STUDY GUIDE 02

King of The North/Time of the End Magazine

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Note that Lesson 2 includes:

·         The chapter in Time of the End magazine entitled, “Nothing New Under the Sun,” and

·         Notes chapter, “Knowledge Increased,” part B

·         Please correct the Time of the End magazine (TE) page 8 in 1999 edition, and page 9 in 2002 edition, and the Notes page 4:  the reference in the Great Controversy is 398-400, not 398-390.

·         Book, The Final Rise and Fall of the King of the North, pages 4-8.

·         Scripture on which this lesson is based:  Daniel 12:4.  See also these Scriptures pertaining to this lesson:  Daniel 11:40-45, Hosea 6:3, Matthew 13:11, John 8:31,32, John 13:7, John 16:13, and John 16:25.

Introduction:

In this lesson we see that God is using increased understanding of old prophecies to awaken His people.  Sleeping Seventh-day Adventists will awake as they become wise in understanding events that are about to happen.  Past history is being repeated.  We will see that in the days of the pioneers an increased knowledge of the beginning date of the 2300 days as well as the fall of the Ottoman empire, prophesied for 1840, both worked together to bring about the great revival between 1840 and 1844.  In this same way, prophecies in Daniel 11:40-45 may have a similar effect as we study them looking to God for wisdom to bring our lives into agreement with what they tell us.  William Miller’s rules of Bible Study are included in this lesson because the fulfilled prophecy of 1840 showed thousands of people the correctness of these rules.  We need to know them too.

1.    Read Daniel 12:10 and Revelation 1:3.  What is the promise to us as we study these Bible prophecies?  Answer:  The wise shall understand.  We will be blessed as we prayerfully read, study, and pray to God for understanding wisdom.

2.    Read Daniel 12:4 and Revelation 10:2,6.  The angel said that knowledge would be increased.  What kind of knowledge was to be increased?  What book was sealed and what part of that book was sealed?  (Notes4:1/2Selected Messages 106-107)  Knowledge on the book of Daniel is to come to all the inhabitants of the earth.  Daniel was the sealed book but events of the end times were to be understood at the time of the end as Daniel was unsealed (see all of Revelation 10).

3.    Read Hosea 6:3.  What are the great and solemn events, which we must know as we stand on the very threshold of their fulfillment?  (TE8/2SM109, TM116-117, and 3SM339) Answer: Past history will be repeated and many of the events are about to be fulfilled in quick succession.  Because old controversies will arouse to new life and perils will beset God’s people on every side we are counseled to study Revelation in connection with Daniel, for history will be repeated.

4.    Read Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:1,4,11,17,21.  After Pentecost there was a great revival as the Holy Ghost came upon the believers. Thousands were converted as Peter preached the prophecies of Joel and proclaimed that Jesus Christ came from God as a foreordained plan, which was prophesied in Old Testament Scriptures.   In like manner, what brought about the great revival of the Millerite movement, especially during 1840-1844?  (Revelation 9:15, TE9,10/GC398-400, & 334-335)  The great revival of 1840-1844 came about by an increased understanding of the books of Daniel and Revelation.  The Millerite movement began with the understanding of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14.  It gained much increased impetus by two further discoveries of prophecy:

a)    that the beginning of the 2300 days was to be the fall of the year and not the beginning of the year, (they discovered the decree of Artaxerxes went forth in the autumn of 457BC putting the 10^th day of the 7^th month in the year 1844 at October 22, 1844, see GC398-400), and

b)    that the fall of the Ottoman Empire would be on Aug. 11, 1840 as discovered and preached by Josiah Litch two years before it happened, see GC334-335)

5.    What important rules were confirmed by the fall of the Ottoman Empire?  (TE10/GC334-335)  William Miller’s Rules of Prophetic Interpretation were confirmed after Josiah Litch used these rules to predict 2 years ahead of time that the Ottoman Empire would fall on August 11, 1840 as prophesied in Revelation 9:15.  These rules are listed at the end of this lesson.

6.    Read Revelation 14:6,7 and Gen. 3:15.  How does the first angel’s message point us to the true worship of the Creator, the plan of salvation, and the Sabbath/Sunday issue; and what is the issue on which there will be an increase of knowledge?  (TE/2SM105-106) Answer:  The first angel’s message proclaims the same everlasting gospel that was declared in Eden.  The Creator would stand on the field of battle and contest the power of Satan and prevail against him exactly where Satan had rebelled (Satan had said the law of God was faulty.  He had led men to change God’s law/Sabbath, but Christ came to our world to represent the character of God “as it is represented in His holy law; for His law is the transcript of His character.  Christ was both the law and the gospel.”  The angel proclaims the everlasting gospel.  He is also proclaiming the law of God, since “Christ was both the law and the gospel.”  The “gospel of salvation brings men to obedience of the law, whereby their characters are formed after the divine similitude.” This law comes to light in the first angel’s message.  The call is to worship the Creator but men have worshiped the day the Papacy instituted making God’s law of no effect.  Ellen White says there will be an increase of knowledge on this subject. (2SM106)

7.    Refer back to question 4 above.  If the great revival of the early 1840s came about from the understanding of Daniel and Revelation is it possible that an increased understanding of end-time events in our day could prepare a people to stand in the days right before us?  (TE/2SM105-106)  Answer:  Yes, we are promised by the Spirit of Prophecy that there will be an increase of knowledge on the Sabbath/Sunday issue and that history will be repeated.

