Carrying the burden of the Lord, being sick from bad news

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” (Prov. 15:13).

“Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.” (Dan. 7:28).

“And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.” (Dan. 8:27).

By the time of the vision of chapter 7, Daniel and his people had been in captivity approximately 43 years. And at the time of the chapter 8 vision their captivity had continued 46 years. It would take another approximate 24 years before Daniel would learn from reading Jeremiah that Babylon would fall and freedom would come to the Jews.

But Daniel’s troubled mind did not arise because of captivity. His troubles came from learning what Satan would do to God, and then to God’s people. He understood that the future apostasies would play out very similar to the many Israelite apostasies of ancient times, but that the previous apostasies of Israel would look tame compared to the apostasies of the future.

It was hard enough to bear the knowledge that God’s people would not learn from the current captivity and curse of God, but that their rebellion would be ten times worse. 2,300 years would be a long departure from heaven. Israel had only been a kingdom for 550 years under David, they had been a nation 800 years since Moses, 1100 years as a tribe had passed since their father Israel far back in prehistory, and it had been 1,300 years since Abraham followed the voice of the Lord further back into the misty past. And look at all the ups and downs since Abraham covenanted with God for a holy kingdom that Moses ratified and David inaugurated. But, 2,300 years in the future —a whole millennium more than the centuries since Abraham, 1,300 years in the past mists of time? 2,300 years of increasing rebellion, antipathy, animosity, hostility against the throne of God? 2,300 years of decreasing connection with heaven until total darkness would envelope the hearts of God’s people?

“And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

And I heard a Man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.

And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.…

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.” (Dan 8:14-19,23-27).

Daniel wrote, “I was astonished at the vision.” “I Daniel fainted, and was sick…days.” (Dan. 8:27). This strong but gentle father of Israel fell ill for many days because what he saw distressed his heart and mind so terribly. A satanic earthly power having a “fierce countenance” (Dan. 8:23) and the “eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things” (Dan. 7:8) standing up against the “Prince of the host” (Dan. 8:11), the “Prince of the covenant” (Dan. 11:22), the “Prince of princes” (Dan. 8:25) was too much to hear and see.

“And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished^H8074 at the vision, but none understood it.” (Dan. 8:26,27).

H8074

שׁמם

shâmêm

shaw-mame’

A primitive root; to stun (or intransitively grow numb), that is, devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense): - make amazed, be astonied, (be an) astonish (-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make) desolate (-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay, lie, make) waste, wonder.

Daniel was stunned, devastated, stupefied. His immune system couldn’t handle the sorrowful scene. He collapsed and his body shut down. A man of great energy and happiness to serve his heathen masters, now must recuperate from what he knew must be the future of his people.

“The Lord GOD shall…call His servants by another name.” (Isa. 65:15).

This promise was fulfilled after Christ ascended to the right hand of His Father in heaven. He sent the Spirit of His reconciled Father upon His weak and vulnerable disciples, and their new name was soon called by His name, Christian. But, another apostasy would follow that great revival and reformation. 

The gift of prophecy had returned to God’s people for a short time, and He walked among them after 500 years of silence from above. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day Star arise in your hearts.” (2Pet. 1:19). “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 1:9).

But the gift of prophecy would depart again, and this time for more than 1,700 years.

“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:13-17).

Not until 1844 would that precious gift return to reclaim all the truths that the Lord God had been giving during the Old Testament. That year was 2,300 years after the vision of Daniel 9, “At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” (Dan. 9:23). “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” (Dan. 9:25). The year that Artaxerxes gave authority and funding to rebuild the Jews’ nation and its capital was 457 B.C. That year was the king’s seventh year of reigning, his regnal year being 464 B.C. “And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.” (Ezra 7:7). Sixty-nine “weeks” (that is, 69 seven-year periods equaling 483 years) later was A.D. 27, which was 483 literal years after 457 B.C., plus adding 1 year for the year 0.

“Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Dan. 9:21-27).

That period of 69 prophetic “weeks” of literal years ended when Jesus was baptized and introduced to the people of Israel by John the Baptist with his highly charged, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. (John 1:29). After 3½ years of His personal ministry and sacrificial death, plus a 3½ year grace period for the Jews to accept the Messiah, the people who had been instrumental in Him giving to the world, completed the 70th prophetic “week” of seven literal years.

Yet, this was only part of “the vision” that Gabriel was sent to Daniel to explain from Daniel 8:10-26. Daniel 9:24-27 explained the antitype of the earthly sanctuary’s daily service. But, the “cleansing of the sanctuary”, which the larger vision of Daniel 8 was revealing, still needed an explanation. If Daniel had realized the connection between the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary, he might not have been left in such turmoil. But, evidently he had enough to try to grasp the way Satan would work to usurp Messiah’s salvation to our lost world.

