A Letter From a Pioneer in This Message by Washington Morse

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 5, 1908

A Letter From a Pioneer in This Message

By Washington Morse

DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: I am happy to live to celebrate the sixty-fourth anniversary of the investigative judgment, which began Oct. 22, 1844. Strangely enough, the figures 1844 have been engraved upon the memory of this generation so deeply that the very mention of them brings to mind a tradition or an actual experience. Who has not heard of what was familiarly styled “the 1844 movement”? Who does not know that modern Adventism sprang into being there, and that in all the world the soon coming of Christ was preached with unparalleled power, and was emphasized by the thought that the judgment was at hand? Indeed, the Adventists of that time, with William Miller at their head, claimed to be giving that very message which is recorded in Rev. 14:6, 7: “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.”

The Adventists of 1844 were right in assuming that the judgment had been reached. They were mistaken simply in their proposition that the Lord was to come at the beginning of the investigative judgment, instead of at its close. (When the great bells of heaven are rung, their echoes are heard upon the earth.) When so stupendous an event as the judgment is inaugurated in heaven, who can doubt that man, who is so deeply concerned in its result, will be apprised of what is taking place there? After the passing of the time in 1844, we reviewed the ground that we had passed over during the twelve previous years. We began with the sixty-nine weeks of Dan. 9:25. This period brought us to the autumn of A. D. 27, this being the end of the first 483 years of the 2300 of Dan. 8:14. At that time our Saviour was baptized, and was acknowledged to be Messiah the Prince. In the middle of the seventieth week, or four hundred ninetieth of the 2300 years of Dan. 8:14, Christ was cut off, or crucified (Dan. 9:26, 27), in the spring of A. D. 31, leaving three and one-half years for his apostles to fulfil the remainder of the seventy weeks. Dan. 9:26. This brought us to the autumn of A. D. 34; the remainder, 1810 years, brings us to the autumn of 1844. Within the last fifty years preceding, five of the most prominent prophetic periods of the Bible had terminated: the 1290 years ended in 1798; the 1260, beginning with the setting up of the papacy in A. D. 538, and ending in 1798, marked the beginning of the time of the end (Dan. 11:35); the 391 years and fifteen days of Rev. 9:15 came to an end, Aug. 11, 1840, marking the fall of the Ottoman empire; the 1335 ended in 1843. Here we saw a blessing was pronounced upon those who wait and come to the end of the 1335 years. (We had come to the end of the 1335 years, and to the end of all the prophetic periods.) We also saw that all our reckoning was correct. Here the light broke into our minds upon the This sanctuary subject (this was by far the greatest blessing that had come to God’s waiting people). All the past was made plain. We had done the will of God in preaching the time message, and it was said to us, in Rev. 10:11: “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples.” The Saviour said, “When ye see all these things, know ye that he is nigh, even at the doors.” And we do know that we are soon to see our blessed Saviour.

WASHINGTON MORSE.

De Land, Fla.