THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL NOT COME WITHOUT A WARNING.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
WHEN we go out and preach that the Lord is coming soon, and give signs that indicate it, we are often met with the declaration that no man can know anything about it, that the Lord may come to-morrow, or next year, or it may be a hundred, or a thousand years. Ministers often make this declaration. Let us look at this idea. They say the Lord may come to-morrow. Very well. Will they acknowledge that the people of God, or the world, has been warned of that event? Oh, no! They have not given such a warning, and that which the Adventists have given they do not believe is of the Lord, so that no one has been warned with regard to it. Yet they say, "The Lord may come to-morrow." This position, then, assumes that the day of the Lord will without any warning to the righteous or wicked. Such a position is both unreasonable and unscriptural. God is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish. He always gives a fair warning to every one with regard to any danger, that the righteous may be prepared for it and be saved, and that the wicked may be without excuse. Take a few examples of the past. When the world in the days of Noah had become so corrupt that God could not endure it any longer, he might have opened the windows of Heaven and the foundations of the great deep, and deluged the earth with water in a day's time. But God did not wish thus to do. He chose a righteous man, told him what he purposed to do, and how he might be prepared for it. Him he made a preacher of righteousness to warn the whole world. One hundred and twenty years he preached, and all had an opportunity to hear and prepare, if they would, but they did not. Then the Lord did what he had so thoroughly warned all that he was about to do. So it was in the days of Lot; and so with the Ninevites. In the time of Christ, the Jews had become so corrupt that the Lord proposed to destroy their city and their nation. But he did not do this without first warning them of the danger, giving them a chance to repent if they would, and giving the righteous an opportunity to escape that time of trouble. Forty years before it happened Christ warned them that it would soon come, and gave them signs by which they might know when it was at hand.
These examples show that the Lord always warns the world of any great calamity that he proposes to bring upon it. At such times, his people are always informed with regard to it, and are taught what steps to take in order to save themselves. How much more, then, may we expect such a warning when that great day shall come for which all other days were made, the final consummation of all things, when time shall close and every man come to Judgment. It is both reasonable and easy to be inferred from God's dealings with man in the past. Not only so, but there is abundance of Scripture to show that this will be the case. Turn to Joel 2:1, and we read, "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." This is not only a prophecy, but a direct command, which must be obeyed when the time comes.
This shows that God designs that a warning shall be given when that day comes. Some one will be raised up by the Spirit of God to deliver this message, even though they have to be raised up from the very stones of the earth.
Take another prophecy. Rev. 14:6, 7: "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; and worship Him that made Heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Here an angel has the gospel to preach to every nation under Heaven, but angels do not preach the gospel—God has chosen men to do this, hence this angel represents a class of men who shall preach such a message as this. And what is it? It is a mighty proclamation to all people that the hour of God's Judgment is come. This prophecy will not fail. It must be fulfilled. When the time comes, the world must hear this message; and if they do, then it is plain to be seen that the warning must be given with regard to the Judgment hour. Paul reasoned with Felix of the Judgment to come.
He told the Athenians that God had appointed a day in the which he would judge the world. But this message says the hour of God's Judgment is come, not is coming, or shall come; but it announces the fact to all the world that it is present. Most certainly this message relates to the last days, and cannot be proclaimed with truthfulness, only when the hour of Judgment actually arrives.
This, then, settles the fact that there will be a warning in the last days to all the world with regard to the great day of God's Judgment. Another fact is clearly stated many times in the Bible; viz., that there will be two classes in the last days—one class will be watching, and waiting, and looking, for the Lord when he comes. That day will not come on them as a thief. They will be saved. Then there will be a second class who have heard the warning, yet will be overtaken as a thief by the coming of the Lord. To them it will come unexpectedly, and they will be destroyed. Dan. 12:9, 10. This relates to the last days, and says, "The wise shall understand, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand." To the same effect is 1 Thess. 5:1-5. Here we find that the day of the Lord comes suddenly as a thief in the night upon the world, and they are all destroyed, while the righteous are not in darkness, and that day does not overtake them as a thief. So the same truth is taught in Matt. 24:37: "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." How was it in the days of Noah? God gave a warning to the world, faithful Noah believed it, knew when the flood was coming, and was prepared for it. The wicked world heard the warning, disbelieved it, and knew not when the flood would come till it burst upon them unexpectedly, and destroyed them all. So, says Christ, shall it be at his second coming. These scriptures all plainly teach that there will be a proclamation in the last days with regard to the coming of the Lord, and the end of the world. Such a proclamation is now going to the world, which is based on Bible evidence, as we believe. D. M. CANRIGHT.
