Luke 21:8

Christian, Be Not Deceived!

CHAPTER XIX.

THE PRINCIPLE OF THE "DOUBLE," "SPIRITUAL" APPLICATION REVEALED IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL—SHOWING THE TRANSITION FROM THE LOCAL AND LITERAL TO THE SPIRITUAL AND WORLD-WIDE.

As already mentioned, the prophets of God saw a "double" view-the local and near at hand, and the world-wide in the last days. The book of Daniel, written in the days of types—at a time when national Israel and her experiences were typical of the experiences of spiritual Israel—contains prophecies which commence with the literal and local, but which automatically pass to the spiritual and world-wide when the Jewish nation ceased to be God's chosen people, and the typical days ceased.

The New Testament teaches that the church is now "the Israel of God." Gal. 6: 16, etc. But, while there is a change in the chosen people of God—the change from national to spiritual Israel—there is no change made in the language describing "Israel." The church inherits the phraseology of national Israel: the. same words and designations refer to both—to national Israel in regard to the past, and to spiritual Israel from the time of the rejection of the Jewish nation. The prophecies and blessings which at one time referred to national Israel now refer to spiritual Israel. Failure to grasp this divinely—revealed truth has resulted in confusion and error among Bible students. Futurists, not guided by the New Testament teaching that spiritual Israel—the church—has taken the place of national Israel, still build their doctrines and their hopes for the world upon a belief in a literal, Palestinian fulfilment of the prophecies pertaining to Israel. Thus Schofield's Bible, on p. 1226, comments: "The promise of the kingdom to David and his seed, and described in the prophets (2 Sam. 7:8-17, refs.; Zech. 12:8) enters the New Testament absolutely unchanged (Luke 1:31-33)." Unchanged so far as the terminology is concerned, but positively changed regarding the people to whom those prophecies and designations apply. The New Testament and Spirit of Prophecy teach the spiritual, world-wide application of the promises and prophecies concerning Israel.

Because we are creatures of responsibility, and are capable of understanding, the Lord has written the Bible in a way which calls for us to "search the Scriptures" (John 5:39) with "an honest and good heart." Luke 8:15. The Word of God is not written as an argument, but as a declaration of truth. The Bible contains no laboured argument to prove Gods' existence, because it is such a self-evident fact. Beliefs such as the virgin birth of our Lord are not discussed; they are declared a few times for the honest hearts that will accept them, and other portions of the Scriptures just take for granted the acceptance of these truths. The same procedure applies to principles of prophetic interpretation, for they are not often repeated. It is left with the sincere searcher to apply truths and principles already declared, wherever the occasion requires. As stated in my "Christ Conquers," p. 77: "When symbols are employed in the Bible, we are not informed in every instance where the same symbol is used regarding the symbolic interpretation. In fact, in numbers of instances there is nothing to directly indicate that a symbol or type is employed. In most instances, when once or twice our attention has been drawn to the interpretation of any symbol, we are not directed to the fact again, for it is left with us to apply the principle whenever we come to the same setting."

Having been shown that national Israel was rejected finally and that the church is now "the Israel of God," we are to apply this New Testament teaching when interpreting the many prophecies and promises concerning Israel. As the Revelation was written after the rejection of the Jewish nation, there should be no difficulty in understanding its basic principle, namely, that the church is now the Israel of God, and, therefore, all the things of Israel are applied therein in a spiritual, world-wide sense. The Revelation is "the Spirit of Prophecy"—"the testimony of Jesus" by which the Lord shows us "how" (Luke 10:26) to interpret the book of Daniel and other Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel. The prophecies of Daniel can be understood only by the principle that the literal and the local of the past pre-figure the spiritual and the world-wide of the last days. The transition takes place automatically, for the change from the literal and local to the spiritual and world-wide is a principle operative in all prophecies pertaining to Israel and her enemies. The prophecies of Daniel, and other Old Testament prophecies, do not explicitly declare the change from the literal and local to the spiritual and world- wide. It is not necessary for this "double," "spiritual" application to be directly pointed out in the Old Testament, for the New Testament makes it perfectly clear that the things of Israel, which exclusively belonged to national Israel before her rejection, now belong to the church, and that wherever the things of Israel are applicable to New Testament times, they are to be understood spiritually in relation to the Messiah's spiritual kingdom. Only by this transition from the literal and local to the spiritual and world-wide, can the prophecies of Daniel, and the Master's own prophecy, recorded in Matt. 24; Mark 13; and Luke 21, be rightly understood. The transition from the literal and local to the spiritual and world-wide is the invariable plan followed by all the prophecies—whether they are continuous prophecies (such as Daniel, Matt. 24, etc.), or whether they pass over the centuries and have their distinct "double" fulfilment in the last days.

