Thursday, February 20, 2020

“FROM THE STORMY SEA TO THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN”

"FROM THE STORMY SEA TO THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN"



This week we continue our study in Daniel and will be looking at Daniel 7, which is a parallel to Daniel 2. However. Although these two chapters are parallel and deal with similar time periods and subject matter, there are significant differences. You remember that in Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in which he was shown four kingdoms including his own, all of which would pass away. In order to fully appreciate Daniel 7, three verses in Daniel 2 bear repeating. Daniel 2: 34,35,44, "34 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." We are left with the historical facts of the demise of these nations, but not told why the stone was able to break the iron, clay, bronze, silver and gold; why the stone becomes a mountain and fills the whole earth, nor why God gets to set up His kingdom. Herein lies the difference between Daniel 2 and Daniel 7. The account in Daniel 2 deals more with political matters and the facts of the case, while Daniel 7 shows us the great controversy taking place behind the scenes, and evidence presented that vindicates the character of God, and also shows God's end time people their part in the great controversy.

So, in Daniel 7, Daniel is having a dream in which he sees a succession of "four great beasts", the first of which was a lion with eagles wings, the second, a bear raised up on one side with three ribs in its mouth, the third, a leopard which had on the back of it, "four wings of a fowl", and the fourth, a beast "dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly, with great iron teeth." Daniel 7:7 and 8 go on to further characterize the fourth beast, "It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words" Certainly we see the close parallels between Daniel 7 and Daniel 2. Both chapters describe a pictorial view of future history, spanning time from Daniel's time to the establishment of God's kingdom.

We recognize these beasts in Daniel 7, to represent the same kingdoms portrayed as metals in Daniel 2, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, divided Rome, and the papacy. We will not take the time to review these kingdoms in this Insight as that has been established in the study of Daniel 2. Rather we will focus on the themes of the "why."

From verse 9 on, we notice a decided change from prophetic announcement to what appears to be a climactic showdown…a showdown involving the little horn power, the Ancient of Days, the Son of Man, and the saints of the Most High. This showdown is the most important portion of Daniel 7 as it answers the question of who it is that will finally rule the world and why. The first to appear "on stage", if you will, are the Ancient of Days and the little horn. In Daniel's words: "I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; 10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened. 11 "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame."

So what we know so far is that court is in session, "The judgement was set, and the books were opened." (Daniel 7:10). Evidence is now to be presented. We have seen the uprooting of four powers, with only a little horn left to exert any influence and it speaks pompous words, great words. And for that, he was "slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame." Interestingly the Ancient of Days is not recorded as speaking. However, the Bible gives us a visual. The Ancient of Days is surrounded by thousand thousands ministering to Him and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before Him. This is very important as herein lies the evidence as to why He is finally declared to be the ruler of this world. But before we look at that (we will come back to this later), let us look at the third participant on the stage.

Daniel continues watching. He sees "13 "…One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed." The first point to be established is that the Son of Man coming on the clouds is not referring to the second coming. He is appearing before the Father, the "Ancient of Days" in the most Holy place…It is judgment day, but for whom? Two texts come to mind which will help make sense of what happens in verse 14 of Daniel 7. One is from Revelation 14 and the other, Romans 3. Revelation 14:6, 7 "6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." Romans 3:3, 4 "3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged." The judgment is not all about us. The vindication of God is central to the judgment. Who deserves to run the universe?

How do I know that this is the case in Daniel 7? I will give two points only for time and space sake. First, the last sentence of Daniel 7:13 is helpful." He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. I have only seen this on TV and assume that this is based on real life. But, when a verdict is to be given in court, the defendant approaches the bench. This is what happens here. The Son of Man approaches the bench. Notice the disposition of the case in verse 14: "Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed." Praise God. But why was He given this favorable disposition? Second point, He is referred to as the "Son of Man." Hebrews is helpful here. Hebrews 2:14-17 says "14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Ellen White puts it this way in this most amazing quote from the Desire of Ages, "By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son." John 3:16. He gave Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only-begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature. This is the pledge that God will fulfill His word. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder." God has adopted human nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. It is the "Son of man" who shares the throne of the universe. It is the "Son of man" whose name shall be called, "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6. The I AM is the Daysman between God and humanity, laying His hand upon both. He who is "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," is not ashamed to call us brethren. Hebrews 7:26; 2:11. In Christ the family of earth and the family of heaven are bound together. Christ glorified is our brother. Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love. {DA 25.3}

One other point must be addressed and that is back there in verse10 of Daniel 7. Remember those thousand thousands ministering to Him and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before the Ancient of Days? Why was that worthy of mention here in Daniel? What is its significance? I submit to you that it is exhibit A in the evidence for the vindication of the character of God. Revelation 4 and 5 speak of this same group. We will only have time to look at Revelation 5. Revelation 5 continues a description of a worship service described in Revelation 4 going on in Heaven in which four living creatures and twenty-four elders are seen worshiping God and declaring Him worthy. Their worship continues in Revelation 5 and here is where we will join them. John is weeping in verse 4 because, in his estimation, no one was worthy to open the scroll and read it. An elder comes to him and tells him not to weep and shows him something: verse 6, "6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth." Upon seeing the Lamb in the midst of the throne, here is what happened, starting in verse 8, "8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" This came out of them spontaneously. Oh, for a heart to praise my God!

