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UNDERSTANDING LEVITICUS AND DEUTERONOMY
William Miller’s rule No. 4: To understand doctrine, bring all the scriptures together on the subject you wish to know; then let every word have its proper influence; and if you can form your theory without a contradiction, you cannot be in error.
Scripture is its own expositor, and to have a more complete understanding of the blessings and curses of Leviticus 26, you must bring it together with Deuteronomy 28, which is a parallel chapter dealing with the same subject.
DEUTERONOMY IS A REPEAT AND ENLARGE OF LEVITICUS
The same law and covenant as Sinai:
These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. Deuteronomy 29:1
“With painstaking effort Ezra sought to arrive at the true sense of the Old Testament scriptures, and to revive their original meaning. He became thoroughly conversant with the writings of Moses. His desire to please God led him to strive earnestly to learn the true significance of the ten commandments. He searched for all those statements in sacred history that relate to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, and to the laws written in books, which the Israelites had been directed to preserve carefully as the commands of God.
“These laws contained in books were not a new revelation, but a repetition of the ceremonial laws given at Sinai. Before Moses left the children of Israel, at the command of God, to die in the land of Moab, the laws that had formerly been given were repeated and enlarged upon. Some methods for their enforcement were given; some precepts were explained, and the reasons why they had been given were made plain. Upon several occasions the judgments of God had fallen upon transgressors; the commands that had been transgressed at these times were repeated. Transgressors were to know that disobedience would surely bring the punishment of God.” The Review and Herald, January 30, 1908 par. 5-6
FULFILMENT OF THE CURSES
The curses fulfilled in various ways.
Scattering in Deuteronomy 4:27 (a parallel to Leviticus 26:33) is quoted, “This prophecy, fulfilled in part in the time of the judges…” Prophets and Kings, 296.1
(parallel to Leviticus 26:19) “‘If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes,’ the Israelites had been warned, ‘thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.’ Deuteronomy 28:15, 23, 24.
“Thus it had come to pass that God was now visiting His people with the severest of His judgments. The prediction of Elijah was meeting with terrible fulfillment. For three years the messenger of woe was sought for in city after city and nation after nation. …” Prophets and Kings, 136-137
PERSONAL APPLICATIONS
“When Herod heard of the works of Christ, he was exceedingly troubled. … Herod was reaping that which God had declared to be the result of a course of sin… [Deuteronomy 28:65-67 quoted].” The Desire of Ages, 223.3
Leviticus 26:19 symbols used, “Satan’s craft is most successfully used against those who are depressed. When discouragement threatens to overwhelm the minister, let him spread out before God his necessities. It was when the heavens were as brass over Paul that he trusted most fully in God. More than most men, he knew the meaning of affliction; but listen to his triumphant cry as, beset by temptation and conflict, his feet press heavenward: …” The Acts of the Apostles, 363.1
In general, fulfillments of various curses extend beyond the 2520 years. The fulfillment of the 2520 years deals with a more specific aspect of the curses.
HOW THE PIONEERS DEFINED THE SEVEN TIMES
The 2520 is a portion of the seven times curses of Leviticus 26, specifically the scattering mentioned in Leviticus 26:33, or the period of time in which the four “gentile” nations “reigned over” (Deut. 15:6, 28:44) God’s chosen people.
SEVEN TIMES AS A SYMBOL FOR TIME
William Miller says, “I, therefore, felt that, in endeavoring to comprehend what God had in his mercy seen fit to reveal to us, I had no right to pass over the prophetic periods. I saw that, as the events predicted to be fulfilled in prophetic days had been extended over about as many literal years; as God, in Num.14:34, and Ezek.4:4-6, had appointed each day for a year; as the seventy weeks to the Messiah were fulfilled in 490 years, and the 1260 prophetic days of the Papal supremacy in 1260 years; and as these prophetical days extending to the advent were given in connection with symbolic prophecy, I could only regard the time as symbolical, and as standing each day for a year, in accordance with the opinions of all the standard Protestant commentators…
“From a further 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, Dan.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 would all terminate together, about A. D. 1843.…” Silvester Bliss, Memoirs of William Miller, 75-76 {1853 SB, MWM 75.2-76.1}
In his memoirs, William Miller calls the 2300 a “continuance” of the seven times, which began with Babylon:
“When, therefore, I found the 2300 prophetic days, which were to mark the length of the vision from the Persian to the end of the fourth kingdom, the seven times’ continuance of the dispersion of God’s people, and the 1335 prophetic days to the standing of Daniel in his lot, all evidently extending to the advent, with other prophetical periods, I could but regard them as ‘the times before appointed,’ which God had revealed ‘unto his servants the prophets.’…” [Acts 17:26, Amos 3:7 quoted] Silvester Bliss, Memoirs of William Miller, 75 {1853 SB, MWM 75.1}
Hiram Edson wrote the following article while James White was editor of the Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald:
“The number seven is a perfect number in the Bible. The seven prophetic times complete the fullness of prophetic times given in the inspired volume. A prophetic time symbolizes 360 years. There is not another prophetic time given or named in the Bible to be fulfilled after the seven prophetic times expire; hence the seven times complete the fullness of times given us in the inspired volume, and hence the seven prophetic times is the appointed period which brings us to, and ushers in, the dispensation of the fullness of times, in which is to be gathered together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth. From this text we learn that the dispensation of the fullness of times is the GATHERING dispensation.
