End-Time Secrets

of Daniel

 

Introductory Study of

Chapter 9–10:7

 

Daniel Workbook Two

 

Franklin S. Fowler Jr., M.D.

  

Prophecy Research Initiative

Published by the Christian Heritage Foundation

 

 

“Why, then, this widespread ignorance concerning an important part of Holy Writ [Daniel and Revelation]? Why this general reluctance to investigate its teachings? It is the result of a studied effort of the prince of darkness to conceal from men that which reveals his deceptions.” – The Great Controversy, p. 342 (emphasis added).

 

The knowledge of Christ, and the prophecies, will greatly increase near the close of earth’s history through the study of Daniel. “The time has come for Daniel to stand in his lot. The time has come for the light given him to go to the world as never before. If those for whom the Lord has done so much will walk in the light, their knowledge of Christ and the prophecies relating to Him will be greatly increased as they near the close of this earth’s history [future].” – Manuscript 176, p. 10 (Untitled MS, Diary, Nov. 4, 1899) (emphasis added). (Note the date of MS – it could not have referred to past fulfillments).

 

 

Lesson 1

 

   Increased Understanding of the Bible

                                   (All emphases added)

 

Warning Against Complacency Regarding Ever-Increasing Light

 

“When Gods people are at ease, and satisfied with their present enlightenment, we may be sure that He will not favor them. It is His will that they should be ever moving forward, to receive the increased and ever-increasing light which is shining for them.

“The present attitude of the church is not pleasing to God. There has come in a self-confidence that has led them to feel no necessity for more truth and greater light. We are living at a time when Satan is at work on the right hand and on the left, before and behind us; and yet as a people we are asleep. God wills that a voice shall be heard arousing His people to action. –Testimonies for the Church, Vol. V, pages 703-709.” – Gospel Workers, p. 300.

 

“A spirit of Phariseeism has been coming in upon the people who claim to believe the truth for these last days. They are self-satisfied. They have said, ‘We have the truth. There is no more light for the people of God.’ But we are not safe when we take a position that we will not accept anything else than that upon which we have settled as truth. We should take the Bible, and investigate it closely for ourselves. We should dig in the mine of God’s word for truth.” – The Review and Herald, June 18, 1889.

 

“Whenever the people of God are growing in grace, they will be constantly obtaining a clearer understanding of His word. They will discern new light and beauty in its sacred truths. This has been true in the history of the church in all ages, and thus it will continue to the end. But as real spiritual life declines, it has ever been the tendency to cease to advance in the knowledge of the truth.” – Gospel Workers, p. 297.

 

There is no excuse for any one in taking the position that there is no more truth to be revealed, and that all our expositions of Scripture are without an error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation. We are living in perilous times, and it does not become us to accept everything claimed to be truth without examining it thoroughly; neither can we afford to reject anything that bears the fruits of the Spirit of God; but we should be teachable, meek and lowly of heart. There are those who oppose everything that is not in accordance with their own ideas, and by so doing they endanger their eternal interest as verily as did the Jewish nation in their rejection of Christ.” – The Review and Herald, December 20, 1892.

 

“New light will ever be revealed on the word of God to him who is in living connection with the Sun of Righteousness. Let no one come to the conclusion that there is no more truth to be revealed. The diligent, prayerful seeker for truth will find precious rays of light yet to shine forth from the word of God. Many gems are yet scattered that are to be gathered together to become the property of the remnant people of God.” – Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 34.

 

Landmarks are Few and Will Never Change

 

“The passing of the time in 1844 was a period of great events, opening to our astonished eyes the cleansing of the sanctuary transpiring in heaven, and having decided relation to God’s people upon the earth, [also] the first and second angels’ messages and the third, unfurling the banner on which was inscribed, [1] ‘The commandments of God and the [2] faith of Jesus.’ One of the landmarks under this message was the [3] temple of God, seen by His truth-loving people in heaven, and the ark containing the law of God. The light of the [4] Sabbath of the fourth commandment flashed its strong rays in the pathway of the transgressors of God’s law. The [5] nonimmortality of the wicked is an old landmark. I can call to mind nothing more that can come under the head of the old landmarks. All this cry about changing the old landmarks is all imaginary.” – Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 30.

