Month: February 2021

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE LITTLE HORN ‘WEARS OUT THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH’ – Part 3

The last and final counterpart of “the saints of the Most High” in Dan. 7:25 are the “saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” and “have the testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 14:12; 19:10). And “the dragon was wroth with the woman (the church) and went to make war with the remnant of her seed who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus”(Rev. 12: 9, 17). These are they who steadfastly refuse “to worship the beast and his image or to receive his mark, name, or number in their foreheads or in their right hands” (Rev. 13: 11-18; 15:2; 21: 7, 14).

Let’s return to church and world history: “Albert Barnes, in his comment on this passage [the ‘wearing out of the saints,’ Dan. 8:19], remarks:

‘Can anyone doubt that this is true of the Papacy? The Inquisition, the ‘persecutions of the Waldenses,‘ the ravages of the Duke of Alva; the fires of Smithfield; the tortures of Goa [in India]—-indeed the WHOLE HISTORY of the Papacy may be appealed to in proof that this is applicable to that power. If anything could have ‘worn out the saints of the Most High’— could have cut them off from the earth so that the evangelical religion would have become extinct, it would have been the PERSECUTION of the Papal powers.

“In the year 1208, a CRUSADE was proclaimed by Pope Innocent III against the Waldenses and Albigenses, in which a million of men perished. From the beginning of the Order of JESUITS, in the year 1540, nine hundred thousand were destroyed. One hundred and fifty thousand perished in the INQUISITION in thirty years. In the Low Countries [Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg] fifty thousand persons were hanged, beheaded, burned, and buried alive for the crime of of HERESY, within the space of thirty-eight years from the edict of Charles V against the PROTESTANTS, to the peace of Chateau Cambreses in 1559. Eighteen thousand suffered by the hand of the executioner in the space of five years and a half during the administration of the Duke of Alva.

“Indeed, the slightest acquaintance with the HISTORY of the Papacy will convince any one that what is here said of ‘making war with the saints’(verse 21, and ‘wearing out of the saints of the Most High’(verse 25), is strictly applicable to that power, and will ACCURATELY describe its history.’ – Albert Barnes, Notes on Daniel,’ p. 328, comment on Dan. 7:25.’ “- Uriah Smith, ‘Daniel and the Revelation,’ pp. 130, 131.

Do we have the faith of the saints and the courage of the martyrs for Jesus? God bless as you ponder upon that, NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

LITTLE HORN TO ‘WEAR OUT SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH’ – Part 2

After stating that the ‘little  horn” shall “speak great words against the Most High,” Daniel continues, he “shall wear out the saints of the Most High.” Dan. 7: 25. Let’s wind up first the preceding quotes on how the little horn was ‘to speak great words against the Most High,” we read:

“Again, Adam Clark says on verse 25: ‘He shall speak as if he were God.’ So St. Jerome quotes from Symmachus. To none can this apply to so well or so fully as to the Popes of Rome. They have assumed INFALLIBILITY, which belongs only to God. They profess to FORGIVE SINS, which belongs only to God. They profess to OPEN AND SHUT HEAVEN, which belongs only to God. They profess to be HIGHER THAN ALL THE KINGS of the earth, which belongs only to God. And they go BEYOND GOD in pretending to loose whole nations from their oath of allegiance to their kings [and by extension, all others from their oath of allegiance to their own nation of which they are residents and citizens of, its respective constitutions and national flags]. And they GO AGAINST GOD when they give INDULGENCE for sin. This is THE WORST OF ALL BLASPHEMIES.’ – Adam Clarke, ‘Commentary on the Old Testament,’ Vol. IV, p. 596, note on Dan. 7:25.

Now we start considering how the ‘little horn,’ the Papacy, was to “wear out the saints of the Most High,” and during what period of church and world histories. Uriah Smith wrote:

“It requires but little historical investigation to prove that Rome, both in the times of antiquity and during the Dark Ages, carried forward a work of destruction against the church of God. Abundant evidences can be given showing that PROR to and FOLLOWING the great work of the REFORMATION, wars, crusades, massacres, inquisitions, and persecutions of all kinds were the METHODS adopted to COMPEL ALL to submit to the ROMAN yoke.

“The story of medieval persecution is a frightful one, and we dread to dwell upon its detail. Yet for a PROPER UNDERSTANDING of this passage [in Daniel 7:25] it is necessary that we recall SOME of the happenings of those unhappy times.” – Uriah Smith, Daniel and the Revelation, pp. 129, 130.

More follows tomorrow. Pay attention for history will repeat itself in the days ahead, according to Revelation 13. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, that is, if we take heed and do what must be done before it’s too late. God bless all, NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

LITTLE HORN “SPEAKS WORDS AGAINST THE MOST HIGH”

When the Papacy finally “uprooted” the last of the three Arian horns (kingdoms) in 538 A.D., Daniel’s prophecy says he “would speak great words against the Most High.”
Uriah Smith says: “This prophecy, too, has been unhappily fulfilled in the history of the pontiffs. They have sought, or at least have permitted to be applied to them, TITLES which would have been hyperbolically and blasphemous if applied to an ANGEL of God [!].

