The Judgment by Washington Morse

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 25, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 33.

The Judgment

By Washington Morse

By Washington Morse

[The following article, by Brother Washington Morse, who has been an Adventist for more than threescore years and ten, and knew William Miller, was written on his ninety-third birthday, June 24, 1909.]

In Acts 17:31 we read that God hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world by that Man Christ Jesus whom He hath ordained; and in Rev. 14:6, 7, we have a message saying, “The hour of His judgment is come.” This message is called “the everlasting Gospel,” a message that reaches to the end of man’s probation.

We turn to Dan. 8:13, 14 and find a timetable 2300 years long, and in Dan. 9:25 we find where the 2300 years commenced. In that verse we are told that it is from the “going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem,” and from that time unto the Messiah the Prince shall be 69 weeks. Each day standing for a year makes 483 years.

Beginning of the Days

In Ezra 7:7 we find the going forth of the commandment was B.C. 457. Here we have a Bible date from which to commence the 2300 years. Now run down this 2300-year line from 457, just 483 years, and you will come to Messiah the Prince at His baptism, when a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased;” and in Luke 3:23 it is said that Christ began to be about thirty years old when He began His ministry.

In Dan. 9:24 we read that seventy weeks are cut off from the 2300 days. In seventy weeks there are 490 days; each day stands for a year, making 490 years. Here Christ was crucified to make an end of sin, make reconciliation for iniquity and bring in everlasting righteousness; and in verse 27 we read that Christ was cut off, crucified right in the middle of this seventieth week. Christ’s ministry was three and one-half years, and three and one-half years more reached to the martyrdom of Stephen. Here ended the seventy weeks, or the 490 days of the 2300 years. Now add the age of Christ, thirty-three and one-half years, to 1810, and it reaches to 1844, October 22. Here is where the time appointed of God ended, when the judgment would commence. And it did commence in heaven at that time.

Proclamation of the Judgment

More than sixty years ago God raised up men all over the world to reckon these prophetic periods; and when we came to compare our reckonings, we were greatly surprised to find that all came out alike in their reckonings. All took the same mode of reckoning, a day for a year. All preached that the judgment would commence at the end of the 2300 days — 1844. Our message then was based on time, the prophetic periods.

The tenth chapter of Revelation more clearly explains our position than does the fourteenth chapter. As was predicted in chapter 10:6, we did proclaim that time should be no longer, and it was true that prophetic time did end just where we proclaimed it would. But we believed it was probationary time. You will see that this angel is clothed with a cloud (verse 1), and it was so. We did not understand that we were to meet with such a disappointment. Neither did we understand the sanctuary subject. It was all sealed up from our view. Verse 4. Neither did we see the third angel’s message. That was reserved for a future work and time. Our work was to show the world the time when the judgment would commence, and now we see that the third message is to be proclaimed while the judgment is in session in heaven, and God will have a corresponding work on earth.

The Living and the Dead

Now we are not under the cloud, but see clearly by the sanctuary subject that the judgment for the last sixty-five years in heaven has been taking up the cases of the sainted dead. As John says in Rev. 20:12: “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” Verse 13.

Here we see that men are judged while they are dead. In the first epistle of Peter (4:5, 6), we read that the Gospel was preached to those who are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh. In this judgment those who are being judged, both dead and living, are on the earth.

Just as soon as the cases of the righteous dead are taken up, then will our cases with all living saints who are sealed according to Rev. 7:3, come up. Then the blotting-out time will come. See Rev. 3:5, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.” Here are truths that when preached in God’s Spirit will command respect. The teaching of fifty years ago in this message is the platform to-day.