Publishing Committee · Saratoga Springs, N. Y. · Aug 5, 1851
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES
By James White
The following articles treating on "The Seven Last Plagues," and "The Voice of God," were written in 1847, and then published in a small tract entitled "A WORD TO THE LITTLE FLOCK." As these events are soon to be realized, these subjects are of vital importance, and should be carefully studied by the brethren. We hope to be able at some future time to present these subjects more fully, and show the harmony of future events.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES.
"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God." Rev. 15: 1.
For more than one year, it has been my settled faith, that the seven last plagues were all in the future, and that they were all to be poured out before the first resurrection.
It may not be my duty to attempt to point out each plague separately, but only give some of my reasons for believing that they are yet to be poured out, prior to the second advent. By the light of the brightly shining lamp, (the bible) we can see the events of our past experience distinctly; while future events may not be seen in their order so clearly.
If it be true that the plagues are yet to be poured out upon the earth before the resurrection and change of the saints, has not the time fully come for us to see the light in relation to them, that we may better see, and feel the force of Christ's words? 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.
From the last clause of Rev. 15: 1, "for in them is filled up the wrath of God," it seems clear that all the wrath of God to be poured out on the living wicked, is contained in the plagues. The vials of wrath will certainly be poured out, in the day of the wrath of God, and of the Lamb.
Jesus is clearly represented in the bible, in his different characters, offices, and works. At the crucifixion he was the meek, slain lamb. From the ascension to the end of the 2300 days, Jesus stood with wide-spread arms of love and mercy, ready to receive, and plead the cause of every sinner, who would come to God by him.
On the 10th day of the 7th month, 1844, he passed into the Holy of Holies, to cleanse the Sanctuary, where he has since been a merciful "high priest over the house of God." But when his priestly work is finished there, he is to lay off his priestly attire, and put on his most kingly robes, to execute his judgment on the living wicked. Now where shall we look for the day of wrath, in which will be poured out the vials of wrath? Not to the crucifixion, nor while Jesus is fulfilling his Priesthood in the Heavenly Sanctuary. But, when he lays off his priestly attire, and puts on the "garments of vengeance" to "repay fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies;" then the day of his wrath will have fully come. As the "wrath of God" on the living wicked is "filled up" in the plagues, and as the day of wrath is future, it follows that the plagues are all future. I think the following is a prophecy which has been fulfilling in part since 1844.
"And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey; and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor." Isaiah 59: 14, 15, 16.
I think that the next two verses, which speak of our Lord's putting on the "garments of vengeance for clothing," to "repay fury to his adversaries," point to the wrath of God in the seven last plagues. God has shown this day of wrath, in prophetic vision, to some of his servants by different symbols. Ezekiel saw it in the men with "slaughter-weapons," slaying "utterly, old and young."—Eze. 9: 5, 6. John saw it in the "seven last plagues;" while Esdras saw it in the famine, pestilence, and the sword. The Bible contains many descriptions of this soon expected day of wrath.
"A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."—See Ps. 91: 5—10.
"Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt."—See Isa. 13: 6—11.
"And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem (the saints). Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth."—Zech. 14: 12.
"Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come."
"The seed is rotted under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down, for the corn is withered."—see Joel 1: 15—18; Jer. 30: 23, 24; Dan. 12: 1; Hab. 3: 12, 13; Zeph. 1: 17, 18; 2 Esdras, 15: 10—13. I am quite sure that our Saviour referred to the same, when he spoke of "distress of nations, with perplexity;" "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth."—Luke, 21: 26, 27. In the 36th verse we are exhorted to constant watchfulness and prayer, that we "may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man;" at his appearing.
This makes it sure that the trouble comes before the second advent; for the saints are to escape it, before they "stand before the Son of man." At the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, the living wicked, who are not swept off by the plagues, are to be destroyed by the "brightness of his coming."—2 Thess. 2: 8.
This is positive proof that the plagues come before, and not after the advent; for the wicked will not suffer by the plagues, after they are destroyed by the burning glory of his coming.
The plagues of Egypt, and the deliverance of ancient Israel from bondage, clearly shadow forth the seven last plagues, and the deliverance of the saints.
