Importance of the Advent Doctrine.
By George J. Butler
The soon coming of Christ is the central truth of our theory. Without this the rest loses vitality and importance. Just in the same ratio that we put off, and lose sight of, this great truth, shall we be lax and careless in other things, and take the position of nominalists around us; and just in proportion as we value it, and appreciate its nearness, are we enabled to overcome and retain a zeal commensurate with the importance of the great truths held by our people. All can see that if this be so, we should cherish above all things an interest in it. Do we not find it a part of our experience as a people and as individuals? It is impossible in the nature of things but that we should feel a greater interest in the world and its concerns when we think we are going to live the natural length of our lives, and leave children to be cared for and who will need the benefit of our labors, than we should if we had no such expectations and thought that all earthly scenes would close up, and we should face eternal realities after a few more rising suns had passed over us. We value these earthly blessings because we hope to use them hereafter, or that others dear to us may. Nature has made the instinct of self-preservation one of the strongest within us; and let the mind be brought fully to believe that not earthly riches, but heavenly, will soon be called into requisition, and depend upon it they will seek the one, and lose interest in the other. Among the special sins of the last days we find that “covetousness” and selfishness occupy a prominent position. How plain that a belief in the nearness of Christ’s coming is just the thing to uproot these sins. As it is with worldliness, so with other sins of a personal nature. It takes but a moment’s glance to see that the Advent doctrine is the very marrow of other truths held by us. Our views of the sanctuary subject could easily be shown to be false if the coming of Christ be not near. The messages as taught by us are a terrible deception, if the Advent doctrine be not true. So of the two-horned beast, the mark and the seal, and all our expositions of prophecy. In fact, we are the most deceived people on earth if the coming of the Son of Man is not near. The Sabbath and law, some may think, are important exceptions. To be sure, the views we hold in reference to them have always been true. But is it not true that these are made especially important when we consider the Sabbath reform, the burden of the third angel’s message, a work of preparation for Christ’s coming, as a part of a great reform bringing back religious truth to apostolic teachings, and as the culmination of the work of reform commenced centuries ago from papal apostasy, to bring up God’s law, trodden under foot by the beast, to its proper position preparatory to meeting the Lawgiver? This work we believe is brought to view in the message as the last work of God’s people; but if the Advent of Christ be not very near, we are all mistaken in this. And is not the fact which is patent to us all, of thousands of Sabbath-keepers, made such by the proclamation of this message, a strong assurance of God’s pleasure in the work and his approbation of the means employed for its furtherance? Can it be he would especially bless error, and give more true zeal and spiritual energy, and more of success, to those who use error as an auxiliary in sending the truth to the people than to those who only use unadulterated truth? We think not. And yet, such must be the case, unless the special power given through the Advent doctrine, be of him. I believe we all know that, take the Advent doctrine away from its connection with the Sabbath question, we should soon lose our zeal, at least to an important degree, in the propagation of the other. And it was by means of the messages and the sanctuary question, as connected with the advent doctrine, that we as a people became acquainted with the Sabbath question. Thus it is seen in nearly all the peculiar doctrines we hold, that the doctrine of the near coming of Christ is the main support. If that falls, the others go with it. It becomes then very important to investigate the claims of this question, and for every one of us to be established in it. I do not propose in this article to go into a particular examination of the evidences upon which it rests, but simply to take a glance at some of them. Any student of the Scriptures must admit the existence of chains of prophecy, commencing back in the remote past and reaching down to the coming of Christ, the Judgment, and the establishment of God’s kingdom. Where are we in the history of the world as thus given in advance by the prophets? Can any one have a doubt that, in Dan. 2, the four great kingdoms of the world are symbolized by the four parts of the image, and the kingdoms of Europe by the ten toes? Is it not a fact that the great Roman empire, the fourth in order, was divided up by the barbarians of Northern Europe, from which have come all these modern kingdoms? Have we not, then, been living in the very last division represented as preceding the fifth kingdom so long that we must be near the setting up of the latter? In the seventh chapter we have the same number of kingdoms introduced by the symbolic beasts with so many marks of identity that all must admit that they refer to the same general events as Dan. 2. But we have, in the fourth symbol, a new phase introduced—the little horn speaking great words against God and wearing out his saints. Can there be a doubt in the mind of any one who has investigated this subject that this power is the Catholic church under the lead of the pope, who was made head over the churches in 538, and that the “time, times, and dividing of time” of his