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Ask the Pastor – Avoid Erroneous Teaching

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Question:

I have lived in the Netherlands for about five years. I am from the Netherlands Antilles. I have studied the book, None Dare Call it Apostasy [Part 1 by Dr. John J. Grosboll, Part 11 by Dr. Ralph Larson], and I have seen many of the things cited in the book happen in the church where I am a member. My question is: Do I have to keep going to this church, or should I study at home with my children and my brother and sister so that we can follow God the way He wants us to follow?

Answer:

You have asked a very basic and fundamental question that has come up in many Seventh-day Adventists’ minds. It is a very delicate and sensitive question. To answer such a question, in a way not in line with denominational policy, can create a great deal of prejudice, because it can be viewed as disloyalty. But we need to be honest and truthful to the Word and to God and not just pleasers of men.

With the many and varied doctrines which are floating through Adventism today both in the structure and in historic circles, it can be spiritually dangerous for us to attend meetings where we can be snared and caught off our guard and led astray. God never requires us to go into a place of danger unless He Himself directly requires this of us. If God requires us to go into a place where error is being taught, then it is His responsibility to protect us from suffering harm. But if we go on our own, then we could face serious consequences. If that place of danger is attending a church where spiritual harm lurks, then it is pretty certain that God would have us to go somewhere else so that we do not receive spiritual damage.

I want to share two quotations from the pen of Ellen White which might help us to focus on this issue.

“We can not afford to separate ourselves from Jesus for a single hour. Without Him we are in danger of being overcome of Satan, who is ever watching to suggest doubt, unbelief, and error. The world is flooded with error; it meets us on every hand. It is taught from the sacred desk, and lurks in theology, in literature, in philosophy, in science. Error perverts the judgment and opens the door to temptation, and through its influence Satan seeks to turn hearts from the truth; but an intelligent love for the truth sanctifies the receiver, and keeps him from the enemy’s deceptive snares.” The Signs of the Times, November 7, 1896.

“God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness.” Early Writings, 125.

It becomes apparent that this can be a very serious matter. Each and every person must study the issues that they are confronted with in their church attendance and make their own decisions, but they must examine closely and carefully, so they are not deceived and caught in a snare from which there may be no escape.

Pastor Mike Baugher is Associate Speaker for Steps to Life. If you have a question you would like Pastor Mike to answer, e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org, or mail it to: LandMarks, Steps to Life, P. O. Box 782828, Wichita, KS 67278.

Editorial – When God is Displeased With the Church Part I

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We love to read the statements in the Bible that describe God rejoicing over His rescued heritage with singing (Zephaniah 3), but the Bible also teaches that God is a moral governor as well as a father. He is displeased when His professed people go directly contrary to His counsel. (See, for example, Proverbs 1:24–31; Deuteronomy 29:14–27.)

“We see God looking down upon the church with displeasure, because there are those who claim to be God’s representatives who have not in precept and example pointed to purity and holiness, but to earthliness and sensuality.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 165.

“Jesus comes near to us individually every day by His agencies, inviting us to secure the things which make for our peace. The book of the recording angel is still unsealed. Will you individually now pay heed and be converted, that the curse that rested on the symbolic fig tree may not rest upon you, the deceptive leaves screening and masking the utter barrenness? Shall the outward work of man be attempted to be put in the place of the inner work of God? Plenty of knowledge, plenty of form, [but] destitute of repentance and faith? Plenty of foliage, but wanting in corresponding fruit?

“We are living in these last days, when lukewarmness and apostasy abound. The apostle saw in prophetic vision what should exist near the close of time, and if our hearts were not calloused by sin and iniquity, we should discern and sense the prophetic picture held up to our view. [11 Timothy 3:1–5, quoted.] I cry out in remorse of soul, But who shall be able to stand when Christ shall come? [Malachi 3:2, 3, quoted.] Who shall stand the proving of God? Only those will bear the test, who have washed their robes of character and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“Paul’s picture that is presented before us should cause us trembling and anguish of soul. This is the state of a large share of those who have the form of godliness in these last days. The doom of the withered fig tree has a personal application. Who cannot see the living counterpart in the men and women who claim to have great light, in advance of every other people on the face of the earth, whose daily life and unholy characters belie their profession of godliness?

“There is a manifestation of pride and selfishness in many ways, peevish, fretfulness, frivolity, discontent, uncharitableness, and censoriousness, thinking evil, speaking evil of brethren. There is no inward crucifixion of sin. The mold of Christ is not upon them. [They bear] leaves of profession to conceal their deformity, but no fruit.

“There is more hope of the open sinner than of such. The chambers of the soul are desecrated by sin to Satan’s control. Will this people be Christians? Will they heed the counsel of Christ, be zealous, and repent? Will they have true contrition of heart? Will they humble their hearts before God before it shall be forever too late? Will they repent of their backslidings? May God help you just now, in this thy day, to confess your sins and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out and your name retained in the Lamb’s book of life.

“You have a work to do for your soul that no one else can do for you. . . .

“If you only will make thorough work, if you only will confess your sins, the Lord will forgive you your sins.” Ibid., 167, 168.

Bible Study Guides – Second Cleansing of the Churches, Part 11

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April 17, 2005 – April 23, 2005

Memory Verse

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4.

Suggested Reading: The Great Controversy, 607–612.

Introduction

As we continue our study of the trials and attitudes of the leaders and people of the second advent movement, we want to keep in mind the warning that they are similar to the experiences of the leaders and people at the time of the second cleansing of the temple during the first advent of Jesus. The warning is very clearly stated as follows: “We want to understand the time in which we live. We do not half understand it. We do not half take it in. My heart trembles in me when I think of what a foe we have to meet, and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ—how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God’s servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious truth.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 406.

In our last lesson, we studied about the rejection of the Christian churches regarding the instruction God has specifically given to prepare them for the closing events of the world and the Second Coming of Jesus. In this study, we are going to focus in a little closer on the events and phrases used in connection with the closing scenes leading up to the close of probation.

1 What event is identified as the “second distinct call” in the time leading up to the close of probation? Revelation 18:4.

note: “When Jesus began His public ministry, He cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation [John 2:13–16]. Among the last acts of His ministry was the second cleansing of the temple [Matthew 21:12–16; Mark 11:15–18; Luke 19:45–47]. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel’s message [first distinct call] is, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ [Revelation 14:8.] And in the loud cry of the third angel’s message, a voice is heard from heaven [second distinct call], ‘Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’ [Revelation 18:4, 5.]” Review and Herald, December 6, 1892.

2 In the reference above, what phrase is used to identify the message of Revelation 18:1, 2?

3 What message will continue to be emphasized during this same time along with the message of Revelation 18:1–4? Revelation 14:9–12.

note: “God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His judgments these faithful ones must be called out . . . . Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard: ‘Come out of her, My people.’ These announcements, uniting with the third angel’s message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth.” The Great Controversy, 604.

4 What do the three messages identified in Questions 2 and 3 constitute? (See above reference.)

comment: We have now documented that (1) the second distinct call, Review and Herald, December 6, 1892; (2) a voice heard from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people,” Revelation 18:4; (3) the loud cry of the third angel, Review and Herald, December 6, 1892; (4) the mighty angel coming down from heaven announcing the sins of Babylon, Revelation 18:1, 2; (5) the final proclamation of the third angel’s message, Revelation 14:9–12; and (6) the final warning, The Great Controversy, 604, all refer to the same time period leading up to the close of probation. The chapter in The Great Controversy entitled “The Final Warning” is now seen to be a detailed description of the second cleansing of the various organizations that constitute Babylon.

5 What are the messages of Revelation 18:1, 2, and 4 also said to be?

note: “Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6–12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion. This message is the last that will ever be given to the world.” The Great Controversy, 390.

comment: In this statement, “the second distinct call” is described as “the last” message “that will ever be given to the world.” Just as Jesus cleansed the temple a second time to remind the people that it was His work to remove sin from the heart, so the final call to come out of Babylon is the last call to the people to separate from sin.

6 How is the message of Revelation 18:1, 2 identified in this next statement?

note: “The latter rain is to fall upon the people of God. A mighty angel is to come down from heaven [Revelation 18:1, 2], and the whole earth is to be lightened with his glory.” Review and Herald, April 21, 1891.

7 In Early Writings another term is applied to this same time period. What is it? Acts 3:19.

note: “I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, ‘It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.’ ” Early Writings, 271.

8 What event begins during the second cleansing of the Christian world just before the close of probation? Daniel 12:1, middle part; Psalms 27:5; 91:15. What promises are given for the people of God during this time? Psalm 91.

note: “ ‘The commencement of that time of trouble’ here mentioned, does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out [Revelation 16:2–9], while Christ is in the sanctuary. . . . At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel.” Early Writings, 85, 86.

9 What else are we told will take place during the time of the final warning? 11 Corinthians 11:14.

note: “At every revival of God’s work, the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true, that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. [Isaiah 8:19, 20.] By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.” The Great Controversy, 593.

10 The time of the closing message of the third angel is referred to as a time of storm. What type of storm is it? Luke 6:22.

note: “Yet when the storm of opposition and reproach bursts upon them, some, overwhelmed with consternation, will be ready to exclaim: ‘Had we foreseen the consequences of our words, we would have held our peace.’ They are hedged in with difficulties. Satan assails them with fierce temptations. The work which they have undertaken seems far beyond their ability to accomplish. They are threatened with destruction. The enthusiasm which animated them is gone; yet they cannot turn back. Then, feeling their utter helplessness, they flee to the Mighty One for strength. They remember that the words which they have spoken were not theirs, but His who bade them give the warning. God put the truth into their hearts, and they could not forbear to proclaim it.” The Great Controversy, 609. (Compare with Revelation 12:17.)

