The Chronology of the Message of the Fall of Babylon
By GEORGE I. BUTLER
HAVING given a general consideration to religious conditions during the last fifty or sixty years, we now come to the proclamation of the message itself. The first message, proclaiming, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come,” which was to be given to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, had for years been in progress, most forcibly calling attention to the nearness of Christ’s second coming. It was being proclaimed with great power, and multitudes believed in it. Its proclamation in the United States was especially prominent. William Miller and some three hundred others were most actively engaged in it. It is estimated that a hundred thousand believers had accepted it. Their message was based upon the close of the great prophetic period, “Unto two thousand three hundred days [prophetic days; i. e., years]; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed [margin, “justified”].” Dan. 8:14. As we have shown by indubitable evidence, the two thousand three hundred days commenced at “the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem,” which occurred B. C. 457. This period of time must therefore end in A. D. 1843, supposing the decree went into effect at the beginning of the year 457; for it would take 457 plus 1843 full years to make the number twenty-three hundred years complete. So the numbers stood on the old prophetic charts, in use up to the first of the year 1844. As the Lord did not come in 1843, a more careful study of the decree of Artaxerxes and Ezra’s relation to it, revealed the fact that Ezra did not reach Jerusalem with the decree in his possession until the fall of the year 457 B. C. Hence the decree of the king could not have gone into effect until that time. Therefore the period of twenty-three hundred full years would not close with the end of the year 1843, but must reach to the fall of 1844. There is no escaping this conclusion. But this mistake in the exact ending of the final year of the twenty-three-hundred-day period was quite an important point to the friends of the advent movement; and especially was this so to its enemies. The latter then felt that a favorable point had been reached where they could safely and publicly oppose it. Previous to this, such manifest evidences of God’s blessing went with it,—such remarkable revivals, so many converts were added to the churches wherever the near advent of Christ was proclaimed,—that their enemies could not well interfere with its progress. William Miller, the great apostle of Adventism in this country, and his colaborers, did not denounce the churches. On the contrary, when many converts had been made as the result of their labors, they counseled them to join the churches they preferred. Indeed, previous to the passing of the time, the most spiritual members of the churches became believers in the soon coming of Christ, and thus exerted a strong influence in behalf of those who taught them the precious truths of the near coming of the Master. Yet many of the ministers were at heart opposed to the movement, and many of the laity who were worldly minded and popular had instinctively a feeling of opposition to it. They did not desire to hear about Christ’s soon coming. When the time passed, these elements took courage to come out openly against the doctrine, opposing it in the churches. The ministers sought to silence those who loved to talk of it. The Adventists themselves had suffered a grievous disappointment. During the few months that followed the passing of the time, the half-believers, who had been moved by fear to nominally accept the doctrine, came out and confessed they had not really believed it any of the time. There were many of this class, who now took their places with the opposers. But not so all. The firm, devoted believers were much disappointed, yet they studied their Bibles all the more. They prayed most earnestly—yea, agonizingly—for light from the Lord in explanation of their disappointment. They found quite a number of scriptures which were a great comfort to them—scriptures that greatly strengthened their faith. The prophet Habakkuk (Hab. 2:1-4) evidently refers to this very time: “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am argued with [margin]. And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” Christ’s servants are represented as watchmen upon their towers, deeply interested in a certain event. Then a tarrying time is brought to view, when many are disappointed, and all connected therewith are in deep perplexity. Some show their lack of faith and give up, but others cling to the precious truths they have espoused. Paul, in Heb. 10:35-39, uses language very similar, and undoubtedly refers to the same time. Indeed, his words are almost a direct quotation of the words of the prophet: “Cast not away therefore your confidence,” he says, “for ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” To tarry is not to have a thing come as quickly as it is expected. