Early Experiences of the Advent Believers, as They Entered upon the Time of the Saints’ Patience
By GEO. T. BUTLER
THE spiritual power attending the proclamation of the first angel’s message in 1843-44, the writer has never since seen equaled. It stirred the religious world wonderfully. The people of no one church were especially moved, but some three hundred ministers of the gospel embraced it in this country alone, and took part in its proclamation. Literature was scattered to every mission station. The advent people were a united people. In those early days many churches welcomed those who proclaimed this message, great revivals were carried on, and hosts of the unconverted were received into their various memberships. The power of God was wonderfully manifest. But after the disappointment in 1844 a marked change came. The doctrine became very unpopular. Large numbers gave it up, and church members who returned to the churches which they had left could be numbered by the hundred. Even the strongest believers were greatly shaken, and knew not what to think or say; but such felt in their souls that God had wonderfully blessed them in the proclamation of the message. Multitudes had been converted by its preaching. They felt they could not give it all up without throwing away their whole religious experience. Many had spent most of their substance in the proclamation of the message. The great body of advent believers, though their ranks had been greatly depleted by the falling away of those who had lost their first love, began to split up into divisions. Many became worldly and spiritually cold. Various fanatical movements sprang up. It was indeed a dark day for the believers generally, and a scoffing world on every side taunted them for holding to their faith. Some of these faithful believers began to study their Bibles as never before, earnestly pleading with God for light. They examined carefully every point of faith, and soon light began to dawn. They had preached the first angel’s message, and God had blessed them. Then when the popular churches turned against the doctrine which rejoiced their hearts and filled their souls with hope and joy at the thought of Christ’s second coming, they preached the second message: Babylon is fallen; come out of her, my people. And fifty thousand believers came out of the fallen churches. Then the light of the third angel’s message came to them, and they felt they must proclaim that. Did not the Scriptures say, “The third angel followed them”? They studied closely, and found that God’s people must give this message with a loud voice, even to the ends of the earth, warning all against the worship of the beast, the symbol of the Papacy which had corrupted the truths of the gospel. Every false doctrine was to be exposed, and the world warned against it, before Christ could come to take his people to himself. They began to see clearly that the sanctuary to be cleansed was not this earth. The term “sanctuary” could not possibly be applied to this earth, for it is defined as a “holy place,” “a sacred place,” “a place consecrated to God.” This earth is anything but that, for it is a world in rebellion against its Creator. Upon careful study they found that there was a sanctuary in heaven, which Christ entered when he ascended, and in which he ministered—“a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Heb. 8:2. They found that the sanctuary which Moses pitched on the earth in the days of the exodus was in reality but a type of this true sanctuary in heaven, a shadow or likeness of it. They found that it had two apartments—the first, where the priest ministered every day of the year; and the second, the most holy place, which he entered on the day of atonement, the typical day of judgment for all the congregation. They realized the prophecy plainly taught that Christ entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844, and began as antitype of the earthly high priest the antitypical work of judgment. The standard of judgment is the law of God. “The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Rev. 11:19. The ark of God contains the ten commandments. That law is binding upon all mankind. The third angel’s message calls attention to commandment keepers, in the words, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus;” and, “Here is the patience of the saints.” Rev. 14:12. Thus in studying the law these advent believers were brought face to face with the seventh-day Sabbath. Oh, what a flood of light came to these sorely tried, heart-stricken, disappointed advent people as this great system of truth dawned upon their minds! They came to see clearly that God’s truth for the last days is the completion of the great Reformation. Reformations in part had occurred for centuries past. Light had broken upon the darkness from time to time. But the great apostasy was centuries in formation, and the reformation from its errors requires centuries for accomplishment. Before Christ will come in his glory, the third angel’s message must be given, and every doctrine of that great apostasy must be discarded, and the original truths of the apostolic church revived in their purity. He left a pure church when he ascended to his Father; he will find a pure church when he returns, a church “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.” The doctrines of the Bible, and the Bible alone, will be the basis of the faith of the true church of God when Christ comes. God’s people will not be tainted with any of the errors which the message of the third angel warns against. As these great truths began to dawn upon the faithful believers, their hearts were filled with inexpressible joy.