Signs of the Times, Vol. 3, No. 30. (8/2/1877)

Signs of the Times

Aug 2, 1877

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Aug 2, 1877

SEALING OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD.

By Elder R. F. Cottrell

BY ELDER R. F. COTTRELL.

Text: “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” Rev. 7:1–3.

Leading events of history may be given in chronological order; but to write out every event of the history of the world, or of any country, so that everything shall be recorded in the exact order of time in which it occurred, has never been, nor ever will be, attempted. So it is in prophecy, which is history given before the events occur.

In the opening of the seven seals of Rev. 6–8, is given a regular succession of events to transpire in connection with the church during the whole age, from the days of the primitive Christian church down to the close of probation, the day of wrath, and the second coming of Christ. The events to take place under the opening of the sixth seal are the great earthquake of 1755, which destroyed the city of Lisbon, the darkening of the sun and moon in 1780, the falling of the stars in 1833, and the great day of wrath which follows immediately upon the close of probation and reaches to the second advent of Christ. Rev. 6:12–17. The regular succession of events under this seal begins with the signs of Christ’s coming at hand, and ends with the day of wrath. With the description of this day of wrath the chapter closes.

But something of importance in connection with these events remains to be told, and consequently chapter 7 intervenes between the description of the events under the sixth seal and the opening of the seventh. This chapter begins with an account of the sealing of the servants of God preparatory to the troubles that are coming in the day of wrath; and consequently this is the last work of the gospel while men are upon probation; and, after the sealing of the living saints, the chapter gives a description of the great multitude of the resurrected saints and the introduction of all to the immortal and everlasting state, where sorrow will be forever unknown. Then, going back from this digression to the thread of discourse, the prophet speaks of the opening of the seventh seal, which brings us to the actual coming of the Lord with “all the holy angels,” making a pause in the joyful anthems of praise in Heaven until their triumphant return with all the vast multitude of the redeemed.

The sealing therefore is a work to be done during the period of the sixth seal, after the signs in heaven of the coming of Christ have appeared, and before the winds are loosed and the great day of wrath is come. It is a special work of preparation for the people of God, that they may stand secure in the time of trouble that will come upon the earth when the time of probation shall close, the winds be loosed, and the wrath of God and the Lamb come. “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:36.

How transcendently important the closing, sealing work of probationary time! How important that the servants of God should heed the voice of the Master, watch the signs of the times, and pray night and day for a preparation to stand secure in the day of wrath, and stand before the Son of man at his coming! Can it be that professed Christians can ignore these things, having no confidence in Christ-given signs fulfilled, and consequently not heed his command to watch and pray in respect to the things that are coming, and yet hope to be prepared for the awfully tremendous event, should it come on them “as a thief”! Alas! for that soul who closes his eyes to prophetic light, and willingly lets the sealing work pass unheeded, and consequently permits the day of God to come upon him suddenly and unexpectedly as a thief in the night, or as a snare is sprung upon birds unconsciously feasting upon the grain scattered to decoy them.

Winds, in the text, are a symbol of wars; the four winds—winds from all the cardinal points—signify the general wars in every quarter of the globe, which have been foretold by the ancient prophets in connection with the great day of God’s wrath. See Zeph. 1:14–17; 3:8; Jer. 25:29–33; Joel 3:9–13. Angels of God have a controlling power over the governments of the earth; they can hold in check the elements of strife among hostile and menacing nations, or they can let them loose, and thus “hurt the earth and the sea.” They have a charge to hold them until a specific work is done; and that work is the closing work of the gospel of salvation among men, a work which prepares all the living servants of God for the time of trouble and national conflict which is to follow when the winds are loosed. According to prophecy, the nations will be angry, and their anger will be followed by the wrath of God. Rev. 11:18. In this time of trouble the servants of God are to “be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Dan. 12:1. The sealing work will determine who of all the living shall be found written there. Solemn and momentous work! Can it be that this very work is now being done? It is not only possible, but most certainly this is the case. This truth is terribly true!

