The Present Burden of the Advent Movement.
With ever-increasing assurance of the correctness of our position, we re-peruse those prophecies which point out the work and position of the people of God in the last days. It is our privilege to understand our mission. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ at his first advent, and the type of those who go forth proclaiming the second coming, understood his work. It is only thus that a people can concentrate their energies upon the work to be done. Those engaged in the great Advent movement of 1840–1844, generally understood that they were fulfilling the work symbolized in Rev. 14: 6, 7, by an angel flying through heaven with a special proclamation of the everlasting gospel. They were also satisfied at the time that the second message, verse 8, was likewise meeting a fulfillment in their experience; for they saw that work partially, at least, accomplished. The great disappointment of 1844 shortly ensued, which threw them into doubt and confusion. It was evident that a mistake had somewhere been made, and their views must be modified accordingly. In seeking to recover from the shock of that disappointment, to correct their interpretations of prophecy and ascertain their true position, what would have been more natural than for them to follow right on in that line of prophecy, the first portion of which they had seen so plainly fulfilled in their own history? For there is a third message, as well as a first and second, brought to view in Rev. 14. And this would have shown them a further work to be accomplished, and new truths to be introduced, and urged upon the people. It would have led to an explanation of the great disappointment, by showing them that they were not warranted to look for the end in connection with that message, and would have brought order out of confusion, and strengthened them mightily for their closing work. But, strange to say, this was not done. Most of them clung tenaciously to the view which was the cause of their disappointment, namely, that the earth is the sanctuary, to be cleansed at the second coming of Christ, but which, upon examination, is found to be without foundation. Clinging to this, they were obliged to surrender, in its stead, the main and most strongly fortified points of the Advent faith. Human speculations took the place of scriptural arguments, and we now hear nothing from that class respecting the first, the second, or the third, message. We ask the careful attention of the reader, to this point. There is a work to be accomplished under the symbol of a proclamation by a third angel. Rev. 14: 9–13. Immediately following this, the Son of man appears on the white cloud. All must be agreed on this. Then the work of the third message is the last to be accomplished before the second coming of Christ. All must agree in this conclusion also. But all who call themselves Adventists teach that the coming of Christ is at the door. Then we ask them, where, and by whom this work of the third angel is being fulfilled. We ask them to point it out to us. This work is to be done before the Lord comes. A body of people must give to the world a warning against the worship of the beast and his image, and the reception of his mark. They must be able to give an explanation of these terms, that their warning may be intelligible and effectual. According to the position of all Adventists, the present is the time for this work; for this is the last great movement to be made previous to the appearing of the Son of man, which they hold to be just before us. Again we ask, Where shall we look for this work? They do not claim to be doing it; nor can they so claim, unless they can show that a special message may be proclaimed, and yet nothing be said about it. But they cannot consistently teach the immediate coming of the Lord, unless they can point to a fulfillment of this work. There is, however, a large body of Adventists, who claim to be giving this message. We claim this on reasons which are entirely satisfactory to our own minds. We give an explanation of the beast, his image, his mark, and the commandments of God, which are plain, harmonious, consistent, and so far as we can appreciate the force of argument, impregnable. The message we claim to be giving, the work we profess to be doing, is a fixed fact in prophecy. It is therefore entitled to consideration. And we think we can consistently claim one of two things in reference to our position; namely, that any one who professes to be looking for the soon coming of the Lord, shall either give a better exposition, and point out a more consistent fulfillment of the message than we are able to show, or else accept of ours and take his stand upon it. This subject demands attention, and it will have a hearing. It may be objected to our view of these messages, that it makes them too unequal in duration; the first being proclaimed but a few years, the second only some six months, and the third already about twenty-six years. Such mistake, in supposing that one message ceases on the introduction of a subsequent one. The first did not cease when the second was introduced; nor the second when the third commenced. The second was only additional to the first, and the third, to the first and second. The second abated no jot or tittle from the importance of the first, but only for the time became the leading message; so of the third with respect to the first and second. The first message commenced a few years before the second, but did not cease when the second was introduced; and the second commenced some months before the third, but still continued though another was added; and since the introduction of the third, it would be proper to say that we have three messages all being fulfilled together; the leading proclamation, the burden of the work, being now the truths contained in the third and last. The third message is in the order of prophecy, and will certainly be fulfilled. It is a part of that word which can no more fail than the heavens and the earth can pass away. And it will go with a loud voice; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The time has come for its fulfillment; and God never suffers a false fulfillment in the time that should have been occupied by the true. He does not thus permit error to thwart his plans. The present burden of the great Advent movement of our time is therefore now found in the third message of Rev. 14: 9–12, with its warning against the last work of Antichristian powers, and its great reform on the commandments of God; and the only people proclaiming it, are the Seventh-day Adventists of America and Europe.