the false prophets that have and will continue to arise, causing confusion, assuring salvation in sin, and causing shipwreck of faith. But it is not difficult to know if a message is from above: if it exposes the true nature of sin, reveals the perfect righteousness of Christ, and slays it in the heart of the convicted sinner.
“In His Word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures [the Bible] are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience.
Yet the fact that God has revealed His will to men through His Word, has not rendered needless the continued presence and guiding of the Holy Spirit. . . .
During the ages while the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments were being given, the Holy Spirit did not cease to communicate light to individual minds, apart from the revelation to be embodied in the Sacred Canon. . . . And mention is made of prophets in different ages, of whose utterance nothing is recorded. In like manner, after the close of the canon of Scripture, the Holy Spirit was still to continue its work, to enlighten, warn, and comfort the children of God.
God has promised to give visions in the ‘last days’; not for a new rule of faith, but for the comfort of His people, and to correct those who err from Bible truth.
As the Spirit of God has opened to my mind the great truths of His Word, and the scenes of the past and the future, I have been bidden to make known to others what which has thus been revealed.
There are those who will be glad to lull you to sleep in your carnal security, but I have a different work. My message is to alarm you, to bid you reform your lives, and cease your rebellion against the God of the universe. Take the Word of God, and see if your are in harmony with it. Is your character such as will bear the search of the heavenly investigation?” – Ibid, p. 293.
FRANCE was one of the ten horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7; one of the ten horns of the red dragon, pagan Rome; one of the heads of the scarlet beast; one of the ten parts of the Western Roman Empire; one of the ten parts of symbolic Babylon; one of the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image (See Daniel and the Revelation, p. 542 by Uriah Smith).
Uriah Smith says: “The Two Witnesses. During this time of 1260 years the witnesses are in a state of sackcloth, or obscurity, and God gives them power to endure maintain their testimony through that dark and dismal period. But who or what are these witnesses?
Verse 4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
“Evident allusion here is made to Zechariah 4: 11-14, where it is implied that the two olive trees are taken to represent the word of God. David testifies, ‘The entrance of Thy words giveth light;’ and ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.’Ps. 119: 130, 105. Written testimony is stronger than oral. Jesus declared of the Old Testament Scriptures, ‘They are they which testify of Me.’ John 5:39.
Says George Croly: ‘The Two Witnesses are the Old and the New Testaments. . . . The essential purpose of the Scriptures is to give witness to the mercy and verity of God. Our Lord commands, ‘Search the Scriptures, . . . . they are they which testify [bear witness] of Me.’ This was addressed to the Jews, and described the character and office of the Old Testament. The New Testament is similarly pronounced the giver of testimony. ‘This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.’ (Matt. 24:14).
These declarations and considerations are sufficient to sustain the conclusion that the Old and New Testaments are Christ’s two witnesses.” – p. 534…. (click “Next Post” to continue)