The third angel’s message of Rev. 14:9–12, is evidently the last merciful warning before the outpouring of the unmingled wrath of God; and consequently is the sealing message. It has the seal of the living God as its most distinguishing characteristics. It warns all against receiving the seal or mark of the beast upon pain of drinking of the wine of God’s wrath without mixture. The winds of general war must be held back while this warning prepares the servants of God to stand secure when the winds are no longer restrained, but the time of trouble and distress is fully come.

Seal and mark, as used in these passages, have the same meaning, and signify simply a sign or token. It is not a literal brand or mark upon the flesh like “the sign of circumcision, a seal,” or “a token, of the covenant” that God made with Abraham; Gen. 17:11; Rom. 4:11; but something fully as manifest to the observer—a practically distinguishing sign. One version of our text has it, “Having the sign of the living God,” and, “Till we have signed the servants of God.” Let it be noticed that it is an outward manifestation of allegiance, and not the inward work of the “Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The two marks or signs—that of the living God, and that of the beast—are evidently in direct opposition to each other; and since those who heed the warning against the worship and mark of the beast, are distinguished as those “who keep the commandments of God,” &c., it is fair to infer that the seal of God—his sign or token—is to be found in his commandments, or law, and is a sign of allegiance to the one true and living God, as distinguished from all other gods or lords who may claim our fealty and worship. Those who have the Lamb’s “Father’s name,” or, as rendered by Whiting (I quote from memory), “his [the Lamb’s] name and that of his Father,” written in their foreheads, are without doubt those who honor the name of God by obedience to his law. Rev. 14:1. The mark of the beast also is called “the mark of his name,” literally meaning the mark of his authority.

“The seal of an earthly monarch is the sign or mark of his authority. It is that which makes valid those laws or decrees which he promulgates. It shows his title of royalty, the extent of his dominion, and his right to reign. Now the Sabbath makes valid the law of God. It is the only part of the law that shows who the lawgiver is, and that distinguishes him from other gods. It shows him to be the Lord thy God, the Creator of heaven and earth and all that in them is, and thus furnishes us with his title of royalty, the extent of his dominion, and his right to reign. Therefore the Sabbath may with propriety be called the seal or sign of God. Indeed, it is the only thing in the Bible that is said to be a sign between God and his people, that they may know that he is the Lord. Read Eze. 20:12, 20; Ex. 31:13, 17. And whenever the sacred writers, whether under the old or new dispensation, undertake to distinguish the living God from false gods, an appeal is invariably made to the fact that the true God made heaven and earth, which fact lies at the foundation of the Sabbatic institution. Read Ps. 115; Jer. 10; Acts 14:8–15; 17:22–29. In truth, it were impossible to distinguish the true God from idol gods by any portion of the law of God except the fourth commandment.”

But not to enter into a particular investigation of the seal of God and the mark of the beast, it is sufficient to my present purpose to state that there are two rival days in Christendom, each claiming to be the Sabbath which all men ought to keep holy. In the scriptures above referred to, the Lord expressly says that his Sabbath is a sign between him and his people, that they might know that he is the Lord, and, as the reason, says, “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” So the seventh-day Sabbath is the sign of God.

On the other hand, the Roman papacy and church, which are prophesied of as a power that would think itself able to change the times and laws of God, Dan. 7:25, claim expressly the change of the day, “without scriptural authority,” as the mark or sign of their authority to make laws and bind the consciences of mankind. “How prove you,” say they, “that the church hath power to command feasts and holy days?” The answer is, “By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday.” So while God claims the seventh-day Sabbath as a sign of his power and authority as the maker of heaven and earth, the beast power claims the first day instead of the Sabbath as the sign of its power and authority; and as these claims do not conflict, let both be esteemed valid.