11 This will be a time of what for the people of God? Matthew 24:9; Luke 21:12; 11 Timothy 3:12.

note: “In this time of persecution the faith of the Lord’s servants will be tried. They have faithfully given the warning, looking to God and to His word alone. God’s Spirit, moving upon their hearts, has constrained them to speak. Stimulated with holy zeal, and with the divine impulse strong upon them, they entered upon the performance of their duties without coldly calculating the consequences of speaking to the people the word which the Lord had given them. They have not consulted their temporal interests, nor sought to preserve their reputation or their lives.” The Great Controversy, 608, 609.

12 When the storm approaches, what will many who have professed faith in the third angel’s message do? Matthew 24:10; 1 Timothy 4:1.

note: “As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. . . . Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them.” The Great Controversy, 608.

13 Where will Sabbathkeepers be brought to answer for their faith during this time? See above reference. Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12.

14 As the final warning is proclaimed by the servants of God, what will all the inhabitants of the earth have to do? Joshua 24:14, 15; Revelation 14:7; 13:15–17.

note: “Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works, with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand.” The Great Controversy, 612.

Bible Study Guides – The Second Cleansing of the Churches, Part 1

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April 10, 2005 – April 16, 2005

Memory Verse

“After these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Revelation 18:1, 2.

Suggested Reading: The Great Controversy, 603–607.

1 What message in the second advent movement is a counterpart to the second cleansing of the temple by Jesus? Revelation 18:1, 2, 4.

note: “When Jesus began His public ministry, He cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Among the last acts of His ministry was the second cleansing of the temple. [Matthew 21:12–16.] So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel’s message [first distinct call] is, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ And in the loud cry of the third angel’s message, a voice is heard from heaven [second distinct call], ‘Come out of her, my people . . . .’ [Revelation 18:4.]” Review and Herald, December 6, 1892.

comment: A similar statement is recorded in The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 2, 725, 726: “When Jesus began His public ministry, He cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Almost the last act of His ministry was to cleanse the temple again. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches; the second angel’s message [first distinct call], and the voice heard in heaven [second distinct call], ‘Come out of her, my people, . . . for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’ [Revelation 18:4, 5.]”

2 List four phrases from the following reference that indicate that the attitudes of the people of the second advent movement get worse following the proclamation of the first angel’s message.

note: “This scripture [Revelation 18:1, 2, 4] points forward to a time when the announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of Revelation 14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message was first given, in the summer of 1844. A terrible condition of the religious world is here described. With every rejection of truth the minds of the people will become darker, their hearts more stubborn, until they are entrenched in an infidel hardihood. In defiance of the warnings which God has given, they will continue to trample upon one of the precepts of the Decalogue, until they are led to persecute those who hold it sacred. Christ is set at naught in the contempt placed upon His word and His people.” The Great Controversy, 603.

“At the close of His mission He came again to the temple, and found it still desecrated as before. The condition of things was even worse than before.” The Desire of Ages, 589.

comment: The above references are clear that as the condition of the church was worse when Jesus cleansed the temple at the second Passover, so the condition of the Christian world is worse at its close than when the second advent movement began in the 1840s.

3 What instruction was banished from the minds of the disciples that found them unprepared when their time of trial came? Matthew 16:21; Luke 18:31–34.

note: “Before His crucifixion the Saviour explained to His disciples that He was to be put to death, and to rise again from the tomb, and angels were present to impress His words on minds and hearts. But the disciples were looking for temporal deliverance from the Roman yoke, and they could not tolerate the thought that He in whom all their hopes centered should suffer an ignominious death. The words which they needed to remember were banished from their minds; and when the time of trial came, it found them unprepared. The death of Jesus as fully destroyed their hopes as if He had not forewarned them.” The Great Controversy, 594.

4 What identical condition does God say is occurring among God’s people in the second advent movement? For the Jewish type, see Hosea 4:6; 8:12.

note: “So in the prophecies the future is opened before us as plainly as it was opened to the disciples by the words of Christ. The events connected with the close of probation, and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been revealed.” The Great Controversy, 594.

5 In the reference above, what two points of instruction are specifically mentioned that the multitudes do not understand? See Isaiah 33:14–17 concerning preparation for the time of trouble.

6 Describe the attitude of the chief of the priesthood and the leading men of the nation that finally led the Jews to reject Jesus and His work to remove sin from their hearts. Isaiah 59. (The Desire of Ages, 458, says that Isaiah 59 describes the character of the priests and rabbis.)

note: “When Christ came to speak the words of life, the common people heard Him gladly; and many, even of the priests and rulers, believed on Him. But the chief of the priesthood and the leading men of the nation were determined to condemn and repudiate His teachings. Though they were baffled in all their efforts to find accusations against Him, though they could not but feel the influence of the divine power and wisdom attending His words, yet they incased themselves in prejudice; they rejected the clearest evidence of His Messiahship, lest they should be forced to become His disciples. . . . It was the influence of such teachers that led the Jewish nation to reject their Redeemer.” The Great Controversy, 595, 596.

7 What spirit and attitude is manifested by many in the Christian world? For the Jewish type, see John 12:37–40.

note: “The spirit which actuated those priests and rulers is still manifested by many who make a high profession of piety. They refuse to examine the testimony of the Scriptures concerning the special truths for this time. They point to their own numbers, wealth, and popularity, and look with contempt upon the advocates of truth as few, poor, and unpopular, having a faith that separates them from the world.” The Great Controversy, 596.

8 What did Christ say about the undue assumption of authority by church and state over the consciences of men? Matthew 20:25, 26; Mark 10:42, 43.

note: “Christ foresaw that the undue assumption of authority indulged by the scribes and Pharisees would not cease with the dispersion of the Jews. He had a prophetic view of the work of exalting human authority to rule the conscience, which has been so terrible a curse to the church in all ages. And His fearful denunciations of the scribes and Pharisees [Matthew 23:1–39], and his warnings to the people not to follow these blind leaders, were placed on record as an admonition to future generations.” The Great Controversy, 596.

9 How will the popular ministry today respond when their authority is questioned? For the Jewish type, see Matthew 21:45, 46; 22:15.

note: “As the people go to their former teachers with the eager inquiry, Are these things so? the ministers present fables, prophesy smooth things, to soothe their fears, and quiet the awakened conscience. But since many refuse to be satisfied with the mere authority of men, and demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ the popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, filled with anger as their authority is questioned, will denounce the message as of Satan [Mark 3:22] and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it.” The Great Controversy, 607.

10 Why are people today deceived, as were the Jews? 11 Thessalonians 2:9–12.

note: “Many are deceived today in the same way as were the Jews. Religious teachers read the Bible in the light of their own understanding and traditions; and the people do not search the Scriptures for themselves, and judge for themselves as to what is truth; but they yield up their judgment, and commit their souls to their leaders.” The Desire of Ages, 459.

11 Upon what foundation may all, both Jew and Gentile, safely build that will keep them safe through the final struggle over the Law of God? Matthew 21:42–44; John 7:17.

note: “In quoting the prophecy of the rejected stone, Christ referred to an actual occurrence in the history of Israel. The incident was connected with the building of the first temple. While it had a special application at the time of Christ’s first advent, and should have appealed with special force to the Jews, it has also a lesson for us.” The Desire of Ages, 597.

“Upon this living stone, Jews and Gentiles alike may build. This is the only foundation upon which we may securely build. . . . Our eternal safety depends upon our building upon the sure foundation. Multitudes are today building upon foundations that have not been tested. When the rain falls, and the tempest rages, and the floods come, their house will fall, because it is not founded upon the eternal Rock, the chief cornerstone Christ Jesus.” Ibid., 599, 600.

12 What was it that destroyed the Jews and will also destroy the careless and unrepentant sinner in the closing hour of the kingdom of grace? Luke 20:17–19.

note: “And what was it that destroyed the Jews? It was the rock which, had they built upon it, would have been their security. It was the goodness of God despised, the righteousness spurned, the mercy slighted. Men set themselves in opposition to God, and all that would have been their salvation was turned to their destruction. . . . So it will be in the great final day, when judgment shall fall upon the rejecters of God’s grace. Christ, their rock of offense, will then appear to them as an avenging mountain. The glory of His countenance, which to the righteous is life, will be to the wicked a consuming fire. Because of love rejected, grace despised, the sinner will be destroyed.

“By many illustrations and repeated warnings, Jesus showed what would be the result to the Jews of rejecting the Son of God. In these words He was addressing all in every age who refuse to receive Him as their Redeemer. Every warning is for them. The desecrated temple [Luke 19:45, 46], the disobedient son [Matthew 21:28–32], the false husbandmen [Matthew 21:33–41], the contemptuous builders [Matthew 21:42–46], have their counterpart in the experience of every sinner.” The Desire of Ages, 600.

