Unsealing the Little Book of Prophecy (Daniel 12 & Revelation 10)

In the time of the end, two distinct classes shall be revealed. Those who serve God and those who serve Him not (Malachi 3:18). Christ knew well that a great sign would lie at the heart of this matter, and declared of the time “when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (Matthew 24:15).
It was this prophecy Christ was burdened that we should understand when He said, “Let him that reads understand”; in fact, this prophecy was mentioned three times distinctly in the book of Daniel.
In Daniel’s book, which deals with the rebellion problem in the hearts of the people of God, and heathen dominions which reigned over them, it concludes the great warfare against Satan and his kingdom of darkness. The conclusion reveals a glorious deliverance of the people of God, when Christ takes His crowning place on the throne of David; it is then that Satan marshalls his army, consisting largely of apostate churches, against the remnant people of God.
When Christ takes His throne, Gabriel tells Daniel, “at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book.” (Dan. 12:1)
But who are Daniel’s people that are among those delivered and who are numbered among the armies of Satan? The distinction of these two classes is the burden of this article. The Book of Daniel, since it is dealing with the issue of God’s people, makes a clear distinction amongst those are among the remnant of Daniel’s people. The final prophecy of the book of Daniel, contained in chapter 12, bound to a prophecy in the book of Revelation, serves to identify who these people are, and who they are not.
From the outset, we may note that it is the wise who shall be those people according to Daniel’s final chapter. It is those who have understanding of the prophetic importance of the events surrounding them because they have understood and given special regard to the prophecies of Daniel. “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Dan. 12:3) We are called to be “a wise and understanding people” (Deut. 4:6) but there are many who don’t understand the book of Daniel and it’s high importance for our time. Yet in it’s prophecies contain instruction for the wise in these last days that need to be understood.

THE SEALED BOOK- THE TIME OF THE END

At the closure of Daniel’s prophecy, he is told that his book is to be sealed: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” (Daniel 12:4)
The time of the end is the period when the Atheistic King of the South pushed at the King of the North, who the weight of evidence shows to be the Papal power. This period was from 1798-1844; this time period will be made more evident further along in the study. The Book of Daniel’s prophecy was to be sealed so that those who read it could not comprehend it’s deeper sayings until the time was fully come. Thus, it is declared to be “the time of the end”.
It was the end of the seven times of captivity for the Israelites in 1798 and for Judah in 1844 prophesied in Leviticus 26 & Daniel 4, hence it is called “the time of the end”. The prophetic identity of those tribes were to be spiritually identified, and not genealogically identified, by those who in those years would have special light upon the Book of Daniel. God’s people were not to be unaware of the prophetic importance of this finishing of the captivity time. Then in vision, Daniel describes for us the final scene he would look upon: “Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. 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 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 dash in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” (Daniel 12:5-7)