Much of the mystery of the vision was left for Messiah and the church He established to understand and bring to the world. But, even the apostolic church was only given part of the full explanation of the Daniel 8 vision. The part they were given to know was that phase of redemption that dealt with their period in the antitypical work in the heavenly sanctuary. Daniel had been given to know only the first phase of the 2,300 year prophecy that dealt with the Old Testament dispensation, as seen in the courtyard of the earthly sanctuary complex. The part revealed to the New Testament church was the antitypical work dealing with presenting the grace of God through the Priestly ministry of Jesus in the Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary.

But, in the earthly sanctuary ceremonial system the “cleansing of the sanctuary” dealt with neither the courtyard nor the Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary. The “cleansing of the sanctuary” dealt solely with the third part of the ceremonial system—“after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all^{G39 G39} [hagia hagion]” (Heb. 9:3), the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary—which the earthly temple had been a copy. “As Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” (Heb. 8:5).

This is what the Daniel 8 vision meant by cleansing the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, “the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man”. (Heb. 8:2). Annually, this Most Holy inner sanctum where Christ dwelled needed to be purified of all the pollution transferred to it spiritually. Daily guilt was transferred to a sacrificial animal, then its guilty blood was brought into the sanctuary and sprinkled before the veil of the Most Holy inner sanctum, thus Israel’s guilt for sins committed were spiritually transferred into the Holy Place, at the veil of the Most Holy where Christ dwelled. After a year’s worth of Israel’s pollution accumulating before Christ, the whole temple had to be cleansed, specified in Leviticus chapter 16.

This procedure being only to “serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things” (Heb. 8:5), there must be a heavenly counterpart to this earthly cleansing. This heavenly cleansing of the throne of God would take place at the end of the 2,300 year prophecy of Daniel 8:9-14. It would deal not only with the sins of our whole fallen race since the fall of Adam and Eve, but it would deal with the whole great controversy begun by Lucifer, son of the morning.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isa. 14:12-14).

The self-exaltation of Lucifer and his ambition to compete with Christ is exactly what Daniel saw in his chapter 8 vision. But, it was given for a structure for a future second episode by the mastermind of evil.

“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

Yea, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.

And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.” (Dan. 8:9-12).

The host given to the little horn power were those under the “Prince of the host”. The host was the people of Jehovah who chose transgression of obedience, and apostasy over their covenant with the only true God. Many times did they leave their God, the living God. For this Daniel mourned and interceded for them.

“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments;

We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments:

Neither have we hearkened unto Thy servants the prophets, which spake in Thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land….” (Dan. 9:3-6).

By Satan’s effort to always eclipse their conviction and knowledge of the ever present power of Jehovah from His throne in heaven. Even the knowledge of Christ, the Prince of princes, and the knowledge of His offering on the cross, Satan constantly blotted from men’s knowledge. This would be taken a step further during the Dark Ages when all that Jesus was doing for sinners was taken away from the faith of mankind through the false doctrine of Satan’s servants who dominated Christendom. This is what Daniel saw in vision. The people who he believed to be Jews persecuted for their faith, were actually Christians being persecuted.

But, regardless of who were the persecuted ones for the truth that they held dear, the systematic work of Satan against the stars of faith, the great “cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1) seen in the faith chapter of Hebrews 11, is what put Daniel on his sickbed. His horror and great darkness came from seeing such an abominable crime against God’s children that Satan was able to get away with. And multitudes who were complicit in the persecutions believed his deceptions. In the context of permitting them to love all that their fallen natures craved Satan turned their loyalty against the God of love and righteousness. Idolatry was the transgression that caused their separation from the only good God, and transgression was the power of captivity to Satan and his ability to desolate them. Thus one of the angels called it, “the transgression of desolation” (Dan. 8:13), and later Gabriel termed it, “the abomination that maketh desolate” (Dan. 11:31; 12:11), and which Jesus called “the abomination of desolation” (Matt. 24:15).

It is the same desolation that Paul called, “a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition”, “the mystery of iniquity”, and “that Wicked [one]”, “whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness” (2Thess. 2:3,7,8,9,10).

John called it, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”. He saw it as a monstrous system controlling essentially the whole human race, “all nations”, “all the world”, “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Rev. 14:8; 13:3; 17:15). It was also composed of a middle management of kings and merchants, (i.e. governments and corporations), and exalted, pagan, idolatrous papal religion as the “GREAT” upper management. “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”  (Rev. 18:2,3). “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” (Rev. 17:8).

