heavenly sanctuary – B I B L E – ONLY

Daniel 11:31-32 What does the “abomination of desolation” mean?

Tony — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Daniel 11:31 a. and armed forces from him they shall stand and they violate the sanctuary the stronghold and they take away the continual (tamid) and they give the abomination one making desolate.(Hebrew direct translation)

Daniel 11:31 b. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. (Hebrew/English translation)

The word armed forces in the Hebrew is “uzroim” and means the arm as a seat of strength. This is one instance where “z” in “uzroim” is masculine and means a political or military force as in Dan 11:31[1]. These armed forces come from the pronoun “him” which we have identified as the Little Horn power or the papacy.

They shall violate and pollute the sanctuary. Christ uses this text to give a double application. The first application applies to the sanctuary in the city of Jerusalem in the first century. Mat 24:15-18. Luk 21:20-21. However, in Dan 11: the sanctuary in Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70, by Titus a general in the Roman army, and the time setting for the little horn is during the Middle Ages.

Which sanctuary are we talking about?

Heb 8:1.2. Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected and not man.

So the sanctuary we are referring to is the heavenly sanctuary and not any sanctuary on earth.

However, it would be impossible for any known power to cast the sanctuary from heaven down to the ground. So what is the text referring to?

Dan 8:11 He (the papacy) exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

Dan 8:12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices, and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

So what was cast down to the ground from the above texts?

It was the truths and teachings about the heavenly sanctuary and Christ’s sacrifice which was cast down to the ground and became obsolete and of no effect.

They shall also take away the continual or daily.

“They” is referring to the plural of forces in helping the papacy. These are the Roman Catholic priests officiating in there diocese as representatives of the papacy.

Continual or daily is “tamid” in the Hebrew. So what does tamid mean?

“Tamid” is used in connection with the tabernacle and temple services about 50 times in the Old Testament: of the daily morning and evening burnt offering Ex 29:38.42, of the candlestick or lamp Ex 27:20, of the shewbread Ex 25:30, of the incense Ex 30:8, of the fire upon the altar Lev 6:13, of the fire and cloud that hovered over the sanctuary Num 9:16, of the musical service

1 Chron 16:6.37, etc. In all instances “tamid” denotes aspects of the tabernacle or temple service that were in operation “continually,” “regularly,” or “daily.” A lamb was offered every morning and every evening, and incense was burned upon the alter of incense simultaneously[2].

In Dan 8:11-14 the power symbolized by the little horn, desolates the sanctuary and halts its regular ritual services[3].

Dan 11:31 they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

“They” is a plural pronoun and they are the priests in the Roman Catholic Church representing the papacy.

What is the abomination that makes desolate?

In the Hebrew Abomination is “shiqutz” and means a detested thing, filth, unclean foods, idols, and idolatrous practices[4].

When doing a theological word study of the word abomination from the Old and New Testament, one finds out that the word is very much related to idolatrous worship opposing the worship of God who created the heavens and the earth.

A short word study of the word abomination

Mat 24:15.16. Therefore when you see “the abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Luk 21:20. 21. But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, – – -.

Deut 29:17 you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them: wood and stone and silver and gold.

Lev 7:21 Moreover the person who touches any unclean thing, such as human uncleanness or unclean animal, or any abominable thing and who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people.

1 Kings 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoroth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

1 Kings 11:7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.

(Chemosh was the chief god worshipped by the Moabites. He was the god of victory in warfare. Human sacrifices were offered to him 2 Kings 3:27. Molech was the name of the god to whom human sacrifices were offered. The Mosaic Law prohibited devoting ones children to Molech

2 Kings 23:10. King Ahaz and King Manassah burned their children at the high places of Topeth in the Valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem “ 2 Chron 28:1. 2 Chron 33:6.)

2 Chron 15:8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim – – -.

Es 66:3 He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man – He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dogs neck – He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood – He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways and their soul delights in their abominations.

Jerm 4:1 If you will return O Israel, says the Lord, return to Me; and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight. (This is referring to adultery with idols Jerm 3:8, and harlotry and adultery with stones and trees Jerm 3:9.)