Seventh Day Adventist Roots, part 4

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At the close of two years of intensive study, in 1818, William Miller came to the conclusion that there were a dozen points on which he differed radically with the popular views of the day. He was convinced that: “1. The popular view of a temporal millennium before the second advent, and the end of the age, was a fallacy. 2. The theory of the return of the Jews was not sustained by the Word. 3. Jesus will come again personally, with all the holy angels with Him. 4. The kingdom of God will be established at that coming. 5. The earth will perish in a deluge of fire. 6. The new earth will spring forth out of its ashes. 7. The righteous dead will be resurrected at the advent. 8. The wicked dead will not come forth until the close of the thousand years. 9. The papal Little Horn will be destroyed at the advent. 10. We are living in the last phase of the outline prophecies —such as, in Daniel 2, in the period of the ‘feet and toes.’ 11. All prophetic time periods—such as the 70 weeks, the 1260 days, and the rest—are to be computed on the year-day principle. 12. The 2300 year-days, extending from 457 B.C. to about A.D. 1843, will bring the climax of prophecy and of human history; and that Jesus will come ‘on or before’ the Jewish year ‘1843.’ ” The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, 463.

Miller concluded at the end of his intensive study that in about 25 years (1843) the world would come to an end at the Second Coming of Christ. As far as he knew, no one agreed with him in this belief. His findings so startled him that he thought that there was something wrong, and he determined to restudy the prophecies and to challenge each step considering every objection including the scriptural statement “no man knows the day or the hour.”

He spent another four years in his restudy and, in 1822, Miller was persuaded that his conclusions were correct and he then wrote his “Compendium of Faith,” which contained his “Twenty Articles of Faith.”

Miller formulated fourteen rules for Bible study. We will enumerate seven of his rules as they show his procedures in the study of the prophecies and how he formulated his conclusions.

“IV. To understand doctrine, bring all the Scriptures together on the subject you wish to know; then let every word have its proper influence; and if you can form your theory without a contradiction, you cannot be in error.

“V. Scripture must be its own expositor, since it is a rule of itself. If I depend on a teacher to expound to me, and he should guess at its meaning, or desire to have it so on account of his sectarian creed, or to be thought wise, then his guessing, desire, creed or wisdom, is my rule, and not the Bible.

“VI. God has revealed things to come, by visions, in figures and parables; and in this way the same things are oftentimes revealed again and again, by different visions, or in different figures and parables. If you wish to understand them, you must combine them all in one.

“VIII. Figures always have a figurative meaning, and are used much in prophecy to represent future things, times and events—such as mountains, meaning governments.

“X. Figures sometimes have two or more different signification, as day is used in a figurative sense to represent three different periods of time, namely, first, indefinite; second definite, a day for a year; and third, a day for a thousand years.

“XII. ‘To learn the meaning of a figure, trace the word through your Bible, and when you find it explained, substitute the explanation for the word used; and, if it makes good sense, you need not look further; if not, look again.

“XIII. To know whether we have the true historical event for the fulfillment of a prophecy: If you find every word of the prophecy (after the figures are understood) is literally fulfilled, then you may know that your history is the true event; but if one word lacks a fulfillment, then you must look for another event, or wait its future development; for God takes care that history and prophecy shall agree, so that the true believing children of God may never be ashamed.” Ibid., 470.

 

A Message to Proclaim

 

As the year 1831 approached, the conviction began to grow in Miller’s mind that he must proclaim his findings, especially regarding the imminent return of Jesus to this earth, to the world. He stated: “After a number of years I was compelled by the Spirit of God, the power of truth, and the love of souls, to take up my cross and proclaim these things to a dying and perishing world.” The Great Second Advent Movement, 120. He thought he could comply with the impression by writing and publishing his views in public journals and his first article appeared in the Vermont Telegraph, a Baptist paper printed in Brandon, Vermont.

Nevertheless, all the writing and publishing of Miller’s views did not quiet the urging in his mind to proclaim, to the world, the nearness of Christ’s coming. One day, as he rose to do something, the strong conviction came to him that he was to go and tell the world about the coming of Jesus. The impression was so strong that he began to make excuses to the Lord that he could not go. Some of the excuses he made were: I am too old, I am not a preacher, I lack ability or I am slow of speech. But none or all of these excuses “could silence the voice of conviction that insisted it was his bounden obligation to share his faith with others in a public way.” The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, 482.

 

A Monomaniac?

 

An incident occurred in Miller’s experience that illustrates the power of the Holy Spirit in his life. There was a doctor living in Miller’s community that had expressed the opinion that Miller was a fine man, but that he was a monomaniac on the subject of the Second Coming.

When one of Miller’s children became ill he called this doctor to handle the case. While the doctor was treating the child, Miller sat in a corner of the room not uttering a word. When the doctor finished he asked Miller what was wrong. “Well, I hardly know . . . I want you to see what the trouble is and prescribe for me.

“The Doctor’s superficial examination revealed no symptoms. So he asked Miller what he thought was wrong.

“I don’t know . . . but perhaps I am a monomaniac. I want you to examine me and see if I am; and if so, cure me. Can you tell when a man is a monomaniac?

“The doctor blushed at the question, but replied that he thought he could.

“How can you tell? Miller asked.

“Why, a monomaniac is rational on all subjects but one; and when you talk about that subject, he will react violently.

“In that case I must insist that you see whether or not I am a monomaniac; and if I am, you must cure me. You shall therefore sit down with me for two hours while I present the subject of the Advent to you, and if I am a monomaniac, you will be able to tell it by that time.

“When the doctor hesitated, Miller insisted, reminding him that the problem involved his mental health and that therefore the doctor might feel free to make his regular charge for professional services. Unable to find a graceful way out of the situation, the doctor finally consented. So for the next two hours Miller asked questions. And the doctor, under Miller’s direction, read the answers from the Bible, in what was probably one of the most unusual Bible studies ever given. Before the study ended, the doctor had been led step by step to the conclusion that Christ was coming to the earth in 1843. At the end of the study he sat back in his chair, paused a moment as if to speak, thought better of it, and without saying another word picked up his hat and left the room. “But the next morning he returned to the Miller home, very much upset.

“Mr. Miller . . . I feel that I am going to be lost. I have not slept a wink since I was here yesterday. I have looked at the question from every side, and I cannot see but that the vision will end about 1843, and I am not prepared. “So each day for the next week Miller and the doctor spent some time together studying the Bible prophecies. And at the end of the week the doctor was as great a monomaniac as Miller was.” The Urgent Voice, 38, 39, by Robert Gale.

 

Miller’s Covenant with God

 

In 1832, Miller’s distress of soul was so great that he entered into a covenant with God that if He would open the way, he would go and perform his duty to the world. He further agreed that if an invitation should come to speak publicly in any place, he would accept the invitation and go and tell others what he had found in his Bible studies.

“Little did he dream that within a scant half hour he would be confronted with just such an opening. He had thought himself safe, through the terms of his condition, from having to carry out his compact. His burden seemed lifted. And he felt relieved. But at that self-same moment a lad of sixteen was riding down the road on horseback from nearby Dresden to Low Hampton, bearing an invitation to Miller to come and tell the members of the Baptist church of Dresden his views on the second advent.” Ibid., 483.

When the lad arrived and delivered his message, Miller was thunderstruck, and he became angry with himself for having made such a covenant. He rebelled at once against the Lord and determined not to go and stormed out of the house. In a maple-grove near his house, Miller fell to his knees and at first asked God to release him from his promise. But the only answer he received was to go. Finally He surrendered to the clear command of God and said, “Lord, I will go.”

Thus William Miller was launched on a career of itinerant preaching for the next ten plus years. Invitations poured in for him to lecture mostly in churches all over the northeastern states. Miller was determined to fill as many appointments as was physically possible, and to do his best to warn as many people as he could of the end of all things.

 

Events that Validated Prophecy

 

There were two astronomical phenomena that occurred between 1833 and 1844 that attracted attention to the Bible prophecies. The first was the falling of the stars on November 13, 1833. The meteor shower was especially heavy over the northeastern states where the Millerite movement had begun and exerted its greatest influence. Many people that were not necessarily believers in Miller’s message were inclined to regard his teaching with more seriousness than before.

The second occurred between February 28 and April 1, 1843. A great comet (not Haley’s Comet)appeared, causing those that were serious minded to take note that what Miller was teaching might be true and that the end of all things was at hand.

But more than these two occurrences there was a direct fulfillment of prophecy that inspired increased faith in the Scriptures as the Word of God and strengthened the position of the Millerite movement regarding the prophecies of the Bible.

A Millerite preacher, by the name of Josiah Litch, wrote a number of articles on the seven trumpets of Revelation 8 and 9. He said that the sixth trumpet would cease to sound on August 11, 1840, and that the Ottoman Empire would come to its end on that day. When that happened he said that the fulfillment would substantiate a day for a year in Bible prophecy.

War broke out between Turkey and Egypt in 1839 and continued until August, 1840, when Turkey asked the allied powers of England, Russia, Austria and Prussia to intervene, and on August 11, the Ottoman Empire came to an end. “In the Words of Dr. Jerome Clark, ‘By accepting the intervention of the Allied powers to bring a settlement of his difficulties with Egypt’s pasha, the Ottoman Turkish sultan had lost control of his external affairs insofar as Egypt was concerned . . . The pasha took the message under advisement on August 11, 1840. That same day the sultan wrote the four powers for assurances of their help should the ultimatum be refused. Turkey from that time forward was known as the sick man of Europe. The pasha complied with the ultimatum. The prophecy of the 1391 years and fifteen days of Ottoman Turkish domination had been fulfilled to the day.’ The event exactly fulfilled the prediction.” Ibid., 51, 52.

This fulfillment of prophecy made a deep impression on thousands of people. Josiah Litch wrote that, within a few months, more than a thousand infidels wrote to him saying that they had been led to accept the Bible as the Word of God. Some of these men became preachers in the Millerite movement. As a result of the astronomical events and what had occurred in the Middle East, Miller’s name became a household word all over the United States.

