LAST-DAY SCOFFERS by G. S. Honeywell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 9, 1879

LAST-DAY SCOFFERS.

By G. S. Honeywell

David says, “Happy is that people whose God is the Lord.” And Peter addresses this class as follows: “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

Peter has told us what the last-day scoffers would say. And we present the following quotation to show what they are now saying, and how perfectly it fulfills this prophecy of Peter. There appeared recently in the Daily Republican, of Wilmington, Del., an editorial in which the writer says:—

“The earth shows no sign of loss of power or vigor. The sun gives forth its light and heat, the moon waxes and wanes, the stars twinkle in the firmament, and the earth revolves on its axis with as great precision as at the beginning. There is no lack of productive powers. The seasons come and go; winter succeeds summer, and summer, winter. Children are born, live, and die; and for aught we can see there is no sign whatever of any probable change of the course of events. . . . Thousands of generations, if not untold millions, are just as likely to pass away as those which have preceded them.”

This is the “peace and safety” cry which the apostle refers to in 1 Thess. 5:3, when sudden destruction is about to come upon those who are willingly ignorant of these things. 2 Peter 3:5–7. They give no heed unto the things which were written for their admonition, which things are able to make them wise unto salvation. They close their eyes to the gracious warnings of the Almighty, and heap odium upon his works.

Again the editor says: “The Millerite delusion and other similar movements prove the absurdity and folly of such predictions.” This is the way they talk about a message from God in their own day; and like the scribes and Pharisees of old, they “build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.” The world will see, after it is too late to profit by it, that Wm. Miller’s message was of God. The time will soon come when they will no longer call it the “Millerite delusion.” But some will ask, If this message was of God, why did not Christ come in 1844? I would answer that that was no part of the message which Wm. Miller was authorized to proclaim. The religious world knows so little about this message, that this declaration will doubtless be startling news to many. Rightly informed, they will understand the burden of Wm. Miller’s message to be the one announced by the angel of Rev. 14:6: “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” Verse 7. This was the truth he preached besides the “everlasting gospel,” which made his message the present truth for this generation. And this was based on the prophecy of Dan. 8:14. The angel who was commissioned to make Daniel understand the vision, said unto him: “Unto two thousand and three hundred days [years], then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

No prophet except Christ ever fully understood all parts of his own prophecy. Noah, Daniel, and John the Baptist were all left for a time in the dark in reference to the fulfillment of some portion of their own words; and this was the case with Wm. Miller. He declared the hour of God’s judgment come; Rev. 14:7; that time should be no longer; Rev. 10:6; and that the sanctuary should be cleansed in 1844.

His message was in fulfillment of all these scriptures; the proof of which, when given, is so plain that even a child can comprehend it.

Although these scriptures do not declare that Christ would come at that time, Wm. Miller concluded that he would; yet that was no part of the message. The time (Oct. 22, 1844) passed, and Christ did not come. Ah! bitter indeed was that disappointment. Be it understood that at that time there was no separate, organized body of Adventists,—they were scattered among all denominations. Those who really loved the Lord from the heart would not lightly cast away their confidence in God’s word and work, which has great recompense of reward. But alas! many drew back unto perdition, giving up all hope, instead of waiting for the salvation that was afterward to be revealed.

But as I have before stated, Wm. Miller did not fully understand the truths he declared. He supposed that the earth was the sanctuary, and that it would be cleansed by fire at the revelation of our Lord from Heaven. But a further examination of the Scriptures showed that the cleansing of the sanctuary was the work of our great High Priest in Heaven,—the cleansing of the heavenly or anti-typical sanctuary, or the great day of atonement, the investigative judgment, the blotting out of the sins of God’s people. This work is accomplished by Jesus Christ in the second apartment or “most holy place” of the true tabernacle, which God pitched, and not man (see Heb. 8 and 9), just prior to his laying off his priestly robes and putting on his kingly apparel. When this work is accomplished, he returns to this earth to reward his people,—to resurrect the righteous dead and translate the righteous living. Then will be fulfilled Eze. 37:12–14.

The declaration of the angel of Rev. 10:6, “that time should be no longer,” did not refer to probationary time, as many suppose, but prophetic time of Dan. 8:14, contained in the little book which the angel held in his hand. This is evident from the fact that the angel tells John that he must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. Rev. 10:11. And it was not until after John had taken the “little book” out of the angel’s hand and eaten it up (which indicates digesting—comprehending its teachings), that he (the church) understood that the definite day was hid from mortal eyes. But although we may not know the day or hour, yet we may know when it is near, even at the door, according to the parable of the fig tree, Matt. 24:32.

But another sign of the soon coming of the Lord is these scoffers themselves. For Peter tells us that they shall come in the last days; and it would be difficult to imagine any days later than the last days. Now all candid people must acknowledge according to this prophecy that the second coming of Christ is very near. Please mark this solemn fact, all you who claim that the Bible is the only rule of faith and practice, and are scoffing at the idea of the advent near. True believers in Christ will discern the signs of the times; Luke 12:56; and they will be found giving meat in due season, while waiting and watching for him. G. S. HONEYWELL.