The Prophecy Fulfilling by William Ambrose Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Feb 12, 1914

The Prophecy Fulfilling

By William Ambrose Spicer

The prophecy of Revelation 7, giving us that last-day picture of the angels holding the winds of strife while the sealing message, the work of Sabbath reform, spreads to and fro among the nations, is plainly seen fulfilling before our eyes.

While the hand of Providence still holds the winds over the greater part of earth, we may clearly see the same hand stretched forth to save true-hearted seekers after God in every dark land. Here is a new year’s message from Chosen (Korea), bearing witness to this restraining and guiding power of God. Dr. Russell writes from the Soonan medical missionary headquarters:—

We feel that we can almost see these nations striving to break the bands that hold them. But, praise God, the angels have held the winds of strife for another year, and given us opportunity to teach God’s warning message that opens a door of hope to Chosen’s captives who are bound by Satan.

One man took this inclosed letter [a writing in Korean characters, with markings of red about it, doubtless containing mystical sentences], along with many others, and shut himself away from mankind up in the mountains for two years. There he prayed to Satan, and fasted, hoping to reach a condition of peace. But not being satisfied, he decided to become a Christian, and began reading the Bible. But he was bothered because there were so many sects. He wanted to know where he would find the right way. So he prayed to God to show him the right way, and at night he dreamed that he saw a tree, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, and near the tree a blazing Chinese character representing the number 7. The next day one of our canvassers met the man, and gave him a study on the Sabbath question. Our brother also had him read a description of the new earth, in the course of the study. When the man read Rev. 22:2, describing “the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits,” remembering the vivid representation that came to him following his prayer for guidance, he said, “This is the true church.” He has kept every Sabbath now for nearly a year.

I have had the blessed privilege of baptizing seventy-five of Korea’s sons and daughters during the past year. Their color and their environment are different from ours, but when the power attending the threefold message of Revelation 14 gets into a man’s life, it makes him one in mind and purpose and endeavor with all the members of the great family scattered over the earth but united in the one glad hope of seeing our Lord’s soon return.

Thus continually the reports come in, showing how the providence of God is watching individual souls who are groping toward the light. There is a hand

And reaching down from heaven to meet every hand stretched up in the darkness.

In these accounts that come so frequently of the providential working of God to prepare hearts for the receiving of the truth when it reaches them, we are reminded of that word in 2 Chron. 16:9:—

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”

And we are told that the words “run to and fro” carry really the significance of “searching to and fro.” It is the Lord who is searching for those whose hearts are leaning toward him; and continually we note his wonderful providences that lead the feet of the workers to the seekers after God just at the time when hearts have been prepared to receive the message. W. A. S.