How long until the end of these wonders? What wonder was here being spoken of? It was the great warfare prophecy of Daniel 11 which dealt specifically with the oppression of Daniel’s people because of their apostasy. How long until the end of apostasy? How long until there is freedom, independence, respite, given to God’s people again? How long until the time of the end? Now pay close attention, as the scene Daniel described above shall be an important element to our study. We see the man clothed in linen upon the rivers of the waters, raising his hands towards the heavens, after Daniel is told to shut the book until the time of the end. And that this sealing would be for a time (360), times (360×2), and an half (180); like previous prophecies, we easily may recognize this period of time as the time when the little horn persecuted the saints of the Most High, and the same power, under the likeness of an ecumenical, chimera-type beast from the waters of Revelation 13, which persecutes God’s people during the dark ages for 1260 years, from 538AD to 1798AD. It was this apostate Roman church which especially would cause the sealing of the book of Daniel; keeping it’s sayings under lock and key, away from the understanding of the people. Having trampled underfoot the truth, translating the Scriptures into Latin, to be interpreted aright only by a Catholic priest in the light of falsehood, the sealing of Daniel’s book during this period is enforced in a manner which we will speak more upon shortly.
The Man in fine linen raises His hands to heaven, and speaks of the 1260 year prophecy that was to end in 1798AD. This denotes the period when the time of the end for the ten tribes of Israel’s long captivity is spoken of. Thus it reveals the time when the prophetic identity of the ten tribes (not the genealogical identity which has long been lost) is revealed in prophecy. Notice what was to be accomplished according to the Man in linen at the end of this time, and we will notice in it the wisdom of God.
He declares it to be the time when the rebellious pride of the holy people of God would be “dashed in pieces.” This reference was pertaining to the judgment contained in the seven times of punishment against rebellion: “I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass…” (Leviticus 26:18-19) Notice that the breaking the pride of their power, which is their rebellion, was to be met by the power of iron and brass. Thus the dashing in pieces signifies the accomplishment of this breaking among His people, effectively commencing in their hearts a great work of reformation.
The iron power of Rome, manifested through the oppressive power of the Papacy, had “cast down truth to the ground, and practiced and prospered” (Dan. 8:12) “till the indignation is accomplished: for that which is determined shall be done.” (Dan. 11:36) This was the persecuting power of the little horn of the fourth beast of Daniel 7, which had brass nails and great iron teeth (Dan. 7:19-25), persecuting the saints for “a time, times, and a half a time”. Yet it was the Papal power which had gone into the deepest rebellion in all of the professedly Christian church. Thus it was an archetype of what the apostasy of God’s people looked like for a grossly long period of time. The Divine purpose was to reveal apostasy in it’s true character before all to the intent that rebellion’s power might be forever banished from the hearts of God’s people. Thus would He accomplish the breaking of the pride of their power and work within them reformation.
Whoever would not heed this great warning contained in the book of Daniel of how severe apostasy is, refusing to remove their foot from the course the Papacy had taken in the rejection of truth and thus continue in the work of reform towards the ways of God, would be in grave danger. The final message to be given to the world is a warning against the apostate churches who seek after governmental power; this message Scripture calls the “loud cry” of “the third angel” (Rev. 14:9-12, 18:1-3). For this cause, at the end of the seven times of punishment in 1798, God mercifully endeavors to awaken His people to their danger once-and-for-all. Therefore, this would be the time when we should see the unsealing of the Book of Daniel for special admonition, instruction, and prophetic light as it pertains to His people.

THE MAN IN LINEN REVEALED

Now, remember that Man in linen standing upon the rivers of waters, holding up his hand to the heavens? The rivers of waters signify “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” (Revelation 17:15) This was bounds of Europe, where Christ had His people, where also the Papal beast of Revelation 13 arose from for the time, times, and a half a time. In a similar manner, we see the same individual, with strikingly similar symbolism employed in the book of Revelation:  “And I saw another Mighty Angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and His face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And He had in His hand a little book open: and He set his right foot upon the sea, and His left foot on the earth, and…lifted up His hand to heaven, and sware by Him that lives forever and ever…that there should be time no longer…”
(Revelation 10:1-2)

Notice the symbolism. The Man in fine linen (“which is the righteousness of the saints” Revelation 19:8) declared the time of the end when the Book of Daniel would be unsealed was for 1260 years until the dashing in pieces of the power of rebellion in the holy people. Now, we see a Mighty Angel with a rainbow on His head; that rainbow is symbolic of the covenant (Genesis 9:13) that surrounds God’s throne (Ezekiel 1:28), and therefore this is the Angel of the Covenant. The face as it were the sun is “the Sun of righteousness with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2) thus identifying as Christ Himself, whose feet John described as “if they burned in a furnace.” (Rev. 1:15) Instead of a speaking of a time where the sealed book would be opened, He has within His hand an open little book, declaring that time would be no more. Thus we have the Man of Righteousness and the Angel of the Covenant; both signifying Christ.

Notice the parallels?
*Man of Righteousness: Feet on the sea. Raises hands to heaven. Declares a Time Prophecy to the Time of the End. Book of Daniel sealed until that time.
*Covenant Angel: Feet on the sea and the earth. Raises hands to heaven. Declares the Time has come and time shall be no more. An open little book at this time.

His feet were not only upon the rivers, but also upon the earth, signaling that Christ’s church would be established not only in Europe upon the waters, but was positioned upon the earth of the United States. This is where the second beast of Revelation, signifying the United States, comes up; arising from the earth, having two horns like a lamb. Christ’s feet placed on both the earth and the sea signifies the worldwide establishing of His church. Those feet went through the fiery furnace of persecution, and walked in the truth that the Papacy had cast down to the ground. Thus, the pillars of truth for Christ’s church at this time were to be especially resurrected in His body, “which is the church.” (Col. 1:24)

