sign of submission and devotion to God.
40. What are the commandments of God in Rev 14:12 – The commandments of God in Revelation 14:12 are the Ten Commandments, and all of the instruction and counsels of God given to us through His Word, and through His prophets. These commandments are the same as those given to Abraham in Genesis 26:5. The key is that God will help us to keep His commandments by faith in Him, for we can not keep God’s commandments apart from His power and love.
41. What are the 7 Plagues of Rev 16? – The 7 last plagues, spoken of in Revelation 16, are God’s final judgments poured out on earth after the close of probation spoken of in Revelation 15, when there is no man in the temple. God’s plagues, or signs and wonders, as displayed in Exodus 4:29-31 through the Red Sea experience, display God’s power over the things of earth and over the gods in the minds of men. God says in Early Writings 280 “It was impossible for the plagues to be poured out while Jesus officiated in the sanctuary; but as His work there is finished, and His intercession closes, there is nothing to stay the wrath of God, and it breaks with fury upon the shelterless head of the guilty sinner who has slighted salvation and hated reproof.” All of God’s signs and wonders have been displayed to encourage faith, and or to challenge the hold of error on the mind. PP 333-334; 263-264, 270. The signs and wonders, displayed by God before probation closes, are calculated to do the same for God’s people in the last days. The 7 last plagues are signs and wonders to solidify the faith of God’s people and to correct the errors of those who hate God. God’s plagues are signs and wonders to show that the gods of the wicked are powerless against the God of Israel. The 6th plague, the drying up of the Euphrates is to reveal to the wicked that God has blessed Israel and they will finally see that they have been deceived by the three unclean spirits, and that Jesus, the true God of Israel, is greater than all of the wonders of the world. Each of the 7 last plagues shows the power of God over nature and over evil. The 7th plague is the destruction of the world at the voice of God. Then all evil will be stoned from heaven in fulfillment of texts like Numbers 15:32-36; or Leviticus 20:1-6, 27. God will leave nothing unfulfilled that He has spoken of in His Word. At the end of these plagues Jesus will come to save His people.