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A Great
religious awakening under the proclamation of Christ's soon coming
is foretold in the prophecy of the first angel's message of
Revelation 14. An angel is seen flying "in the midst of heaven,
having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the
earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people."
"With a loud voice" he proclaims the message: "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." Verses 6, 7.
The fact that an angel is said to be
the herald of this warning is significant. By the purity, the glory, and
the power of the heavenly messenger, divine wisdom has been pleased to
represent the exalted character of the work to be accomplished by the
message and the power and glory that were to attend it. And the angel's
flight "in the midst of heaven," the "loud voice" with which the warning
is uttered, and its promulgation to all "that dwell on the earth,"--"to
every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,"--give evidence of
the rapidity and world-wide extent of the movement.
The message itself sheds light as to
the time when this movement is to take place. It is declared to be a
part of the "everlasting gospel;" and it announces the opening of the
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judgment. The message of salvation has
been preached in all ages; but this message is a part of the gospel
which could be proclaimed only in the last days, for only then would it
be true that the hour of judgment
had come
. The prophecies present a succession of
events leading down to the opening of the judgment. This is especially
true of the book of Daniel. But that part of his prophecy which related
to the last days, Daniel was bidden to close up and seal "to the time of
the end." Not till we reach this time could a message concerning the
judgment be proclaimed, based on the fulfillment of these prophecies.
But at the time of the end, says the prophet, "many shall run to and
fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Daniel 12:4.
The apostle Paul warned the church not
to look for the coming of Christ in his day. "That day shall not come,"
he says, "except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be
revealed." 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Not till after the great apostasy, and
the long period of the reign of the "man of sin," can we look for the
advent of our Lord. The "man of sin," which is also styled "the mystery
of iniquity," "the son of perdition," and "that wicked," represents the
papacy, which, as foretold in prophecy, was to maintain its supremacy
for 1260 years. This period ended in 1798. The coming of Christ could
not take place before that time. Paul covers with his caution the whole
of the Christian dispensation down to the year 1798. It is this side of
that time that the message of Christ's second coming is to be
proclaimed.
No such message has ever been given in
past ages. Paul, as we have seen, did not preach it; he pointed his
brethren into the then far-distant future for the coming of the Lord.
The Reformers did not proclaim it. Martin Luther placed the judgment
about three hundred years in the future from his day. But since 1798 the
book of Daniel has been unsealed, knowledge of the prophecies has
increased, and many have proclaimed the solemn message of the judgment
near.
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Like the great Reformation of the
sixteenth century, the advent movement appeared in different countries
of Christendom at the same time. In both Europe and America men of faith
and prayer were led to the study of the prophecies, and, tracing down
the inspired record, they saw convincing evidence that the end of all
things was at hand. In different lands there were isolated bodies of
Christians who, solely by the study of the Scriptures, arrived at the
belief that the Saviour's advent was near.
In 1821, three years after Miller had
arrived at his exposition of the prophecies pointing to the time of the
judgment, Dr. Joseph Wolff, "the missionary to the world," began to
proclaim the Lord's soon coming. Wolff was born in Germany, of Hebrew
parentage, his father being a Jewish rabbi. While very young he was
convinced of the truth of the Christian religion. Of an active,
inquiring mind, he had been an eager listener to the conversations that
took place in his father's house as devout Hebrews daily assembled to
recount the hopes and anticipations of their people, the glory of the
coming Messiah, and the restoration of Israel. One day hearing Jesus of
Nazareth mentioned, the boy inquired who He was. "A Jew of the greatest
talent," was the answer; "but as He pretended to be the Messiah, the
Jewish tribunal sentenced Him to death." "Why," rejoined the questioner,
"is Jerusalem destroyed, and why are we in captivity?" "Alas, alas!"
answered his father, "because the Jews murdered the prophets." The
thought was at once suggested to the child: "Perhaps Jesus was also a
prophet, and the Jews killed Him when He was innocent."--
Travels and Adventures of the Rev. Joseph Wolff,
vol. 1, p. 6. So strong was this feeling
that, though forbidden to enter a Christian church, he would often
linger outside to listen to the preaching.
