In this issue:
The Harmony of Daniel
David Clayton
Ever since the book of Daniel was
written it has been the subject of controversy. Some have questioned the
authenticity of the book suggesting that it was never actually written
by Daniel and was in fact not written until approximately 100 A.D. Even
among those who accept that the book was truly written by Daniel and
that it was inspired by God, the prophecies themselves have been the
subject of heated debates with different groups and individuals placing
various interpretations on the symbols and events portrayed in the
visions.
The Advent movement, of course, had its own contribution to make to
the interpretation of the book of Daniel and in fact, Adventism claims
that its very foundation is laid on a unique understanding of one
particular prophecy in Daniel chapter 8. Not surprisingly, Adventism’s
position and interpretation has been the subject of severe criticism
from outsiders and, more recently, from many who once were members and
supporters of Adventism.
I have had the need and the opportunity to study these prophecies of
Daniel and to the best of my ability I have tried to examine the various
views and generally speaking, I have not found any interpretation which
as a whole fits the pattern of Daniel as well as does the Adventist
interpretation.
Sometimes a person cannot see the forest because he is looking too
closely at the trees. No doubt we have heard the story of the six blind
men who went to see the elephant. The first one happened to fall against
the elephant’s foot and loudly declared, ‘its clear this elephant is
very like a tree,’ the next one grabbed the elephant’s tusk and said,
‘this elephant is very like a spear,’ the third grabbed on to the ear
and said, ‘this elephant is just like a fan,’ one fell against the
elephant’s side and said, ‘the elephant is very like a wall,’ another
held on to the tail and said, this elephant is very like a rope,’ while
the last one grabbed the trunk and said, ‘its very like a snake.’ “And
so these blind men of Hindustan, they argued loud and long, while each
was partly in the right, but all were in the wrong.” The problem is that
they all each just took a little piece and failed to get the overall
picture.
Many people in their approach to the Bible are a lot like those blind
men. They get lost in a little word or a little passage. I believe
studying words are important but not if they cause us to lose sight of
the overall picture.
In the book ‘Testimonies to Ministers’ it says,
“Consider the circumstances of the Jewish nation when the prophecies of Daniel were given. {TM 113.1}”
This statement gives us a valuable hint in suggesting a way in which
we should approach the book of Daniel. At the time when Daniel had his
visions, what were the circumstances of the Jewish nation? The Jews had
lost their kingdom, they had lost their king, they had lost their center
of worship, the sanctuary, and the people themselves had been carried
away captive to a strange land. All of these things had been removed
from God’s people in the time of Daniel.
The book of Daniel basically focuses on the restoration of all of
these things. But while Daniel and the Jews anticipated the restoration
of all of these things to physical Israel in a physical way, God in
these visions was giving a broader picture of a far greater restoration
which is the final restoration to take place at the end of time. Even
the most superficial reading of the book of Daniel brings this out very
clearly.
Daniel 2 tells us about a kingdom that is to be restored. It says in verse 44,
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a
kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be
left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Dan 2:44)
Daniel 7 speaks about the restoration of the king. It says,
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came
with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they
brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should
serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass
away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. (Dan 7:13,14)
Then Daniel 8 speaks about the restoration of true worship.
“unto 2300 days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. (or restored)” (Dan. 8:14)
And then Daniel 11 and 12 speaks about the restoration of the people. Daniel 12:4 says,
“At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”
This basic, overall view gives us a good idea of how to approach the
study of the book. The book of Daniel really contains four parallel
prophecies. Each of these prophecies goes over the same ground as the
others but each one gives different details and from a different
perspective. If we understand this then we can place these prophecies
side by side and it becomes easy to interpret each one in the light of
the others.
Let us look at these four lines of prophecy and see how they parallel each other.
In Daniel chapter 2 we read that king Nebuchadnezzar had a vision in
which he saw a huge image. The head was of gold, the breast and the arms
were of silver, the belly and thighs were of brass, the legs of iron
and the feet of iron mixed with clay. He couldn’t understand the vision
but God gave Daniel the meaning and told him that the head of gold
represented Nebuchadnezzar, or Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, the kingdom of
Babylon. After him there was to come another kingdom, then a third
kingdom, then a fourth kingdom of iron, and finally, in the last days
the kingdom would be divided. It would be as strong as iron and it would
have the weakness of clay. In the days of these divided kingdoms he saw
a stone cut out of a mountain without hands that smote the image on the
feet and smashed it to powder.This stone became a great mountain that
filled the whole earth. Daniel interpreted this to mean that in the days
of these last kingdoms, the God of heaven would set up a kingdom that
would never be destroyed.
