That Monterey Vision by A. O. Tait

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 30, 1911

That Monterey Vision

By A. O. Tait

A. O. TAIT

IN October, 1857, Brother and Sister James White attended a meeting at Monterey, Mich. The meeting was held in a schoolhouse, and Brother White was scheduled to preach. Mrs. White said of the occasion:—

“My husband went to the house feeling that he had nothing for the people. He told the brethren on the way that he could not decide on any subject, and wished them to select. A hymn was sung, and my husband prayed with much freedom. After singing again, my husband gave liberty to others to improve the time. I felt impressed to speak, and was greatly blessed in speaking, and sat down, and was soon lost to earthly things.”—“Spiritual Gifts,” Vol. II, page 238.

Speaking of this vision, Mrs. White said:—

“After we returned home, I stated to my husband that I was impressed that something of great importance was shown me at Monterey, which was not yet clear to my mind. One night, a little past midnight, I awoke, and all was clear. I arose, and, while my husband slept, wrote the following: ‘At Monterey, Oct. 8, 1857, I was shown in vision that the condition of many Sabbath-keepers was like the young man who came to Jesus to know what he should do to inherit eternal life.’”—Id., page 239.

Following the foregoing quotation are several paragraphs that lead up to one of the most important, and at the same time one of the most startling, statements to be found anywhere in the utterances of the spirit of prophecy. The words are:—

“I was directed to James 5: ‘Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.’”

“I saw that these fearful words apply particularly to the wealthy who profess to believe the present truth. The Lord calls them to use their means to advance his cause. Opportunities are presented to them, but they shut their eyes to the wants of the cause, and cling fast to their earthly treasure. Their love of the world is greater than their love of the truth, the love of their fellow men, or their love to God. He has called for their substance, but they selfishly, covetously retain what they have. They give a little now and then to ease their conscience, but have not overcome their love for this world. They do not sacrifice for God. The Lord has raised up others that prize eternal life, that can feel and realize something of the value of the soul, and their means they have freely bestowed to advance the cause of God. The work is closing; the rich men have kept their riches, their large farms, their cattle, etc. Their means are not wanted then, and I saw the Lord turn to them in anger, in wrath, and repeat these words: ‘Go to now, ye rich men.’ He has called, but you would not hear. Love of this world has drowned his voice. Now he has no use for you, and lets you go, bidding you, ‘Go to now, ye rich men.’”

“O! I saw it was an awful thing thus to be let go by the Lord; a fearful thing to hold on to a perishable substance here, when he has told you, if

you will sell and give alms, you can lay up treasure in heaven.

“I was shown that as the work was closing up, and the truth going forth in mighty power, those rich men will bring their means and lay it at the feet of the servants of God, begging them to accept it. The answer from the servants of God is, ‘Go to now, ye rich men,’ your means are not needed. You withheld it when you could do good with it in advancing the cause of God. The needy have suffered, they have not been blessed by your means. God will not accept your riches now. ‘Go to now, ye rich men.’”—Id., pages 245-247.

The foregoing vision, given Oct. 8, 1857, was published the same year in “Testimony for the Church,” No. 4. In 1866 it was republished in the second volume of “Spiritual Gifts,” an early set of the writings of Mrs. White in four small volumes, bound in black cloth, which all the older Sabbath-keepers will well remember. Then again in 1885 this vision was republished in “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. I, pages 170-178.

There are several important things to notice in connection with the giving of this message:—

1. Brother White was scheduled to speak, but could get no burden as to what he should say.

2. When the meeting was thrown open for any one to speak who wished, a burden came upon Sister White to speak, and on sitting down, she was taken off in vision. In a paragraph not quoted in the foregoing, it was shown that a part of the vision was a message of strength and comfort to a poor brother who was weighed down with discouragement.

3. Mrs. White returned from Monterey impressed that something of “great importance” had been shown her while in vision, but she could not call it clearly to mind. But in the night-season on a later date, “all was clear.”

4. This matter that was made clear to her was “that the condition of many Sabbath-keepers was like the young man who came to Jesus,” recorded in Matt. 19: 16-26.