We now inquire for the facts in the fulfillment of the text. Are the nations now angry? Have there been just apprehensions of a general time of war for years in the past? Has the great calamity been delayed beyond expectation? How long have there been just forebodings of the terrible struggle? Has not this state of things existed ever since the revolution of 1848? And when the war-cloud has seemingly burst, how soon has the tempest been hushed to peace? During all this time the coming storm has seemingly been held in check by a higher power. The angels “to whom it is given to hurt the earth and sea,” though seemingly about to let loose the storm in all its fury, have evidently heard the imperative voice of the ascending angel. “Hurt not the earth,” till the last, the sealing message, has done its work of sealing the servants of God, preparing them to be delivered in the time of trouble.

And is there such a message in the world?—a message claiming to be the final message, that of the “third angel,” warning against the worship and mark of the beast, and pressing the claim of all the commandments of the decalogue as written by the finger of God, especially of the down-trodden Sabbath as the sign of God and the seal of his law? Isa. 8:16. And did this message begin to dawn upon the world at the proper time?—at the point when it became evident that the winds of war were struggling to be loosed, and yet by an unseen power were held in check and abeyance? These questions can only be truly answered in the affirmative. To answer them negatively would be to falsify the facts of the history of our own times since 1848. At that time when the storm-cloud of general war was darkening the horizon, this message was just rising to view; but the rising storm was checked, and a calm ensued. And ever since that time whenever the winds have shown signs of struggling to be free, and the danger has seemed imminent, by this unseen power they have been marvelously staid, though the wrath of the angry nations has not been subdued.

At the same time the rising message has been spreading over the world, and, according to prophecy, is going to “many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” While the winds have been held, the sealing message has been doing its work. The Sabbath of the Lord is gaining prominence. And while a large class are clamoring for law to enforce a stricter observance of the day that has usurped the place of the Sabbath of the Lord, attention is almost everywhere being awakened to the claims of the Sabbath law as given by God himself; and the conscientious here and there are embracing it.

Be assured, reader, that not one of these things is accidental. The word of God having predicted them, his overruling providence is guiding and controlling events to their fulfillment. Not one thing of all he has said shall fail of being done. The clouds are thickening, and the muttering thunders can be heard. The four winds, though struggling to be free, are being held for the closing message of the gospel to do its work of sealing. The messenger with the seal of God is on his way, ascending to view, like the rising of the eastern sun. Soon his appointed work will be accomplished, the winds will be loosed, and the earth will be hurt. The great day of wrath will come; the wicked shall drink of the wine of God’s wrath, but the righteous shall be delivered. God in great mercy is waiting to be gracious. Now is the time to accept of proffered mercy. Soon it will be too late. Soon probation will cease; the wicked will be seized with the seven last plagues; but the servants of God shall escape. Hasten, my soul, in the preparation for that day. Hasten, dear reader, and let not that day come upon you as a snare. Inquire now, “Who shall be able to stand?” and do not wait till the terrible day is come. Then

“It will be in vain to call, Ye mountains, on us fall, For his hand will find out all, In that day.”

But happy indeed will it be with all those who have heeded the warning mercifully sent of God, in fulfillment of his promise, and have gotten a complete victory over sin, through obedience to God and faith in Jesus Christ. Happy for those who have united in the fulfillment of the prophetic command of God “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” Isa. 8:16. Those who engage in this work of reform, and shall “raise up the ruins of many generations,” shall be called “The repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to be frequented.” On condition of turning from trampling on the Sabbath of Jehovah, and calling it “a delight, holy to Jehovah, honorable”—these shall escape the impending wrath, and join in the song of the redeemed. Shall we not, dear reader, comply with the conditions, and be partakers of the joy?

Waiting.

We are waiting for the dawning Of the bright and blessed day, When the darksome night of sorrow Shall have vanished far away; When forever with the Saviour, Far beyond the gloom of tears, We shall swell the song of worship Through the everlasting years.

We are looking at the brightness— See, it shineth from afar— Of the clear and joyous beaming Of the “bright and morning star.” Through the dark gray mists of morning Do we see its glorious light; Soon shall flee the darkest shadow Of this sad and weary night.