 

Some Rejected the Light

 

It was only natural for some churches to reject Miller and his message, and some ministers warned their congregations to stay away from his lectures. In one town, after delivering his first lecture, “Miller received a letter signed by ten ‘bullies and blackguards’ saying that if he did not get out of the State they would put him where even the dogs would not be able to find him. But Miller was not a man to cower before a threat. He stayed; he delivered his lectures and God blessed his work in that community.” Ibid., 52.

Noah Webster wrote to Miller saying, “Your preaching can be of no use to society but it is a great annoyance. If you expect to frighten men and women into religion, you are probably mistaken . . . If your preaching drives people into despair or insanity, you are responsible for the consequences. I advise you to abandon your preaching: you are doing no good, but you may do a great deal of harm.” Ibid., 52. This man had never attended any of Miller’s lectures. Miller’s marching orders came from God, not man.

With the busy schedule Miller had set for himself, he still had a farm to run from which he gained the means for supporting his itinerary. Near the end of 1843, his lecturing was taking up so much of his time that he had to decide whether to farm or to continue to preach. He decided to rent out his farm to one of his sons. “At the same time he wrote to (Elder) Hendryx, ‘I devote my whole time, lecturing.’ ” Ibid., 53.

Next month we will continue the story of William Miller and we will meet a few old friends that came into his life and continued with the Great Advent Movement to their death.

 

From Mourning to Celebrating, part 2

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Editor’s Note: In last month’s article we looked at eight objectives which the Vatican II Council wished to achieve by introducing the Celebration Movement. The underlying purpose was to promote ecumenism and lead the whole world to Sunday observance. We saw how these goals are being worked out in Adventism today. In this article, we will look at another of the devil’s great deceptions, which is masked in the Celebration Movement.

There is a another deep spiritual issue involved in the celebration worship style. It has to do with the most fundamental issues in your existence as a Christian. Is there any sin in your life that is not totally overcome? The apostles in New Testament times taught the people that they must overcome their sins if they were going to have eternal life. Read 1 John 3, James, the words of Jesus in John 8, or what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6 or Romans 8.

One of the most fundamental of Christ’s teachings is self-denial. (See Matthew 16:24.) Jesus said that if we were going to follow Him we must take up our cross daily. But we are living in a time when instead of crucifixion of self, as Jesus and the apostles taught, many have accustomed themselves to self-indulgence. The Christian religion is a rebuke to self indulgence and worldliness. But many people like a religion that no longer rebukes worldliness and self indulgence but endorses it and incorporates it as a fundamental element in the service of God; a religion that allows them to remain in their sins and still celebrate the idea that they are saved. It would be almost impossible to experience a greater delusion.

Jesus says to the church in Laodicea, “as many as I love I rebuke.” But there is no place for rebuke in the celebration type of worship service or religion. The rebuke of sin is eliminated. It is like the patient who has cancer—if the cancer is not cured he is going to die, but the physician says let’s pretend that everything is alright, everything is going to be fine, just experience love, acceptance and forgiveness and be happy. What is going to happen to that patient and what should happen to that physician? You see, it is the greatest delusion imaginable to be celebrating and rejoicing if you have a serious disease and your celebrating and rejoicing is taking the place of getting rid of the problem that will cause your death. God’s ancient people had this very same problem and the Lord told them that they would lose eternal life as a result. (Study Isaiah 22.)

 

Celebration — The Cradle of Carnal Security

 

We are living in the great anti-typical day of atonement, as brought to light not only in the book of Hebrews, but in Revelation 14:6, 7. This is a time for us to examine ourselves and ask the question, “Is my robe of character spotless? Does my robe of character have a spot or stain upon it? Am I ready to go to the marriage supper of the Lamb? Are my garments in condition for me to attend that great celebration?” Those who are celebrating while their garments of character are still stained and wrinkled with the sins and earthliness of this life will meet with an eternal loss. It is this great deceptiveness that is most serious about the celebration worship style. People who are lost are taught to believe that they are saved. They cannot be touched anymore with the preaching of the gospel because they are so content in the cradle of carnal security.

It is not a message of love that teaches people to celebrate in their sins. There will be a great celebration for God’s people when the sin problem is solved, but God’s word does not teach us to celebrate when we should be mourning for those, all around us, who are going to destruction. Maybe even members of our own family or ourselves, if we are self deceived and celebrating while we are living in sin! It is a great insult and outrage, to the Holy Spirit, for any Christian to be celebrating while he is living in sin. The Bible says “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.” The context of that statement, in James 4:8–10, is that the day and hour of judgement is here, as you can see in the next verses.

The message of the Bible, to sinners, is not a message to rejoice and celebrate. It is a message to lament, to mourn and weep, to seek the Lord that we may be purified and made whole. The fact that a person participates in religious services and ordinances does not guarantee his salvation. A wicked person does not become righteous simply by associating with the righteous at worship service or in celebrating. A man is only made holy and acceptable with God when his heart is made clean by the grace of Christ through faith and by obedience to words of truth and righteousness. We must accept all the truth that God reveals to us, choosing to obey Him if we are going to be cleansed from the defilement of sin. We cannot receive forgiveness and acceptance with God unless there is repentance—true heart sorrow for sin. Repentance is not a work of rejoicing or celebration. By its very definition, repentance is a work of sorrow of heart, sorrow for sins committed and a turning away from sin.

There is no such thing as real love to God without obedience to His law. This so called love, acceptance and forgiveness that does not include a preaching of the law of God, a call for sinners to repent, is a delusion. It is not real love at all, but a soul-destroying deception. Repentance means being sorry for sin and turning away from it. All eloquent portrayals of love and charity will never save a soul who does not repent!

 

The Celebration Movement Foretold

 

We will list, from the pen of Ellen White, certain erroneous methods and deceptive theories which she foretold would be a part of the apostasy to come just before the close of probation. She wrote: “The things you have described as taking place in Indiana the Lord has shown me would take place just before the close of probation.” Selected Messages, vol. 2, 36. What are these things that would take place just before the close of probation?

  1. “A bedlam of noise that shocks the senses and perverts that which, if conducted aright, might be a blessing. The powers of Satanic agencies blend with the din and noise to have a carnival and this is termed the Holy Spirit’s working.” Ibid.
  2. “Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting with drums, music and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions and this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit.” Ibid.

This group in Indiana maintained the theory that when Christ passed through the agony of Gethsemane He obtained holy flesh such as Adam possessed before his fall. And that those who follow the Savior must also acquire this same “holy flesh” in preparation for translation. In their meetings, people were worked up to a high pitch of excitement by the use of musical instruments such as organs, flutes, fiddles, tambourines, horns, and a drum, the people sought a physical demonstration and shouted and prayed and sang until someone in the congregation would fall prostrate and unconscious from his seat. Then this person would be dragged up to the rostrum and about a dozen individuals would gather around the prostrate body, some singing, some shouting and some praying all at the same time. When the subject revived, he was counted among those who had passed through the Gethsemane experience and had obtained holy flesh and had translation faith. Therefore, it was asserted he could not sin and would never die. We see in this description, a breaking down of normal inhibitions between people, in these services in Indiana, which were a type of what would happen before the close of probation.

Another part of the experience in Indiana, which is typical of what will happen again, was the playing of dance tunes with sacred words, which is all too common with much of today’s so-called “Christian” music. The syncopated jazz-like beat of music had its beginnings in bordellos of New Orleans around 1900. This jazz music went through various stages—boogie-woogie, swing and finally rock, which is a mixture of Negro rhythm blues and country western. The stimulation of sexuality was the primary purpose sought after with this music. This type of music, with its varying degrees of syncopation and beat, still appeals to bodily movement and sensual responses.

Ellen White had this to say about it: “Angels are hovering around yonder dwelling. The young are there assembled; there is the sound of vocal and instrumental music. Christians are gathered there, but what is that you hear? It is a song, a frivolous ditty, fit for the dance hall. Behold the pure angels gather their light closer around them and darkness envelops those in that dwelling. The angels are moving from the scene. Sadness is upon their countenances. Behold, they are weeping . . . Music has occupied the hours which should have been devoted to prayer. Music is the idol which many professed Sabbathkeeping Christians worship. Satan has no objection to music if he can make that a channel through which to gain access to the minds of the youth . . . When turned to good account, music is a blessing; but it is often made one of Satan’s most attractive agencies to ensnare souls.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 506. To the shame of many Adventists, the world knows what they claim not to know—namely, that drugs, acid rock and perverted sex go together.

 

Drama—Never a Part of God’s Work

 

Another point we can learn from the Indiana episode, which is to be repeated at the end of time, was the theatrical performing and intense bodily gestures and movements engaged in by the participants. Concerning theatrical performances Ellen White has the following to say: “In my very first labors the message was given that all theatrical performance in connection with the preaching of present truth were to be discouraged and forbidden…The light given me was to give this no sanction. These performances which savored of the theatrical were to have no place in the proclamation of the solemn messages entrusted to us. The enemy will watch closely and will take every advantage of circumstances to degrade the truth by the introduction of undignified demonstrations. None of these demonstrations are to be encouraged. The precious truths given us are to be spoken in all solemnity and with sacred awe.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 125.

“Can the Lord Jesus accept the theatrical exhibitions as service done for Him? Can He be glorified thereby? No. All this kind of work is done in the service of another leader.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 335.

Ellen White said that no encouragement should be given to the kind of worship that took place in Indiana. She said, “I was instructed to say that at these demonstrations demons in the form of men are present working with all the ingenuity that Satan can employ to make the truth disgusting to sensible people.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 125.