Jerm 7:30.31. For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, says the Lord. They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.

Jerm 13:27 I have seen your adulteries and your lustful neighing, the lewdness of your harlotry, your abominations on the hills in the fields.

Jerm 32:34.35. But they set their abominations in the house (temple) which is called by my name, to defile it. And they have built the high places of Baal which are ion the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and daughters to pass through the fire to Moloch, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination to cause Judah to sin.

Ezek 5:11 Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you.

Ezek 8:10 So I went in and saw and there were every sort of creeping thing abominable beasts and all idols of the house of Israel, portrayed all around the walls (of the temple in Jerusalem, verse 6).

Ezek 20:7 Then I said to them, each one of you, throw away the abominations which are before your eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, I am the Lord your God.

Ezek 20:30-32. Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: “Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your fathers, and committing harlotry according to their abominations. For when you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.

Dan 9:27 But in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering – And on the wings of abominations shall be one who makes desolate. (Refers to the sacrifice of Christ bringing an end to all sacrifices and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D.)

Dan 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken and the abomination of desolation (is set) there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. (1260 days is 1290 prophetic years from 508 to 1798 A.D. during the rule of the papacy in Middle Ages).

Hos 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your father as the first fruits in the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor. They separated themselves to that shame. They became an abomination like the thing they loved.

Nahum 3:6 I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile and make you a spectacle. (This is a woe on Ninevah because of her sin).

Zech 9:7 I will take away the blood from his mouth and the abominations from between his teeth. But he who remains, even he shall be for our God, and shall be like a leader in Judah, and Eekron like Jebusite.

Conclusion

In summary of the above texts the word abomination means idolatrous worship or any kind of worship that is opposite to worshipping God as outlined in the Bible. The abomination that makes desolate is the idolatrous worship which makes ones faith desolate and has no meaning in the eyes of God.

The abomination of desolation during the Middle ages can be seen as the union of church and state and what the church set out to accomplish through the power of the state. That is abominable worship using force to accomplish the churches means as in the dark Middle Ages.

So what is this abomination that takes the place of the sanctuary truth and cast it to the ground?

The following is a list of the Roman Catholic beliefs which are opposite to that of the sanctuary truths found in the Bible.

1. The infallibility of the pope. One who is incapable of erring and one who is unfailing.

(The pope is a human being. The Bible says in Rom 3:23 “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In addition the book Catholic Power Vs. American Freedom states “the papal doctrine of infallibility was promulgated in 1870 by the first Vatican Council at the insistence of Pope Pius IX. However, it was not suddenly discovered, for, as Pius IX elaborated, it was a “tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith.” This of course is not true, for there is nothing in the New Testament or the early churches to support it)[5].”

2. Under the teachings of the apostolic succession, the pope has absolute authority and is the supreme ruler of the church.

(The apostolic succession cannot be proven. The papacy says they have a list of credentials handed down from the apostle Peter right down to the first pope, however these credentials are false. The supreme ruler of the church according to the Bible is Christ and Christ only. Ephes 5:23.24).

3. The Eucharist or communion is the time when the bread turns into the body of Christ and the wine turns into the literal blood of Christ by some miraculous event.

(This has never been proven. When Christ gave the ordinance of the Communion to his disciples in Math 26:26-28, he is referring to the bread and wine as symbols of his body and blood. When Jesus said “take eat this is my body,” the disciples did not literary eat his body, but they ate bread which was a symbol of his body).

4. The sale of indulgences[.6 Tim Dowley, Ed., A Lion Handbook: The History of Christianity (Herts: Lion Pub., 1977), 269] Indulgences guaranteed the crusader´s entry into heaven and reduced or abolished his time in purgatory[7. Tim Dowley, Ed., A Lion Handbook: The History of Christianity (Herts: Lion Pub., 1977), 333] Under Pope Sixtus there was a need for greater amounts of money in the form of gifts and this led to the peddling of indulgences.

(There is no text in the Bible referring to indulgences. It is a teaching thought up by the papacy to enlarge the coffers of the Church).

