The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 61

January 22, 1884

“The Sermon. Daniel 7:21, 22” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 61, 4, pp. 49, 50.

BY ELD. A. T. JONES

TEXT: “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 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.” ARSH January 22, 1884, page 49.1

THESE are the closing words of Daniel’s inquiry of the angel about the truth of the fourth beast, and of the horns which were in his head, and of the other one before whom three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots, and they apply to that one of which he said he had a mouth which spoke great things, and whose look was more stout than his fellows. And the angel in his reply gave specifications further which fix the application truly upon the papacy. But there is a point in the words of Daniel, verse 22, which is not specially touched by the angel in his reply, that is, the entire length of time in which the little horn should make war against the saints. The angel gives the length of time during which the dominion, the saints, the times, and the laws, should be given into his hand; viz., the time, times, and a half, or 1260 years, or to 1798. Yet the words of Daniel in the 22nd verse declare that he beheld the same horn make war against the saints until judgment was given to them, which by Revelation 20:4, 1 Corinthians 6:3, and 4:5, clearly appears to be not in this life, but at the coming of the Lord and the resurrection of the saints. ARSH January 22, 1884, page 49.2

This is made emphatic by the remaining words of Daniel: War was made with the saints “until the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” But as at the present time the papacy is not waging open and decided war with the saints, and as Daniel saw it making war upon them at the time when they shall possess the kingdom, which is, as has been plainly shown, at the coming of the Lord, therefore it seems clear that there is to be a revival of the persecuting power of the papacy. This view seems to be confirmed also by Revelation 13 and 14. In Revelation 13:4 they worshiped the beast after the deadly wound was healed. But there the expression is, they worshiped, while the 8th verse says, “All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him.” This is after he had gone into captivity, after the wound to death, and after “the deadly wound was healed;” that is, after the restoration of the papacy, after the end of the 1260 years, after 1798. ARSH January 22, 1884, page 49.3

Now how is this revival of the persecuting power of the papacy to be brought about, especially in our own country? It seems to be clearly presented in Revelation 13:11-18, and 14:9-12. There is shown the rise of a power just before the coming of the Lord (Revelation 14:14), which carries on its work up to the very time when the saints possess the kingdom. Revelation 15:2. And what is the work that this power is to do? It is to cause “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” to “worship the beast,” and to “receive his mark.” And this mark is something contrary to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus; because it is only by keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus that we shall be protected from the wrath of the beast and his image, and finally delivered in victory from it. As this mark of the beast (Revelation 14:9; 13:16) is contra-distinguished from the “seal,” “sign,” or “mark,” of God (Revelation 7:3; Ezekiel 20:20; Exodus 31:17; Ezekiel 9:4); and as by these scriptures the mark of God is shown to be is Sabbath; and as everything is shown to be his Sabbath; and as everything is fairly rushing toward the accomplishment of an amendment to the United States Constitution, expressly for the enforcement of the observance of Sunday, the most shamefully illegitimate of of [sic.] all the illegitimate fruit of “the mistress of witchcraft, and mother of abominations,“—it is not a far-fetched inference, but is evidently the most reasonable conclusion, that the Sunday institution is the mark of the beast. And more than this, she sets it forth before all as the sign than this, she sets it forth before all as the sign (mark) of her authority. ARSH January 22, 1884, page 49.4

Now, knowing this as we know it, and as she knows it, and as all may know it, does any one, can any one, suppose that, when the Constitutional Amendment shall have been adopted, she is going to sit idly by with folded hands, and take no interest in the enforcement of it, or that she will leave the enforcement of it entirely to the so-called Protestants? Nay, verily. At present, in strict accordance with the “policy” (Daniel 8:25) which has distinguished her whole history, she apparently takes very little interest in the movement; because she knows that if she should appear actively engaged in the enterprise, it would seriously compromise it; but when the time comes to vote on the question, we shall see her engaged by all the wiles known to her wily experience, in bringing the work to a successful issue. And when success has crowned the effort, and the amendment is adopted and ready for enforcement,—then, when the long wished-for, the long worked-for, time has come, for which she has waited ever since her dominion was taken away,—then we shall see her start up from her throne, and, like a terrible muezzin, call her votaries to the slaughter of the heretics. Then we shall see her long pent-up fury burst forth afresh. And, alas! orthodox Christians, American Protestants, are laboring diligently to open the way, and to bring about this fearful result. ARSH January 22, 1884, page 49.5

When we speak of our convictions and point out the inevitable results of such a policy, they speak very soothingly and say, “Oh no! you need not fear, we will not hurt a hair of your heads.” Even granting that it be true (which, however, is by no means to be granted) that they will not hurt a hair of our heads, I do not see that it will be any better for us if they bring about a condition of affairs by which not only the hairs of our heads, but our heads themselves shall be entirely devoted. If I had hold of the bar which kept a tiger in his cage, and was doing my very best to remove the bar and let the tiger loose, these gentlemen would not think it a very comforting assurance if I should say, “Oh dear sirs! never fear! I will not hurt a hair of your heads,” and then slip the bar and let the tiger loose upon them. Neither do we “lay their flattering unction” to our souls, for a like reason. As late as 1626 the Jesuits established the Inquisition in Abyssinia to crush out the observance of the Sabbath (see Gibbon, ch. 47, last paragraph, and he says, “The Abyssinians were taught to work and play on the Sabbath”), and has Rome, or Jesuitry, changed since then? No. In this she never changes. Therefore, just as surely as the Constitutional Amendment is adopted, so surely will the persecuting spirit of the papacy be revived against all who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. ARSH January 22, 1884, page 49.6

But it will not be long, and the saints shall not be delivered into, but out of her hand; for there will be heard the voice from heaven, “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, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her; for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” Then, too, will be heard the joyous command, “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged your blood at her hands.” And then “the mighty angel” shall take up the “stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” Revelation 18. ARSH January 22, 1884, page 49.7

Yes, the blood of the prophets and the saints was found in her, but the prophets and the saints themselves are not found there. Oh no! High above her ruin, her woe, and her torment, are these with “the harps of God,” singing the song of victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name,” and their voices are heard in the midst of that “voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God; for true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia.... And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.” Then will be heard that “voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings [even as Milton says, “Loud as from numbers without number, and sweet as from blest voices uttering joy”], saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” And there will be heard the voice of the glorious Bridegroom in tones of measured sweetness, thrilling with eternal joy the glad hearts of his happy people. There will be seen the glorious Bride, clothed in the righteousness of saints, bound in fair colors, and decked with the sapphire, the emerald, the carbuncle, and gold. There, above all, is the Lord God, in the midst of them, who is mighty; he has saved, he rejoices over them with joy, he will rest in his love, he rejoices over them with singing. Zephaniah 3:17. ARSH January 22, 1884, page 50.1

But storms and tempests are between us and that blessed shore. O God, give us courage in faith to stand, and strength to overcome. And, Father in heaven, and Jesus our Lord, as thou hast given us a part in the conflict, and in the strife, oh, we pray thee, let us not be denied a part in the victory! Amen. ARSH January 22, 1884, page 50.2