5. The vision directs our minds to James 5: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.”

6. Then follows the startling announcement, “I saw that these fearful words [quoted from James 5] apply particularly to the wealthy who profess to believe the present truth. . . . They give a little now and then to ease their conscience, but have not overcome their love for this world.”

7. Then the heart-rending climax is reached: “The Lord has raised up others that prize eternal life, that can feel and realize something of the value of the soul, and their means they have freely bestowed to advance the cause of God. The work is closing: the rich men have kept their riches, their large farms, their cattle, etc. Their means are not wanted then, and I saw the Lord turn to them in anger, in wrath, and repeat these words: ‘Go to now, ye rich men.’ He has called, but you would not hear. Love of this world has drowned his voice. Now he has no use for you, and lets you go, bidding you, ‘Go to now, ye rich men.’ . . . I was shown that as the work is closing up, and the truth going forth in mighty power, these rich men will bring their means and lay it at the feet of the servants of God, begging them to accept it. The answer from the servants of God is, ‘Go to now, ye rich men.’ Your means are not needed.”

Note that the foregoing vision was given when the third angel’s message was still in its infancy. It was fifty-four years ago that this view was presented. Mrs. White “was impressed that something of great importance was shown” her. At the time the vision was given, there were but very few Seventh-day Adventists who had enough means to be classed as “wealthy.” Hence the vision was given in that early time of the message for those who would connect with it in the future, and who would be wealthy. It was evidently given in those remote days so that no one could honestly make the charge that it was not genuine.

The vision is to apply when “the work is closing.” It is so stated at least twice. The vision applies when the truth in its closing days is “going forth in mighty power.”

The vision is both a prophecy and a warning. It shows that, although there were no really wealthy men connected with the message at that time, yet wealth would come in among us, and the man of wealth is warned that his kind Father desired that he should transfer his wealth to the eternal world, and not hold it about him as combustible material that will “eat your flesh as it were fire.”

That Monterey vision was a prophetic note to call our attention to the days revealed by John when the third angel’s message in mighty power would encircle the world on every parallel and on each meridian. That vision should bring vividly to all our minds these very days in which we now dwell; these days when hundreds in many parts of China are accepting the truth from the printed pages that are only meagerly being circulated there; these days when Korea, Japan, India, Africa, South America, and the islands of the sea are stretching their hands toward us, imploringly calling for the light of the gospel, and its great light of prophecy that foretells the immediate return of our Saviour.

Means are urgently needed now, and can be used with mighty effect for the advancement of this work; but any one who is watching how this work is advancing must see that it can be only a little while till the need for money will all be in the past. In that great day the men who have selfishly held onto their wealth will cast it “to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Isa. 2: 20, 21. In that day the men of wealth will be bidden, “Go to now, weep and howl, because of your miseries.”

In presenting the prophecies that tell of the second coming of Christ, we have told of the great fortunes that men have heaped together in these last days, and have pointed to James 5 as among the prophecies that have predicted it. There is no mistaking the fact that the prophecy applies to our time with mighty force. But have we observed as we should that this prophecy of James applies “particularly to the wealthy who profess to believe the present truth”?

The calls that are coming from our Foreign Mission Board with heart-rending urgency for means to provide workers and facilities for the foreign fields that are suffering for the harvest, will not be allowed by the Lord of the harvest to go unheeded. For we should note particularly a paragraph in that Monterey vision which says of the wealthy among us: “They give a little now and then to ease their conscience, but have not overcome their love for this world. They do not sacrifice for God. The Lord has raised up others that prize eternal life, that can feel and realize something of the value of the soul, and their means they have freely bestowed to advance the cause of God.”

The opportunity of supplying means is first presented to the believers in this message. The wealthy among us are given the first chance to invest. But God will not allow the world to be deprived of his soul-charming and soul-satisfying truth merely for the want of money. Men will be raised up who will supply the need.

It is evident that God gave that Monterey vision for this very time. And as we consider it, the Lord’s Spirit will impress upon us the importance of heeding the warning. The awful condition of bringing our money when it is everlastingly too late will come vividly into our minds. The vision was graciously given to save us from just such an experience. But Satan will be present with his evil suggestions, for he wants us selfishly to cling to our money and be lost. Whose voice will we heed? Where will we stand in that near-by great day?

Mountain View, Cal.