"I will bring them (the saints) with a mighty hand and a stretched-out arm, and smite Egypt with plagues AS BEFORE," etc.—2 Esdras, 15: 11. "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment," etc.—Isa. 1: 27. See Eze. 20: 33—38. The plagues were poured out on Egypt just before, and at the deliverance of Israel; so we may expect the last plagues on the wicked, just before and at the deliverance of the saints.
We may see by the 91st Psalm, that many of the wicked are to be cut off, while the saints are on the earth, in their mortal state; for they are to fall by thousands all around them.
The saints are exhorted not to fear the plagues at that time, for God will give his angels charge over them, so that no plague shall come nigh their dwellings; but such an exhortation would be useless, if the saints are immortal before the plagues are poured out.
The men with slaughter-weapons in their hands have this charge, "come not near any man upon whom is the mark;" which shows that the marked saints are in their mortal state, at the slaying time.
But the humble followers of the Lamb, have nothing to fear from the terrors of the day of his wrath; for they will be sealed before the plagues are poured out.
The man "clothed with linen," marks the saints before the slaying commences.
The "four angels" are not to hurt the "earth, neither the sea, nor the trees," till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.—Rev. 7: 1—3.
The marking or sealing of the saints, seems to be shadowed forth by the marking of the side posts and upper door posts of the houses of all Israel, before the Lord passed through Egypt, to slay the first-born of the Egyptians.
Israel was safe; for God was their protector in that perilous night. The true Israel of God will be safely protected, when Christ rules the nations with a "rod of iron," and dashes them "in pieces like a potter's vessel;" for he has promised to give his angels charge over them, to keep them in all their ways.
Those who keep the word of Christ's "patience" in this time of waiting, and trial, will then be kept "FROM the hour of temptation, (or trial) which shall come on all the WORLD, to try them that dwell upon the earth."—Rev. 3: 10.
Those who do every well known duty to God, and his children, and confess their faults to God, and to one another, and are healed from their faults, will safely rest in the arms of the holy angels, while the burning wrath of God is being poured out on those who have rejected his counsel, and commandments. But I must leave this subject for the present, and close with the exhortation of the prophet:
"Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger."—Zeph. 2: 3.
THE VOICE OF GOD.
"The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." Joel 3: 16.
Second Advent writers and lecturers, have usually confounded the voice of God, which is to shake the heavens and the earth, with the "voice of the Son of God," which will call forth the saints. But I think we shall clearly see that here are two distinct events. The voice of God, that is to shake the heavens and the earth, comes "out of Zion," and is uttered "from Jerusalem;" but before the voice of Jesus calls forth the sleeping saints, he is to leave the heavenly Sanctuary, and "descend from heaven," with his holy angels. Then, and not till then, will he send his angels to "gather his elect, from the four winds;" while his voice calls them forth to meet him "in the air." If the voice of God, which is to be uttered "from Jerusalem," raises the saints, then they will be caught up to meet the Lord in Jerusalem. But I think we shall all agree on this point, that Jesus is first to "descend from heaven" with the angels, then commission the heavenly host to conduct the saints to meet him "in the air," while his voice calls them forth.—Mat. 24: 30, 31. Thess. 4: 16, 17. 2 Thess. 1: 7.2
At the pouring out of the seventh vial, Rev. 16: 17, we read: "and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done." At the same time, there is a great earthquake, produced by the "voice from the throne," which shakes down the cities of the nations, and removes the islands and mountains. This "voice from the throne," which causes the earthquake, must be the same as the voice uttered "from Jerusalem," which shakes the heavens and the earth.—Joel, 3: 16, and Jer. 25: 30, 31. It seems clear that this voice which is to come "out of the temple of heaven, from the throne," is not the "voice of the Son of God" that raises the saints; for if the voice that raises the saints comes out of the heavenly temple, "from the throne," then Jesus remains in heaven, on the throne, and calls his elect up to meet him in the temple, which is not in harmony with the teachings of St. Paul.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."—Thess. 4: 16, 17. I think we are safe in believing that we shall hear the voice of God, which will shake the heavens and the earth, before Jesus descends from heaven with his angels and trumpet, to awake and gather the elect in the air.
Will not the day and hour of Jesus appearing, be made known by the voice of the Eternal God?