The liberal development of celebration worship, the failure to have trust and confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy and the activities which go directly contrary to her inspired counsels on these points, were predicted and are happening. However, this is only part of the present day apostasy that we see in Adventism. This apostasy today is so deceptive that often the word celebration is not even used, but what is practiced is the same as the celebration type worship that was introduced in the 80’s and early 90’s into Adventist churches. As the saying goes, “A rose by any other name is still a rose.” But the apostasy in Adventism is much broader and much more multi-faceted than what we have been able to portray so far. In another article, we hope to show another side of the apostasy on a completely opposite end of the spectrum, in Adventism.

 

What Doest Thou Here?

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There came a time in Elijah’s life when the Lord asked him a very important question. “The Lord said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:13.That is the question I want to ask you, dear reader. If the Lord were to ask you that question today, what would your answer be? It does not have to be the Lord who asks you that question. Maybe your local church pastor may ask you that question, or another Seventh-day Adventist. Or maybe your next door neighbor.

It is an important question and we need to have a good answer to it. Can you remember the first time that you heard the Advent message? The time you decided that this was God’s truth? The time that you decided to be one of God’s remnant people? You knew then that there were some changes that had to happen in your life. There were things that you had to leave behind, things that you could no longer do. There were places that you could not visit any longer. There were friends that you could no longer be friends with. Some had to make a choice between employment and the Sabbath. Do you know why you made those choices? Are you quite clear in your mind about that?

Today circumstances have moved on for many of you. Some of you are no longer welcome even in your Seventh-day Adventist Church. Why are you here rather than there? Do you know the reason? From time to time I attend my local Conference Church. I remember a few weeks ago when I was in a Conference Church. If you had come to me after that service and asked me the question, that many people asked me, “What was wrong with the sermon we heard?” I would have found that question very difficult to answer because I could not remember what that sermon was about. Within a few minutes, what that man had said went out of my head. All I could tell you was this, that during that Sabbath morning service, I heard nothing and I saw nothing which could have showed me that I was in a Seventh-day Adventist Church.

About two months ago, I was in a Seventh-day Adventist Church and the preacher was a very good speaker. People came up to me afterwards and they said to me, “Was that not an excellent sermon?” Some of those people who asked me that question come to historic Seventh-day Adventist meetings. But there was nothing in that sermon that told me that he was a Seventh-day Adventist minister. It was a good sermon, but it was not a Seventh-day Adventist sermon. So what was I doing in that church?

Let me try to explain by using a kind of a parable. Suppose that you developed an interest. Your new hobby was model railways. If you have an interest like that, you might want to join a club or society of people who have the same interest.

These societies have regular meetings each week. Why would you go to those meetings? Because you want to meet other people who share your interest. What will you talk about when you go to those meetings? You want to talk about model railways. When you have special speakers coming to those meetings, what will those men talk about? They will talk about model railways, because that is what the society is for.

But what if the time came when the members of that society started to get interested in postage stamps instead? And when you went along to your model railway society, all that they wanted to talk about was postage stamps, comparing their collections, hearing talks about postage stamps and exchanging their duplicate stamps. Would you still want to be a member of that club? How would you feel about that?

But it is not just a question about how you would feel. How much would you learn about model railways in a club that talked about postage stamps? Would your interest in model railways grow, week by week, if you went to a club like that? Suppose that they had an excellent lecturer that came to that club and gave a good lecture about postage stamps and the other people in the club said to you, “Was that not an excellent lecture?” Or maybe they said to you, “What was wrong about that?” What would you say?

If you love the Adventist message, then that message is your whole focus and interest. Did you join the Seventh-day Adventist Church because you loved the Advent message? In 2 Thessalonians 2:10, Paul talks about some people that are going to be lost. He says that some will perish because they received not the love of the truth.

Do you have a love for the truth? Do you want to meet with others that have a love for the truth? Do you want to hear the truth? If you do not have a love of the truth, then you will perish.

I read some words from Sister White that made a deep impression on me. She wrote about different opinions and different views in the church. She said, “This I do know, that our churches are dying for the want of teaching on the subject of righteousness by faith.” Gospel Workers, 301.

If we do not have the truth on righteousness by faith as a living reality in our lives, then we will die spiritually. This is the truth around which all the other truths cluster. Every truth in the Bible must be studied in the light of that truth. We may wish to speak about the state of the dead or the second coming of Jesus or the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, but all those truths are given us to show us about the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

This is what the Seventh-day Adventist Church should be about. I know that the congregations I meet with, in Seventh-day Adventist Churches, are being starved for lack of these precious truths. They never hear the truth of righteousness by faith—the truth that sinful men and women may overcome those sins through faith in the power of Jesus Christ.

I want to meet with those who love this message. I want to hear messages about the truth of God’s word. I want to share experiences with people who know the truth. I want to hear what great things the Lord has done for you. I am tired of being starved and I want to feed upon the bread of life.

What are you doing here? What is your answer to Him? The Lord will want an honest answer and your answer will be tested. If you go to home churches because you have a quarrel with your pastor, a new pastor will come to your church and he will be very nice to you. Then you will discover why you went to that home church.

If you attend an independent Seventh-day Adventist meeting because your church has a woman pastor, will you still be there when your pastor is a man? If you are there because they will not let you do anything in church, will you still be there when they ask you to take the Sabbath School Lesson? Or lead out in the Prayer Meeting? Or give a talk to the young people? Will these things persuade you that it is just fine to be there?

Sister White says that the time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. Every one will be tested to see whether they have received a love of the truth, because if they have not received a love of the truth, they will perish. The contest is very simple. It is between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. Who is giving the commandments in your life?

It is my prayer that each one of us will stand before the throne of God, one day, because we received a love of the truth that we might be saved.

SDA Roots, part 5

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A great revival developed as a result of Miller ’s preaching. People flocked to his meetings not only from the community but also from surrounding towns. His lectures made such an impression upon the listeners that they kept asking for more. His messages could not be presented in one lecture, so he was persuaded to continue preaching. This was Miller’s experience wherever he went, and the result was the conversion of many souls.

Miller’s small town preaching ended in 1839. On November 12, he met Joshua V. Himes, pastor of the Chardon Street Chapel, in Boston, Massachusetts, who invited Miller to preach to his church family. While preaching in the Chapel, Miller lived with Himes, and they began a friendship which lasted for many years. “God in His providence had brought the two men together. The beginning of this association opened a new era in Miller’s work of spreading his convictions regarding the soon coming Christ.” The Urgent Voice, 63. The interest generated by Miller’s preaching became so great that he was compelled to present another series. Charles Fitch’s Marlboro Chapel was rented for the series.

 

Miller Begins to Write

 

From this time until the great disappointment, Miller hardly had time to pause in his public proclamation of the Second Coming of Christ. Almost from the beginning, he received so many invitations to preach that he could not possibly comply, for lack of time. This prompted him to begin publishing his views in printed form. He prepared a series of articles and sent them as anonymous contributions to the Baptist weekly paper, the Vermont Telegraph at Brandon, Vermont. The editor of the paper refused to publish the articles unless the author was identified,whereupon Miller consented and they were printed with the initials, W.M.

Miller wrote a book in which he detailed his views on the prophecies and particularly the Second Coming. This book had a great and profound influence upon all that read it. The editor of the Boston Daily Times, in which sections of Miller’s book were published, was the first to give Miller’s views favorable publicity through the press. The editor continued to print Miller’s articles, and they created a pronounced impact upon the public mind.

However, not all publicity was favorable. One pastor, Ethan Smith, submitted two articles rebutting Miller’s views. The opposition was not very effective, and in most cases it just spurred on the reader to a more careful study of Miller’s message. Even Ethan Smith stated: “I wish to encourage the study of the prophecies and signs of the times: and have been much tried, to see so little attention paid to them; and to hear so many ministers speaking most disrespectfully of this study! I view this fact to be a very dark sign of the times! I think such ministers have got to repent of this sin, or they must sink under it. It is a great insult offered to the Holy Ghost, who inspired the prophecies and commanded us to study and understand them.” The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, 517.

“It was about this time that the copy of Miller’s Lectures was placed in the hands of Josiah Litch, a Methodist minister in Massachusetts, who soon became persuaded of its essential soundness and began to write and publish on the subject. Practically the same experience came to Charles Fitch, pastor of the Marlboro Congregational Church of Boston. Meantime Miller was lecturing in some of the moderate-sized towns of Massachusetts, such as Lowell, where he was invited to preach by Timothy Cole, a minister of the Christian Connection, who was likewise greatly impressed.” Ibid., 519.

 

Himes Helps the Work

 

The acquaintance with Himes, in late 1839, led to a greatly expanded and accelerated Advent Movement in the larger cities. Himes did not associate himself with Miller without counting the cost of such a move. He stated: “We are not insensible of the fact, that much obloquy will be cast upon us in consequence of our association with the author of this work [Miller]. This, however, gives us no pain. We had rather be associated with such a man as William Miller, and stand with him in gloom or glory, in the cause of the living God, than to be associated with his enemies, and enjoy all the honors of the world.”

“Thus it was that Joshua V. Himes, scarcely thirty-five years old, gave up a promising future to cast his lot with an unpopular cause. But Himes was no stranger to unpopular causes. He was an energetic opponent of the liquor traffic, and for a time he had worked closely with William Lloyd Garrison in the battle against slavery. As pastor of the Chardon Street Chapel, he had opened the doors of the church to more than one reform cause. Millerism was therefore only one of several ‘causes’ with which Himes was actively associated. But it was the one to which he was to devote the most time and effort. And, with Miller and Fitch, he became one of Millerism’s three leading figures.” The Urgent Voice, 64.