So the head represented Babylon. Historically, Babylon was followed by
the kingdom of Medo-Persia. The Persians conquered Babylon and became
the next kingdom represented by the breast and arms of silver. Then
after that there was the belly and thighs of brass which represented the
third kingdom, which was the kingdom of Greece. Then there was the
great iron kingdom represented by the legs of iron, which represented
Rome. After this there were the feet of iron mixed with clay which
represented the nations into which Rome was broken up when the Roman
empire disintegrated. Rome broke up into several divisions and even
today we have those divisions of Rome still existing in the nations of
modern Europe. Rome is never actually destroyed until the final moments
of time but the prophecy revealed that it was to be broken up. It was to
continue to exist, but its not in its former united form, but as a
fragmented kingdom.
Daniel chapter 2 is the template of prophecy. In other words, it gives
us a pattern which enables us to understand where to fit everything
else in the other three lines of prophecy, and even in the book of
Revelation.
Now after the iron and clay, there was a stone that was cut out of a
mountain, which destroyed the image, representing the kingdoms of this
world. This stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Of
course the stone represents God’s everlasting kingdom that shall never
be destroyed.
Now the next line of prophecy is found in Daniel 7 and you don’t have
to be a genius to see that the prophecy in chapter 7 parallels the
prophecy in chapter 2.
This time it was Daniel who had the vision and in this vision he saw
four animals coming up from out of the sea; a lion, a bear, a leopard
and a great and terrible beast. A heavenly messenger explained to him
that these animals represented four great kingdoms that would arise on
the earth. Now we already know from chapter 2 that there were four
universal kingdoms that would arise from the time of Daniel until the
end of the world. There would be four and no more. So if Daniel again
was shown four kingdoms that would rule over the earth, then logically,
they must be the same four kingdoms mentioned in chapter 2.
The first beast, the lion, represented Babylon, of course. The next
one was a bear, and represented Medo-Persia. The third one, the leopard,
represented Greece and the fourth one, representing Rome, was a
dreadful and terrible beast which had great iron teeth and claws of
brass and trampled everything underfoot. As Daniel watched, he saw ten
horns on the head of this terrible beast. Here we see a clear parallel.
the ten horns would have to be equated with the feet of iron and clay,
and so would also represent the nations of Europe.
Now, in the midst of these ten horns there arose another little horn.
There were ten horns first of all, then there was a little horn which
uprooted three of the original horns as it arose in the midst of the
ten. So the ten horns and the little horn were all in the period of the
the legs of iron and clay. Now this little horn as we all know did
several terrible things. Let us read Daniel 7:25
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear
out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and
they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the
dividing of time.”
This is speaking about the little horn. Notice what it says about this
little horn: he would speak great words against the Most High, he would
persecute the saints of God and he would think to change times and
laws.’
Then in verse 26 it says,
“But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.”
Now notice, we have a clear sequence of events. First there’s a lion,
then a bear, afterwards a leopard, next a terrible beast, then ten
horns, followed by the little horn, then the little horn does all these
things and finally it says that ‘the judgment shall sit.’ In this line
of prophecy the next event that follows the dreadful deeds of Rome
through the little horn, is the sitting of a judgment in heaven, as a
result of which the dominion of this beast is taken away ‘to consume and
to destroy it unto the end.’
In verse 11 it says,
“I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn
spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed,
and given to the burning flame.”
If we read through chapter seven of Daniel, very carefully we will find that the sequence is exactly as described here.
Further down in that same chapter, it says in verse 27,
“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most
High…….”
That is the final event which takes place in chapter seven. you’ll
notice that it parallels chapter two. The last thing that happens in
chapter two, is that the God of heaven sets up a kingdom that shall
never be destroyed. In Daniel seven, the judgments sits, the Son of Man
receives His kingdom and the time comes that the saints possess the
kingdom. There’s a sequence here and it parallels the sequence in Daniel
two. In Daniel two there are not so many details. Instead of telling
about the judgment sitting and the beast being destroyed, it says
simply, that a stone was cut out without hands which smote the image and
destroyed it. The parallel to that in Daniel seven is that the judgment
sits and the beast is destroyed.
Now lets move on to chapter eight. Here of course, there is nothing to
parallel the golden head of the image of chapter two, or the lion of
chapter seven, because by the time we come to chapter 8 the kingdom of
Babylon has already passed. Daniel is now living under the reign of the
Medo-Persian empire and he has another vision, but in this vision he
does not see Babylon anymore because Babylon is gone, it is history.
In this vision Daniel first saw a ram with two horns. Next he saw a he
goat which attacked and destroyed the ram. We don’t have any problems
interpreting these symbols because in verses 20 and 21 an angel
interprets for Daniel and tells him,
“The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and
Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn
that is between his eyes is the first king.” (Dan 8:20-21)
This goat had a horn in its forehead which was broken. Four horns came
up in the place of this broken horn. This first horn in the head of the
goat represented Alexander the great, the greatest of the Grecian
kings. When he died his kingdom was divided among his four generals,
Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Seleucus.