In the chapter dealing with the Principle of the First and the Last, it is shown that the prophecies of Daniel are designed upon the principle that the local and national, which are first mentioned, provide imagery applicable to spiritual Israel and her enemies, at the endings of his prophecies. The book of Daniel commences with the historic reference to the invasion of Judea and the overthrow of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple of God, and the taking of the vessels from the house of God to the house and service of the gods of Babylon. Later prophecies in Daniel—and prophecies in other portions of the Word of God—show that the things done by literal Babylon to the literal Jews and literal Jerusalem, to the literal temple and vessels employed in God's service, are also done, in a spiritual sense, by spiritual Babylon in her spiritual "war" against spiritual Israel. Thus the "double," "spiritual" application of the first few verses of Daniel lays the foundation for the "double" application of the prophecies which follow.

The prophecy of the second chapter of Daniel is of the continuous type. By the light shining from the New Testament, the "double" application—the transition from the literal to the spiritual—may be seen. Beginning with Nebuchadnezzar, the king of literal Babylon, the prophecy continues down to the time of spiritual Babylon, centred in Europe—the cradle of nominal Christianity. The position of absolute monarch occupied by the king of literal Babylon (Dan. 2: 38) will be duplicated, in a spiritual sense, when the Papacy, through the enforcement of her "Sunday" by the nations of Christendom, will be exalted among the people and shall say (in the pride of Nebuchadnezzar who boasted of the "great Babylon" he had built—see Dan. 4: 30) "I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow." Rev. 18:7. The expression "great Babylon," in Dan. 4:30, forms the basis of the Revelator's description of spiritual Babylon. See Rev. 14:8; 19:18; 17:18; 18:2, 10, 16, 18, 19; 19:3.

The enforcement of the Babylonian "Sun-day" will bring spiritual Israel into great distress and imminent danger. God's people will face the threat of destruction, but the Lord will "deliver" His people (see Dan. 12:1) from the hands of their spiritual Babylonian enemies. See E.W., pp. 282-285, "The Time of Trouble;" G.C., chapter 40, "God's People Delivered."

The "double," "spiritual" application of the book of Daniel is clearly seen when studied in the light of other portions of God's Word. As the first chapter of Daniel describes literal Babylon's attack upon literal Israel, her city and temple, so the last chapter brings us to the final attack to be made by spiritual Babylon upon God's spiritual Israel—the spiritual city and temple.

The experiences of the three Hebrews, who would not bow down to the literal image king Nebuchadnezzar had set upon the plains of Babylon, foreshadow the final struggle of the church when the spiritual king of Babylon endeavours to force all to worship the spiritual image—"the image of the beast," see Rev. 13, etc.—on the plains of spiritual Babylon. God's servant has declared that "the conflict that is right upon us will be the most terrible ever witnessed." 6T. 407. The Spirit of Prophecy is always in harmony with Bible principles. The book of Daniel teaches that "there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Dan. 12:1. "The burning, fiery furnace," heated "seven times more than it was wont to be heated." will have a "double," world-wide, spiritual application in the experiences of spiritual Israel, who will be plunged into unprecedented, fiery trials.