5. Purgatory is a place of spiritual purging of sins when one has died and on the road to heaven.

(There is no scriptural reference for this teaching).

6. Salvation by works and belief in Christ.

(One is only saved by faith in Jesus Christ and not by works. Ephes 2:8.9).

7. Forgiveness of sin can only be done by the pope, bishops and priests.

(This is not scriptural. Only God can forgive sins. Luk 5:21. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9).

8. The papacy has changed the 10 commandments of God in their own Bible compared to the original Hebrew.

They have ruled out the second commandment saying, “you shall not make for yourself a graven image – – – and you shall not bow down to them or serve them.”

They do not specify what the Lord´s day is, like the Sabbath which is the seventh day of the week.

They have divided the last commandment into two commandments which is, thou shalt not covet. To compare see Ex 20:2-17 and the Catechism of the Catholic Church at www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism

9. Veneration of the saints.

(The Bible says in the ten commandments Ex 20: 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them.” This includes the worshipping of saints and their images).

10. The immaculation of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ.

(Immaculation means that the virgin Mary was conceived free from the taint of original sin (in 1854 declared an article of faith of R.C. Church). The Bible says in Rom 3:23 “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This includes the mother of Mary).

11. The papacy has changed the Sabbath day from Saturday the seventh day of the week to Sunday the first day of the week.

Which is the Sabbath day?
Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.

(The correct Sabbath is the seventh day of the week on a Saturday installed by God at creation Gen 2:1-3).

The question is how do these false teachings take away the truths of the heavenly sanctuary?

First of all, the Roman Catholic Church system of priests forgiving their members of their sins in a booth, is a substitute of the forgiving of sins by our heavenly Father in the heavenly sanctuary through the Lamb of God.

Heb 8:1.2. “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, which is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected and not man.”

John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

So the only priest we have to come to for the forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9) is Jesus Christ in the heavenly sanctuary and not any institution on earth. The pope is not the supreme authority and High priest over all the church and churches in Christendom. Christ is our only High Priest and has supreme authority in the heavenly sanctuary and over all men on earth. Heb 4:14 “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus Christ the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.” Heb 8:1.2. Heb 9:11. Ephes 5:23.24.

Furthermore, salvation in the heavenly sanctuary is not by works but by faith alone on the merits of Christ the Lamb of God and Christ as our High Priest. John 1:29. Ephes 2:8.

Christ as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary

In addition the Roman Catholic teaching of the Mass: where Christ is sacrificed each time one partakes of the mass and the bread turns into the actual body of Christ, and the wine changes into the actual blood of Christ; this is also a false teaching opposite to the sanctuary teaching in heaven. Heb 9:25 “not that He (Christ) should offer himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another,” Heb 9:28 “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.”

As regarding the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath, these were written by Gods own finger on stone and placed in the ark in the Most Holy Place. Ex 31:18. Deut 10:1-5. There is no place in the Bible where it says that the Ten Commandments were done away with at the cross. They are still binding on all men and Christians because if they were done away with, all men would be allowed to steal, murder, and commit adultery etc. However, God does not allow this in his kingdom therefore the commandments are still binding in his heavenly sanctuary and are still binding on us today on earth. Rev 11:19. Rev 14:12. Rev 12:17

Dan 11:32a. and ones condemning of the covenant he shall pollute in slickness’s and people of ones knowing of Elohim of him they shall be steadfast/firm and they do.

Dan 11:32b. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do (exploits).

The word condemning or wickedly in the Hebrew is “marshie” and means, be wicked, act wickedly, departing from God[7].

The word slickness and flatteries in the Hebrew is “bachalaqowt” and means smoothness, slippery, empty, make smooth, lie, forge, fabricate, false, divide the heart, deceptive, seductive speech[8].

We have three groups of people in this text: the papacy referred to as the pronoun “he,” another group who are against the covenant of God; these would be the traditional Roman Catholic members of the Church and civil authorities who have been convinced by the papacy that the Reformers are going against the church. Then we have a final group who know their God and they stand firm to their beliefs in the Bible: these are the reformers and their followers in the reformation. God in the Hebrew is Elohim and refers to the pluralistic God of creation, namely the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as in Gen 1:

[1] Francis Brown, S.R. Driver and C.A. Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1980). 283. 284b.