Himes’ abilities as a public speaker were unusual, and he frequently lectured on the subject of the Second Coming. But his most valuable accomplishments with the Millerite Movement were in the area of organization and promotion. He was responsible for the publication of tracts, songbooks, pamphlets, charts, broadsides and handbills. Himes, at various times, published more than a dozen periodicals promoting the teachings on the Second Advent.

 

A Voice for the Advent Movement

 

By the beginning of 1840, most papers, both religious and secular, had become most unsympathetic in their treatment of Miller and refused to print anything from him in rebuttal. Miller had for quite some time wanted to put out a periodical to serve as the voice of Millerism, but he had not been able to find anyone that would risk his reputation and finances on such a publication. When Miller spoke to Himes of his desire, he accepted the challenge and produced the first issue of the Signs of the Times, a week later.

In 1844, the name of this periodical was changed to the Advent Herald. In 1874, when James White began to publish a weekly paper to speak for the Seventh-day Adventists on the Pacific Coast, he took the name that Himes had abandoned and called it Signs of the Times. James White’s paper was not a continuation of Hime’s periodical and there was no connection between the two, except for the name.

Another person who opposed Miller’s teachings was John Dowling, a Baptist clergyman from New York. He published a Review of Miller, in which he presented the old Antiochus theory for the Little Horn of Daniel 8. He explained that the 2300 evenings and mornings were half days or 1150 literal days and that this referred to the second century B.C. He also taught that the millennium came before the Second Advent. This led to a Refutation by Litch suggesting, like Miller, that the six thousand years of the world’s history would terminate about 1843. He also wrote An Address to the Clergy, which caused many ministers to examine the question more thoroughly and convinced not a few of them of the true character and truth of the Millerite positions.

 

Campmeetings are Born

 

Despite the negative reaction and prejudice, aroused by the press, to the public meetings of the Millerites and those that favored his views on prophecy, a considerable interest caused the need for larger meeting-houses. As the result of this growth in interest in the Second Advent preaching, a weeklong meeting was held in Boston in early 1842. Thus the camp meeting was born. In June, Litch held meetings in East Canada resulting in between five hundred and six hundred conversions. “Great gatherings throughout Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine followed, which according to Litch, literally ‘shook the nation.’ ” Ibid., 522.

To accommodate the ever-increasing crowds, a big tent, seating six thousand, was erected six times the first season in New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Jersey. Marked results were seen. Fitch preached the Second Advent to the students and faculty of Oberlin College in Ohio, and elsewhere, finally establishing himself in Cleveland. Litch declares of this time: “The work spread with a power unparalleled in the history of religious excitements. And had it been the object of Adventists to form a sect, never was there a more favorable opportunity to carry all before them, given to any people. But higher and holier objects were in their vision—the saving of sinners from death, and the obtaining of a preparation for the coming of the Lord, were the objects of their highest ambition.” Ibid.

Miller and Himes returned to New York City in 1842 and lectured in the large Methodist church where George Storrs was the pastor. An Adventist daily paper was started called the Midnight Cry, edited by Joshua Himes, L. D. Fleming and Nathaniel Southard. Fitch also established many Second Advent papers and periodicals in Cleveland, and H. B. Skinner and Luther Caldwell did the same in Canada.

Wherever Miller’s writings were circulated, the sale and study of the Bible was stimulated. The movement was known as a Bible movement, and Litch stated that, “a course of lectures in a village, would open a door for the sale of more Bibles in a week than would have been sold before for years.” The tone of the movement was Protestant, the Bible and the Bible only as the rule of practice and faith.

“There were among the Millerite ministers men of commanding talent and attainment—only a few have thus far been named—who were the equal of the wise and learned opposers of the land, raised up, they believed, at a time when such help was needed. As to the actual number of ministers in the Millerite movement at this time Litch frankly said, ‘We have no means of ascertaining the number of ministers, and others, who have embraced the Advent faith. We only know that there are several hundred congregations, and a still larger number of ministers, who have publicly professed the faith, besides many who still remain in the churches of the land.’ These, he explained, were associated together for the accomplishment of a definite objective—to ‘sound the alarm.’ And any organization that existed was of the most ‘simple, voluntary and primitive form.’ ” Ibid., 527.

Next month we will take a closer look at some of the men associated with Miller in the proclamation of the Second Advent. We will scan a little of their backgrounds, training, talents, standing and religious affiliation.

 

The Approaching Time of Crisis

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A great crisis awaits the people of God. Very soon our nation will attempt to enforce upon all, the observance of the first day of the week as a sacred day. In doing this, they will not scruple to compel men against the voice of their own conscience to observe the day the nation declares to be the Sabbath. In view of this, there must be, among God’s commandment-keeping people, more spirituality and a deeper consecration to God, and a zeal in His work that has never yet been reached, to hold aloft the banner of God’s truth. The law of God, the only standard of righteousness, must be prized in proportion as the professed Christian world manifest contempt for it.

The law of God should be loved and prized by God’s true people now, more than ever before. There is the most urgent necessity of enforcing the words of Christ upon the mind and heart of every believer, both men and women, youth and children: “Search the Scriptures.” Examine your Bibles as you have never done before. Unless you arise to a higher, holier attitude in your religious life, you will not be ready for the appearing of our Lord. There are many who are not purifying their souls by obeying the truth. As great light has been given them, God expects proportionate zeal, devotion, and faithfulness upon the part of His people. But there will be proportionate darkness, unbelief, and blindness as the truth is not appreciated and acted upon.

The Lord will not remove from His people every occasion to doubt; but He will give sufficient light and evidence to encourage faith and confidence; and if they walk as Christ, the light of the world,leads the way, they will not step aside into the paths of doubt and unbelief. When declension and danger threaten the church, there will be more praying, more fasting, by the faithful few, and the Lord will answer the prayers offered to Him in sincerity, and at the same time He will come forth as an avenger because of the guiltiness of the evil-workers. He will be a protector; for He will “avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them.”

It will appear as though Satan is triumphant, and that truth is overborne with falsehood and error; because the people over whom God has spread His shield, and the country which has been an asylum to the conscience-oppressed lovers of God and the defenders of His truth, are placed in desperate jeopardy through its oppressive legislation. Should our nation abjure the principles of Protestantism, to give countenance and sanction to the Sunday law, they will in this act join hands with popery; for it will be nothing else than giving life to the tyranny which has been eagerly waiting and watching its opportunity to spring into active despotism. And now, as this evil is on the point of realization, it is the business of all believers in the Bible to arouse.

For years many have sat in calm expectation of this event, and they will not be working out the purposes of God if they comfort themselves with the thought that what is to come will come, and anything that they may do will not prevent it. They should not settle down in an easy, comfortable indolence, thinking that God will shelter His own people in the day of this calamity. This is the time for action, not for indolence and spiritual stupor. Satan is preparing his forces with a power from beneath, and all heaven is in busy activity, ready to work in the interests of those who are awake to the condition of things, and, like faithful sentinels, are doing all they can to arouse the people to avert, if possible, the threatened evil.

If our people continue in the listless attitude in which they have been, God cannot pour upon them His Spirit. They are unprepared to co-operate with Him. They do not realize the threatened danger, and are not awake to the situation. They should feel now as never before their need of vigilance and well-concerted action.

The following quotation from Testimony, No. 32, pages 208–210, which was published in 1885, shows that our people have not been left without warnings as to the duties and dangers of the times: “God has revealed what is to take place in the last days, that His people may be prepared to stand against the tempest of opposition and wrath. Those who have been warned of the events before them are not to sit in calm expectation of the coming storm, comforting themselves that the Lord will shelter His faithful ones in the day of trouble. We are to be as men waiting for their Lord, not in idle expectancy, but in earnest work, with unwavering faith. It is no time now to allow our minds to be engrossed with things of minor importance. While men are sleeping. Satan is actively arranging matters so that the Lord’s people may not have mercy or justice. The Sunday movement is now making its way in darkness. The leaders are concealing the true issue, and many who unite in the movement do not themselves see whither the under-current is tending. Its professions are mild, and apparently Christian; but when it shall speak, it will reveal the spirit of the dragon. It is our duty to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger. We should endeavor to disarm prejudice by placing ourselves in a proper light before the people. We should bring before them the real question at issue, thus interposing the most effectual protest against measures to restrict liberty of conscience. We should search the Scriptures, and be able to give the reason for our faith. Says the prophet, “The wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”

Those who have access to God through Christ have important work before them. Now is the time to lay hold of the arm of our strength. The prayer of David should be the prayer of pastors and laymen: “It is time for Thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void Thy law.” Let the servants of the Lord weep between the porch and the altar, crying, “Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach.” God has always wrought for His people in their greatest extremity, when there seemed the least hope that ruin could be averted. The designs of wicked men, the enemies of the church, are subject to His power and overruling providence. He can move upon the hearts of statesmen; the wrath of the turbulent and disaffected, the haters of God, of His truth and His people, can be turned aside, even as the rivers of water are turned, if He orders it thus. Prayer moves the arm of Omnipotence. He who marshals the stars in order in the heavens, whose word controls the waves of the great deep,—the same infinite Creator will work in behalf of His people if they call upon Him in faith. He will restrain the forces of darkness, until the warning is given to the world, and all who will heed it are prepared for the conflict. “The wrath of man shall praise Thee,” says the psalmist; “the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain.” God means that testing truth shall be brought to the front, and become a subject of examination and discussion even if it is through the contempt placed upon it. The minds of the people must be agitated. Every controversy, every reproach, every slander, will be God’s means of provoking inquiry, and awakening minds that otherwise would slumber.

