The Year 1866 by J.

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 25, 1866

The Year 1866.

By J.

BIBLE students who have made the prophecies their especial study have very generally agreed that the year 1866, and onward to 1870 were pregnant with some great events, fraught with deep and lasting interest of weal or woe to the human family, as character must determine. Some of those who have fixed their eye on 1866 and thereabouts, long since have ceased both to write and to live. As the time has been nearing, there has been a marked interest manifest, both on the Eastern and Western continents. Writers have sprung up in all directions, in every branch of the church, so that now there are numerous weeklies, monthlies, and some quarterlies devoted to the study and exposition of prophecy; besides, there are tracts, pamphlets, and numerous books, many of them written by men of the first talents and undoubted piety.

These writers, though differing more or less in many minor points, very generally reject the modern popular theory of this world's speedy conversion by human appliances, aided by gospel means, as a dangerous heresy of the last times, every way calculated to lull, deceive and cheat the world and the church into their last fatal slumber, as foretold by the prophetic scriptures. On the other hand, they very generally believe and teach that our groaning creation (Rom. viii, 22,) has well nigh accomplished the time of her bondage, and is about to be disenthralled by the appearing and interposition of the “Prince of the kings of the earth,” when “the kingdoms of this world are to become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ,” (Rev. xi, 15,) answering to the parable of the nobleman who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and after a long time to return and reckon with his servants. The time has been indeed long since earth’s rightful Lord and King, the second Adam, ascended from Olivet, to his Father and our Father, to his God, and our God. John xx, 17.

Though nearly two thousand years have rolled onward under the heavy burden of the curse, and vast numbers of the best of men have toiled, suffered, and died in the cause of truth and righteousness, it must be admitted that there are no trustworthy assurances that the world is mending, and about to work out its own cure, prior to the return of the Physician of soul and body. He is emphatically our “redemption.”

Whether this great event is this year, or prior to 1870, will there need to be any great change in this world to fill up the prophetic programme so distinctly marked out in the Holy Scriptures? The filling up by passing events of this most clear and minute outline should convince all. It may be well to name, and then look about us for some of these landmarks along the coast of time which we are just now navigating, for doubtless our times are peculiar.

1. The prophet says, “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Dan. xii, 4. Is not this landmark clear and distinct before the unprejudiced mind? Mark, this is in close proximity with other events. First, a time of great trouble and deliverance for those “who shall be found written in the book.” Verse 1. Second, a resurrection, “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.” Verse 2. Third, though it will be a time of unparalleled light, it will also be a time of unparalleled wickedness. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Verse 10. The wicked shall do wickedly, and none of them shall understand; surely this does not look like the greater part, or all of them being converted according to modern teaching.

2. It will be a time of great light, and prevailing wickedness and apostasy. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matt. xxiv, 12. Compare this with another scripture, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” 2 Tim. iii, 1–5. Do not these things now appear as real as face answers to face in a glass, in a style and degree never before witnessed? Does this look like the world’s rapid advance in vital godliness? It is trifling with God’s word to attempt to evade this sad picture by saying it has always been so.

3. “And as it was in the day of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise also, as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” Luke xviii, 26–30. Compare this with another, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Tim. iii, 13.

One more landmark must suffice. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming, for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Pet. iii, 3–4. Never was there such scoffing and skepticism in reference to the second advent as now. The scoffers are actually upon us, and verily the world is not ready to meet her coming Lord.—J., in Northern Independent.