Introduction
Opening song
Closing song
Scripture reading: Matth24:1-15
Closing song
Scripture reading: Matth24:1-15
Math 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple:
and his disciples came to [him] for to show him the buildings of the
temple.
24:2
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto
you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be
thrown down.
24:3
And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him
privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the
sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Three questions asked?
1)When shall these things be?
2)What [shall be] the sign of thy coming?
3),What [shall be] the sign of the end of the world?
Three questions asked?
1)When shall these things be?
2)What [shall be] the sign of thy coming?
3),What [shall be] the sign of the end of the world?
24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
many. (notice how the chapter develops and then
redevelops rptd vs. 23)
24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
24:8 All these [are] the beginning of sorrows. (has this time come yet?)
24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. (is this something that we are looking forward to now? Yes the falling of the plagues will be blamed on the Christians)
Great controversy - Chapter - Time of trouble
The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and suffer for want of food they will not be left to perish. That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children.
As Satan accuses the people of God on account of their sins, the Lord permits him to try them to the uttermost. Their confidence in God, their faith and firmness, will be severely tested. As they review the past, their hopes sink; (p.619) for in their whole lives they can see little good. They are fully conscious of their weakness and unworthiness. Satan endeavors to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless, that the stain of their defilement will never be washed away. He hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield to his temptations and turn from their allegiance to God.
Though God's people will be surrounded by enemies who are bent upon their destruction, yet the anguish which they suffer is not dread of persecution for the truth's sake; they fear that every sin has not been repented of and that through some fault in themselves they will fail to realize the fulfillment of the Saviour's promise.24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
24:11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. (While the church is scattered)
24:12
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
24:13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
24:14 And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and
then shall the end come. (end of
one thought---conclusion- the last question answered first)
Beginning of the answer to the first question - focus question for this study
24:15
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand:)
When William Miller came to the novel conclusion that the "daily" of Daniels 8:11, 12 and 11:31 was "paganism" rather than sacrifices connected with the Jewish temple services, he opened up new possibilities for the treatment of the 2300 days in Dan8:14.
Since it was Miller's "paganism" interpretation of the "daily" that permitted the 457 B.C. to 1843/44 A.D. application of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14...But it is the fact that Adventism has long since abandoned Miller's "paganism" interpretation while still continuing to claim eschatological significance for 1844. (The Loud Cry, C. Harley 1990 pg 426)
The truth is we cannot come to the same conclusion as did Miller unless we consider 2 Thess 2:7,8.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that jqWicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of ahis coming:
Questions
1) What does Paul mean by "he who now letteth,: or hindereth?
2)Well, what was it at the time which hindered popery from being revealed?
Answers
By the 'man of sin' and 'the wicked', popery is meant.
2) Why it was paganism.
(The Loud Cry, C. Harkley 1990, pg 427)
Notice the question. The question is very specific
508-AD King Clovis I gets baptized, making Roman Catholicism the official religion of the Kingdom of the Franks. United resistance against the papacy had ceased Daniel and rev pg 330. (beginning od 1290)
538 AD- The year 538 A.D. became the turning point in the history of the Roman Empire, Justinian unification of Rome by unification of the church. Justinian started persecuting all that did not celebrate Sunday as the sabbath. (beginning of 1260)
1798 - pope imprisoned by the French, end of papal rule (end of 1290 and 1260)
1843- end of 1335 time period (those studying the last day message-2nd coming)
Let us now look at a few more texts which has our reference terms in it.
Definition desolate
One thing is certain, both cannot be nouns and this gives us a good platform on which to build on.
As a result, we can understand that when Jesus said that Jerusalem is left desolate, (Matthew 23:37-39) he was not saying they were an abomination. He was just saying that the house was being left barren or wasted.
Dan 11:31
(note in this text the placing of our two keywords, I think this is the verse Jesus was talking to)
Please compare
Mark 13:14
14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Mark 13:14
14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Start Exposition
Now if Jesus says that this thing was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, where else should we go for clarification but to Daniel.? Now in Daniel there are several uses of these terms., however by examining a few of them we will be able to identify which one Jesus was referring to.
Let's begin at the more well-known texts and work our way in.
Using a concordance I looked for abomination and desolate.
(What follows are the verses I found)
Using a concordance I looked for abomination and desolate.
(What follows are the verses I found)
Daniel 8:13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
Sidebar - clarification about the 2300 day prophecy and the daily
When William Miller came to the novel conclusion that the "daily" of Daniels 8:11, 12 and 11:31 was "paganism" rather than sacrifices connected with the Jewish temple services, he opened up new possibilities for the treatment of the 2300 days in Dan8:14.