When only seven years old he was
boasting to an aged Christian neighbor of the future triumph of Israel
at the advent of the Messiah, when the old man said kindly: "Dear boy, I
will tell you who the real Messiah was: He was Jesus
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of Nazareth, . . . whom your ancestors
have crucified, as they did the prophets of old. Go home and read the
fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, and you will be convinced that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God."--
Ibid., vol. 1, p. 7.
Conviction at once fastened upon him. He went home and read the
scripture, wondering to see how perfectly it had been fulfilled in Jesus
of Nazareth. Were the words of the Christian true? The boy asked of his
father an explanation of the prophecy, but was met with a silence so
stern that he never again dared to refer to the subject. This, however,
only increased his desire to know more of the Christian religion.
The knowledge he sought was studiously
kept from him in his Jewish home; but, when only eleven years old, he
left his father's house and went out into the world to gain for himself
an education, to choose his religion and his lifework. He found a home
for a time with kinsmen, but was soon driven from them as an apostate,
and alone and penniless he had to make his own way among strangers. He
went from place to place, studying diligently and maintaining himself by
teaching Hebrew. Through the influence of a Catholic instructor he was
led to accept the Romish faith and formed the purpose of becoming a
missionary to his own people. With this object he went, a few years
later, to pursue his studies in the College of the Propaganda at Rome.
Here his habit of independent thought and candid speech brought upon him
the imputation of heresy. He openly attacked the abuses of the church
and urged the necessity of reform. Though at first treated with special
favor by the papal dignitaries, he was after a time removed from Rome.
Under the surveillance of the church he went from place to place, until
it became evident that he could never be brought to submit to the
bondage of Romanism. He was declared to be incorrigible and was left at
liberty to go where he pleased. He now made his way to England and,
professing the Protestant faith, united with the English Church. After
two years' study he set out, in 1821, upon his mission.
While Wolff accepted the great truth
of Christ's first
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advent as "a Man of Sorrows, and
acquainted with grief," he saw that the prophecies bring to view with
equal clearness His second advent with power and glory. And while he
sought to lead his people to Jesus of Nazareth as the Promised One, and
to point them to His first coming in humiliation as a sacrifice for the
sins of men, he taught them also of His second coming as a king and
deliverer.
"Jesus of Nazareth, the true Messiah,"
he said, "whose hands and feet were pierced, who was brought like a lamb
to the slaughter, who was the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief,
who after the scepter was taken from Judah, and the legislative power
from between his feet, came the first time; shall come the second time
in the clouds of heaven, and with the trump of the Archangel" (Joseph
Wolff, Researches and
Missionary Labors, page 62)
"and shall stand upon the Mount of Olives; and that dominion, once
consigned to Adam over the creation, and forfeited by him (Genesis 1:26;
3:17), shall be given to Jesus. He shall be king over all the earth. The
groanings and lamentations of the creation shall cease, but songs of
praises and thanksgivings shall be heard. ... When Jesus comes in the
glory of His Father, with the holy angels,... the dead believers shall
rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:32. This is what we
Christians call the first resurrection. Then the animal kingdom shall
change its nature (Isaiah 11:6-9), and be subdued unto Jesus. Psalm 8.
Universal peace shall prevail."--
Journal of the Rev. Joseph Wolff,
pages 378, 379. "The Lord again shall
look down upon the earth, and say, 'Behold, it is very good.'"--
Ibid.,
page 294.
Wolff believed the coming of the Lord
to be at hand, his interpretation of the prophetic periods placing the
great consummation within a very few years of the time pointed out by
Miller. To those who urged from the scripture, "Of that day and hour
knoweth no man," that men are to know nothing concerning the nearness of
the advent, Wolff replied: "Did our Lord say that that day and hour
should never
be known? Did He not give us signs of the
times, in order
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that we may know at least the
approach
of His coming, as one knows the approach
of the summer by the fig tree putting forth its leaves? Matthew 24:32.
