Former Things—Seventh Paper
By Uriah Smith
We were about to tell why no Seventh-day Adventist can fix any time for the coming of the Lord, when the article reached its prescribed limits, making it necessary to throw these thoughts over to the present number. By the development of light on the subject of the sanctuary, the exact spot on which our feet then stood, in the prophetic journey, was thrown into clear and definite light. The light was advancing; and our duty was to advance with it. The admonition of the Saviour is, “Walk while ye have the light.” The definite point of time necessary to enlist and infuse the whole heart of the people in the great crisis we had reached in our experience, had been passed. But, best of all, we had not been obliged to lie down in despair; for nothing had failed in all the prophecy. The cleansing4of the sanctuary had begun. A new epoch had opened in the heavenly world, and among the holy angels. Time was prolonged to dwellers on the earth, and a new work was opened before us; and those holy beings who are sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation had occasion to regard with new interest those whom they were trying to assist in the heavenly journey. We had entered the patience of the saints; and that, we have seen, was a period of absolute indefiniteness. And how do we know that the period is so indefinite?—Because when Christ entered upon the work of cleansing the sanctuary, he entered upon a division of his work which he does not perform at random and intermittently, but accomplishes once for all, and hence goes on with it till he has interceded for the last being who will accept the offers of his grace, or would accept of them, however much longer they might continue; so that there would be no object to be gained by prolonging the work to any further extent. From this it will be seen that the patience of the saints continues uninterruptedly till the Lord appears. It is called “the patience of the saints” because they are left in uncertainty as to the time. “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” Mark 13: 32. It seems that the Father retains the knowledge of this point in his own power. But the time is coming when even this point will be known by the saints themselves. Under the heading “Deliverance of the Saints,” in “Early Writings,” pages 145, 146, we read: “And as God spoke the day and the hour of Jesus’ coming,” etc. From the same work, we read again, “Time has not been a test since 1844, and it will never again be a test.”—Page 64. Thus we see that definite time can never be fixed for the Lord to come; and the danger of repeating the mistake of 1844 is forever removed. And we see the reason why: while Christ is in the sanctuary engaged in his solemn work, only the Father knows the hour of Jesus’ coming, and only he can make it known. But there is nothing to prevent his doing this if he sees best to do so. However, this point will never again be a test among men. Hence any theory which claims to present ability to fix a time for the Lord to come, is not present truth, and we are not to give any attention to it. And yet the very uncertainty that surrounds the subject is made a plea for watchfulness, which for its thrilling importance has no parallel in any other portion of Scripture: “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.” Mark 13: 35. These expressions can not apply to the visible appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven, with all the appalling circumstances that will accompany that event; for, as described in Rev. 6: 14-17, every island and mountain will be moved out of their places, and kings, and the great and mighty men of the earth will be imploring the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them “from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” None at that day will be in danger of being caught sleeping. But these expressions can, and do, apply to that supreme hour of importance to the Christian when probation ends, the work in the sanctuary is finished, and Christ comes forth to pronounce the everlasting blessing upon his people. With the light upon the sanctuary, new views of our work among men opened before us. We recognized the time when the sanctuary should be cleansed as the time when the temple of God should be opened, as brought to view in Rev. 11: 19. And the point that most forcibly arrested our attention in that scripture was that there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament. As given in the Revelation the expression is: “And there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” Every fundamental principle brought to view in a work of reform is sure to evoke a storm of opposition, which rages with virulence and fury against those who are carrying on the work of reform. The work of the Lord now touched a vital point, on which the great enemy of all truth was extremely sensitive. And well he might be. It attacked the fundamental principles of his government. It is the very point on which he has labored from the beginning of sin to seduce and mislead mankind. We can imagine the powers of darkness consulting together whether such a work as this shall be allowed to go on quietly, or whether an effort shall be made to stop it. Such a work will certainly be opposed. So all the powers of darkness were summoned to the strife. The work was noted in the prophecy in these words: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12: 17. This language means war, fierce and persistent, by all the weapons that Satan can command, with all his experience and his trained powers for evil. In this warfare the great issue is joined between the powers of light and darkness. We may be sure that Satan will not calmly suffer those who are opposing him to override the principles of his government. There will be a desperate struggle, and war to the finish on this point, by all the arts and sophistries and deceptions at his command. The serpent is described as casting out of his mouth water as a flood to cause the adherents to the truth to be swept away. But God has weapons to match all those of the powers of darkness. All he has to do is to cause the earth to open her mouth (Rev. 12: 15, 16) and swallow up the flood, as the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, as they rose up against the work of Moses. Thus all opposition to the work of the Lord easily comes to naught, no matter from whom the opposition comes. It may come from princes and men of renown; but the Lord is no respecter of persons. The people must stand true to their colors. U. S.