The Hour of His Judgment is Come.
By Editor
"Is there not a definite period of time brought to view in this announcement? How long is an hour? Ans. Fifteen days. Each day for a year would be fifteen years. Commencing on the tenth day of the seventh month, 1844, more than twelve years are in the past. We have several examples of double symbols in the Bible; as in Rev. xi, the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks, and in chapter xvii, the seven heads and seven mountains, and also the woman, that great city. Why may not this be so? It looks to me as if it might be." ANSWER.—It is true that there are double symbols, and the instances referred to are good illustrations; but we have no instances of time's being doubly prophetic. The rule which is given us for the application of symbolic time is found in Num. xiv, 34, and in Eze. iv, 6: a day for a year. Now if after applying this rule once, and making a prophetic day symbolize a literal year, we may take that literal year, and make it prophetic, symbolizing 360 other literal years, (that being the number of days allowed for a prophetic year,) where shall we place any limit to this work? Why not make a third application, and so on? Thus having a day to start with we might make it symbolize one year, or 360 years, or 129600 years, as convenience or fancy might dictate; and all the force and definiteness of prophetic time would be destroyed. As a day is sometimes prophetic, so the aliquot parts of a day may also be prophetic; and we have a prophetic hour. But is the hour of Rev. xiv, 6, prophetic? If it is we see that it can, at most, denote but fifteen days. But there exists no necessity for calling it prophetic. The word there translated, hour, is abundantly used in the New Testament in three different senses: 1. As denoting a literal hour of about 60 minutes; 2. Denoting time indefinite; 3. Prophetic. Instances of its use in the first sense need not be multiplied. They are such as John xi, 9: "Are there not twelve hours in a day?" &c. It is used indefinitely in instances like the following: "The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father." John iv, 21. "Ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." Ib. v, 35. "But this is your hour and the power of darkness." Luke xxii, 53. "Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." John xvi, 2. "Now it is high time to awake out of sleep." Rom. xiii, 11. "He therefore departed for a season." Philem. 15. "The time is come for thee to reap." Rev. xiv, 15. And when it is said, "The hour of his Judgment is come;" we think that time indefinite is also brought to view. An instance of its prophetic use is found in Rev. ix, 15. The hour of his judgment is come. To determine further whether the hour in this text is designed to express definite time, we inquire if there are any other scriptures referring to this period of judgment, which point out its duration. This work of judgment is evidently the cleansing of the Sanctuary. Where it is announced, it says simply, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed;" [Dan. viii, 14.] but how long a period would be occupied in this cleansing, we are not told. Again: "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God;" [1 Pet. iv, 17;] but how long it would be before the judgment of the house of God would be completed, is not said. There is another text however more definite. The mighty angel of Rev. x, standing with one foot upon the sea, and the other on the land, lifts up his hand, and swears that time shall be no longer. As this angel is supposed to be identical with the first angel of Rev. xiv, his message would carry us to the commencement of the period of the judgment of the house of God. But he declares that time shall be no longer; from which we understand that all the prophetic periods there terminated, and that since then, there are no events to be marked by definite prophetic time. If our application of this scripture be correct, it decides beyond controversy that the word hour, in the proclamation, "The hour of his judgment is come," is not prophetic, and does not denote a definite period of time. A large proportion of that hour of judgment is past. The remaining work in the heavenly Sanctuary we believe will be brief; while a corresponding work on earth will be impelled by the energies of the Holy Spirit, and cut short in righteousness.