Untitled article by Hiram Edson

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, August 6, 1867

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXX, No. 8

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Historical Department.

By Hiram Edson

Prophecy is History in Advance.

THE SHORTENING OF THE DAYS,

And Typical Bearing of the 40 Years' Sojourn of Israel in the Wilderness.

(Concluded.)

The course pursued by the President and Congress in this year, was what removed the Roman yoke, and established the United States government upon an independent basis, free to act independent not only of the French government, but also of all other earthly governments. And thus the government of these United States was established in 1798 in the tops of the mountains, and exalted above the hills. In other words it was established and exalted above all other governments of the world, and all people have been flowing unto it. The civil and religious liberty guaranteed by the constitution of these United States has drawn a tide of emigration to this country unparalleled in the annals of history.

When the Lord set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, they were to be recovered from the land of their captivity, from the countries wherein they had been scattered; they were to be assembled and gathered together. Isa. xi, 11, 12; Jer. xxx, 10; Eze. xxxiv, 11–13; Micah iv, 1–6. The point of compass toward which they were to emigrate in the time of this recovery from the land of their captivity, was to be toward the west, in ships through or over the sea, which would bring them to this American continent; for the land of their captivity embraces all territory east of the Atlantic. Isa. xi, 11–14, lx, 9; Zech. x, 10, 11; Hosea xi, 10, 11; Isa. lix, 19. They were to be brought into a wilderness land. Eze. xx, 33–38; Micah vii, 14, 15; Hosea ii, 13–15; Isa. xxxv, 1–4, xi, 1–10.

Paul has taught us that the history of the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage, what befell them during their forty years' sojourn in the wilderness, their entrance into the land of Canaan, &c., were our examples or types. 1 Cor. x, 6, 11: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.” And to this agree the words of the prophet Micah, vii, 14, 15. “According to the days, (plural,—forty years) of thy coming out of the land of Egypt, will I show unto him marvelous things,” &c. When the time of the promise drew nigh that God would deliver his people from the 400 years' Egyptian bondage, the people Israel grew and multiplied in Egypt. Acts vii, 17. So also in like manner when the time of the promise drew nigh that God would set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, the people Israel again grew and multiplied by the reformation under Luther, Melancthon and others in the Roman kingdom, spiritually or antitypically called Egypt. See Rev. xi, 8. In the fortieth year of the sojourn of Israel in the wilderness, Joshua sent the officers through the host to stir up the people to prepare to pass over Jordan in three days, and at the end of three days they removed and came to Jordan, which signifies, river of judgment. Here the officers went through the host again, commanding the people when they should see the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then they should remove from their place and go after it; but there was to be a space between them and the ark, that they might know the way by which they were to go, for they had not passed this way heretofore. And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves, for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders among you. And it came to pass when they had passed through Jordan, which signifies river of judgment, and were circumcised, that then appeared the captain of the Lord's host with a drawn sword in his hand, to lead them on to take the land of Canaan. Joshua i, 10, 11; chapter iii, 2–6; chapter v.

This history being typical, we will compare with it the history of the remnant since the 1260 years' captivity ended in 1798. Though Israel left Egypt the self-same day that the 400 years ended, yet they were pursued by the Egyptians and overtaken at the Red Sea, where their lives were in jeopardy; and it was not till they passed through the sea, and the Egyptian host was overthrown in the sea, that Israel sung the song of deliverance. It was after this that they were doomed to wander 40 years in the wilderness. So also, although the Roman yoke was broken off at the end of the 1260 years in 1798, yet the French nation who held the leading or controlling influence in the Roman government, which is spiritually or antitypically called Egypt, made an open profession of atheism, abolishing all religion and prohibiting all religious worship save of liberty and the country, swearing to extirpate Christianity from the world, &c., and the reign of terror became the most horrid and appalling, and thus the lives of Christians were in jeopardy as was Israel's at the Red Sea. Also a civil constitution was framed for the clergy, to which all were required to swear on pain of death or banishment. The great body refused, and priests and altars were overturned, and blood once esteemed sacred, flowed in torrents. From the Atlantic to the Adriatic she presented but one appalling spectacle. No tongue can tell the woes of the nation. See Marsh's Eccl. History, page 300. This was much like the overthrow of the Egyptian host in the Red Sea. Dec. 1799, Bonaparte abolished this heathen ritual, and re-opened the churches for religious worship, and the heaven-born boon of free toleration was given; and the following year, 1800, a treaty of peace was concluded between France and the United States. At this point the remnant might have united in singing a song of deliverance, as did their ancestors after the overthrow of the Egyptian host in the Red Sea, though the song of Moses and the Lamb is yet to be sung, after the great battle and treading of the wine press in the great day.