Are we never to know that period, whilst He Himself exhorteth us not
only to read Daniel the prophet, but to understand it? and in that very
Daniel, where it is said that the words were shut up to the time of the
end (which was the case in his time), and that 'many shall run to and
fro' (a Hebrew expression for observing and thinking upon the time),
'and knowledge'
(regarding that time) 'shall be
increased.' Daniel 12:4. Besides this, our Lord does not intend to say
by this, that the approach
of the time shall not be
known, but that the exact 'day
and
hour
knoweth no man.' Enough, He does say,
shall be known by the signs of the times, to induce us to prepare for
His coming, as Noah prepared the ark."--Wolff,
Researches and Missionary Labors,
pages 404, 405.
Concerning the popular system of
interpreting, or misinterpreting, the Scriptures, Wolff wrote: "The
greater part of the Christian church have swerved from the plain sense
of Scripture, and have turned to the phantomizing system of the
Buddhists, who believe that the future happiness of mankind will consist
in moving about in the air, and suppose that when they are reading
Jews
they must understand
Gentiles;
and when they read
Jerusalem,
they must understand the
church;
and if it is said
earth,
it means
sky;
and for coming of the
Lord
they must understand the progress of the
missionary societies;
and going up to the mountain of the
Lord's house, signifies a grand
class meeting of Methodists." --Journal
of the Rev. Joseph Wolff, page
96.
During the twenty-four years from 1821
to 1845, Wolff traveled extensively: in Africa, visiting Egypt and
Abyssinia; in Asia, traversing Palestine, Syria, Persia, Bokhara, and
India. He also visited the United States, on the journey thither
preaching on the island of Saint Helena. He arrived in New York in
August, 1837; and, after speaking in that city, he preached in
Philadelphia and Baltimore, and finally proceeded to Washington. Here,
he says, "on a motion brought
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forward by the ex-President, John Quincy
Adams, in one of the houses of Congress, the House unanimously granted
to me the use of the Congress Hall for a lecture, which I delivered on a
Saturday, honored with the presence of all the members of Congress, and
also of the bishop of Virginia, and of the clergy and citizens of
Washington. The same honor was granted to me by the members of the
government of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in whose presence I delivered
lectures on my researches in Asia, and also on the personal reign of
Jesus Christ."-- Ibid.,
pages 398, 399.
Dr. Wolff traveled in the most
barbarous countries without the protection of any European authority,
enduring many hardships and surrounded with countless perils. He was
bastinadoed and starved, sold as a slave, and three times condemned to
death. He was beset by robbers, and sometimes nearly perished from
thirst. Once he was stripped of all that he possessed and left to travel
hundreds of miles on foot through the mountains, the snow beating in his
face and his naked feet benumbed by contact with the frozen ground.
When warned against going unarmed
among savage and hostile tribes, he declared himself "provided with
arms"-- "prayer, zeal for Christ, and confidence in His help." "I am
also," he said, "provided with the love of God and my neighbor in my
heart, and the Bible is in my hand."--W.H.D. Adams,
In Perils Oft,
page 192. The Bible in Hebrew and English
he carried with him wherever he went. Of one of his later journeys he
says: "I . . . kept the Bible open in my hand. I felt my power was in
the Book, and that its might would sustain me."--
Ibid., page 201.
Thus he persevered in his labors until
the message of the judgment had been carried to a large part of the
habitable globe. Among Jews, Turks, Parsees, Hindus, and many other
nationalities and races he distributed the word of God in these various
tongues and everywhere heralded the approaching reign of the Messiah.
In his travels in Bokhara he found the
doctrine of the Lord's soon coming held by a remote and isolated people.
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The Arabs of Yemen, he says, "are in
possession of a book called
Seera, which gives notice of
the second coming of Christ and His reign in glory; and they expect
great events to take place in the year 1840."--
Journal of the Rev. Joseph Wolff,
page 377. "In Yemen . . . I spent six
days with the children of Rechab. They drink no wine, plant no vineyard,
sow no seed, and live in tents, and remember good old Jonadab, the son
of Rechab; and I found in their company children of Israel, of the tribe
of Dan, . . . who expect, with the children of Rechab, the speedy
arrival of the Messiah in the clouds of heaven."--
Ibid., page 389.