UPON WHAT AUTHORITY?
By Dudley Marvin Canright
IN the word of God it is plainly commanded, "Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy." "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God," etc. Ex. 20:8-12. It is a part of that law of which Jesus says he came not to destroy, but to fulfill; and that till Heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle should in no wise pass, till all be fulfilled. Matt. 5:17-19. Upon what authority, then, do men transgress this plain precept of God's law, and keep another day instead—the first day of the week? Do they think they have not changed the law "one jot or tittle" (in the smallest letter or corner of a letter) when, by their teachings, they make it read, "The first day of the week is the Christian Sabbath," and that "the seventh day is the old Jewish Sabbath"? As if, t-h-e L-o-r-d t-h-y G-o-d spelled "Jewish," or that the first day and seventh day of a week were one and the same.
Again I ask, as Jesus says till Heaven and earth pass, every jot and tittle of the law shall remain, upon what authority do you transgress the fourth commandment, and keep as a substitute the first day of the week? Do you say Christ or his apostles gave you authority? I would ask, where is it to be found? It is not so commanded in the whole Bible, and is contradicted by the sayings of Christ and his apostles. Matt. 5:17-19; 19:17; Rev. 22:14; Rom. 3:31, etc.
Do you say we keep it to commemorate the resurrection of Christ, or the completion of redemption upon that day? I ask, by whose authority do you do it? Is it so commanded in the Scriptures? If not, and it is not, then you must keep it by tradition, or on your own, or somebody else's authority, besides the Bible; and the commandment of God is emphatically transgressed by your tradition. See Matt. 15:1-9. Again, where is it said that redemption was fully completed upon that day? We have redemption through his blood (Eph. 1:7; Rev. 5:9), but we are not redeemed yet, if the words of Jesus are allowed to have any weight. See Luke 21:25-28.
Why not take the memorials which the gospel furnishes for the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord? They are stated as plainly as our duty to keep the seventh-day Sabbath. Please read 1 Cor. 11; Col. 2:12; Rom. 6. Why do men wish to lay these aside, and substitute something of their own, other than that which the gospel that Paul preached, furnishes? and transgress the law of God in doing it? See Isa. 24:5, 6.
All the reasons, dear reader, that are put forth for Sunday observance, you will find like those we have just examined, to be wholly without Scriptural authority, and originating in the hearts of men. See Eze. 13:2-6; 22:26, 28, 30. There is no command for first-day observance in the Bible. Sunday is not in the Bible. It is never called by any sacred title whatever. The term "Christian Sabbath," is not in the Bible. The term "Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10), has reference to the seventh-day Sabbath, as you may see from the following texts of Scripture: Ex. 20:8-12; Isa. 58:13; Mark 2:28, etc.
The inspired historian simply recorded the facts which occurred upon that day, the same as he did upon the Sabbath, and preparation day, but made no intimation that it was to be observed as a Sabbath, much less to take the place of God's holy day. Christ had promised that he would rise again the third day, and the first six of those texts are put on record for evidence to us, from those who knew, that he had risen as he had promised, and his words, or the prophecies concerning him, had not failed.
The seventh text records a meeting Paul held on the first day of the week, the only meeting ever held upon that day, that is spoken of, and it was held all night, as it was a farewell meeting. It was held corresponding with our Saturday night, according to Bible reckoning of time, which begins the day at even or sunset. Lev. 23:32; 22:6, 7; Mark 1:32; Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, etc. It was after the Sabbath, and they had come together to break bread, or eat their supper. See Acts 2:46. Luke, with other disciples, was working the boat around the peninsula, while Paul preached. A man was killed by a fall, and restored to life; this is probably why Luke records it. But the time upon which it occurred is not called by any sacred title. It was on the "first day of the week." The disciples always made a clear distinction between the first day and the Sabbath. They show that the day before the first day of the week is the Sabbath. See Luke 23:54-56; 24:1; See also Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1, 2; 2:23-28. Sunday-keepers say, not so. Whom will you believe?