In his rage at being frustrated of complete dominion, Nebuchadnezzar boastingly said to the three faithful Hebrews, who typify the people of the Third Angel's Message: "Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Dan. 3:15. The faithful three trusted in the God of Israel to deliver them, and the covenant-keeping God of Israel walked with them in the fiery furnace, and "delivered" them. The "double" application of this experience refers to the last days, when the people of God—the people of the Third Angel's Message who refuse to bow down to the spiritual image to the beast (Rev. 13, 14, etc.)—will be thrown into times of unparalleled-peril; but Jesus, by His angels, will walk with them in the world-wide, spiritual, fiery furnace and will "deliver" them from their spiritual Babylonian enemies. Thus we see the connection between the deliverance of the three Hebrews, brought to view in Dan. 3, and the deliverance of God's world-wide, spiritual Hebrews, mentioned in Dan. 12:1.

The pride and boasting of Belshazzar's feast, when they praised the gods of Babylon (Dan. 5), will have a "double" application when spiritual Babylon, through the enforcement of her Sunday by the law of the land, is exalted among the nations. When literal Babylon was exultant and boasted of security through her gods, God wrote the close of her probation upon her festive walls. And "in that night was Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldees, slain." The last hours and doom of literal Babylon foreshadow the last hours and doom of spiritual Babylon. By enforcing the false Sabbath (using the vessel of God in the service of Babylon), spiritual Babylon will look for a time of "peace and safety": instead, "sudden destruction [as in the night of Belshazzar's feast] cometh upon them ... and they shall not escape." 1 Thess. 5:3. "The time of trouble" mentioned in Dan. 12:1 has reference to the "double," or world-wide application of the record in Dan. 5 of the disaster which came to literal Babylon, following her hour of apparent security.

The plot of Daniel's enemies to persuade the king to pass a law necessitating a choice between obedience to God's law or the law of the State (see Dan. 6), will have its "double" application when the apostate churches seek government aid to enforce Sunday laws. As the king did not see the subtlety behind the request of Daniel's enemies, so many law-makers will not discern the cunning behind the appeal to the State to pass laws which will bring spiritual Israel into times of extreme peril. After passing through a night of supreme trust in God, Daniel was "delivered" (see Dan. 6:14, 16, 20, 27) from his peril: similarly, spiritual, world-wide Israel, after being plunged into a period of affliction and distress necessitating implicit trust in their God, will be "delivered" (Dan. 12:1) at the time of the 6th plague.

Daniel 7 commences with literal Babylon, and passes on to spiritual Babylon, headed by the little horn. Satan led this little horn to make "war with the saints" (Dan. 7:21, 25; Rev. 13:7 ) in the dark ages. The final phase of the "war"—the controversy between Christ and Satan—is referred to in Rev. 12:17: "The dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed."

In the introduction to the symbol of the Papacy in Rev. 13, the prophet passes from the leopard (Grecia) and the bear (MedoPersia) to the lion (Babylon). See Rev. 13:2, and compare with Dan. 7; see also Rev. 17. Thus there is a definite connection between the literal Babylonian lion and the spiritual Babylonian beast. By this transition from literal to spiritual Babylon, the Holy Spirit illustrates the principle to be followed in the study of the book of Daniel.

The transition from the literal to the spiritual is also seen in relation to the two phases of Rome. Verses 23-25 of Daniel 8 [Dan. 8:23-25] use the same words to picture both pagan and papal Rome. What literal Rome did nationally, spiritual Rome did, and does, in a spiritual sense. To the Hebrews, the literal Romans spoke in "dark sentences" (compare Dan. 8:23 with Deut. 28:49), and spiritual Rome, by adhering to the Latin tongue in her services, also speaks in "dark sentences." To spiritual Hebrews their doctrines, also, are "dark." See Ps. 119: 105, etc. "His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power," is equally true of literal and spiritual Rome. Rome dominated most of the world; spiritual Rome's power is great. "He shall destroy wonderfully": both pagan and papal Rome have destroyed wonderfully. 50,000,000 martyrs testify to the "double" application of this passage in relation to spiritual Rome. The words "shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people" fit both literal and spiritual Rome. Pagan Rome invaded the typical land, and destroyed many Jews, their city and temple. Spiritual Rome invaded the spiritual land of Israel, and destroyed millions of the members of spiritual Israel—the spiritual city and temple of God. The transition from literal to spiritual Rome automatically takes place, in harmony with the established Bible principle.