“The seven times was emphatically the scattering time, in which God’s people were dispersed among all nations; and we have before clearly proved that at the end of the seven times, was the appointed time for God to set his hand again, the second time, to recover the remnant of his people, and to assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth; and that the yoke of their cruel and hard bondage was then broken off, and their captivity was then turned, and the latter‑day glory was then ushered in, and we shall hereafter prove that the gathering has been going on from that time to the present.” Hiram Edson, Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald, January 17, 1856, p. 122, par. 14-15 {January 17, 1856 JWe, ARSH 122.14-15}
“The REMNANT were to be saved FROM the land of their captivity. They were to be delivered OUT OF ALL PLACES and countries wherein they had been scattered during the cloudy and dark day, or period of 2520 years captivity. See Isa.11:11,12; Jer.30:10; Eze.34:11 13.
“The land of their captivity during the 2520 years of Gentile dominion over them embraces the ancient Assyrian, or Babylonian, the Medo Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman empires. These empires embrace all territory East of the Atlantic Ocean; the ancient land of Palestine not excepted; hence we are crowded off from the Eastern Continent, and are necessarily driven to this Western American Continent to find the country into which the Lord has been gathering the remnant of his people since the 2520 years of their captivity ended.
“We believe that the country, or nation and government of these United States of North America, which we also believe to be symbolized by the two horned beast of Rev.13:11, is the country and place to which the remnant have been gathering….” James White editor, Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald, February 14, 1856, 154, par. 19-21 {February 14, 1856 JWe, ARSH 154.19-21}
James White gave a definition in 1864:
“The prophetic period of Lev. 26, or what has been supposed to be such, has been no small object of study among prophetical expositors. It has been supposed that the expression, ‘seven times,’ in verses 18, 21, 24, 28, denoted a prophetic period of 2520 years, and that this period covered the time during which the throne of Israel should be and remain subverted and trodden down by oppressing powers…” James White editor, Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald, January 26, 1864, 68 {January 26, 1864 JWe, 68}
DEFINING THE 2520 FROM SCRIPTURE
There are curses upon health, the animals, the land and the city, etc. But not every curse is applied in the 2520. The curses which define the 2520 are those which relate to the overall relationship between Israel and the nations. Specifically, it is the period of the scattering of God’s people among the nations, or the fourth mention of seven times in Leviticus 26.
RELATIONSHIP OF ISRAEL WITH THE NATIONS UNDER BLESSINGS AND CURSES
BLESSINGS: Under blessings Israel would reign over the nations.
And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. Leviticus 26:6-8
For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. Deuteronomy 15:6
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: Deuteronomy 28:1
The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: Deuteronomy 28:12-13
CURSES: Under the curses the nations would rule over Israel.
And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. Leviticus 26:17
And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. Leviticus 26:25
And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. 34 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. 35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. 36 And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. 37 And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. 39 And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. Leviticus 26:32-39
The Lord shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. Deuteronomy 28:36 (Note: being forced to serve other gods is not freedom of conscience)
Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity. Deuteronomy 28:41
He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. Deuteronomy 28:44
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. Deuteronomy 28:48
And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God. 63 And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. 64 And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. 65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: Deuteronomy 28:62-65
SUMMARY OF THE CURSE
they that hate you shall reign over you
delivered into the hand of the enemy
scatter you among the heathen
no power to stand before your enemies
captivity
he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail
FULFILMENT OF THE SCATTERING
What led to the captivity?
Cause and effect. Failure to obey the law, breaking the covenant.
All of the kings of Israel followed in the idolatrous footsteps of Jeroboam, the first king, until they provoked the wrath (judgment) of God. Judah also rebelled until there was no remedy, and they provoked God’s wrath (judgment).
10 LAST KINGS OF ISRAEL
During the reign of Jehu (10th to last king) God began to cut Israel short. 2 Kings 10:32-33
SEVEN LAST KINGS OF ISRAEL
Jeroboam II through Hoshea
“For a season these predicted judgments were stayed, and during the long reign of Jeroboam II the armies of Israel gained signal victories; but this time of apparent prosperity wrought no change in the hearts of the impenitent, and it was finally decreed, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.’ Amos 7:11.” Prophets and Kings, 286.2
“The iniquity in Israel during the last half century before the Assyrian captivity was like that of the days of Noah, and of every other age when men have rejected God and have given themselves wholly to evil-doing. The exaltation of nature above the God of nature, the worship of the creature instead of the Creator, has always resulted in the grossest of evils. Thus when the people of Israel, in their worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, paid supreme homage to the forces of nature, they severed their connection with all that is uplifting and ennobling, and fell an easy prey to temptation. …”
“The evils that had overspread the land had become incurable; and upon Israel was pronounced the dread sentence: ‘Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.’ ‘The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it.’ Hosea 4:17; 9:7.” Prophets and Kings, 281.4, 285.2
NOTE: “half century before Assyrian captivity” would start within the reign of Jeroboam II, the seventh to last king
SEVEN LAST KINGS OF JUDAH
Manasseh through Zedekiah
Four of the seven last kings of Judah (those attacked by the King of the North, Assyria/Babylon) experienced a fulfillment of specific curses mentioned in Leviticus 26. These have parallel verses in Deuteronomy 28.