The eighth and last text where the first day is mentioned, shows that Paul required them to look up their secular accounts upon that day for the past week, which they would not do on the Sabbath, and for every one to lay aside, "by him," a certain prescribed proportion of that with which the Lord had prospered him. 1 Cor. 16:12. So instead of this giving any intimation of its being a sacred day, it shows it was devoted to attending to secular business, looking up accounts.
Now Jesus and his apostles always kept the Sabbath, and it was their custom to preach upon that day, as recorded in Luke 4:16; John 15:10; Acts 17:1, 2, etc. The Sabbath is mentioned fifty-nine times in the New Testament, and always refers to the seventh day of the week. We have a record of where Paul held eighty-four meetings upon the Sabbath. See Acts 13:14, 42, 44; 16:13; 17:1, 2; 18:1-11. Jesus taught that it should be kept. Matt. 12:12; 5:17-19; 19:16, 17.
Again I would ask, upon what authority God's holy Sabbath is transgressed, and the first day of the week used as a substitute? There being no Bible authority, is it not a tradition and commandment of men, and does it not make of none effect the commandments of God? "In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matt. 15:3-9. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14.
W. C. GRAINGER.
Reddening One’s Face, Blackening Another’s
By William C. Grainger
Dr. Johnson once silenced a notorious female backbiter, who was condemning some of her friends for painting their cheeks, by the remark that "it is a far less harmful thing for a lady to redden her own complexion than to blacken her neighbor's."
The Sabbath School.
By Erwin House
THE ART OF QUESTIONING.
FIRST, cultivate great simplicity of language. Use as few words as possible, and let them be such as are adapted to the age and capacity of the class you are teaching. It is a great point in questioning to say as little as possible; and so to say that little, as to cause the children to say as much as possible.
Second, Do not tell much in your questions. Contrive to educe every fact from the class. It is better to pause for a moment, and to put one or two subordinate questions, with a view to bring out the truth you are seeking, than to tell anything which the scholars could tell you. Never convey information in the form of a question.
A teacher ought not to be satisfied till he can get entire sentences for answers. These sentences will generally be paraphrases of the words used in the lesson, and the materials for making the paraphrases will have been developed in the course of the lesson by demanding, in succession, meanings and equivalents for all the principal words. It is worth while, now and then, to turn round pleasantly on some inattentive member of the class, or upon some one who has just given a mechanical answer, with the question, “What have we just said?” “Tell me what we have just learned about such a person?” Observe that the answer required to such a question must necessarily be a whole sentence; it will be impossible to answer it without a real effort of thought and of judgment in the selection of the learner's words, and without an actual acquaintance with the fact that has been taught.
Third, Questions should be definite and unmistakable, and, for the most part, admit of but one answer. An unskillful teacher puts vague, wide questions, such as, “What did he do?” “What did Abraham say?” “How did Joseph feel at such a time?” “What lesson ought we to learn from this?” questions to which no doubt he sees the right answer, because it is already in his mind; but which, perhaps, admit of several equally good answers, according to the different points of view from which different minds would look at them.
Vague and indefinite questions always produce three different results, according to the class of children to whom they are addressed. The not really thoughtful and sensible boy is simply bewildered by them. The bold and confident boy who does not think, answers at random, and is thus strengthened in a habit of inaccuracy, and encouraged in the mischievous practice of guessing. There is a third class of children, not very keen, but sly and knowing, nevertheless, who watch the teacher's peculiarities, know the structure of his sentences, so as to find out which answer he expects. They do not understand the subject so well, perhaps, as many others, but they understand the teacher better, and can more quickly pronounce the characteristic word, or the particular answer he expects. Now we do not hesitate to say, that as far as real education and development of thought are concerned, each of these three classes of children is injured by the habit of vague, wide, and ambiguous questioning which is so common among teachers.
So much for the language of questioning. But it is worth while to give a passing notice to the order and arrangement which should always characterize a series of questions. They should, in fact, always follow one another in systematic order; each should seem to grow out of the answer which preceded it, and should have a clear logical connection with it.