[2] Siegfried H. Horn, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, Vol. 8 (Washington D.C.: Review & Herald, 1979), 257.

[3] Ibid, 258.

[4] Brown, Driver and Briggs, 1055a.

[5] George La Piana and John Swomley, Catholic Power VS. American Freedom (New York: Prometheus Books, 2002, 211.

[6] Don F. Neufield and Julia Neuffer, Ed., Seventh-day Adventist Bible Students´Source Book, Vol. 9 (Washington D.C.: Review & Herald Pub., 1962), 886.

[7] Francis Brown, S.R. Driver and C.A. Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1980), 957d.

[8] Ibid, 325c.

Introduction to the seven trumpets in Revelation

Tony — Sat, 29 Sep 2018 04:48:12 +0000

Introduction to the Seven Trumpets

There are three views of doing prophetical exegesis in the book of Revelation:

Preterist: The book of Revelation is viewed through the eyes of John the disciple and takes place during the first century.
Futurist: The prophecies in the book of Revelation all take place at the end of this world before or during Armageddon.
Historical: The prophecies in the book of Revelation take place during earth´s history from Adam and Eve to the Second Coming of Christ.

I have added a fourth view which is emerging from Seventh Day Adventist theologians and the ecumenical movement.

Ecumenical world view: anything goes, if it fits your exegesis, then use it. This would also include the scientific theory used in Biblical exegesis today. However, do not criticize any church denomination, a method many mega churches use from the pulpit today.

When doing an exegesis using the historical method of the Seven Trumpets in the book Revelation, we find in chapters 10 and 11, the sweet and bitter experience of the Adventist message in 1843. Revelation chapters 10 and 11 reveal the foundation of the Adventist teachings on the heavenly sanctuary from the Bible and Bible only.

However, upon reading Ranco Stefanovic´s commentary: “Revelation of Jesus Christ,” one can see that his analysis of the Seven Trumpets, especially in chapters 10 and 11 is completely devoid of the early Adventist Bible teachings of the sweet and bitter experience of 1844.

Ranco Stefanovic

He does say however, “Seventh-day Adventist Christians have seen in Revelation 10 a special prophetic significance for their life and mission. In John´s bitter and sweet experience they have seen what is known as the great disappointment experienced by the Millerite movement in 1844.”[1]

When Stafanovic writes about Seventh-day Adventist Christians, he writes in the third person, as if he is not an Adventist or even believes in the 1844 Adventist experience. Upon researching Stefanovic´s background on the internet, we find that he has grown up in a Roman Catholic family. When analyzing the Seven Trumpets in the book of Revelation, we find he is very much pro-Roman Catholic in his teachings. That is he avoids, using negative words pointing to the Roman Catholic Church or the papacy, e.g. The mark of the beast in Rev 13.

The historical method is very clear whom the scriptural text is talking about when referring to the sea beast in Rev 13:1-10 e.g. the papacy in the Roman Catholic Church system. However, Stefanovic says in his book, “Whatever the time designation of forty-two months might refer to, in Revelation it is always associated with the wicked who, for a long period, held dominion over God´s faithful people.”[2] He does not name the papacy in the Roman Catholic Church system, who held dominion over God´s faithful people, but calls them, “wicked.” This is just one of many statements he uses to avoid using the name papacy in the Roman Catholic Church system.

When referring to the sea beast in Rev 13:1-10, he calls the sea beast a political power through which Satan works actively throughout the earth´s history.[3] This statement is far from the truth as Seventh-day Adventists understand or teach, because we understand the sea beast as both a religious and a political power who did not live throughout earth´s history. Again, we can see Stefanovic is whitewashing Adventists understanding and teachings of prophecy, in the book of Revelation.