Progression of Events Deut. 28 Lev. 26
King taken captive 36 19 (1st seven times, v.18-20)
Children taken captive 41 22 (2nd seven times, v.21-23)
Sword and yoke of enemy 48-50 25 (3rd seven times, v.24-27)
Eat children (siege) 53-57 29 (4th seven times, v. 28-39)
Scattered among the nations 64 33 (4th seven times, v. 28-39)
l 677 BC ASSYRIAN ATTACK (MANASSEH, 7th FROM LAST KING): TURNING POINT, PRIDE OF POWER BROKEN
Fulfills first seven times, Leviticus 26:18-20
And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: Leviticus 26:19
The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. Deuteronomy 28:36
CAPTURE OF KING MANASSEH, AN EARNEST OR DOWN PAYMENT
Prophets and Kings, p. 382 par. 3
2 Chronicles 33:9-11
Up to this point various kings provoked God’s wrath, but never did it result in the breaking of the nation. When there was repentance, God withdrew His wrath. However, something is different with Manasseh.
Manasseh marks a turning point, when the wrath could no longer be “quenched” or avoided: 2 Kings 21:9-15, 22:17, 23:25-27
l 606 BC SIEGE OF JERUSALEM 1 (JEHOIAKIM, 3RD FROM LAST): CHILDREN TAKEN CAPTIVE
Fulfills second seven times, Leviticus 26:21-22
I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. Leviticus 26:22 (the “beasts” were seen to be a symbol for a nation which would take their children)
Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity. Deuteronomy 28:41
“When, early in the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar for the first time besieged and captured Jerusalem, and carried away Daniel and his companions, with others specially chosen for service in the court of Babylon, the faith of the Hebrew captives was tried to the utmost.… {PK 428.1}
“As an interpreter of the meaning of the judgments beginning to fall upon Judah, Jeremiah stood nobly in defense of the justice of God and of His merciful designs even in the severest chastisements.…” Prophets and Kings, 428 {PK 428.2}
2 Kings 20:17-18
Daniel 1:1-3
l 599 BC (Ussher, U. Smith) SIEGE OF JERUSALEM 2 (JEHOIACHIN, 2ND FROM LAST): YOKE AND SWORD
Fulfills third seven times, Leviticus 26:23-26
And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. Leviticus 26:25
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. 49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; 50 A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: Deuteronomy 28:48-50
2 Kings 24:10-16
l 586 BC SIEGE OF JERUSALEM 3 (ZEDEKIAH, LAST KING): SCATTERING
2 Kings 25:1-10
NO REMEDY, 2 Chron. 36:16 (during zedekiah)
Fulfills fourth seven times, Leviticus 26:27-39
And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. Leviticus 26:29
And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee: Deuteronomy 28:53
And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Leviticus 26:33
And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. Deuteronomy 28:64
2 Kings 25:1-12 (specifically verses 2-4, 11-12), Jeremiah 52: 1-16
RULED OVER BY FOUR GENTILE NATIONS
TREADING DOWN AND TRAMPLING
And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign (H7287) over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. Leviticus 26:17
Reign H7287: A primitive root; to tread down, that is, subjugate; specifically to crumble off: – (come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule, (-r, over), take.
Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand. Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. Psalms 106:40-43 (H1471 heathen: foreign nation, Gentile)
“And He gave them into the hand of the nations” Testimonies for the church, vol. 8, 107.1
The nations which God appointed to rule over and oppress His people as a result of their failure to keep the covenant are the four nations of Daniel 2, and the four beasts of Daniel 7 and 8. These are the nations that would “trample”.
Daniel 2:38-40 Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome
MEANING OF TRAMPLE OR TREAD DOWN
The trampling nations were nations that rejected or did not regard God’s law and commandments as supreme. Because they did not regard God’s law, they often oppressed God’s people who kept His law. This trampling resulted in oppression as in the seventy years captivity, and oppression as in the 1260 years of papal supremacy.
Isaiah 58:13 “turn away thy foot from” (trample Sabbath {1T 353.4}, trample God’s Law {GC 604.3})
Trample Commandment-keeping people under foot {Ev 244.1}
Rev.11:2, “tread under foot”
G3961: From a derivative probably of G3817 (meaning a “path”); to trample (literally or figuratively): – tread (down, under foot).
G3817: A primary verb; to hit (as if by a single blow and less violently than G5180); specifically to sting (as a scorpion): – smite, strike.
Matthew 5:13, Luke 8:5, Hebrews 10:29 “trodden”
G2662 From G2596 and G3961; to trample down; figuratively to reject with disdain: – trample, tread (down, underfoot).
RULED OVER BY BABYLON (606-536 BC)
PERIOD OF DESOLATION: 70 YEAR BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY
Resting of the Land: Daniel 9:2, Leviticus 26:34-35, Jeremiah 25:8-11
In the following, Ellen White quotes Deuteronomy 4:26-28, which is a parallel scripture to Leviticus 26:33. She marks the captivity in Assyria and Babylon as the fulfillment.
“Moses traced the evils that would result from a departure from the statutes of Jehovah. Calling heaven and earth to witness, he declared that if, after having dwelt long in the Land of Promise, the people should introduce corrupt forms of worship and bow down to graven images and should refuse to return to the worship of the true God, the anger of the Lord would be aroused, and they would be carried away captive and scattered among the heathen. ‘Ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it,’ he warned them; ‘ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.’ Verses 26-28. [Deuteronomy 4:26-28 quoted]
“This prophecy, fulfilled in part in the time of the judges, met a more complete and literal fulfillment in the captivity of Israel in Assyria and of Judah in Babylon.”