A similar belief was found by another
missionary to exist in Tatary. A Tatar priest put the question to the
missionary as to when Christ would come the second time. When the
missionary answered that he knew nothing about it, the priest seemed
greatly surprised at such ignorance in one who professed to be a Bible
teacher, and stated his own belief, founded on prophecy, that Christ
would come about 1844.
As early as 1826 the advent message
began to be preached in England. The movement here did not take so
definite a form as in America; the exact time of the advent was not so
generally taught, but the great truth of Christ's soon coming in power
and glory was extensively proclaimed. And this not among the dissenters
and nonconformists only. Mourant Brock, an English writer, states that
about seven hundred ministers of the Church of England were engaged in
preaching "this gospel of the kingdom." The message pointing to 1844 as
the time of the Lord's coming was also given in Great Britain. Advent
publications from the United States were widely circulated. Books and
journals were republished in England. And in 1842 Robert Winter, an
Englishman by birth, who had received the advent faith in America,
returned to his native country to herald the coming of the Lord. Many
united with him in the work, and the message of the judgment was
proclaimed in various parts of England.
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In South America, in the midst of
barbarism and priest-craft, Lacunza, a Spaniard and a Jesuit, found his
way to the Scriptures and thus received the truth of Christ's speedy
return. Impelled to give the warning, yet desiring to escape the
censures of Rome, he published his views under the assumed name of
"Rabbi Ben-Ezra," representing himself as a converted Jew. Lacunza lived
in the eighteenth century, but it was about 1825 that his book, having
found its way to London, was translated into the English language. Its
publication served to deepen the interest already awakening in England
in the subject of the second advent.
In Germany the doctrine had been
taught in the eighteenth century by Bengel, a minister in the Lutheran
Church and a celebrated Biblical scholar and critic. Upon completing his
education, Bengel had "devoted himself to the study of theology, to
which the grave and religious tone of his mind, deepened by his early
training and discipline, naturally inclined him. Like other young men of
thoughtful character, before and since, he had to struggle with doubts
and difficulties of a religious nature, and he alludes, with much
feeling, to the 'many arrows which pierced his poor heart, and made his
youth hard to bear.'" Becoming a member of the consistory of
Wurttemberg, he advocated the cause of religious liberty. "While
maintaining the rights and privileges of the church, he was an advocate
for all reasonable freedom being accorded to those who felt themselves
bound, on grounds of conscience, to withdraw from her communion."--
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th
ed., art. "Bengel." The good effects of this policy are still felt in
his native province.
It was while preparing a sermon from
Revelation 21 for advent Sunday that the light of Christ's second coming
broke in upon Bengel's mind. The prophecies of the Revelation unfolded
to his understanding as never before. Overwhelmed with a sense of the
stupendous importance and surpassing glory of the scenes presented by
the prophet, he was forced to turn for a time from the contemplation of
the subject. In the
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pulpit it again presented itself to him
with all its vividness and power. From that time he devoted himself to
the study of the prophecies, especially those of the Apocalypse, and
soon arrived at the belief that they pointed to the coming of Christ as
near. The date which he fixed upon as the time of the second advent was
within a very few years of that afterward held by Miller.
Bengel's writings have been spread
throughout Christendom. His views of prophecy were quite generally
received in his own state of Wurttemberg, and to some extent in other
parts of Germany. The movement continued after his death, and the advent
message was heard in Germany at the same time that it was attracting
attention in other lands. At an early date some of the believers went to
Russia and there formed colonies, and the faith of Christ's soon coming
is still held by the German churches of that country.
The light shone also in France and
Switzerland. At Geneva where Farel and Calvin had spread the truth of
the Reformation, Gaussen preached the message of the second advent.
