JUST as John's message was the forerunner of Christ's work, preparing His way, so this great work was but the beginning or preparatory work of other solemn messages to follow. A terrible test was brought upon the disciples of Christ. They had high hopes that their Master would be crowned an earthly King. In this they were greatly disappointed. So much so, that on their return from His crucifixion every fond hope seemed forever crushed from their souls.
Likewise, a terrible test and disappointment came to the disciples heralding the glad tidings of Jesus' second return. He did not then come to this earth. They mourned, as did the early disciples, while the world rejoiced. But soon the light again appeared. It was discovered that other messages were to follow. It was also later found that Jesus had, at that time, gone into the most holy place in the heavenly temple on high to complete His ministrations there; and sure enough the great hour of the judgment had struck as announced to the world on the day appointed, Oct. 22, 1844.
This was indeed great light and a source of much joy to the true believers, but those who rejected the message turned to the world as never before. It was demonstrated by this disappointment who really in heart believed, and who did not. Those who, by faith, followed Jesus into the most holy apartment of His heavenly temple work, had light in their dwellings; while those who rejected the great advent movement as a delusion, were left in total darkness, from which they as bodies or organizations never have recovered. Like as the Jews went on with their round of old ceremonial services, with a rent veil and a desolate house, so the churches rejecting the judgment-hour message, have gone on in formal services, having as truly lost out the real living sacrifice as did the Jews of old.
And this fact is faithfully recorded by John under the symbol of a second angel's message announcing this fall: "And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication [unlawful connection with the world]." Rev. 14:8.
Since then the professed church has been filling rapidly with practises wholly unfit for the church of Christ. Lotteries, feasting, merry-making, questionable pleasures—such as dancing, card-playing, and the like—are covered by the garb of Christianity, so that men and women practising these abominations to the Lord, are retained in good standing upon the church enrolment. All this is described in plain, cutting language by the Lord: "And after these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened with His glory. And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become the habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness." Rev. 18:1-3.
The Closing Gospel Message of Sabbath Reform.
Immediately following this solemn announcement came another angel with even a still more solemn message, a most terrible warning against worshiping or receiving the mark of this fallen church. The warning is given from heaven that the wrath of God will be surely visited upon those not heeding the warning. Without going into details it can be stated here only that this angel brings the message of Sabbath reform. It develops a people keeping the commandments of God—the seventh-day Sabbath commandment not changed or excluded. Rev. 14:12.
Light on the Sabbath question began to dawn upon the believers from 1845 to 1850. It has been preached to the world in connection with the doctrine of Christ's second personal coming for sixty years. Every conceivable form of opposition has been brought to bear against it, and still it gloriously stands as the unshaken truth of God. Nearly every nation on the globe has been entered with this mighty message, and believers multiply wherever it is heralded, and now, just now, the church expectantly should look for and earnestly plead with God that this promised outpouring from on high in the latter rain may be given to prepare it to do its last and most solemn work for the world, even as the giving of the early rain resulted in giving the Gospel to "every creature" in the apostles' day. Col. 1:5, 6.
Result of the Rejection of Truth.
God, by inspiration, joined the early rain and latter rain together. Did it mean anything to the world that the steps leading up to the early refreshing, the work of John and that of Christ, were accepted as from heaven, or rejected?—Most assuredly it did. Great and solemn indeed were the events then taking place. Those messages of warning rejected, or even slighted and neglected, brought swift retribution. Hear Jesus, as He entered Jerusalem for the last time, as He viewed the city upon which God had showered so abundantly of Heaven's blessings: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." They despised the lowly Man of Nazareth then, but their city and house were nevertheless left desolate, and the besom of destruction made the place a desolation forty years afterward.
John was a lowly man. He wore plain clothes and was not educated, as the world regarded learning. Jesus was of lowly birth. His earthly home was that of a poor peasant. His apparel was plain, His life simple. He was not educated in the schools. After listening to one of His powerful discourses, the worldly wise men, to slur Him, asked in His hearing, "How knoweth this Man letters, having never learned?" The disciples were common fishermen, not talented nor educated. Why was this? God chose the weak things to confound the mighty. He purposed that the work of truth should stand in the wisdom and power of God rather than in the weakness of men. Thus the glory was all His.
It is well to notice also that the men proclaiming the great message prior to 1844 were common men. Farmers, men laboring at lowly trades, and even the children were chosen as instruments, but the great truth of God reached the hearts of men through these humble instrumentalities. The message of Sabbath reform has been proclaimed by the same class. Thus this preparatory work does not, nor could it if it would, claim for its advocates powerful worldly-wise men. But this is simply a testimony added to prove the more conclusively that the work is of Heaven. And if of Heaven, it can not be overthrown.
As John and Christ bore testimony to the world then, which testimony that generation must meet in the judgment, so God through humble instruments has borne to this generation most glorious messages of truth, based entirely upon His unerring, prophetic Word, which words of warning and entreaty will likewise confront those who choose now to spurn and slight them. The record of how the Jews treated the truth in Christ's day is written for our learning upon whom the ends of the world have come.
Men and women will listen with tears now to the story of the ill-treatment of Jesus, condemning the Jews for their great wickedness and hardness of heart; but how do they relate themselves to the truth of Jesus applicable now? Do they listen with joy to the good news that "this same Jesus" is soon to return to receive His people and take them home? Are their eyes closed to the worldliness, the pride, the outward show, so prevalent in the churches of to-day? Do they learn with astonishment that ignorantly their feet have been treading upon the holy time of God's eternal Sabbath, as revealed in the Fourth Commandment? And upon learning it, do they earnestly repent and turn to God and keep His holy commandment? If not, why weep at the story of the cross?
To those about Him who spurned His words then, Jesus sorrowfully said, "Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" And again He said, "Ye are My friends, if ye do the things whatsoever I command you." John 15:14.
[The next and last article deals with the closing work and the remnant church.]