Since it was Miller's "paganism" interpretation of the "daily" that permitted the 457 B.C. to 1843/44 A.D. application of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14...But it is the fact that Adventism has long since abandoned Miller's "paganism" interpretation while still continuing to claim eschatological significance for 1844. (The Loud Cry, C. Harley 1990 pg 426)
The truth is we cannot come to the same conclusion as did Miller unless we consider 2 Thess 2:7,8.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that jqWicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of ahis coming:
Questions
1) What does Paul mean by "he who now letteth,: or hindereth?
2)Well, what was it at the time which hindered popery from being revealed?
Answers
By the 'man of sin' and 'the wicked', popery is meant.
2) Why it was paganism.
(The Loud Cry, C. Harkley 1990, pg 427)
Notice the question. The question is very specific
Question
Daniel 8:13 How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
Daniel 8:13 How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
Answer
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Notice the answer given has very little to do with the question. With all due respect to angels, it seems that the saint who was questioning, in my mind, asked the wrong question. I think this is a prime example of the angels being charged with folly. (Job 4:18)
Surely Daniel was concerned about the captivity of Israel in Babylon, and surely the angel in the vision understood this and asked what was foremost in Daniel's thoughts, however, there was a far weightier matter to be discussed at hand. The cleansing of the sanctuary must take pre-eminence over every other concern.
Daniel's question in the way it was asked, was answered further on in Dan 12:11
Surely Daniel was concerned about the captivity of Israel in Babylon, and surely the angel in the vision understood this and asked what was foremost in Daniel's thoughts, however, there was a far weightier matter to be discussed at hand. The cleansing of the sanctuary must take pre-eminence over every other concern.
Daniel's question in the way it was asked, was answered further on in Dan 12:11
12:11 And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
By the way, this 1260/1290 days prophecy refers to what took place between the periods of 508/538A.D.----1768/1798A.D.
538 AD- The year 538 A.D. became the turning point in the history of the Roman Empire, Justinian unification of Rome by unification of the church. Justinian started persecuting all that did not celebrate Sunday as the sabbath. (beginning of 1260)
1798 - pope imprisoned by the French, end of papal rule (end of 1290 and 1260)
1843- end of 1335 time period (those studying the last day message-2nd coming)
Let us now look at a few more texts which has our reference terms in it.
Definition desolate
One thing is certain, both cannot be nouns and this gives us a good platform on which to build on.
As a result, we can understand that when Jesus said that Jerusalem is left desolate, (Matthew 23:37-39) he was not saying they were an abomination. He was just saying that the house was being left barren or wasted.
Dan 11:31
11:31 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.
Dan 11:31What is the sanctuary of strength?
Sanctuary of strength. Literally, “the holy place, the refuge.” The words are in apposition (side by side). Some understand them to apply to the city of Rome, the seat of power in the ancient world, and thus “the sanctuary of strength.” Accordingly, the destructive attacks of barbarian powers are foretold.
Others believe that the heavenly sanctuary is the subject under consideration here. The Heb. word , translated “strength,” is from the verb , “to be strong,” and is used repeatedly in this chapter (vs. 7, 10, 19, 38, 39), though not uniformly translated.
The earthly sanctuary in Jerusalem was surrounded by fortifications. The heavenly sanctuary, where Christ pleads His blood on behalf of sinners, is the pre-eminent place of refuge. Accordingly, this passage has been understood to describe the action of the great apostate power in Christian history that substituted a false sacrifice and ministration for the true sacrifice of Christ and His ministration as high priest in the heavenly sanctuary.[1][1]Nichol, Francis D., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association) 1978.
Sometimes there
are problems in translations of Scriptures. This may well be the reason for
much of the confusion we have had to date. However, with a careful study we can
see that enough has been said, in Scripture, to make sense of what the
"Abomination of Desolation" is, in spite of difficulties with
translations.
What Parts of
speech are abomination and desolation? They are nouns.
This may be the first
problem with the reference "Abomination of Desolation". The words
"Abomination" and "Desolation" are not proper English. They
are two competing nouns. As we read the sentence the mind bounces back and
forth. Intuition tells us that this is a combination of an adjective and a
noun, but do we have good enough reason to believe this and which is which?
Since we understand that the
Abomination of Desolation is a noun, it is therefore understood, that what is
being referred to, is an entity and not an event.
By extension when you shall see
the abomination that maketh desolate stand in the Holy place is an event.
Understand that it is not an
abomination to make desolate.
(Dan 9:27 KJV) And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one
week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the
oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it
desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon
the desolate.
