Pastor Ted Wilson: A Special Message on Prophecy and the Sabbath

Again we’re together through electronic means. This setting is a challenge in many ways, because we’re not face-to-face in our churches and different places, but God is taking us through. I encourage you to be of good hope—be God’s hands and feet in helping, in healing, and hope. 

You know, God points us to Christ’s soon Second Coming, and we’ve been looking at a number of texts over the last few weeks—Matthew 24, prior to that Daniel 2—an amazing chapter—one that I enjoy so much. Jesus is coming soon, and prophecy tells us exactly that. 

Now I’d like for us to look at Daniel 7. In Daniel 7 we find some amazing aspects that are very similar to Daniel 2, and these are fascinating in the aspect that they represent different kingdoms. Now, because we don’t have a lot of time to delve into this, we’ll only just look at it in a very initial way, but then we’re going to look at something very interesting that happens, coming out of the fourth beast or the fourth power. 

And when we look at verse three, we see that there are four great beasts that came up from the sea, each different from the other. Then in verse 4, it talks about a lion that had eagle’s wings, and, of course, this represents Babylon. And then—and this again is very much similar to Daniel 2—just different animals or connections, different symbols, let’s say. And then suddenly in verse five, a bear is raised up on one side, has three ribs in its mouth—Medo-Persia. 

And then it says a leopard appeared in verse six. “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.” And this, of course, represents the empire of Greece and the lightning speed and essentially the four generals that took over after Alexander the Great’s death. 

Then it says in verse seven, “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns”—this representing the Roman empire, which eventually disintegrated into ten kingdoms. 

Now, verse eight is a fascinating one, and we’ll take a look for just a moment: “I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” 

Now this little horn is a religio-political power that comes out of the final kingdoms that are shown there. And this particular kingdom, this religio-political power, speaks with pompous words and seeks to change times and laws. And, of course, Daniel 8 expands on this. 

I want to tell you that there is a very great attempt to change God’s law—and it has been changed—but not in reality, because we can still observe the seventh day Sabbath. That is God’s seal—His special connection, His understanding for us that He is the Creator, that He has authority. I want to tell you that God will overrule ultimately, and that little horn will not succeed because God is in control. 

I want to read a very interesting passage from The Great Controversy, page 587: “As the work of Sabbath reform extends, this rejection of the divine law to avoid the claims of the fourth commandment will become well-nigh universal.” The fourth commandment, of course, keeping and remembering the seventh day Sabbath through the power of God. “The teachings of religious leaders have opened the door to infidelity, to spiritualism, and to contempt for God’s holy law; and upon these leaders rests a fearful responsibility for the iniquity that exists in the Christian world.”

My dear friends, as we go through very challenging times, be of good cheer! Be the hands and feet of Christ and bring healing and hope, pointing people to the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14, and the fourth angel of Revelation 18, all tying back into Daniel 7 and Daniel 8. 

God will prevail. Jesus is coming soon. Let me pray with you. 

Father in heaven, thank You that You are in control. Thank You for the way in which You can control our lives and the destiny of this world. Thank You for the Three Angels’ Messages. Thank You for the prophecies that are given to us to help us to know that even though difficult days are ahead, that You will prevail and that Your precious seventh-day Sabbath is the seal of God and will triumph in the end. Lord, be with each of us as we proclaim Your word through wonderful acts of kindness and pointing people to the Holy Word of God and to the prophecies that point to Jesus’ soon coming. We ask all of these things in Christ’s name, amen.​