Daniel, Prophet of the End - WordPress.com...Page 1 of 14 Daniel, Prophet of the End Lesson 3, From Mystery to Revelation Commentary by Garrick Augustus, January 16, 2020 From Mystery

Page 1 of 14

Daniel, Prophet of the End

Lesson 3, From Mystery to Revelation

Commentary by Garrick Augustus, January 16, 2020

From Mystery to Revelation, Sabbath Afternoon, Jan. 11

In chapter two we will discover that YHWH manifests some key features in His dealings with mankind: He is the

keeper and revealer of “secrets.” He reveals His secrets to those who reverence Him and keep His

commandments, statutes, and judgments, and He especially reveals His “secrets” unto His servants, the

prophets, such as Daniel.

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Ps 25:14 o “For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.” Prov. 3:32 o “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Amos 3: 7 o “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong

unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deut. 29: 29

He answers earnest importunate prayers. o “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”

Lu 18:1

He is Master of all circumstances, and controls what world leaders such as kings, States men and women, Dictators, Presidents, and policy-makers alike, think, and ultimately do on behalf of God’s selected people.

o “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Prov. 21: 1

He sees the “end from the beginning,” and declares each event with “surety” and “certainty.”

o “9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” Isa. 46: 9, 10

The Great Image was an object lesson of the world in the hands of sinful man through successive, yet cascading empires, going from good, to bad, to worse, to very worse!

o “38 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 39 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.” Dan. 2: 38, 39

His ability to bring order out of chaos, separate truth from error, and guarantee His “sure” promises in truth! o “5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast

not known me: 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I

Page 2 of 14

make peace, and create evil [disaster, trouble, calamity]: I the LORD do all these things.” Isa. 45: 5-7

The Immanence of God; Sunday, Jan. 12

Immanence: God’s ability to be “indwelling the universe, as the one who inhabits eternity.”* o Thus, To the eternal "I AM," who inhabits eternity, before whom the darkness is light, and the

remotest boundaries in space His footstool, who sees the end from the beginning, and to whom a thousand years are but as yesterday, all things are open and naked unto Him, for in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17: 27).

o “7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” Ps. 139: 7-12

Similar to Daniel’s unveiling of the “secret” in Babylon, was Joseph’s experience with Pharaoh’s dream in Egypt land:

o “25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do… 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land.” Gen. 41: 30.

The Prayer*, Mon. Jan. 13 Daniel’s experience demonstrates that we are not only to pray for Divine directions, but the bigger part is to

WAIT for His answer! For this reason, Daniel requested “time” of the king, so that he can both speak to God and

wait for His reply. There were two distinct categories of prayers demonstrated in Daniel’s and his companions’

experience with regard to this dream’s revelation:

Importunate supplication for Divine favor:

“17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

his companions: 18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret;

that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then was

the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision.” (Dan. 2: 17-19a)

Thanksgiving and praise:

“19 Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of

God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the

seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge

to them that know understanding: 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is

in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my

fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired

of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.” (Dan. 2: 19b-23)

Page 3 of 14

The Image Revealed, Part 1* Tue, Jan. 14 On Monday, December 30, 2019 we broached this subject, and placed the audience on high alert

that it formed the basis of a central error that will be woven throughout the book of Daniel,

resulting in a further erroneous conclusion, so it is well to remind ourselves of it here:

Lesson Note: “Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of four kingdoms (Daniel 2)” – SS Lesson, Monday,

December 30, 2019.

“An outline of Daniel 2 that erroneously concludes that it concerns only 4 earthly kingdoms, instead

of 5, as the Bible clearly shows , will lead to the commission of another error, leading us farther

away from the totality of Scripture! Building on this central error, that there are only “four earthly

kingdoms,” we will most assuredly conclude with another unfortunate error! But unless we have

20-20 spiritual vision, we shall prove incapable of understanding, and rightly interpreting the very

clearly interpreted passages, if we use the method advanced in breaking certain segments of

Scripture into the world of the “classics.” In Dan. 2, we have been given, the following sequence of

empires: Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the World Governments after 1798,

represented by the feet of Iron and clay.”

