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THE LAST MESSAGE

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 25, 1875

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 45, No. 13.

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THE LAST MESSAGE.

By Roswell F. Cottrell

BY R. F. COTTRELL.
The close of probation will usher in the day of wrath. When Jesus shall have finished his work of intercession as a merciful High Priest he will receive his kingdom and rule his enemies with a rod of iron. Then the great day of his wrath shall begin. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation upon earth. And the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isa. 13:9; Zeph. 1:14, 15; Rev. 6:17; Ps. 2:5, 8, 9, 12; Dan. 12:1; 2 Thess. 1:7, 8.
But before that evil day shall come, a warning shall be given. This is God’s merciful manner of dealing with men. He warned them in the days that were before the flood; but the unbelieving still persisted in their course, and the flood came and took them all away. So shall it be when the Son of man is revealed. The scriptures referred to above, and many others of the same kind are recorded as warnings to men. Besides all these, God has promised in prophecy a special warning to be proclaimed to the world by his servants just before the coming of that terrible day of wrath, when Jesus shall come to reap the harvest of the earth.
When Jesus was asked what should be the sign of his coming and of the end of the world, a part of his answer was, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Mat. 24:14. This must refer to a special message of the gospel, which shall witness, or testify, to the nations that the great event is at hand; because the general proclamation of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, which has been made to all the world from that day to this, for more than eighteen hundred years, could not be a sign of the end of the world at hand; for it would be absurd to say an event was specially near, even at the doors, during all these centuries; and a proclamation common to all the age, or dispensation, could never become the sign of its immediate end. Our Lord referred to a special proclamation of the nearness of the grand event, which should be immediately followed by the end itself. “Then shall the end come.” He says, “This gospel of the kingdom;” referring doubtless to the proclamation then being made, namely, “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
The kingdom of Heaven, in its development, is like the growth of grain: “First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” Mark 4:26–29. The appearance of the blade gives promise of a harvest. When the ear is developed, hope is confirmed; but when the fruit is matured, immediately the sickle is put in, “because the harvest is ripe.” The ancients, from Adam to Christ, had the kingdom wholly in promise, in the blade. The promise was confirmed by the appearing of the promised king. A necessary and most important part of the kingdom was tangibly present, and it could be truly said to those to whom the good news was proclaimed, “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” Luke 10:9, 11.
Jesus was “born king of the Jews.” He rode into Jerusalem as the Son of David, the promised king; but instead of being crowned, he was crucified: and that under the title—“The King of the Jews.” The Jews did not wish to have it so; but by God’s controlling providence it was so. Now it is remarkable that the apostles no longer preached, “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” This item is left out of the grand commission, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” They now looked for the kingdom at the re-appearing of the King of kings, “at the day of Christ,” concerning which they warned the church not to be deceived with the idea that it is “at hand.” 2 Thess. 2:2. The coronation takes place in Heaven. Dan. 7:13, 14. Jesus, the king, is like a certain nobleman who “went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.” Luke 19:12. When he shall return, “having received the kingdom” (verse 15), he will wear the crown, reward his servants, and dash in pieces his enemies. Rev. 19:11–16; 22:12; Ps. 2:6–12. Then the harvest, which is “the end of the world,” will have come; Matt. 13:39; the sickle shall be thrust in, for that “the harvest of the earth is ripe;” Rev. 14:14, 15; the saints of God, the subjects of the everlasting kingdom, made immortal like their King, will be gathered by the angels of God, the heavenly reapers; Matt. 13:39; 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:52; and then the kingdom of God will be perfected—the subjects as well as their King, immortal—and be like the “full corn in the ear.” But the wicked, “the vine of the earth,” shall be “cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God.”
The world should be warned of the approach of that great and dreadful day. “This gospel of the kingdom [at hand] shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” This warning is more fully described in prophecy in Rev. 14:6–12, under the symbol of three flying angels, each bearing, in succession, a message to the inhabitants of the earth. Any one who will carefully read this portion of Scripture with the remainder of the chapter, will see that in it is predicted the last warning that shall be given to the world, and that the great day of God’s wrath will immediately follow the proclamation of these messages. You need no learned minister to tell you this; you can see its obvious meaning; and you are responsible.