In referring to the 1260 day/year prophecy from 538-1798. Rev 12:6.14. 11:3.2. This prophecy is one of the central teachings of the Adventist church, yet we find that Stefanovic does not accept or even believe in this teaching. In referring to antichrist he quotes from Le Roy Froom on page 346, “Le Roy Froom observed that among the historicist interpreters there is a disagreement as to when to begin and when to end the 1,260 day/year period of Antichrist.”[4]

We also find that Stefanovic is not alone in not believing in the 1,260 day/year prophecy. Samuele Bacchiocchi[5] does not believe in this prophecy. Bacchiocchi lists a few other Adventist theologians who agree with him positively on the subject: Hans LaRondelle, Jon Paulien, Ranko Stefanovic, Zdravko Stefanovic, Roy Gane, and Robert Johnson. Jacques Doukhan was the only one who disagreed with Bacchiocchi´s conclusion about the 1260 day/year prophecy.

Stefanovic wrote on Bacchiocchi´s list: “The information presented in your paper are factually documented and the evidences are weighty. I find the concerns you have expressed to be very similar to mine while I was writing my commentary on Revelation. Also, your perception regarding my position is very correct: I avoided assigning any date to the threefold time designation [of the three and half years/1260 days/42 months] in Revelation. I agree with you that A.D. 538 has been exaggerated; in order to get that date, the year 1798 was established first, and then the 1260 years were deducted from it.”[6]

When one makes a statement like this, one questions the beliefs of Stefanovic. Does he believe in the Adventist teachings and prophecies of Daniel and Revelation? Does he believe in the writings of Ellen G. White, especially the book: The Great Controversy? Does he believe in the atrocities of the papacy in the Roman Catholic Church system during the Dark Middle Ages: that they killed over 50 million Roman Catholic members of the church, because they read the Bible and became Protestants? I have a feeling that this man does not believe in these things and much more. That is why he writes in the third person when referring to Seventh-day Adventists.

On Bacchiocchi´s list of theologians who do not agree with the 1,260 day/year prophecy, is Jon Paulien. Paulien was Stefanovic´s professor, when he did his PhD, dissertation. Therefore, Paulien has had some influence in the way Stafanovic has written his theological teachings on Revelation.

What kind of influence?

Jon Paulien

Paulien expresses his method of communicating theology in his talk on Revelation 13 and the Papacy [7] at the 12^th Annual Seminary Scholarship Symposium at Andrews University Seminary.

Paulien´s views come from his own life´s experience. He starts off with his first evangelistic series in New York. He talks about his experience of presenting the subject: The Mark of the Beast to a group of Roman Catholics in his audience which backfired, and they did not come to his meetings anymore. Hence, the lesson he learned from that experience was to preach the love of Christ and be silent on the teachings causing hostility to the church.

This world view is clearly outlined in Stefanovic´s book: Revelation of Jesus Christ.

What is wrong with this world view, which so many Adventist theologians embrace today?

First of all, the method of evangelism is different to the study of theology when using hermeneutical tools. I have spent over 40 years doing evangelism and have learnt that one can tailor make your evangelistic meetings to suit your audience. If the majority of your audience is Roman Catholic, leave the Mark of the Beast out. If it is a Protestant audience, leave it in. One learns to adapt.

On the other hand, the purpose of theology, especially the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, is to bring the truth out of the text and not to adapt it to suit the reading audience. This is what Paulien and Stefanovic are doing. They are uplifting Christ, which is positive, but they are avoiding the theological texts which bring hostility to the church. They call this exegesis, however this kind of exegesis is based on the world ecumenical view of the Bible, and not the Biblical view. That is they take a common consensus of what the theologians of the world from different denominations have written on a certain text, and express this as theological truth.

The question with this form of theological study is, who knows that these theologians are right in their theological studies. A PhD., degree in theology does not give a guarantee to the Biblical text they are righting on. Furthermore, one can have more than one theologian writing on a given text and they come to two different conclusions. Hence, bringing confusion and ambiguity to the text, e.g. Stefanovic´s book: Revelation of Jesus Christ. As a result, they incorporate quotations saying, “Seventh-day Adventist believe this,” and the message comes through, that they do not believe what the Adventist teach.