THE BIBLICAL INSTITUTE.

By Uriah Smith

HELD IN OAKLAND, CAL., APRIL 1–17, 1877.

[In this form we give a synopsis of the lectures presented at this Institute, the aim being to give principal facts, dates and references, with as few words as will serve to connect them. The lessons are not intended to measure the recitations. A lesson embraces an entire subject; but some of these occupied a number of recitations in the class.]

CLASS QUESTIONS ON LESSON XI., WITH ANSWERS.

1. Was the true church observing the seventh day at the time it passed into the wilderness?

ANS. Yes. The church went into the wilderness by being overborne by the apostasies and corruptions of the times. When the great apostate church had arisen and overshadowed Christendom, the true church, the real people of God, were crowded into obscurity. It was a gradual work. So the coming out from that wilderness state is a gradual work; but before the Lord comes, the church will be fully out, and keeping the Sabbath, as it was before it went into the wilderness. This is the secret of the great Sabbath reform now going forth under the last message.

2. Is it true that Christ was raised from the dead on the first day of the week?

ANS. We think it is. But even if we thought it was not, we should never raise any controversy over the point; for more would be lost than gained by it. The idea is firmly planted in the public mind that the resurrection of Christ did occur on the first day of the week. And if we contest that point, they will inevitably interpret it as a concession on our part to the idea that if the resurrection did occur on that day, it proves that day to be the Christian Sabbath; if not, they will say, why labor so hard to disprove it? And it will take ten times more effort to make people believe that the resurrection did not occur on the first day of the week, than it will to convince them that even if it did occur then, it has no bearing whatever on the Sabbath question. Spend no time discussing doubtful or unessential points. Take issue on vital questions, and then make your positions very clear and strong.

3. Isa. 56:12. Is “this day” the day of the Sabbath, so frequently referred to all through the chapter, and the “to-morrow,” the day following, or Sunday?

ANS. We think the passage can have no application of this kind. And while nothing would be gained by applying it so, it would be considered fanciful, and hence would be objectionable. The same may be said of the question whether Hos. 6:7 does not prove that Adam had the law of God in his day.

4. Please state how the “round world theory” is used as an objection to the Sabbath, and give the answer.

ANS. The objection proceeds on the assumption that those who keep the Sabbath, must keep the same absolute, not relative, time; and, as time differs at different points east and west, this cannot be done. Therefore the Sabbath cannot be kept around the world. And this objection, strange to say, almost invariably comes from those who are great sticklers for Sunday, and who believe it should be kept in every essential particular just as we claim for the Sabbath. If they can find the first day of the week around the world, why cannot we find the seventh, which is just the day before? It is a fact which few are so unreasonable as to deny, that the day, by means of those operations of nature which God has ordained to govern the lapse of time, travels around the earth from east to west. On every spot of the earth, therefore, the days in their proper order commence and end. We are to keep the days as they come to us. At whatever places we can ascertain the beginning and the close of the day, we can keep it.

From this idea that days travel around the world, it follows that somewhere on the earth there must be a starting point for all days, or a day line, in crossing which we must change our reckoning according to the direction in which we are traveling. Where is this day line? Experience shows that if we start from the western coast of America, and travel eastward to the eastern coast of Asia, we have no change to make; or, if we reverse it, and travel from the east coast of Asia to the west coast of America, it is the same; our reckoning agrees with that of every country through which we pass. The day line is not, therefore, anywhere on that part of the earth’s surface. But when we cross the Pacific ocean from San Francisco to Pekin, taking California time with us, we find ourselves one day behind the people of China; or, if we come from Pekin to San Francisco, bringing Pekin time with us, we find ourselves one day in advance of the people of California. Thus is it demonstrated that the day line runs through the Pacific ocean. And it seems to be a providential fact that a line can be run from the north pole to the south, through Behring’s straits, and touch no appreciable body of land. Hence the confusion is avoided that must exist if this line passed through a thickly populated land. All a person has to do, therefore, is, in sailing east across the Pacific to drop back a day in his reckoning, and in sailing west, to go forward a day in his calendar, in crossing this day line; and no other change is required the earth around. Navigators understand this and act accordingly.