This transition is also seen when comparing Dan. 12:7 with Dan. 8:24. In Dan. 12:7 we read: "When they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people." R.V. The reference to the destruction of "the holy people" has its origin in Dan. 7:25 and 8:24. That papal Rome, in addition to pagan Rome, is described in Dan. 8:24 is evident from the fact that, in Dan. 12:7, this work of destroying "the holy people," is said to occur during the 1260 years of Papal supremacy. When Jesus, in Matt. 24, quotes from the prophecy of Daniel regarding the coming of "the abomination of desolation"—the Roman armies (Luke 21:20; G.C. 21, 26) to "destroy the city and the sanctuary" (Dan. 9:26, 27; Luke 21:20), and then passes, without a break in His sermon, to depict the destruction of the saints during the dark ages (Matt. 24:15-20 and notice 21, 22), He is following the principle used in the book of Daniel itself. Dan. 12:7 speaks of papal Rome having power to "scatter the power of the holy people," or, as given in the Revised version, "breaking in pieces the power of the holy people." The "breaking in pieces" and scattering of the literal Jewish nation, referred to by Jesus in Luke 21:24; Matt. 21:43, 44, etc., was the literal fulfilment: but in the dark ages occurred the spiritual fulfilment, when papal Rome attacked the spiritual city and temple–the church.

In the days of the New Covenant, the expression "thy people" (Dan. 12:1) refers to spiritual Israelites, who "are now the people of God" (see I Peter 2:9. 10)—spiritual Israelites in the antitypical land of Israel, preaching God's judgment-hour message based upon the antitypical application of the Palestinian sanctuary services of the old covenant. "The holy people" mentioned in Dan. 12:7 are the people of spiritual Israel. The angel informed Daniel that his last vision concerned "what shall befall thy people in the latter days." Dan. 10:14. Concerning the final events of this long prophecy we read: "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people . . . and at that time thy people shall be delivered." Dan. 12:1. While the expression' "thy people" of Dan. 10:14 referred to the Jewish nation at the downfall of literal Babylon, that of Dan. 12:1 has reference to spiritual Israel at the time of the downfall of spiritual Babylon. The change from literal to spiritual Israel is taught in the New Testament, where the rejection of the Jewish nation, for its infidelity to God, is declared. God's "chosen" people with whom He keeps covenant are those who keep His commandments. Deut. 7:9. As "the kingdom of God" has been "taken from" the Jewish nation "and given unto a nation" (Matt 21:43)–the church, which is "a spiritual house . . . an holy nation" (1 Pet. 2:5, 9) "to whom are to be fulfilled all the covenant promises" (P.K. 22, 703, 713-715), the promise of deliverance to God's "people," in Dan. 12:1, is for spiritual Israel—the church.

With the transition from literal to spiritual Israel, in the prophecies of Daniel, we also pass from literal to spiritual Rome, and from literal to spiritual Babylon.

This transition from the national to the spiritual enemies of "Israel" occurs because God's chosen people have changed fro, national to spiritual Israel. When the church became "the Israel of God," everything in the Scriptures pertaining to Israel and hi enemies automatically passed from the national and local to the spiritual and world-wide.

As mentioned in chapter 17, the Third Angel's Message i based upon the belief that the 2,300 days, of Dan. 8:14; 9:24-2: commences with the literal Jewish nation being called out of Babylon to rebuild the temple and city of Jerusalem, but ends with the call of spiritual Israel from spiritual Babylon to rebuild the spiritual temple and city of God. Rev. 11:1, 2, etc. The use of the "double, "spiritual" application in connection with the 2,300 days is representative of the many instances in the Scriptures where the application of this basic Bible principle proves that our denomination’s interpretation of the Third Angel's Message is correct.