The next thing that happened is significant. Now, Daniel saw a little
horn that began to grow and which became exceedingly great. That is the
next power, and the only other power which is mentioned in this chapter.
Now if we believe that the chapters parallel each other, then this
“exceedingly great horn” can represent only one power and it is the
power which follows Greece. Which power is that? Of course it must be
Rome!
In the first two prophecies, (chapters 2 and 7), there is no power
arising after Rome, although we are given details concerning the
development and the deeds of Rome. Rome continues right down to the end
and will finally be destroyed and given to the burning flame (Daniel
7:11). The exceeding great horn which we see in Daniel 8 is also the
final power to arise. The angel told Daniel plainly that the vision
(concerning the horn and its work) referred to “the time of the end.”
(Daniel 8:17) and that the horn would be, “broken without hand (Dan.
8:25).” Obviously it refers to the same Roman power in all its phases
represented in one symbol, the huge horn.
Let us examine some of the deeds done by this horn: We begin with verse 11.
“Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him
the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was
cast down.”
This horn magnifies himself to the Prince of the host. Who would that
be? Indisputably, this refers to Jesus. The parallel in Daniel 7 is
where it says that he would “speak great words against the Most High.”
Let us read verse 10.
“And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some
of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.”
What would be the parallel for that in Daniel 7? The little horn made
war against the saints of the Most High. Let us now read verses 11 and
12,
“Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him
the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was
cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by
reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and
it practiced, and prospered.”
The truth was cast down, the sanctuary was cast down, what does that
parallel? There is a parallel between both chapters. The language might
be a little different but you have to be blind to not see that there is a
parallel between both passages. In Daniel 7 it says the horn tries to
change times and laws, we see a parallel here in Chapter 8 because this
horn casts down the truth to the ground and the daily sacrifice is
removed. There is a work opposed to true worship in one chapter, just as
in the other.
Now look at what happens next in chapter 8 as we read verse 14,
“And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
As we read chapter 7 we see that there is first a problem, then there
is a solution. The problem is that the beast is persecuting the people
of God and attacking the law of God. The solution is that the judgment
sits and the beast is destroyed. Now as we come to chapter 8, we have a
parallel prophecy. We have a problem, which is the work of this
exceeding great horn in assaulting the truth, the sanctuary and the
people of God. What is the solution?
“…Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
This seems crystal clear to me and this is why I find it difficult to
understand why so many people say there is no relationship between the
judgment and the cleansing of the sanctuary mentioned in Daniel 8:14.
Next we go to verse 28
“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his
hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall
destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but
he shall be broken without hand.”
Again we see clear indications that the prophecy of chapter 8 is a
parallel to those in chapters 2 and 7. In Daniel 2 it says, a stone was
cut out without hands (Dan. 2:34,45),’ here it says this horn shall be
broken without hand. It is a description of the same destruction of the
last great enemy of God’s people and His truth. In Daniel 7 it says the
beast is destroyed and then given to the burning flame after the
judgment, here it says that sometime after the sanctuary being cleansed,
he shall be broken without hands and of course in all of these cases,
what follows after is that the saints inherit the kingdom.
When Adventists came to the conclusion that there was a pre-advent
(investigative) judgment in heaven which has some relationship to the
sanctuary being cleansed, they were correct. There has been a lot of
criticism of this interpretation, but the alternative ideas suggested
have made very little sense. Many who are critical of Adventism’s
interpretation believe that these prophecies were fulfilled even before
Christ was born, but the Bible clearly says in the plainest possible
language that these prophecies apply to the time of the end, the time
when God’s people shall be delivered, the time when God shall set up His
everlasting kingdom that shall never be destroyed. This has nothing to
do with the work of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Greek king who lived
several hundred years before Christ was born, although some people have
suggested that it does. It has to do with God’s people and the final
developments down in the end of time.
Finally we will take a brief look at the remaining prophecy, the one
found in chapters 11 and 12. We will begin with chapter 11:2
“And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet
three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all:
and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the
realm of Grecia.”
So here our attention is directed to the last king of Persia (the ram
of chapter 8) who stirs up all against Greece, the he-goat of chapter 8.
Here, the parallel between this chapter and chapter 8 is clearly
established. Let’s go on to verse 3:
“And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.”
This king, we know, was Alexander the Great, the great king of Greece. Then verse 4 says,
“And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be
divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor
according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be
plucked up, even for others beside those.”