We have often been struck, in reading the newspapers, to find what plain and sensible evidence the witnesses all appear to give at judicial trials. We recognize the name of some particular person, and we know, perhaps, that he is an uneducated man, apt to talk in an incoherent and desultory way on most subjects, utterly incapable of telling a simple story without wandering and blundering, and very nervous withal; yet if he happens to be a witness at a trial, and we read the published report of his testimony, we are surprised to find what a connected, straightforward story it is; there is no irrelevant or needless matter introduced, and yet one significant fact is omitted. We wonder how such a man could have stood up in a crowded court, and narrated facts with all propriety and good taste. But the truth is, that the witness is not entitled to your praise. He never recited the narrative in the way implied by the newspaper report. But he stood opposite to a man who had studied the art of questioning, and he replied in succession to a series of interrogations which the barrister proposed to him. The reporter for the press has done no more than copy down, in the exact order in which they were given, all the replies to these questions; and if the sum of these replies read to us like a consistent narrative, it is because the lawyer knew how to marshal his facts beforehand, had the skill to determine what was necessary and what was not necessary to the case in hand, and to propose his questions so as to draw out, even from a confused and bewildered mind, a coherent statement of facts. We may take a hint from the practice of the bar in this respect; and, especially in questioning by way of examination, we may remember that the answers of the children, if they could be taken down at the moment, ought to form a complete, orderly, and clear summary of the entire contents of the lesson.
Of course we do not mean to insist too rigidly on an adherence to this rule. Misconceptions will reveal themselves in the course of the lesson, which will require to be corrected; hard words will occur, which need explanation; new trains of thought and inquiry will seem to start out of the lesson, and to demand occasional digression; it will, in fact, often become necessary to deviate a little to the right hand or to the left from the main path, for the sake of illustration, and for other good reasons. Still, the main purpose of the whole lesson should be kept steadily in view; all needless digression should be carefully avoided, and any incidental difficulties which are unexpectedly disclosed in the lesson should rather be remembered and reserved for future investigation, than permitted to beguile a teacher into a neglect of those truths which the lesson is primarily designed to teach.
A good deal of the success of a teacher depends upon the manner in which questions are proposed. Perhaps the most important requisite under this head is animation. It is necessary to avoid long pauses, and all monotony of voice, or sluggishness of manner; to vary the phraseology of your questions, and to seek in every way to kindle interest and enthusiasm about the lesson. But in doing this let us remember that we cannot give more than we possess; we cannot raise the minds of others above the level of our own; and therefore it is important that our manner should show a warm interest in the subject, and that our own love for sacred truth should be so strong as to convey itself, by the mere force of sympathy, into the hearts of those whom we undertake to instruct.
The whole sum of what may be said about questioning is comprised in this: It ought to set the learners to thinking, to promote activity and energy on their part, and to arouse the whole mental faculty into action, instead of blindly cultivating the memory at the expense of the higher intellectual powers. That is the best questioning which best stimulates action on the part of the learner; which gives him a habit of thinking and inquiring for himself; which tends in a great measure to render him independent of his teacher; which makes him, in fact, rather a skillful finder than a patient receiver of truth. All our questioning should aim at this; and the success of our teaching must ever be measured, not by the amount of information we have imparted, but by the degree in which we have strengthened the judgment and enlarged the capacity of our pupils, and imparted to them that searching and inquiring spirit which is a far surer basis for all future acquisitions than any amount of mere information whatever. —Erwin House, A. M.
THE ISLE OF PATMOS.
By Rev. T. A. T. Hanna
The name of this island would never have been heard beyond the archipelago in which it stands if John had not been banished thither. Some prisons are famous, as it were, in themselves; that is, by a long succession of illustrious prisoners they have a great part in history. The Mamertine in Rome, the Wells of Venice, the Bastile in Paris, and the Tower of London are of this kind. There are other places not originally meant for prisons which have become famous by some one illustrious captive. So, the rock of Masada, where the Jewish zealots slew themselves to escape the vengeance of the Romans. So, the Isle of Sainte Marguerite, where languished the man with the iron mask. So, the Castle of Chillon is renowned for Bonivard alone. So the obscure fastness in Austria, where Richard of England was for a time eating his lion-heart away. Such was Wartburgh Castle, where God's providence allowed Luther to be imprisoned, that he might have leisure to translate the Scripture for all German folk. And though Bedford Gaol was a gaol, it would hardly emerge into the atmosphere of history till John Bunyan spends his twelve years there. The rock of St. Helena would be little heard of as its compeer, Ascension Island, but for that mighty Shade, "the conqueror and the captive of the earth," who spent his last six years there.