“Perdition” means total a blotting out of righteousness, love, faith, peace, joy, patience and toleration, self-control from Adam’s and Noah’s race, and the planet that God gave them. Such a condition overspreading the church and possessing the earth is why Paul called that controlling power, “the son of perdition”. It is why Paul saw the “host” that Daniel had said “was given” to the son of perdition “by reason of transgression” as a whole religio-political world who received the self-indulgent world governance. This gigantic construct of tempted and ignorant masses trusting in the bewitching power of a one world dogmatic religious-spiritual power, and her threatening dictatorships and tempting incorporated privatizing sector, all of this towering Babel which Paul described more literally to be “them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2Thess. 2:10-12). Thus, by a strong delusion of open sin, permitted by God through opening the bottomless pit in 1849 at the California Gold Rush during the Sabbath Conferences, and administered by Satan, God would give the church to Satan.

This condition of Protestant America, the leading group that represents the true God of the Bible has desserted its beautiful Reformation religion, its righteous Constitution of innocent, lamb-like Republicanism, and its energetic and bold capitalism and economic might. And it is quickly moving to a state of spiritualism and unrighteousness and loveless, Christless religion, despotic government, and corrupt business that the Bible writers warned would pervade a world in total rebellion.

Our day is what Daniel saw in vision. He saw no good news, only fearful, tragic news. More fearful than the horrific prophetic symbolism of the amalgamated serpent-mammal was the certain demon possession upon the deluded and corrupted people daring God to damn them forever. All the priceless treasure of holiness and love that heaven would bestow upon a people they would give up.

Darkness is covering the earth and gross darkness the people. The Protestant world has gone wild after self-indulgence and will end up robbed and spoiled, first spiritually and then temporally. All the “wild” fires will consume the American empire, and leave this proud generation in slavery. All the puppetry that demonic power can muster to rewire the image of God in the human race is moving rapidly toward Gestapo rule, forcing upon the whole world ungodliness and wickedness and blasphemous anger at God.

“Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad [raving, clamorously foolish, boasting].

Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.” (Jer. 51:7-10).

“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Rev. 16:12-14).

War and desolations are decried and a consumption is determined. “Upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity… Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. ” (Luke 21:25,26). All of this disturbed Daniel. But the worst of it was the consumption of his beloved people of God, the ancient Israelites, and the modern Protestant-Adventist remnant of the Hebrew religion.

“And I heard the Man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when He held up His right hand and His left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when He shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.…

But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” (Dan. 12:7-10,13).

An intense Daniel watched and listened for a good end of hope and expectancy; but he didn’t hear it. “And one said to the Man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?... And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” (Dan. 12:6,8). Daniel has worked and stressed long. He has faithfully and vigilantly carried the Lord’s burden upon the mighty and holy people. Now he can stand in his lot; he can rest. He should rest knowing that God will be victorious in the end, and that in the end He will have a purified remnant through the scattering of their power.

Daniel could rest. He was to know the words of His Lord, “Consider the lilies of the field…they toil not, neither do they spin.” (Matt. 6:28). “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap.” (Matt. 6:26).

“Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest…. Our lives may seem a tangle; but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And that character which expresses the glory—character—of Christ will be received into the Paradise of God. A renovated race shall walk with Him in white, for they are worthy.” Desire of Ages, p. 331.

We need to bear the Lord’s burdens, but when He says we can lay our burdens at His feet we should do so. Daniel had been making a habit of this, which gave him the reputation: “a man … in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; … light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him” (Dan. 5:11). At the end of a long career as prophet, priest, and king to Nebuchadnezzar who was king over the world, Daniel could retire and prepare for going to his long sleep.

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” (Rev. 18:4,5).

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt. 24:12-14).

In the midst of total Nimrod-like exhumed anarchy, and of upheaval and expulsion of Noah’s original government of righteousness and peace God will give one last call to His prized human race.

“For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He will render unto her a recompence.” (Jer. 51:5,6).

“Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.” (Rev. 18:6).

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.” (Rev. 18:8-11).

“The kings of the east” (Rev. 16:12) have arrived to lay Babylon waste. Let the fires rage and take away our power. We have watched the last approach and waited for the final destruction. We have sighed and cried. Now that the time has come we can lay down our trumpets.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.

His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.

And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.

And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” (Rev. 19:11-14).

There is nothing more to hope for. There is nothing more to distress over. The Deliverer has cleansed His people of all sin and guilt. Beautiful times are ahead.