Those thousand thousands ministering to Him and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before the Ancient of Days, were giving testimony in this showdown. They were witnesses at court of the worthiness of God. They were not extras in a play. They were there for a very important reason, to present evidence, to testify. Daniel records the little horn as speaking, but the Ancient of Days was sitting silent. Others testified on His behalf. The cross was the only piece of evidence presented there. This is because what the cross symbolizes, the self-emptying love of God for us. The apostle Paul says it best: "5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." This evidence speaks.

The little horn power sought the kingdom by coercion and self-exaltation, by lies and deceit.

Before we close, we need to look at the fourth group to come on the scene, the saints of the Most High. Daniel 7: 21, 22, 27 "21 "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. 27 Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him."

We are given the kingdom, not because of our worthiness but His. Because of His great love and sacrifice for us we respond as mentioned in Revelation 14:1-5 and Revelation 12:10, 11 respectively: "Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes…." Revelation 12:10, 11 "10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."

In closing, I would like us to coandinsider a text, one that I pray will be the desire of all our hearts because God is asking the question "Can I have a witness?" Proverbs 27:11 "11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me."



~Andi Hunsaker


Sent from my iPhone

Friday, February 07, 2020

1888 Message Study : From Arrogance to Destruction

https://www.1888msc.org/resources/ssi/2020-q1/from-arrogance-to-destruction

"FROM ARROGANCE TO DESTRUCTION"

 

And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Revelation 14:8, NKJV

Last week we saw God's long-suffering and great mercy toward Nebuchadnezzar, the proud king of Babylon, and how he finally was able to be done with pride, to "praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down." Daniel 4:37

This week we have the lesson of what happens when the Word of God, His love and mercy are rejected or neglected. We have a type, in story form, of the final fall of Babylon, who "makes all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

 

The Cup of Salvation

Babylonian false (self) worship has extended through all history since the fall of man, through accepting the lies of Satan regarding God. God's purpose in sending Jesus was that we would accept the truths of the close union of our humanity with divinity that has been restored through the immeasurable sacrifice of the incarnation, life and death of Christ. We have been shown that we are completely dependent on God for life and breath - doubly so by being rescued from the second death - such that all men have been "justified unto life" by the blood of Christ, His very life, represented by the unfermented wine of the Lord's supper. What has the Christian church done with this amazing gift, with the cup of salvation?

"To His people the Lord says, 'I am married unto you,' and, 'Thy Maker is thine husband.' Therefore, when they leave Him, and refuse to live any longer in right relationship with Him, He speaks of such conduct as fornication or adultery; and to lead His people into such a departure from Him is to cause them to commit fornication. When the church as a whole has thus separated from God, it is no longer regarded as a 'chaste virgin,' but as an impure woman, a harlot. And so the papacy, which claims to be the only true church, but which has in reality put man in the place of God, and the traditions of men in the place of the commandments of God, is represented under this symbol in the seventeenth chapter of Revelation. The influence of the example and teaching of the papacy in leading others to depart from obedience to the commandments of the true God is set forth in these words: 'They that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication;''which did corrupt the earth with her fornication;' 'which hath made all the nations drink of the wine of her fornication.' Revelation 17:2; 19:2, 14:8." April 12, 1900 WWP, PTUK 230.

 

You Knew All This!

A great reformation came with the repentance of Nebuchadnezzar. But the reformation stalled. Evidently the gospel was shared, even with Belshazzar, who "knew all this," and yet refused to humble himself to admit that man is nothing, and God is everything. He came to the point of making a mockery of what the sanctuary teaches about the purifying, sanctifying power of this truth. The very vessels used in the worship of God were profaned in his great feast.

The Papacy mixed up the true gospel, adding the principles of self-exaltation and materialism found from head to toe in the image of Daniel 2, and has encouraged all the kingdoms of the world to drink this mind-numbing mixture. The life that God gives was corrupted and adulterated, the pure truths of the gospel fermented by self-interest and served up in the cup of ceremony and formalism. The Reformation gave opportunity for repentance, a turning away from this desolating, destructive mix.

