"The ent»anoe of thy tuofd giveth light.

"

BIBLtE

STUDENTS' "PROPHECY"
- A-

SEMI-MONTHLY
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Lessons for Senior Classes,
DEVOTED TO THE

Investigation and Ex PUBLISHED FOR THE

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International Sabbath-School association,
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0aKlcind, Gil. 15, 1890.

Entered at the Post-office in Oakland.

 1. WHO was Nebuchadnezzar? Dan. 1:1.
2. When did he besiege Jerusalem ? and what
was the result? Verses i; 2.
3. Who are named as prominent among the cap
tives carried from Jerusalem to Babylon ? Verse 6.
4. For what were these persons noted, espe
cially Daniel? Verse 17.
5. Upon inquiry, what did the king learn con
cerning their wisdom ? Verse 20.
6. What caused trouble and loss of sleep to
.Nebuchadnezzar? Dan. 2:1.
7. To whom did he resort for relief? Verse 2.
8. Could they interpret his dream ? Verse 10.
9. How did their answer affect the king, and
what did he immediately do ? Verses 12, 13.
10. Upon learning of the decree, what course
did Daniel pursue? Verses 14-16.
11. Did Daniel understand the interpretation of
the dream when he promised to make it known
unto the king? Verses 17, 18.
12. How did he get the desired information?'
Verse 19.
13. What did Daniel then do ? Verse 24.
14. When Daniel was brought in before the king,
what question was asked him ? Verse 26.
15. What humble but wise answer did Daniel
make ? Verses 27, 28.
16. To whom does God reveal secrets ? Amos
3=7-
17. Was this secret revealed to Daniel because
of his position among the king's counselors?
Dan. 2: 30.
 PROPHECY.

II.

1. WHO was Daniel?

2. Where was he in captivity ?
3'. For what purpose was he specially called be
fore the king of Babylon ?
4. How had the matter the king desired to
know been shown to Daniel ?
5. What did Daniel say was the subject of the
king's dream ? Dan. 2:31.
6. How did this image appear to the king?
Verse 31.
7. Of what was the head of the image com
posed ? Verge 32.
8. What formed his breast and arms ?
9. What composed the lower part of the body ?
10. What material composed its legs and feet?
Verse 33.
11. What was the extent of territory covered by
the vision? Ans.—The earth. Verse 35.
12. What great blow did the image receive?
13. What became of the materials which com
posed the image? Verse 35.
14. What became of the stone that smote the
image ?
15. What did Daniel say the head of gold rep
resented? Verses.37, 38.
16. What was to be the nature of the succeeding
kingdom ? Verse 39.
17. Who-was the last Babylonian king? Dan.
5:3 . 3i-
18. Who was Belshazzar?
19. To whom was Belshazzar's kingdom given?
Verse 28.
20. By what symbol is the Medo-Persian Empire
elsewhere represented ? Dan. 8:20.
21. What beast was seen to come up against this
ram and overthrow him ? Verses 5-7.
22. What did the goat represent? Verse 21.
 PROPHECY.

23. How was this kingdom shown by the image?

Dan. 2 :39.
24. What was the nature and character of the
fourth kingdom ? Verse 40.
25. Where is this kingdom spoken of, and by
what is it known ? Luke 2:1.
26. What did the mixture of clay and iron in
the feet and toes indicate ? Dan. 2:41.
27. What is to take place in the days of the di
vided state of that once universal empire ? Verse 44.
28. How fully can we rely on the fulfillment of
this prophecy ? Verse 45.

NOTE. Belshazzar, or Belsharussur (Bel protects

the king), was a son of Nabonadius. Nabonadius,
formerly a Chaldean noble, reigned during; the last
seventeen years of the Babylonian Empire. By
some it is supposed that Belshazzar is called the
son of Nebuchadnezzar by virtue of being' his suc
cessor; by others, Nabonadius,his father,is supposed
to have married the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar.
This latter supposition would make Nebuchadnezzar
the grandfather of Belshazzar,-and this is probably
correct. When Cyrus began the siege of Babylon,
Nabonadius advanced to meet him; he was defeated
by Cyrus and retired to Borsippa, leaving Belshaz
zar, whom he had associated with him on the throne,
in command at Babylon, and sole ruler of the city
when it fell, in 538 B. c. See ".Manual of Ancient
History of the East," by Lenormant, vol. i, pp.
488-490, and "Seven Great Monarchies," vol. 2,
P- 255- '_____

LESSOIV III..
1. GIVE a description of the great image of
Daniel 2.
2. What kingdoms are represented by its sev
eral parts ?
3. By what is the fourth kingdom to be suc
ceeded ?'
 PROPHECY.

