THE GREAT PROPHETIC PERIOD

Ancient Babylon took away the typical service by the destruction of the temple at the capture of Jerusalem. This service was restored at the rebuilding of Jerusalem, but was perverted into mere formalism by the Jews, and was taken away by Christ at the first advent, when He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances, and "took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross." Col. 2: 14. He then became "a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man" Heb. 8: 2. Thus He established the service in the heavenly sanctuary." Heb. 8:2. The little horn, the Papacy, as far as was within its power, took away from the people the mediation of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, and substituted for it the Roman priesthood, with the Pope as Pontifex Maximus, or high priest. Power over this truth of the gospel and over the people of God was allowed to the Papacy because of transgression. Dan. 8:12, just as the people of Jerusalem were given into the hand of the king of ancient Babylon for the same reason. 1 Chron. 9:1 Thus has the Papacy "cast down the truth to the ground," and has trodden underfoot the sanctuary and the people of God.