Appendix J: Glossary of Terms

New to prophetic study? The following terms provide a foundation: Sabbath, Seal of God, Mark of the Beast, Historicism, and 1260 years. These concepts form the framework for understanding the book's central argument.

1260 years (1260 days, 42 months, time, times, and half a time): A prophetic time period appearing in multiple forms throughout Daniel and Revelation. Using the day-year principle, 1260 prophetic days equal 1260 literal years. The period appears as: 1260 days (Revelation 11:3; 12:6), 42 months (Revelation 11:2; 13:5), and "time, times, and half a time" (Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 12:14). Protestant historicists identified this as the period of papal supremacy from 538 AD (when the last Arian kingdom was defeated) to 1798 AD (when Napoleon's general Berthier took Pope Pius VI captive). See Chapter 8 and Appendix D.
Abraham's Bosom: A Jewish idiom for the place of comfort in the afterlife, used in Jesus's parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:22). The phrase reflected common Jewish belief about the righteous resting with the patriarchs after death. Jesus used this cultural language to make a point about rejecting Scripture (Luke 16:31), not to teach the geography of the afterlife. See Appendix F.
Advaita Vedanta: A Hindu philosophical school systematized by Shankara (c. 788–820 AD) teaching non-dualism: that Brahman (ultimate reality) alone is real, the world is illusion (maya), and the individual self (atman) is identical to Brahman. The core teaching is expressed in the mahavakya (great saying) "Tat Tvam Asi" ("Thou art That") from the Chandogya Upanishad. Liberation comes through realizing one's identity with the Absolute. Contrast with Vishishtadvaita. See Chapter 10.
Alexandrian text-type: A family of Greek New Testament manuscripts originating from Alexandria, Egypt. The oldest surviving copies (Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus) belong to this family. Critical scholars favor these manuscripts for their age, while Byzantine Priority advocates note their minority status (fewer than 50 manuscripts) and frequent disagreements with each other. See Appendix I.
Anathema: A formal curse by a council of the Church (e.g., Council of Laodicea) or by a pope, excommunicating a person or denouncing a doctrine. In the medieval period, being declared "anathema" often carried civil penalties, including imprisonment, confiscation of property, or death.
Antichrist: A power or system that opposes Christ while claiming to represent Him. The term appears in 1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3, and 2 John 1:7. Protestant Reformers (Luther, Calvin, Knox, Wesley) unanimously identified the papacy as the Antichrist based on Daniel 7's "little horn" and Revelation 13's "beast from the sea"--a religious-political power that claims divine authority, persecutes the saints, and attempts to change God's law. The term "anti" in Greek means both "against" and "in place of," describing a counterfeit Christianity. See Chapter 8.
Arianism: A theological position advanced by the presbyter Arius of Alexandria in the early 4th century. It holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was begotten by God the Father at a point in time, is distinct from the Father and is therefore subordinate to the Father. Arianism was condemned as a heresy by the First Council of Nicaea of 325.
Beast (prophetic): In Daniel and Revelation, beasts symbolize kingdoms or powers. Daniel 7 presents four beasts representing Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The fourth beast sprouts a "little horn" (the papacy) that persecutes the saints and thinks to change times and laws. Revelation 13 describes a sea beast (papal Rome) and an earth beast. The KJV identifies this second beast as "the false prophet" (Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). It appears lamb-like (Christian) but speaks as a dragon (serves Satan's purposes) by directing worship toward Rome's system.
Byzantine text-type: The majority Greek New Testament manuscript tradition, representing approximately 95% of surviving complete manuscripts. Also called the "Majority Text." These manuscripts show consistent agreement across centuries and continents. The Textus Receptus underlying the KJV belongs to this family. See Appendix I.
Canon (of Scripture): The list of books considered to be authoritative Scripture by a particular religious community. The Protestant canon consists of 66 books (39 Old Testament, 27 New Testament). The Catholic canon includes additional deuterocanonical books (the Apocrypha), totaling 73 books.
CBGM (Coherence-Based Genealogical Method): A computer-assisted methodology developed by the Institute for New Testament Textual Research (Münster, Germany) for analyzing manuscript relationships. CBGM analyzes textual coherence to determine likely directions of textual change, building genealogical relationships without requiring a complete stemma (family tree). The methodology powers recent editions of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament. Critics from Byzantine/TR perspectives argue that initial editorial decisions about "priority" shape the algorithm's output, and that coherence analysis cannot settle priority questions. Defenders counter that CBGM provides more rigorous analysis than previous methods. The debate continues in scholarly literature. See Appendix I.