 

“Men and women will arise professing to have some new light or some new revelation, whose tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks. Their doctrines will not bear the test of God's word, yet souls will be deceived.” – Counsels to Writers and Editors, pp. 49-50.

 

Addressing New Light

 

“When new light is presented to the church, it is perilous to shut yourselves away from it. Refusing to hear because you are prejudiced against the message to the messenger will not make your case excusable before God. To condemn that which you have not heard and do not understand will not exalt your wisdom in the eyes of those who are candid in their investigations of truth. And to speak with contempt of those whom God has sent with a message of truth, is folly and madness. If our youth are seeking to educate themselves to be workers in His cause, they should learn the way of the Lord, and live by every word that proceedeth out of His mouth. They are not to make up their minds that the whole truth has been unfolded, and that the Infinite One has no more light for His people. If they entrench themselves in the belief that the whole truth has been revealed, they will be in danger of discarding precious jewels of truth that shall be discovered as men turn their attention to the searching of the rich mine of God’s word.” –  Counsels on Sabbath School Work, pp. 32-33.

 

“In Minneapolis God gave precious gems of truth to His people in new settings, This light from heaven by some was rejected with all the stubbornness the Jews manifested in rejecting Christ, and there was much talk about standing by the old landmarks. But there was evidence they knew not what the old landmarks were. There was evidence and there was reasoning from the Word that commended itself to the conscience; but the minds of men were fixed, sealed against the entrance of light, because they had decided it was a dangerous error removing the ‘old landmarks’–when it was not moving a peg of the old landmarks.” – Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, p. 243.

 

“We are sounding to the world the last message of warning. We are laborers together with God, living and working amid the closing scenes of this earth's history. From God’s watchmen the world must hear the truth for this time. He who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has issued the command to us, Let your light shine before me. Go forth as a lamp that burneth. Diffuse light. Each period of the fulfillment of prophetic history is a preparation for the advanced light which will succeed each period. As the prophecy comes to an end, there is to be a perfect whole.” – Manuscript Releases, vol. 13, p. 15 (1895).

 

When a message is presented to God’s people, they should not rise up in opposition to it; they should go to the Bible, comparing it with the law and the testimony, and if it does not bear this test, it is not true. God wants our minds to expand.” – Testimonies to Ministers, p. 119.

 

“When a doctrine is presented that does not meet our minds, we should go to the word of God, seek the Lord in prayer, and give no place for the enemy to come in with suspicion and prejudice. We should never permit the spirit to be manifested that arraigned the priests and rulers against the Redeemer of the world. They complained that He disturbed the people, and they wished He would let them alone; for He caused perplexity and dissension. The Lord sends light to us to prove what manner of spirit we are of. We are not to deceive ourselves....

If we but knew the evil of the spirit of intolerance, how carefully would we shun it!” – Gospel Workers, pp. 301-302.

 

“Error is never harmless. It never sanctifies, but always brings confusion and dissension. It is always dangerous.... the only safety for any of us is in receiving no new doctrine, no new interpretation of the Scriptures, without first submitting it to brethren of experience. Lay it before them in a humble, teachable spirit, with earnest prayer; and if they see no light in it, yield to their judgment; for ‘in the multitude of counselors there is safety.’” – Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 292-293.

 

“Before the light of God’s truth let human opinions and ideas and human wisdom appear as they are in the sight of God,–as foolishness....

“If a brother differ with you on some points of truth, do not stoop to ridicule, do not place him in a false light, or misconstrue his words, making sport of them; do not misinterpret his words and wrest them of their true meaning. This is not conscientious argument. Do not present him before others as a heretic, when you have not with him investigated his positions, taking the Scriptures text by text in the spirit of Christ to show him what is truth.

“Take your Bible, and in a kindly spirit weigh every argument that he presents and show him by the Scriptures if he is in error. When you do this without unkind feelings, you will do only that which is your duty and the duty of every minister of Jesus Christ.” – Counsels to Writers and Editors, pp. 50-51.

 

New Light / New Truth

 

We must not for a moment think that there is no more light, no more truth, to be given us. We are in danger of becoming careless, by our indifference losing the sanctifying power of truth, and composing ourselves with the thought, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’ [Rev. 3:17.] While we must hold fast to the truths which we have already received, we must not look with suspicion upon any new light that God may send.” – Gospel Workers, p. 310 (RH 8/7/1894).