“27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath

demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the

king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king

Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.” Dan. 2: 27, 28

First, we MUST respect the language of Scripture, and realize that when the Revealer of Secrets says

“the LATTER Days,” we are not at liberty to assign the events to the time of NEW EARTH! Doing so,

will be the commission of another error that is forcefully condemned in the Bible, for we will be

committing the sin of adding to, or subtracting from the Word of God! We must note with care, that

the New Earth is in “eternity,” and “eternity,” by definition, means “time without end!” This means

that there can be no “latter days” in eternity! Therefore, any interpretation of Daniel, which places

the “latter days” in the new earth, is inconsistent with the Scriptures of Truth!

“18 For I [Jesus is speaking] testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this

book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in

this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God

shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which

are written in this book.” Rev. 22: 18, 19

“But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth

with me in these things, but Michael your prince.” Dan. 10: 21

It matters not that we obtain the approval of men, church boards, and learned theologians, if

“Michael” does not “hold” the notions they embrace!

Page 4 of 14

“31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” Dan. 2: 31-35

There are five Kingdoms mentioned in Daniel 2:

1. The head of gold represents Babylon (626-539 B.C.).

2. The chest and arms of silver stand for Media-Persia (539-331 B.C.).

3. The belly and thighs of bronze symbolize Greece (331-168 B.C.).

4. The legs of iron aptly represent Rome in two stages

a. Pagan Rome: (168 B.C.-A.D. 476).

b. Papal Rome (538 A.D. – 1798 A.D.)

5. The feet partly of iron and partly of clay represent the divided nations of our modern world, not Europe

alone! (1798 A.D.- Coming of Christ’s Stone-Kingdom “in the latter days.”).*

“Our position in the image of Nebuchadnezzar is represented by the toes, in a divided state, and of

a crumbling material, that will not hold together.” {1T 360.3}

* It is important to see that in the Quarterly, a cardinal error has been committed, and in order to

appreciate the Truth of God’s word, it is needful that we dwell on this aspect for a few moments, as we shall

presently do below:

“The pelvis is a symmetrical bony girdle. It consists of three strong bones fused together: the ilium, ischium and pubis. These bones merge to form bilateral concave sockets named acetabulum, which accommodate the femur heads to form the hip joints.”-- http://anatomy.lexmedicus.com

Page 5 of 14

Extended Learnings From the Pelvis Bone #2 is the Spinal column, traversing to the coccyx, and is symbolic of the first king of Greece, Alexander The Great. Bones 1, 3, 4, and 5 represent the four divisions of Greece after the death of Alexander.

Bones 4 and 5 also illustrate that Greece would be reduced to two opposing governmental divisions—the King of the North (KON), and the King of the South (KOS). More will be said about these later, in chapter 11.

Head (not shown) —singular government

Chest and arms (not shown)—dual successive governments Belly & thighs—singular to dual governments-(KON & KOS)*

In chapter’s 7, 8, and 11, the truth of the third kingdom’s splitting into four distinct branches from one main kingly shaft, then condensing into two separate governments known as the King of the North (KON), and the King of the South, (KOS), will further explain why the almighty assigned the “belly and thighs” to the Grecian empire.

Legs—dual successive governments (Pagan/ Papal) Iron & clay – Dual governments, East and West block of national governments**

** We need this anatomical structure in our minds, for when we get to Greece, in future chapters, and see that it was divided into four segments, then reduced to two nations—the kings of the North and South, all this knowledge will begin to congeal in our minds that Divine wisdom has been devoted in assembling this image in the manner described in the prophecies to teach a great lesson in prophecy, that even when tampered with by man, the truth cannot be denied.

Cardinal Oversight "ERROR" in the Lesson for Wednesday, Jan. 15

Lesson Notes: “5. The feet partly of iron and partly of clay represent a divided Europe (A.D. 476-Second Coming of Christ). The mixture of iron with clay provides a fitting picture of what happened after the disintegration of the Roman Empire.”*

Did you notice the error here? It lies in the fact that the Lesson failed to appreciate 1798 A.D. in its descriptions, and has erroneously applied the "feet and toes" kingdom stage, from the MOMENT Pagan Rome fell in 476 AD! Using this method, there are many difficulties we will have to wrestle with, which will become very apparent in Chapters 7, 8, and 11. Do realize that Daniel 2 forms the skeletal system (chassis) or backbone on which the rest of the prophecies in his book are built, and getting it wrong at the foundation, will cause us to miss the all-important Truth in its conclusion! A quick review of the human anatomy will easily open our eyes to the bigger lesson that God is revealing through His prophet.

