The Disappointment and Its Explanation by GEORGE I. BUTLER

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 17, 1908

The Disappointment and Its Explanation

By GEORGE I. BUTLER

GEORGE I. BUTLER

HAVING taken a brief survey of the time movement in 1844, leading up to the beginning of the judgment hour brought to view in the first angel’s message of Rev. 14:6, 7, some attention should be given to the disappointment of the more than one hundred thousand believers at that time. We have glanced at the wonderful power with which the message was proclaimed, and the telling effect it had upon the minds of multitudes who listened to the clear and powerful evidences that God was in the proclamation, “The hour of his judgment is come.” Believers and unbelievers were awaiting the outcome of that judgment message with thrilling interest.

The time came, and passed. The Lord did not come. The believers were terribly disappointed. The unbelievers rejoiced, and apparently triumphed. The scoffer did his worst to show his contempt by ridicule. Untruthful stories were circulated, and the Adventists were set down as the most foolish of fanatics. But there was one thing none of their opponents could ever do, and that was to

show from the Bible the fallacy of the arguments brought from the prophecies that the prophetic period of twenty-three hundred year-days terminated, as the Adventists claimed, in 1844. Those arguments have never yet been answered. They never can be answered. That period began B. C. 457, in the fall of the year, when Ezra and his large company reached Jerusalem, and the decree of Artaxerxes began to be carried into effect. Twenty-three hundred years reached to the fall of 1844, just when the Adventists said it did. There was the prophecy, which stands to-day in all our Bibles. The divisions of time which compose that long period each met their fulfilment just as the Bible declares. Forty-nine years from B. C. 457 reached to the time when Jerusalem was completely rebuilt, and the Jewish polity fully established. Four hundred eighty-three years from B. C. 457 reached to Messiah the Prince, in the fall of A. D. 27, when Christ himself said, “The time is fulfilled.” Three and a half years after this, A. D. 31, Christ was cut off in the middle of the last week of the seventy. Three and a half years later, or A. D. 34, the seventy weeks “cut off” upon the Jewish people terminated. And with their termination expired all the special privileges of that nation. The gospel went to the Gentiles. Eighteen hundred ten years of the twenty-three hundred remained, allotted especially to the Gentile world. At the expiration of that long period, a mighty proclamation went to the world: “The hour of his judgment is come.” These facts stand to-day as firm as the rock of Gibraltar; yea, verily, as firm as God’s Word, as firm as his everlasting throne stands in the heavens.

There is a wonderful likeness between our age and the earliest period of the Christian dispensation—the closing period of the Jewish dispensation. In each period are two classes: believers in the prophetic word, and disbelievers in it.

In the seventy weeks of years (i. e., the four hundred ninety years) “cut off” upon the Jews were contained the data which showed precisely the time when Messiah should appear, and when he should be “cut off.” We have the evidence that many were expecting him when he came. Why?—Simply because of this clear and emphatic statement in this prophecy of the seventy weeks as to the time when he should come. “Just and devout” Simeon was waiting for the Messiah; indeed, it was revealed to him that he should not see death till he had seen the Lord’s Christ. When Jesus was brought to the temple to be presented to the Lord, Simeon took the babe in his arms, and said: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” Anna, a prophetess, an aged and holy woman, also spoke of him at the same time. Luke 2:25-30. Many others believed. At that very time there was evidently quite a general expectancy, on the part of the most pious, that Christ was coming, because of the fulfilment of the prediction contained in the prophecy of the seventy weeks. John the Baptist’s work of reform came in to corroborate and strengthen these evidences.

But how was it with the mass of the Jewish people, especially the officials, the popular leaders, the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, etc.?—They did not believe this prophecy. On the contrary, they treated it with disdain and contempt.

We come now to the end of this long period of twenty-three hundred years, and how do we find the mass of professed Christians treating this great inspired prediction?—In precisely the same way. They ignore it. They treat it as of no consequence whatever. But we thank God there are those who are studying it with the deepest interest; for this demonstrates beyond all question that we are in the very last days of time. The hour of God’s judgment has come. The last work of Christ in heaven is now in progress preparatory to his soon coming. As Simeon rejoiced when he beheld the infant Jesus, so should we all rejoice that he soon is coming again. The judgment period is rapidly hastening to its close. Then our Saviour will appear in his glory, to take his people home. How can sensible men who have known these facts grow cold, and apostatize from such a glorious truth?

We have stated that there was a great disappointment in 1844, when the time passed. This was truly one of the most sad and bitter experiences that any Christian people ever passed through. Multitudes of professed believers soon gave up, and disappeared from the advent ranks. Their faith had not the staying qualities. But not so with the firm, faithful believers. They were stunned, and almost overwhelmed at the disappointment, but at once began to study their Bibles to learn why this disappointment had occurred. All the Adventists had believed that Christ would come at the close of the period spoken of by Gabriel, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” In other words, they thought the sanctuary here spoken of was our earth, and its cleansing was the purifying of the earth by fire. But did the angel say that unto twenty-three hundred days Christ should come?—Certainly not. They drew the conclusion that he would come, but there is no such statement in the prophecy. He did say, however, that at the conclusion of that period, the sanctuary would be cleansed.

Is there any evidence that the earth is or ever was the sanctuary?—Not one word of evidence for this belief can be found in the Scriptures; but there is an abundance of evidence that the earth is not the sanctuary. What is the meaning of the word sanctuary?—“A holy place,” “a sacred place,” “a place where God dwells.” Is our earth, since sin entered our world, such a place?—Far from it. This world is in rebellion against God. Satan is served by the great majority of mankind. More than a thousand million of earth’s inhabitants are yet idolaters. The great masses in the so-called Christian lands are anything but Christians. “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction.” The great masses walk therein. “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” This earth, then, can not be the sanctuary. In our next article we will show what the sanctuary is, and what its cleansing, and will explain more fully the great disappointment of the Adventist people of 1844.

Bowling Green, Fla.