DANIEL AS A LATTER-DAY PROPHET.
By Stephen N. Haskell
The announcement of the first angel’s message is, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” Rev. 14:7. Two points are here brought to view; namely, time, and the investigative judgment—the accounting “worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead.” Luke 20:35. It therefore must take place before the resurrection. To account is to consider one by one. Eccl. 7:27. The basis of the time in this message is, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Dan. 8:14. Concerning this vision a voice from between the banks of the Ulai said, “Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.” The first words of the angel to Daniel were: “At the time of the end shall be the vision.” Verses 16, 17. In other words, at the time of the end the vision would be understood. In Dan. 11:35, in speaking of the persecution, we read: “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.” Thus we see that a definite period is called “the time of the end.” After Daniel had received the vision, he was told to “shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.” Dan. 12:4. Verses 8, 9: “And I heard, but I understood not: 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.” When the twelve hundred and sixty years terminated, we reached the time of the end. This was in 1798. The angel further concludes by saying: “Go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” Verse 13. At the end of the days, in the time of the end, Daniel stands in his lot. His prophecy becomes a last-day prophecy, and it is to be heeded the same as if he lived and spoke directly to the people of God in the nineteenth century. This harmonizes with the testimony of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, when he had a view of the image which carried the mind to the setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom. To Nebuchadnezzar Daniel said, “There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be.” Dan. 2:23. This carried the mind of Nebuchadnezzar beyond his earthly kingdom to succeeding kingdoms, and finally directed his mind to the establishment of God’s everlasting kingdom. It was the same on the part of Daniel in the tenth chapter. The angel appeared unto him and said, “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent.” Then is added: “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. 10:11, 14. Thus by at least five direct testimonies in the book of Daniel, the prophecy is declared to be a prophecy for the people of God in the closing scenes of this world’s history.