HISTORY IS BEING MADE by R. F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 26, 1877

HISTORY IS BEING MADE.

By R. F. Cottrell

It has often been truly said, “Prophecy is history in advance;” hence written history is the record of the fulfillment of prophecy.

From the days of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to the present time, history has been verifying the prophecies by their exact fulfillment. And still history is being made. The present state of the world—its moral corruption, and the angry state of the nations, their distress and perplexity—perfectly fulfills the prophetic picture of the last days.

Prophecy has not only sketched the history of the successive reigns of the great kingdoms of the world, described their state of anger and perplexity, but it has described the closing history of the church of Christ. The closing work of the church is most particularly described in Rev. 14:6-12, her last trial is foretold in chap. 13:11-18; and her final deliverance is promised in chaps. 14:4-5, and 15:2-4.

Under the symbol of three flying angels (Rev. 14:6-12), is particularly described, in successive order, the closing work of the church on earth. And that which is thus described in prophecy is becoming history. In the fulfillment of this line of prophecy, as well as in those that relate to the nations of the earth, history is verifying prophecy. On this subject history is being made. Events in the history of the church in our own day are fulfilling with perfect accuracy the promise of God in this prophecy of 1800 years’ standing.

Go back to 1844, and a little before, and the whole enlightened world were startled by the thrilling cry, “Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his Judgment is come.” Unbelief may call this movement a great mistake; but the word of prophecy was verified, the promise of God was fulfilled. That the proclamation was made, cannot be disputed: it is a fact of history which it is vain to deny. In the Judgment there will be no excuse on the ground that the promise of God was not fulfilled.

In the fall of 1844, the saying was heard throughout the ranks of believers in the first message, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” etc. Unbelievers in the advent at hand were little affected by it; but the fact exists,—the promise of the prophecy has been fulfilled.

And now for more than a quarter of a century the warning of the third and last message has been rising to the notice of mankind. A people have arisen, and are increasing in numbers, who believe that the proclamation of this solemn warning is their specific work. This work, promised before, is becoming history; and the believer in revelation may rely upon it as securely as he can on those prophecies which marked out the regular succession of the kingdoms of the world. Prophecy is as truly fulfilled in these messages, as in the succession of the four great kingdoms of antiquity. The veracity of God is as truly pledged to the fulfillment of these messages, as to any promise he has ever made; and those who teach that the end is at hand, and yet ignore this last message, are exhibiting to the world a most astonishing evidence of unbelief in prophecy, as if the end could come, and this most important, promised warning not be heard!

We will give a brief sketch of the history of this work. First, however, let it be observed that the message, though plain and simple, is the most unwelcome to the popular mind that could be imagined. It is in direct opposition to the cherished traditions of almost the whole Christian world, and in conflict with the customs and worldly interests of this money-loving and pleasure-seeking age. With these disadvantages, it is evident that, were the work not of God, it would have come to naught, and not have gained in the estimation of the most candid and devout, during the last thirty years. But is it declining? Has it the symptoms of speedy dissolution? We will see.

From a very small beginning the work has spread in this country from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean. Almost, if not quite, every State in the union has believers in it. They are found also in the territories; in Dakota, Washington, and Oregon; also in both the Canadas. And this is not all. Believers have come to light in England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Prussia, Switzerland, France and Italy; besides a few in Africa, Australia, and the islands of the Pacific. Besides the scattered, unorganized believers, there are fifteen State Conferences; and during the warm season of the year, these organizations send out into new places nearly fifty tents, from forty to eighty feet in diameter, which are removed from place to place, and serve as meeting-houses in which to preach to the people.

But as the press is one of the most effectual means employed in the dissemination of the light of this message, we will take a brief view of the progress of the work in the publishing department. When the first number of a paper presenting the fulfillment of the third angel’s proclamation as “present truth” was printed, the whole edition was carried to the post office in a carpet bag. In contrast with this, the mail matter sent out from our Office at Battle Creek, Mich., alone, sometimes exceeds two hundred bushels in a week. At first, the pioneers in this work had to hire the printing done; but after a while a hand press was bought by the friends of the cause, and an office was established, where the work was done by believers in the truths advocated and who rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Soon it was seen that the increasing work could not be done with a hand press, and by voluntary contributions a first-class power press was purchased. Then the building in which the work was done proving insufficient for the growing work, a commodious brick building, two stories high, with a basement, was erected which served the purpose well for a while; but a second building of the same size, and after that a third, have been added to meet the growing demands of the cause. About sixty hands are employed in them to do the work. Here are published our leading paper, the REVIEW AND HERALD, weekly, and the YOUTH’S INSTRUCTOR, HEALTH REFORMER, a paper in the Danish language, and another in the Swedish, monthly. Publications in six different languages are sent forth from this Office.

But this is not all. Another weekly paper of the size of the REVIEW, called THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, is being published on the Pacific coast. An office building, like those at Battle Creek, has been built, and furnished with power presses and all the materials necessary to carry on the work.

Still further, we have missionaries in Switzerland, France, and Denmark; and a paper has been published in the French language in Switzerland for about a year, which is being sent to almost every country where that language is spoken.

We do not speak of these things to boast. “Boasting is excluded.” But when we see what has been accomplished, we can truly say, “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” and we speak of them only to assist the faith of the inquiring reader to believe

that God still lives, and is doing the very work promised in the prophecy of the last warning, 1800 years ago. Our doctrines are sustained by the positive and unambiguous statements of the Bible. And yet one of the strongest evidences that our mission is from Heaven and not of men, is the fact that the very work which was promised in prophecy is now being done. Those so devoid of faith as not to accept of the evident fulfillment of God’s word of promise, and who shall refuse obedience to the call of God to reform and make preparation for the end so evidently approaching, will be left without excuse in that day. O my soul! God has given thee the light; he has done all that could be done to warn and prepare thee for the coming, decisive day. He described in prophecy a three-fold warning, which is now evidently being fulfilled before thine eyes; and if thou shalt fail of the needed preparation to stand before the Son of man at his coming, the fault will be thine own—the “great white throne” will remain untarnished by a single spot.

R. F. COTTRELL.