Thus it has been in the past history of God’s people. For refusing to worship the great golden image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up, the three Hebrews were cast into the fiery furnace. But God preserved His servants in the midst of the flames, and the attempt to enforce idolatry resulted in bringing the knowledge of the true God before the assembled princes and great men of the vast kingdom of Babylon. So it was when the decree went forth forbidding prayer to any god save the king. As Daniel, according to his custom, made his supplications three times a day to the God of heaven, the attention of the princes and rulers was called to his case. He had an opportunity to speak for himself, to show who is the true God, and to present the reason why he alone should receive worship, and the duty of rendering Him praise and homage. And the deliverance of Daniel from the den of lions was another evidence that the Being whom he worshiped was the true and living God.

So the imprisonment of Paul brought the gospel before kings, princes, and rulers, who otherwise would not have had this light. The efforts made to retard the progress of truth will serve to extend it. The excellence of truth is more clearly seen from every successive point from which it may be viewed. Error requires disguise and concealment. It clothes itself in angel robes, and every manifestation of its real character lessens its chance of success. The people whom God has made the depositaries of His law are not to permit their light to be hidden. The truth must be proclaimed in the dark places of the earth. Obstacles must be met and surmounted. A great work is to be done, and this work has been entrusted to those who know the truth. They should make mighty intercession with God for help now. The love of Christ must be diffused in their own hearts. The Spirit of Christ must be poured out upon them, and they must be making ready to stand in the judgment. While they are consecrating themselves to God, a convincing power will attend their efforts to present the truth to others, and its light will find access to many hearts. We must sleep no longer on Satan’s enchanted ground, but call into requisition all our resources, and avail ourselves of every facility with which Providence has furnished us. The last warning is to be proclaimed “before many people, and nations, and tongues, and kings;” and the promise is given, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

Through fraud and falsehood Satan is now using those who claim to be Christians to divorce the world from God’s mercy. They are working in blindness. They do not see that if a Protestant government sacrifices the principles that have made them a free, independent nation, and through legislation brings into the Constitution, principles that will propagate papal falsehood and papal delusion, they are plunging into the Roman horrors of the Dark Ages. But this need not be, just at this point of time, if the church is aroused to her duty and her work. A vast responsibility is devolving upon men and women of prayer throughout the land, to petition that God may sweep back this cloud of evil, and give a few more years of grace to work for the Master.

The peculiar work of the third angel has not been seen in its importance. God meant that His people should be far in advance of what they are today. But now, when the time has come for them to spring into action, they have the getting ready to do. When Satan made his advances, it was high time for the watchmen on the walls of Zion to arouse and counteract his efforts to obtain the advantage. It is not in the order of God that light has been kept from our people —the very present truth which they needed for this time. Not all of our ministers who are giving the Third Angel’s Message, really understand what constitutes that message. The National Reform movement has been regarded by some as of so little importance that they have not thought it necessary to give much attention to it, and have even felt that in so doing, they would be giving time to questions distinct from the Third Angel’s Message. May the Lord forgive our brethren for thus interpreting the very message for this time. The Third Angel’s Message comprehends more than many suppose. What interpretation do they give to the passage which says an angel descended from heaven, and the earth was lightened with his glory? This is not a time when we can be excused for inactivity. If this work, which was so essential, had been taken up by our ministers, there would be today a far different state of things in all our churches.

Some in the church will prove to be false brethren; their faith, their love, their patience, their constancy will be tested and tried; and if they are not rooted and grounded in the truth, if they are not filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and the praise of God, they will become offended at reproofs and warnings, will not humble their souls before God, and will go back and walk no more with those who love the truth. The people need to be aroused in regard to the dangers of the present time. The watchmen are asleep. We are years behind. Let the chief watchmen feel the urgent necessity of taking heed to themselves, lest they lose the opportunities given to them to see the dangers. Let them blow the trumpet, not in a general way, but so that it may give a certain sound, that other watchmen upon the walls of Zion may hear, and in their turn send forth the warning note.

Perils now threaten the people of God; and what will they do? Can we not assist in lifting the standard, and in calling to the front those who have a regard for their religious rights and privileges? God calls us to awake; for the end is near. The prophecies that show us the closing scenes of earth’s history, are fast fulfilling. The time is fast approaching when we shall be made to feel the hand of oppression, because we demand our religious rights. Shall we then dishonor God by keeping silent, when His holy commandments are being trampled under foot?

We have been looking many years for a Sunday law to be enacted in our land; and now that the movement is right upon us, we ask, What are our people going to do in the matter? Do you realize that the night will soon come, when no man can work? Have you that intensity of zeal, that piety and devotion, which will enable you to stand when opposition is brought upon you? If God has ever spoken by me, the time will come when we shall be brought before councils, and every position of truth which we hold will be severely criticized. The time that we are now allowing to go to waste should be devoted to the charge God has given us, of preparing for the approaching crisis. Much time should be spent in prayer, that our garments of character may be washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.

We should especially seek God for grace and power to be given His people now. God lives; and we do not believe that the time has fully come when He would have our liberties restricted. The prophet saw “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.” Another angel ascending from the east, cried to them, saying, “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” This points out the work we now have to do, which is to cry to God for the angels to hold the four winds until missionaries shall be sent to all parts of the world, and shall have proclaimed the warning against disobeying the law of Jehovah. But every conceivable thing that the enemy can bring against the people of God, to hinder them in their work, will be employed. The Lord, on the other hand, bids all to be awake and to watch; for it was while men slept, that the enemy sowed tares.

 

A House Divided

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We live in a world of crisis. Very soon the world, and especially God’s people, will experience a crisis more severe than any that has ever occurred. In the 1850s, the United States was going through a crisis, a crisis more severe than it had ever experienced in its short history. The turning point was reached on June 16, 1859.

It happened in Springfield, Illinois. There, a tall man, who had gone through bankruptcy, failed in business and lost in politics, time after time, was preparing to make a very controversial political speech. Many people thought he was a failure and that he would never succeed. Yet, here he stood in the midst of a momentous crisis, preparing to give a speech that his advisors told him would be political suicide. His friends urged him not to do it. But he would not turn back.

This man’s name was Abraham Lincoln. After he gave the speech, one of his friends told him that his political career was ruined. Abraham Lincoln turned to him and said, “Some day you will find out that those were the most important words that I have ever spoken.”

That speech was the turning point in American history. It is one of the most amazing speeches that you could ever read. In the third paragraph Lincoln made this startling pronouncement: “This government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.” We would not be the nation we are today if he had not given that speech and stood for the principles that he laid out so clearly.

Lincoln went on to point out that there were very powerful forces at work, in the nation, whose intent was to cause all the states to accept slavery. He showed how ridiculous his political opponents were who said that they were not pro-slavery, when they actually practiced it. They were saying one thing and doing something else. It was a dangerous speech to make, because the men who he had condemned were some of the most powerful men in America. One of the reasons that this speech had such an effect on our country was because the title for that speech was taken from the words of Jesus, in Matthew 12. Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” Matthew 12:25.

The first sentence that Abraham Lincoln spoke that day, in Springfield was: “If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending we could better judge what to do and how to do it.” He was talking about the United States government and whether or not we would allow slavery in our states. He said: “It will become all one thing or all the other.” It works just the same with our spiritual walk. Jesus said that a house divided will not—absolutely cannot—stand.

Where does the division come from in a divided house? This is one of the great topics of the Bible. In Revelation 12 the story is told of Lucifer having a difference of opinion with God, on some vital issues. The largest of these “differences of opinion” concerned who would be God. God said, There is no one else who is qualified to be God except Me. Lucifer said, Yes, but I want to be part of the Godhead, too.

This difference of opinion led to division, the division led to rebellion and rebellion led to war. Satan’s plan was to lead the world into a rebellion against God. But Jesus said, “A house divided shall not stand.” This has been a great comfort to me, because I know that the devil’s house is divided and cannot stand no matter how powerful it seems to be.

However, this is the frightening part. With all his power, the devil is trying to cause divisions among God’s people because he knows that if we are divided, we cannot stand either.

It was Jesus’ purpose, when He came to this world, to heal all the divisions. This was one of the central themes of Paul’s preaching. He said in 2 Corinthians, “Therefore from now on we regard no one according to the flesh even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold all things have become new. Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:16–20.

The natural heart is at enmity against God. (Romans 8:7.) How can this be solved? The worldly way is to force your enemy into submission, but the use of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government. Jesus did not come to this world with a club or a gun, instead He came to display to mankind what God was like. Jesus said to His disciples, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” John 14:9. The character, which Jesus displayed, showed how much God hates sin and knows that it must be destroyed, but also how much He loves sinners. In His great love, God made a way so that the guilt of our sin can be taken away and we can be reconciled to Him.

This reconciliation process can only occur when our lives are brought into conformity with God’s law.

As long as we are breaking God’s law, we are at enmity with His character, because His law is a transcript of His character. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15. The one that does not love Me, does not keep My word, and he is not reconciled to Me. John 14:21–23.

Paul talked to the Ephesians about the time when they were at enmity with God. He said, “At that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:12–18.