Prophets and Kings, 295.1-296,1 (first printed in The Review and Herald, Feb. 19, 1914)
“This prophecy, fulfilled in part in the time of the judges of Israel, met a more complete and terrible fulfillment in the captivity of Israel in Assyria and of Judah in Babylon. …” The Review and Herald, February 19, 1914, par. 10
When Israel and Judah were taken into captivity, their kings were taken captive, their crown of sovereign power above the nations was removed, and God’s chosen people were to be ruled over by four successive Gentile nations. Though Ellen White does not attach dates to the fall of the nation, or captivity of Israel and Judah, the Millerites dated these respectively with the captivity of Hoshea (723 BC) and the captivity of Manasseh (677 BC). Note: Manasseh, though not the last king of Judah, was chosen because the Scripture points to him as a turning point or the point of no remedy, when the wrath of God could no longer be quenched (2 Kings 21:9-15, 22:17, 23:25-27). After the captivity of Manasseh, Judah was increasingly subverted under the powers of Egypt and finally Babylon.
“The final overthrow of all earthly dominions is plainly foretold in the word of truth. In the prophecy uttered when sentence from God was pronounced upon the last king of Israel is given the message:
“‘Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: . . . exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.’ Ezekiel 21:26, 27.
“The crown removed from Israel passed successively to the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece, and Rome. God says, ‘It shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.’” Education, 179.1-3
“But they did not keep their covenant with God. They followed after the idolatrous practices of other nations, and instead of making their Creator’s name a praise in the earth their course held it up to the contempt of the heathen. Yet the purpose of God must be accomplished. The knowledge of His will must be spread abroad in the earth. God brought the hand of the oppressor upon His people and scattered them as captives among the nations….” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 455.1
“The result that would follow an entrance into covenant relation with surrounding nations was plainly foretold. ‘The Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other,’ Moses had declared; ‘and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: in the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.’ Deuteronomy 28:64-67. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God,’ the promise had been, ‘thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’ Deuteronomy 4:29.
“Zerubbabel and his associates were familiar with these and many like scriptures; and in the recent captivity they had evidence after evidence of their fulfillment. And now, having repented of the evils that had brought upon them and their fathers the judgments foretold so plainly through Moses; having turned with all the heart to God, and renewed their covenant relationship with Him, they had been permitted to return to Judea, that they might restore that which had been destroyed….” Prophets and Kings, 569.1-2
RULED OVER BY MEDO PERSIA (trampling power)
A space for grace and rebuilding: Ezra 9:8-9
PERIOD OF PROBATION: 70 WEEKS OR 490 YEARS (457 BC – 34 AD)
Probation for the people and Holy City: Daniel 9:24
444 BC dedication of temple, covenant (Nehemiah 8 and 9)
Though Medo Persia granted a great degree of liberty to God’s people after their captivity in Babylon, they were still the ruling power over them. Nehemiah explains that they were still servants under this power.
Nehemiah 9:30-37 (“kings set over us”), Daniel 8:4,20 (ram dominates, Medo Persia)
“In the history of nations the student of God’s word may behold the literal fulfillment of divine prophecy. Babylon, shattered and broken at last, passed away because in prosperity its rulers had regarded themselves as independent of God, and had ascribed the glory of their kingdom to human achievement. The Medo-Persian realm was visited by the wrath of Heaven because in it God’s law had been trampled underfoot. The fear of the Lord had found no place in the hearts of the vast majority of the people. Wickedness, blasphemy, and corruption prevailed. The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt; and these sank lower and still lower in the scale of moral worth.” Prophets and Kings, 501.3
Persecution of Medo-Persia, Greece, and Pagan Rome in Daniel 8:
“With a new and deeper earnestness, Miller continued the examination of the prophecies, whole nights as well as days being devoted to the study of what now appeared of such stupendous importance and all-absorbing interest. In the eighth chapter of Daniel he could find no clue to the starting point of the 2300 days; the angel Gabriel, though commanded to make Daniel understand the vision, gave him only a partial explanation. As the terrible persecution to befall the church was unfolded to the prophet’s vision, physical strength gave way. He could endure no more, and the angel left him for a time. Daniel ‘fainted, and was sick certain days.’ ‘And I was astonished at the vision,’ he says, ‘but none understood it.’” [Daniel 8:27 quoted] The Great Controversy, 325.1
RULED OVER BY GREECE (trampling power)
Daniel 2:39 “shall bear rule over all the earth”, Daniel 8:21 (rough goat, Greece)
And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Daniel 8:5-7
332 BC Conquered by Alexander the Great (Greece)
“Not at first had God revealed the exact time of the first advent; and even when the prophecy of Daniel made this known, not all rightly interpreted the message.