This was a
difficult verse for the translators, but now that we are focusing on this, we
can see that Daniel's prophecy was discussing the "Abomination of
Desolation". The clue is the last phrase of the verse "…and that
determined shall be poured upon the
desolate". There is no doubt that the word "desolate"
is a noun here, but just above, the same word "desolate" was
translated as an adjective. Also, note that the words "…he shall make
it…" are supplied words. They do not exist in the original text. In
the original text, the words "Abominable" and "desolate"
are next to one another.
So getting back on track, Daniel was talking about a specific allegoric personality. Daniel and the Savior both refer to the "Abomination of Desolation" as if it were an entity of some kind. Context and common sense seem to suggest that the noun "Desolation" is the reference to the entity and the word "Abomination" is an adjective. If so, the word "Desolation" should probably be rendered as "Desolate" to imply a personality or an entity, rather than a condition. Checking the meaning of the word "Desolate" might help. In Strong's concordance, it is defined as:
taken from blueletterbible.com
שָׁמֵם
Transliteration
shamem
|
Pronunciation
shä·mām' (Key)
|
Part of Speech
verb
|
Root Word (Etymology)
A primitive root
|
Dictionary Aids
TWOT Reference: 2409
| |
Outline of Biblical Usage
| |
When we think about drunken people, they are usually classified as being stupefied (stupid). Another give away, since a woman in revelation is referred to as being drunk.
So although there are so many different
references in Daniel, they are all referring to the same entity or power.
We can deduce this by looking at the characteristics each time it is mentioned.
We can deduce this by looking at the characteristics each time it is mentioned.
Bible is its own expositor
What power will have these characteristics? Dan 7:20-27
Pay close attention to the characteristics. After that, it should be clear who or what is the Abomination that maketh desolate.
What power will have these characteristics? Dan 7:20-27
Pay close attention to the characteristics. After that, it should be clear who or what is the Abomination that maketh desolate.
Dan 7:20 And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.
7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
------
7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
7:25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.
7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Compare with Dan 8:10-13
10 And bit waxed great, even ||cto the host of heaven; and dit cast down some of the host and of the stars eto the ground, and estamped upon them.
11 Yea, fhe magnified himself even ||to gthe prince of the host, and ||by him hithe daily sacrifice hwas taken away, and jthe place of his sanctuary kwas cast down.
12 And ||lan host was given him against ithe daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and kmit cast down nthe truth to the ground; and it opractised, and oprospered.
13 Then I heard pone saint speaking, and qanother saint said unto ||†that certain saint which spake, rHow long shall be the vision concerning ithe daily sacrifice, and rrthe transgression ||of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and sthe host tto be trodden under foot?
Army, trample Jerusalem, victory over the saints. How long shall this happen? In Luke 21:24 this is called the times of the gentiles. However we just established that this was for 1260 days (Rev11:3) 42 months (rev11:2) 3 1/2 years (Dan 7:25).
Notice that the little horn has the same characteristics as the abominable desolate. This is not per chance. There are some other scriptures that also make mention of this power.
Turn to
2 Thes 2:7 ,8
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that jqWicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of ahis coming:
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that jqWicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of ahis coming:
Context
Now that we
understand the power which being referred to, let us put a date one it.
What time frame
does Jesus put the setting up of the Abomination of desolation? The truth is, Jesus' words have a dual
application.
It had a
particular application to the Jews that was right there and then listening.
This was fulfilled when the Roman armies (not by chance) came and desolated
Jerusalem and its temple.
History
Roman Armies came
and set up around the city, but then left.
Those who remembered
the prophecy left the city, before the siege, and saved their lives.
So that when the
armies came back, although blood ran through the streets like water, Sis White says that not one saint was slain.
Cosmic conflict
paragraph 33
How could they have been, when they were obedient to the master’s command to flee urgently? Surely it fulfilled in those days, as the scripture tells us plainly that it would………However, Jesus adds an element of time which tells us that this has a futuristic application.
Cosmic conflict
paragraph 33
How could they have been, when they were obedient to the master’s command to flee urgently? Surely it fulfilled in those days, as the scripture tells us plainly that it would………However, Jesus adds an element of time which tells us that this has a futuristic application.
Matthew
24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the
stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken:
24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory.
24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great
sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four
winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Not the thing but the
event
Notice that when
Christ says it, it is not a noun that he is referring to but an event.
Matth
24
Notice the urgency
after verse 24:15 Stress the torture
24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Matthew
24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into
the mountains:
24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down
to take any thing out of his house:
24:18
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his
clothes.
24:19
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in
those days!