Codex: A manuscript in book form (bound pages) rather than a scroll. The major biblical manuscripts are named as codices: Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus. The codex format, adopted by early Christians, allowed quick reference between passages, an advantage over scrolls for a religion built on cross-referencing prophecy with fulfillment. See Appendix I.
Critical Text: The Greek New Testament reconstructed by modern scholars using primarily Alexandrian manuscripts. The Nestle-Aland and United Bible Societies editions are Critical Texts. Most modern Bible translations (NIV, ESV, NASB) are based on the Critical Text rather than the Textus Receptus. See Appendix I.
Day-year principle: A method of prophetic interpretation in which one prophetic day equals one literal year. This principle is derived from Numbers 14:34 ("each day for a year") and Ezekiel 4:6 ("I have appointed thee each day for a year"). Using this principle, the 1,260 days of Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12:6 become 1,260 literal years (538-1798 AD).
Dispensationalism: A Protestant theological system that interprets biblical history as a series of "dispensations" or divinely administered time periods. Popularized by John Nelson Darby and the Scofield Reference Bible, it teaches a form of futurism, including a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church and a literal seven-year tribulation period before Christ's second coming.
Ecclesiology: The theological study of the Christian Church, including its nature, origin, purpose, and governance. The term is used in this book to discuss the distinction between the "visible church" (institutional organizations) and the "invisible church" (the true body of believers known to God).
Ecumenism: The movement seeking unity among Christian denominations and between Christianity and other world religions. In prophetic context, the mechanism building toward the "image to the beast" (Revelation 13:14) by uniting Protestant churches under Rome's doctrinal authority--particularly Sunday observance. The ecumenical movement prioritizes unity over doctrinal fidelity, erasing the distinctions that once separated Protestantism from Rome. See Chapter 10.
False Prophet: The KJV's explicit identification of the earth beast (second beast) of Revelation 13:11-18. Three passages name this power directly: Revelation 16:13, 19:20, and 20:10. The false prophet appears "like a lamb" (Christ-like, Christian) but "speaks as a dragon" (serves Satan while claiming Christ). It performs miracles, creates an image to the first beast, and enforces the mark.
First Angel's Message: The opening proclamation of Revelation 14:6-7: "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." The call to worship the Creator echoes the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:11), pointing to seventh-day Sabbath observance as the Creator's appointed worship day. The phrase "the hour of his judgment is come" indicates this message applies during the investigative judgment that began in 1844. See Chapter 4.
Futurism: An interpretation of biblical prophecy that places most or all prophetic events in a yet-future time, particularly a final "end-time" period. This view was developed by Jesuit Francisco Ribera in 1590 to counter the Protestant historicist interpretation that identified the papacy as the Antichrist. It is the basis for modern dispensationalist theology.
Gnosticism: A collection of ancient religious ideas and systems that originated in the first century AD among early Christian and Jewish sects. Gnostics taught that the material world was created by an inferior or evil deity (the demiurge) and that salvation could be gained through secret knowledge (gnosis) of one's true spiritual nature. Gnosticism was one of the earliest major heresies condemned by the early Church.
Heavenly Sanctuary: The true tabernacle in heaven of which Moses' earthly sanctuary was a copy (Hebrews 8:2, 9:11). Christ ministers as High Priest in this sanctuary (Hebrews 8:1-2). The earthly sanctuary had two apartments: the Holy Place (daily ministry) and the Most Holy Place (yearly Day of Atonement). Christ's ministry follows this pattern: intercession in the Holy Place (from His ascension), then investigative judgment in the Most Holy Place (from 1844). See Chapter 4.
Historicism: The method of interpreting biblical prophecies as finding fulfillment throughout history, from the time of the prophet to the end of the world. This was the standard view of the Protestant Reformers (including Luther, Calvin, and Newton), who identified the papacy as the Antichrist power prophesied in Daniel and Revelation, with the 1260-year prophecy corresponding to the period of papal supremacy from 538 to 1798 AD.
Image to the Beast: A religious-political system that mirrors the characteristics of the first beast (papal Rome). Revelation 13:14-15 describes the second beast (the false prophet) creating this image and giving it power to enforce worship. In historicist interpretation, the image forms when Protestant churches abandon sola scriptura and unite with civil government to enforce religious observance--particularly Sunday laws--replicating Rome's medieval union of church and state. The ecumenical movement builds toward this unity. See Chapter 5.