4. When did Daniel have his first vision ? Dan.

T.I.
5. What was first presented to the prophet in
this, vision ? Verse 2. .
6. What was the result of the strjfe ? Verse 3.
7. What do the winds of symbolic prophecy
represent? Jer. 25:31-33; 49:36, 37-
8. What do symbolic watess represent ? Rev.
1 T- J 5-
9. What did the four beasts of this vision rep
resent? Dan. 7: 17.
10. What was the appearance of the first beast ?
Verse 4.
11. What was the nature of the second beast?
Verse 5.
12. What was the third beast like ? Verse 6.
13. Describe the fourth beast ? Verse 7.
14. Which of the four kingdoms was represented
by the fourth beast? Verse 23. See note.
15. What was the name of this fourth great em
pire?
16. What is to be the character of-this power ?
Verse 23.
17. How many horns had this fourth beast?
Verse 7.
18. What did the ten horns denote? Verse 24.
19. Between what years was this division of the
Roman Empire effected ? Ans.—Between the years
A. D. 351 and A. D. 476. ~

NOTE. It is clear that, if the four beasts rep

resent four kingdoms, and the fourth beast stands
for the fourth great kingdom, each of the three
preceding beasts must represent successive king
doms in the order in which the symbols are given.
Hence the third beast would stand .for the third
kingdom, and so on to the first. The first great
empire being Babylon, it was symbolized by the
lion. The second beast, which was like a bear,
must indicate Medo-Persia; and the third, -or leop
ard-beast, Grecia.
 PROPHECY.

LEHSOIV
1. DESCRIBE the four beasts of Daniel 7.
2. What did the fourth beast symbolize ?
3. What did the ten horns denote ?
4. When was Rome divided into its ten parts?
5. While the prophet was considering- the ten
horns, what did he see coming up among them ?
Dan. 7:8.
6. How early, then, could the little horn arise ?
Ans.—Not earlier than A. D. 476.
7. What was to be the .character of the little
horn as compared with the ten ? Verse 24.
8. What was to be his most prominent work ?
9. What were the names of the three kingdoms
overthrown by the influence of this, power ? See
note A.
10. To what degree of arrogance was this power
to rise? Dan. 7:25.
11. How has it spoken against God? Note B.
12. To what extent has it worn out the saints?
Note C.
13. How has it sought to change God's law ?
Note D.
14. How long was the Papacy to have power
over the saints, times, and laws? Dan. .7: 25.
15. Where in the New Testament is the same
expression found? Rev. 12:14.
16. In what other words does the prophet speak
of the same period ? Verse 6.
17. What is the rule for reckoning symbolic
days? £26.4:3-6; Num. 14:34.
18. What event marked the close of the period ?
Note E.
19. In connection with what event was the domin
ion of the Papacy to be taken away ? Dan. 7: 26.
20. When did the Pope lose his temporal do
minion? Ans.—A. D. 1870. See note F.
21. By what means is the beast to be destroyed?
Dan. 7:11.
 PROPHECY.

22. What will destroy the Papacy ? 2 Thess. 2:8.

NOTE A. About A. D. 476, the time when the

division of the Roman Empire was completed by
the establishment of the ten horns, a pretentious
power was noticed, seeking acknowledgment of
its claims. As early as the beginning of the sixth
century, the bishops of Rome had become power
ful enough to exert considerable of that influence
at the imperial court, which was erelong to exalt
them to that station where they could command
the kings of the earth. There was only one hin
drance to their supremacy, the opposition of the
Arian powers to the doctrines of the Catholics, es
pecially to that of the Trinity. These opposing
powers were rooted up, the Heruli in 493, the Van
dals in 534, and the Ostrogoths in 538. See "Stu
dent's Gibbon," pp. 309-319.

NOTE B. The pope calls himself " The Vicar

of Christ." Leo X. blasphemously styled himself,
"The Lion of the tribe of Judah;" Leo XII. al
lowed himself to be called " The Lord our God,"
and Pope Martin V. called himself, "The most
holy and most happy, who is the arbiter of Heaven
and the Lord of earth, the successor of St.
Peter, the anointed of the Lord, the Master of the ;
universe," etc.. The following is quoted from W.
E. Gladstone, in the "VaticanCouncil," page201,
as a portion of the infallibility dogma :
' "All the faithful of Christ must believe that the
holy apostolic see and the Roman pontiff possess
the primacy over the whole world, and that the
Roman pontiff is the successor of the blessed Peter,
prince of the apostles, and- is true vicar of Christ,
and head of the whole church, and father and
teacher of all Christians.''

