THE SEVENTH MONTH MOVEMENT.
By Editor
[The following article on the movement which took place in regard to the seventh month, Jewish time, in 1844, we take from the Advent Shield, published in January, 1845. In presenting it to our readers we feel sure that we are obeying at least one injunction, which is, to call to remembrance the former days. Those who were engaged in that movement can look back upon it with interest, especially since by the light that has since risen upon us, the cause of our disappointment is clearly seen, and we perceive that we were doing the will of God, inasmuch that it was with us seemingly as with the disciples anciently: had we held our peace the very stones would have cried out. But we do not intend a dissertation upon the subject as an introduction. We trust it will possess interest more or less for all. [ED.] THE late movement, in connection with the seventh month of the Jewish sacred year, was the most marked and striking event that has occurred in connection with the doctrine of the Second Advent, since the commencement of the present interest respecting it. It is well deserving a passing notice; and its history is interesting, not only as a memento of the past, but also as a landmark for the future. The first public reference made to the seventh month as the time of the Lord's advent, was by Mr. Miller, in a letter, which appeared in the "Signs of the Times," of May 17th, 1843. In this letter, he alluded to the various events which had occurred, and to the several observances of the Jewish law which were commemorated, in the seventh month. As many of these were typical of events predicted to transpire in immediate connection with the second advent, and it was considered as highly probable that in their antitypical fulfillment they might be fulfilled chronologically. Thus it was shown the ark rested on the seventeenth day of the seventh month. Gen. viii, 4. At a later period, on the same day of this month, the sanctuary, and worshipers, and all appertaining to it, were cleansed. Lev. xvi, 29-34. On the tenth day of this month, the Israelites were annually required to afflict their souls, from the evening of the ninth to the evening of the tenth. Lev. xxiii, 27-32. In this month, from the first to the fifteenth, was an annual holy convocation of all Israel. Lev. xxiii, 24; Num. xxix, 1. On the fifteenth day, was the great feast of tabernacles, or of ingathering, when all Israel were assembled before the Lord. Lev. xxiii, 34; 1 Kings viii, 2. On the tenth day of this month, every fiftieth year, the great trumpet was sounded throughout all the land, when every man was restored to his possession, and all bond-men went free. Lev. xxv, 9, 10. And on the tenth day of this month, the high priest made atonement for all Israel, when the inner sanctuary was sprinkled with the blood of the kid, slain for a sin-offering; and the scape-goat on which was laid the sins of all Israel, was led away into the wilderness—a type of him who bore our sins and carried our sorrows. Lev. xvi, 1-34; Isa. liii, 4. The anniversaries of so many observances, all centering in this month, made it a point of much interest. As such, it was presented by Mr. Miller; not as being conclusive evidence of the time in the year of our Lord's advent, but as a question worthy of our prayerful consideration. It, however, attracted but little notice at the time: a few regarded it with much interest, and when that month in 1843 had passed, such were disappointed; but the great body of Adventists regarded it with but little favor. As time continued beyond A. D. 1843, many began to inquire the reasons of their disappointment respecting the year of their expected deliverance. It was then seen, that commencing all the prophetic periods in the years B. C., where we had always stated their commencement, they would not be respectively completed, even upon the supposition that our chronology and date of their commencement were correct, until some time within the year 1844. Thus, of the seven times, or 2520 years, commencing in B. C. 677—the great jubilee, or 2450 years, commencing in B. C. 607—and the 2300 years of Daniel, commencing in B. C. 457—as a portion of each of those years, from which the prophetic periods were respectively dated, had expired before the occurrence of the several events which marked their commencement, it would be necessary that they should extend as far into A. D. 1844, as they respectively commenced after the beginning of the years B. C. from which they are severally reckoned, in order, either to complete the number of years in such, or to test the correctness of our chronology. But there was no clue to the time, in the respective years B. C., at which the several periods began; and consequently the time in the year of their termination, could not be accurately marked. During this time, however, some who had embraced the view that the ceremonials of the Mosaic law, typical of Christ's second advent, would be fulfilled chronologically, began to present their views with the evidence, which to their minds, went to prove that the advent of the Lord, whenever it should occur, would be on the tenth day of the seventh month of the Jewish sacred year. The argument was that at Christ's first advent, several of the Jewish observances, typical of that event, were fulfilled chronologically, and that, consequently, those which were typical of his second advent, must also be fulfilled chronologically. Thus, the passover, commemorating that memorable night in which the children of Israel departed from the land of Egypt, was typical of Christ—"our Passover;" and as the paschal lamb was slain on the 14th day of the month Abib, so Christ was crucified on the 14th of the same month. As the sheaf of the first fruits was waved before the Lord for a wave-offering on the morrow after the Jewish Sabbath of the paschal week, so our great High Priest arose on the first day of the week, the morrow after the Jewish Sabbath of the paschal week, "the first fruits of those that slept." And as the feast of pentecost—the feast of weeks, was commemorated on the fiftieth day from the waving of the sheaf of first-fruits, so when the day of pentecost was fully come, and the disciples were all with one accord in one place, the holy Spirit descended as a rushing mighty wind accompanied by miraculous gifts. These remarkable events being chronologically fulfilled, it was argued that the various other types, "the shadows of good things to come," must be fulfilled in like manner. Thus the blowing of the great trumpet in the year of jubilee, on the tenth day of the seventh month—a type of the trump of God, the last trump; the release of all captives, the canceling of all debts, and the restoration of every man to his possessions, on the same day,—typical of the great release; and the atonement of the High Priest for the sins of all Israel, his intercession therefor in the Holy of Holies, and his coming out from thence to bless the waiting congregation,—typical of the completion of the intercession which Christ is now making, and of his coming out of heaven itself, to appear the second time unto those that look for him, without