Your ShelfYour Projects

AS HE HATH DECLARED TO HIS SERVANTS THE PROPHETS

4%

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 13, 1861

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 18, No. 11.

Read the full edition

AS HE HATH DECLARED TO HIS SERVANTS THE PROPHETS.

By Uriah Smith

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he shall begin to sound the mystery of God should be finished as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." A mighty angel so speaks, as is recorded in Rev. x, 7. There is an importance connected with the finishing of any of the works of God. Such an act marks a solemn and important era. Our Saviour, when expiring upon the cross, cried, It is finished [John xix, 30]; and when the great work of mercy for fallen man is completed, it will be announced by a voice from the throne of God, proclaiming in tones which roll like thunder through all the earth, the solemn sentence, It is done! Rev. xvi, 17. It is therefore no uncalled-for solicitude which prompts us to inquire what bearing such events have upon our eternal hopes and interests, and, when we read of the finishing of the mystery of God, to ask what that mystery is, in what its finishing consists, and where it has been declared to, and consequently by, God's servants the prophets.
An intelligent investigation of these questions involves an examination of the preceding portions of the chapter. What is said from the first of chap. x, to verse 15 of chap. xi, seems to be parenthetical. It is thrown into the prophecy of the sounding of the seven trumpets, coming between the sixth and seventh of that series. That which is particularly connected with the sounding of the sixth trumpet is recorded in chap. ix. The prophet has other events to introduce before the opening of another trumpet, and takes occasion to do it in the scripture which intervenes to the 15th verse of chap. xi. Among these is the prophecy of chap. x. John opens it by saying, "And I beheld another mighty angel come down from heaven . . . and he had in his hand a little book open; and he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the earth." Verses 1, 2. To establish the chronology of the mission of this angel, will be the first point in order; and in doing this his identity with the first angel of chap. xiv, will be made to appear.
"He had in his hand a little book open." It can only be inferred from this language that this book was at some time closed up; and in striking harmony with this, we read of a book in Daniel which was closed up and sealed to a certain time. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. xii, 4. Since this book was closed up only till the time of the end, it follows that at that time the book would be opened; and as its closing was mentioned in prophecy it would be but reasonable to expect that in the predictions of events to take place at the time of the end the opening of this book would be mentioned. There is no book spoken of as closed up and sealed except the book of Daniel's prophecy; and there is no account of the opening of that book unless it be here in the tenth of Revelation. We see furthermore that the contents of these books are the same. The book which Daniel had directions to close up and seal had reference to time: "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" And when the angel comes down with the little book open, on which he bases his proclamation, he gives a message in relation to time: "Time shall be no longer." Nothing more could be required to establish the identity of these two books and to show that the little book which the angel had in his hand open, was the book of the prophecy of Daniel.
An important point is now determined toward settling the chronology of this angel; for we have seen that the prophecy, more particularly the prophetic periods, of Daniel, were not to be opened till the time of the end; and if this is the book which the angel has in his hand open, it follows that he proclaims his message, this side of the time when the book should be opened, or somewhere this side of the commencement of the time of the end. All that now remains on this point is to ascertain when the time of the end commenced; and the book of Daniel, itself, furnishes data from which this can be done. In Dan. xi, from verse 30, the papal power is brought to view. In verse 35, we read, "And some of them of understanding shall fall to try them, and to purge and make them white, even to the time of the end." Here is brought to view the period of the supremacy of the little horn, during which time the saints, times and laws should be given into his hand, and fall through his persecutions. This is declared to reach to the time of the end. It ended A. D. 1798, where the 1260 years of papal rule expired. There the time of the end commenced, and the book was opened. And since that time many have run to and fro, and knowledge on these points has marvelously increased.