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them who believe to the saving of the soul.” How plainly this brings to view the experience of the advent people. The time passed; there was a “tarrying” time,—a lull, till they could study and pray for light. Two classes were developed by this apparent “tarry;” the weak-kneed and worldly-minded drew out and went back into darkness. God was displeased with them. But others lived “by faith,” and soon found light from the Lord. They were all the stronger for the parting with the faithless and unbelieving element. Soon the clear light shone upon their pathway. This tarrying time was an essential blessing to the true believers. It has its place in the advent experience. In Matthew 24, our Saviour gives most clearly the signs of his coming. He speaks of the darkening of the sun and moon, and of the falling of the stars, as the special signs of his personal appearing. He says: “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Then he speaks of two classes of servants: the good, faithful, wise servant, who gives “meat in due season,”—who shows our whereabouts in the stream of time; and the evil servant, who says, “My Lord delayeth his coming.” So it has been in the advent experience. Both classes have been plainly in view during all these years. The Saviour then illustrates the condition of the Adventist people by a parable: “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” There were two classes,—five wise and five foolish. The wise took oil in their lamps. The five foolish did not. At midnight a command went forth to go out to meet the bridegroom. The five wise virgins, being ready, went in with him to the marriage; the foolish ones, having no oil in their vessels, could not; etc. The cry at midnight, “Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him,” represents some advent experiences. The lamp represents the Word of God. His Word is a lamp to our feet. The oil represents the Spirit of God. That precious Spirit was with the wise virgins. They had faith in the Bridegroom’s coming. His Spirit was with the Word. After much prayer and study on the10subject, the advent people found that a mistake had been made in supposing the twenty-three hundred days commenced at the beginning of the year 456 B. C., and must therefore close at the end of 1843 A. D. They discovered that the period went into effect in the fall of the year, or, more specifically, on Oct. 22, 1844, the time for the great day of atonement, when the sanctuary was cleansed in the type. It was a wonderful revival of the advent hope. “The midnight cry,” as it was called, aroused all the faithful believers as one man. The message went with mighty power, exceeding anything in the past. God’s Spirit was powerfully present; multitudes were converted; the doctrine was proclaimed in all parts of the world. Publications were sent to every mission station on the globe. The solemnity of the judgment pervaded the advent believers. The opposition of the antagonistic ministry was far more bitter than ever before. The believers were treated harshly. The churches in very many instances refused to let their believing members speak in their meetings on the subject of Christ’s coming. Persecution was largely used to silence the believers. The oppression was deeply felt by multitudes of the true believers in Christ’s soon coming. The doctrine was practically shut out of the popular Protestant churches. The believers felt that they could do no more. They loved the precious doctrine of Jesus’ soon coming to gather his people. It filled their souls with joy. How could they endure to have their hearts’ joy and rejoicing smothered in this way! Soon the cry, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” went through the advent ranks with mighty power, and in a very brief period of time, fifty thousand Adventists, with this cry upon their lips, left the churches. Well does the writer remember that day, though but ten years old. Father was one of the deacons of the Baptist church of Waterbury, Vt. He was one of the three deacons. Two of them were firm believers, as were also many of the best members. The minister had been very friendly previous to this point, and had not opposed, though he was not a believer in the advent movement. But now that 1843 was past, he felt that a stand must be taken against this mistaken zeal, as he termed it. He and his supporters therefore, a majority of the membership, being opposed to Adventism, made their views known to the believers. A crisis came. I well remember how serious and decided father looked when he, mother, and all the older members of the family went to attend the church meeting. Quite a large faction of the best, most earnest, members withdrew from the dear Baptist Church, with the cry, “Babylon is fallen.” They could not stay in the body which was opposed to that most precious truth, dearer to them even than the church of their choice, the soon coming of the Saviour. It was a sad day to both sides when this parting of the ways severed the church relation. But there was no other way. How “can two walk together, except they be agreed?” And thus it was, all through the ranks of the advent believers. The message of the second angel brought fifty thousand Adventists out of the churches in a brief period, with the great truth firmly stated that “Babylon is fallen.” It is a solemn fact that when the popular churches as bodies took their stand against the grand truth of the nearness of Christ’s coming the second time, they rejected light from God just as surely as the Jewish church did when it rejected Jesus of Nazareth as the true Messiah.