The Immediate Coming of Christ.
By James White
In the last Review, we briefly examined a portion of the evidences on which the advent faith rested, and showed that the passing of a few years beyond the period of confident expectation for the coming of the Lord, does not affect these evidences for the immediate coming of Christ. We noticed the metallic image of Dan. ii, the prophetic chain of Dan. vii, the special signs in the sun, moon and stars, also, the state of the nominal churches, and the spiritual wonders of the present day, performed by spirits of devils. We will now notice briefly Daniel chapter viii. This chapter presents the ram, which represents the Medo-Persian kingdom, the same as the bear of chapter vii, and the breast and arms of the image of chapter ii; the goat, which represents Grecia, the same as the leopard of chapter vii, and the belly and sides of brass of the image of chapter ii; and the little horn that waxed exceeding great, which represents the Roman kingdom, the same as the ten horned beast of chapter vii, and the legs and feet of the image of chapter ii. The question is then asked, how long this vision, to give both the Sanctuary and host to be trodden under foot. The answer is, "Unto 2300 days, then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed." Dan. viii, 13, 14. Those of us who looked for the Lord with such confidence in 1844, understood the text as though it read, Unto 2300 days, then Christ wilt come and raise the dead and change the living saints, &c. Here is the secret of our disappointment. We did not then understand the Sanctuary, and its cleansing, as we now may. The time was right. This point Bro. Andrews has made perfectly plain in No. 16, of the Review. The cleansing the Sanctuary, we did not understand; hence, looked for the second coming of Christ at the end of the days, and were disappointed. We acknowledge that we were disappointed, and did not then understand the event to occur at the end of the days; but we do contend that this does not in the least affect the evidence of the immediate coming of Christ. We now see more clearly than ever, the event that marks the commencement of the 2300 days, B. C. 457, also, we see clearly what marks their termination in 1844. This subject has been clearly presented in the late numbers of the Review, by Bro. Andrews. We hope that all who are interested in the doctrine of Christ's soon coming will give it a thorough investigation. The period of time we now occupy is called by the Apostle Paul, the "little while." It is also called "the patience of the saints." It is emphatically the waiting, watching, trying time, in which the last work of mercy is to be accomplished, to prepare the saints for the day of wrath, and to stand when the Son of man shall appear. Referring to the waiting position, and trials of those looking for Christ, the Apostle says: "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." Heb. x, 35-39. The phrase, "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry," shows that the Apostle's words apply to the period just prior to the Second Advent, and that they were addressed especially to those who should be looking with confidence for his coming. Then the exhortation, "Cast not away therefore your confidence," is to those who have had great confidence in his immediate coming. And the words, "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise," certainly apply to the faithful, who looked for the Lord with such confidence, and were sorely disappointed, sorrowful and tempted, when the time of confident expectation passed. But did the Advent people do the will of God in looking for Christ, and proclaiming the messages of the first and second angels, prior to the Autumn of 1844, where they were sadly disappointed? Let the Apostle answer: "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God," &c. We repeat it, that this language applies to no other people, and to no other period of time, only to those who are looking for the Lord, just prior to his coming, or when he is to come in "a little while." Says Paul to his Thessalonian brethren: "Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped." 2 Thess. ii, 3, 4. Here is a warning against looking for the Lord prior to the period when he should be expected. And this warning reaches over the predicted 1260 years of cruel, blasphemous rule of the man of sin, or Papacy, down to about 1798. Then it is impossible to give the above words of Paul a general application, or to apply them to the church, prior to 1798. We therefore, feel bound to apply them to the Advent movement, and the trials which have followed. "Now the just shall live by faith." Faith in what? Answer, that we did the will of God in proclaiming the Advent, and that Christ is coming in "a little while." "But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Hundreds have drawn back, and have incurred the Lord's displeasure, and are now, far from God, in a "luke-warm" state. Such are counseled to buy "gold," "white raiment" and "eye-salve," and are, by the True Witness, the Lord Jesus Christ, exhorted to be "zealous" and "repent." This is their only hope. "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." There are but two sides to this question. We may doubt, draw back, and reject the light now shining forth from the sure word, which harmonizes the past Advent movement and close our ears to the Shepherd's voice, the sweet voice of mercy, heard in the third message of Rev. xiv, 9-12, and finally sink in perdition. Or, we may believe to the saving of the soul. Brethren, in the fullness of our soul, we say, believe. And we are, from a conviction of God's truth, compelled to take the position, that saving faith lies here; instead of casting away our confidence in the past Advent movement, to believe that God's will was done in that movement, and that in "a little while, and he that shall come will come." The third angel makes all plain, and shows that we are still on the track of prophecy. "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, [the Father,] and the faith of Jesus," [the Son.] "Blessed are they that do his [the Father's] commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the City." Amen.