Hidden Treasure – A Deeper Understanding

Just as a small rudder can send a sizeable boat easily in any direction, so one verse of Scripture can send a church in a right or a wrong direction depending on its interpretation. “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws……” Dan.7:25.

This verse has always been used to reinforce the SDA’s stance on the Sabbath day. It describes one of nine signs that point to the identity of the Antichrist power of Daniel 7. Most scholars would be in agreement on these pointers except of course to 7:25 referring to the change of the Sabbath. This would appear to be the prerogative of SDA’s alone.

This Antichrist power would arise among the ten kingdoms that came after the iron monarchy of Rome. The book of Daniel is progressive. Just as chapter 7 is a further unfolding of what is revealed in chapter 2 so the chapters after 7 are a further unfolding of this same line of truth.

The Antichrist power:

1. Would arise after the ten. (vs.24)

2. Would arise among the ten. (vs.8)

3. It would conquer 3 of the 10. (vs.24)

4. It would be different from the 10. (vs.24)

5. It was to be a leading power in Europe. (vs.24,25)

6. It would speak against God. (vs.25)

7. It would persecute the saints. (vs.25)

8. It would change times and laws. (vs.25)

9. It would reign for 1260 years. (vs.25)

Most protestants would agree that these indicators point towards the Papacy. Only Seventh-day Adventists are unique in that they apply vs.25 to the changing of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. This methodology has been used in their Bible studies and mission outreaches to the public for generations. Does this really stand up to scrutiny? At face value it is a powerful argument to substantiate the ‘keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath’.

One cardinal rule of Bible study is to read all verses and passages in scriptural context. Their certainly appears to be a time element in vs.25. Namely this counterfeit power would, “think to change times and laws.”

What is the writer getting at here?

Just as Dan.7 is an enlargement and clarification of the prophecies of chapter 2, so Daniel 8 is a further clarification on what is written in chapter 7. This is the general trend of the whole book of Daniel.

If we follow this rule of scriptural interpretation we go to the next chapter of Daniel. It describes this little horn power in more detail. (compare Dan.7:8 with 8:9-11)

Remember there was a time element in the preceding chapter. We would expect to find a further explanation of this time element in these subsequent chapters. And we do. Vs.11 of chapter 8 says, “…by him the daily sacrifice was taken away…”. “Daily” is indicative of time.

Not only does chapter 8 give us a true understanding of the ‘daily’, it tell us that the time would come (vs.14, 1844) when there would be a ‘restoration’. And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. The NRSV has it as being, “restored to its rightful state”.

‘Restoration’ would appear to be a very acceptable word to be used here over the word ‘cleansed’ in the KJV. Modern versions have it as ‘restored’, ‘justified’ or ‘made right again’.  It was in relation to a question about the daily that the promise was given to restore the sanctuary to its rightful state. (Dan.8:13,14)  In other words, genuine, individual relationship with God. This has always been our Lord’s desire. This is what happened in the mid nineteenth century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_19th_century

The “daily” of Dan.8:11 would appear to be the explanation of “times and laws” of Dan.7:25. This is evident using the authorised King James version of scripture. Different versions can bring these meanings out even more clearly. The translator of the Message Bible recognised that the original sentence structure is very different from that of contemporary English. He decided to get closer to the heart of the original manuscripts, the subtle connotations of meaning that are often lost in English translations. He has translated Dan.7:25 as follows: “Then he will blaspheme the High God, persecute the followers of the High God, and try to get rid of sacred worship and moral practice…” That same version testifies to the actions of this Antichrist power in Dan.8:11: “…it threw out daily worship and desecrated the Sanctuary.”

There is that word “daily” again. That is an important word. It refers to continual burnt offering. It is translated as such in the Amplified Version.“….and from Him the continual burnt offering was taken away…” Dan.8:11 Amp. This is “the times and the laws” that were to be “done away”.

This is indeed a different explanation of these verses than some of us have been taught. If the “daily” is the explanation of “thinking to change times and laws”. Then there is something more being spoken of here than what day on which we worship. The main New Testament writer on the New Covenant, Paul, seems fairly casual about the day on which we worship. (Rom.14:5) He is much more concerned with the overall picture of the true meaning of the Sabbath rest. The Sabbath rest of Heb.4 is the fulfilment of the “daily”. Because this has always been the aim of God for His people, this is what the Antichrist has always wanted to take away. Have we been supplanting the “daily” with law keeping, thinking that that is the meaning of Dan.7:25? Law keeping, exemplified in the 4^th commandment, has been done away, nailed to the cross. “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days:] Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.” Col.2:14-17)

By preaching the letter of the law we actually make void the law. (Ps.119:126)  It is not the New Testament way. The New Testament way is described in Jer.31:31,33 “Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:…. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