When Alexander the Great died, it was not any relative of his that
inherited the kingdom but his four generals who divided the Greek empire
into four parts, with each one claiming one part.
What follows next is a detailed description of a long conflict between
the king of the north and the king of the south. Somewhere during the
description of the conflicts between these two kings, the identity of
the kings change. Whereas at first they referred Greek kings warring
against each other, These kings take on a new identity and the prophecy
begins to speak of the king of the north as Rome, warring against some
other power. Rome now occupied the dominant position in the north, once
occupied by the Greek king of the north. There is no mistaking the fact
that this final representation of the king of the north is Rome. The
description is too detailed and graphic to make any mistake. The works
done by this northern king can only apply to Rome.
In verse 37, Daniel speaks of the king of the north and describes his work in the following way:
“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of
women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.”
It is clear that in this passage, God is speaking about the same power
described as a horn in both chapters seven and eight. there is a clear
parallel here again. The horn in Daniel seven, speaks great words
against God, the one in chapter eight “magnifies himself,” and here it
says again in chapter eleven, “he magnifies himself above God.”
As we continue reading on down from verse 36 we see that there is a
future time when this king of the north becomes furious because he hears
news from the north and from the east and so he goes out to with great
anger to destroy. We should not have too much difficulty in interpreting
the symbolism of north and east.
“Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on
the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” (Psa 48:2)
Lucifer said,
“…I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon
the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:” (Isa 14:13)
The sides of the north is a symbol of God’s dwelling place. The east symbolizes the coming of the power of God to His people.
“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God …” (Rev 7:2)
Something is happening among God’s people. A message from the north
and from the east troubles the northern king, and therefore he goes out
to destroy and to wipe out God’s people.
The parallel to that in the other chapters is, The stone being cut
out, the judgment sitting and the sanctuary being cleansed.
In verse 45 of chapter 11, it says of this king of the north,
“And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in
the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall
help him.”
Can we miss the similarity between all four lines of prophecy?
2. The kingdoms of this world are smitten by a stone cut out without hands. It is a supernatural event, not a human one.
7. The beast is destroyed and given to the burning flame. It is a supernatural event, not a human one.
8. The horn is broken without hand, a supernatural event, not a human one.
11. The king of the north comes to his end and there is none to help
him. Again we have the suggestion of a supernatural work in his
destruction.
No honest person who studies the book of Daniel carefully can say that
these are not parallel chapters. When we understand this then it
becomes much easier to interpret each individual prophecy and we have a
safeguard against the fanciful ideas which have confused people both in
and out of Adventism.
The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie. One word of truth outweighs the world. – Alexander Solzhenitsyn
European Report
German campmeeting
I arrived in Germany on Monday morning, August 2, one day after the
campmeeting had started. Erwin Zoor from Germany, Vlad Ardeias from
Romania and Dr. Steven Burks from the USA were present at the airport to
meet me at 6.00 in the morning. I was overjoyed to see these brothers
again and especially so since I had not seen Erwin and Vlad in over a
year. Frankfurt, where I arrived was approximately two hours from the
campmeeting site in Edersee and we had a lot of time to update each
other on what was happening as we traveled back to the campgrounds.
When I arrived I discovered that the meetings were being held in a
beautiful spot located on the bank of a lake. It was a place which
apparently was used as a holiday resort and there were several cabins as
well as several campers parked on the banks of the lake. Our meetings
were being held in the main building which had several dormitories as
well as a dining area, the hall where we had our meetings, and several
recreation areas.
This campmeeting had been organized by a group called “Prophetic Word
Empowerment Circle.” This group has been organizing meetings to study
the prophecies for several years, but about a year ago the chairman,
George Bunkus, accepted the truth about God and decided to focus the
energies of this organization in spreading this truth as well as in
continuing to look at prophetic issues. Many of the members of this
group, some of whom were pastors, abandoned the organization and some
tried to stop it when they learned of these new developments. However,
the organization has gone ahead with its plans to use every available
means to spread the truth about God and this campmeeting was one such
effort. Other leaders in Germany like Thomas Friedrich, Bruno Fischer
and Erwin Zoor also worked to get people to come to this campmeeting and
contributed to the planning and overall organization of the meetings.
Meetings were very regular and the time of each presentation was
strictly adhered to. No one was allowed to go over his scheduled time
which at first presented a challenge to some of us, but we were able to
adjust. Meals were catered for by people working in the kitchen and the
times for meals carefully observed. At times I found myself having to
speed up my eating as the tables were being cleared when I was just
getting started!
There were over a hundred people present at this campmeeting and they
were all for the most part eager to hear what was presented and also to
participate with questions and comments in the various discussions and
presentations. I had been to Germany twice before and had been to other
meetings, but this was by far the most responsive audience which I had
seen in Germany. After a day or two I became really comfortable with
them, even though the language barrier was a major obstacle. It was
difficult to communicate without Erwin always being present to help, but
there was no mistaking the smiles and the words of appreciation for the
messages which were presented.