The chronology of this angel is further ascertained from the fact that he is identical with the first angel of Rev. xiv. The points of identity between them are easily seen. 1. They both have a special message to proclaim. 2. They both utter their proclamation with a loud voice. 3. They use similar language, both referring to the great Creator, as the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and the things that are therein. 4. They both proclaim time: one swearing that time shall be no more, and the other proclaiming that the hour of God's judgment has come. But the message of Rev. xiv, 6, is located this side of the commencement of the time of the end. It is a proclamation of the hour of God's judgment come, and hence must have its application to the last generation. Paul did not preach the hour of judgment come: Luther and his co-adjutors did not preach it. Paul reasoned of a judgment to come, indefinitely future; and Luther placed it at least 200 years off in his day. Moreover Paul has warned us against any such preaching as the hour of God's judgment has come, until a certain time. In 2 Thess. ii, 1–3, he says, "Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 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," &c. Here Paul introduces to our view the man of sin, the little horn, the papacy, and covers with a caution the whole period of his supremacy, which, as already noticed, was 1260 years, ending in 1798. In 1798 therefore the restriction from proclaiming the day of Christ at hand, ceased; in 1798, the time of the end commenced, and the seal was taken from the little book. Since that period therefore the angel goes forth proclaiming the hour of God's judgment come, and since that time, too, the angel takes his stand on sea and land, and swears that time shall be no more. Of their identity there can now be no question; and all the arguments which go to locate the one, are equally effective for the other. We need not enter into any argument here that the present generation has witnessed the fulfillment of these two prophecies. In the Advent preaching, more especially from 1840 to 1844, they met a full and circumstantial accomplishment. The position of this angel, having one foot upon the sea, and another on the land, denotes the rapid spread of his proclamation by sea and by land.
He swears that time shall be no more. What is the meaning of this? Is it that with his message literal time ends, and eternity commences? One of three things it must mean; as there are but three kinds of time to which it can refer: These are literal time, as compared with eternity, probationary time, and prophetic time. The first it cannot mean; for the next verse speaks of the days of the voice of the seventh angel; and chap. xi, 15–19, gives some of the events to take place under his sounding, which transpire in the present state. And it cannot mean probationary time; for that does not cease till Christ closes his work as priest, which is not till the seventh angel has commenced to sound. Rev. xi, 19. It must therefore mean prophetic time. Prophetic time shall be no more; not that time should never be used in a prophetic sense; for the "days of the voice of the seventh angel," spoken of immediately after, doubtless mean the years of the seventh angel; but no prophetic period should extend beyond his message: they should all close there. Arguments on the prophetic periods show that the longest ones do not extend beyond the autumn of 1844.
But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel. This seventh trump is not the last trumpet [1 Cor. xv, 52] which wakes the sleeping dead; but is the seventh of the series of the seven trumpets, and, like the others of the series, occupies days [years] in sounding. In the days when he shall begin to sound the mystery of God shall be finished. Not in the day when he shall begin to sound, not in the very commencement of his sounding; but in the first years of his sounding the mystery of God shall be finished.
From the events to take place under its sounding the commencement of the seventh trumpet may be located with sufficient definiteness at the close of the prophetic periods in 1844. Not many years from that date, then, the mystery of God is to be finished. The great event, whatever it is, is right upon us. Some closing and decisive work with whatever of importance and solemnity it bears in its train, is near at hand. Let us then, assured that it is something in which we are all concerned, more earnestly inquire what the mystery of God is, and what bearing its finishing has upon the question of our future destiny.
What is the mystery of God? Happily that book which has been given as a lamp to our feet, does not leave us in darkness here. A few direct testimonies will suffice: Eph. i, 9. "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and on earth, even in him." Here God's purpose to gather together all into Christ is called the mystery of his will. This is accomplished through the gospel. Eph. vi, 19. "And for me [Paul asks that prayers may be made] that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel." Here the gospel is declared plainly to be a mystery. It is called in Col. iv, 3, the mystery of Christ. Eph. iii, 3, 6. "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote after in few words);" &c., "that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel." Paul here declares that the mystery was made known to him by revelation, as he had before written. Now where has Paul recorded that anything was given him by revelation? and what was it? Turn to Gal. i, 11, 12, and you will find the answer. Paul there says, "But I certify you brethren that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Here Paul tells us plainly what he received through revelation: it was the gospel. In Eph. iii, 8, he calls it the mystery, made known to him by revelation, as he had written before. The Epistle to the Galatians is said to have been written in A. D. 58, and that to the Ephesians in A. D. 64.