NOTE C. A million of Waldenses perished

in France. Nine hundred thousand orthodox
 PROPHECY.

Christians were slain in less than thirty years after

the institution of the order of the Jesuits. The
duke of Alvah put to death, in the Netherlands,
36,000 in the space of a few years. The Inquisi
tion destroyed by various tortures, 15,000 within
thirty years. These are a few specimens out of the
many which might be quoted from history, of the
work of this power against the saints. For further
evidence, one may read "Buck's Theological Dic
tionary," article "Persecution," Dowling's "Ro
manism," Charlotte Elizabeth's " Martyrology,"
" Wars of the Huguenots," etc.

NOTE D. The Papacy has changed the observ

ance of the fourth commandment, as far as in its
power, in order to follow its pagan ancestors in
their dedication of a day to the worship of the sun.
In a work called "The Sure Way to Find Out the
True Religion," we read:
'' The keeping holy the Sunday is a thing ab
solutely necessary to salvation. And yet this is
nowhere laid down in the Bible. On the contrary,
the Bible says, ' Remember the Sabbath-day, to
keep it holy' (Ex. 20:8), which is Saturday, and
not Sunday.'' For further evidence, see Catholic
catechisms, also '' Plain Talks about the Protest
antism of To-day," page 213.

NOTE E. In February, 1798, General Berthier

entered Rome at the head of a French army, took
Pope Pius VI. prisoner, and established a republic
in Rome. The pope died in exile the following
year, and for two years there was no pope. See
Chambers'-Cyclopedia, article "Pius."

NOTE F. "In September, 1870, Rome, no

longer supported by the French, who had been de
feated by the Germans, surrendered to Victor Em
manuel, and the possession of the pope's dominion
was formally taken, October 2, 1870. Chambers'
Cyclopedia, article "Italy."
 PROPHECY>

LESSO3V V.
1. WHAT three kingdoms were plucked up to
make way for the establishment of the Papacy?
2. When was the last of these overthrown ?
3. What was the Papacy to do ?
4. What was it to think to do ?
5. How long was its oppressive work to con
tinue ?
6. What symbol is introduced in Rev. 12: i ?
See note A.
7. What other sign was presented to the
prophet? Verse 3.
8. For what purpose did the dragon (persecut
ing power) wait before the woman ? Verse 4.
9. What became of the child? Verse 5.
10. Who alone must be the child referred to?
Heb. 12:2; 1:3.
11. Who is the dragon ? Rev. 12:9. See note B.
. 12. What is the next symbol presented by the
prophet? Rev. 13:1.
13. How many elements of previous kingdoms
were included in this beast, as shown by its com
position ? Verse 2.
14. From whom did this beast receive his power
and authority ?
15. How long was this power to continue?
Verse 5. See note C.
16. In that time, what was this beast to do?
Verses 6, 7.
17. How much of the beast was wounded to
death? Verse 3.
18. How was this wound to be given ? Verse 10.
19. What power alone has carried on such a
work continuously for 1,260 years, and then been
led into captivity ? See note D.
20. How many has the Papacy had power to
lead into captivity ? Verse 7.
21. When and how was the papal'power
wounded to death ? See note E.
1O PROPHECY.

NOTE A. In symbolic prophecy, a woman rep

resents a church. £26.23:2-4; Rev. 17:3-6.

NOTE B. The original word from which

"dragon" is derived, as used in the Old Testa
ment, is applied to any savage beast which preys
on other living creatures. See Jer. 14:6; 9:11.
It was applied to Pharaoh, because he, like a wild
beast, tried to devour God's people. Eze. 29:3.
This is the sense in which the word occurs in Rev.
13:11. While the two-horned beast appears to be
a gentle, lamb-like creature, he has the spirit which
finally causes him to speak and act like a dra * on,
or devouring beast. This symbol, then, has al
ways fitly represented Satan, who, from the first,
hated the Son of God, and was cast out from his
presence, and who, finding himself shut away from
Christ, persecuted, through his agents, the church,
in all its stages of existence. The Roman power
was his agent, at the opening of the Christian era.
Others may do the work of the dragon in succeed-
ing ages, as it is he who is said to make war with
the remnant of the woman's seed.

NOTE C. Forty-two months are three and one-

half years, or, at thirty days to the month (compare
Gen. 7: ii and 8: 4, also 8:3), 1,260 days (years),
being the same as the time, times, and a half of
Dan. 7:25 and Rev. 12:14, 6.