Page 6 of 14

It is important to note that Christ will not come to the modern nations of Europe when he returns the

Second time, but to the entire earth, instead! Hence, the notion that the feet of iron and clay are the

modern nations of Europe, is entirely discredited!

The accompanying painting is the ONLY

illustration I have found that correctly illustrates

what Daniel saw, and we should take care to

note how faithfully it sticks to the Word. The

reader should examine all other depictions

extant, as we have shown above, for they all

show the stone coming from heaven, rather than

from the mountain, as the Bible so very clearly

teaches! Thus, with such a “spin” placed on the

prophecy, it becomes unavoidable to fall into the

Enemy’s “error trap” of teaching that the Stone

is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, from

Heaven!

As we progress in this study, it will be realized that the Stone smote the image on its feet, and did not

return to the mountain, were we to understand it to be the Second Coming of Christ, coming to gather

His Church and take us to the mansions above, but we see an entirely different outcome—the stone

grew and inhabited the “whole earth!” Again, if that interpretation were correct, it would be supporting

the Evangelical error of the millennial reign of Christ on earth! Thus, to stave off that predicament, our

theologians made a further error by suggesting that this “kingdom” will be realized, NOT during the

reign of these existing kingdoms, but 1,000 years after they have been deposed! Yet, the Bible is

abundantly clear that Christ at His Second coming will NOT touch foot on this earth, but the saints shall

meet Him “in the air,” instead!

Therefore, while the temptation to interpret the Stone as Christ’s Second Coming is attractive and very

great, yet, by this simple Bible test, we can now see how it would “wrest” the Scriptures, and place

them in a false light—contrary to the centrality of the “more SURE word of prophecy.”

Using Prophetic Symbols Correctly

Another Cardinal Error Trap! The assumption that the

Stone’s smiting the great image is the Second Coming of

Christ, almost natural, and while it is popular in many

Churches and has a ring of truth to it, a correct reading of

the Bible will demonstrate that rather than being a

representation of Christ at His Second Coming, the Stone

is a literal representation of His coming Kingdom of peace,

“IN the days of these kings!” (Dan. 2: 44).

Below is a letter from one Craig Mueller, to the EG White Estate,

Page 7 of 14

concerning her teachings on the stone.

December 2, 1971

Dear Brother Mueller:

In October you wrote to us asking if we could direct you to a statement from Mrs. White’s pen indicating that Jesus Christ was the “stone” of Daniel 2: 45.

This has been the holding of the denomination down through the years. Ellen White touches the matter of this vision of Nebuchadnezzar rather lightly. She does not go into great detail. So we are unable to direct you to any statement from her pen on this point. This does not in any sense mean that the views that we have held are not correct.

With the best of wishes, I am, Sincerely your brother,

Author L. White, Secretary [Signature]

In the Bible a “Stone” or “Rock” is used symbolically to mean several different things:

• Christ (1 Pet. 2: 4,6, 7, 8)

• Peter (Petra) (Matt. 16:18)

• Jerusalem (Zech. 12: 3)

• The Kingdom/Nation of Babylon (Jer. 51: 63; Rev. 18: 21)

• The Saints (1 Pet. 2: 5)

• People, in general (Hab. 2: 11)

• The Heart, as in the “stony heart “ (2 Cor. 3: 3; Ezek. 11: 19)

• The Law of God is represented as written on stone Ex. 31: 18

• YHWH, as in Deut. 32: 4*

Water symbolizes several different things in the Bible:

• Eternal Life: “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that

I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14

• Truth—The Word: “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” Eph. 5:26

• Salvation: “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Isa 12:3

• Peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues: “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where

the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Rev. 17:15

Page 8 of 14

• The Holy Spirit: “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour

my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.” Isa 44:3 *

o With the above five distinct objects represented by the same symbol, water, when guided by the Holy

Spirit, as students of Scripture, we will respect the context in which these various symbols live, so that

we may “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2: 15), and not “wrest” the Scriptures to our own

damnation!

