WHAT! WHAT! WHAT! by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 18, 1877

WHAT! WHAT! WHAT!

By Uriah Smith

In the Restitution of Aug. 12, 1877, occurs an obituary notice, in which the following words are found. We think the reader will agree with us that they sound strangely enough considering the connection in which they stand. After getting hurriedly through with the facts concerning the deceased usually stated in an obituary notice, the writer uncorks the pent up feelings of his soul in the following magnificent style:—

“‘Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.’ Rev. 14:13.

“A little clearer light than we at present have, is greatly desired upon this verse, and, indeed, the whole chapter. ‘From henceforth’—from a definite point of time onward. Is this the understanding of the passage? If so, when is the point of time referred to? John sees a Lamb (Christ) stand on Mount Zion, and with him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having their Father's name written in their foreheads. This is first seen in the vision. Do the rest follow in their consecutive order? If so, are they not in the future? Christ does not come to Mount Zion in any sense of the word till he appears there with his redeemed, glorified body, the church. This being the fact—and we think none will dispute it—then the first, second and third angel's messages are in the future. This view will make havoc with Mrs. White's visions. Can't help it. Truth is what we want. Well, but what about Christ's coming for his bride, the church? That is a separate and distinct event from his appearing in his public and outer manifestation to the world. Between these two events is, to my mind, just where the three angels seen in the vision will deliver their cry and perform their fearful works.”

In the same strain the writer goes on to the end, uttering the most incoherent views, and calling for more light. Let the reader remember that all this occurs as a part of an obituary notice, and then try to imagine the state of a man's mind who cannot deal with the tender memories of the dead, which should be guarded from every distracting thought, without mixing them up with so inopportune a splutter against “Mrs. White's visions”! Surely these visions must be an appalling object before his terrified spirit. They must rest like a continual incubus upon his perturbed imagination. He desires to “make havoc” of them; so much so that he valiantly unsheathes his sword and thrusts at them even over the graves of his friends, and “can't help it.”

We say nothing about such jumbling together of different lines of prophecy as to make a message of warning go forth to men on the earth, even after the Lamb is seen with his redeemed on Mount Zion, only to remark, that he evidently does stand sadly in need of more light. And we should have some heart to try to furnish that light, did it not appear that his eyes are sealed against all its rays with scales more broad and ponderous than the pound of yellow wax which the English Patent Bureau attaches to its official documents. U. S.