Thus "the isle that is called Patmos" has no record whatever in history, save that it became the place of exile for a persecuted apostle of our Lord. And we may note that the inspired John makes no reference whatever to any of his sufferings during his banishment. What unearthly dignity and continance is this! Here are no sighs and wailings over human injustice and the hard lot of the exile. How different from other exiles!
The poet Ovid was banished among barbarians because of his immoral poetry. He takes up his guilty harp to mourn in doleful strains on his pitiful plight among a cruel and savage people. Silvio Pellico is immured for political offences, and he makes the world sympathize with him by his pensive thoughts in "My Prison." But John has a mind lifted up above itself. The Spirit of Christ that was in him deigned not to make mention of his trials. "His mind to him a kingdom was." Patmos was a cheerless rock, but it was enough to stand upon. He could stand there and see all space and all time unrolled before him. He was shut out from the society of earth, but he "looked, and behold a door was opened in heaven." As Daniel, the exile, kept his window open toward Jerusalem, John had a spirit divinely lighted, and a window in it opened toward the Jerusalem above.—Rev. T. A. T. Hanna.
SUNSHINE.
Did you ever notice what a different aspect everything wears in the sunshine to what it does in the shadow? And did you ever think what an analogy there was between the sunshine of the cloudless skies and the sunshine that gleams into the darkened chambers of the human being? How bright and beautiful are the golden beams that break through the riven clouds to light up the world again after a succession of dark and stormy days! How peaceful and happy are the blessed words of hope and cheer that touch the heart and fill the spirit with emotions of peace and joy after a long period of sorrow! There are none living who do not, in a greater or less degree, have an influence over the earthly happiness of others. The sense of contributing to the pleasure of others augments our own happiness. Unselfishness, Christian charity, and loving kindness are sunbeams of the soul.
WHEN a pump is frequently used, but little pains are necessary to obtain water; the water pours out at the first stroke, because it is high; but if the pump has not been used for a long time the water gets low, and when you want it you have to pump a long while, and the water comes only after great effort. It is so with prayer. If we are instant in prayer, every little circumstance awakens the disposition to pray, and desire and words are always ready. But if we neglect prayer, it is difficult for us to pray, for the water in the well gets low.—Felix Neff.
I AM SORRY.
A little boy and girl, each five years old, were playing by the roadside. The boy became angry at something, and struck his play-mate a sharp blow on the cheek, whereupon she sat down and began to cry.
The boy stood looking on a minute and then said; "I didn't mean to hurt you, Katie; I am sorry."
The little girl's face brightened instantly. The sobs were hushed and she said: "Well, if you are sorry, it don't hurt me."
THIS GENERATION
By James White
In that prophetic discourse of our Lord recorded in the twenty-fourth of Matthew, in answer to the question from his disciples, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" he leads us forward, step by step, from the destruction of Jerusalem, A. D. 70, past the periods of the martyrdom of the church of Christ under Pagan and Papal Rome, next mentioning the darkening of the sun and of the moon, which occurred May 19, 1780, the falling of the stars, which took place November 13, 1833, and then makes the statement, "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." Verse 34. Here we make points as follows:—
1. That which is embraced in the phrase, "all these things," was not fulfilled in the days of those whom Christ addressed.
2. The generation named could not refer to those who lived in the days of Christ's flesh, for he said of that generation, "There shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonas, the prophet." Luke 11:29. It is evident that our Lord refers to the generation who were to see the signs fulfilled, and who were to be instructed by the parable of the fig-tree. "Now learn a parable of the fig-tree. When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it [He, margin,] is near, even at the doors. Verses 32, 33.