THE LITTLE BOOK: IDENTIFYING HIS PEOPLE

Thus was the Book of Daniel which was to be unsealed and it’s prophecies understood in a marked manner from 1798-1844; the time of the end for the ten tribes and Judah. Did this occur as the prediction states? It did. In the Second-Advent movement, various men were stirred up to study the Scriptures, and came to strikingly similar conclusions. Scores of notable men published similar conclusions regarding the time prophecies of the book of Daniel. However, one of the most notable ones was William Miller.
One striking visionary in the Second-Advent movement beheld and saw in a vision how God had used this man. She said: “I saw that God sent his angel to move upon the heart of a farmer who had not believed the Bible, and led him to search the prophecies. Angels of God repeatedly visited that chosen one, and guided his mind, and opened his understanding to prophecies which had ever been dark to God’s people. The commencement of the chain of truth was given to him, and he was led on to search for link after link, until he looked with wonder and admiration upon the word of God. He saw there a perfect chain of truth. That Word which he had regarded as uninspired, now opened before his vision with beauty and glory. He saw that one portion of scripture explained another, and when one portion was closed to his understanding, he found in another portion of the Word that which explained it. He regarded the sacred word of God with joy, and with the deepest respect and awe.”
This is very much in harmony with the opening of the book of Daniel, whose time prophecies were ever sealed to the people of God. In Miller’s own words, he saw how all of the time prophecies interconnected through the law of the seven times in Leviticus in connection with the book of Daniel. “From a farther study of the Scriptures, I concluded that the seven times of Gentile supremacy must commence when the Jews ceased to be an independent nation at the captivity of Manasseh, which the best chronologers assigned to B. C. 677; that the 2300 days commenced with the seventy weeks, which the best chronologers dated from B. C. 457; and that the 1335 days commencing with the taking away of the daily, and the setting up of the abomination that maketh desolate, [Daniel 12:11] were to be dated from the setting up of the Papal supremacy, after the taking away of Pagan abominations, and which, according to the best historians I could consult, should be dated from about A. D. 508. Reckoning all these prophetic periods from the several dates assigned by the best chronologers for the events from which they should evidently be reckoned, they all would terminate together, about A. D. 1843. I was thus brought, in 1818, at the close of my two years study of the Scriptures, to the solemn conclusion, that in about twenty-five years from that time all the affairs of our present state would be wound up.” William Miller’s Apology and Defence, August 1st, 1842

THE TIME PROPHECY AND THE SANCTUARY

Miller, as with others who had come to the same conclusion regarding the date, had not fully understood the truths which the Papacy had cast down. Most significantly, it was not understood that “the place of His [Christ’s] Sanctuary” (Dan. 8:11) was cast down. This was a vital point of understanding in regard to the time prophecies, that the event which the Scriptures pointed to in the time prophecy most widely proclaimed, “Unto two thousand three hundred days, then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed” (Dan. 8:14), depicted a great event to take place in the heavenly Sanctuary. This was a truth long trodden under the foot of the Papal church during the dark ages, and as a result, this vital element in understanding the event to which the time prophecies pointed was misinterpretted.
Nevertheless, a correct application of the time prophecies helped them to see the commencement of the great time prophecy of Daniel 8 and it’s duration throughout the remnant portion of prophetic time in the seven times of Pagan and Papal oppression. Daniel’s vision clearly inquired of how long from the commencement of the vision until it’s expiring time would take place: “How long shall be the vision concerned the daily, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary an the host to be trodden under foot?” Then Daniel heard the answer, which brought to view the concluding work of Christ in the Sanctuary in heaven before He returns: “Unto two-thousand three hundred days, then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed.” (Daniel 8:14) By teachers of the Scripture everywhere, these words were quoted and proclaimed to expire in the 1840’s.
This time commenced according to Daniel 8, during the Kingdom of the Ram, which was Medo-Persia. Daniel 9, giving a more detailed point on when during the Medo-Persian empire the time would commence, declared it to be “from the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” (Dan. 9:25). This commencing time for the 2300 year prophecy was perfectly seen to lead from 457BC, when Artexerxes decreed that Jerusalem should be rebuilt, unto 1844AD “then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed.”
What was the cleansing of the Sanctuary? The cleansing of the Sanctuary, as expressed in our article of the eighth chapter of Daniel, was the work of the high priest at the end of the year to atone for the entire year’s sins in one final act of priestly ministration in the Holiest place of the Sanctuary. Yet Miller and others who advocated 1844 as the time the Sanctuary would be cleansed had a most bitter disappointment because of the darkness passed down through the bishops and priests of the Roman church. They taught that the cleansing of the Sanctuary would be the return of Christ to cleanse the earth by fire. They failed to understand the doctrine of the heavenly Sanctuary, and for this cause failed to understand what the cleansing of the Sanctuary truly signified. Thus was a great disappointment in 1843-1844 when Christ failed to appear according to their expectation; much like the disciples who were disappointed when Christ was crucified, because of the popular teaching of the religious leaders of the day regarding the Messiah. Yet even this testing time was perfectly foretold by prophets beforehand.