There were five main speakers at the meeting, Dr. Steven Burks from
Ohio, USA, Paul Osei Agyeman from Berekum, Ghana, Thomas Friedrich from
Germany, Brother Jeltsch also from Germany and myself, David Clayton
from Jamaica. Brother Jeltsch is a naturopath and spoke exclusively on
the subject of health. I am afraid that I did not benefit greatly from
his presentations as well as those of brother Thomas Friedrich because
they spoke in German and I was not able to follow what they were saying.
However from the response of the people it seemed that their
presentations were very much appreciated.
Steve (Burks) focused mainly on tracing the apostasy of Babylon in the
deep-rooted foundation of the doctrine of the Trinity, tracing it all
the way back to the earliest beginning of Babylon and also showed how
the number 666 is identified with Babylon from earliest times.
I spoke on the Fruit and the Truth of the gospel, but after
discovering that there were other issues which the people desired to
have cleared up and which were significant issues among them, I spoke
also on the Sanctuary in the book of Revelation, and also looked at some
Biblical principles of individuality in religion, in speaking on the
subject, “A People Without a King.” It seems that these subjects met the
needs of many of those who were present and the response of those who
spoke to me afterwards was very encouraging.
Some young people asked to speak with me after the presentation on the
Sanctuary in Revelation. In this presentation I had dealt with the
sequence of the feasts of Israel and showed clearly that all the feasts
which have already been clearly fulfilled have been fulfilled in
definite sequence and always at the appointed time. I also showed that
the Feast of Tabernacles is still to come and is fulfilled with the
gathering of God’s people at the final harvest. It was evident that the
antitypical blowing of Trumpets and the day of Atonement had to have a
fulfillment some time after the day of Pentecost in AD 31, and before
the feast of Tabernacles, which is to have its fulfillment with the
gathering of God’s people when Jesus returns again. These young people
had been leaning towards the opinion that Jesus accomplished the work of
the day of atonement on the cross, and began the work represented by
the Most Holy place immediately upon His return to heaven. They were
also of the opinion that both goats on the day of atonement represented
Christ.
After my presentation, however, they could see that it was totally
inconsistent to place the day of Atonement at Calvary, when all the
other feasts were fulfilled in their exact sequence and at the appointed
time. They could also see that the scapegoat, which was not led away
into the wilderness until the end of the day of atonement, could not
represent Christ, since he was not to bear sin again when the work of
salvation is over. We also looked closely at Hebrews chapter 9 and I
showed them that in the Greek text, every place in the Hebrews where it
says the “most holy place,” is literally translated, “the holy place,”
(except in Hebrews 9:3). They were honest young people and were happy
for the discussion and I was blessed to know that at the end of our talk
they were seriously reconsidering their ideas.
DIFFERENT IDEAS
There were several persons at the campmeeting who held ideas which
were not representative of the majority of those who were there. Among
these was the idea that Jesus had been crucified on a Wednesday. Some
persons felt so strongly about this that there were several discussions
on it during question and answer sessions Steven eventually did a
presentation on it. Unfortunately, we were not able to come to an
agreement, but the happy thing is that nobody allowed it to separate us.
There were also some who had strong feelings on the name “Yashua,” and
who wanted to be baptized in this name. We did not discuss the issue
openly, but I was to be involved in the baptizing and I felt that it
would be inconsistent for me to use this name in baptism since I was not
convicted of the necessity of it. There was also a man there who was
always making comments in meetings and holding long talks with anybody
who would listen. Nobody seemed to be able to understand what he was
saying, but once I spoke to him through a translator and it seemed to me
that he was saying that God has a Son who is Jesus, but that the Bible
teaches that Jesus is also to have a Son and that he (this man,) is that
son. Needless to say, after that I did not have any more discussions
with him.
Baptism
On the penultimate day of the campmeeting we had a large baptism. 34
people were baptized. It was an unusual baptism because none of the
German brethren felt comfortable with the idea of baptizing people, so
the duty fell to Steve, Brother Paul from Ghana and me. It must have
been an unusual sight to see 34 Germans, all white people (with the
exception of one black girl) being baptized in Germany by 3 black men,
one from Africa, one from the USA and one from Jamaica. I found the idea
a little amusing but somehow I felt that God and all heaven was
pleased. One incident took place at the baptism which set me thinking
and made me believe that I had been wrong in a position I had taken. One
lady came to me during the baptism to be baptized. She looked at me
with eyes which I can only describe as pleading, and said, “in name of
Yashua.” I still had reservations in my mind and I handed her over to
brother Paul from Ghana who baptized her in Yashua’s name as she had
requested. However, I could not forget the pleading in her eyes and as I
was thinking about it that night I came to the conclusion that I had
been wrong. The apostle Paul says, “him that is weak in the faith,
receive ye….” (Romans 14:1). This was just another way of pronouncing
the name of God’s Son. As long as she was not imposing this on me, why
should I refuse to fulfill her request? I think this helped me to see
things a little differently and has given me a clearer view of the
things which are really essential in Christ.
