From Daniel to Revelation- A Seventh-day Adventist Prophetic Arc of Authority, Worship, and the Law of God

From Daniel to Revelation- A Seventh-day Adventist Prophetic Arc of Authority, Worship, and the Law of God

1. One Story, Two Books: Daniel and Revelation

Seventh-day Adventists understand Daniel and Revelation as companion books—two halves of a single prophetic message.

• Daniel lays out the historical progression of world powers.
• Revelation reveals the spiritual and worship implications of that same history.

Ellen G. White states:

“The books of Daniel and the Revelation are one. One is a prophecy, the other a revelation; one a book sealed, the other a book opened.”
(Acts of the Apostles, p. 585)

Together, they trace a continuous conflict over authority, law, and worship, culminating in a final test of allegiance.

1. Daniel 7: The Prophetic Backbone of Revelation
2. Structure of Daniel 7

Daniel 7 presents four beasts rising from the sea (Dan. 7:2–3), explicitly interpreted as kingdoms (Dan. 7:17).

Beast	Identification (Adventist View)	Key Traits
Lion	Babylon	Political power
Bear	Medo-Persia	Uneven dominance
Leopard	Greece	Rapid conquest
Terrible Beast	Rome	Crushing power

This mirrors Daniel 2’s metallic image but adds religious dimensions.

1. The Little Horn (Daniel 7:8, 20–25)

This is the theological center of Daniel 7.

Characteristics:

• Arises from Rome
• Has eyes (intelligence) and a mouth (authority)
• Speaks blasphemy
• Persecutes the saints
• “Thinks to change times and law”
• Rules for a prophetic period (time, times, half a time)

Adventist Interpretation

Adventists identify the little horn as papal Rome, not merely as a political entity, but as a religio-political system.

The phrase “change times and law” is crucial:

• God’s law includes only one commandment involving time — the Sabbath.
• Adventists see the attempted substitution of Sunday for the seventh day as the fulfillment of this claim.

Ellen White writes:

“The papacy has attempted to change the law of God… The change of the Sabbath is the sign of her authority.”
(Great Controversy, ch. 25)

1. Judgment Scene (Daniel 7:9–14)

Before the Second Coming:

• Thrones are set
• Books are opened
• Judgment is rendered in favor of the saints

This introduces investigative judgment, which Adventists later connect with Daniel 8 and Revelation 14.

III. Daniel 8: The Sanctuary and the Attack on God’s Authority

Daniel 8 revisits the same powers but shifts focus from political dominance to worship corruption.

1. The Ram and the Goat (Dan. 8:3–8)

• Ram = Medo-Persia (explicitly stated)
• Goat = Greece (explicitly stated)

This confirms historicism as the correct interpretive method.

1. The Little Horn Reappears (Dan. 8:9–12)

The same power appears again, now emphasizing:

• Attacks on the “Prince of the host”
• Casting down the sanctuary
• Replacing truth with tradition
• Prosperity through deception

This horn:

• Magnifies itself
• Undermines Christ’s priestly ministry
• Obscures God’s law and gospel

1. “Unto 2300 Days…” (Daniel 8:14)

“Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

Adventists interpret this as:

• A day-year prophecy
• Pointing to a heavenly judgment phase
• Restoring truth about God’s character, law, and worship

This cleansing answers the distortion caused by the little horn.

1. Transition to Revelation: From Power to Worship

What Daniel describes historically, Revelation describes experientially.

• Daniel 7–8 = who gains authority and how
• Revelation 13–14 = how humanity responds

1. Revelation 13: The Maturing of Daniel’s Powers
2. Revelation 13:1–10 — The Sea Beast

This beast:

• Combines features of Daniel’s lion, bear, and leopard
• Receives authority from the dragon
• Speaks blasphemy
• Persecutes the saints

Adventists see this as the continuation of the little horn—papal authority extended into Revelation.

1. Revelation 13:11–18 — The Earth Beast

This power:

• Arises from the earth (new territory)
• Appears lamb-like (freedom)
• Later speaks as a dragon (coercion)

Historically, Adventists identify this as the United States, based on:

• Its rise after papal decline
• Its founding principles of liberty
• Its future role in enforcing worship

This power creates an image of the beast—a replication of church-state union.

1. The Mark of the Beast

The mark is:

• Connected to worship
• Enforced by law
• Tied to economic pressure

From an Adventist view, it represents submission to human authority in worship, particularly Sunday observance when mandated.

Ellen White clarifies:

“The mark of the beast is the observance of the first day of the week… when it is enforced by law.”
(Great Controversy, ch. 38)

1. Revelation 14: God’s Final Counter-Message

Revelation 14 answers Revelation 13 the same way Daniel 7’s judgment answers the little horn.

1. First Angel — Restoration of True Worship (Rev. 14:6–7)

This message:

• Calls humanity to fear God
• Announces judgment
• Calls worship of the Creator

The language echoes Exodus 20:11, the Sabbath commandment.

Adventist understanding:

• The Sabbath becomes the sign of allegiance to the Creator
• Worship is redirected from human authority to divine authority

1. Second Angel — Babylon’s Fall (Rev. 14:8)

Babylon represents:

• Confusion
• Church-state compromise
• Tradition replacing Scripture

It includes any system that enforces worship contrary to conscience.

1. Third Angel — The Final Warning (Rev. 14:9–12)

This message contrasts two groups:

Group 1	Group 2
Worships the beast	Worships the Creator
Receives the mark	Keeps God’s commandments
Submits to coercion	Chooses faithfulness

Verse 12 summarizes the saints:

“Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

VII. Ellen White’s Unifying Theme: The Great Controversy

Ellen White frames all of this within one question:

Who has the right to command worship—God or human authority?

She repeatedly emphasizes:

• God never forces worship
• Satan always does
• The final crisis is about conscience

“The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government.”
(Desire of Ages, p. 759)

Thus, Sunday laws are not the problem by themselves—the problem is coerced worship.

VIII. Contrast with Other Christian Perspectives

Evangelical Futurism

• Antichrist = future individual
• Mark = literal symbol
• Law and Sabbath irrelevant

Preterism

• Fulfilled in Roman era
• No end-time worship test

Idealism

• Pure symbolism
• No historical specificity

Catholic Theology

• Authority resides in Church tradition
• Sunday seen as legitimate ecclesial authority

Adventism stands apart by insisting:

• Prophecy unfolds historically
• God’s law remains relevant
• Worship and obedience converge at the end

1. The Full Prophetic Arc (Summary)

Daniel	Revelation	Theme
Beasts	Beasts	Authority
Little Horn	Sea Beast	Religious power
Judgment	Three Angels	Restoration
Law attacked	Law upheld	Allegiance
Sanctuary cleansed	Gospel proclaimed	Vindication of God

1. Conclusion: The Final Question

From Daniel to Revelation, the Bible does not end with fear—but with clarity.

The final issue is not:

• Catholic vs. Protestant
• Saturday vs. Sunday as preference

It is:

• Force vs. freedom
• Human law vs. God’s law
• Compelled worship vs. love-based obedience

The Seventh-day Adventist prophetic message insists that God wins by truth, never by coercion, and that His final call is not to conform—but to choose.