This kind of hermeneutical studies does more harm than good and brings confusion to our members in the Adventist church, and trains a new generation of young ministers at our theological institutions to think ecumenically to suit the audience. Hence, neutralizing and dismantling the prophetical teachings of the Adventist church from the books Daniel and Revelation.

Over the years Jon Paulien has come up with some of his ideas in translating the Sunday Law prophecies from the book `”The Great Controversy”. Fx. on www.youtube.com, Sunday Law and the Prophecy, 14 April, 2021. The Coming Sunday Law Dilemma, 31 Oct 2020. Historical Understanding of the Sunday Laws, 31 Oct, 2020. He means that the Sunday Laws can only be used in Ellen G. Whites historical time and not in the future before Christ´s Second Coming.

A good reply to Jon Paulien´s view on the Sunday Laws is from a study by Dustin Butler:

https://www.google.com/search?q=revelation.org+on+sunday+laws&rlz= 1C1GCEU_enDK915DK915&ei=I5AJZPSRCMiF9u8Pgfef4AQ&ved= 0ahUKEwi0r_Dcrs79AhXIgv0HHYH7B0wQ4dUDCA8&uact= 5&oq=revelation.org+on+sunday+laws&gs_lcp= Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzIFCAAQogQyBQg AEKIEMgUIABCiBDIFCAAQogQ6CggAEEcQ1 gQQsANKBAhBGABQrjBY0URgoE5oAnABeACAAW-IAaMJkgEEMTYuMZgBAKABAcgBAsABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:85eae256,vid:eaRBP_1zhEw

When one listens to this study one can ask the question, has Jon Paulien who has a Phd., really done an in depth historical study on the Sunday Laws around Ellen G. White time, or is he listening to his superiors higher up the ladder in the Roman Catholic Church trying to bring confusion in the Adventist church?

The Problem with theologians named by Bacchiocchi and their attitude to the 1,260 day/year prophecy

What these theologians are saying is, we do not believe in the 1,260 year/day prophecy, because it cannot be verified from the Bible or church history. They come to this conclusion, because they have been trained in the PhD., theological program using sources from other theologians of different church denominations e.g. Roman Catholic and Lutheran etc. Many theologians from different church denominations belong to the world ecumenical church view of theology and know nothing about Seventh-day Adventist theology. They use each other’s sources even if they might be wrong, bringing double meanings to the text in question.

These Adventist theologians named by Bacchiocchi have a problem, and that is they do not believe in the writings of Ellen G. White, especially the book The Great Controversy, which gives the opposite explanation to their theological worldview from different denominations. Hence, one finds for example Paulien attacking the book The Great Controversy, by calling it “Roman Catholic bashing,” because it does not belong to his theological worldview from different denominations.

This creates a large problem amongst our theologians in the Adventist church, of which they do not have a solution. If we take this problem to the General Conference, it would be too great for them to handle, because they would be up against the PhD., theological program in the church worldwide.

The solution is, to change the way we do exegesis. We should never start by using sources from theologians from different church denominations, or even our own theologians from the Adventist church. Why? Because they might be wrong also in their exegesis. We should start with our own personal long tedious word studies from the Bible and Bible only, using the Greek and Hebrew when necessary, along with syntax and word analysis and grammatical construction. We should never use the theological dictionaries available because all theologians come to their text with preconceived ideas and beliefs. When we have done our own exegesis, then we can compare our results with other theologians and never before.

The norm today, is to avoid personal exegesis and go straight to the sources of other theologians. This kind of hermeneutics brings double meanings, ambiguity and confusion to the text. In addition, I find doing a correct exegesis gives no problems with the book: The Great Controversy or the writings of Ellen G. White on prophecy. But the ecumenical world view of doing exegesis gives many problems of which Paulien and Stefanovic are encountering.

This ecumenical worldview of exegesis is being taught in our theological institutions around the world today. If this kind of teaching continues as outlined in Stefanovic´s book: “Revelation of Jesus Christ,” then I can see Ellen G. Whites prediction being fulfilled shortly, when over half of our ministers and theologians will leave the Adventist Church during the time of trouble. Why? Because they have failed to learn to do a correct exegesis of the Bible and Bible only. Martin Luther said at Worms, “Her I stand, I can do no other.” This is solar scriptura, the Bible and Bible only in exegesis.