While a student at school, Gaussen had encountered that spirit of
rationalism which pervaded all Europe during the latter part of the
eighteenth and the opening of the nineteenth century; and when he
entered the ministry he was not only ignorant of true faith, but
inclined to skepticism. In his youth he had become interested in the
study of prophecy. After reading Rollin's
Ancient History,
his attention was called to the second
chapter of Daniel, and he was struck with the wonderful exactness with
which the prophecy had been fulfilled, as seen in the historian's
record. Here was a testimony to the inspiration of the Scriptures, which
served as an anchor to him amid the perils of later years. He could not
rest satisfied with the teachings of rationalism, and in studying the
Bible and searching for clearer light he was, after a time, led to a
positive faith.
As he pursued his investigation of the
prophecies he arrived at the belief that the coming of the Lord was at
hand. Impressed with the solemnity and importance of this great
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truth, he desired to bring it before the
people; but the popular belief that the prophecies of Daniel are
mysteries and cannot be understood was a serious obstacle in his way. He
finally determined--as Farel had done before him in evangelizing
Geneva--to begin with the children, through whom he hoped to interest
the parents.
"I desire this to be understood," he
afterward said, speaking of his object in this undertaking, "it is not
because of its small importance, but on the contrary because of its
great value, that I wished to present it in this familiar form, and that
I addressed it to the children. I desired to be heard, and I feared that
I would not be if I addressed myself to the grown people first." "I
determined therefore to go to the youngest. I gather an audience of
children; if the group enlarges, if it is seen that they listen, are
pleased, interested, that they understand and explain the subject, I am
sure to have a second circle soon, and in their turn, grown people will
see that it is worth their while to sit down and study. When this is
done, the cause is gained."--L. Gaussen,
Daniel the Prophet,
vol. 2, Preface.
The effort was successful. As he
addressed the children, older persons came to listen. The galleries of
his church were filled with attentive hearers. Among them were men of
rank and learning, and strangers and foreigners visiting Geneva; and
thus the message was carried to other parts.
Encouraged by this success, Gaussen
published his lessons, with the hope of promoting the study of the
prophetic books in the churches of the French-speaking people. "To
publish instruction given to the children," says Gaussen, "is to say to
adults, who too often neglect such books under the false pretense that
they are obscure, 'How can they be obscure, since your children
understand them?'" "I had a great desire," he adds, "to render a
knowledge of the prophecies popular in our flocks, if possible." "There
is no study, indeed, which it seems to me answers the needs of the time
better." "It is by this that we are to prepare for the tribulation near
at hand, and watch and wait for Jesus Christ."
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Though one of the most distinguished
and beloved of preachers in the French language, Gaussen was after a
time suspended from the ministry, his principal offense being that
instead of the church's catechism, a tame and rationalistic manual,
almost destitute of positive faith, he had used the Bible in giving
instruction to the youth. He afterward became teacher in a theological
school, while on Sunday he continued his work as catechist, addressing
the children and instructing them in the Scriptures. His works on
prophecy also excited much interest. From the professor's chair, through
the press, and in his favorite occupation as teacher of children he
continued for many years to exert an extensive influence and was
instrumental in calling the attention of many to the study of the
prophecies which showed that the coming of the Lord was near.
In Scandinavia also the advent message
was proclaimed, and a widespread interest was kindled. Many were roused
from their careless security to confess and forsake their sins, and seek
pardon in the name of Christ. But the clergy of the state church opposed
the movement, and through their influence some who preached the message
were thrown into prison. In many places where the preachers of the
Lord's soon coming were thus silenced, God was pleased to send the
message, in a miraculous manner, through little children. As they were
under age, the law of the state could not restrain them, and they were
permitted to speak unmolested.
The movement was chiefly among the
lower class, and it was in the humble dwellings of the laborers that the
people assembled to hear the warning. The child-preachers themselves
were mostly poor cottagers. Some of them were not more than six or eight
years of age; and while their lives testified that they loved the
Saviour, and were trying to live in obedience to God's holy
requirements, they ordinarily manifested only the intelligence and
ability usually seen in children of that age. When standing before the
people,
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however, it was evident that they were
moved by an influence beyond their own natural gifts. Tone and manner
changed, and with solemn power they gave the warning of the judgment,
employing the very words of Scripture: "Fear God, and give glory to Him;
for the hour of His judgment is come." They reproved the sins of the
people, not only condemning immorality and vice, but rebuking
worldliness and backsliding, and warning their hearers to make haste to
flee from the wrath to come.