“Century after century passed away; finally the voices of the prophets ceased. The hand of the oppressor was heavy upon Israel. As the Jews departed from God, faith grew dim, and hope well-nigh ceased to illuminate the future. The words of the prophets were uncomprehended by many; and those whose faith should have continued strong were ready to exclaim, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth.’ Ezekiel 12:22. But in heaven’s council the hour for the coming of Christ had been determined; and ‘when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, . . . to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.’ Galatians 4:4, 5.” Prophets and Kings, 700.1-2
RULED OVER BY PAGAN ROME (31 BC – 330 AD, given a “time” or 360 years in Daniel 11:24)
Daniel 2:40 (subdue, break, bruise), Daniel 7:7, 23 (Treading power)
“In Matthew 24, in answer to the question of His disciples concerning the sign of His coming and of the end of the world, Christ had pointed out some of the most important events in the history of the world and of the church from His first to His second advent; namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, the great tribulation of the church under the pagan and papal persecutions, the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars.…” The Great Controversy, 393.2
“But the chief agent of Satan in making war upon Christ and His people during the first centuries of the Christian Era was the Roman Empire, in which paganism was the prevailing religion. Thus while the dragon, primarily, represents Satan, it is, in a secondary sense, a symbol of pagan Rome.” The Great Controversy, 438.2
Deuteronomy 28:49-50, Daniel 8:23-24, under a nation of “fierce countenance”, destroy holy people
27 AD, Time of John the Baptist
[Lev. 26:1-4,11-12 quoted] “…’And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies. They that hate you shall reign over you, and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.’ [Leviticus 26:14-17 quoted]
“The Jews were experiencing the fulfillment of the threatened curse of God for their departure from him, and for their iniquity; yet they did not lay these things to heart, and afflict their souls before God. A people that hated them ruled over them. They were claiming the blessings God had promised to confer upon them should they be obedient and faithful. But at the very time they were suffering under the curse of God because of disobedience. John declared to them that unless they bore fruit, they would be hewn down and cast into the fire.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 54.2-55.1 also {RH, January 14, 1873 par. 11-12}
“What was it that moved His own nation to throw such scorn upon Jesus? The Jews were expecting an earthly prince who would deliver them from the power that God had declared would rule over them if they refused to keep the way of the Lord and obey His statutes, His commandments, and His laws. They had made their proud boast that Israel’s king, the star arising from Judah, would break their thraldom, and make of them a kingdom of priests.” Christ Triumphant, 243.3
“The Jewish nation had corrupted their religion by useless ceremonies and customs. This laid a heavy tax upon the people, especially the poorer classes. They were also under bondage to other nations, and required to pay tribute to them. The Jews were unreconciled to their bondage, and looked forward to the triumph of their nation through the Messiah, the powerful deliverer foretold in prophecy. Their views were narrow. They thought the Coming One would, at his appearing, assume kingly honors, and, by force of arms, subdue the heathen nations, and take the throne of David….” Redemption or the First Advent of Christ with His life and Ministry (pamphlet), 14 {1Red 14.1}
“As a nation, the people of Israel, while desiring the advent of the Messiah, were so far separated from God in heart and life that they could have no true conception of the character or mission of the promised Redeemer. Instead of desiring redemption from sin, and the glory and peace of holiness, their hearts were fixed upon deliverance from their national foes, and restoration to worldly power. They looked for Messiah to come as a conqueror, to break every yoke, and exalt Israel to dominion over all nations. …” Prophets and Kings, 709.2
The Jews did not understand or accept the punishment that God had chosen for His people as a result of their disobedience. The curse of scattering, oppression, bondage, and subversion under other nations was to be lengthy and sure, as it says in Daniel 10:1 and Deuteronomy 28:59.
“The Jewish religion was under the protection of the Roman power, and the accusers of Paul thought that if they could fasten upon him the charge of violating the laws of their religion, he would probably be delivered to them for trial and sentence.…” The Acts of the Apostles, 253.1
“Christ’s reply was no evasion, but a candid answer to the question. Holding in His hand the Roman coin, upon which were stamped the name and image of Caesar, He declared that since they were living under the protection of the Roman power, they should render to that power the support it claimed, so long as this did not conflict with a higher duty. But while peaceably subject to the laws of the land, they should at all times give their first allegiance to God.
“The Saviour’s words, ‘Render . . . unto God the things that are God’s,’ were a severe rebuke to the intriguing Jews. Had they faithfully fulfilled their obligations to God, they would not have become a broken nation, subject to a foreign power. No Roman ensign would have waved over Jerusalem, no Roman sentinel would have stood at her gates, no Roman governor would have ruled within her walls. The Jewish nation was then paying the penalty of its apostasy from God.” The Desire of Ages, 602.4-5 (See also {3SP 43.1-2})
Notice that the following few quotes use the terms “yoke of bondage” and “captivity” to describe the condition of God’s people during the time of Roman domination.
“This exhibition of Roman authority stirs the people with indignation, and they turn eagerly to hear what the great Teacher will say of this cruel act of oppression. With sadness, because of the sins which had brought the Jews into such bondage, Jesus looks upon the shameful scene. He also notes the hatred and revenge stamped upon the faces of the Jews, and knows how bitterly they long for power to crush their oppressors. …” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 222.2
“The tears of Christ expressed his anguish at seeing his people bringing sure destruction upon themselves. Gladly would he have broken from their necks the yoke of bondage to a heathen nation. But, while the Pharisees bitterly complained of their humiliation and oppression, they refused with hatred the only help that could relieve them from captivity, and make them a free and happy people. …” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, 11.1
“For more than a thousand years the Jewish nation had abused God’s mercy and invited His judgments. They had rejected His warnings and slain His prophets. For these sins the people of Christ’s day made themselves responsible by following the same course. In the rejection of their present mercies and warnings lay the guilt of that generation. The fetters which the nation had for centuries been forging, the people of Christ’s day were fastening upon themselves.
“In every age there is given to men their day of light and privilege, a probationary time in which they may become reconciled to God. But there is a limit to this grace. Mercy may plead for years and be slighted and rejected; but there comes a time when mercy makes her last plea. The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to the Spirit of God. Then the sweet, winning voice entreats the sinner no longer, and reproofs and warnings cease.” The Desire of Ages, 584.3, 587.1
THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY TITUS IN AD 70 AGAIN FULFILLED THE SIEGE AND SCATTERING MENTIONED IN LEVITICUS 26 AND DEUTERONOMY 28
“Many both of men and women were thrust into prison, and some of the Lord’s messengers, as Stephen and James, were put to death.
