p. 9 | Spirit of Prophecy Fulfilling by J. L. McElhany

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 29, 1907

Spirit of Prophecy Fulfilling

By J. L. McElhany

J. L. MCELHANY

A STRIKING fulfilment of the spirit of prophecy is taking place at the present time. If there are any doubts in the minds of any as to whether God has spoken through this source to his commandment-keeping people, we trust that the following statement of facts will serve to confirm their faith.

In “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, page 18, we read: “Brethren and sisters, would that I might say something to awaken you to the importance of this time, the significance of the events that are now taking place. I point you to the aggressive movements now being made for the restriction of religious liberty. God’s sanctified memorial has been torn down, and in its place a false sabbath, bearing no sanctity, stands before the world. And while the powers of darkness are stirring up the elements from beneath, the Lord God of heaven is sending power from above to meet the emergency by arousing his living agencies to exalt the law of heaven. Now, just now, is our time to work in foreign countries. As America, the land of religious liberty, shall unite with the papacy in forcing the conscience and compelling men to honor the false sabbath, the people of every country on the globe will be led to follow her example.”

At the present time Dr. Wilbur F. Crafts, of National (now International) Reform Bureau fame, is touring the world in the interests of that organization. He has visited China and Japan, where he was in conference with some of the highest government officials in the interests of the work he is doing. He spent a little time in Manila on his way to Australia and New Zealand, and from the latter countries he goes to Europe.

Although his stay in Manila was brief, some things were said and done that are deeply significant,—things that are fulfilling the above and other statements made through the spirit of prophecy. His first public address was upon the subject of “Living and Dying Nations.” His text was Isa. 58:13, 14: “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

Dr. Crafts knows perfectly well that the prophet here refers to the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, the seventh day of the week, and not to the first day; but without explaining to his audience that he was reading a prophecy of a reform in keeping the true Sabbath, he made this scripture apply to Sunday, the false papal sabbath. The prophet was not so much concerned about saving a soul as he was about saving a community, a nation, and so with the organization represented by the speaker. This organization claims to be Christian, but apparently they have lost sight of the fact that Christ taught that the Good Shepherd went after the single lost sheep and restored it to the fold. According to the doctor’s exposition of Isaiah’s prophecy, the nations who are riding on the high places of the earth, the living nations, are the ones who are honoring and protecting by law the “quiet American sabbath.” The dying nations are the sabbathless ones who do not protect the sabbath(?), but turn it into a devil’s day, a day of pleasure, intemperance, impurity, and gambling. We would remind the doctor that Sunday comes down to us as “the wild solar holiday of all pagan times.” However, we can look for the time to come quickly when the International Reform Bureau will have succeeded in imposing this “quiet American sabbath” on all the sabbathless nations. There is a deep significance in the doctor’s talk about the “quiet American sabbath,” especially in the light of the above statement from the spirit of prophecy.

In order to save the day and dress it

up in sabbath garments, it is necessary to fight the vices that spoil the religious aspect, for according to the doctor’s version of Isaiah it is not to be a day of pleasure. Therefore the four great evils this international society is fighting are gambling, impurity, sabbath (Sunday) breaking, and intemperance. In his second address, speaking of these four great evils, he said that these things constituted a four-sided fort that must be attacked from all sides. Their weapons for fighting are “letters, lectures, literature, and legislation.” Legislation to attack sabbath (Sunday) breaking! Reader, do you understand what that means? Is your liberty to worship God on his holy Sabbath in danger? Twelve laws have already been passed by the United States Congress at the instance of this association, and they are working harder to-day than ever. They are doubling their force of secretaries.

Their attention is now turned to the Philippines. Here is the issue as outlined by Dr. Crafts: “My purpose is to bring to the officials and people of the Philippines, and especially its moral and religious leaders of all creeds—for the Bureau has had the support of Cardinal Gibbons and other Roman Catholics in three of its projects—such facts as will aid in wise agitation and effective legislation for the repression of these four evils in the Philippines.” According to this, the doctor wants legislation to repress sabbath (Sunday) breaking, among other things, in the Philippines, so that in place of a devil’s day the “quiet American sabbath” can take its place. At the conclusion of the doctor’s remarks a set of resolutions, touching on the opium traffic, was introduced and referred to a committee for further addition, copies of which are to be sent to the governor-general and the Philippine Commission. Dr. Crafts stated that President Roosevelt would know all about the action of that meeting as soon as his letter could reach the President. Thus we see that these men are using every opportunity to influence rulers and men in positions of authority. We need to be thoroughly awake to the situation. We have long known that these Sunday advocates would combine temperance and other reforms with their demands for Sunday laws; and because God’s people oppose the enforcement of this false sabbath, they will be accused of being enemies of temperance reform. In this connection every one should read carefully page 587 of “Great Controversy.” “Now, just now, is our time to work in foreign countries.” The conflict is on, the crisis is right upon us. Are we ready for the issue? We need to heed as never before the messages that come to us through the Lord’s servant. We need to hold up the true principles of Sabbath and temperance reform. Pray for the work in this field, that more workers may be found to come to this needy field and help to give the third angel’s message while there is still time to work.

Manila, Philippine Islands.