The parable of the fig-tree is probably the most forcible figure that could be used by our Lord to illustrate this subject. When the trees of the field begin to put forth their leaves, and the tender grass springs up, and the ground is being covered with its green, velvet carpet, we know that summer is nigh. It is a certainty with us that summer is coming when we see these signs in nature. We know that summer is nigh. "So likewise," or, with the same certainty, we may know that Christ's coming is at the doors when the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, are fulfilled. In this prophetic discourse, Christ leads the minds of his disciples down over the events of the Christian age, mentions the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, which were to appear in the last generation, and then declares that this generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled.
In like manner, Paul carries his brethren forward to the resurrection, when he says, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump." 1 Cor. 15:51, 52. Or, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." 1 Thess. 4:17. The things here mentioned by the apostle did not take place in his day. They have not yet taken place. Notwithstanding, he speaks of them as though they would take place in his day, and he have a part in them.
Also, in like manner is the mind carried backward in Ps. 95:10: "Forty years long was I grieved with this generation." The generation here spoken of provoked the Lord in the wilderness, long before David lived. He goes back and speaks of it as though it were present. In this manner our Lord goes forward, and speaks of the last generation as though it were present.
The phrase, "this generation," does not mark any definite number of years. The Lord designed to teach that the people who should live at the time of the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the falling stars, in 1833, should hear the proclamation of the coming of Christ, based partly upon the fulfilled signs, and should witness the scenes connected with his coming.
The proclamation of the coming and kingdom of Christ is given to the last generation. God did not send Noah to preach to the next to the last generation before the flood, but to the last. The very generation which was destroyed by the waters of the flood saw Noah build the ark, and heard his warning voice. So God has raised up men to give the solemn warning to the world at the right time to give force to the warning. And the very generation of men that live after the three great signs are fulfilled, and who hear and reject the warning message from Heaven, will drink the cup of the unmixed wrath of God. And those of this very generation who receive the message, suffer disappointments, and endure the trials of the waiting position, will witness the coming of Christ, and exclaim, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us." Isa. 25:9.
With what emphasis our Lord gave utterance to this sentiment. It is a rebuke upon our unbelief. As we read it, God help us to believe it; "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." And as though this were not enough to lead us to unwavering faith, he adds these forcible words: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
J. W.
SYNOPSIS OF THE PRESENT TRUTH.
By Uriah Smith
NUMBER THIRTY-ONE.
THE 1290 AND 1335 DAYS.
ANOTHER important prophetic period upon which the Advent doctrine is based, is the 1335 days of Dan. 12, with which the 1290 days are so intimately connected. These two periods are introduced to us as follows:—
"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. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. 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. 12:11-13.
The questions at once arise, Can we tell what the events are, from which these periods are to be dated; and if so, can we tell when they took place? We first inquire, What is the "daily" (sacrifice) and the "abomination that maketh desolate"? It will be noticed that the word, sacrifice, is in italics, denoting that it is a supplied word. The same will be noticed in the other instances of its occurrence in the book of Daniel, viz., chap. 11:31 and 8:11-13. Let us briefly refer to this latter chapter. In verse 13 it will be observed that two desolations are brought to view; the daily (desolation), and the transgression of desolation. This fact is made plain by the following quotation from Eld. J. Litch:—
"'The daily sacrifice' is the present reading of the text; but no such thing as sacrifice is found in the original. This is acknowledged on all hands. It is a gloss or construction put upon it by the translators. The true reading is, 'the daily and the transgression of desolation;' daily and transgression being connected together by 'and;' the daily desolation and the transgression of desolation. They are two desolating powers which were to desolate the sanctuary and the host."
From this it is evident that the "daily," can have no reference to the Jewish worship to which it has been applied by the older and more prevalent opinion; and this is further evident from the consideration that if these periods, taken either literally or figuratively, be dated from any taking away of this worship, they do not bring us to any event whatever worthy of note.
The daily and the abomination then, are two desolating powers which were to oppress the church; can we ascertain what these powers are? We have only to adopt Wm. Miller's method of reasoning on this point which is the literal and true method to arrive at the same correct conclusion with him. He says:—
"I read on, and could find no other case in which it [the daily] was found but in Daniel. I then [by the aid of a concordance] took those words which stood in connection with it, 'take away:' he shall take away the daily; 'from the time that the daily shall be taken away;' etc. I read on and thought I should find no light on the text. Finally I came to 2 Thess. 2:7, 8, 'For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way, and then shall that wicked be revealed,' etc. And when I had come to that text, O, how clear and glorious the truth appeared! There it is! That is 'the daily!' Well, now, what does Paul mean by 'he who now letteth or hindereth? By 'the man of sin,' and the 'wicked,' Popery is meant. Well, what is it which hinders Popery from being revealed? Why it is Paganism. Well, then, 'the daily' must mean Paganism."