The “Cut out” Stone; Thur. Jan. 16, Using Prophetic Symbols Correctly • The verbal expression, “cut out” or “cut off,” is also used by Daniel in chapter 9, as well as in the punishment

of the impenitent the Day of Atone to be “cut off” from the congregation.

• “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands” Dan. 2: 34*

o The phrase, “without hands,” indicates that this surgical operation was carried out by Deity itself, and

not by human aid or ingenuity! It is of interest to note that in the production of all these metals that

formed this Great Image, they are all obtained by man’s labor and efforts, from mining to smelting to

forming, etc. But the stone-kingdom was to be “without HUMAN hands,” for it illustrates a Divine work

of separation on earth, carried out by Christ Himself!

• “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself.” Dan. 9:26

o “For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his

people.” Lev. 23:29

o H03772 “karath,” pronounced kaw-rath’ and carries the various primary definitions: “to cut, cut off, cut

down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, and kill.”—Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary**

o ** With this Biblical definition of the expression to “cut out,” it becomes painfully obvious that this

action could NOT be taken against Christ, for He must be sacrificed for sin, not twice, but ONLY ONCE!

Hence, the view which maintains that the stone’s separation from the mountain is that of Christ’s

coming from Mount Zion in Heaven, cannot be sustained by the Bible, for it would imply that He is being

severed from heaven, or “cut off” from the Father’s essence!

• “6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” Isa 56: 6, 7

• “1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.“ Micah 4: 1-2

• Lesson Note: “But the stone gives way to a mountain. That is, “the stone that struck the image became a

great mountain and filled the whole earth” (Dan. 2:35, NKJV). A mountain such as this evokes Mount Zion,

the place where the temple stood, the concrete representation of God’s earthly kingdom in the Old

Testament times. Interestingly, the stone cut from the mountain becomes a mountain itself. This mountain,

which according to the text is already in existence, most likely points to the heavenly Zion, the heavenly

sanctuary, whence Christ will come to establish His eternal kingdom. And in the Jerusalem that will come

down from heaven (Rev. 21:1-22:5), this kingdom will find its ultimate fulfillment.”*

Page 9 of 14

*There are several problems with this paragraph:

The notion that the First “mountain” is Mount Zion on earth

That the Second “mountain” is the Mt. Zion in Heaven

The “ultimate fulfillment” of Daniel 2: 35 is when the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven,

AFTER the 1,000 years!

o Let’s treat them separately so we can avoid this error trap, and rejoice in Heaven’s truth.

Avoiding the Enemy’s Error Traps!

o First “mountain” is Mount Zion on earth

o Daniel’s prophecies are for “the latter days,” and not for the days of the Old Testament Church.

o The Second “mountain” is the Mt. Zion in Heaven

o The expression “cut out,” being a definition of death, or separation from God, immediately disqualifies

this idea.

o The “ultimate fulfillment” of Daniel 2: 35 is when the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven, AFTER

the 1000 years!

o The “New Jerusalem” of Rev. 21 is in the “new earth” (v. 1), and does not apply to the “latter days of this

earth,” IN [during, not after] the days of these kings,” (Dan. 2: 44), as the prophecy requires.

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Dan 2:44

“Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold;” Dan. 2: 45

“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” Zech. 12: 3

The Stone & “Threshing floors;” Thur. Jan. 16; Using Prophetic Symbols Correctly

• “11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look

upon Zion. 12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he

shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. 13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make

thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will

consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.” Micah 4: 11-

13*

o * “Not the daughter of Jerusalem, but the daughter of Zion is to do the threshing. And she has the

promise of an iron horn -- Divine power, the kind that does not break. Moreover she is promised hoofs

of brass, a special and distinct message by which to beat in pieces many people; that is, she is with it to

thresh and select the wheat from the chaff.” O, I wish we had time to develop this subject of the

Harvest, otherwise known as the Judgment of the Living, but let’s just share this statement from the pen

of Inspiration, (EGW):

Page 10 of 14

• "I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, 'Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is

the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner.

These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention.'" – Early Writings, p. 118.

