THE TIMES OF REFRESHING.
By Thoro Harris
It is remarkable how the light of the Third Angel’s Message—the gospel for these last days—illumes every text of Scripture. For instance, consider the words of Peter: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” With this passage compare the testimony of a later prophet: “In the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.” The conclusion is unavoidable that the latter rain, the “refreshing from the presence of the Lord,” occurs in connection with the promulgation of the Sabbath truth. Nor could it be otherwise; for was it not upon that day in the beginning that God rested and was refreshed? Does not true Sabbath observance constitute the very essence of this refreshing? As the former rain was the divine seal to the witnessing of the early disciples, while the Sabbath truth remained unobscured; and as it ceased with the development of the mystery of lawlessness; so with the restoration of God’s broken seal the latter rain will fall in great abundance. And to this intent are the words of Gabriel: “O the blessednesses”—plural number (this, in the original, is an exclamation)—“O the blessednesses of him who is waiting earnestly, and doth come” to the expiration of that prophetic period which marks the beginning of the cleansing of God’s temple both in heaven and on earth. Dan. 12: 12. Concerning apostate Israel, the Lord, through Zephaniah, prefers the charge: “Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.” Again, he declares that they “have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, . . . and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths.” Thus the treading down of the sanctuary is coupled with the desecration of God’s Sabbath day. But when “the temple of God was opened,” in 1844, “there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” According to Daniel’s prophecy, the times and law of Deity were to be given into the enemy’s hands until a specified date. And what should check his impious pretensions?—Ah! “the judgment shall sit.” Here we are afforded a pertinent answer to the oft-recurring inquiry, “Why not found out before?” Moreover, as we understand more clearly the meaning of God’s rest day, as week by week we observe this season of “refreshing,” and unite in the dissemination of this glorious message of rest, the showers of heaven will fall in copious abundance. And they will continue to fall until all the mists of pagan error shall have melted away before the advancing sunlight of that angel who ascends from the east bearing the seal of God. Then will be fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel, “There shall be showers of blessing.”