UNSEALING THE TIME OF THE END: THE 1290 & 1335

Daniel had not understood the fate of His people who would be dashed to pieces at time of the end. This element of the prophecies, contained in the eighth and eleventh chapter, as explained by the Man in linen had perplexed him. To which Daniel inquired further, “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what is the end of these?” (Daniel 12:8)
This question was very similar to Peter inquiring regarding the fate of the apostle John, “What shall become of this man?” (John 21:21) Christ answered “If I will that he tarries until I come, what is that to you? Follow Me.” After this time, many began to claim that John would never die among the Christians, yet John knew that it was not a correct understanding of his end, but a misunderstanding of the words of Christ. Daniel was answered in a similar manner, and his prophecies would be misunderstood much like the early Christians misunderstood Christ’s words.
The Man in linen answered Daniel, “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.” Christ told Daniel that what the end would be for His people at that time was sealed up, but that the wise would have understanding of these things when the time came, but that the wicked would remain in darkness.
Christ then opened up the two portions of prophetic time the wise should have understanding of, and for which Christ specifically said we should understand from Daniel. “And from the time that the daily shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” (Daniel 12:11-12)

Notice here that there are two time periods; therefore, there are two ending dates. “From the time that the daily would be taken away to the establishment of the abomination of desolation” was a specific quotation from Daniel 11:31. In fact, he’s pointing us to that very verse because Daniel 12 contains the explanation of chapter 11.
In order to understand where the 1290 year and 1335 year prophecy commences, we need to know what the starting event was, and when it was. So what was the establishment of the abomination of desolation in Daniel 11:31? This was the time when Clovis, the king of France, and his armies were converted from Paganism to Roman Catholic Christianity. From this time, they waxed strong in their empire and then waged war on the Sabbath-keeping, Non-Trinitarian Visigoths in 508AD. Thus was the first enforcement of Sun worship under the guise of Christianity pushing and persecuting those who kept the law of God; the enforcement of Catholic Sun worship throughout Europe was the abomination of desolation.
This was the commencement period where the pagan oppression over the people of God would begin to be replaced with Papal oppression. It would only take 30 years for the entirety of the European kings of the divided Roman Empire to convert to Catholicism and give the seat of Caesar in Rome to the Pope. Thus the 1290 years of prophetic time began in 508AD, and would wax strong in 538AD commencing the 1260 years, and ending in 1798AD.

1290- IDENTIFYING THE PROPHETIC TEN TRIBES

This date of 1798AD, at the end of the 1290 years, identifies the time of the end for the captivity of the prophetic ten tribes of Israel. And thereby identifies the people to whom the book of Daniel was especially opened that “time should be no more”, but who had not wholly understood the point regarding the Sanctuary. The Protestants/Baptists that consisted of the Second-Advent movement widely proclaimed the time prophecies of the book of Daniel as a great chain within the seven times after 1798, with a special emphasis on the 2300 day prophecy of chapter 8.
“…there should be time no longer…And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.” (Revelation 10:7-8)
John was instructed to take the open book of Daniel and to eat it. “And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.” (Rev. 10:9) Now, let this point be noted carefully. This does not mean that the book of Daniel was opened in John’s time, but rather, John was symbolic of the people of God, and his eyes are the point of reference for the body of Christ when the event described in the prophecy begins taking unfolding in the time outlined from the Scriptures. As John, symbolizing the people of God, took the unsealed book of Daniel and ate it, it was sweet in his mouth. Thus it was with the proclamation of Daniel’s prophecies. Never so widely after the passing of 1798 had the book of Daniel taken such a deep interest to the earnest students of Scripture. The churches of the reformation, like the religious leaders towards the disciples of Jesus, which wanted nothing of prophecy nor to have their creedal slumber disturbed began to mock, deride, teach against and excommunicate those who began to proclaim the prophecies, but this could not stop the movement which God designed to raise up.