See my website www.ayindk.dk Daniel 11: are we doing exegesis or eisegesis? For a further analysis of exegesis in the church. In addition, see my website www.ayin.dk Dan 11:14 to see the solution to the start of the 1,260 day prophecy in 538.

Rev 8:3-5 And another angel came and stood at the altar (θυσίαστηρίον) golden which is before the throne. And went up smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints out of the hand of the angel before God. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.

The question is: does Rev 8:3-5, take place during the Day of Atonement or during the (Tamid), that is the daily administration of the sanctuary?

The censor and the altar of incense were both used on the Day of Atonement and the daily administration of the tabernacle. For example:

Lev 16:12.13. Then he (Aaron) shall take a censer full of burning coal of fire from the altar before the Lord (Altar of incense), with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil. And he (Aaron) shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he dies. (Aaron is the High Priest and is the only one to approach the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place. He takes coals from the alter of incense and puts them in his censer. He puts sweet incense in his censer but not on the alter. This is the difference between his work on the Day of Atonement and during the daily administration in the sanctuary).

Ex 30:1.2. You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you make it of acacia wood. A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width – it shall be square – and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be one piece with it. (One cubit=length of a forearm, about 60 cm or 22”-18”)

Ex 30:7.8. Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it – – -. (This text Ex 30:1.2.7.8. does not refer to the Day of Atonement but the daily administration in the Holy Place of the sanctuary).

Lev 10:1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded. (The sons of Aaron did not replace their father the High Priest. Aaron´s sons where only priests and officiated only in the Holy apartment of the sanctuary and not in the Most Holy apartment. So their work was only during the daily administration of the sanctuary).

From the texts above the censer was used on the Day of Atonement and during the daily administration in the first apartment in the Holy Place. However, the sweet incense was not used on the altar of incense on the Day of Atonement, but was put in Aaron´s censer, which was taken inside the curtain.

When returning to our text in Rev 8:3-5 And another angel came and stood at the altar (θυσίαστηρίον altar of incense). He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel´s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.

We are talking about the daily administration in the Holy place of the sanctuary. Because incense was put on the altar of incense and the smoke from the incense represented the prayers of the saints during the daily Tamid administration of the sanctuary. This action occurred only during the daily administration in the Holy Place of the sanctuary.

The act of casting the censer to the ground implies some kind of judgment although there is no text in the Bible to support such an action.

The only place in the Bible were the censer is related to judgment, was the story of Korah and his friends in the book of Numbers 16.

Num 16:1-3. Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moses and Aaron , and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, everyone of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” (In other words, Korah was saying that they were just as good leaders and holy as Moses and Aaron. In this statement, Korah was competing with the leadership with Moses and Aaron).

Num 16:16.17. And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be present before the Lord–you and they, as well as Aaron. Let each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aaron, each with his censer.

Num16:19-21. And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”

Num 16:31.32. the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their household and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.

Num 16:35. And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense. (Censers are related to judgment and punishment for sin and open rebellion against God).

Num 16:41. On the next day, all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.”

Num 16:44-46. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Get away from this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense in it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them.” (Censer in this text is used for making atonement).

The censer in this text, is related to the Korah´s rebellion, and was used for making atonement and judgment. OK! When using this information in relation to Rev 8:3-5, we can see that the following chapters on the seven trumpets, have to do with the judgments of God on the church because of rebellion against him and his word from the Bible.

[1] Ranko Stefanovic, Revelation of Jesus Christ (Berrien Springs, Michigan: Andrews University Press, 2009), 340.

[2] Ibid., 347.

[3] Ibid., 410. 411.

[4] Ibid., 346.

[5] Samuele Bacchiocchi, www.biblicalperspectives.com/endtimeissues/eti_90.html

[6] Ibid.

[7] Jon Paulien, www.YouTube.com: Revelation 13 and the Papacy