The question comes up then, Is the last warning being given to the world of mankind? We believe that it is. Why do we believe it? Because there is a people who are engaged in preaching just such a warning to “many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Rev. 10:11. Their special work now is the last message of the three, that of the “third angel.” Rev. 14:9. It is a historical fact that the first and second messages of this chain were first announced in the given order, and the third and last has been in its incipient state of development for nearly a quarter of a century. It is now assuming proportions which demand an investigation of its claims from every candid mind.
It is obvious that a people who believe it to be their specific work to proclaim this last message, must of necessity be Adventists in the sense of believing that the second coming of Christ is at hand. And it is also clear that the prophecy of these three consecutive messages was given to foretell the experience and work of those who shall be finally prepared to stand in the terrible day of wrath and hail the expected coming of the Lord with joy. Therefore those who have confidence in prophecy, and understand the signs of the times, will be able to define their position in the fulfillment of these messages. Those who ignore them in their fulfillment, till they are wholly accomplished, will be in the darkness of unbelief, and consequently unprepared for the coming of that tremendous day. It is a matter then of the greatest importance to decide whether the present movement, claiming to be in fulfillment of this chain of prophecy, is genuine.
In order to come to a right decision on a question like this it must be borne in mind that God’s promises and providence are always in harmony. In other words, Providence guides and guards in the fulfillment of prophecy. He guides and controls events so that the fulfillment is sure, and guards it against any false fulfillment; so that to believe is safe. All the doubt and danger, therefore, are on the side of unbelief in God’s word and providence.
Has the present movement on the second coming of Christ been in perfect harmony with this line of prophecy, which describes particularly the genuine, Heaven-appointed movement? If it has, it is simply unbelief in God’s word and providence to decide against it.
What are the facts in the history of the Advent movement of our own times? From 1840 to 1844 believers in the near coming of Christ were united in proclaiming the message, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his Judgment is come.” They believed that their preaching was in fulfillment of the first of this series of messages. It is evident that this message must have for its foundation a definite, appointed time, a time before appointed in prophecy. It was believed then, and we still believe, that the 2300 days of Dan. 8:14, terminated in the fall of 1844. The text said, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” For an explanation of the great disappointment when the time of expectation passed, the reader is referred to a tract of sixteen pages, published at the Office of the REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Mich., entitled, “The Sanctuary of the Bible,” and other larger works. It is sufficient for our present purpose to know that such a proclamation was then made, which bore every mark of being the genuine fulfillment of the prediction, and has not been, and cannot be, proved to be spurious.
As we drew near the end of the prophetic period in 1844, the second message, the proclamation concerning the fall of Babylon, was distinctly heard among Adventists, and believed to be the fulfillment of the prediction. But this was not so prominent and extensive in its proclamation as the first, as it is natural to infer from the fact that this message is not said to be proclaimed with a loud voice, like the first and the third. But every promise of God must have its fulfillment; and this proclamation was made in the order before given in the prophecy.
In October, 1844, the time of expectation came, and, passing, brought the great disappointment. The Lord did not come. What was the error? Was it in the reckoning of the time? or was the wrong event expected at the end of the 2300 days? We believe the mistake was not in the time, but in the event. Every review of the time only proves the reckoning correct. It is utterly impossible to extend the period to the present time; and this is a demonstration that the error was in the expected event. The text does not say, Then the Lord shall come to earth, but, “Then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” The cleansing of the sanctuary is the work of the high priest in making atonement for sins. Lev. 16. Jesus is the true high priest, of whom the Jewish high priest was only a type. Heb. 8:1–5. The place where he makes intercession in behalf of sinners is in Heaven. He must finish making the atonement before his second coming; for he is then revealed from heaven “taking vengeance” on the ungodly and rewarding “every man according as his work shall be.” 2 Thess. 1:7, 8; Rev. 22:11, 12. Therefore the cleansing of the sanctuary must be an event to transpire before his coming. It must be the finishing of the work of his priesthood in Heaven—the blotting out of the sins of his people. He does not come again “to bear the sins of many,” either as the slain victim or the atoning priest, but “without sin unto salvation.” See Heb. 9:23–28.