1335- IDENTIFYING THE PROPHETIC TRIBE OF JUDAH

Another prophetic portion of time was noted in the Scripture requiring mention after the 1290 years. It was the blessing pronounced in coming to the 1335 years. “Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” Those who after 1798 and held to the precious light of Daniel in 1335 were to be especially blessed if they held fast their confidence without wavering.
At this time, the period of 1843-1844, the captivity of Judah’s seven times was to end. This was especially to be noted because Christ is the Lion of Judah; and Judah were the chosen people of God. Therefore this year was to identify who would be raised up as the chosen people of God whom Christ would crown with special light and understanding from the unsealed prophetic book above all others. In 1843, those who had maintained the message were to be proved to know what was in their hearts if they were worthy of the blessing of being honored among those declared to be the chosen people of God.

THE PREPARATION OF A PROPHETIC TIME-PROPHECY CHART

Habakkuk in deepest concern for the captivity of Judah which he saw was to come upon them set forth his complaint before the Most High. Said the prophet, “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.” (Habakkuk 2:1)
Habakkuk early set himself as a watchman, and awaited the answer from Jehovah. “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
(Habakkuk 2:2-3)

Habakkuk is told “the vision is yet for an appointed time”, yet we see nothing in Habakkuk regarding an appointed time. Especially a time which at the end would “speak and not lie”. This was speaking expressly of the time of the end as appointed in the unsealed book of Daniel. Impressed by the words “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables”, Charles Fitch in 1843 prepares a chart surveying the time prophecies contained in Daniel and Revelation in relation to the seven times of captivity with it’s chain of prophetic time, including the 2300 year time prophecy of Daniel 8, the 490, 1260, 1290, and 1335 year time prophecies also.

THE TARRYING TIME TEST OF 1843-1844

Yet the 1843 date was initially thought to be the date when the Sanctuary would be cleansed, not accounting for the absence of the year zero had caused a momentary disappointment. While the 1335 time had pointed to 1843, the 2300 time had pointed to 1844. It was here that Habakkuk’s prophecy revealed a testing tarrying time; “though it tarry, wait for it, because it shall surely come and not tarry.” The tarrying time of the time appointed was to remove all false professors from the true who prized and earnestly desired the blessing of Christ; “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (John 6:66)
In 1844, a man by the name of Samuel Snow delivered a message explaining the error in their miscounting of the 2300 year prophecy. He further declared that the cleansing of the Sanctuary was always on the Day of atonement in the Sanctuary. This raised up the most powerful movement in the Advent movement. Thus, he signaled the time of the cleansing of the Sanctuary as the Day of Atonement in 1844, which was October 22nd. Despite this message which had the perfectly correct timing, the truth of the heavenly Sanctuary was not understood, which resulted in a most bitter experience.
The apostle John, representing the people of God, had eaten the open little book and it was sweet in his mouth, but it “shall make thy belly bitter”. “And I took the little book out of the Angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said to me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”
(Revelation 10:10)
The most bitter experience was to be found in their misunderstanding of the Sanctuary. The timing was perfectly correct, yet the event misunderstood had led to what is known as the great disappointment of 1844.

TWO CLASSES: THE PROPHETIC REMNANT & THE APOSTATE TEN TRIBES

The 1335 time prophecy leading to 1843 was to establish the chosen people. Yet it required faith in the Word of God. Said the Messiah to Nicodemus the Pharisee, “If I have told ye of earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12) Great was the darkness of the priests in the dark ages which were inherited by the people. Heavenly things were not as readily discerned. Habakkuk’s tarrying time spoke of this very theme: ” “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people…”
(Habakkuk 2:3-5)

At the end of the tarrying time from 1843 to 1844, two classes would be developed. The proud soul, who was lifted up by flight of feeling at the possible expectation of the coming of Christ. Then there was the just soul who studied the Word of God to understand the truth, he “shall live by his faith.” Faith cometh by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), and it was not sufficient to cleave to the message in hopes of obtaining the blessed reward of the worthy while not possessing or seeking after a personal experience with God through the Scriptures. Thus the test would be the prover of hearts to make manifest the quality of belief that existed.