"In the great reformation of the sixteenth century there was a coming out from this apostate church with 'the Bible only' as the watchword, and justification by faith as the platform. Those who thus received the true Gospel of the kingdom protested against the complete substitution of the human for the divine in all the worship and service of God, and so were called 'protestants.' Had the reform which was thus begun been consistently carried forward, it would have led to a complete return to the beliefs and experiences of the early Christian church, and a people would thus have been made ready for the coming of the Lord. But in the course of time the movement became crystallized around the reforms introduced by the leaders in this great work, and no further progress was made. And so, another movement was necessary to reform the reformers, and to do the work which they might have done in preparing a people for the coming of the Lord. Thus was inaugurated in 1830-40 the great advent message which is still being proclaimed, which is simply an appeal for the acceptance of the Word of God as it reads, a discarding of all the traditions of men, and a living faith in the fulness of the experience of justification by faith in Jesus Christ. But alas! the successors of the reformers of the sixteenth century as a body rejected the message, clung to the traditions of the past, and became 'protestants' only in name. They drank of the wine of her fornication, and while separated in name they really went over in principle to the ground held so long by the papacy, 'teaching for doctrines the commandments of man,' depending upon the past history of the church and upon the names of men whom God had need in the commencement of the work of reform. This has resulted in greatly increased worldliness in the church, in a loss of the old-time power, and in a general failure to recognize and to embrace the opportunity offered to preach this Gospel of the kingdom. And thus have the names and the forms of the house of God been used in professedly maintaining the principles of the kingdom, but in reality in exalting man above God, in substituting the traditions of men for the plain teaching of the Word of God.

"All this is acted out before us in the record of Belshazzar's feast. In the cups from the Lord's house was the wine of Babylon drunk, and under its influence the creations of the minds of men were put in the place of the Creator of all things, and right principles became 'confused.' Thus because of the fall of the man in Babylon the way was prepared for the fall of Babylon, and that too during a time of feasting and drunkenness.

"In our day this prophetic history is being repeated. The enemy of God and man is come down 'having great wrath,' and 'as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,' but instead of watching unto prayer, many are given over to 'surfeiting and drunkenness,' the wine of Babylon is drunk even in the cup of the Lord, and the true God, the King of heaven, is not glorified. And even now the darkness of the last night of the feasting is settling down upon the inhabitants of the world. Who will give the true Gospel message? Who will cry, 'Behold your God!'" W. W. PRESCOTT. April 12, 1900 WWP, PTUK 230-231.

 

The Prophetic Finger of God

The books of Daniel and Revelation contain the prophecies that are the "writing on the wall" for the world. The "finger of God" that casts out demons (Luke 11:20) also circumscribes the limits of evil in this world. His finger has pointed out, counted (MENE, MENE) the prophetic measure of the little horn's activity throughout history, and given the time when the end-time judgment (weighing - TEKEL) and cleansing of the sanctuary and its vessels would begin. Now the kingdom is to be divided (PERES) and given to the "kings of the east,", represented in this story by Medo Persia. Tidings are coming from the North (God rules) and East (Jesus reigns and is returning). The spiritual life of Babylon (the Euphrates) is drying up and the way is prepared for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel, relying on the Word of God alone, and rejecting the traditions of men.

"Babylon was a heathen city, exalting itself above God. As shown in Belshazzar's feast (Daniel 5), it represented a religion that defied God. The same spirit exists today, not simply in a certain society, but wherever men choose their own way in religion, rather than submit to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. God in His longsuffering and tender mercy is but waiting until His people, coming out of Babylon, and humbling themselves to walk with Him, shall preach this Gospel of the kingdom, with all the power of the kingdom, even the power of the world to come, 'in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.'

"That end will be the destruction of Babylon, just as spoken through Jeremiah; but as Babylon of old was an universal kingdom, and its real king, as shown in Isaiah 14, was Satan, the god of this world, so the destruction of Babylon is nothing less than the judgment of God on the whole earth, when He delivers His people. For now, read the words which 'Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations,' when he prophesied about the end of the Babylonian captivity: [Jeremiah 25:15-33 quoted)]

"This is the fearful doom to which all the nations of the earth are rushing. For that great battle they are all arming. Many of them are dreaming of federation and of universal dominion; but God has said of universal dominion on this earth, 'It shall be no more, till He come whose right it is, and I will give it Him.'