Inquisition: A system of tribunals established by the medieval Catholic Church to investigate and prosecute heresy. The Medieval Inquisition (1184), Spanish Inquisition (1478), and Roman Inquisition (1542) used torture, imprisonment, and execution. Inquisition records document persecution of Sabbath-keepers, Waldenses, and others who held Scripture above church tradition. See Appendix D.
Investigative Judgment (Pre-Advent Judgment): The examination of the heavenly records that began in 1844, when Christ entered the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. Also called the "pre-advent judgment" because it occurs before Christ's second advent (return). Based on Daniel 8:14 ("then shall the sanctuary be cleansed") and Daniel 7:10 ("The judgment was set, and the books were opened"). This judgment is not to determine if believers are forgiven (the blood of Christ already covers that) but to demonstrate to the watching universe that God's mercy is just, that those He saves genuinely surrendered to Christ. It corresponds to the Day of Atonement in the earthly sanctuary (Leviticus 16) and concludes before Christ's return, as confirmed by Revelation 22:11-12: Christ arrives with rewards already determined. See Chapter 4 for full explanation.
Katargeo (καταργέω): Greek verb meaning "to render inoperative," "to abolish," or "to do away with." Appears in key passages debating law and grace: 2 Corinthians 3:13 (Moses' veil), Ephesians 2:15 (enmity abolished), Romans 3:31 ("Do we then make void the law?"). Context determines what is abolished: the ceremonial system, the condemnation of the law, or the law's power over those in Christ--not the moral law itself. Paul explicitly denies abolishing the law in Romans 3:31: "Do we then make void [katargeo] the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
Little horn: The power described in Daniel 7:8, 24-25 that arises from the fourth beast (Rome), uproots three kingdoms, speaks great words against God, persecutes the saints, and "thinks to change times and laws." Protestant Reformers unanimously identified this as the papacy. The 1,260-year reign predicted for this power (538-1798 AD) matches papal history precisely.
Lucian recension: A theory proposed by Westcott and Hort (1881) claiming that Lucian of Antioch (d. 312 AD) created the Byzantine text-type by standardizing earlier manuscripts. This theory explained why Byzantine manuscripts agree so consistently. However, the theory has been largely abandoned even by critical scholars; Kurt and Barbara Aland acknowledged it "can no longer be maintained" because patristic quotations before Lucian already reflect Byzantine readings. See Appendix I.
Mark of the Beast: The sign of allegiance to the beast power described in Revelation 13:16-17. In contrast to the Seal of God (the Sabbath), the mark represents submission to human religious authority over divine command. In the historicist interpretation, the mark is received by those who knowingly choose enforced Sunday worship over Sabbath observance when faced with a test of loyalty--whether through conviction (forehead) or compliance under pressure (hand).
Masoretic Text: The authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. The Masoretes were groups of Jewish scribe-scholars who worked between the 7th and 10th centuries AD. The Masoretic Text is the basis for the Protestant Old Testament.
Mercy Seat: The gold lid of the Ark of the Covenant, located in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary. God's presence dwelt between the two cherubim on the mercy seat (Exodus 25:17-22). On the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled sacrificial blood on the mercy seat to make atonement for Israel's sins (Leviticus 16:14-15). The Hebrew word kapporeth means "covering" or "place of propitiation."
Millennium: The thousand-year period described in Revelation 20:1-7. During this time, Satan is bound, and the saints reign with Christ. In historicist interpretation, the millennium begins at Christ's second coming, when the righteous dead are resurrected and the living righteous are transformed (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The earth lies desolate during this period, while the saints participate in the judgment in heaven (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). The millennium ends with the resurrection of the wicked, Satan's final deception, and the destruction of sin by fire (Revelation 20:9).
Patristic (patristics): Relating to the early church fathers (patres = fathers in Latin) and their writings. "Patristic evidence" refers to quotations of Scripture found in the writings of church fathers from the 2nd-4th centuries AD. These quotations help establish which biblical readings existed before any given manuscript was copied, since fathers quoted Scripture in sermons, commentaries, and theological treatises. Dean Burgon collated 86,000+ patristic quotations to demonstrate that Byzantine text readings existed before the 4th century. See Appendix I.
Principle of Least Action: A fundamental principle in physics stating that physical systems follow the one optimal path among infinite possibilities. Developed by Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis (1750) explicitly to prove God's existence, and extended by Leonhard Euler and Joseph-Louis Lagrange. The principle demonstrates that derived reality aligns with its governing source. In this book, the principle illustrates the Father-Son relationship: the Son follows the Father's will perfectly (one path), just as creation follows its governing principles. The Sabbath applies this pattern to time: one day is set apart by the Creator, not by human choice. See Appendix G.
