p. 11 | The Last Appeal by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 27, 1902

The Last Appeal

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

E. J. WAGGONER

WHEN Israel first came out of Egypt, they were not really delivered from the house of bondage, because their hearts were still there. This was why they did not enter into rest. They were still in bondage, and most of them died without entering into rest. It is little profit to have the body come out of Egypt and leave the heart in. In bringing his people out of the captivity of Babylon, the Lord desired to give them perfect freedom of soul as well as of body. So all were left free to come out or to stay in. None could be really set free, so long as the very thing that caused them to go into captivity was allowed to enslave their hearts. God was doing a deeper and more lasting work than merely to strike fetters of iron from the limbs of his people. So we are not to judge of the success of this work by the few that then heard the call and came out.

As we read the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the work of Cyrus, we can see that these go on to speak of the work of Jesus, of whom Cyrus was a type. It is Christ who alone can build God's eternal city, and let go his captives; for only he can set men free from the bondage of sin. He is the Good Shepherd who shall perform all God's pleasure. Isa. 44:28. In the departure from Babylon, in the days of Cyrus, we see the beginning of a work which is not yet completed, and which will not cease until God's people are all set free from every species of spiritual bondage. In the closing call of the gospel, we find God's last appeal to his people to come out of Babylon. Revelation 18.