DOCTRINAL WINE: FALSEHOOD SEALS THE SCRIPTURES

We are told that the proud man transgresses by wine, and a fearful prophecy is given of those “tribes” who rejected the message of the cleansing of the Sanctuary which took place in 1844. In the ancient Sanctuary services, Nadab and Abihu had partaken of strong drink, and their judgment was impaired; as a result, they offered strange fire of their own kindling, and went into the presence of the Most Holy place of the Sanctuary before the Day of Atonement. The priests died for this reason, and instruction was given that only the High Priest was to officiate there at the time of God’s appointing, “that he come not at all times into the Holy within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark: that he die not…” (Lev. 16:2)
Therefore the priesthood was expressly forbidden to drink wine pertaining to their priesthood “that ye may put a difference between the holy and unholy, and between the unclean and clean; and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes…” (Lev. 10:9-10) What does wine represent? Were all those who rejected the time prophecies of Daniel drunkards? Not at all. But the prophecy of Isaiah concluded that the ten tribes under Ephraim would be made drunken by the doctrine of the prophetic Ephraimic king Jeroboam, which was the Pope. “The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden underfoot… In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory…unto the remnant of His people… But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all the tables are full of vomit and filthiness…and the vision of all is become to you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this…and he says, I cannot, for it is sealed and…I am not learned…” (Isaiah 28:3-8, 29:11-12)

The tables are full of vomit. Those same tables which were written to declare the time appointed were rejected by the churches who held erroneous views of the Sanctuary as Habakkuk was explained. The tarrying time was to prove those who were worthy. This time was described in one of the seven churches of prophecy called Sardis, the reformation church. Like Habakkuk, who set himself to watch for the appointed time, and to see what God would say to him; many had set themselves to see the prophetic event to be fulfilled, to behold when the time prophecy came to pass to see whether it was true or not. Yet this was not sufficient evidence to make them wise unto salvation to inherit the blessing, anymore than those hopefuls who had expected the Messiah to be crowned and overthrow the Romans instead of being crucified. For this cause, Christ admonishes Sardis: “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” (Revelation 3:3-4)

The worthy, who had lived by their faith after the severe disappointment, soon discovered their error in their understanding of the Sanctuary, and saw that it was “the hour of His judgment” (Rev. 14:7) in the heavenly Sanctuary which began in 1844. But those who had transgressed by wine proudly and rashly denied that these appointed times and the wonderfully clear light from Daniel was anything, like the Jews had largely denied the death and resurrection of Christ. Said Christ, “If you shall not watch… you shall not know what hour I will come upon you.”
From this time of 1844, the prophetic tribe of Judah was established and identified in the Adventist movement. The rest of the prophetic tribes which denied the light would begin to decline more and more into darkness. Anciently, the ten tribes were separated because of their rejection of truth and disobedience of the law and Jeroboam was made king over them. Only two tribes remained: Judah and Benjamin, which served as a remnant people. Judah having the preeminence among the two.
Thus was prophetic Judah established and identified at the end of the seven times of captivity. The Adventists saw clearly that Christ went into the Holy of holies to receive the Kingdom in the great judgment now underway; that He was to be crowned with the “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him” (Dan. 7:14) as the Lion of the tribe of Judah at the end of the great judgment.
It was in the breaking of His covenant through transgressing His commandments that the seven times of punishment had come upon His people. Yet it was His “Sabbaths” and reverence for His “Sanctuary” that specifically marked out the blessings for obedience in the prophecy of the seven times (See Leviticus 26:2-4) Thus it was with prophetic Judah. That after the light of the Sanctuary was seen, the Seventh-day Sabbath was also brought to view, with a number of other statutes contained in the law. The truth of the heavenly Sanctuary and the light of the commandments which had been trodden underfoot by the Papal church began to be restored to this prophetic remnant people. Christ would establish His Sanctuary truth, His Sabbaths, and re-establish His covenant with them, who were to be aware that Christ had entered into the Holy of holies not only to cleanse the Sanctuary, but to receive the Throne of David as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Not a people of an earthly Jerusalem of a wicked and profane king Manasseh, but of a heavenly Jerusalem to come (Gal. 4:26, Heb. 12:22), where Christ and His righteousness will reign eternally. Thus the 1335 blessing marks out a special covenant people in the last days that are to be especially preparing for the reception of the Kingdom of Christ.
Thus we see what would be of the two classes in the book of Daniel at the time of the end from 1798-1844. Two prophetic groups have emerged; one repeating the history of ancient Israel in apostasy, who are now beginning to show honor to the Pope, and one who has a high calling to prepare and prepare others for the return of Christ. “What advantage then hath the Jew?…Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:1-2)