Daniel 7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first" .... 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
In this passage of scripture The Lord is clearly stating through the prophet Daniel that there would be attempts made to change or abrogate the sacred law, given to us as the rule and guide of life. Back in the days of the Hebrews there were pagan nations who wanted nothing to do with God and His laws, and so they set up their own forms of religion in opposition to the divine precepts. But the little horn spoken of in Daniel 7:25 has gone much further in his attempts to not only change, but to take away several statements made by God in the ten commandments, thereby effectively saying that non-compliance with the original document does not constitute sin.
When this poisonous draft of the wine of Babylon is imbibed, it renders the atonement that was accomplished at such great cost unnecessary and obsolete, for where there is no sin, there can be no need of a Savior, and where there is no need of a Savior, there can be no need to preach the gospel. And so, by this one brazen act of rebellion and high-handed sin, the little horn has wiped out the need for the plan of salvation in the minds of millions of people, and in its stead has set up a man-made system of righteousness that draws heavily on good works, penances, and a host of unscriptural rites and ceremonies, which grant to all who subscribe to it, a false sense of spiritual security and a place in God's kingdom.
In the Catechism of the Roman Catholic church, the attempted change can be clearly seen, for the last of the ten commandments has been split into two parts to make up for the second one that speaks against the worship of idols, and which has been diluted altogether, being added to the first, and the fourth commandment which delineates which day is the Sabbath, has been so watered down and distorted, that the original clarity given by God, has now become a maze of indistinct utterances that causes billions of people to beat about on the rocks of infidelity. For those who may not be acquainted with the attempted change, we will first present the original of the first and second, so that the distinct commands of God may be made plain. Let's read:
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
And here is the altered version of the first and second commandments, taken directly from the Roman Catechism. The original of the second contains ninety one words, whereas the altered version combines the first and the second into one, and has only seventy four words, thereby creating a deficit of twenty five important words. Let's read:
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them.3
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.72
These changes have caused millions of honest -hearted Christians to be led astray, and it draws a stern warning from God who has repeatedly stated in His word that no alterations, additions or subtractions to what He has written must ever be attempted, for it will bring very stern judgments upon the perpetrators, because of the ruin caused to so many members of the human family. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 5:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
Revelation 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words" .... "of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city" .....
In our day and in our own experiences, it is imperative that we follow a plain "Thus saith The Lord" without turning to the right hand or to the left, for therein lies our only safety, as we journey to the kingdom of glory. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that encourages us to walk in the footsteps of Christ, who was faithful in keeping all of God's commandments, with no variations, amendments, or changes whatsoever. Let's read:
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!