QUESTIONS by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 4, 1862

QUESTIONS

By Editor

BRO. WHITE: We have a little society of Sabbath-keepers here who are searching for truth, and striving to overcome the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

Paul says, “Despise not prophesyings,” but he also says, “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.” This is what I desire to do. As you and sister W. are strangers to me, and I to you, I ask, What evidence can I have that her visions are of the Lord? If consistent with your and her feelings, I would like to be enlightened in this matter. When I am convinced, I will receive them with all my heart.

Does the sixth seal extend to the coming of Christ? If not, how are we to interpret the last four verses of Rev. vi? Also, when the seventh seal opens, does it open at the same time the seventh trumpet sounds? Please explain the last three verses of Dan. xii.

E. BURBEE.

Waterloo, Iowa, Jan. 22, 1862.

ANSWERS.

1. The New Testament teaches the perpetuity of spiritual gifts. That the gift of prophecy was to be revived and restored to the church, with the restoration of the commandments of God, seems evident from Rev. xii, 17, compared with chap. xix, 10; Isa. xxx, 8--14. See also Joel ii, 28--32; Acts ii, 17--20. The last days embrace the last day, so if the gift of prophecy is past, the last days are past, and we are living somewhere beyond the last days.

The two volumes of Spiritual Gifts, advertised in Review, contain much of the evidence of the truthfulness of Mrs. W.'s views. It is now almost seventeen years since she had her first vision. Much of this time she has traveled and publicly taught the things shown her of the Lord, to the great comfort of the humble and desponding. She has delivered a vast amount of testimonies of reproof, alike to friends and foes, endangering herself to the cold neglect of the former, and the abuse and slander of the latter. Thus she has stood before the world near seventeen years. Her visions have stood the most rigid test of criticism. At one time a periodical was gotten up, and for about one year was devoted to the effort of crushing the visions. This resulted in a thorough examination of their merits, and in placing them where they had ten-fold their former influence. Their tendency is to lead the mind to a clearer understanding of the word of God, to bring down the vain and the proud, and lift up and comfort the weak and desponding, to unite the people of God, and lead them to a preparation for the coming of the Son of man. “A tree is known by its fruit.” Mrs. W. has traveled and borne her testimony in Maine, N. H., Mass., Ct., Vt., C. E., N. Y., Pa., Ohio, Mich., Ills., Wis., and Iowa, and why so many in the wide field of her labors firmly believe that she is sent of God to accomplish a work in his cause, is because they have evidence. Faith without evidence is valueless. Unbelief, where there is evidence, is a wrong. We hope the writer will see good evidence, and believe.

2. The sixth seal evidently extends very near, if not quite to, the second advent, though we do not read the coming of the Lord in the verses referred to. The great day of wrath, and the voice of God which produces the results of verse 14, both in the atmospheric heavens and in the earth, precede the second advent.

3. We think not. We regard the seventh angel, not the last trump that awakes the righteous dead, but, like the other six, symbolic. This angel is days (doubtless years) sounding, and, we think, commenced to sound at the end of Daniel's two great prophetic periods in 1844.

4. We have not space here to fully explain Dan. xii, 11--13. But in reference to this scripture we make the following statements, and defer an exposition to some future time.

(1.) There is no evidence that any of the periods of the prophecy of Daniel reach to the second advent.

(2.) The proof is wanting that the resurrection of the just is taught in the expression, “and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.”

(3.) There is no proof that “lot” means lot of inheritance.

If requested, we will take up the subject at length; but at present we must leave it with these brief statements.—Ed.