 

“Paul speaks of the riches of the glory of the mystery that is to be made known to the Gentiles. There are many mysteries in the word of God that we do not comprehend, and many of us are content to stop our investigation when we have just begun to receive a little knowledge concerning Christ. When there begins to be a little unfolding of the divine purposes to the mind, and we begin to obtain a slight knowledge of the character of God, we become satisfied, and think that we have received about all the light that there is for us in the word of God. But the truth of God is infinite. With painstaking effort, we should work in the mines of truth, discovering the precious jewels that have been hidden. It is the laborer’s privilege to have a constant supply of fresh truth for the people. He should be in such a position that he can bring from the treasure house of God, not the same thing over and over, but new beauty and new truth.” – Gospel Workers, pp. 389-390.

 

“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm in the holy mountain. Gather the host of the Lord, with sanctified hearts, to hear what the Lord will say unto His people; for He has increased light for all who will hear. Let them be armed and equipped, and come up to the battle–to the help of the Lord against the mighty.” – Testimonies to Ministers, p. 400.

 

Satan as a powerful general has taken the field, and in this last remnant of time he is working through all conceivable methods to close the door against light that God would have come to his people. He is sweeping the whole world into his ranks.” – The Review and Herald, December 24, 1889.

 

When God’s people are at ease and satisfied with their present enlightenment, we may be sure that He will not favor them. It is His will that they should be ever moving forward to receive the increased and ever-increasing light which is shining for them. The present attitude of the church is not pleasing to God. There has come in a self-confidence that has led them to feel no necessity for more truth and greater light.” – Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 708-709.

 

“If those for whom the Lord has done so much will walk in the light, their knowledge of Christ and the prophecies relating to Him will be greatly increased as they near the close of this earth’s history.” – Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, p. 407. 

 

“Whoever is with singleness of purpose seeking to do God’s will, earnestly heeding the light already given, will receive greater light; to that soul some star of heavenly radiance will be sent to guide him into all truth.” – The Great Controversy, p. 312.

 

Prophecy Unfolds

 

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:” II Peter 1:19.

 

Increased light will shine upon all the grand truths of prophecy, and they will be seen in freshness and  brilliancy, because the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will illuminate the whole.” – Selected Messages, bk 3, p. 390 (MS 18, 1888).

 

“They [preceding generations] had the Bible, as we have; but the time for the unfolding of special truth in relation to the closing scenes of this earth’s history is during the last generations that shall live upon the earth.” – Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 692.

 

“Whatever may be man’s intellectual advancement, let him not for a moment think that there is no need of thorough and continuous searching of the Scriptures for greater light. As a people, we are called individually to be students of prophecy. We must watch with earnestness that we may discern any ray of light which God shall present to us. We are to catch the first gleamings of truth; and through prayerful study, clearer light may be obtained, which can be brought before others.” – Gospel Workers, p. 300 (1915).

 

“Still more wonderful representations will be made. We need to study the Scriptures with humble, contrite hearts. Those who will devote their powers to the study of God’s Word, and especially the prophecies referring to these last days, will be rewarded by the discovery of important truths. Ms 75, 1899, pp. 4, 5. (Untitled Manuscript, May 11, 1899.)” – Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, p. 195.

 

Daniel, Isaiah, and Ezekiel not only spoke of things that concerned them as present truth, but their sights reached down to the future, and to what should occur in these last days.–Letter 132, 1898.” – Selected Messages, bk 3, p. 419.

 

“A great work will be done in a short time. A message will soon be given by God’s appointment that will swell into a loud cry. Then Daniel will stand in his lot, to give his testimony.” – Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, p. 20.

 

“Daniel was honored by God as His ambassador, and was given many revelations of the mysteries of ages to come. His wonderful prophecies, as recorded by him in chapters 7 to 12 of the book bearing his name, were not fully understood even by the prophet himself; but before his life labors closed, he was given the blessed assurance that ‘at the end of the days’–in the closing period of this world’s history–he would again be permitted to stand in his lot and place.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 547.

 

“There is need of a much closer study of the word of God; especially should Daniel and the Revelation have attention as never before in the history of our work.” – Testimonies to Ministers, p. 112.

Franklin S. Fowler Jr., M.D.; Prophecy Research Initiative © 2004