“Thus the Jewish people sealed their rejection of God’s mercy. The result was foretold by Christ in the parable. The king ‘sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.’ The judgment pronounced came upon the Jews in the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the nation.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 308.2-3
PERIOD OF TREADING: 1800 YEARS (APROXIMATE: from time of Christ to 1844) PAGAN AND PAPAL ROME
Luke 21:20, 21, 24 Jerusalem trodden down of the Gentiles (from the time of Jerusalem’s destruction)
“When Cestius Gallus, in October, A.D. 66, drew his legions up around Jerusalem, and commenced the siege of the devoted city, the disciples recognized the sign; and when, without any visible cause, he suddenly withdrew it, they saw their opportunity, and fled in haste, as the Lord had instructed them. Safe sheltered in the little village of Pella, they escaped the horrors of Jerusalem’s overthrow. The prayer which the Saviour taught them to use (verse 20), – that they might not be obliged to flee in the winter, nor on the Sabbath day, thus recognizing the existence of the Sabbath as late as A.D. 66 to 70, – was fulfilled.” Uriah Smith, Synopsis of the Present Truth, 183.1 {1884 UrS, SYNPT 183.1}
“After the Romans under Cestius had surrounded the city, they unexpectedly abandoned the siege when everything seemed favorable for an immediate attack. The besieged, despairing of successful resistance, were on the point of surrender, when the Roman general withdrew his forces without the least apparent reason. But God’s merciful providence was directing events for the good of His own people. The promised sign had been given to the waiting Christians, and now an opportunity was offered for all who would, to obey the Saviour’s warning. Events were so overruled that neither Jews nor Romans should hinder the flight of the Christians. Upon the retreat of Cestius, the Jews, sallying from Jerusalem, pursued after his retiring army; and while both forces were thus fully engaged, the Christians had an opportunity to leave the city. At this time the country also had been cleared of enemies who might have endeavored to intercept them. At the time of the siege, the Jews were assembled at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and thus the Christians throughout the land were able to make their escape unmolested. Without delay they fled to a place of safety–the city of Pella, in the land of Perea, beyond Jordan.
“The Jewish forces, pursuing after Cestius and his army, fell upon their rear with such fierceness as to threaten them with total destruction. It was with great difficulty that the Romans succeeded in making their retreat. The Jews escaped almost without loss, and with their spoils returned in triumph to Jerusalem. Yet this apparent success brought them only evil. It inspired them with that spirit of stubborn resistance to the Romans which speedily brought unutterable woe upon the doomed city.
“Terrible were the calamities that fell upon Jerusalem when the siege was resumed by Titus. The city was invested at the time of the Passover, when millions of Jews were assembled within its walls….” The Great Controversy, 30.2-31.2
“At the time when Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple laid in ruins, many thousands of the Jews were sold to serve as bondmen in heathen lands. Like wrecks on a desert shore they were scattered among the nations. For eighteen hundred years the Jews have wandered from land to land throughout the world, and in no place have they been given the privilege of regaining their ancient prestige as a nation. Maligned, hated, persecuted, from century to century theirs has been a heritage of suffering.” The Acts of the Apostles, 379.2
“Terribly was it realized in the destruction of Jerusalem. Terribly has it been manifested in the condition of the Jewish nation for eighteen hundred years,–a branch severed from the vine, a dead, fruitless branch, to be gathered up and burned. From land to land throughout the world, from century to century, dead, dead in trespasses and sins!” The Desire of Ages, 739.2
“By the Spirit of Inspiration, looking far down the ages, Moses pictured the terrible scenes of Israel’s final overthrow as a nation, and the destruction of Jerusalem by the armies of Rome: ‘The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor to the young.’ [Deuteronomy 28:49-50 quoted]
“The utter wasting of the land and the horrible suffering of the people during the siege of Jerusalem under Titus centuries later, were vividly portrayed: “[51] He shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed. . . . [52] And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land. . . . [53] Thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the Lord thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee.” “[56] The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, . . . [57] and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.” [Deuteronomy 28:51-53, 56-57 quoted] Patriarchs and Prophets, 467.1-2
“…Again was fulfilled the warning prophecy given fourteen centuries before: ‘The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, . . . and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.’ Deuteronomy 28:56, 57.” The Great Controversy, 32.1
In the following manuscript, Ellen White (1) parallels certain verses in Leviticus 26 with Deuteronomy 28, and (2) ties the fulfillment of the scattering of Israel in captivity to the “complete overthrow” of Jerusalem in 70 AD. She also calls these chapters of blessings and curses prophecies (see also Deuteronomy 31:16-30, {PP 467.4} {PK 296.1}). I have added the verse numbers in brackets for reference.
Manuscript 40, paragraphs 2-13
“Many years after this the Lord spoke to His people from the pillar of cloud, promising to make them the most powerful people upon the face of the earth if they would obey His commandments. If they refused to do this, He must treat them as He can only in justice treat all apostates.