The people heard with trembling. The
convicting Spirit of God spoke to their hearts. Many were led to search
the Scriptures with new and deeper interest, the intemperate and immoral
were reformed, others abandoned their dishonest practices, and a work
was done so marked that even ministers of the state church were forced
to acknowledge that the hand of God was in the movement.
It was God's will that the tidings of
the Saviour's coming should be given in the Scandinavian countries; and
when the voices of His servants were silenced, He put His Spirit upon
the children, that the work might be accomplished. When Jesus drew near
to Jerusalem attended by the rejoicing multitudes that, with shouts of
triumph and the waving of palm branches, heralded Him as the Son of
David, the jealous Pharisees called upon Him to silence them; but Jesus
answered that all this was in fulfillment of prophecy, and if these
should hold their peace, the very stones would cry out. The people,
intimidated by the threats of the priests and rulers, ceased their
joyful proclamation as they entered the gates of Jerusalem; but the
children in the temple courts afterward took up the refrain, and, waving
their branches of palm, they cried: "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
Matthew 21:8-16. When the Pharisees, sorely displeased, said unto Him,
"Hearest Thou what these say?" Jesus answered, "Yea; have ye never read,
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise?" As
God wrought through children
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at the time of Christ's first advent, so
He wrought through them in giving the message of His second advent.
God's word must be fulfilled, that the proclamation of the Saviour's
coming should be given to all peoples, tongues, and nations.
To William Miller and his colaborers
it was given to preach the warning in America. This country became the
center of the great advent movement. It was here that the prophecy of
the first angel's message had its most direct fulfillment. The writings
of Miller and his associates were carried to distant lands. Wherever
missionaries had penetrated in all the world, were sent the glad tidings
of Christ's speedy return. Far and wide spread the message of the
everlasting gospel: "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of
His judgment is come."
The testimony of the prophecies which
seemed to point to the coming of Christ in the spring of 1844 took deep
hold of the minds of the people. As the message went from state to
state, there was everywhere awakened widespread interest. Many were
convinced that the arguments from the prophetic periods were correct,
and, sacrificing their pride of opinion, they joyfully received the
truth. Some ministers laid aside their sectarian views and feelings,
left their salaries and their churches, and united in proclaiming the
coming of Jesus. There were comparatively few ministers, however, who
would accept this message; therefore it was largely committed to humble
laymen. Farmers left their fields, mechanics their tools, traders their
merchandise, professional men their positions; and yet the number of
workers was small in comparison with the work to be accomplished. The
condition of an ungodly church and a world lying in wickedness, burdened
the souls of the true watchmen, and they willingly endured toil,
privation, and suffering, that they might call men to repentance unto
salvation. Though opposed by Satan, the work went steadily forward, and
the advent truth was accepted by many thousands.
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Everywhere the searching testimony was
heard, warning sinners, both worldlings and church members, to flee from
the wrath to come. Like John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, the
preachers laid the ax at the root of the tree and urged all to bring
forth fruit meet for repentance. Their stirring appeals were in marked
contrast to the assurances of peace and safety that were heard from
popular pulpits; and wherever the message was given, it moved the
people. The simple, direct testimony of the Scriptures, set home by the
power of the Holy Spirit, brought a weight of conviction which few were
able wholly to resist. Professors of religion were roused from their
false security. They saw their backslidings, their worldliness and
unbelief, their pride and selfishness. Many sought the Lord with
repentance and humiliation. The affections that had so long clung to
earthly things they now fixed upon heaven. The Spirit of God rested upon
them, and with hearts softened and subdued they joined to sound the cry:
"Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come."