8.    Read Matthew 25: 1-13.  How was the parable of the ten virgins like the Millerite movement in 1844, and how is it like us today?  (Notes & TE/GC398-400, RH, Aug.19,1890)  When the Millerite movement saw the new light of the starting date of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14, they went out and proclaimed, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh.”  This was the midnight cry.  Sister White said that this parable has been and will be fulfilled to the very letter and that it will continue to be fulfilled to the very end of time.  Revelation 14:8, the second angel’s message was proclaimed from the summer of 1844 to October 22, 1844 (GC398).  They showed people that Babylon was the fallen churches and called people out of them.  As the Loud Cry of the Third angel swells and becomes the fourth angel’s message, we will proclaim Revelation 18:1-4 which calls people out of the churches of Babylon.  As a result of this powerful message people are to be prepared to stand in the hour of temptation.  They will unite to fearlessly proclaim the third angel’s message.  We are to prepare for the future by understanding the past in connection with the parable of the ten virgins.

9.    Read Mark 13:35-36.  What is the sobering warning from Jesus?  (7T14/TE)  Jesus warns us to watch for we know not when the master of the house cometh, lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.  We are warned to “catch the steady tread of the events ordained by God to take place.  We are to put on the armor of heaven, and to go forth to the warfare.  We are to be willing to do and dare for God, knowing that His omnipotence will supply our needs.

10.  The rules of interpretation used by William Miller are stated in the book, Memoirs of William Miller by Sylvester Bliss, Boston:  Published by Joshua V. Himes, 1853, pages 70,71.

RULE I- Every word must have its proper bearing on the subject presented in the Bible.

PROOF: Matthew 5:18.

RULE II- All Scripture is necessary and may be understood by a diligent application and study.

PROOF: 2 Timothy 3:15–17.

RULE III- Nothing revealed in the Scripture can or will be hid from those who ask in faith, not wavering.

PROOF: Deuteronomy 29:29; Matthew 10:26–27; 1 Corinthians 2:10; Philippians 3:15; Isaiah 14:11; Matthew 21:22; John 14:13–4; 15:7; James 1:5–6;

1 John 5:13–15.

RULE IV- To understand doctrine, bring all the scriptures together on the subject you wish to know, then let every word have its proper influence, and if you can form your theory without a contradiction, you cannot be in an error.

PROOF: Isaiah 28:7–29; 35:8; Proverbs 19:27; Luke 24:27, 44–45; Romans 16:26;

James 5:19; 2 Peter 1:19, 29.

RULE V- Scripture must be—its own expositor, since it is a rule of itself. If I depend on a teacher to expound it to me and he should, guess at its meaning, or desire to have it so on account of his sectarian creed or to be thought wise, then his guessing, desire, creed or wisdom is my rule, not the Bible.

PROOF: Psalm 19:7–11; 119:97–105; Matthew 23:8–10; 1 Corinthians 2:12–16;

Ezekiel 34:18–19; Luke 11:52; Malachi 2:7–8.

RULE VI- God has revealed things to come, by visions, in figures and parables, and in this way the same things are often time revealed again and again, by different visions, or in different figures, and parables. If you wish to understand them, you must combine them all in one.

PROOF: Psalm 89:19; Hosea 12:10; Habakkuk 2:2; Acts 2:17; 1 Corinthians 5:6;

Hebrews 9:9, 24; Psalm 78:2; Matthew 13:13, 34; Genesis 41:1–32; Daniel 2, 7, 8;

Acts 10:9–16.

RULE VII- Visions are always mentioned as such.

PROOF: 2 Corinthians 12:1.

RULE VIII- Figures always have a figurative meaning, and are used much in prophecy, to represent future things, times and events; such as mountains, meaning governments; beasts meaning kingdoms. Waters, meaning people. Lamp, meaning Word of God. Day, meaning year.

PROOF: Daniel 2:35, 44; 7:8, 17; Revelation 17:1, 15; Psalm 119:105; Ezekiel 4:6.

RULE IX- Parables are used as companions to illustrate subjects, and must be explained in the same way as figures by the subject and Bible. Mark 4:13.

RULE X- Figures sometimes have two or more different significations, as day is used in a figurative sense to represent three different periods of time.

PROOF: Ecclesiastes 7:14.

1. Indefinite.

2. Definite, a day for a year.

3. Day for a thousand years.

If you put on the right construction it will harmonize with the Bible and make good sense, otherwise it will not.

PROOF: Ezekiel 4:6; 2 Peter 3:8.

RULE XI- How to know when a word is used figuratively. If it makes good sense as it stands, and does no violence to the simple laws of nature, then it must be understood literally, if not, figuratively.

PROOF: Revelation 12:1–2; 17:3–7.

RULE XII- To learn the true meaning of figures, trace your figurative word through your Bible, and where you find it explained, put it on your figure, and if it makes good sense you need look no further, if not, look again.

RULE XIII- To know whether we have the true historical event for the fulfillment of a prophecy. If you find every word of the prophecy (after the figures are understood) is literally fulfilled, then you may know that your history is the true event. But if one word lacks a fulfillment, then you must look for another event, or wait its future development. For God takes care that history and prophecy doth agree, so that the true believing children of God may never be ashamed.

PROOF: Psalm 22:5; Isaiah 14:17–19; 1 Peter 2:6; Revelation 17:17; Acts 3:18.

RULE XIV- The most important rule of all is, that you must have faith. It must be a faith that requires a sacrifice, and, if tried, would give up the dearest object on earth, the world and all its desires, character, living, occupation, friends, horns, comforts, and worldly honors. If any of these should hinder our believing any part of God’s word, it would show our faith to be vain. Nor can we ever believe so long as one of these motives lies lurking in our hearts. We must believe that God will never forfeit his word. And we can have confidence that he that takes notice of the sparrow, and numbers the hairs of our head, will guard the translation of his own word, and throw a barrier around it, and prevent those who sincerely trust in God, and put implicit confidence in his word, from erring far from the truth, though they may not understand Hebrew or Greek.

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