Need a brother's view with regard to Daniel's prophecy

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I would like to share with you that I have a friend in Seventh Day Adventist church, a missionary that I have been a constant communication since July last year. He invited me to attend a free clinical and wellness tests and health seminar. I do enjoy clinical and wellness testing then after that I've listened attentively on health seminar together with their topic "Hope in Times of Crisis" with their elder speaker Ted Wilson. As I observed, they focus more on the revelations of the bible. One topic I became more interested was with Daniel's prophecy and his vision. I kindly requestfor good reference with regard to this topic, also how does Daniel's prophecy revealed the book of Revelation. Thank you.

[m273p15c]

About the Seventh Day Adventist church, they take a very different view of God's Word, including modern day revelation, Sabbath keeping, etc. I could not place membership with one of their churches, because they do not even worship God on the correct day! You can read a discussion on the topic here:

http://forums.insearchoftruth.org/isot418.html

Furthermore, they cling to modern-day prophets, like Ellen G. White. These prophets have failed by both contradicting Scripture and false prophesying the second coming (Advent) of Jesus Christ:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_in_the_Seventh-day_Adventist_Church
http://www.bible.ca/7-WhiteInspire.htm

The Lord warned, even in the Old Testament, to ignore prophets who contradicted established truth (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) or who failed in their prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). The New Testament also commands us to test prophets (I John 4:1, 6; Revelation 2:1-2), because there are many, many false prophets in the world (I John 4:1).

About Daniel and Revelation, I do not have much material already prepared on these topics. I can recommend two books by Homer Hailey. These commentaries on Daniel and Revelation would be very useful to you, if you can obtain them.

When studying Daniel and Revelation, it is important to keep in mind that Jesus proclaimed that their contents would be fulfilled during the days of those who heard him:

"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ... So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Mark 13:14-31)

Daniel's prophecy, as referenced by Jesus, pointed to the destruction of Jerusalem. You might say it was "the end of the world" for Jewish people and Judaism. These prophecies were fulfilled in 70 A.D, when Rome destroyed Jerusalem, the temple, and all the Jewish records of lineage. Notice, Jesus said that those people would live to see it fulfilled! And, they would need to flee to the mountains when they saw the signs. If we consider the possibility that this passage refers to the ultimate end of the world, then we must ask, "What good would be accomplished by fleeing to the mountains?" Clearly, Jesus is referring to a very localized event - not the destruction of the whole world.

Now please consider the context of the book of Revelation:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants -- things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. ... And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (Revelation 1:1-3; 22:10-12)

At both ends of Revelation, we are told that the symbols and signs refer to events that were then about to take place. If we are almost 2000 years removed from that revelation, and if they have not been fulfilled, how could the original readers understood that those foretold events were to "shortly take place"? ... The book of Revelation refers to the destruction of the Roman empire, which was persecuting the Lord's church at that time. The Christians were being called upon to remain faithful unto death (Revelation 12:11). But, they are encouraged with a symbolic vision that figuratively foretells the spiritual war being waged by the Devil through the Roman empire and by the Lord through His Christ and His people. Although many people would give up their physical lives in this battle, their souls would be saved and the Lord would triumph over the Devil and His forces. The message was relevant and near to those people. It applies to us only indirectly, as we continue to fight a similar spiritual fight under the same promises, but on different battle grounds.

These books generally do not pertain to future events, especially current events. Many people twists these books to glamorize and sensationalize their efforts, or to support their modern day "message". However, the context of the books they used, as shown by Jesus, simply do not refer to current or imminent events.

Several people have inquired about modern-day revelation, and those discussions are available on our web-site:

http://forums.insearchoftruth.org/isot408.html
http://forums.insearchoftruth.org/isot272.html
http://forums.insearchoftruth.org/isot268.html
http://forums.insearchoftruth.org/isot267.html
http://forums.insearchoftruth.org/isot229.html

I would encourage you to read those, because the Scriptures prohibit modern day revelation. And, if anyone is teaching contrary to the Scriptures, they are to be rejected (Galatians 1:6-8).

I have no doubt that the Seventh Day Adventist church contains many good-hearted, sincere people. However, they have been deceived by false prophets and false teachers. Please be careful in your communication with them and compare all things according to the Bible (Acts 17:11).