Preterism: An interpretation of biblical prophecy that sees most or all prophecies as having been fulfilled in the past, particularly during the first century AD. This view was developed by Jesuit Luis de Alcazar in 1614 as a counter-interpretation to Protestant historicism. Preterists typically see the "beast" of Revelation as the Roman Emperor Nero and the fall of "Babylon" as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Rapture: The catching up of believers to meet Christ at His second coming, based on 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (Latin rapiemur, "we shall be caught up"). Dispensationalism teaches a "secret rapture" occurring seven years before Christ's visible return, removing the church before the tribulation. Historicism rejects this two-phase return, holding that the rapture occurs at Christ's single, visible, audible second coming (Matthew 24:30-31; Revelation 1:7), when "every eye shall see him." The secret rapture doctrine was popularized in the 1830s through John Nelson Darby and has no patristic or Reformation-era support.
Remnant: In Scripture, the faithful minority who remain loyal to God when the majority falls away. Revelation 12:17 identifies the end-time remnant as those who "keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 14:12 further describes them as having "the faith of Jesus" and keeping "the commandments of God," including the seventh-day Sabbath.
Sabbath: The seventh day of the week (Saturday), established at Creation (Genesis 2:1-3) and commanded in the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11). The Sabbath runs from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. It is the sign of God's creative and sanctifying power (Ezekiel 20:12) and the Seal of God in contrast to the mark of the beast. Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), and the apostles continued observing it after the resurrection (Acts 13:14, 42-44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4).
Sabbatismos (σαββατισμός): Greek noun meaning "Sabbath rest" or "Sabbath-keeping," appearing only in Hebrews 4:9: "There remaineth therefore a rest [sabbatismos] to the people of God." The word differs from katapausis (general rest) used elsewhere in Hebrews 3-4. While katapausis describes God's rest after Creation, sabbatismos specifically denotes Sabbath observance. The author's deliberate word choice indicates that literal seventh-day Sabbath-keeping remains for New Covenant believers. Early church father evidence confirms this reading: the term appears in Plutarch and other sources specifically meaning "to keep the Sabbath." See Chapter 9 and Appendix B.
Sanctify: To set apart as holy; to dedicate to sacred purpose. When God "sanctified" the seventh day (Genesis 2:3), He set it apart from the other six as holy time. When Scripture says God gave the Sabbath "that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them" (Ezekiel 20:12), it means God is the One who makes His people holy, set apart for His purposes.
Scapegoat (Azazel): One of two goats used on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The first goat was sacrificed as a sin offering, representing Christ's death for sinners. Over the second goat (the scapegoat), the high priest confessed all Israel's sins, then it was led into the wilderness "by the hand of a fit man" (Leviticus 16:21-22). The Hebrew word azazel likely means "complete removal." The scapegoat represents Satan bearing ultimate responsibility for sin after the judgment, while the sacrificed goat represents Christ who died for sin. See Chapter 8.
Seal (prophetic): In ancient usage, a seal authenticated documents and marked ownership. A seal contains three elements: the name of the authority, their title or office, and their territory or domain. In prophetic context, God's seal marks His people as belonging to Him (Ezekiel 9:4; Revelation 7:3). The Fourth Commandment uniquely contains all three seal elements: "the LORD" (name), "made" (title: Creator), "heaven and earth, the sea" (territory). See Seal of God.
Seal of God: The sign of allegiance to the Creator, placed on the foreheads of God's people (Revelation 7:2-3; 14:1). In contrast to the mark of the beast, the seal represents loyalty to God's authority. The Sabbath functions as this seal because it contains all elements of a seal: the name (the LORD), title (Creator), and territory (heaven and earth) of the Lawgiver (Exodus 20:8-11). See Ezekiel 20:12, 20.
Second Angel's Message: The proclamation of Revelation 14:8: "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Babylon represents false religious systems that teach doctrines contrary to Scripture, particularly Sunday worship in place of the seventh-day Sabbath. The call to leave Babylon intensifies as judgment approaches (Revelation 18:4). See Chapter 4 and Chapter 13.
Septuagint (LXX): A Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. It was the version of the Old Testament used by the apostles and early Christians. It includes the deuterocanonical books (the Apocrypha).
Sola Scriptura: Latin for "by Scripture alone." The Protestant Reformation doctrine that the Bible is the supreme authority in all matters of doctrine and practice. It stands in contrast to the Catholic position of Scripture and Tradition as co-equal authorities.
