ARE THE PLAGUES PAST OR FUTURE?
By Charles P. Whitford
A LARGE class of Adventists believe that six of the plagues are in the past, and that the seventh is now being poured out. Seventh-day Adventists believe these judgments are all in the future. While talking with an Adventist a few days ago, the conversation turned on this subject. I asked him to turn to Rev. 16: 2, which reads as follows: “And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his image.” I said to him, You do not believe that God punishes men without their knowing or having full opportunity to know, for what cause the punishment is inflicted. To this he readily assented. I said, You believe the first angel’s message was proclaimed in 1844. The first angel’s message is followed by a second, and the second, by a third. Now please read Rev. 14: 9, 10: “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.” Here is the warning against worshiping the beast and his image, the very sins found upon those who receive the first plague. Now if the first message was not proclaimed until 1844, it follows that the warning against the worship of the beast was not given prior to that time; because the proclamation containing this warning is not due until the first and second messages, which precede it, have been fulfilled; consequently, the pouring out of the plagues could not occur before 1844. But if the plagues are in the past, that is, ages in the past, then the third message is in the past. If that is in the past, then the second and first messages are in the past. Consequently, my brother, you are led to deny your own position that the first message was given in 1844, and this leads to the conclusion that the work in which Adventists have been engaged for the last forty years is all a delusion. It has not been in the order of God; because these messages were given ages in the past before the plagues were poured out. Now, my brother, tell me plainly, how does this look to you?