Now whether we reckon from 1798, where the Roman yoke was broken off, or from 1799, or 1800, where the heathen ritual was abolished and free toleration given, and the treaty of peace concluded between the United States and the French nation, forty years from either of these dates will bring us down to the time where the first angel's message of Rev. xiv was being given, proclaiming the hour or period of God's judgment come, based upon the termination of the 2300 days of Dan. viii, 14, which brought us to the great antitypical day of atonement for the cleansing of the sanctuary, where the judgment first began at the house of God.

From the above considerations we find a perfect and admirable harmony in the accomplishment of the indignation, the scattering of the power of the holy people, and the independent establishment of the government of these United States, all transpiring at one and the same time.

1. The days were shortened for the elect's sake by the abolition of torture, and freedom extended to Protestants, &c., in 1776, and American Independence declared the same year; and

2. The days ended in 1798, the captivity of the Papal beast is fully consummated, and the last connecting link which bound the United States under the dictation of the Roman government was broken the same year. In that year the President issued his proclamation to convene Congress on the 15th of July, the avowed object of which was to take a course which should convince the government of France and the world that we are not a degraded people, humiliated under a colonial spirit of fear and a sense of inferiority, fitted to be the miserable instrument of foreign influence, and regardless of national honor, character, and interest.

This message was preparatory to the coming to the judgment, and was the antitype of Joshua's sending the officers through the host to stir up the people to prepare to pass over Jordan, which signifies, river of judgment. And now since the first angel's message of Rev. xiv closed in 1844, the temple of God is opened in Heaven, and there is seen (by faith) in his temple the ark of his testament, and the burden of the third angel's message, Rev. xiv, 9–12, now being borne before the people by the priest, the Lord's ministers, is this ark and its contents, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, the following or keeping of which will alone ensure the remnant a safe passage through the judgment. And thus we are now in the antitype of ancient Israel's following the ark passing through Jordan, which signifies judgment.

And when the day of atonement is finished, the judgment upon the house of God will be past, as typified by ancient Israel passing through Jordan, the river of judgment; and then “Michael will stand up,” and there will be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, as typified by the trouble of the Amorites and Canaanites, Josh. v, 1; and he, Michael, will lead on the Lord's host to take and possess the kingdom. This will be the antitype of the captain of the Lord's host which appeared to Joshua with a drawn sword in his hand, to lead Israel on to take and possess the land of Canaan.

From the above considerations it is clear that the forty years' sojourn of ancient Israel in the wilderness meets its antitype in the history of the remnant between 1798 and 1844, and not this side of 1844. The yoke of Egyptian bondage was broken off at the expiration of the 400 years; but Israel had to bear the reproach of Egypt through the forty years till they were passed over Jordan. See Josh. v, 9. So also the indignation ceased, and the Papal or Roman yoke was broken off in 1798; but the remnant must still bear the reproach of spiritual or antitypical Egypt, till the day of atonement or the judgment upon the house of Israel is passed, after which the reproach of Egypt will again be rolled off.

It is evident from Ex. xvi, and Nehemiah ix, 14, that Israel in the time of their sojourn and bondage in Egypt, were drawn away, and lost sight of the true Sabbath of the Lord; hence when he had brought them out of the land of Egypt into the wilderness, it became necessary for him to make known unto them his true Sabbath. Compare Ex. xvi with Nehemiah ix, 14. They were restored to the true worship of the true God by keeping all of the ten commandments. This was the condition upon which they were to enter into and possess the land of Canaan. Deut. iv, 1, 2; viii, 1, 6–11, 19, 20; Lev. xxvi. So also has the church in the present dispensation, in the time of their bondage in antitypical Egypt, been drawn away and forsaken the holy covenant—the Father's law of ten commandments, and lost sight of his true holy Sabbath. Ps. lxxxix, 27–32; Dan. xi, 30–32; 2 Thess. ii, 1–3; Eze. xxiii, 4, 5; Isa. lviii, 1, 12, 13. Hence the true holy Sabbath is again to be made known, and the true remnant church restored by the third angel's message to the keeping of the true Sabbath and all the ten commandments and the faith of Jesus, as a condition upon which they are to enter into and possess the antitypical or heavenly Canaan. Rev. xiv, 9–12; Isa. lviii, 1, 12–14; lvi; Rev. xxii, 14.

HIRAM EDSON.

Palermo, N. Y.