[1] “‘And it shall come to pass,’ He declared, ‘if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments, which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: [2] and all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. [3] Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. [4] Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. [5] Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. [6] Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out…. [13] The Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day to observe and to do them.’ [Deuteronomy 28:1-6, 13 quoted]
[3] “‘If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; [4] then will I give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. [5] And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. [6] And I will give peace in the land and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of your land, neither shall the sword go through your land: [7] and ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword: … [11] And I will set my tabernacle among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. [12] And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.’ [Leviticus 26:3-7, 11-12 quoted]
“If the people obeyed the word of the Lord, doing all that the Lord commanded them, they could present themselves before God, and pray with confidence, ‘Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou gavest us, as thou swarest unto our fathers.’ [Deuteronomy 26:15 quoted]
“God specified also the sure result of a disregard for His commands. [14] ‘If ye will not hearken unto me,’ He said, ‘and will not do all these commandments… [16] I also will do this unto you: I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. [17] And I will set my face against you; for ye shall be slain by your enemies. They that hate you shall reign over you, and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. [18] And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins, [19] and I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass, [20] and your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.’ [Leviticus 26:14, 16-20 quoted]
[15] “‘It shall come to pass if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and statutes, which I command you this day, that all these curses shall come unto thee, and overtake thee. [16] Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. [17] Cursed shalt be thy basket and thy store. [18] Cursed shall be the fruit of the body, and the fruit of the land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. [19] Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.’ [Deuteronomy 28:15-19 quoted]
“This is the result of disobedience and transgression. Let all read carefully the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, realizing that it makes every difference to a people whether they are obedient or disobedient to the law of Jehovah.
“The prophecies regarding Israel were fulfilled to the letter. God permitted His chosen people to be scattered as captives in strange lands. When they repented, God took them to Himself again, and established them in His own land. But their continual disobedience resulted in their complete overthrow, and in the overthrow of Jerusalem.
[1] ‘It shall come to pass,’ the Lord declared, ‘when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, [2] and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice, according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, … [7] the Lord thy God will put all thy curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee…. [11] For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it afar off. [12] It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? [13] Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us? and bring it nigh unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? [14] But the word is very nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.’ [Deuteronomy 30:1-2, 7, 11-14 quoted]
“Please read carefully to the end of this chapter. The Lord gave directions that these commands should be put into song, and sung by all the Israel of God, lest these matters of such great importance should be forgotten.
“God promised that by obedience to His law, the people would be exalted and made the representatives of His goodness, mercy, and love. Jesus was the hope and the tree of life to His elect and chosen people. He promised that sickness should not prey upon their bodies. But if they followed a course independent of God, they would be under the controlling power of Satan the destroyer.
“It was because the Lord’s chosen people did the very things that the Lord told them not to do that the sure result of their course of action came upon them. They separated from God. They opened the door of the heart to Satan’s suggestions, and received his words as the words of God. They accepted maxims and ceremonies that God had not given. This brought in such a mass of rubbish that the principles given by Christ from the pillar of cloud were perverted. God could not give the people the blessings He longed to bestow upon them.” Manuscript 40, March 13, 1898, par. 2-13
After the scattering of Israel in 70 AD, the people of God became those who would by faith be sons of Abraham. Literal Israel became Spiritual Israel, but the oppression continued.
Pagan Rome continues its domination after the destruction of Jerusalem. Notice that the persecution was a “portion” to be meted (or measured) to the church. A portion of what? Oppression and persecution under the four nations, that God had appointed as a curse upon His people.
Portion to be meted out to the church
“When Jesus revealed to His disciples the fate of Jerusalem and the scenes of the second advent, He foretold also the experience of His people from the time when He should be taken from them, to His return in power and glory for their deliverance. From Olivet the Saviour beheld the storms about to fall upon the apostolic church; and penetrating deeper into the future, His eye discerned the fierce, wasting tempests that were to beat upon His followers in the coming ages of darkness and persecution. In a few brief utterances of awful significance He foretold the portion which the rulers of this world would mete out to the church of God. Matthew 24:9, 21, 22. The followers of Christ must tread the same path of humiliation, reproach, and suffering which their Master trod. The enmity that burst forth against the world’s Redeemer would be manifested against all who should believe on His name.
“The history of the early church testified to the fulfillment of the Saviour’s words. The powers of earth and hell arrayed themselves against Christ in the person of His followers. Paganism foresaw that should the gospel triumph, her temples and altars would be swept away; therefore she summoned her forces to destroy Christianity. The fires of persecution were kindled. Christians were stripped of their possessions and driven from their homes. They ‘endured a great fight of afflictions.’ Hebrews 10:32. They ‘had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment.’ Hebrews 11:36. Great numbers sealed their testimony with their blood. Noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, were alike slain without mercy.