 

Answers for Division

 

We are living in a world and a church that is divided. This division is seen among all those who profess to be Christians around the world; not only Seventh-day Adventist Christians. How are we to relate to all of these divisions? The first thing that we must not do is quarrel. (See 2 Timothy 2.) It is part of our human nature to get in an argument when someone disagrees with us, but that is not God’s way.

Inspiration tells us, “When Christians contend, Satan comes in to take control. How often has he succeeded in destroying the peace and harmony of churches? What fierce controversies, what bitterness, what hatred, has a very little matter started! What hopes have been blasted, how many families have been rent asunder by discord and contention.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 244.

So then, what are we to do about the division? Some people say that we just need to wait and God will shake out all the tares, and then everything will be all right. I know some people that have been sitting and waiting for this to happen for years and years. Can we just sit there and say, “Lord, shake those bad people out of the church so that those of us that are left can have harmony?”

Before it is over, the angels will bind up the tares and remove them. There is no question that we are very close to that happening, because we are in the beginning stages of the Sunday law crisis. However, we must not sit back and say, “Lord, bind those people up and get them out of here.” We must say, “How about me? Will I be one of the ones that is bound up or will I be part of the wheat when this all happens?”

We have a work to do. This is how Sister White described it. “A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work.” Review and Herald, March 22, 1887.

I cannot simply sit back and say, “Lord, remove the tares.” I have to say, “Lord, I need to be revived. I need to have true piety, true godliness inside. You have told me that my greatest need is for a revival.”

Revival means to come back to life. The people that need to be revived are those that are almost dead spiritually. Their need is very urgent. God’s people are almost spiritually dead. This experience is so vital that Sister White said it is our most urgent need.

If this should be our first priority, then it is more important than making physical preparation for the future? I have heard many say that we need to go to the mountains or go to this island to be safe from the coming crises, but, there is no place in the world that is safe. Instead of trying to figure out what I should do to survive on a physical level (and this is not necessarily wrong) my first priority should be to seek for a revival of true godliness.

Sister White counsels that next “There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord.” Ibid. The Bible says that God is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask than a parent is to give gifts to his children. The problem is that we are not prepared to receive it. We must seek the Lord and ask for a change of heart so we will be ready to receive it.

 

Four Steps to Revival

 

How do we experience this revival of true godliness and gain God’s blessings? The Review and Herald lists four steps that we need to follow.

The first is confession. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Some people have thought that confession is something that you do as a child before you are baptized, but not one of us will experience a revival until we have confessed our sins.

If you think that you have nothing to confess, I encourage you to go to the Lord and ask Him what you need to confess. I have found that the Holy Spirit can point out many things to people, very quickly.

Confession is a subject that we need to study and practice. Ministers, elders, deacons, Sabbath School teachers, even if they have been Christians for forty years, all need to understand the subject of confession. The time is coming when it will be too late to confess our sins—a time when it will be forever too late! That is why we must now take advantage of the time and plead with the Lord, asking, “Is there anything in my life that I need to confess? Please show me what it is.” A divided house will never be healed if there is no confession.

The second step to revival is humiliation. If you are wondering why we must bring up this point, it is because the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy speak of it often. The prophet Isaiah recorded: “For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, Whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit.” Isaiah 57:15.

Do you want the Holy Spirit to work on your heart? Then come to God knowing, as Paul did, that in your “flesh there is no good thing.” Romans 7:18. If we want a revival, we must come to the Lord, not only asking what it is that we need to confess, but, also, with a humble spirit, realizing that we have no merit or goodness of our own. We must depend totally on Christ’s goodness, righteousness and grace, for we have none of our own.

James said, “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.” James 4:10. The way to reach a high position is to assume a lowly place before God. He can lift you higher than anyone else ever could.

The third step to revival is repentance. We will never heal the division by fighting with each other and forcing others to accept our views. We must come to the Lord with confession, humiliation and repentance. The divided house will never be healed unless there is repentance. Repentance is being sorry for sins and turning away from them. True repentance can be found at the foot of the cross. The cross is for you and me as individuals. Christ died for our sins. That is what sin cost. If you stay there, it will change your mind about sin and this is what repentance is all about. If you have not changed your mind about sin, you have not repented.

Repentance is something that only God can give you. He will give it to you if you will come to the cross. The problem is that most people have pictures of the cross and some even have images of the cross around their necks or in their cars, but they do not understand what it means. For them, the cross is just an emblem, with a meaning that they do not begin to understand.

The fourth step that is vital to revival is earnest prayer. This is something we need to do as individuals and as families. We need to do it in the church to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us the blessings of the Holy Spirit, revival, true godliness, healing, reconciliation and unity that God wants to bring in among His people. We will never have a revival unless we pray earnestly and say, “Lord, I want the people in my church to experience a revival.”

The Bible clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit is promised to everyone, on certain conditions. It is up to us to read the Bible and find the conditions. We have already seen several of the conditions: confession, humiliation, repentance and, earnest prayer. But we need to pray that the Lord will show us any other conditions so that we can be revived and receive the Holy Spirit.

 

What We Need to Fear

 

It is common for people to be fearful because of what they see happening in the world around them. From appearances, it seems that there will be no peace, civil or religious liberty, anywhere in the world. People get scared because of what is out there, but the Lord tells us what we really need to fear. “We have far more to fear from within than from without. The hindrances to strength and success are far greater from the church itself than from the world . . . But how often have the professed advocates of the truth proved the greatest obstacle to its advancement! The unbelief indulged, the doubts expressed, the darkness cherished, encourage the presence of evil angels, and open the way for the accomplishment of Satan’s devices.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 122.

Our greatest fear should be for what is within our church. Inspiration tells us that the evil traits cherished “open the way for the accomplishment of Satan’s devices.” Ibid. What a fearful warning! We should be grateful that God in His mercy has shown us exactly how we can close the door so the devil cannot walk into our churches.

“The adversary of souls is not permitted to read the thoughts of men; but he is a keen observer, and he marks the words; he takes account of the actions, and skillfully adapts his temptations to meet the cases of those who place themselves in his power. If we would labor to repress sinful thoughts and feelings giving them no expression in words or actions, Satan would be defeated.” Ibid., 122, 123.

Everyone is tempted with sinful thoughts and feelings, but if we will resist and repress them and never let them pass our lips, the devil will be defeated. If instead we start talking our feelings, the devil knows just how to tempt us. Sister White continued, “How often do professed Christians, by their lack of self-control, open the door to the adversary of souls! Divisions, and even bitter dissensions which would disgrace any worldly community, are common in the churches, because there is so little effort to control wrong feelings, and to repress every word that Satan can take advantage of.” Ibid., 123.

If all of God’s people would say, “Lord, help me to repress every word that Satan can use,” the door would be closed and the devil would not be able to come in and work havoc among God’s people.

Instead, all too often, God’s people open the door. “As soon as an alienation of feeling arises, the matter is spread before Satan for his inspection, and the opportunity given for him to use his serpent-like wisdom and skill in dividing and destroying the church. There is great loss in every dissension.” Ibid.

Sometimes war is necessary. God is willing to fight to keep from having His kingdom divided. (See Revelation 12.) But so much dissension is unnecessary. Sister White continued: “Personal friends of both parties take sides . . . A house divided against itself cannot stand. Criminations and recriminations are engendered and multiplied. Satan and his angels are actively at work to secure a harvest from seed thus sown. “Worldlings look on, and jeeringly exclaim, ‘Behold how these Christians hate one another! If this is religion, we do not want it.’” Ibid.

How sad! We must do something to change this condition. And we have been told just what to do. “Let us confess and forsake every sin.” Ibid. After we have done this we can pray that the Holy Spirit will “come into our assemblies and impart His rich grace.” Ibid.

This is exactly what the devil does not want us to do. “There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour out His spirit upon a languishing church, an impenitent congregation.” Ibid., 124.

It is time for us to make confession in humiliation, receive repentance and pray for revival. If Satan had his way, this would never happen. (See Ibid.) Will we let Satan have his way? He wants to keep the house divided so that it cannot stand. And we can be sure that God will take care of the division, but when He takes care of the division, do we want to be swept out the back door in the shaking?

Here is what Ellen White says is the condition in the church during this fearful time when the door of salvation and probation is about to close. “Alas, what pride is prevailing in the church, what hypocrisy, what deception, what love of dress, frivolity, and amusement, what desire for the supremacy! All these sins have clouded the mind” Ibid., 125.

We need to go to the Lord on our knees and say, “Lord, I want a change to happen inside. Show me by Your Holy Spirit what I need to confess. Show me how I need to humble myself so that every detail in my life is pleasing in Your sight.”

We are headed for the judgment. Jesus is coming soon and when He comes, you will either be ready or you will not. If we will be ready, we must receive the Holy Spirit and we cannot receive the Holy Spirit if we are unprepared. “The Spirit of God can never come in until she [the church] prepares the way. There should be earnest searching of heart. There should be united, persevering prayer, and through faith a claiming of the promises of God.” Ibid., 126.

Time is short, and very soon it will be too late to be saved. If you are going to be saved, you need to do something now. Confess your sins and come to the Lord with humiliation, relying fully on Him.

The people that do that will have revival. There will be healing and the house will not be divided any longer. Are we going to have to have a civil war like they had in the time of Lincoln in order to heal the division? Yes, we have to go through the conflict. There is no other way. But this is a spiritual war and you do not win a spiritual war with physical weapons. You win by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer to God, that you will receive the Holy Spirit and be revived. Let us all pray that the Lord will give us this experience, not just individually, but as a church.