sin unto salvation, it was argued, fully demonstrated, that a day thus selected and set apart of God for the observance of so many ceremonials, typical of the greatest of all events, must be honored in the completion of the plan of salvation by the event itself. This supposition was greatly strengthened by the consideration that the observances of these ceremonials would bring us to the very time where all the prophetic periods might center in their complete fulfillment, and beyond which, reckoning from those dates, they could not be well extended. It was also analogous to the dealings of God with his children in times past,—in the event of the flood, in the destruction of the cities of the plain, the departure of the children from Egypt, and their entrance into the land of Canaan,—to make known, a short time previous to the fulfillment of a chronological prophecy, the very day of its occurrence. Although the time to the flood was revealed to man 120 years previous to that event, and the time of the sojourning of God's chosen people in a strange country 400130years, yet the precise days of the termination of those periods, were not made known until a very short time previous to their fulfillment. If there was any force in the analogy of the past, we certainly had reason to believe, as a revelation had been made of the great periods reaching to the advent, that before its occurrence the very day of our deliverance might be made known to us. As the mariner, tossed upon the tempestuous ocean for many long tedious days, with joy receives the first intimation of the long wished-for land, so many an humble soul, who fearlessly had risked their earthly all in patient looking for the King of kings, felt a new thrill of joy, and their hearts quicker throb, when they listened to arguments designed to prove the day of Christ's return. Thus, although a definite day was at first generally opposed, yet there were numbers in every place to whom it was as water to the thirsty soul, and who received it as the earth drinketh up the rain; so that it gradually spread through all the south of New England, and in the Middle States. Still, great numbers of the Adventists opposed it,—some being intellectually convinced that the arguments would not warrant all the stress laid upon them, nor the positiveness with which they were regarded, while others opposed it without giving the argument a critical examination, having a general dislike to the preaching of a definite day. But as this view continued to be presented, many of this class embraced it, until it began to be the prevailing opinion in many of the Advent bands. The lecturers, however, most of them, and the several Advent papers, for several months stood aloof from it. While this was being preached in the north of New England, there was an awakening among the Adventists in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine; and a strong conviction prevailed among them of the Lord's being at the very door, but without reference to any definite day. These were all prepared to receive the definite time, whenever it should be presented to them. When the Advent cause was at this crisis, the Exeter camp-meeting was held in August last, at which all these sections of country were fully represented. There the argument for the time was forcibly presented, and in connection with all the various questions of interest which had given new vigor to the cause in other sections. The result was, that the time was generally and enthusiastically received; and as the several brethren returned to their respective homes, they carried it with them, and it began to be the prevalent belief in every direction. And those who received it, believing it to be the truth, and feeling that if true, it should be preached without delay, extended it far and near with all the eloquence and success that so joyful and probable an event could produce. While this view of the time was so universally received, its fruits were also seen to be most beneficial. It produced everywhere the most deep searching of heart and humiliation of soul before the God of high heaven. It caused a weaning of affections from the things of this world, a healing of controversies and animosities, a confession of wrongs, a breaking down before God, and penitent, broken-hearted supplications to him for pardon and acceptance. It caused self-abasement and prostration of soul, such as we never before witnessed. As God by Joel commanded, when the great day of God should be at hand, it produced a rending of hearts and not of garments, and a turning unto the Lord with fasting and weeping and mourning. As God said by Zechariah, a spirit of grace and supplication was poured out upon his children, they looked to him whom they had pierced, there was a great mourning in the land, every family apart and their wives apart, and those who were looking for the Lord afflicted their souls before him. Such was its effect on the children of God. While none could deny the possibility of the Lord's then coming, and as the fulfillment of some of the types chronologically at Christ's first advent rendered it highly probable that those which typified the second advent would also be chronologically fulfilled, so general an awakening, and with such blessed fruits, could not but impress many minds; and those who were not convinced of the soundness of the typical argument, were led to regard it as a fulfillment of the parable of the ten virgins in Matt. xxv.—as their arising to trim their lamps, after having gone forth to meet the bridegroom, and slumbering while he tarried; so that the definite time was finally embraced by nearly all of the Advent faith. So universal a movement among those who a short time before were comparatively asleep on this question, could not be unnoticed by the world. The wicked, consequently, flocked to the various places of meeting,—some out of idle curiosity to hear, others out of concern for their spiritual interests, and others still to scoff at solemn things. Those who believed they should so shortly stand in their Saviour's presence, and whose works corresponded with their faith, could not but feel a nearness of access to God and sweet communion with him; and the souls of such were greatly blessed. With a realizing sense of such a nearness of the greatest of all events, as we came up to that point of time, all other unnecessary cares were laid aside, and the whole soul was devoted to a preparation for the great event. God being more ready to give than we are to receive, does not permit any thus to plead in vain; and his Holy Spirit came down like copious showers upon the parched earth. It was then evident that there was faith upon the earth, such faith as is ever ready to act in accordance with what the soul believes that God has spoken,—such faith as would, in obedience to a supposed command, bid all the pleasures of this world adieu, having respect to the recompense of reward. Such was a faith like that of Abraham's, when, at the command of God, he went out "not knowing whither he went," nor withheld his only son; and here were those all ready to join the multitude, who through faith will inherit the promises.