Before we left the campmeeting we had a little service where we laid
hands on three of the leaders in Germany, Brothers Erwin Zoor, Bruno
Fischer and Thomas Friedrich, and committed them to the task of
preaching of the gospel and ministering to the saints. We rejected the
idea of calling this an ordination ceremony, but felt that this public
committal would help these brethren and others in Germany to have
confidence in their call to the work and would help to remove whatever
reservations there might be in accepting them as legitimate gospel
workers.
It must be said that there were a few who were strongly opposed to
this dedicatory ceremony, stating that it was not necessary and that it
would lead to the idea that these men were the leaders in Germany and
also to the idea that others were not qualified to do the same work.
However, the general consensus was that this was a good thing and that
it was not intended to limit or inhibit the right of others to
participate in the work of the gospel but to provide for the needs of
those who had reservations about the calling of these men and who felt
the need of representatives they could call upon. It must be added that
these three brethren have already made full proof of their ministry.
Bruno has written a couple of books on the subject of the godhead, and
Thomas has been giving studies and organizing meetings for many months
on this subject as well as on prophecy. Erwin of course has been
involved full-time in the work of translating and printing the materials
from Smyrna and Restoration Ministries as well as from other sources.
He has published these materials in German, Hungarian and Russian and
has sent out thousands of these materials all over Germany and other
parts of Europe.
This campmeeting had an international flavour as there were
representatives from Germany, The USA, Jamaica, Romania, Russia and
Ghana. At first there was much debate about whether or not the
representatives from Ghana would come. Brother Paul Osei Agyeman has
been visiting Germany and preaching at campmeetings and churches for
several years and there were suggestions that perhaps he would not wish
to harm his influence by attending a campmeeting like ours, where we
were teaching that God is not a Trinity. When brother Paul did not
arrive at the expected time some felt that these fears were justified.
However, I had met Paul in Ghana and felt that he was a man of integrity
and courage who truly loved the Lord and I was confident that there was
a good reason why he had not come at the scheduled time. Paul finally
did arrive a couple of days late along with four other brothers from
Ghana. Then we discovered that the reason why he was so late was that he
had been having studies on the subject of the godhead with the leaders
and organizers of another group who had had a campmeeting in Holland.
Paul had been a speaker at this meeting and had good friends among the
organizers.
One day some folks from Germany had arrived at this Holland
campmeeting and distributed literature on the subject of the godhead.
This incensed the main speaker at this campmeeting and he publicly
challenged anyone to prove to him that the holy spirit is not a
(separate) person. Paul was so upset by this that he was tempted to
challenge this man, although he was sitting at the time on the same
platform as this speaker. However he restrained himself, not wishing to
cause confusion, but later he arranged to have studies with this man and
some others and this was what had delayed him in Holland so long.
By the time the campmeeting was over I was feeling that the trip had
been worth it and I had made some new friends. To be sure I was not able
to speak to most of them, but the language of love is unmistakable. I
will cherish memories of those who came with tears in their eyes to give
a hug and to simply say in halting English, “your message went down
into my heart.” This, for me was the supreme blessing, knowing that
lives had been altered by our visit and that some had come to love and
appreciate our Father better.
Poland campmeeting
After this meeting in Germany, Steve and his daughter Stephanie
returned to the USA, while Erwin and I started off for Poland. We
returned to Erwin’s home for one day to get a little rest but then we
set off for the meetings in Poland near a place named Pulawy (pronounced
Poowavy). The trip was a long and tiring one although Erwin did all the
driving. We set off at 6.00 in the morning and drove for a thousand
kilometers. The roads were good in Germany, but when we got to Poland
there were frequent and lengthy delays as the roads were all being
worked on in an attempt to get them up to the standards of the European
Union. Poland has just been accepted as a member and now is working hard
to justify being accepted by the Union.
We arrived at the meeting place near midnight and were tired and worn
out by the time we got there. These meetings took place in a house in
the middle of the forest, far away from any other human habitation. The
only neighbors was a herd of about 7 or 8 horses which roamed the woods
around us and slept in a barn next door. The owners of these horses came
to attend to them daily but otherwise, they were free to roam about as
they pleased. In spite of this they were really very tame and friendly.
