Studies in the Gospel Message
The first three Sabbath-school lessons in the present quarter are devoted to a verse-by-verse study of the text of the seventh chapter of Daniel. The subject of the lesson for October 25 is Modern Babylon. We have already called attention to that remarkable prophecy uttered by the apostle Paul in which he declared that there would be “the falling away,” a great apostasy, in the church before the coming of the Lord. In this prophecy no duration is assigned to the apostasy, but simply the two limits are mentioned. It had begun its working at the time when the prophecy was written, and it would be brought to an end only by the coming of the Lord. In connection with the study of this prophecy we asked, “Is there any way of locating the rise of this great apostasy and of following its development?” Our study of this seventh chapter of Daniel certainly ought to help us to do this. It is plain that the fourth beast of this chapter is Rome, “the fourth kingdom upon earth.” It is also established beyond a reasonable doubt that the little horn is a symbol of the papacy. It is further evident that the chief purpose of the prophecy of this seventh chapter is to locate definitely the territory, the time, and the work of this little horn, the papacy. But by placing Paul’s prophecy concerning “the falling away” by the side of Daniel’s prophecy concerning the little horn, it becomes clear that the two prophecies deal with the same general subject. The man of sin and the little horn both find their counterpart in the papacy, and the details given by the prophet Daniel concerning the rise, the duration, and the work of the papacy supply the information needed in order that we may be able to tear off the mask from “the man of sin,” and reveal him in his true character. The view given to John in The Revelation supplements the view given to the prophet Daniel, and identifies the principles of the papacy with those of ancient Babylon. By combining the three views of the papacy given to Daniel, Paul, and John, we may draw the following conclusions:—5 1. Between Paul’s time and the coming of the Lord there would be an apostasy in the church of the same kind as there was in Jerusalem before the Babylonish captivity. 2. This would be the final attempt to overthrow the kingdom of God in the earth, and would be defeated only by the coming of the Lord. 3. This warfare against the interests of God’s kingdom in the earth would be manifested in blaspheming God, in persecuting his saints, and in an attempted change of the law of the heavenly kingdom. 4. The evil principle which would lie at the bottom of all this effort to pervert right principles would be self-exaltation. 5. A period of 1260 years was assigned to the supremacy of this enemy of God’s kingdom, during which he would reign over the kings of the earth. This time has been shown to extend from 538 to 1798. 6. This long-continued effort to destroy God’s kingdom would be made under the claim of doing the service of God as his representative. 7. The method of procedure would be to revive and adopt the same principles which prevailed in ancient Babylon, the open enemy of God’s kingdom in the earth, but to cloak these principles under Christian names and forms. 8. In carrying out this purpose this modern Babylon will demand the same worship and service to be rendered to it as ancient Babylon demanded of Daniel and his companions. 9. Those who are faithful to the truth will triumph over this modern Babylon. For “the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 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.” In view of these conclusions the study of ancient Babylon and its teachings, and the experiences of Daniel and his companions in Babylon, is invested with a new interest. A thorough acquaintance with the principles wrought into the history of ancient Babylon is necessary in order that we may be prepared to recognize these same principles when they reappear in the professed Christian church in modern times in the great apostasy which the apostle Paul has foretold. History is being repeated. The papacy, while professing to be the only true church of Christ, is simply a fleshly organization in which the abominations of ancient Babylon are reproduced under the mask of Christianity. The professed Christianity of the papacy is the paganism of ancient Babylon masquerading before the world under the cloak of Christianity. When the mask is torn from the face of the man of sin, we shall find that he is simply the incarnation of the principles taught by the wise men of Babylon. This is Satan’s masterpiece of deceit. In ancient times Babylon and Jerusalem were entirely distinct. The one was in Chaldea, the other was in Judea: in the one was the temple of Belus, in the other was the temple of the true God: in the one, gross idolatry was openly practiced; in the other, it was forbidden: the ritual of the one was wholly distinct from the other; the one stood for the principle of self-exaltation, the other for the principle of self-renunciation. There was not the slightest danger that a worshiper of the true God would make the mistake of supposing himself in the temple at Jerusalem taking part in the worship of the true God when he was joining in the worship of Baal in the temple of Belus. The two systems were entirely distinct. But the mystery of iniquity consists in substituting the whole system of Babylonish worship for the worship of the true God in his temple, under the claim that it is a pure Christianity. This is “the man of sin” sitting in the temple of God, “setting himself forth as God.” The church in Jerusalem in Daniel’s time and in modern times came under the power of Babylon for the very same reason. “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand.” The cause is thus stated: They “were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.” Of the little horn, modern Babylon, it is stated, “He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High: and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.” The cause in this instance is the same as before. “And the host [the church] was given over to it [the little horn] together with the continual burnt offering through transgression.” Dan. 8: 12, R. V. Ancient Israel lost sight of the truth taught in the sanctuary and its services, and their worship became a mere round of ceremonies. The indwelling presence was no longer experienced, and they were no longer able to teach this gospel to the nations about them. Then they were given into the power of Babylon, that they might by the loss of the outward temple and its services learn the real lesson taught by the temple and its services. Modern Israel has passed through the same experience, and for the same reason. Ancient Israel was called to separate herself from Babylon that she might restore and build Jerusalem. Modern Israel is being called out of Babylon for the same purpose, and this is the last call before the final and utter fall of Babylon. “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. . . . And a mighty angel took up a 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.” We are now, perhaps, prepared to see why we ought to study and teach the books of Daniel and The Revelation. It is only through the experiences and prophecies of these books that we are able to recognize and point out the devices of the enemy by which he has attempted to substitute ancient paganism for genuine Christianity, and by so doing to make of none effect the essential provision of the gospel for the continued presence of Christ in the church in his representative, the Holy Spirit. In no other portion of the Scripture has the enemy’s plan of campaign for these last days been revealed with such clearness that we may know just how to order the battle in order to be sure of victory. Every individual, then, ought to study these books, that he may be prepared to act his part intelligently in the closing days of this great controversy.