Sinners inquired with weeping: "What
must I do to be saved?" Those whose lives had been marked with
dishonesty were anxious to make restitution. All who found peace in
Christ longed to see others share the blessing. The hearts of parents
were turned to their children, and the hearts of children to their
parents. The barriers of pride and reserve were swept away. Heartfelt
confessions were made, and the members of the household labored for the
salvation of those who were nearest and dearest. Often was heard the
sound of earnest intercession. Everywhere were souls in deep anguish
pleading with God. Many wrestled all night in prayer for the assurance
that their own sins were pardoned, or for the conversion of their
relatives or neighbors.
All classes flocked to the Adventist
meetings. Rich and poor, high and low, were, from various causes,
anxious to hear for themselves the doctrine of the second advent. The
Lord held the spirit of opposition in check while His servants
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explained the reasons of their faith.
Sometimes the instrument was feeble; but the Spirit of God gave power to
His truth. The presence of holy angels was felt in these assemblies, and
many were daily added to the believers. As the evidences of Christ's
soon coming were repeated, vast crowds listened in breathless silence to
the solemn words. Heaven and earth seemed to approach each other. The
power of God was felt upon old and young and middle-aged. Men sought
their homes with praises upon their lips, and the glad sound rang out
upon the still night air. None who attended those meetings can ever
forget those scenes of deepest interest.
The proclamation of a definite time
for Christ's coming called forth great opposition from many of all
classes, from the minister in the pulpit down to the most reckless,
Heaven-daring sinner. The words of prophecy were fulfilled: "There shall
come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and
saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the
creation." 2 Peter 3:3, 4. Many who professed to love the Saviour,
declared that they had no opposition to the doctrine of the second
advent; they merely objected to the definite time. But God's all-seeing
eye read their hearts. They did not wish to hear of Christ's coming to
judge the world in righteousness. They had been unfaithful servants,
their works would not bear the inspection of the heart-searching God,
and they feared to meet their Lord. Like the Jews at the time of
Christ's first advent they were not prepared to welcome Jesus. They not
only refused to listen to the plain arguments from the Bible, but
ridiculed those who were looking for the Lord. Satan and his angels
exulted, and flung the taunt in the face of Christ and holy angels that
His professed people had so little love for Him that they did not desire
His appearing.
"No man knoweth the day nor the hour"
was the argument most often brought forward by rejecters of the advent
faith. The scripture is: "Of that day and hour knoweth no
Page 371
man, no not the angels of heaven, but My
Father only." Matthew 24:36. A clear and harmonious explanation of this
text was given by those who were looking for the Lord, and the wrong use
made of it by their opponents was clearly shown. The words were spoken
by Christ in that memorable conversation with His disciples upon Olivet
after He had for the last time departed from the temple. The disciples
had asked the question: "What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of
the end of the world?" Jesus gave them signs, and said: "When ye shall
see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." Verses
3, 33. One saying of the Saviour must not be made to destroy another.
Though no man knoweth the day
nor the
hour
of His coming, we are instructed and
required to know when it is near. We are further taught that to
disregard His warning, and refuse or neglect to know when His advent is
near, will be as fatal for us as it was for those who lived in the days
of Noah not to know when the flood was coming. And the parable in the
same chapter, contrasting the faithful and the unfaithful servant, and
giving the doom of him who said in his heart, "My Lord delayeth His
coming," shows in what light Christ will regard and reward those whom He
finds watching, and teaching His coming, and those denying it. "Watch
therefore," He says. "Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He
cometh shall find so doing." Verses 42, 46. "If therefore thou shalt not
watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour
I will come upon thee." Revelation 3:3.
Paul speaks of a class to whom the
Lord's appearing will come unawares. "The day of the Lord so cometh as a
thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then
sudden destruction cometh upon them, . . . and they shall not escape."
But he adds, to those who have given heed to the Saviour's warning: "Ye,
brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we
are not of the night, nor of darkness." 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5.