It would have been very difficult for us to find the hidden dirt road
which led to this house at 11.30 in the night, but Jacek Poreda was
waiting for us on the main road and piloted us for about a mile along
this dirt road until we came suddenly upon the house in the middle of a
clearing.
The next morning I discovered that there were about 20 people
assembled for these meetings and that basically I was going to be the
only speaker, apart from Jacek who would do a few of the morning
meetings. These presentations in fact were not to be sermons but were
more like Bible studies and discussions in which I would attempt to deal
with some of the issues which were troubling these people as well as do
my best to answer their questions.
I discovered that there were many issues troubling the brethren in
Poland. First of all there had been a big split in the group since last
year when Allen and I had been there. Some of the brethren had taken an
ultra conservative and extreme legalistic position on some things and
internal disagreements had resulted in nearly seventy-five percent of
the believers in Poland separating themselves from a smaller group of
about 15-20 people. Jacek Poreda, the man who had first invited us to
Poland was a part of this smaller group and it was he, along with Piotr
Maciejewski who had organized the campmeeting which I was now attending.
Among the issues which had caused the larger group to separate was the
fact that they believed that all women should cover their heads in
worship, and also that women should not be allowed to speak during
religious services. I was told that one brother among these people has
even started offering up burnt offerings. Whenever he reaps his crops he
will give away one tenth of it and then burn another one tenth as an
offering to the Lord. Last year in Poland we struggled to deal with some
of these issues but unfortunately were not able to spend enough time
discussing some of these things with the brethren. The situation which I
encountered there this year made me regret that our time in Poland had
been so short last year. Near the end of the campmeeting we attempted to
visit some of these brethren and called to find out if we could stop by
for a short while. However, the answer which was given was that we
should not come because we were “uncircumcised.”
I discovered that among Jacek’s smaller group there were also some
issues which needed immediate attention. In fact, Jacek had written to
me some time before to ask me to prepare to give studies specifically on
the issues of legalism, righteousness by faith, the Sabbath and the law
as well as other related issues. However, I was not really prepared for
what I found there. A former Seventh-day Adventist who was an extreme
liberal had befriended the brethren in this group and had convinced many
of them that Sabbath observance was no longer necessary. He persuaded
them that the Sabbath of the Seventh day had been only a type which was
fulfilled in the experience of spiritual rest which a person finds when
he comes to Christ. He also convinced them that the days of creation
were not literal days but much longer periods and that God’s Sabbath has
actually continued for six thousand years. He believes that the
communion service is legalism and is unnecessary and of course has
thrown out completely the concept of clean and unclean foods. I
discovered that the fact that these brethren were studying with this man
was probably a factor which contributed to the splitting off of the
larger group.
I began with studies on the subject of the Sabbath and the Law. This
was at the request of Jacek. I showed how the Sabbath existed and was
sanctified and blessed long before the law was formally given on Mount
Sinai and showed how it was a part of God’s perfect plan for sinless
man. We also looked at the reasons for Sabbath observance and God’s
intended purpose in giving this gift to man. The place of the Sabbath in
the law, and the perpetuity of the law were also carefully examined. As
we studied, there were many questions, and these studies sometimes
dragged on for hours. Although these questions often required lengthy
answers I believed they were asked by sincere people and as the meetings
continued we began to be more and more in harmony. I found myself
wishing at times that I could have a break from the next session.
However, by the grace of God I was strengthened and able to manage.
At one of these meetings, as we studied the subject of the Sabbath,
the man who had been teaching these doctrines attended with his wife. He
interrupted so frequently and with such lengthy comments that it was
impossible for me to make any progress with the study. At times he and
his wife (who also talked non-stop at times) seemed to speak in a
rehearsed way with the both of them saying the same exact sentences like
a poem which they had studied and were reciting in unison! Eventually
we had to call a halt to the meeting to refresh our minds. However, I
think that during that session many of the people began to see the real
nature of what these people were teaching and were able to get clearer
ideas in their heads. These people did not attend another meeting
(thankfully). They told Jacek that I could not teach them anything so
they saw no need to attend.
On the Friday, Jacek stated, “well, we will have to prepare for the
Sabbath soon. Many of us had believed that the Sabbath was no longer
necessary, but now we have discovered that we still are expected to
observe this commandment, although our understanding of the rules which
governed it has changed.” I was amazed to think that it had reached that
far, but was happy to know that the people had responded honestly to
the evidence presented.
Later we studied on the centrality of the godhead message which seemed
to make a strong impression. We also looked at some prophecies such as
the 144,000 and also the issue of the 2300 days and the Atonement. We
also had long discussions on the issues of women covering their heads,
speaking in tongues and similar minor issues. The Lord blessed these
studies and the evidences which were presented satisfied the questions
of the people for the most part. I saw that the principle of what it
means to be under the law as opposed to being led by the spirit needed
to be properly understood and that is what I endeavored to concentrate
on.