duration, twelve hundred and sixty years, commenced at the above named period and ended in 1798, when he was carried into captivity by the French? Then it is said of him, “The judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it unto the end.” Who can look over the events of the past half century and not see a wonderful fulfillment of this prediction? Naples, Spain, Austria and France were all strong nations, and all upheld the papacy with all their power. Spain has become a second-rate power. Naples has been absorbed into the rising kingdom of Italy, whose king, Victor Emmanuel, is under the excommunication of the pope. Austria, only a few years since one of the great-powers of Europe and a bulwark of the papacy, now greatly humbled, and opening her doors to other churches and influences, has left the pope to care for himself. And lastly France, the eldest son of the church, who furnished the bayonets which kept the pope in Rome for eighteen years, has at last fallen before the rising power of Prussia, and pope Pius finds himself a captive in his own capital, with not a foot of territory he can call his own, and Rome made the capital of united Italy and ruled over by the excommunicated king. In spite of all the great claims of infallibility put forth by pope and council, here is where he finds himself. Who can doubt but the “body of the beast” will soon be given to the burning flame? Can events go backward and not forward, when God has spoken so plainly? The next thing is “the kingdom and dominion under the whole heaven” to be given to the saints of the Most High.” We take Matt. 24, one of the plainest prophecies in the Bible, and trace it down through the persecutions of the church to the signs, the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars. All these have met an ample fulfillment in the events to which Adventists apply them. Here we stand, then, thirty-seven years this side of the last great sign given by the Saviour. At this very point, after the fulfillment of these signs, he says, “When ye shall see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.” It is not guesswork. We have the authority of our Lord himself that we can know in reference to this with the certainty we can know when summer is coming by the trees putting forth their leaves; and we can judge of the degree of nearness; it is as if a man stood by the door ready to enter. “This generation,” says Jesus, “shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Could anything be made more positive? How close these words bring us to this great event. The heavens shall soon open and reveal the Son of God. So of all the signs given in the book of God. We read the description, and look around us and see them here. Was the last age to be one of darkness or light? The prophet says in the “time of the end, knowledge shall be increased.” It is curious that the conclusions of learned men should be so different from those of the Bible. The very thing which causes the wise of earth to think we are in the infancy of the race, should cause the child of God to feel sure we are at its close. The last age is to be an intellectual age. How reasonable that the Governor of the world should have such a state of things when his message of warning was to go forth, so that all will be left without excuse. The Bible in the hands of all, the intellect active, ways of communication between nations open, and flooded with travelers. The conditions are just such as the prophet said they would be. But how with the religious world? Will they all believe it near at hand? No. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when the Son of Man cometh. Evil servants shall say, My Lord delayeth his coming. Scoffers shall say, Where is the promise of his coming? All things are going on finely as usual. A worldly church should be cherishing the vain hope of converting the world. The pleasing song of peace and safety should be heard in all directions. The work of satanic spirits working miracles should be seen all around. Convulsions in the earth, fearful sights in heaven, commotions in the sea, covetousness in the church and world, and spiritual apathy everywhere. Are not these the conditions laid down in the prophets? And who will dare deny that these are everywhere manifest? Yes, the Lord is coming. The great day is near and hasteth greatly. The last warning message is going to the world. Have we any reason to put off the time into the indefinite future, and lay plans for money-making, farms for our children, a goodly amount of this world’s goods for old age, when Christ says himself that he stands at the door. Think of it, dear reader—at the door, ready to enter. Yes, we are in the waiting time and the position is a trying one. “Here is the patience of the saints.” Patience is not a pleasant plant to cultivate; but the fruit is precious. How many of us shall gather the fruit is a question of importance. Yes, the glorious Advent doctrine is what we all need. What life it would put into us, with what unction we could preach, how small this poor world would look, if we felt its nearness! How it would lessen our regard for the good opinions of poor humanity! How it would help us to bear some crosses we have to carry, could we feel in our hearts that Jesus was even at the door! Such truly is the case. He says just so. Shall we believe it? Our actions will show. It seems difficult to make people believe it enough to affect their actions. And I am fearful that many in their hearts are putting it off, so that it seems farther away than when they first believed. Fearful state! “Now the just shall live by faith.” When? In the time of this patience. Let us believe it; and while we pray, Come Lord Jesus and come quickly, let us believe that his coming is near and hasteth greatly.