"All dreams of universal peace are destined to vanish in the smoke of battle. The idea of a millennium of peace on this present earth, to be brought about by alliances and confederations, whether religious or purely civil, is a delusion of Satan, to lull men to sleep concerning the coming destruction, that they may be swept away by it. People talk about crowning Christ as King of this earth, and look forward to a time when all nations shall own His sway; but all such teaching is simply a preparation for the general worship of anti-christ. When Christ assumes the authority over this earth, the first thing He will do will be to break the nations in pieces and to gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and all that do iniquity, and cast them into a furnace of fire; and then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. But before that time comes, Satan will appear as an angel of light, claiming to be Christ, and will receive the allegiance of all who have rejected the word of the Lord as to the manner of the coming of Christ. When men, assuming that the looked-for millennium has come, shall say, 'Peace and safety,' then sudden destruction shall come upon them, 'and they shall not escape.'" 1900 EJW, EVCO 489-491.

 

Walking in the Light or Lightweight?

"Then was the writing again placed on the wall, and these words appeared: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. The words themselves were not difficult. Anybody present could have pronounced them. Literally translated, they are, 'Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, Divided.' But what could they signify? 'God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.' Twice was this repeated, for emphasis. A most accurate account had been kept, and there was no mistake in the books. The end of the kingdom had come; it was about to fall to pieces by its own weakness. 'Thou art weighed in the balances, and found wanting.' God weighs the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance (Isaiah 40:12), yet 'by Him actions are weighed.' 1 Samuel 2:3. His scales are wonderfully accurate, and are adapted to the greatest things as well as the least. Belshazzar had been placed in them, and had been found lighter than air. He weighed absolutely nothing. 'Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.' Psalm 62:9. That which men call 'gravitation' is but the power of the presence of God, to Whom alone power belongs; outside of Him there is no weight whatever; Belshazzar had rejected the Lord, and therefore when laid in the balances he went up like the fine dust." July 13, 1899 EJW, PTUK 434.

 

What's on Your Wall?

"The Handwriting on the Wall. - Did it ever occur to you that the hand that traced the mystic letters on the wall of Belshazzar's banqueting hall is still engaged in the work that God is doing in the earth? The Lord knows what is going on in your home or room, just as well as He knew the progress of the Babylonian festivities that night. If only we constantly bore in mind the fact that the presence of God is with us in our homes or places of business, and that the hand that wrote Belshazzar's doom might as easily outline our deeds and thoughts upon the wall, it would cause us oftentimes to repress the springing up of self and sin. We are being weighed in the balances every day, whether we realize it or not." June 7, 1894 EJW, PTUK 368.

 

Necessity of the Spirit of Prophecy

"From the way in which Daniel read the writing upon the wall it is evident that the same spirit of a prophet is required in order to read understandingly what God has written, or caused to be written, as is essential in the giving of prophecy. To the wise men of Babylon, the words on the wall meant nothing. Not being themselves in the current of God's revelation or familiar with His thoughts, and having no experience of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, they could not go beyond the letter of the writing; but when Daniel looked at the words on the wall he saw, through the Spirit of prophecy, the completed sentences from which these words were taken, and so he could read the writing, so as to make known the interpretation. It is just such readers and teachers of the handwriting of God that are needed today, those who are sufficient to be ministers of the new covenant, 'not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.' 'What is written in the law? how readest thou?'" May 3, 1900 WWP, PTUK 277.

 

To the World: Who will Proclaim the Infallible Word?

In the Council of Trent (1545-1563) the traditions of men were placed above the Word of God. The position here taken in response to the Reformation developed further, such that in 1870 the First Ecumenical Council of the Vatican declared the doctrine of papal infallibility. Belshazzar also had utmost faith in the belief that his kingdom could not fall, that it was "in-fall-ible," Even though God had said it would. But it was the very night of his magnificent feast that he and his kingdom fell to the Kings of the East.

"'I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake.' This was after 'the judgment was set, and the books were opened.' What an astonishing situation is revealed by these facts! At the very time when the conduct of men is being investigated and their character weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and tasted by the eternal law of God, the papacy, which had for centuries warred against the kingdom of God in the earth, and had poured out like water the blood of the subjects of that kingdom, and had even openly changed the law of the kingdom, by a formal, weighty decree claimed for its head an attribute which belongs only to 'God that cannot lie.' Was the name and the character of God even more openly blasphemed? On that last night in the history of Babylon of the Chaldees, Belshazzar exalted himself against God and offered insult to His face by using the vessels from the house of God in which to drink the wine of Babylon, while they praised the false gods. To do this after the knowledge of the true God had been revealed, and the Gospel of the kingdom had been proclaimed, sealed the fate of the king and his kingdom. To exalt himself then instead of glorifying 'the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways,' was a sufficient cause for the hand-writing on the wall. And so in adopting this dogma of infallibility, which renders impossible any repentance for the past and reform for the future, the papacy has sealed its own destruction. Individuals who now hold the teaching of the papacy may be saved through their personal repentance and faith, but this modern Babylon is doomed. And so the call is even now being sounded, 'Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.'" May 31, 1900 WWP, PTUK 339.

~Todd Guthrie