Towards the end of the campmeeting there was a baptism. The only
candidate was Alice. I tried to get Jacek or Erwin to do the baptism but
Alice indicated that she wanted me to do the baptism and so I had to
face the icy water in the nearby stream. It was the coldest water I have
ever done a baptism in. Even after I stepped out of the water
afterwards my feet were still tingling. However, it was a nice little
ceremony and I was happy that I was able to have a part in it.
One of the high points of the campmeeting for me, was seeing Ania and
Dominik Walczac again. This was the young couple who had been married
and baptized by Allen last year. At that time they had been faced by
very difficult circumstances. I was happy to learn that they were both
now in comfortable jobs where they were able to have the Sabbath off and
was excited to learn that they would be having a baby in just a month’s
time. God has blessed them and opened doors for them. Even their
relatives who initially gave them a very hard time had come around in
the last few months and they are much more at peace than they were at
this time last year.
The campmeeting came to an end with some singing around a campfire,
where the brethren milked the last ounce of energy from me with
insistence on some Jamaican singing. I gave what little was left and at
the end, felt satisfied that the Lord had blessed the trip to Poland,
even though it had been physically and mentally stressful.
Erwin and I left Poland on August 17 for Germany. After spending a day
there, I left from Frankfurt airport for home, and arrived safely by
the grace of God after a long trip of 17 hours (including the wait in
Miami) which left me drained. After the rigours of this European trip, I
arrived feeling satisfied that God had worked for His glory in Europe,
but happy to return home where things were (for the moment at any rate)
much more settled.
Maine Campmeeting
The camp meeting in Maine took
place from September 1- 4, 2004 or, at any rate, it was scheduled to
take place from September 1- 4. On the first two days, there were just a
handful of us there and we had a few discussions but no formal meetings
apart from morning worship. We basically had two full days of meetings,
one on Friday and one on Sabbath. The format of these was that we had
health lectures and then presentations by Brother Lynford Beachy and
then by myself. Because there were some people there who were totally
new to the message, we dealt with the basics, with Lynford speaking on
the death of the cross and the love of the Father, while I spoke on the
Holy Spirit and the God of the Bible. The health lectures were given by
Brother Calvin Bickle from Pennsylvania who was there with his wife
Paula. I found these lectures to be interesting and quite balanced. This
camp meeting took place at the lovely home of Rosemarie and Merv
Shoemaker, situated at the side of a lake. It was a beautiful place and
we thoroughly enjoyed not only the messages presented but also the
scenery around us as we studied the word of God.
Of course, Maine is the state where Ellen White grew up and I
actually passed through some of the places mentioned in her writings,
such as Gorham and Portland and we actually passed by the school which
she attended, so it was also historically interesting for me to be in
this state. It is a very beautiful place, quiet (at least the part where
we were) and attractive but I found my feelings stirred by the
realization that I was in the same place as some of the pioneers of our
movement.
There were people present at this camp meeting from Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, Quebec in Canada, New York, as well as from Jamaica and of
course from Maine. It was a small camp meeting. There was just about
twenty-one of us on the busiest day, which was Sabbath, nevertheless the
fellowship was good and we did study quite a bit. During the evenings,
after supper, we would have what we called a “round table talk,” where
we would discuss topics that were of interest and concern to those who
were present. At that time we examined subjects such as the Book of
Revelation with special reference to the one hundred and forty-four
thousand, and we also spoke on issues such as righteousness by faith,
law and grace, legalism, justification and also looked at issues of
church organization. These meetings were quite animated at times but we
were able to accomplish a lot and I think that by and large we were able
to come to, if not full agreement, very close to full agreement in most
of these discussions.
It was interesting to me to participate in these discussions and I
could not help noticing that in every place in the world, these are some
of the major issues that need clarification. Of greatest concern to me
is the fact that it seems that the questions of salvation by grace
through faith are not properly understood by many people all around the
world and that still to a great extent there is an overwhelming focus on
legalism even though people do not intend to be legalistic and it seems
that these issues need to be clearly explained, understood and put into
practise.
By and large this campmeeting was a success in that those who attended
were encouraged, strengthened and also were able to learn more of the
vital truths which are so critical in helping us to prepare for heaven
and for the conflicts of these last days.
Open Face is published bi-monthly and is sent free to all who desire to receive it.
David Clayton: Editor and Publisher
P. O. Box 23 Knockpatrick
Manchester, Jamaica W.I.
Phone: (876) 904-7392
email: david@restorationministry.com