• “14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer,

the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou

shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 16 Thou shalt fan them,

and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the

LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.” Isa 41: 14-16*

o * To thresh the mountains (kingdoms) is to take the wheat (saints) out of them. The servants of God,

therefore, are here promised a new instrument [or message of Present Truth], different from any ever

used before; that is, the gathering of the saints in the harvest time is to be accomplished in a way un-

dreamed of, -- contrary to every human planning. This instrument will have teeth; it will suddenly

separate the wheat from the straw and blow out the chaff. At this time shall be realized the

consummate fulfillment of the words of Christ through John the Baptist in Matt. 3:

o “9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God

is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root

of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the

fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me… 12 Whose fan

is in his hand, …will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up

the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matt. 3: 9-12

• “19 The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his

inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name. 20 Thou [portion of Jacob—the Church] art my battle axe and

weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms.” Jer.

51: 19, 20.

The Stone “Cut” From the Mountain Illustrated in a Slice of Bread

• Looking on this loaf, one can readily see that each slice is a composition of

the whole, thus, the nutritional content is equally distributed throughout

each slice, undiminished. In other words, each slice has the same basic

building blocks of the entire loaf. This being true, we may transfer this

bread analogy to the Stone and the associated Mountain in Dan. 2. Since

the stone was “cut” from the mountain as the slice from the loaf, then

whatever constitutes “the mountain,” the same is in the stone! Thus, the

stone is a subset of the mountain, as the slice of the loaf.

• Now, if we were to cut a slice from this loaf of whole wheat bread, we will NOT get a slice of Tofu Cheese

Cake or something else, rather, we will get a smaller piece of whole wheat bread. Similarly, when the stone

is “cut” from the mountain, the stone must have the SAME constituent composition of the mountain—it is a

smaller piece of the mountain! It is therefore absolutely necessary to appreciate the correct biblical

interpretation of “the Mountain,” for it is required to unlock the truth of the stone!

• “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed:

and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these

kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Dan 2:44*

Page 11 of 14

• It is essential that we gain an appreciation for the

preposition “in,” for it provides in triplicate, the time

period, position, and location of this promised

kingdom of God.

o The time is “in the latter days” (Dan. 2: 28)

o The position (order) is DURING the existence of

the toe kingdoms, contemporaneously with the

last world governments, while they are yet

standing, not after, for the word “in” means

during!

o The location on this earth, for that’s what v. 35

says,

• “And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Dan. 2:

35c).**

o ** Building on this truth that the word “in” means “during,” we shall presently read this passage from

the ISV: "During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom...” Dan. 2: 44, ISV.***

*** What we are now seeing, and perhaps for many of us, for the first time, is the Biblical truth

concerning the promised kingdom of YHWH’s Glory, whose infancy begins on this earth, while

probation lasts, as it becomes the holding place of the saved, the ark of safety for the righteous, the

protection for God’s children, during the Mark of the Beast and the Seven Last Plagues, when they

shall be unleashed upon the earth.

o (This study should really have been done over the course of two weeks, for there is such

vast content in it, covering the rise and fall of empires since the days of Ancient Babylon,

stretching down to the end of this world! Thus far, we have seen kingdoms in succession,

but the focus of the prophecy is concerning the stone-kingdom in v. 44.)

“The kingdom shall not be left to other people: “And the kingdom and dominion, and the

greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the

most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

Dan. 7: 27.*

o * For us to enter this kingdom, we must dismiss from our minds the idea that we will be

sinning all the way to the Second Coming of Christ. The kingdom will not be opened unto us

if we are not today, striving to overcome sin in all its forms, through the blood of the Lamb.

There will be a people who shall stand without fault before God’s throne; they are the

144,000, who constitute the stone-kingdom, in its first phase. As the stone grew and

“became” a “great mountain,” the Bible likewise shows the 144,000 gathered in “a great

multitude” of saints from all over the world, and thus their number grew to fill the whole

earth!.

“After this [sealing of 144,000] I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of

all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb,

clothed with white robes, [sinless character] and palms in their hands.” Rev. 7: 9.

This illustration correctly depicts what Daniel saw. When the illustration of a prophecy is in error, the conclusions are unavoidably erroneous, as well!

Page 12 of 14

Through the Eyes of ALL the Prophets

We shall provide a small sampling of the prophets to demonstrate that this kingdom truth is consistently

taught by them. From this profile across the Major and Minor prophets, are we willing to accept God’s

Word and stand firmly on its SURE foundation, or should we join with learned and popular Theologians in

deriding these as “classical prophets” and thus outdated, thereby rejecting their messages and the authority

of the Bible? It is my prayer that we will stand on the Word of God and believe “all that the prophets have

spoken.”