We see from Dan. 8 that it is the little horn which succeeded the goat, or Grecian empire, that takes away the "daily;" and it is the only power brought to view after the division of Alexander's kingdom down to the time when the sanctuary should be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days. This little horn we have in its proper place showed to be Rome taken as a unit, corresponding with the fourth kingdom of Daniel's other visions. Now it is a fact that a change did take place in the Roman power from Paganism to Papacy. Paganism from the days of the Assyrian kings down to the time of its modification into Popery, had been the daily, or as Prof. Whiting renders it, "the continual" desolation, by which Satan had stood up against the cause of Jehovah. In its priests, its altars, and its sacrifices, it bore resemblance to the Levitical form of Jehovah's worship; but when the Levitical gave place to the Christian form of worship. Satan, in order to successfully oppose the work, must change also his form of opposition; hence the temples, altars, and statutes of Paganism are baptized into the blasphemies of Popery.403But the daily, Paganism, is said in the prophecy to have a sanctuary, and the place of its sanctuary was to be cast down. That a sanctuary is frequently connected with idolatry and heathenism, as the place of its devotion and worship, is evident from the following scriptures: Isa. 16:12; Amos 7:9, 13, margin. Eze. 28:18. Concerning the sanctuary of the daily of Dan. 8, we offer the following from Apollos Hale:—
"What can be meant by the 'sanctuary' of Paganism? Paganism, and error of every kind, have their sanctuaries, as well as truth. These are the temples or asylums consecrated to their service. Some particular and renowned temple of Paganism may, then, be supposed to be here spoken of. Which of its numerous distinguished temples may it be? One of the most magnificent specimens of classic architecture is called the Pantheon. Its name signifies the 'temple or asylum of all the gods.' The place of its location is Rome. The idols of the nations conquered by the Romans were sacredly deposited in some niche or department of this temple, and in many cases became objects of worship by the Romans themselves. Could we find a temple of Paganism that was more strikingly 'his sanctuary.'"
Having now ascertained that the daily is Paganism, and the transgression of desolation, or "the abomination that maketh desolate," is the Papacy, and that the especial sanctuary of Paganism was the Pantheon, and that the "place of its location was Rome, we inquire further.
1. Was Paganism "taken away" by the Roman civil power? The following statement of an important and well-known fact in the history of the church and world, we think answers to the prophecy. It refers to Constantine the first Christian emperor, and says:—
"His first act of government [after his professed conversion] was the dispatch of an edict throughout the empire, exhorting his subjects to embrace Christianity."
2. Was Rome the city or place of his sanctuary (the Pantheon), cast down by the authority of the State? The following extract answers:—
"The death of the last rival of Constantine had sealed the peace of the empire. Rome was once more the undisputed queen of nations. But, in that hour of elevation and splendor, she had been raised to the edge of a precipice. Her next step was to downward and irrecoverable. The change of the government to Constantinople still perplexes the historian. It was an act in direct repugnance to the whole course of the ancient and honorable prejudices of the Roman mind. It was the work of no luxurious Asiatic, devoted to the indulgences of eastern customs and climates, but an iron conqueror, born in the west, and contemptuous like all Romans, of the habits of the orientals; it was the work of a keen politician, yet it was impolitic in the most palpable degree. Yet Constantine abandoned Rome, the great citadel and throne of the Cæsars, for an obscure corner of Thrace, and expended the remainder of his vigorous and ambitious life in the double toil of raising a colony into the capital of his empire, and degrading the capital into the feeble honors and humiliated strength of a colony."
This record from the pen of the historian, is too plain to need comment. The place of his sanctuary was cast down, says the prophecy; and after a statement of facts like the above, the most fastidious in prophetic interpretation must be satisfied in regard to the application. U. S.