If you want to bring genuine revival into a church don’t preach rigid law keeping. Rigid law keeping is what SDA evangelists have preached for generations – tying Sunday keeping in with the mark of the beast of Revelation. This is fear mongering and is a very real way of keeping adherents ‘within the fold’. The only problem, as we have endeavoured to show in this article, is that it does not stand up to Bible scrutiny. Rigid law keeping is only making people fearful. Reciting the phrase “Happy Sabbath” is really saying “Happy law keeping”. Rejoicing in the ‘law’ will not keep people separate from those who receive the mark of the beast. We need to remember that the Sabbath commandment as originally given was an integral part of the law yet to come. The Sabbath was anticipatory of that law. God knew what was about to transpire. That is why Jesus is referred to in Revelation as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” – not as we would expect, from man’s fall into sin. (Rev.13:8;  1 Pet.1:20)

In reality this kind of outward law keeping is going down the very pathway that Paul warns against. He calls the law as originally engraved on tables of stone as the law of sin and death. (2 Cor.3:6-9; Rom.8:2)  He says that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Rom.10:1-5) Outward law keeping will never suffice.  A  daily abiding in Christ is where the real battle begins. Spiritual warfare really began with the revelation of Jesus Christ. And John was His precursor.  It was John who revealed Jesus – the Christ – to the people. That’s when the real battle began. That’s why Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matt. 11: 12  ESV

This is real “Sabbath keeping” and is what God has always called His people into. (Heb.4:1-11)

Outward law keeping will only make people self righteous and narrow in their thinking. Preach a “daily” surrender to God and a rejoicing in His love and you will have a genuine revival. Is the church ready for this? Heaven won’t be full of regimented, legalistic people. No, “…Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Gal.4:26 It will be full of soft hearted, free people who have God’s true character.

Keeping a 24 hour period of time thinking that makes us commandment keepers can be a fallacy and worse. The law and its condemnation is for the rebellious, not those who are surrendered to God and following a New Covenant experience. “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane….” 1 Tim.1:9 And we need to recognise here that a truly ‘righteous’ person is a deeply surrendered person. There will not be an ounce of self-righteousness in such an individual. In fact the closer a Christian comes to God the more they will realise the sinfulness of their own nature. Their experience is one of daily dependence on Christ. Like the apostle Paul they will say, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death.” Rom.7:24

The work of the Antichrist has always been to take away that which God holds most dear. The daily communion of His people with Him.

Popular churches can lull us into a false sense of security. If we attend, support, believe and have a good life we are assured of our salvation. Such a system is very tidy and reassuring. If we read about early Christianity in the New Testament it doesn’t seem to be like this. (see Acts 2:42-47) We’re not to run around looking for excitement and achievement. But we are each called into a close personal relationship with God. If we do this, God will begin to work in His quiet, wonderful way. Knowing God personally is the litmus test of our experience. It may not be all that evident to those around us. But our relationship with God will be the whole reason for our life – at church and through our personal lives. Would we be remiss in saying this is what brings joy to God? Any system of religion that stands between the individual believer and God is said to be taking away the “daily” and is in reality performing the work of Antichrist.

The daily burnt offering is referred to many times in the book of Leviticus as, “an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” (Lev.1:9,13,17) This thought is carried on in the New Testament writings of Paul. “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved…..” 2 Cor.2:15

If the enemy can supplant this with a weekly cycle of duties, he has undermined the most important privilege of the Christian era. To undermine that with ‘law keeping’ is a stroke of genius. It may appear good and righteous and holy but what says the Scripture of this most subtle of all deceptions? It calls it the “abomination of desolation”. That is how much God loves His people and desires fellowship with them. Jesus admonished us to know and to understand the meaning of the “abomination of desolation”. Compare “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Matt.24:15 with Dan.11:31 “…they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.”

The only way Sabbath keeping can be beneficial to any Christian is to represent their death to self that they can walk in newness of life – the resurrection power of Jesus. It’s hard to die to self. It’s much easier to embrace a fundamental doctrine of seeing and doing and keeping.

Even if Dan.7:25 refers to the changing of the Sabbath, the New Testament equivalent of the Sabbath is not overt law keeping, it is our rest in Christ. (Heb.4)

If, on the other hand, Dan.7:25 refers to the “daily” burnt offering, the New Testament equivalent of that, is daily surrender at a deep personal level. That is what ministers and evangelists should be preaching. By preaching the law they are, in reality, substituting a deep personal surrender with overt action or ‘doing’. And worse, telling people that that in some way makes them into the commandment keepers of Rev.12:17 or 14:12. It is no wonder that anger and vitriol can proceed so easily from a people who are thus taught. Daniel 7:25 is a turning point that can lead us to embrace either legalism or a genuine experience with God. The contextual evidence (Dan.8:11) seems to favour the latter view.

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