Honesty for Today's World

The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation unmask a titanic struggle between good and evil just before Jesus comes. This last battle in the great controversy centers in the law of God (Revelation 12:17). Satan hates the eternal principles that are the basis of heaven's government. He desires to lead all to violate God's law and disregard the very foundation of happiness. The enemy's special attack is upon the fourth commandment, which exalts Jesus as the Creator.

As we discovered in our last lesson, the seventh-day Sabbath is a memorial to Christ's creative authority. It is an eternal symbol of both our "rest in Christ" for salvation and our absolute loyalty to Him. The Sabbath is an eternal link to our Creator. Many sincere Christians are asking, "How was the Sabbath changed from the seventh day [Saturday] to the first day [Sunday]? Is there information in the Bible predicting an attempt to change God's law?" The answer to these questions is found in a symbolic vision given to the prophet Daniel.

01. What did Daniel see in the prophetic vision?
Daniel 7:2–3
02. Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.
03. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.

02. What is represented by the symbols of wind, sea and beasts?
1. WIND:
Jeremiah 49:36–37
36. Against Elam I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven, And scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies And before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,’ says the LORD; ‘And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them.
Note
In the Bible, the symbol of wind equals strife, commotion or war especially between nations or kingdoms (see also Zechariah 7:14, Jeremiah 4:11, 25:31).
2. SEA:
Revelation 17:15
Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
3. BEASTS:
Daniel 7:17, 23
17. Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.
23. Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.
Note
It is very important to remember that to correctly interpret any prophetic symbol in scripture, we must allow the Bible to interpret itself.

03. How many beasts did Daniel See? What were their names?
Daniel 7:3–7
03. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.
04. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
05. “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
06. “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
07. “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
Note
In Daniel 7 the prophet pictures four great beasts rising out of the sea (verse 3). These beasts represent four great kingdoms that arise (verse 17). As we studied in Daniel 2, the four great nations that ruled in succession from Daniel's time are Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The four beasts of Daniel 7 are a fitting description of these four great ruling powers. A lion with eagle's wings has been found on Babylonian coins and on the brickwork of ancient Babylonian buildings. The king of beasts is a fitting symbol for the king of empires. The prophet Jeremiah describes Babylon as a lion (Jeremiah 4:7). Media-Persia, as a dual empire, came into prominence by destroying Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt. Soon the Persians rose to ascendancy over the Medes. The Bible aptly describes this empire as a bear raising itself on one side with three ribs in its mouth. A leopard with wings clearly describes the third empire, Greece. Alexander the Great swiftly conquered the nations of his day. The dragonlike beast, dreadful, terrible, and exceedingly strong, describes the fierceness of Rome.

04. How was the fourth beast, Rome, different from all the beasts before it?
Daniel 7:7
“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
Note
The Roman Empire was not overcome by a fifth world-ruling empire. The 10 horns represent the divisions of the Roman Empire. The barbarian tribes attacked from the north and divided the empire.

05. How does the prophet Daniel describe the power that arose after the 10 divisions of the Roman empire?
Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
Note
In Daniel's prophecies a horn is a symbol of a power or kingdom (Daniel 7:24, Revelation 17:12). This power begins small at first and subtly grows unsuspectingly into a dominant world force.

06. Where did this 'little horn' power arise?
Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
Note
Whoever this little horn is, it arises among the 10 horns, the divisions of the Roman Empire. Arising out of the remains of Rome, it dominates the world.

07. When did this 'little horn' power arise?
​Daniel 7:23–24
23. “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.
24. The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings.
Note
The little horn arises after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was rising to prominence in the latter part of the fourth and throughout the fifth century (A.D. 351-476), when Rome was in the process of being invaded by the barbarian tribes from the north.

08. What special identifying characteristic does this 'little horn' power have?
Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
Note
'Eyes' in the Bible represent wisdom or understanding (Ephesians 1:18). Ancient prophets were called seers. They saw with divine wisdom into the future. This power does not have the eyes of God's wisdom. It substitutes human wisdom for divine truth. The little horn substitutes human authority for the eternal claims of God's law.

09. What does the little horn do to the people of God?
Daniel 7:25
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.
Note
The little horn oppresses those who do not accept its authority. It defends its traditions and persecutes those who do not conform.

10. How long would the 'little horn' power reign?
​Daniel 7:25
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.
Note
The prophet Daniel uses the expression "time, times, and half a time." Revelation 12:14 uses this same expression: "time, times, and half a time." Revelation 12:6 explains this period as 1260 days. In Bible prophecy one prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34). Since one prophetic day equals a prophetic year, 1260 days equals 1260 years. In A.D. 538 the Roman Church became the single dominant religious power in Europe. The pagan Roman emperor Justinian gave to the pope of Rome civil as well as religious authority. Eventually this resulted in severe persecution. The Dark Ages followed on the heels of this union. God's people were imprisoned, tortured, and martyred. From A.D. 538 to A.D. 1798 this union of church and state continued throughout Europe.

11. What would this power, based on human wisdom, do to the truth of God?
Daniel 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.

12. How did the Apostle Paul describe this apostasy in early Christianity?
Acts 20:29–31
29. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
30. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
31. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
Note
The apostle Paul predicted false religious teachers would arise. In Daniel 7:24 the little horn is described as being different from the other 10 horns. The 10 kingdoms of Rome were political whereas the little horn is clearly a religious power.