That the day and hour will be known by the true children of God, and no others, appears plain from the fact that we are exhorted to watch for it; and if we do not watch, Jesus will come on us "as a thief," and we shall "not know what hour" he will come upon us. So that none but those who truly watch, and "hold fast," will know the true time. Rev. 3: 2, 3. Here I will introduce a quotation from "The True Midnight Cry," of Aug. 22, 1841:
"Concerning the time of that (Christ's) coming, he says, in Mark 13: 32, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."—It is thought by many, that this passage proves that men are never to know the time. But if it proves this, it likewise proves that the Son of God, himself, is never to know the time; for the passage declares precisely the same concerning him, that it does concerning angels and men. But can any person believe that our glorious Lord, to whom all power in heaven and earth is given, is, and will remain ignorant of the time until the very moment that he comes to judge the world? If not, then certainly this text can never prove that men may not be made to understand the time. An old English version of the passage reads, "But that day and hour no man maketh known, neither the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."
This is the correct reading according to several of the ablest critics of the age. The word know is used here in the same sense as it is by Paul in 1 Cor. 2: 2. Paul well understood many other things, besides Christ and him crucified, but he determined to make known nothing else among them. So in the passage first quoted, it is declared that none but God the Father maketh known the day and hour; that is, the definite time of the second coming of his Son. And this necessarily implies that God makes the time known."
I believe the above to be a fair and correct view of the subject, and that the Father will make known the true time of the Advent, without the agency of men, angels, or the Son. The following Prophecy is to the point.
"Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.
For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
For I am the Lord: I will SPEAK, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged; for in your days, O rebellious house, will I SAY THE WORD, and will perform it, saith the Lord God."—Eze. 12: 22—25.
The burden of this Prophecy is time, concerning which there has been trust, and false visions. The true vision (or light) on time, was written on the Chart, or table.—Hab. 2: 2. God approved of the proclamation of 1843, and the 10th day of the 7th month 1844, by the pouring out of the Holy Ghost. Since the 7th month 1844, the "rebellious house" of Israel, have been removing the "landmarks," and writing and proclaiming false visions; but we all know that it has been the work of man, and not of God. These flattering divinings have cheered on the "rebellious house" of Israel to some extent; but the work has not had the holy, sanctifying influence, as when God's hand was in the work on time.
The proverb that "every vision faileth," is, or soon will be complete; and God will make it, and the false visions to cease, by speaking from heaven and giving his people the true time. "For I am the Lord: I will SPEAK, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass," etc.
Now if the burden of this prophecy is time, then I think all will admit that the word that the Lord God is to speak, is the true time. The false visions that have been written and proclaimed by the "rebellious house" of Israel have failed; but the word to be spoken by the "Lord God" will be the true time, and will surely come to pass.
Jesus has left us the sure promise, that his Father will make known the day and the hour of his coming. The "Lord God" has promised to speak, and assures us that the word that he will speak "shall come to pass." With such testimony as this before us, from the Father and Son, what other conclusion can we come to, than that the "word which the Father is to speak, is the true time, and when he speaks, his voice will make it known to his saints."
As the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, have been literal, the shaking of the powers of the heavens, Mat. 24: 29 must also be literal.
This sign is not in the past, and as it is a sign, it must come prior to the Advent itself. It is clear that this last sign will appear when the "Lord roars out of Zion," and shakes the heavens and the earth. We believe that the signs in Rev. 6: 12—14, are the same as in Mat. 24: 29, and Mark 13: 24, 25. Then the shaking of the powers of the heavens, Mat. 24: 29, will be at the same time that the heavens depart "as a scroll, when it is rolled together," Rev. 6: 14, for they both follow the falling of the stars.
Now what is this heaven that is to be shaken and rolled together as a scroll? We may not see this event so clearly now as we shall about the time of its fulfillment; but still, it is our duty to receive and cherish all the light that we can see on this, or any other future event. As we travel onward toward the Holy City, our burning lamps discover new objects; but we cannot see all at once. If we reject a little light because we cannot see the whole clearly at once, it will displease our heavenly Leader, and we shall be left in the dark. But if we cherish the light, as fast as it is our Lord's will to open it to us, he will increase the light, and our souls will feast upon the opening truths of the blessed Bible.