“13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven... 14 And

there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve

him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not

be destroyed.” Dan. 7: 13, 14

• “4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, …: 5 Afterward shall the children

of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his

goodness in the latter days.” Hos. 3: 4, 5.

• “18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people… 28 And it shall come to pass

afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; … 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,

and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 32 And it shall

come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount

Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the

LORD shall call.” Joel 2: 18, 28, 31, 32

• “11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this…14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.”

Amos 9: 11-15 (excerpts).• “17 ¶ But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of

Jacob shall possess their possessions. 18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it… 21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the

LORD’S.” Obad. 17-21, excerpts.• “12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and

the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. 1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears

Page 13 of 14

into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Micah 3: 12- 4: 1-3

• “10 ¶ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it [“Him,” see Rom. 15: 12] shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people... 12 And he shall set up an ensign [“root of Jesse,” v. 10] for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of

Egypt.” Isa. 11: 10-16

Thought Questions:

• To whom does God reveal His secrets?

• Though popular, why is it erroneous to suggest that “the stone” in Dan. 2 is the 2nd Advent of Christ?

• Is it “sound doctrine” to teach that the feet and toes of “iron and clay” are symbols of the nations of Europe;

Why, or why not?

• Will God honor His word to “set up” His kingdom “in the latter days”—during the reign of these earthly

kingdoms?

o If yes, why, and if no, why not?

• According to God’s “interpretation” of the Dream through Daniel, these words were employed, “the dream

is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” (Dan. 2: 45). Are we at liberty to change this “sure” Divine

interpretation from “the latter days” of this earth’s history and position it in “the new earth?”

o If yes why, and if no why not?

• What is required of me to be a citizen in this future kingdom of glory?

*******

Comments by Garrick Augustus, January 16, 2020.

Page 14 of 14

Adult Sabbath School Lesson Commentary: Is a free service to the public, from Heralds of the King Ministries, and reflect an in-depth Biblical review and commentary on the weekly Adult SDA Sabbath School Quarterly Lessons. Except otherwise noted, all Bible passages are taken from the Authorized King James Version (KJV). These commentaries are not copyrighted, and may be reproduced, in whole, without further approval from the author, providing the original content is preserved. If edits are required, permission must be granted from the author (contact information is provided below).

Facebook: To subscribe yourself, your group or a friend, follow and like us on Facebook, and be sure to share. You may also follow our blog, or contact the author, Garrick Augustus at [email protected]. Questions: If you have a Bible question and desire to speak with someone, write to [email protected], or call, 770-722-7969, or visit our weekly Sabbath afternoon Bible Class Q&A session, (information provided below). World-Wide Bible Study Forum: You may join our WhatsApp discussion board, “Marching To Zion,” (MTZ) from any place on earth, using the following link, https://chat.whatsapp.com/IlcvbcY9oUGC1Q0AcMUmzx Live weekly Bible Study with Q&A Every Sabbath afternoon, (from 4:30 pm EST [Oct. thru Mar.] and 5:30 pm EST [Apr-Sept] thru 7:00 PM EST. Dial-in number (US): (712) 770-5505; Access code: 944823# International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/heraldingking Online meeting ID: heraldingking (One-word) Join International online meeting (audio & video): https://join.freeconferencecall.com/heraldingking, or download the freeconferencecall app from your Google Play, or Apple Store. Follow the onscreen prompts to “join a meeting,” using the credentials provided above. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbZ76OxA_jskthKdNbewERg Signs of the Times in Prophetic Perspectives: For cutting-edge end-time prophecies, and understanding the

World’s Headline News from a Biblical perspective, visit: https://sdaprophecies.com

Participation, Talent & Donations: We are a Bible teaching ministry and welcome your earnest prayers, joyful participation in sharing and proclaiming the “good news” of the Kingdom of God more fully, to this generation. We welcome your talent in writing or editing, and your cheerful giving of your financial resources, as well. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7. We accept contributions of all sizes, and you can make such charitable donations Online at Heralds of the King Ministries, or by mail to:

Heralds of the King Ministries 3808 County Rd. 150

Brixey, MO, 65618 ***