NOTE D. No power but the Papacy has ever

existed which could fulfill the specifications of the
prophecy. Other persecuting powers have ex
isted, but none of these met the demands of the
symbols used, either in the methods of their work
or the time of their continuance.

NOTE E. In February, 1798, the French army,

under General Berthier, entered Rome, proclaimed
it a republic, and carried Pope Pius VI. a captive
 PROPHECY. It

to France, exhibiting him from place to place, un

til he died, in August of the following year.

1 JL.ESSOIS"
1. WHAT befell one of the heads of the leopard
beast ?
2. What was represented by this head?
3. When was the Papacy led into captivity ?
4. What was then seen to be coming up ? Rev.
I3 : i!-
5. What were the special characteristics of this
beast ?
6. What nation alone, with the gentle appear
ance mentioned, was coming up in 1798 ? Ans.—
The United States.
7. How much power does he exercise? Verse
12, first part.
8. What power was exercised by the preceding
beast ?
9. What was the two-horned beast to cause, by
the exercise of his power? Verse 12, last part.
10. How was he to cause this worship ? Verse
14, last part especially.
n. What has been the chief characteristic of the
Papacy? Ans.— A union of Church and State, or
a religious element dominating the civil power, to
further its own ends.
12. At what time was that union formed which
developed the Papacy? Ans.—During the reign
of Constantine, A. D. 312-337.
13. How was that union effected? 2 Thess.
2:3. See also note A.
14. What was sure to result from such a union ?
Verse 4.
15. When and by whom was the great Council
of Nice convened ? Ans.—In A. D. 325, by the
Emperor Constantine.
16. What was one of the principal objects in
calling that council ? See note B.
19 PROPHECY.

17. What did the emperor wish to have settled

concerning Easter ? Note C.
18. How was the matter decided? Note D.
19. Under what authority were the decrees of
the council published? Ans. Under the author
ity of the emperor, which gave them a political im
portance. (Neander's History, vol. 2, p. 133.)
20. With what power is the two-horned beast
able to invest the image it is to make ? Rev. 13:15.
21. What decree is it to make, in order to cause
all to worship the image ? Verses 15-17.
NOTE A. In the time of Constantine, the bish
ops of the church became worldly-minded, and, in
stead of caring for the salvation of their flocks,
were often too much inclined to entangle themselves
in secular, concerns. They held what was called
the theocratical theory, which means th.tt God
directly rules in the nations of the earth. This be
lief made them quite willing to allow the emperor
to dictate in matters concerning the church, and
the bishops "voluntarily made themselves depend
ent on him by their disputes, and by their deter
mination to make use of the power of the State for
the furtherance of their aims." See "Neander's
History of the Christian Religion and Church,"
vol. 2, pp. 16 and 132.
NOTE B. "The question relating to the observ
ance of Easter, which was agitated in the time of
Anicetus and Polycarp, and afterward in that of
Victor, was still undecided. It was one of the prin
cipal reasons for convoking the Council of Nice,
being the most important subject to be considered,
after the Arian controversy." Boyle's Historical
View of the Council of Nice, p. 2, e'd. 1839.
NOTE C. "It appears that the churches of
Syria and -Mesopotamia continued to follow the
custom of the Jews, and celebrated Easter on the*
I4th day of the moon, whether falling on Sunday
 PROPHECY.

or not. All the other churches observed that so

lemnity on Sunday only, viz., those of Rome, Italy,
Africa, Lydia, Egypt, Spain, Gaul, and Britain."
Boyle's Council of Nice, p. 22.

NOTE D. "Easter day was fixed on Sunday

immediately following the new moon which was
nearest after the vernal equinox." Boyle's Coun
cil of Nice, p. 23.

LESSOIV VII.
1. How was the two-horned beast to use his
power ?
2. What was the nature of the power, as repre
sented by the preceding beast ?
3. By what means did that power enforce its
decrees? Ans.—The church used the civil power
for the propagation of its dogmas.
' 4. If the two-horned beast makes an image to
the preceding one, then what will it do? Ans.—
It will have the church dominate the State, and em
ploy the civil power to enforce its dogmas.
5. Is there any prospect of the United States
doing such a work ? Ans. —Already an influential
organization, called the National Reform Associa
tion, has succeeded in having bills brought before the
National Congress, which, if passed, will secure
that result.
6. On what theory does this organization base
its work? Ans.—"Every government, by equit
able laws,, is a government of God; a republic thus
governed is of him, and is as truly and really a
theocracy as the commonwealth of Israel." Res
olution in Cincinnati National Reform Convention.
7. In view of such belief, what do they propose
to do ? See note A.
8. What do the National "Reformers and their
allies, the American Sunday Union, and the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, especially
 PROPHECY.