The "double" application of the account of the last hours of literal Babylon, recorded in Dan. 5. is connected with the prophet of Dan. 10 to 12. While the Babylonians were praising their gods Cyrus and his army, having sufficiently deflected the waters of the Euphrates from their course, entered, and overthrew the city of Babylon. The prophecy of Dan. 10 to 12 commences with Cyrus (Dan. 10:1) —Israel's deliverer, and the destroyer of her Babylonian oppressors. See Jer. 50:33, 34; Isa. 45:13, etc. The "double" application of the overthrow of Babylon by Cyrus refer; to the coming of Jesus, the Almighty "Cyrus," the Shepherd-King (see regarding Cyrus in Isa. 44:28), the Lord's Anointed (see also Isa. 45:1), the Deliverer of Israel (Dan. 12:1; Isa. 45:13), the One Who bids God's people go free (Luke 4:18) to worship their God (Isa. 44: 28; 2 Chron. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:1-8). Daniel 12:1 points forward to the time when spiritual Babylon will oppress spiritual Israel, and the waters of the Euphrates that have been a bulwark and a glory to Babylon will be "dried up." Rev. 16:12. The 6th plague falls upon the "multitudes" —the waters which support the great spiritual Babylonian whore. Compare Jer. 51:13 and Rev. 17:1, 15; 16:12. Jesus comes to "deliver" His people from their Babylonian oppressors. And spiritual Israel will worship God in her native land—the eternal Canaan.

There is no suggestion of a great battle to be fought among nations as the climax of Daniel's prophecies. Dan. 12:1, 2 points to: (1) the close of probation (a world-wide event) for the spiritual Babylonian world, typified by the close of probation for literal Babylon, when God declared to them: "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting" (Dan. 5:27); (2) the standing up of Michael (affecting the whole world): the completion of Christ's priestly ministry in the heavenly temple, and the commencement of His reign (Rev. 15:8; 11:15-19, etc.); (3) the deliverance of God's people—spiritual Israel, in the spiritual world-wide land of Israel; (4) the partial and general resurrections which will be word-wide. Dan. 12:1 makes no reference to a literal conflict to ensue in Palestine. The events outlined in this verse concern the deliverance of the church and the destruction of her enemies in the world- wide, antitypical land of Israel.

The following outline briefly illustrates the principle of the transition from the literal and Palestinian to the spiritual and worldwide in the prophecies of Daniel.

In Dan. 12:7, the oath was uttered in connection with the work of the spiritual Roman desolator, the scatterer, the breaker of God's people. The question asked in Dan. 8:13: "How long shall be the vision concerning . . . the transgression of desolation [margin, "making desolate"], to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?" is not only answered in v. 14, but also in Dan. 12:7 and Rev. 10:5-7. In 1798 spiritual Rome lost her power to scatter, break and rob God's people. Since 1844 God's last-day message has brought light and power to spiritual Israel, enabling her to come out of Babylon to do the work of rebuilding and restoring the spiritual temple and city of Jerusalem, in the spiritual land of Israel. The oath uttered in Dan. 12:7, and mentioned in Rev. 10:5-7 in connection with the rise of God's last-day message calling spiritual Israel out of spiritual Babylon to her own land, connects up with the oath God made to Abraham that his seed would inherit the land. See Gen. 15:7-18; Jer. 34:18, 19; Gen. 12:1-7; Acts 7:1-5, etc. "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3: 29. God has sworn to spiritual Israel (Heb. 6:13-20) that they shall inherit the land of Israel: (1) the spiritual land of Israel with the Euphrates as one of its boundaries (see chapter on the river Euphrates) ; (2) the glorified new earth. Rom. 4:13. Since 1844 spiritual Israelites have been heeding the call of God to "come out" of spiritual Babylon, and they have been spiritually gathering to the land of Israel. See Isa. 11:11, 12. In "Early Writings," pp. 74-76, God's servant makes a spiritual application of the prophecy of Isaiah which states "the Lord . . . shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." God's servant also warns against Satan's device of persuading God's people to turn to literal Jerusalem.