It is impossible that Christ should come at the end of the 2300 days; for an important part of his work as an intercessor still remains to be done. That work is the final disposal of the sins of his people—a work equivalent to their acquittal in the Judgment. Hence the propriety of the proclamation at the ending of the days, “The hour of his Judgment is come.” Such proclamation was made in 1844. But the third and last message, the most important warning of all, because it makes known the necessary preparation for the coming of the day of Christ and closes probation forever, would have had no fulfillment, had Christ then come, and so the word of God would have failed of its fulfillment. The eyes of Adventists had been holden from seeing this, till the disappointment caused them to look into the sanctuary of God. “And the seventh angel sounded. . . . And the temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” Rev. 11:15–19. In searching for the cause of the disappointment, the temple of God in Heaven, “the sanctuary, and the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man,” was laid open to view, even the most holy place, which is only opened at the time appointed for its cleansing—the final removal from it of the sins of the people—and, lo! the ark of God’s ten commandments is seen to be in Heaven, before which Jesus, our high priest, has entered upon the closing part of his ministration in behalf of sinful men.
The time message of Rev. 14:6, 7, is represented in chap. 10, by an angel who swears “that there should be time no longer.” This does not indicate the end of probationary time; for it is evident that the proclamation is made when the seventh angel is about to sound; and men are still on probation when he begins to sound; for it is added, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished”—the closing work of the gospel is yet to be done. And after a dramatic representation of the disappointment at the end of the prophetic days, by the bitterness resulting from eating the once-sealed but now open book (see Dan. 12:4, 9; Rev. 10:2), it is said, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” One more proclamation is to be made, which is evidently the last message of the gospel, that of the third angel of Rev. 14, which will finish the mystery of God, and prepare the church for translation at the coming of the Son of man.
Looking into the sanctuary or temple ofGod in Heaven, into the most holy place, opened for the closing work of our great High Priest at the time appointed, the end of the 2300 days, it is seen that the ark containing the ten commandments is there; and the prophesying again, the last warning message, contains a test upon these very commandments. The message reads, “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, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
This terrific warning, evidently the last message of the gospel, was all unseen to Adventists before the disappointment of 1844. They did not understand the message, and consequently could not proclaim it. It is marvelous that, having announced the first and the second, they should expect the coming of the Lord before they should see this message of thrilling importance, the climax and sequel of the series, and the culminating and practical point of the great line of prophecy contained in Dan. 7, and Rev. 12 and 13, move the world with its loud voice of terrific warning. But so it was; “their eyes were holden” that they should not see it. They expected the advent of Christ at a time when the most solemn and important part of his ministration as High Priest and Advocate at the throne of Judgment was unfulfilled. They expected him before the last decisive warning, which was to thrill mankind with its loud voice, and enlighten the earth with its glory, had even been announced.
And what do these facts argue? Does their error and disappointment prove that the hand of God is not in the fulfillment of this line of prophecy? Not at all; but the very reverse. It proves that the work of fulfilling these messages is not the result of a collusion of men; but that the controlling hand of God is set to the work, causing each and every predicted event to appear in the given order, notwithstanding the errors and consequent disappointments of men. It was so in the case of the primitive disciples of Christ. When he rode into Jerusalem as foretold in Zech. 9:9, moved by the Spirit of God they hailed him with shouting as their promised king; because this prophecy must have its fulfillment. Said Jesus, “If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” But what was their disappointment when they saw their King crucified, instead of being crowned! But although destined to see with sadness the failure of their confident expectation, yet they had fulfilled an important prophecy. (See John 12:12–16.) So it has been with Adventists. God willingly permitted their confident expectation of the end before it was due; and used it in the accomplishment of that part of his prophetic word which was then to have its fulfillment. He suffered them to be sorely disappointed, not only to humble and prove them, but to lead them into truth which they had not thought of, and of which almost the whole Christian world were ignorant, and thus prepare the way for the grand test contained in the final message of probation. Though bitterly grieved with disappointed hope, they must “prophesy again;” and this last message of warning shall not end in disappointment to the believer, but the promised event shall come.