“Lucious Ferraris, in his PROMPTA BIBLIOTHECA, which the Catholic Encyclopedia refers to as a ‘veritable encyclopedia of religious knowledge’ and a ‘precious mine of information,’ declares, in its article on the Pope, that ‘the pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God…..The Pope is of such lofty and supreme dignity that, properly speaking, he has not been established in any rank of dignity, but rather has been placed upon the very summit of all ranks and dignities…..The Pope is called most holy because it is rightfully presumed to be such…..

‘The Pope alone is deservedly called by the name ‘most holy,’ because he ALONE is the Vicar of Christ, who is the fountain and source and fullness of all holiness…..’He is likewise the divine monarch and supreme emperor, and ‘king of kings’….Hence the Pope is crowned with a TRIPLE CROWN, as king of HEAVEN and of EARTH and of THE LOWER REGIONS….. Moreover the superiority and power of the Roman Pontiff by no means pertain ONLY to heavenly things, to earthly things, and to things under the earth, but are EVEN OVER ANGELS, than whom he is greater…..So that if it were possible that the angels might ERR in the faith, or might think contrary to the faith, THEY COULD BE JUDGED AND EXCOMMUNICATED BY THE POPE….For he is of so great dignity and power that he forms ONE AND THE SAME TRIBUNAL WITH CHRIST….

“The Pope is as it were GOD ON EARTH, sole sovereign of the faithful of Christ, chief king of kings, having plenitude of power, to whom has been entrusted by the omnipotent God direction not only of the earthly but also the heavenly kingdom…..The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can MODIFY, EXPLAIN, OR INTERPRET EVEN DIVINE LAWS.’ – ‘Translated from Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca, art. ‘Papa,’ II, Vol. VI, pp. 26-29.

“Christopher Marcellus, at the fourth session of the fifth LATERAN COUNCIL in an oration to the Pope, exclaimed: ‘Thou art the shepherd, thou art the physician, thou art the director, thou art the husband man, finally. thou art ANOTHER GOD on earth.’- P. Joannis Arduin, Acta Concilorum, Vol. IX, p. 1651.”

Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, pp. 128, 129. Revised 1944, 1972, Southern Publishing Asso./Review & Herald Publishing Asso.

The angels, created before man as “ministering spirits,” thus are spirits, not flesh and blood of human nature made from the dust of the ground, do not need the “faith” of Jesus neither the “grace of God in Christ” because the plan of salvation was only for fallen man, who alone was “made in the image and after the likeness” of God.

When one third of the angels joined Lucifer’s rebellion and war against Christ in heaven, and lost, they were cast out of heaven and immediately became fallen angels also known as the demons, evil spirits, fiends. There is no plan of redemption for the angel spirits in the Bible. Hence, they are not subject to the divine provisions of faith and grace, etc., included in the everlasting gospel.

Also, the very first commandment says: “Thou shalt have NO OTHER GODS before Me.”’ It is officially claimed (blasphemously) that the Pope is “another god on earth” and “forms one and the same tribunal with Christ.” The Bible plainly reveals that the heavenly Council called the Godhead, is made up of only three Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. John said “These THREE are ONE,”that is,’ the One and only true God!

Lastly, Jesus told His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, to His Vicegerent on earth while performing His closing work as our High Priest, Advocate, Intercessor, Mediator and Judge of all mankind. When ended, He returns to earth with the final rewards of either eternal life or death—as The King of kings and Lord of lords!’
More to follow. Bless all, NMF

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE ‘LITTLE HORN’S’ DASTARDLY DEEDS IN CHURCH HISTORY

Pray to our Father in heaven, in the name and authority of Jesus, for the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, enlighten your mind, and be our Teacher and Guide. This is the only way to discern, understand the “deep things of God” and treasure them above silver, gold, diamonds, or bitcoins. This is how to rise above the petty daily annoyances surrounding you, the non-stop fray, distractions, confusion,, conflicting news and contradicting opinions of experts and pundits, exacerbated by an open season of conspiracies breeding fanaticism, misguided zeal for righteousness, resulting from a distortion of truth only because people “love a lie rather than the truth,” and “darkness over the light.” So says the Bible.

Now read Daniel 7: 20, 21, 24, 25 and compare them to 2 Thess. 2: 3, 4, 9-12; then Rev. 12: 6. 14 and Rev. 13: 5-7. We pick up from where we left off on the year 538 A.D. when we learned that the way had been prepared by Justinian, emperor of Western Rome in 533 (March 25) stating that “the head of all bishops, and the and effective correcter of heretics” in anticipation of “the three FINAL ACTS which were to occur in 538, when the (1) the Arian powers were destroyed (2) Catholicism made the State Religion and (3) the Papacy placed under the protection of the State, which gave rise to the long struggle between the Church and State as to which should be SUPREME.”

Tomorrow we cite the record of these in Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith. Stay tuned, focused on what matters because of its eternal, not temporal consequences and rewards. God continue blessing you, NMF.