In view of these testimonies, few will be disposed to deny that the mystery of God is the gospel. It is the same, then, as if the angel had declared, In the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he shall begin to sound, the gospel shall be finished. But what is the finishing of the gospel? Let us first inquire for what it was given? It was given to take out from the nations a people for God's name. Acts xv, 14. Its finishing will of course be the close of this work. It will be finished when the number of God's people are made up, mercy ceases to be offered, and probation closes.
The subject is now before us in all its magnitude. Such is the momentous work to be accomplished in the early days of the voice of the seventh angel, who has already been sounding seventeen years. God is not slack; his word is not uncertain; are we ready for the issue?
Another feature of the text remains to be noticed. The angel supports his assertion by the authority of the prophets: "as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." A brief glance at their testimony is therefore here in point. Enoch is perhaps the oldest prophet of whom we have account who has spoken upon this point. He declared, according to Jude, that "the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints." It is proper to remark here that all such prophecies as this, have a direct bearing upon this subject, since the finishing of the mystery of God, the close of probation, the visitations of judgment upon the last generation, and the coming of the Lord, are intimately and inseparably connected. So that he who prophesies of the coming of the Lord, necessarily involves in his prediction, the finishing of the mystery of God, which must necessarily closely precede that event. Isaiah is full on this point. We might transcribe the xivth chapter entire; a few verses will serve as specimens: "Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." This testimony, it will be observed, has reference not to any particular portion of the earth, but to the whole earth, and well describes the condition in which it will be left after the second advent. Again, verses 19, 20. "The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not rise again."
Again, in chap. lxvi, 13–16, we have an account of God's dealings with both his enemies and his people at that time, "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb; and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies. For behold the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many."
Jeremiah bears similar testimony: "Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. [This is the voice of God mentioned in Rev. xvi, 7; Heb. xii, 26; Joel iii, 16, and Isa. lxvi, 16, and is one of the very closing events of this world's history]. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried: they shall be dung upon the ground." Jer. xxv, 30–33. And then the shepherds are called upon to howl and wallow themselves in ashes, and lament for the destruction that shall come upon them and their flocks, when deceiver and deceived shall perish together.
But something was shown to Ezekiel, relating to the same time, and he has declared it in these words: "Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains. Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee. Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded. Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them. The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord." Eze. vii, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10–12, 19.
The prophecy of Daniel dwells largely on this subject. Chapters ii, and from vii–xii are occupied with it exclusively. Prominent among his sublime and thrilling declarations, may be noted the following: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." Chap. ii, 44.
"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame." Chap. vii, 9–11.
"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." Verse 27.
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that is found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever." Chap. xii, 1–3.
Hosea speaks of a glorious event to take place in connection with the finishing of the mystery of God. It is this: "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." Chap. xiii, 14.
Something was shown to Joel on the subject. He says: "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Chap. ii, 1.
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." Chap. iii, 14–16.
Habakkuk says: "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Chap. ii, 2, 3.
Zephaniah, too, bears witness that the mystery of God is to be finished, and that terrible scenes shall transpire in connection therewith. His testimony runs thus: "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." Chap. i, 14, 15, 18.
And Malachi is not silent on the same great theme. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him; for behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. iii, 16, 17, iv, 1.
Thus has God declared by his prophets the finishing up of the controversy of Zion. Thus has been proclaimed the day of vengeance which the Lord declares is in his heart, when the year of his redeemed comes. Isa. lxiii, 4. Thus have they forewarned us of the approach of that great day which bears at once the double freight of vengeance and mercy—vengeance and destruction to his foes, but mercy and salvation to all his people. Thus have they declared that the mystery of God should be finished; and as they have declared, so it will be; for in the good and appointed time of Him who is not slack concerning his promises nor forgetful of his threatnings, all that the prophets have spoken shall be fulfilled. U. SMITH.