This closing message is to test the church and the world upon “the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” The worship of the beast and his image is in opposition to these; and the danger is that the beast and his image will be honored by obedience, instead of the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
Those who will thoroughly study the prophecies of Daniel and of Revelation, with other scriptures, will learn that the beast is the Roman papacy or popedom. That, in the fulfillment of prophecy this power claims the ability to change the times and laws of God; and that the change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week can be traced to no higher authority than the church of Rome with its blasphemous profession of the infallibility of its head. This church claims to have changed the Sabbath in the exercise of its right, and puts forth its change as the mark of its power to make laws to bind the consciences of men. “How prove you,” say they, “that the church hath power to command feasts and holy days?” The answer is, “By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday.” This is the mark of the beast—the sign or token of its power to change God’s laws and make laws for men—as set forth by themselves.
The image of the beast will be another body of religionists clothed with civil power to enforce its creed, a prominent article of which will be the keeping of the papal Sabbath—the mark of the beast. This image will be made by the beast with two horns like a lamb, which is a symbol of the United States. The reader is referred to a work entitled, “The United States in the Light of Prophecy,” and other works published at the Office of the REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Mich.
This image is about to be made. For nearly twenty-five years Seventh-day Adventists have held and publicly taught that the two-horned beast is a symbol of the United States; and as a consequence we have been expecting that which is evidently about to be effected, namely, a virtual union of church and State. The religious oppression and persecution set forth in Rev. 13:11–17, cannot be enacted in our country without a change of its fundamental law, the Constitution. Now we see a powerful and growing “National Association” demanding a “religious amendment” of the Constitution; and a prominent item in the proposed amendment is the enforcement of what they are pleased to designate the “Christian Sabbath.” According to the prophecy they will accomplish their object. The Sunday Sabbath, the mark of the Roman beast, will be enforced upon all the authority of our government. The last persecution will follow, a persecution of those who refuse the worship of the beast and his image, and the reception of his mark; but keep instead the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Reader, the last message of warning is now being proclaimed. It warns of the dangers which lie before us in the near future. It presents you the only sure and safe preparation for the day of trial, that you may brave the wrath of persecutors and escape the wrath of God. Your only safety is in keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ as they are revealed in the Bible.
The message is come in the order laid down in the prophecy. From a small beginning it has been rising slowly, but surely, for the last quarter of a century. It is now rapidly spreading over the world. Offices of publication are established and being established, and power presses are in operation to spread the light over the world. Believers are found in almost every State and territory of our country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. We have a General Conference and thirteen State Conferences organized and associated to carry forward this work; and the message is going forth to “many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” We have three weekly papers and one monthly in the English, devoted to this work; also Danish and Swedish monthlies; and tracts in the German, French and Holland languages. Sabbath-keepers are springing up and coming to light in England, Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, and Prussia; also in Australia and the islands of the Pacific. Some of these have not yet heard the last message; but the Spirit of God seems to be moving upon the hearts of the people on the subject of the downtrodden Sabbath of the Lord, and preparing the way. Russia has many Sabbath-keepers; and even in China are large numbers who have, within a few years past, embraced the Christian religion together with the Sabbath of God’s law, from the teachings of God’s word and Spirit, without the intervention of missionaries. In short, the way is preparing for the ripening of the harvest of the earth.
The last call of mercy is going forth. A final choice is offered to the inhabitants of the earth. The decision will be final, and the consequences eternal. Who will be found on the Lord’s side? Will you, dear reader, heed the voice of warning?
God is calling for workers in his cause. “Say not ye, There are four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.”
If we will consecrate ourselves to God and his cause, he will give us work to do, work that will be fruitful and the reward certain. Those who heartily engage in it, shall soon hear the approving voice of the Master, saying, “Well done.”
May those who read these lines, not only seek to save themselves by obedience to the truth, but engage in the work of saving men from the wrath to come. To follow Christ in self-sacrificing labor is the only way to eternal life.