In its spiritual application, the land of Israel means the place where's God blessings are fully bestowed. "The Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it." Deut. 15:4. To spiritual Israel is given the promise: "Now will I ... have mercy upon the whole house of Israel. . . . When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands. . . . Then shall they know.... I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there." Ezek. 39:25-29. When "the whole house of Israel" shall have come out of spiritual Babylon to the spiritual land of Israel, Satan will stir up the hatred of all people of all nations to unite, or "gather together," against His people. See Ezek. 38; 39; Joel 3; Zech. 12; 14; Rev. 16:12-16; 17:14; 19:11-21; Isa. 54:15, etc. After literal Israel came out of Babylon, and the "work of restoration had begun, and a remnant of Israel had already returned to Judea, Satan was determined to frustrate the carrying out of the divine purpose, and to this end he was seeking to move upon the heathen nations to destroy them utterly." P.K. 583. "As he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God." P.K. 587, 588.

When the enemies of spiritual Israel gather together against God's people they will perish on "the mountains of Israel," "without the city." See Ezek. 38, 39; Joel 3; Rev. 14:20, etc. "There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered." Dan. 12:1. The expression "thy people shall be delivered" refers to the deliverance of spiritual Israel from her spiritual enemies. The enemies of the church will never again be able to deceive or destroy the true Israel of God. In the dark ages, Satan was permitted to destroy millions of God's people, but in the closing scenes of the controversy, though bitterly persecuted, the remnant church will be preserved to meet the Lord without seeing death.

In "Early Writings," pp. 282-285, in the chapter "The Time of Trouble," God's servant refers to the deliverance of God's people mentioned in Dan. 12:1:

"The wicked rushed upon the saints to slay them; but angels . . . fought for them. Satan wished to have the privilege of destroying the saints ... but Jesus bade His angels watch over them. God would be honoured by making a covenant with those who had kept His law, in the sight of the heathen [this is an inspired comment on Ezek. 38:16, 23; 39:7, 23, 28; Joel 3, etc.] round about them; and Jesus would be honoured by translating, without their seeing death, the faithful, waiting ones who had so long expected Him.... God would not suffer His name to be reproached among the heathen.... He was to manifest His mighty power, and gloriously deliver His saints. For His name's glory He would deliver every one of those who had patiently waited for Him, and whose names were written in the book [this is a definite reference to Dan. 12:1] the people of God who had faithfully warned the world of His coming, would be delivered."

The book of Daniel closes with the promise that Daniel would stand in his "lot at the end of the days." Dan. 12:13.

The Hebrew word for "lot" is found 76 times in the Old Testament. Dr. Strong says of this word: "A portion or destiny (as if determined by lot)." See examples in Lev. 16:8, 9, 10; Num. 26:55: 33:54; 34:13; Prov. 16:33; Esther 3:7; 9:24, etc. Two main uses of this word are brought to view in the Old Testament: (1) dividing the land by lot; (2) deciding which of the two goats employed in the service of the day of atonement should represent Christ or Satan. See "Messiah in His Sanctuary," p. 142, by F. G. Gilbert; "The Great Second Advent Movement," p. 83, by J. N. Loughborough; "Daniel and Revelation," p. 317; TM. 115; PK. 547. These authors show that the term is associated with the last message at the time of the judgment–the antitypical day of atonement—prior to Israel entering into the everlasting land of Canaan.

"When Israel was about to enter into the promised land, the lot was cast, and the possession of each tribe was assigned. The tribes thus stood in their respective 'lots' long before they entered upon the actual possession of the land. The time of the cleansing of the sanctuary corresponds to this period of Israel's history. We now stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan, and decisions are being made, assigning to some a place in the eternal kingdom, and barring others forever therefrom. In the decision of his case, Daniel's portion in the celestial inheritance will be made sure to him. And with him all the faithful will also stand." "Daniel and Revelation," p. 317.

The prophecies of Daniel were not given to describe events to happen in Palestine in the last days, but to describe the experiences of spiritual Israel in all the world—the spiritual land of Israel—just before they enter into their eternal Canaan.

All Scripture points to the fact that the Hebrew prophets took the literal things of Palestine and the Jewish nation and their enemies to be types of the world-wide in relation to spiritual Israel—the church.

A general survey of the prophecies of Daniel clearly shows the principle of the "double," "spiritual" application operating throughout the book: the transition from the literal and local, in the commencement of the book and of the individual prophecies, to the spiritual and world-wide.