Soul sleep: The doctrine that the dead remain unconscious until the resurrection, based on Ecclesiastes 9:5 ("the dead know not any thing") and Psalm 146:4. Also called "conditional immortality." This view holds that immortality is granted only at the resurrection, not possessed inherently by the soul. See Appendix F.
Subordinationist Trinity (Pre-Nicene Biblical Subordinationism): The position held by pre-Nicene church fathers (Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen) that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three eternal persons united in witness and purpose, but with the Father as supreme head. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father: not created, not made, but begotten before all worlds. Distinguished from the Nicene formula of "three co-equal persons of one substance." Distinguished from Arianism (which teaches Christ was created). Scripture basis: John 17:3 ("thee the only true God"), John 14:28 ("my Father is greater than I"), 1 Corinthians 15:28 (Son "subject unto" Father), 1 John 5:7 (three bear record, these three are one). Isaac Newton held this position. See Appendix G.
Stoicheia (στοιχεῖα): Greek noun meaning "elementary principles," "basic elements," or "elemental spirits." Appears in Galatians 4:3, 9 and Colossians 2:8, 20. Some interpreters cite these passages as evidence that the moral law (including the Sabbath) was abolished. However, context shows Paul addresses pre-Christian religious systems (Jewish ceremonialism and pagan astral worship), not God's eternal law. In Galatians 4, the "elements" are what both Jews and Gentiles were under before coming to Christ (v. 3), returning to which would be spiritual regression (v. 9). In Colossians 2, the "rudiments of the world" are contrasted with "Christ" (v. 8), referring to human philosophy and tradition--not the commandments God Himself wrote in stone. See Appendix B.
Sunday: The first day of the week, named after the sun in pagan Roman culture (dies Solis). No biblical command establishes Sunday as a day of worship. The change from Sabbath (seventh day) to Sunday (first day) was gradual, beginning in the 2nd century and becoming official through Roman legislation: Constantine's Sunday law (321 AD) and the Council of Laodicea's anathema against Sabbath rest (364 AD). The Catholic Church claims this change as proof of its authority over Scripture. In prophetic context, enforced Sunday worship constitutes the mark of the beast, accepting human religious authority over God's explicit command. See Chapter 3 and Appendix C.
Textus Receptus: Latin for "Received Text." The name given to the succession of Greek New Testament texts printed in the 16th and 17th centuries, beginning with the work of Erasmus. It is based on the vast majority of existing Greek manuscripts (the Byzantine text-type) and was the Greek text used for the translation of the King James Version and other Reformation-era Bibles.
Third Angel's Message: The solemn warning of Revelation 14:9-11 against receiving the mark of the beast: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God." This message warns against accepting Sunday worship when enforced by civil power (the mark of the beast) rather than keeping God's seventh-day Sabbath (the seal of God). The remnant who heed this warning "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12). See Chapter 4 and Chapter 5.
Three Angels' Messages: The final warning to humanity described in Revelation 14:6-12. The first angel proclaims the everlasting gospel and calls humanity to worship the Creator; the second announces Babylon's fall; the third warns against receiving the mark of the beast. These messages identify the end-time remnant who keep God's commandments. See Chapter 4.
Vishishtadvaita: A Hindu philosophical school developed by Ramanuja (c. 1017–1137 AD) teaching "qualified non-dualism." Unlike Advaita's claim of identity with Brahman, Vishishtadvaita holds that the soul is eternally distinct from God, related to Him as body to soul, intimately connected but never identical. Liberation comes through bhakti (devotion) and sharanagati (surrender), not through realizing identity with the Absolute. Even in liberation, the soul continues in loving relationship with God. Contrast with Advaita Vedanta. See Chapter 10.
Waldenses: Medieval Christians in the Alpine valleys of northern Italy and southern France who preserved Scripture and Sabbath observance through centuries of papal persecution. Inquisition records document their Saturday worship. They were nearly exterminated in the Piedmont Massacre of 1655, which John Milton mourned in his sonnet "Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughter'd Saints." Their survival demonstrates the unbroken thread of Sabbath-keeping from the apostles to the present.
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): The most solemn day in the Hebrew calendar, occurring on the tenth day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:27). The only day when the high priest entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the nation's sins. Observance includes complete fasting (25 hours), abstention from work, and confession. Jews called it "the day of dread" because one's eternal destiny was considered sealed on this day. The Day of Atonement foreshadows Christ's final ministry in the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:7, 11-12). See Chapter 8.