Untitled article by R. F. COTTRELL

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 28, 1869

THE CLOSING MESSAGES—NO. 7.

By R. F. COTTRELL

But in a previous chain of prophecy of Revelation, this same time-message is brought in, and the time of its fulfilment clearly defined. Any one who will compare the angel of ch. x, with that of ch. xiv, 6, 7, will see that their messages, though differing in phraseology, are identical. The hour of God's Judgment come, and the oath that there should be time no longer, are two expressions of the same fact. Neither of these indicates the close of probation; for there are evidences to the contrary immediately following in both chapters. The message of the “third angel” is certainly addressed to men on probation, and the finishing of the “mystery of God” “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel” who has not begun to sound, when it is declared that time shall be no longer, shows that the gospel, which is the mystery of God, has not yet completed its work. The hour of Judgment and the finishing of the mystery relate to the same work—the closing work of our High Priest in Heaven, in cleansing the sanctuary, and the preparation of a people on earth, during the same period, to meet him, when the work is accomplished, coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. Hence these messages signify the ending of prophetic time, especially the great period of the 2300 days.

The angel of ch. x refers us to the prophets for authority. Says he, “As he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” Daniel is the prophet that gives us the prophetic periods; and his prophecy was sealed up to the time of the end. But the angel who utters the oath on prophetic time has in his hand a little book, doubtless containing his text, and it is OPEN. This book was not to be opened till “the time of the end;” and this was not reached till the cessation of the martyrdom of the church by the desolating and blasphemous power of the Roman popedom. Dan. xi, 35.

Now where is the point of time when it is openly manifested to the world that the sealed book is opened? At what precise point of time should the time-message be given? We answer definitely, Between Aug. 11, 1840, and the end of the 2300 days, Oct. 22, 1844; and we will briefly give our reasons, asking the reader to thoroughly investigate this important point.

Let it be particularly noticed that the time-message of Rev. x, is given at the close of the sounding of the sixth trumpet, and when the seventh angel is about to begin to sound. Now when did the sixth trumpet end?

As early as 1838, Eld. J. Litch made and published a calculation on the periods of time of the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets of Rev. ix; taking as a basis that a day in symbolic prophecy represents a literal year—the view then and now held by Adventists, and by expositors generally. Should his calculation prove correct, the independence of the Turkish Empire would cease Aug. 11, 1840. As the Advent doctrine was then already attracting considerable notice, this, it was seen, would be a good test of this theory of interpretation. It was consequently watched with interest. And what was the result? Time proved the calculation correct; for on that very day the independence of the Turkish Sultan was voluntarily surrendered to the allied Christian powers of Europe. (For particulars see a ten-cent pamphlet published at the Review and Herald office, entitled The Sounding of the Seven Trumpets.)

Thus it was demonstrated, by the previous calculation fulfilled, that the prophetic numbers were understood and correctly computed—that the sealed book was unsealed. Light had been gradually arising on the subject of the prophetic periods for some years previous to 1844. But at this date, 1840, these calculations were demonstrated, confidence increased, and the time-message was indeed proclaimed with a loud voice. It was most assuredly the right time for the proclamation of the ending of prophetic time to be made, and, from that time to the end of the 2300 days in 1844, it had a most clear and striking fulfilment. The promised announcement was verified by fulfilment. The time-message was fulfilled, and the world will not hear the like again.

That which follows in the chapter is a lucid description of our great disappointment at the close of the 2300 days, and the revelation of the fact that we have still a work to do, namely, to proclaim the last message—that of the “third angel.” Rev. xiv, 9-12. John, the receiver of the Revelation from Jesus Christ, is a representative of the church or people of God to whom the Revelation is made; and in this chapter he must, of course, represent that portion of them who should hear and believe this special proclamation. The eating of the little book, which was so sweet to his taste, represents the relish with which believers feasted on the contents of that book of prophetic numbers, which had been sealed up, but now was opened. The preaching of definite time gave the greatest offense to unbelievers; but it was our food and drink. The expectation of the Lord’s coming at the end of the period made it most sweet to our taste. But the period closed and brought a bitter disappointment—as soon as we had eaten it all up, our stomach was bitter. That which was our sweetest morsel before, “sweeter than honey or the honeycomb,” now was the cause of our greatest bitterness. Oh! had we not been so positive on definite time! But we had; and God’s word was verified by it, though it made us sad. Many apostatized whose hearts were not deep enough in the work, and our sadness increased. It seemed for a while that there was nothing more that we could do, only to wait for the coming of the Lord; but soon a faithful few began to hear a voice saying, “Thou must prophecy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”

What means this? Your work is not done. The 2300 days do not reach to the coming of the Lord, but to the commencement of the work of cleansing the sanctuary by the heavenly High Priest, a work to be done prior to his leaving his mediatorial office before the throne, and coming to earth to reward his people. The hour of his Judgment is indeed come; and this Judgment is the solemn and important work of blotting out the sins of the people of God, which is their acquittal, a work which must be consummated between the Father and the Son in the most holy place of the “temple of God in Heaven”—“the true sanctuary”—before the latter lays aside his priestly attire, clothes himself with the “garments of vengeance,” and is “revealed from Heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God.”

R. F. COTTRELL.