The Essential Teaching of the Second Advent Movement
By W. W. P.
It ought to be possible to give a good reason for the existence of every great movement. This is especially true in the religious world, where every such movement may result in adding to the many already existing denominations. It is therefore eminently fitting that we should here set forth some of the most important features of that system of teaching which constitutes the doctrinal basis of this second advent movement. The fundamental idea which has served as the actuating impulse and the creative principle of this movement is loyalty to the plain teaching of the Word of God rather than to tradition or creed. United with this, there has been a recognition of the fact that in carrying out6his purpose to have human instrumentalities co-operating with the divine purpose, God gives special light upon the Scriptures to those who are willing to be used as instruments to proclaim the truth needed at any special time. The example of King Josiah is an instructive one. The book of the law which had been too much neglected by some of the previous kings, was found “in the house of the Lord,” and was read in the royal presence. “Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.” 2 Chron. 34: 29-31. The time had come for a great reform, and this was based upon divinely inspired instruction which was presented to the people. In the same way, when the hour had struck for the manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh, “the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.” Charged with a divine message, this forerunner of our Lord proclaimed to rulers, priests, and people the truths which they needed to know in order to be prepared to recognize the Messenger of the covenant when he should appear. No new revelation was made to John the Baptist, but his mind was so enlightened concerning the messages already given through the prophets that he was able so to apply their teachings as to meet the needs of the hour. His words seemed like a fresh revelation to the people because the plain truths which he taught had either been neglected or wholly perverted by the religious leaders of that time. To old truths he gave a new setting, and the same spirit which furnished him with this message brought conviction upon the hearts of those who heard it. When the great prophetic periods recorded in Scripture had either come to a close or were nearly fulfilled, the providence of God raised up a body of teachers, who, after much prayerful study, were able to present to the people instruction adapted to the time. They demonstrated the fulfilment of prophecy, they urged with great power “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ;” they sought “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” This was the beginning of this second advent movement. Emphasizing the acceptance of the Word of God as a sufficient rule of faith and practise and the obligation of obedience to its plain instructions, the teachers in this movement have in a special way directed the attention of the people to the following truths:— 1. The literal second advent of Christ. This doctrine is based upon the fulfilment of time-prophecies, which, although they do not designate the exact time of the advent, do yet extend to the generation in which the great consummation will be realized. It also rests upon prophecies descriptive of the conditions in the political world and the religious world during the last years of earthly history, upon predictions of specific signs in the heavens, of social and economic conditions among the people, of general apostasy from Bible truth, and of that confidence in the established order of things which will lead many to say, “Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” The doctrine of the imminent coming of Christ must of necessity be an essential feature in the teaching of the second advent movement. 2. The priesthood of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. The atoning work of Christ rests upon facts,—the incarnation of Christ, the death of Christ on the cross, the resurrection of Christ, the ascension of Christ, and the ministry of Christ in the heavenly temple. As the yearly round of service in the typical tabernacle closed with the great day of atonement, so the antitypical service in the heavenly sanctuary closes with the work of our great High Priest in the most holy place, and then the priestly garments are laid aside, the kingly robes are put on, and he who gave himself to save men from sin returns to this world to claim the fruits of his work. A clear understanding of the work of Christ as High Priest is therefore necessary, and this doctrine must have a prominent place in the genuine second advent movement. 3. Obedience as the fruit of righteousness. The apostolic teaching of justification by faith, so long hidden from men, but rediscovered and emphasized anew in the great Reformation of the sixteenth century, has been on the part of many perverted into a substitute for obedience. The truth should be stated clearly. We do not obtain justification by any works, but we retain justification by those works which are the fruit of the gift of righteousness. The justified man walks in the law of the Lord. The righteousness of Christ imparted through faith is revealed in the life in harmony with God’s law. This is the proof of genuine justification. The law is not made void by faith, but is rather written in the heart, and especially in the life. 4. The observance of the original Sabbath of the Lord. This is a necessary consequence of the doctrines already stated. The imminence of the second advent requires a people “righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” A study of the ministry of Christ, the great High Priest, reveals the law of God in the ark of the covenant, and shows that the fourth commandment remains unchanged. The prophecies concerning the man of sin show the attempt to change the law of God, and the papacy confesses that it has done this work. The prophecies concerning Sabbath reform find their fulfilment in the restoration of the true Sabbath in this second advent movement. The application of the principle of loyalty to the plain teachings of the Scriptures has developed a complete system of harmonious Bible truth in which the four doctrines already mentioned occupy a leading place. It is an effort to return to primitive Christianity. It is a call to the simplicity of the gospel. In these days of apostasy from the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, there is surely abundant justification for such a movement. W. W. P.