The word heaven is applied to three places or things in the Scriptures. 1st. It is applied to Paradise, where St. Paul was taken in vision, 2 Cor. 12, 2—4. 2d. To the region of the sun, moon and stars, Gen. 1: 8—17. 3d. To the atmosphere which encompasses the earth, in which the fowls of heaven fly, Rev. 19: 17—18. It cannot be Paradise, nor the region of the heavenly lights that is to be shaken and rolled together as a scroll; therefore it must be the air around the earth, in which the fowls of heaven fly.
"And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the AIR; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done." Rev. 16: 17.
We may now see that it is the seventh vial and voice of God, which will shake the powers of the heavens, and cause the great earthquake or the shaking of the earth, and that this event constitutes the last literal sign, just before the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven.
It seems clear that all the vials, the voice of God from the throne, the voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and the great earthquake, and the falling of the cities of the nations, and the removing of the mountains and the islands, are to take place before the Advent.
This view no doubt, will at once be rejected by many who profess to be looking for Jesus, every day and hour; but I think it will appear very plain by comparing Rev. 16, 17—21, with chap. 6, 14—17
After the heavens depart "as a scroll when rolled together," and the "mountains and islands are moved out of their places," "the kings of the earth and great men, etc." "hide in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains," from the awful glory of the coming Jesus, attended by "all the holy angels," and call for the rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the brightness of his coming, (which is to destroy the living wicked at his coming.—2 Thess. 2: 8); and overwhelmed with anguish, in view of their expected fate, (when Christ and the angels draw near the earth, to raise and gather the elect,) they cry out "For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?"—Rev. 6: 17.
Here we see that the wicked who are hid are still looking forward to the time when the saints alone will "be able to stand" before Christ at his appearing. If Christ should burst in upon the world as suddenly and unexpectedly as some teach, no one would think of hiding in caves, dens and rocks, for they are not within their reach. This shows that an entire change must take place in the earth's surface prior to the Second Advent, by the voice of God, in order for the wicked to have a chance to hide from the expected Lamb, in caves, dens and rocks of the mountains. When the Father utters his voice "from the throne," which is to cause "a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth," then there will be a chance for all the wicked, who are not swept off by the former plagues, to hide from the presence of the Lamb. But rocks, caves and dens will not shelter them from the burning glory of that holy throng, for the living wicked are to be destroyed "with the brightness of that coming."—2 Thess. 2: 8.
God has promised to be the "hope of his people," at the time his voice shakes the heavens and the earth. His children have nothing to fear from the terrors of that day; for they will be sheltered from the falling of cities, mountains and houses. God's promise cannot fail.
That will be a glad day for the saints; for they will then be "delivered" from every outward foe, and be filled with the Holy Ghost to prepare them to gaze on Jesus, and stand before him at his appearing. Then the saints will better know the real worth of the blessed hope; and they will rejoice that they have been accounted worthy to suffer reproach for clinging close to the truth, and strictly obeying all the "commandments of God." When God spake to Moses in Sinai, his "voice then shook the earth," and we are taught by St. Paul, in Heb. 12: 22—27, that he is yet to speak from the "City of the living God," and "shake not only the earth, but also heaven." When God spake to Moses the glory rested on him so that he had to cover his face with a veil, before his brethren could stand before him and hear the word of the Lord from his mouth. And may we not expect the same effect from the same cause? If so, then when God speaks from the Holy City to all his people, as he did to Moses, all will have the glory poured on them as Moses had it poured on him. This outpouring of the Holy Ghost must take place before the Second Advent, to prepare us for the glory of that scene, for in our present state none of us could stand a single moment before the brightness of that coming which is to destroy the "man of sin." At the presence of one angel at the resurrection of Christ, the Roman guard fell like dead men to the ground. It is therefore necessary that the saints should share largely in the glory of God to prepare them to stand before the Son of Man, when he comes with all the holy angels with him.3
Our present trying, waiting, watching state, is represented by a dark night, and the coming glory before us by the morning. There are two parts to the morning, first, the dawn of day, and second, full day light, which is completed by the rising of the sun. So in the glad morning before us; the day of rest will dawn at the voice of God, when his light and glory will rest upon us; then we shall rise from glory to glory, till Christ appears to clothe us with immortality, and give us eternal life. O, my poor heart is set on fire for the kingdom, while I dwell on this sweet prospect before the true believer. If we "hold fast" but a few days more, the dark shades of night will vanish before the glory of the preparatory scenes of the coming of the Son of man.