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Thus it was shown that Scripture gives
no warrant for men to remain in ignorance concerning the nearness of
Christ's coming. But those who desired only an excuse to reject the
truth closed their ears to this explanation, and the words "No man
knoweth the day nor the hour" continued to be echoed by the bold scoffer
and even by the professed minister of Christ. As the people were roused,
and began to inquire the way of salvation, religious teachers stepped in
between them and the truth, seeking to quiet their fears by falsely
interpreting the word of God. Unfaithful watchmen united in the work of
the great deceiver, crying, Peace, peace, when God had not spoken peace.
Like the Pharisees in Christ's day, many refused to enter the kingdom of
heaven themselves, and those who were entering in they hindered. The
blood of these souls will be required at their hand.
The most humble and devoted in the
churches were usually the first to receive the message. Those who
studied the Bible for themselves could not but see the unscriptural
character of the popular views of prophecy; and wherever the people were
not controlled by the influence of the clergy, wherever they would
search the word of God for themselves, the advent doctrine needed only
to be compared with the Scriptures to establish its divine authority.
Many were persecuted by their
unbelieving brethren. In order to retain their position in the church,
some consented to be silent in regard to their hope; but others felt
that loyalty to God forbade them thus to hide the truths which He had
committed to their trust. Not a few were cut off from the fellowship of
the church for no other reason than expressing their belief in the
coming of Christ. Very precious to those who bore this trial of their
faith were the words of the prophet: "Your brethren that hated you, that
cast you out for My name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but He
shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed." Isaiah 66:5.
Angels of God were watching with the
deepest interest
Page 373
the result of the warning. When there was
a general rejection of the message by the churches, angels turned away
in sadness. But there were many who had not yet been tested in regard to
the advent truth. Many were misled by husbands, wives, parents, or
children, and were made to believe it a sin even to listen to such
heresies as were taught by the Adventists. Angels were bidden to keep
faithful watch over these souls, for another light was yet to shine upon
them from the throne of God.
With unspeakable desire those who had
received the message watched for the coming of their Saviour. The time
when they expected to meet Him was at hand. They approached this hour
with a calm solemnity. They rested in sweet communion with God, and
earnest of the peace that was to be theirs in the bright hereafter. None
who experienced this hope and trust can forget those precious hours of
waiting. For some weeks preceding the time, worldly business was for the
most part laid aside. The sincere believers carefully examined every
thought and emotion of their hearts as if upon their deathbeds and in a
few hours to close their eyes upon earthly scenes. There was no making
of "ascension robes" (see
Appendix);
but all felt the need of internal evidence that they were prepared to
meet the Saviour; their white robes were purity of soul--characters
cleansed from sin by the atoning blood of Christ. Would that there were
still with the professed people of God the same spirit of heart
searching, the same earnest, determined faith. Had they continued thus
to humble themselves before the Lord and press their petitions at the
mercy seat they would be in possession of a far richer experience than
they now have. There is too little prayer, too little real conviction of
sin, and the lack of living faith leaves many destitute of the grace so
richly provided by our Redeemer.
God designed to prove His people. His
hand covered a mistake in the reckoning of the prophetic periods.
Adventists
Page 374
did not discover the error, nor was it
discovered by the most learned of their opponents. The latter said:
"Your reckoning of the prophetic periods is correct. Some great event is
about to take place; but it is not what Mr. Miller predicts; it is the
conversion of the world, and not the second advent of Christ." (See
Appendix.)
The time of expectation passed, and
Christ did not appear for the deliverance of His people. Those who with
sincere faith and love had looked for their Saviour, experienced a
bitter disappointment. Yet the purposes of God were being accomplished;
He was testing the hearts of those professed to be waiting for His
appearing. There were among them many who had been actuated by no higher
motive than fear. Their profession of faith had not affected their
hearts or their lives. When the expected event failed to take place,
these persons declared that they were not disappointed; they had never
believed that Christ would come. They were among the first to ridicule
the sorrow of the true believers.
But Jesus and all the heavenly host
looked with love and sympathy upon the tried and faithful yet
disappointed ones. Could the evil separating the visible world have been
swept back, angels would have been seen drawing near to these steadfast
souls and shielding them from the shafts of Satan.
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