“These persecutions, beginning under Nero about the time of the martyrdom of Paul, continued with greater or less fury for centuries. …” The Great Controversy, 39.1-40.1
RULED OVER BY PAPAL ROME
PERIOD OF TREADING: 1260 YEARS (538 AD – 1798 AD) PAPAL ROME (treading and scattering power)
“…The papal power, so clearly described by the prophet Daniel, was yet to rise, and wage war against God’s people, and trample upon his law. Until this power should have performed its deadly and blasphemous work, it would be vain for the church to look for the coming of their Lord.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 117.1
Daniel 12:7 “scatter the power of the holy people” for 1260 years
Revelation 11:1-2 Gentiles tread the holy city “under foot forty and two months” (1260 years)
Revelation 11
“Said the angel of the Lord: ‘The holy city shall they tread underfoot forty and two months. … [Revelation 11:2-11 quoted]
“The periods here mentioned—‘forty and two months,’ and ‘a thousand two hundred and threescore days’–are the same, alike representing the time in which the church of Christ was to suffer oppression from Rome. The 1260 years of papal supremacy began in A.D. 538, and would therefore terminate in 1798….” The Great Controversy, 266.2-3
“…The forty and two months are the same as the ‘time and times and the dividing of time,’ three years and a half, or 1260 days, of Daniel 7 – – the time during which the papal power was to oppress God’s people. This period, as stated in preceding chapters, began with the supremacy of the papacy, A.D. 538, and terminated in 1798. At that time the pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled, ‘He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.’” The Great Controversy, 439.2
“…by the mighty power of God’s word they [Vaudois Christians] sought to break the bondage which Rome had imposed. The Vaudois ministers were trained as missionaries…” The Great Controversy, 70.2 (similar {4SP 76.1})
Regarding Joseph Wolff, “Under the surveillance of the church he went from place to place, until it became evident that he could never be brought to submit to the bondage of Romanism. …” The Great Controversy, 358.1}
OTHER MAJOR TRAMPLING PERIODS
PERIOD OF TRAMPLING: 2300 YEARS (457 BC – 1844 AD) GREECE, PAGAN AND PAPAL ROME
Sanctuary and Host trodden under foot: Daniel 8:13-14
Pagan Rome, “destroy the mighty and the holy people”: Daniel 8:24
PERIOD OF TRAMPLING: 2520 YEARS (677 BC – 1844 AD, 723 BC – 1798 AD) BABYLON, MEDO-PERSIA, GREECE, ROME
Host trodden under foot: Daniel 8:13-14 (2300 as a continuing of the trampling of the host)
BONDAGE ENDED
RISE OF THE UNITED STATES (Lamblike, non-trampling power)
In 1798, following the rule of Papal Rome, the next prophetic “beast” began rising to power. This new nation, the United States, was depicted as a lamb-like beast (Revelation 13), and was not established as a power to rule over and oppress God’s people, like the four previous ones had. Though it will eventually form an image to the beast and oppress God’s people, it was ever God’s purpose that it should be a non-trampling nation, granting and protecting freedom to worship according to the dictates of conscience. Once the United States began its rise, the 2520 years of appointed bondage under oppressive nations ended. In 1798, the “times of the Gentiles” ended, and in 1844, under the second angel’s message, God’s church came out of the bondage to spiritual Babylon. These two dates terminate the two lines of 2520.
Haven for the oppressed and trodden:
(Revelation 13:11 quoted) “‘And he had two horns like a lamb.’ The lamblike horns indicate youth, innocence, and gentleness, fitly representing the character of the United States when presented to the prophet as ‘coming up’ in 1798. Among the Christian exiles who first fled to America and sought an asylum from royal oppression and priestly intolerance were many who determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty. Their views found place in the Declaration of Independence, which sets forth the great truth that ‘all men are created equal’ and endowed with the inalienable right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ And the Constitution guarantees to the people the right of self-government, providing that representatives elected by the popular vote shall enact and administer the laws. Freedom of religious faith was also granted, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. The oppressed and downtrodden throughout Christendom have turned to this land with interest and hope. Millions have sought its shores, and the United States has risen to a place among the most powerful nations of the earth.” The Great Controversy, 441.1
“The United States has been a refuge for the oppressed. It has been spoken of as the bulwark of religious liberty. God has done more for this country than for any other country upon which the sun shines. It has been marvelously preserved from war and bloodshed….” The Review and Herald, December 17, 1895 par. 3
“The greatest and most favored nation upon the earth is the United States. A gracious Providence has shielded this country, and poured upon her the choicest of Heaven’s blessings. Here the persecuted and oppressed have found refuge. Here the Christian faith in its purity has been taught. This people have been the recipients of great light and unrivaled mercies. …” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 398.1
“Today the church of God is free to carry forward to completion the divine plan for the salvation of a lost race. For many centuries God’s people suffered a restriction of their liberties. The preaching of the gospel in its purity was prohibited, and the severest of penalties were visited upon those who dared disobey the mandates of men. As a consequence, the Lord’s great moral vineyard was almost wholly unoccupied. The people were deprived of the light of God’s word. The darkness of error and superstition threatened to blot out a knowledge of true religion. God’s church on earth was as verily in captivity during this long period of relentless persecution as were the children of Israel held captive in Babylon during the period of the exile.
“But, thank God, His church is no longer in bondage. To spiritual Israel have been restored the privileges accorded the people of God at the time of their deliverance from Babylon. In every part of the earth, men and women are responding to the Heaven-sent message which John the revelator prophesied would be proclaimed prior to the second coming of Christ: ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.’ Revelation 14:7.
“No longer have the hosts of evil power to keep the church captive; for ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city,’ which hath ‘made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication;” and to spiritual Israel is given the message, ‘Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.’ Verse 8; 18:4. As the captive exiles heeded the message, ‘Flee out of the midst of Babylon’ (Jeremiah 51:6), and were restored to the Land of Promise, so those who fear God today are heeding the message to withdraw from spiritual Babylon, and soon they are to stand as trophies of divine grace in the earth made new, the heavenly Canaan.” Prophets and Kings, 714.1-715.1
“The history of ancient Israel is a striking illustration of the past experience of the Adventist body. God led His people in the advent movement, even as He led the children of Israel from Egypt. In the great disappointment their faith was tested as was that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea….” The Great Controversy, 457.2 (Egypt represented a land of bondage and oppression)
SUMMARY
This study demonstrates that the Millerite understanding of the 2520 harmonizes perfectly with the record of Scripture and the commentary of the Spirit of Prophecy, in that “seven times of Gentile supremacy must commence when the Jews ceased to be an independent nation”, that “The land of their captivity during the 2520 years of Gentile dominion over them embraces the ancient Assyrian, or Babylonian, the Medo Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman empires” and that “this period covered the time during which the throne of Israel should be and remain subverted and trodden down by oppressing powers”.
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