24:20
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath
day:
24:21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning
of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
24:22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here
[is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not.
(rept of vs. 5)
24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall
deceive the very elect.
24:25
Behold, I have told you before.
24:26
Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go
not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not.
24:27
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.
24:28
For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered
together.
Now that we understand what and who is the Abomination
of Desolation or simply the abominable desolate….
What does – mark
13:14 mean when it says When you shall
see the Abomination of Desolation standing where it ought not to be Mark 13:14
We know that it is
the Holy place, and this meant Jerusalem in the type, but what does it mean in
the anti-type?
Where is the holy
place that it occupies?
Some have said that the temple has to be built again in order for this to happen. But is this really what this verse is talking about?
Some have said that the temple has to be built again in order for this to happen. But is this really what this verse is talking about?
We get a little
better understanding as we understand that the abomination of desolate makes a substitute for the holy things.
In Mark 13:14 Jesus uses the word “Holy” that is not mentioned in Daniel nor in the writings of Paul, and it is this mention of the word “Holy” that gives us the very clue needed to zero in on what principle will be challenged in the last day.
In Mark 13:14 Jesus uses the word “Holy” that is not mentioned in Daniel nor in the writings of Paul, and it is this mention of the word “Holy” that gives us the very clue needed to zero in on what principle will be challenged in the last day.
Could it be that the abomination of desolation was to attack the foundations of specific holy commandments? The Commandments are Holy Rom 7:12
If this were the case, then we could find evidence of a new law being put in place substituting the established Holy laws. Yes the commandments are Holy but of the entire Decalogue only one uses the word, "Holy." Guess which one this is.
It is the Sabbath command. So if our line of reasoning is correct, then this abominable desolate would try to replace God's day of worship.
Does history reveal that this was done?
Does history reveal that this was done?
Sis white- False day of worship
The man of sin, it
is declared in Daniel, "shall think to change times and laws," And is
not this very work done now? Is he not seeking to change times and laws? {RH, April 15, 1890 par. 11}
He cannot do this, because God's holy law
is as unchangeable as his throne, and is from everlasting to everlasting.
Christ has said, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall
in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." But the question of
Sabbath and Sunday observance is to be agitated everywhere, and the deceptions of Satan will flood the world.
The man of sin has instituted a spurious Sabbath, and the Protestant world has
taken this child of the papacy and cradled and nurtured it. Satan means to make
all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of the fornication of Babylon. Men
are binding themselves together in bonds of union to show their disloyalty to
the God of heaven.
The first day of
the week is to be exalted and presented to all for observance. Shall we be
partakers of this cup of abomination? Shall we bow to the authorities of earth
and despise God? The powers of darkness have been gathering their forces to
bring this crisis about in the world, so that the man of sin may exalt himself
above God.
Understand what shall happen in the last day.
The man of sin, the office of the pope 2 Thes 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all
that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
So that he can change what God has set in order.
So that he can change what God has set in order.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image
of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as
many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
In order to establish this false system of worship it
is upon pain of death that
many will yield.
You have not yet
resisted unto blood striving against sin heb 12:4…..the character that is needed to endure
the persecution in the end.
Jesus has
re-assured us however that if we endure to the end, we will be saved. Matth
24:15
The Abominable desolate has already begun to make the motions necessary to make a law to worship on sunday.
Article
The Battle for Sunday
The
Vatican wants to establish Sunday observance in EU law. If our peoples really
understood history, this would terrify them.
The Roman
Catholic Church has been fighting to make Sunday observance mandatory in Europe
for the past 15 years. Its efforts have not yet succeeded in having a Sunday
rest enshrined in European Union law—though at times it has come close.
Over the past few months, the church has been on the attack using the
EU’s Working Time Directive.
A hideously socialist piece of legislation, the Working Time Directive
makes it illegal for a person to work for more than 48 hours a week. When
originally passed back in 1993, the directive required all employees to have a
weekly rest period, which “shall in principle include Sunday”—though it did
concede that “it is ultimately for each member state to decide whether Sunday
should be included in the weekly rest period, and if so to what extent.” But
before EU nations enforced the directive, the European Court of Justice
annulled the provision that would require employees to rest on Sunday.
Catholics have been trying to get the provision back in the directive
ever since. They may be close to doing so. The principle of Sunday rest is
already codified in EU law for all employees under 18, within the 1994 Protection
of Young People at Work Directive. It would be just one more step for the EU to
impose it on the whole workforce.
Many members of the European Parliament (meps) have supported the introduction of a Sunday rest clause over the past
few months. More than 40 meps signed two
amendments to the Working Time Directive that would enforce Sunday observance
“in principle.” The amendments did not go to vote for procedural reasons.