demand of the. government ? Ans.—To stop all

Sunday trains, discontinue all Sunday papers, and
prohibit all mariner of Sunday labor, so that'their
" devotions may not be hindered."
9. Why do these people wish to compel others
to keep Sunday? Ans.—^Because "he who does
not keep the Sabbath (Sunday) does not worship
God." Elgin Sunday Convention, November,
2-887.
10. But if one worships by resting on the sev
enth day, will that be satisfactory to them ? See
note B.
11. Then what is the object of their Sunday
laws ? Ans.—To compel men to worship accord
ing to their ideas.
12. If men yield to such legislation, what do they
really worship ? Rev. 13:12.
13. Whose servants does that make them ?
Rom. 6:16.
14. What will this power attempt to enforce on all,
to designate them as its servants ? Rev. 13:16, 17.
15. What decree will it issue against those who
do not yield to its requirements? Verse 15.
16. What sentiment is advanced by the National
Reformers on this point? See note C.
17. Will all yield to the demands of this power ?
Rev. 15:2.
18. To what do they ascribe their deliverance ?
Verse 3.

NOTE A. "To secure such an amendment to

the Constitution of the United States as shall suit
ably express our national acknowledgment of Al
mighty God as the source of all authority in civil'
government; of the Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler,
of nations; and,of his revealed will as of supreme
authority, and thus indicate that this is a Christian
nation, and place all the Christian laws, institutions,
and usages of the government on an undeniably
legal basis in the fundamental law of the land."
Art. 2 of National Reform Constitution.
 PROPHECY. IS

NOTE B. "Let a man be what he may, Jew,

seventh-day observer, or some other denomina
tion, or those who do not believe in the Christian
Sabbath let the law apply to everyone, that there
shall be no public desecration of the first day of
the week, the Christian Sabbath, the day of rest for
the nation. They may hold any other day of the
week as sacred, and observe it, but that day which
is the one day in seven for the nation at large, let
that not be publicly desecrated by anyone, by of
ficer in the government, or by private citizen, high
or low, rich or poor." Dr. McAllister, editor
Christian Statesman.

NOTE C. At the Lakeside National Reform

Convention of 1887, one said during the discussion
of the Sunday-law question, "There is a law in
the State of Arkansas enforcing Sunday observance
upon the people, and the result has been that
many good persons have not only been impris
oned, but have lost their property and their lives.''
To this Dr. McAllister replied, " It is better that a
few should suffer than the whole nation should lose
its Sabbath."

VIII.

1. WHAT is the object of the Sunday laws now

demanded by the National Reformers and their al
lies?
2. In acceding to their demands, to whom does
one render worship ?
3. What does God declare such shall receive
from him? Rev. 14:9, 10.
4. What will be the prominent characteristics
of those who do not receive the mark of the beast?
Verse 12.
5. What day does the commandment require
to be observed as a day of rest ? Ex. -20: 8-n.
16 PROPHECY.

6. If those who keep all of God's command

ments, escape the worship and mark of the beast,
then what position may be safely taken, as regards
the nature of that worship and mark ? See note.
7. How many are said to worship the beast?
Rev. 13:8.
8. In connection with the proclamation of the
Third Angel's Message, what did the prophet see?
Rev. 14:14.
9. What was he to do with the sickle ? Verse
16.
iO- What is the reaping or harvest-time else
where called? Matt. 13:39. _
11. What will the faithful to God be called to
pass through before their final deliverance ? Rev.
12:17.
12. Where will they finally appear? Rev. 15: 2.
13. What do they have in their foreheads?
Rev. 14: i. x
14. How came this 144,000 to have this name in
their foreheads ? Rev. 7:3,4.
15. What is said of the song these sing on Mt.
Zion ? Rev. 14: 3.
16. From whence were they redeemed ? Yerse 4.
17. What is said of their character? Verse 5.

NOTE. If the Third Angel's Message declares..";

those to be saints who keep the commandments of
God, and denounces unsparingly those who worship
the beast and his image, and hold his mark, it fol
lows that the worship and mark of the beast are in
opposition to thosecommandments. Each persecut
ing power of the past has in some measure been
an idolatrous nation. Even though some of them
may have acknowledged, in words, the God of the
Bible, their worship has embraced those forms
which originated in heathen mythology. It is the
same in the United States. While most of the peo
ple acknowledge God in words, they persist in
maintaining a day of worship which originated in
the heathen custom of worshiping the sun as a god.