February 15–21

This weekly feature is dedicated to Adventists who are looking for biblical insights into the topics discussed in the Sabbath School lesson quarterly. We post articles which address each lesson as presented in the Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, including biblical commentary on them. We hope you find this material helpful and that you will come to know Jesus and His revelation of Himself in His word in profound biblical ways.

 

Lesson 8: “From the Stormy Sea to the Clouds of Heaven”

As we get into the later chapters of Daniel that contain prophecies of end-times, we come to subjects that are harder to understand and are open to more varied interpretations.

With that in mind, the reader should be cautious in interpreting these prophecies. In things of Jesus and our salvation, of the cross and of our promise of eternal life, we can and should be certain and adamant. The Bible makes these things clear and certain, and though we accept them by faith not sight, we can be certain that they are real and true.

But prophecies are harder to understand, and there are many different interpretations that can conflict with one another. So how do we deal with the uncertainty and differences?

There are many good sources from different authors that can help with understanding Scripture, many of which urge caution in standing firm on any one dogma.

Dale Ratzlaff stated it this way:

“To be dogmatic in the interpretation of Scriptures that are unclear, or are honestly open to more than one interpretation, is the foundation of the disunity within the Christian church and the recipe for cultic teaching.”

Because prophecy, and the correct understanding of it, is not a salvation issue, we do well to present differing ideas on the interpretation of it with Biblical support, without attacking those with whom we disagree.

This is neatly summed up by Jack Kinsella, a Biblical scholar and author, when he wrote this:

“But my being certain is not the same as “Thus sayeth the Lord.’ On issues not touching salvation, reasonable people can agree to disagree agreeably.”

So as we continue with the rest of Daniel, keep in mind that there are different possible interpretations. The only place where we should be certain is in the area of correctly handling the Word of God where we must not accept or condone any mis-handling of clear Scripture.

The lesson starts out with a description of the four beasts that came up out of the sea and includes a good description of the characteristics of those kings by the physical characteristics of the beasts.

But then we come to a description of the length of time for the activity of the little horn:

Next, the angel gives the time frame for the activities of the little horn: a time and times and half a time.

While he is correct that the “time” and “times” refer to years, further changing that to 1,260 years is not supported by the text. The time (1 year), times (2 years) and half a time (1/2 of a year) comes to a total of 3 1/2 years.

This 3 1/2 years shouldn’t be further stretched out by adding to it the day-for-a-year principle. The fact that it is 3 1/2 years is supported by other texts such as Daniel 12:7: the forty-two months of Revelation 11:2 and 13:5, and the twelve hundred and sixty days in Revelation 11:3 and 12:6. This is the last half of the Tribulation, also called the seventieth week of Daniel 9:24-27.

Let’s sum it up with a simpler timeline that is supported by all of the texts that refer to this time and the events happening here and that don’t rely on altering or ignoring texts that don’t agree with previously decided ideas.

The fourth beast that comes up last is the most powerful king or kingdom yet as it will “devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it” (verse 23).

The ten horns are ten kingdoms which will be a 10-nation federation that form this last kingdom (verse 24).

The fact that the ten horns, or kingdoms, “arise out of this fourth kingdom” means that that fourth kingdom did not pass completely out of existence. Although political Rome collapsed, ecclesiastical Rome emerged; but a political federation of 10 states will arise.

The little horn, who is an eleventh king or kingdom, will rise to power by subduing 3 of the others (verse 24). 

Verse 25 tells us that the little horn has become a great horn who is a blasphemer and who elevates himself (at least in his mind) above God and speaks out against Him. This is the one described in Revelation 13:5, 6 after a parallel description of the rise of a fourth, terrible beast.

But his rule and his persecution of the Tribulation saints will be ended by the coming of the Ancient One who sits in judgment.

As stated at the beginning, we cannot be adamant about points of prophecy that are open to different interpretations. But, here the lesson inserts something that directly contradicts the Biblical text. 

First, from the lesson:

“Daniel 7 does not describe the judgment or give details about its beginning and closing. But it implies that the judgment is undertaken in the wake of the little horn’s attack against God and His people… The lesson here is that we clearly will have a pre-Advent judgment in heaven that will be in favor of God’s people (Dan. 7:22).”

This is calling the judgment in Daniel 7 the “pre-Advent judgment”, also known to Adventists as the Investigative Judgment.

But compare that to what Daniel 7 actually says about this judgment:

“I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.”

This is a judgment of the little horn power, and it ends with his power being removed and with his destruction (verse 26).

Verse 27 ends with the kingdom being handed over to Jesus for all eternity. This is clearly an event, not an ongoing process. And it is a judgment of the evil one, not the saints.

The lesson further underscores its claims by this question:

“Why is an understanding of what Jesus accomplished for us at the cross so central to why we can have assurance in the day of judgment?”

If, as Adventist theology claims, what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross was not really complete, then the simple answer is: we have no assurance at all! 

Instead, look at Romans 8:1. There is no condemnation, no judgment, for those who are in Christ. THAT is our assurance.

In Friday’s lesson there is the usual Ellen White quote, but this one is a serious problem. It is from the book Prophets And Kings and says, in part:

“In his own strength, man cannot meet the charges of the enemy. In sin-stained garments, confessing his guilt, he stands before God. But Jesus, our Advocate, presents an effectual plea in behalf of all who by repentance and faith have committed the keeping of their souls to Him.”

On the surface, it sounds good but read it carefully. Note that it is talking about those who “have committed” the keeping of their souls to God. But it started out by saying that those same people are “in sin-stained garments”.

When you come to the cross and accept Jesus’ sacrifice for you, you are saved. You are clothed with the “clean white linen” of the saints (Revelation 19:8, 14) and are no longer seen by God as being in “sin-stained garments”. He sees Jesus’ perfection in place of our sin.

So, to say that, after salvation, we are still in those stained garments is to deny the actual fact of salvation—or at least to deny the eternal, un-changing nature of it. †