“AND, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” Dan. 10:10–14.
The prophecy of Daniel is to be studied and understood in the last days; so in a true and special sense, Daniel is a latter-day prophet. This is stated positively in the last verse of his prophecy: “But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and STAND IN THY LOT at the end of the days.” Dan. 12:13.
The book of Revelation is also a prophecy that refers directly to the last days, and supplements the prophecy of Daniel. The Spirit of Prophecy, which exists in the last days, is associated with Daniel and Revelation by certain expressions not found anywhere except in these two prophecies. Daniel in Babylon, John on the Isle of Patmos, and the gift of prophecy now existing in the remnant church, ARE ALL LATTER-DAY PROPHETS. God by special expressions has connected three prophets, at least, for his people in the last days.
The careful reading of a few texts will show the connection between the Spirit of Prophecy manifest in the remnant church, with the book of Revelation: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12:17. Notice that the remnant HAVE the testimony of Jesus. “And I fell at his feet to worship him [that is the angel]. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus.” Rev. 19:10. Then this angel was John’s fellow servant, and also of the remnant. He especially mentions the remnant. “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets [that goes back into the past], and of them which keep the sayings of this book.” Rev. 22:9. Who takes up the three messages, and keeps the prophecy that is fulfilled in the very last days?—The remnant. This angel is the fellow servant not only of John and of all the prophets who lived in the past, but also of the remnant.
There is nothing more in the book of Revelation to identify this angel, although the first verse adds another thought: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.” Christ has a particular angel by whom he communicates with his prophets, through whom he speaks to his people. There are but two books in the Bible in which this angel is specified by name—the book of Daniel, and the book of Luke. “And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning [referring to the twenty-three hundred days], then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.” Dan. 8:15, 16.
As Daniel was a prophet, it is clear that this angel who revealed the future to Daniel, and was also the fellow servant of John and of his brethren the prophets, is the angel through whom God communicates with man, even in the time of the remnant. Thus the books of Daniel and Revelation are inseparably united with the Spirit of Prophecy existing in the remnant church.
It is true that Gabriel has been the fellow servant of all the prophets. But why has God particularly interlinked three prophecies—Daniel, Revelation, and that which is in the remnant church? Is it by accident, or had God a purpose in mind?—Certainly nothing has come to us from God by accident. When expressions interlink like that in the other books, God means something. What does he mean in this instance?—That the books of Daniel and Revelation, in connection with the Spirit of Prophecy manifest in the remnant church, are all latter-day prophecies, and should be studied as such; and the three should be taken together to reveal to the people of God where they are, and the truths that pertain to this time.
The books of Daniel and Revelation are closely united by many expressions of vital meaning to the remnant. For illustration: “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. . . . Go thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” Dan. 12:9–12. “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” Rev. 14:13. To Daniel is given the special blessing of resting, and yet standing in his lot as a prophet in the last days; while of those who die in the Third Angel’s Message it is said that they shall rest, and their works shall follow them, and they will come up in season to share the triumph of God’s people before the Lord actually appears.
What makes a separate people in these last days?—Is it not the three messages? Was it not a test of time that first called out a separate people? Was not that time based upon the twenty-three hundred days? That twenty-three hundred days can be got only from the eighth of Daniel. “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 [or the daily desolation], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Dan. 8:13, 14.
Is there any connection between the cleansing of the sanctuary and the judgment?—“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” Rev. 14:6, 7. The first angel’s message leads to the eighth chapter of Daniel, and these two scriptures form one of the many links in the chain binding these two books together.
The voice comes from Christ, “Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.” This was spoken for Daniel; but those who are contemplated in Daniel’s prophecy are the remnant people of God in the last days. Then the commission to the remnant people of God in the last days is to understand the book of Daniel.
It is not difficult to show from the book of Daniel itself that it is a prophecy for the last days. “There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the LATTER DAYS.” Dan. 2:28. This dream was given, not only for the benefit of Nebuchadnezzar, but for those living in the latter days. Then the second chapter of Daniel was surely written for the last days. “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” Dan. 10:14. Did not, then, that angel come to make those living in the last generation to understand?—Certainly. Put verse 20 with this: “Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee?” Why did he come?—To make the prophecy of Daniel understood in the last days. So in the last days the same angel that communicated to Daniel will communicate to God’s people, and one grand object of the prophecy will be to make them understand what will take place in the last days. Is not that the nature of the Testimonies of the Spirit of Prophecy?
“So he [the angel Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.” Dan. 8:17. Then this vision containing the twenty-three hundred days is for the people of God in the time of the end. “And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.” Verse 19. “And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.” Dan. 11:35.
“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not [no wonder he did not understand; for it was not especially given to him to understand, but simply to reveal what would be in the LAST DAYS]: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;260but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Dan. 12:4–10.
Will the wise understand the book of Daniel in the last days?—God says so. The same angel Gabriel who was commissioned by the Saviour to make Daniel understand that prophecy, has represented God’s people in every age of the world; and the very first words that the angel spoke were, “Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. . . . I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.” Then in the twelfth chapter the angel says: “Seal the book, even to the time of the end.” But Daniel was not satisfied with that. He desired a special understanding of it himself. Then the angel said: “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. . . . Go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and STAND IN THY LOT AT THE END OF THE DAYS.”
Thus Daniel was assured that he should be a prophet of the last days, in which time his prophecy would be understood by the wise. If there are any books which the remnant people of God should study, they are the book of Daniel, the book of Revelation, and the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy, through which the angel is commissioned to communicate directly to the church in the last days.
God has been very mindful for the remnant. He spoke to the angel Gabriel, calling him by name, and told him to make Daniel understand; and Gabriel in his very first words said that at the time of the end this vision will be understood.