Of
course, behind the latest Sunday amendment proposals is the Catholic Church. The Brussels-based Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the
European Community (comece), a group of Catholic
bishops, has been leading the charge. In a November statement calling for the
European Parliament to enforce Sunday, comece said: “If the European Parliament is taking seriously the point
clearly outlined in the directive, it would be logical that it completed the
present text with a disposition on Sunday as a day of weekly rest.” The
protection of Sunday, said comece
Secretary General Piotr Mazurkiewicz, “is a cornerstone of the European social
model and an issue of central importance for workers and their families”
(TheParliament.com, Nov. 10, 2008). comece representatives have also met with a number of politicians to push
their cause.
The directive will be under discussion for a few more months. comece admonished the church to “stay mobilized” on the Sunday issue (press
release, Dec. 17, 2008). Don’t be surprised if a little pressure from the right
place gets a new amendment added enforcing Sunday.
The pope has been a strong advocate of the revival of Sunday keeping.
“Without Sunday [worship], we cannot live!” Pope Benedict xvi declared during a mass on Sept. 9, 2007, stating that it was a
“necessity” for all people.
The
prospect of a European government so powerful that it could declare one
specific day a day of rest is frightening. This would be an EU
willing and able to enforce lifestyle changes on its subjects whether they
liked it or not. It would be a Europe that enforced a state religion:
Catholicism.
Historically,
when the Catholic Church has started telling everyone to observe Sunday, it has
soon after started enforcing that law with brutality. Take the Council of
Laodicea, for example. In a.d. 363, the Catholic Church proclaimed that all those who
did not keep Sunday, but rather rested on Saturday, were “anathema”—cursed, or
excommunicated—from Christ. The Roman Empire then started torturing and
martyring all who disobeyed. After Charlemagne gained power over Europe, he too
began murdering those who kept Saturday. Throughout the Middle Ages, Saturday
observers were tortured and murdered at the behest of the Catholic Church.
Every time Europe has been strong and united, it has enforced Sunday
worship. Europe is becoming united, and its leaders are once again trying to
enforce Sunday.
Making
Sunday observance mandatory is just the first step down a bloody but well-worn
road. Yet Pope Benedict has said that the revival of Sunday worship is
fundamental to his mission.
To
anyone familiar with the teachings of the late Herbert W. Armstrong, the fact
that the EU is blatantly trying to enforce Sunday should be electrifying. Here
is what he wrote: “The Roman Church caused people to receive the mark of pagan
Rome—the Sunday observed by the pagan Roman Empire—and the penalty for
disobedience was death! Fifty million or more were put to death—so says
history. … Yes, the mark … once
again will be enforced! No one will be able to hold a job or engage in business
without it. Those refusing will once again be tortured and martyred—probably by
the secret police of the political state—but at the behest of the church!” (Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast?).
Mr. Armstrong wrote those words over 56 years ago, before the European
Economic Community even started. Now, European leaders are discussing
amendments that would force Sunday observance on the whole of Europe, exactly
the way Mr. Armstrong said they would. Bible prophecy reveals that, soon, no
one will be allowed to work on Sunday, and those who wish to observe Saturday
will be unable to buy or sell (Revelation 13:16-17). As in the past, when the
Catholic Church has the power to enforce Sunday, life will be brutal for those
who disagree.
Connection
As in the type
when the armies came back to Jerusalem, blood ran in the streets like water. In our day the anti-typical armies have already come and encamped around the city and left.
In the mid to late 1800's (1832-88) when there was pending legislation to force all in the US to worship on Sunday, A T Jones presented a defense for the observance of the biblical Sabbath which put that legislature on the back burner. However it was not destroyed, and it is destined to resurface. A group of people called the lords day alliance" have pledged to make Sunday the official day of rest and the biblical Sabbath to be disregarded.
In the mid to late 1800's (1832-88) when there was pending legislation to force all in the US to worship on Sunday, A T Jones presented a defense for the observance of the biblical Sabbath which put that legislature on the back burner. However it was not destroyed, and it is destined to resurface. A group of people called the lords day alliance" have pledged to make Sunday the official day of rest and the biblical Sabbath to be disregarded.
Appeal
This is why this call is so urgent.
You understand.
Make as many as you can understand the seriousness of the matter and the time
we are living in.
Also make them
understand what it is that is coming so we all can be ready
So that we can be
ready to meet Jesus and to go home with him when the time comes.
[1]Nichol,
Francis D., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, (Washington,
D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association) 1978.
No comments:
Post a Comment