Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Nov 1956

There can be no doubt that the middle of Daniel's seventieth week (Daniel 9.27) is one of very great importance; several things happen then which we shall indicate later. But here in Daniel 9.27, we have the fact that the covenant which he (the first Beast of Revelation i3) makes with many (of the Jewish people) for one week is broken by him, for, for the half of the week, or in the midst of the week, he causes the sacrifice and oblation to cease. Clearly the temple in Jerusalem is in existence. This is evident from 2 Thessalonians 2.3, 4, where we are told that the man of sin, who exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped, sits in the temple of God. A continuance of altar service in the rebuilt temple will be impossible in such a state of things which is created by the (wild) Beast. Then on the wing (wing here means edge or extremity as of a bird's wing) of abominations, the " overspreading" (the word by the A.Y.) of this vicious and abominable thing which has been introduced, shall come one that makes desolate. This is, I think, quite evidently the second Beast of Revelation i3. By his satanic and deceptive acts he shall greatly encourage the worship of the first Beast whose death-stroke was healed. It is said of him in Revelation i3. 18, 14,"He doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men. And he deceiveth them that dwell on earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the Beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the Beast, who had the stroke of the sword, and lived."

This fearful deception, plied with all the craft of the devil, is alluded to in

2 Thessalonians 2.8-12. We quote this passage in full as it is self-explanatory Then shall be revealed the lawless one (the first Beast), whom the Lord

Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and shall bring to nought by the manifestation of His coming; even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all the deceit of unrighteousness for them that are perishing; because they received not the lone of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Men believe what they want to believe. Men's doom is fixed, if in their pleasure in wrong-doing they believe the devil's lie, when the God of heaven, their Creator; who would have been their Saviour, sends them a strong delusion that they should believe the lie rather than the truth. Nothing but the doom of eternal fire awaits such sinners. Will they listen to God? No, they want nothing to do with the true God. Not until it is too late will they tremble and flee before the majesty of the LORD, when He rises to shake mightily the earth. In the caves and dens of the mountains these erstwhile proud men, now trembling wretches, will cower in terror, to be taken by the angels to the judgement of Him whom they proudly denounced and rejected. There they will hear His sentence, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25.41). It will be as in Noah's day. Then God's long-suffering came to an end and the waters of divine judgement overwhelmed those ancient sinners. So will it be in the days of the Son of Man; His judgement will make a clean sweep of the wicked. As His wondrous grace is no half-way measure, pouring it out richly upon repentant and believing shiners, so also will His wrath be poured out upon the wicked in full measure.

How shortlived will be the triumph of the Beast and his confederate in evil, the false prophet! For three and a half years, how brief the time of their seeming triumph! and then shall wrath be poured out on the desolater. What desolation the Beast and his confederate will have caused! This earth, long stained with the blood of saints, will have drunk its fill in the slaughter of God's faithful ones in that dark time. The martyrs, forming a vast company which no man could number (Revelation 7.9, 10), shall stand before the throne arrayed in white robes and palms in their hands. How touching it is to read of what happens as the angels gaze on this blessed company of the martyrs!

"And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces, and worshipped God" (Revelation 7.11).

Would we not do likewise at such a sight?

The prince that shall come, the first Beast of Revelation 13, causes the sacrifice and oblation to cease in the midst of the seventieth week of Daniel 9.27. In Revelation 12. 7-12 we have another notable and far-reaching event, even the war in' heaven between Michael and his angels, and the dragon (the devil) and his angels. Satan and his angels will be cast down to the earth, and no place shall be found for them any more in heaven. The command to the dwellers in heaven is

"Rejoice, 0 heavens, and ye that dwell in them."

But of theearth and sea it is said,

"Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down

unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time."

The casting down of Satan coincides with the persecution of the woman which brought forth the Man Child. She was given the two wings of the great eagle that she should fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent (Revelation 12.18, 14). This statement regarding the flight of the woman is identical with that of verse 6, "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days." This period of days is exactly the same as the time, times and half a time, three and a half years. It should be noted, that, while the woman flies into the wilderness, the Man Child whom she brought forth is caught up to God and to His throne (verse 5). Much confusion has existed in the interpretation of who the woman is, and who is the Man Child. Can it be doubted that the woman represents those of Israel who heed the warnings of Daniel's prophecy and respond to the Lord's words in Matthew 24. l5-22, when they see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, namely, the image of the Beast? At which time all will be commanded to worship the Beast and his image. Does not Isaiah 35.8-10 speak of such times, of God's miraculous provision of water and of the LORD's way for His people being in the wilderness, as it was of old in the days of Moses? Then the last verse speaks of the return of the ransomed of the LORD to Zion after the coming of the Lord, who will be the tree Joshua, who will lead His afflicted people into the land, as of old, and to the city of God.

But who is the Man Child? Who but One has ever been caught up unto God and unto His throne? There no angel ever sat, for,

"Of which of the angels' hath He said at any time, Sit Thou on My right hand,

Till I make Thine enemies the footstool of Thy feet?"

No created heavenly being could ever sit with God on the throne of Deity; nor could any mere man. Who but One shall rule all the nations with a rod of iron? We know that under Him overcomers shall be given this honour and responsibility (Revelation 2.26,27), but the LORD'S Anointed, of Psalm 2.9, is He who first and primarily shall break the nations with a rod of iron.

Thus the middle of the week is outstanding as the time of the breaking of the covenant and the causing of the sacrifice and oblation to cease, the casting down of Satan and his angels from heaven to earth, and also the flight of the faithful of Israel into the wilderness.

Besides these, it is the time of the rise of the Beast. It should be carefully noted that the Beast is both a system and a man. As a system, the Beast is scarlet coloured, and has seven heads and ten horns, which are seven kings and ten kings (Revelation 13.1-2; 17.8, 9-14). The Beast is one of the heads, the man who is slain (Revelation 13.8, 12), and who descends into the abyss and comes out of the abyss (Revelation 17.8; 11.7). We are told in Revelation 13.5, that "there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months." Thus the reign of the Beast is for the same length of time as the dragon or Satan will seek to persecute the woman and her seed.

We see therefore that the midst of Daniel's seventieth week is noted for:

(1)the breaking of the covenant and the ceasing of sacrifice and oblation;

(2)the casting down of Satan and his angels from heaven to earth;

(8)the ascent of the beast from the abyss and his continuing for forty-two months;

(4)the commencement of the worship of the Beast and his image;

(5)the flight of the faithful of Israel into the wilderness for three years and a half.

J. Miller | Nov 1956
Jottings