Iowa by R. M. Kilgore

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 10, 1872

Iowa.

By R. M. Kilgore

Nov. 1–4, in company with Bro. Butler and wife, I attended a meeting with the church at Richland, Iowa, in their neat, commodious house of worship, just completed. This meeting was caused by an effort of J. R. Goodenough of the Hope of Israel party to tear down the cause of present truth in this place. His efforts are most effective where our churches have been lately planted. In these places, our brethren are ignorant of his devices, and the rise and history of the body with which he is identified.

Upon our arrival, we found him loudly declaiming against the Bible view of the perpetuity of spiritual gifts in this dispensation. This is a favorite theme with him, both in public, and in his private interviews with those who are not fully established upon this point of present truth.

Bro. Butler sought and obtained an interview with him, in order to obtain a clear conception of his true position; as he did not wish to deal in misrepresentation. His main positions and arguments were then taken up and examined in a clear and candid manner. Strange as they may appear to the reader, we give some of them, trusting that you may discover their deformity, and more highly appreciate the truth and the harmony of the positions held by us as a people. In this case, we are reminded again of the extreme length to which men will go when attempting to oppose the truth of God.

1. According to his position, the first angel of Rev. 14: 6, 7, began its work on the day of Pentecost, in obedience to the command of Christ, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16: 15. He says if it had not been given till within the period of the present generation, it would be another gospel; and hence, those who preach it receive the anathema of Gal. 1: 8.

It was shown by Bro. Butler that it was not another gospel, but the same gospel with an additional particular concerning the proximity of the Judgment.

2. The Babylon of Rev. 14: 8, is the Catholic church, and the announcement of the angel relates to her fall from the beast on which she was seated. Rev. 17: 3. This was fully accomplished in the late Franco-Prussian war, where she lost her influence, and no longer had power to make all nations drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

It was shown (1) that the term “Babylon” included the whole family, Babylon the great, and her daughters; that these churches which have come out from the Catholic church, bringing with them, and retaining, more or less of the wine of her fornication, or false and corrupt doctrines, should receive the name of their mother; which is truly more significant when applied to the daughters alone than to the mother only. (2) That the fall was a moral fall and a fulfillment of those predictions in Matt. 24: 12; 1 Tim. 4: 1; 2 Tim. 3: 1–5, and Rev. 18: 1–4.

3. The third angel’s message has not yet been announced in the sense of the prophecy; neither have the people under it yet been developed. At the same time we are told that he (Eld. G.) and S. D. Adventists are helping to give the cry. This meager and indefinite position speaks for itself. We turn to notice that concerning the

4. Two-horned beast of Rev. 13: 11. This is a symbol of the Greek-Turkish power. Upon the rise of Mahomet it obtained the title of “false prophet.” Rev. 16: 14; 19: 20. The “fire” of verse 13, which he made to come down from heaven in the sight of men, was fulfilled in the introduction of the “Greek-fire.” The “image of the beast,” is the Catholic church. The “mark” of the beast, is any doctrine of that church not taught in the Bible.

So strange an application of this prophecy was shown to be false: (1) Because the “Greek-Turkish” power occupies territory belonging to the first beast, hence is part of the same, and therefore it could not be “another beast.” (2) The prophet declared that the fire came down from heaven in the sight of men, while the historian Gibbon states that the “Greek-fire” was invented by a chemist of Heliopolis, in Syria; and the ruler, in order to deceive his enemies, advised that they be informed that the properties of this fire were revealed by an angel from Heaven. We were not a little astonished to learn that Eld. G. was still propagating the same falsehood.

Again, the prophecy says that it is by the means of those miracles which he had power to do, that he caused them that dwell on the earth to make an “image to the beast;” thus the image is not formed until after the fire comes down from heaven; while, with Eld. G.’s view, the image of the beast (the Catholic church), came into existence in the sixth century, and the “fire” was not seen until the eighth. It also reveals the terrible fact that the “image of the beast” has been an object of worship, and men have paid adoration to it for more than thirteen hundred years; while the warning of the third angel has not been heard, that they might escape the unmixed wine of the wrath of God. (3) The view advocated by S. D. Adventists concerning the “mark of the beast” is thought to be very uncharitable; but what shall we think of that which places the “mark” on all those who believe in either the doctrine of the “trinity,” “immortality of the soul,” and “sprinkling for baptism?”

5. The sanctuary, with its apartments and vessels, is seen alike by him and S. D. Adventists; but in its ministry, the views differ. He maintains that Christ ministered as priest in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary from the fall of man; filling the “office of a surety,” until the “better covenant” was brought in. Heb. 7: 22. At his ascension he entered as our High Priest into the most holy place. Heb. 5: 19, 20; 9: 24; since which time the Judgment has been in session.

This was proven incorrect. (1) Had he been a priest from the fall, it would not have been after the order of Melchisedec. (2) It would make the oath, by which he was made a “surety” (pledge), of none effect, since it was sworn while he was already priest, and even after the law which made men high priests was the oath sworn, by which Jesus was made high priest. Heb. 7: 28. (3) It would have been contrary to the law which had to be changed before another priest could rise after the order of Melchisedec. Heb. 7: 11, 12, (4) It would make Christ a minister of the heavenly sanctuary four thousand years before it was anointed; but this, according to the law and type, was to precede the ministration. Ex. 40: 9–13; Num. 7: 1; Dan. 9: 24. (5) In the type, the priest was required each year to minister in the first apartment three hundred and fifty-one days, and one in the second. Here the type is lame if the above theory be true. It should be in the ratio of two days to one, as 4,000 years is to 2,000 years. Again, in the type, the priest did not enter the sanctuary without blood; while Christ, according to the above theory, ministered four thousand years before the victim was slain and had any blood to offer.

6. The Judgment could not have commenced at the ascension of Christ, for the inspired writers declare it to be a future event. The apostle Paul says that God “hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world.” Acts 17: 31. Before the governor Felix, he reasoned of “righteousness, temperance, and Judgment to come.” Acts 24: 25. To Timothy, he also states that the quick (living) and the dead shall be judged at, or in connection with, the appearing and kingdom of Jesus Christ. 2 Tim. 4: 1. Daniel, in his glowing and impressive description of the great Judgment day, shows us plainly that its thrones were not set up until after the development of the little horn, or papacy, and not until after the expiration of its reign of twelve hundred and sixty years, which terminated in 1798, did the Judgment set. Dan. 7: 8–11, 25, 26. And John, as if to place this matter beyond the reach of cavil, states, in most emphatic terms, that the time in which the dead are to be judged, and the time to give “reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great,” does not come until the seventh angel has sounded. Rev. 11: 15–18.

7. The 2300 days of Dan. 8: 14. The shrewdness which he manifests in disposing of these prophetic periods is truly amusing. This vision stands as a parallel to those things uttered by the seven thunders. Rev. 10: 4. Both were sealed up and therefore are secret and belong to God.

This, doubtless, is the best way in which he could dispose of so definite a prophecy, for upon this, the correctness of his whole theory will turn. It is illegal, since the vision concerning the 2300 days was written, while that uttered by the seven thunders was not written. The former vision, though “shut up” for many days, was afterwards explained to Daniel and therefore was revealed, and belongs unto us and to our children forever, but that uttered by the seven thunders was sealed up and never was written, hence was not revealed and belongs exclusively to God. Deut. 29: 29.

Here we leave the matter in the hands of the reader, with the conviction resting upon us that truth does not demand such contortions, or afford such inconsistencies, and that, like the genuine coin, the more it is polished the brighter it shines.

R. M. KILGORE.