September 25: TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT (part 2)

Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. Daniel 11:32

The trampling underfoot of the things of God that are essential for a personal relationship with Him, namely the study of His Word, daily communication with Him through prayer, and witnessing to others of Him, have been replaced by the abomination of desolation (v.31), or that which supplants the elements of salvation, leading to desolation, meaning uninhabited emptiness. The people who know their God readily recognize such replacements as counterfeit. For centuries it was forbidden by the church of Rome to read or own a copy of the Bible. Only in recent decades has permission to own a copy been officially announced from Rome, provided it is a Catholic version. It was called a “dangerous book”, and the masses were taught that only priests were qualified to explain its contents. The simple truths of God’s plan of salvation were replaced with instruction to confess sins at least once a year to a priest and receive forgiveness from him, provided the sinner obeys the customized list, provided on the spot, of instructions to earn that forgiveness (repetitious prayers, acts of penance, payment of money to the church, pilgrimages, etc). Other replacements include encouragement to pray to statues and dead saints (if they are “sainted” by the church), lighting of candles, veneration of relics, transubstantiation, and other occult traditions. One of the most widely accepted traditions is that of substituting Sunday, the day of sun god worship, for the seventh day of the week, designated in Scripture as God’s holy day (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 16:22-30; 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Isaiah 56:2; 58:13; Ezekiel 20:12; Mark 2:27; Hebrews 4:4,9-11; Revelation 1:10). Witnessing is discouraged as not the role of the individual but rather the priest, directly contradicting Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:15, and 1 Peter 2:9.

The system of rewards for all who carry out these wicked orders against the covenant includes flattery that leads to deeper corruption, along with recognition for the “good deeds” of upholding church traditions. This characteristic of the papacy—the use of flattery—echoes the description of the little horn in Daniel 8:25: Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule. The direct connection between flattery and deceit is the motive to manipulate. The willing participants within the counterfeit system are unaware they are being manipulated. They think more of the decrees of men and the decisions of councils than they do the Word of God.

All the while, there are people who know their God. Daniel prophesied that they shall be strong and carry out great exploits. They certainly existed during the Dark Ages of papal tyranny. Such groups as the Waldensians, Albigenses, and Huguenots, were severely persecuted for holding the Word of God in higher esteem than church tradition or papal authority. History is an excellent teacher, if we are willing to learn the lessons.

Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground. Psalm 147:5-6

Let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24