13. What would this 'little horn' power attempt to do with the Law of God?
Daniel 7:25
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.
Note
Let us ask ourselves the following questions:
1. What power arose by destroying three of the 10 tribes into which pagan Rome was divided (Daniel 7:8)?
2. Which power arose out of Rome after the division of the Roman Empire from A.D. 351 to A.D. 476 as a religious, not a political, power (Daniel 7:8)?
3. Which religious power arose from Rome in these early centuries and had a man as its visible head or leader (Daniel 7:8, 24)?
4. Which religious power made boastful, presumptuous claims about its authority (Daniel 7:25)?
5. Which religious power has persecuted the people of God, has reigned for 1260 years, and has attempted to change God's law (Daniel 7:25)?

There is only one power in history that could possibly fit into this clear delineation - Papal Rome.
Let us note how it fits Daniel's description:
1. History reveals that Rome's power base expanded gradually as it uprooted that which stood in its way. It is part of human nature to want to crush opposition in an attempt to solidify one's power base. It became dominant by bringing about the destruction of three of the tribes: Heruli, A.D. 493; Vandals, A.D. 534; and Ostrogoth's, A.D. 538 (See Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 4, Chapters 39-40).
2. It was different from its predecessors. It claimed dominion over the souls as well as the bodies of men. Historians of the period confirm more than 50 million people died for their faith in God's Word.
3. The Papacy reigned supreme for 1260 years. In A.D. 533 the Roman emperor Justinian declared the bishop of Rome supreme bishop of all the churches. In A.D. 538 the Roman general Belsarius drove the Ostrogoth's out of Rome.
4. The Papacy was the supreme religio-political power in Europe from A.D. 538 to A.D. 1798 (1,260 years). The French general Berthier, Napoleon's supreme commander, captured and imprisoned the pope in 1798. People living at that time might have thought the Papacy had come to an end. Revelation's prophecy, though, predicts that "the deadly wound would be healed" (Revelation 13:3). Daniel's prediction regarding the little horn met its fulfillment in the pope's captivity in 1798.

Does the Papacy Claim It Changed the Law of God?
The Papacy clearly acknowledges changing the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh day of the week, to Sunday, the first day of the week. It declares the change to be an act of its ecclesiastical authority. The statements listed below cover the past 100 years and clearly demonstrate the consensus of the church's thinking on the change of the Sabbath.

"The Catholic Church for more than one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday" (The Catholic Mirror, September 1893).

"Question: Which day is the Sabbath day?
"Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.
"Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
"Answer: Because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday"
(Peter Giereman, The Converts Catechism [1948], p. 50).

"The Church, . . . after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath, or seventh day of the week, to the first, made the third commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord's Day" (The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 4, p. 153).

Summary
Human tradition can never be a substitute for divine truth. The commandments of men are no substitute for the commandments of God. No human power has the authority to change the law of God written with His own finger on tables of stone. Jesus invites us to listen to His voice alone. He says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).

14. When we are faced with a decision between truth and tradition, what counsel did Jesus give us?
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
Note
God lovingly appeals to His true followers to obey Him willingly. Our obedience is a sign of our deep love. He invites us to turn from the commandments of human beings to the law of God. No individual has the authority to change God's law. Jesus invites us to acknowledge Him as the supreme Lord and Master.

Concluding Question
In view of the truths that God has revealed to us, would you like to make a commitment today to be loyal to the revealed Word of God rather than the traditions of men?

FOR FURTHER STUDY
Additional Statements on the Change of the Sabbath:
"You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify".
(J. Gibbons, Faith of Our Fathers, p. 111)

"The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the Catholic Church".
(Plain Talk About Protestantism, p. 213)

"Fundamentalists meet for worship on Sunday, yet there is no evidence in the Bible that corporate worship was to be made on Sundays. The Jewish Sabbath, or day of rest, was, of course, Saturday. It was the Catholic Church that decided Sunday should be the day of worship for Christians, in honor of the resurrection".
(Karl Keating, Catholicism and Fundamentalism [1988], p. 38)

"The sun was a foremost god with heathendom. . . . The sun has worshippers at this hour in Persia and other lands. . . . There is, in truth, something royal, kingly about the sun, making it a fit emblem of Jesus, the Sun of Justice. Hence the Church in these countries would seem to have said, 'Keep that old pagan name. It shall remain consecrated, sanctified.' And thus the pagan Sunday, dedicated to Balder, became the Christian Sunday, sacred to Jesus".
(The Catholic World, March 1994, p. 809)

"But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn't it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistent, but the change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born. . . . They have continued to observe the custom even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church, and not upon an explicit text in the Bible. That observance remains the reminder of the Mother Church from which non-Catholic sects broke away - like a boy running away from his mother but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair". (Rev. John O'Brian, The Faith of MiIIions, pp. 421, 422)

"Protestantism, in discarding the authority of the church, has no good reason for its Sunday theory, and ought, logically, to keep Saturday with the Jews".
(American Catholic Quarterly Review, January 1883)

"Now, every child in school knows that the Sabbath day is Saturday, the seventh day of the week; and yet, with the exception of the Seventh-day Adventists, all Protestants keep Sunday instead of the Sabbath day, because the Catholic Church made this change in the first ages of Christianity".
(Winnipeg [Manitoba] Free Press, Apr. 21, 1884)