But it is thought that even this arrangement might sometimes interfere with Sabbath observance. The following supposable case was suggested in the class:—

“A, who was sailing in the Pacific ocean, found by observation on Friday that he was five miles east of the day line; and being desirous that his crew should observe the Sabbath as soon as the sun went down, he made everything ready. But just as the sun went down he was drifted west of the line, and found that it was already Sunday there, and therefore kept no Sabbath. Was he right in so doing?”

We answer, No. He should have kept his old reckoning till he had observed the Sabbath. For a person on shipboard is not obliged to change on just such a degree of longitude. While some definite line must be fixed so that permanent locations on either side of the line may have a uniform reckoning, all that a person on the water need to do is to adjust his reckoning before he touches land, or meets passing ships, so that his reckoning will agree with those he meets. It will thus be seen that a person need never interfere with the Sabbath in adding or dropping his day in crossing the day line. This is a very simple matter and no difficulty at all is involved in it respecting the Sabbath.

Another difficulty is urged from the great length of days and nights in high northern latitudes. How, it is asked, can the Sabbath be kept in countries where in summer the days are several months in length, and in winter the nights are of equal duration? We reply, There is no difficulty whatever; for the revolution of the earth is marked, in summer by the sun, in winter by the stars, just as accurately as it is in any other quarter of the earth; and the point corresponding to sunset in lower latitudes, can be just as definitely determined even at the north pole, if men could reach it, as sunset itself in other places. And this is all that is necessary to know, to be able to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment. All the difficulties that are raised in the way of Sabbath-keeping, are purely imaginary; and the more the subject is examined, the more clearly it is seen that that God who in infinite wisdom gave a Sabbath for all men to keep in all places of the earth, has not by any wayward providence, or any fatal necessity in the operation of his laws, made it impossible for them to do so. For a full exposition of the subject of the Sabbath on a round world, the Day Line, etc., the reader is referred to a tract by Elder J. N. Andrews, entitled, “The Definite Seventh Day.”

A word as to the revelations of the Bible on this point. These are sufficient to show that no objection really exists. For instance, in the land of Palestine itself, there is a little difference of time between its eastern and western boundaries; and if the Sabbath could be kept on its eastern border, and at the same time on its western, distant a little over two degrees of longitude, and involving a difference in time of about ten minutes, it could be kept as much further west, and so on. Consequently in the extensive travels of Paul we read of his keeping the Sabbath far distant from Jerusalem. He kept at least seventy-eight of them in Corinth, Acts 18; and Corinth was thirteen degrees from Jerusalem, involving a difference in time of fifty-two minutes; that is, the Sabbath commenced in Corinth, nearly an hour later than in Jerusalem, yet Paul had no difficulty in keeping it there. He pushed on to Rome, and found many Jews there. Acts 28:17. Do you suppose those Jews were living in violation of the Sabbath? By no means. Did Paul keep the Sabbath there? There is not a shadow of reason to suppose that he did not. But what is the difference in time from Jerusalem? Two hours and sixteen minutes. And Paul in writing to the Romans dwelt much on the perpetuity of the law, and assured them that they did not make it void by faith in Christ; Rom. 3:31; but he ought to have added, according to our opponents, “Nevertheless you poor Romans will have to make void the Sabbath commandment, you are so far west. There is a difference in time, between your place and Jerusalem, of two hours and sixteen minutes; and, with that difference you can’t keep the Sabbath, so you needn’t try.” Paul would laugh at the manufactured perplexities of modern anti-sabbatarians; or, rather, he would wither them with some of his righteous invectives. U. S.

Continue reading: THE END OF THE WICKED