[Sabbath Controversy #3] A Vindication of the Seventh-day Sabbath, and the Commandments of God

THEIR LABORS IN THE MESSAGES

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach, unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come.” SC3 220.2

This is so plain that all who have been engaged and laboring in the Second Advent Doctrine must admit it to represent William Miller, and those of his faith, as the flying messengers preaching the advent of Jesus to their fellow men, since 1840. Invisible angels never yet preached the gospel to men; but as it has been here - man preaching to man, - then these angels represent our own neighbors, preaching, lecturing, and exhorting us with loud voices to listen to their message, for the judgement was at hand. SC3 220.3

He says he “saw another angel” Where did he see the first one, then? Answer - In his description of the trumpets, 8:13, thus he carries our minds back to the simple narration of the first description of these messengers and receivers, out of which were sealed 144,000, in 7th chapter. This message has gone to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. SC3 220.4

“And there followed another angel saying Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” etc., 8th verse. This fallen city, we say, was the nominal churches, embracing all of the professed followers of the Prince of Peace; and they have fallen, because they rejected this first message at the hour of God’s judgment, and shut it out of their worshipping assemblies, and out of their hearts - “they made light of it.” SC3 220.5

And the third angel followed, saying with a loud voice, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture,” etc. - 9th and 10th verses. SC3 221.1

These two last described angels, which follow the first, are only a part of the flying messengers described in the 6th and 7th verses - for many of the first class opposed the second and third messengers, and some absolutely denounced them for saying Babylon, or the nominal churches had fallen, and for calling God’s people to come out of them and leave them forever. In chapter 18, 4th verse, John heard the same voice from the same people, called the third angel, telling them to come out from Babylon. In the 14. chapter, he more particularly describes the condition of all those who retain or receive again the mark of the beast, or in any way connect themselves with these churches, - Jeremiah 3:3; the plain English of which is, get clear of this mark, or profession, and keep clear; come out and stay out of this “habitation of Devils.” For a further explanation of these texts, and definition of the locations of the heavens, etc., see Way Marks. SC3 221.2

Any advent believer who undertakes to dispute this, and the two preceding angels’ messages, with their clear fulfillment in advent history from 1840 to the fall of 1844, is, in my opinion, but a few steps removed from the gross darkness that surrounds the habitations of Babylon. I will venture again to reiterate the assertion, that since the days of the Apostles, God’s people have never witnessed such a simultaneous and righteous movement, as they did during these three messages. Many are writing and preaching that these are, and will continue to be given, while the world stands. This mistake is as fatal as the rejection of the first, because in so doing they will not see any work which God has marked out for them, in this last work for man to fulfill and finish the history of this prophecy. We say, then, that these messages closed with the world, when they were condemned by them, at the end of a cry at midnight, in Oct.1844. God then had other and more important work for his church to perform among themselves than they ever had before, and it is clearly marked out in the verses which follow these messages, and whoever fails here, fails to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. Be assured, John has not broken the thread of this most interesting narrative here and left us in confusion, to call the testimony of Jesus his commandments; and our resting from this most laborious work in these messages, the resurrection. If our experience, for more than three years past, has not taught us that God is fulfilling his word, by having every thing in its place; one thing following another, then we have failed to profit by it. Let me entreat you, my brethren, to critically examine the next three verses: viz. “Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” - 12th verse. What is the faith of Jesus? Answer, - Chapter 12th, 17th verse says it is his “testimony;” chapter 19th, 10th verse, says his “testimony is the spirit of prophecy.” “Teach all nations to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” - Matthew 28:20 Now observe, the faith, or testimony of Jesus, embraces all his teachings. Now mark, this is what our opponents call the New Testament commandments, or grace, which they say embraces all the commandments that we are bound to believe or keep! SC3 221.3

The text says that these people that are in their patience, their trying time, keep the commandments of God, besides the testimony of Jesus. Here then, we are absolutely directed, not only to the old testament, but to the decalogue - Exodus 20:1-17, and even before there was any decalogue in the form of a precept; see Exodus 16:27-30 This one text, in itself, positively overthrows all of their unscriptural teaching about their New Testament commandments, and clearly demonstrates the perpetuity of God’s holy Sabbath, because the commandments of God are one thing, and the testimony of Jesus is another. These are the people, then, and the only ones too, who abide by the whole word of God, in the Old and New Testament teaching, and they that deny the teachings of this text, deny the word of God, and trample down His Holy Sabbath. SC3 222.1

In the three preceding verses, God’s people are called away, and required, under penalty of their salvation, to continue disconnected from Babylon, the churches to which the great mass before this belonged. Now the very next thing after these messages, John declares that they are keeping the commandments of God; that is, they are keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. Where is the proof? says the objector. Here it is - when this same people were making their sacrifice, in 1843 and ‘44, expecting the Lord to come, they were walking out in all the commandments of God, as far as they were taught or knew them at that time; and we all fully believed then, and do now, that all the honest ones were in a saved state; and if called away then, as was brother Fitch and others, the same hope would follow them; but we know that they could not be honest, nor be saved, if they were knowingly living in violation of any of God’s commandments; and yet we all positively know now, that with a very few exceptions, we were all living in open violation of the 4th commandment, which we were taught to do, (though not always designedly,) in the churches to which they belonged, and where they are still continued to be taught; and our staying with them, we now see, would not have altered, for they fell for rejecting the message that came before this, and therefore the subject of this 12th verse was not presented to them. Our keeping the first day of the week for the fourth commandment, never was, nor ever will be, fulfilling it, any more than keeping Friday for the Sabbath. John, who kept the right Sabbath, and was now describing our real labors and characters, could not have said that we kept the commandments, unless we were keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, according to God’s direction and his practice. This, then, being the only commandment that ever had been objected to, from the days of the Apostles, by those who pretended to keep them, makes it clear that John could not have had any reference to either of the others, but the Sabbath only. Here then, for the first time, they were right in the keeping of God’s commandments; and the history of God’s confiding children since the messages of 1844, are fully demonstrating this point, which clearly proves this exposition to be unobjectionable and perfect. Another point is, that they could not keep the seventh-day Sabbath, until they were separated and undefiled by the woman, (see 4th verse,) hence the declaration that they were doing so after the message of the third angel had separated them from Babylon. John saw the dragon making war with this remnant, (12:17,) and the unclean spirits coming out of the mouth of the dragon (or devil,) have been, and are now, doing this work. The very object in sending forth this work, has been to expose these deceivers, who for the last five months more especially, have been bearing down upon this remnant in a paper was, with all the power they could wield. We do not, by any means, expect this is all of it, because we know that the devil will never yield, nor discharge the volunteer company which he is so judiciously marshalling out of the second advent ranks, until every device to destroy the remnant is resorted to, and they are seen emerging from the smoke and carnage of this unholy warfare, ascending to the gates of the holy city, under the waving banner of the commandments of God. - Revelation 20:11-14 SC3 222.2

The judgment hour cry, in 6th and 7th verses, was the only one that was designed to go to all the nations of the earth; and that of itself was sufficient to condemn a world of sinners and false professors that rejected it. Other tests were required, especially in this land, more than England and other lands, because the light of the church was, and still is, in these middle and northern states. Here also, is where this doctrine emanated from; hence the other messages to test and bring out the true. Then those who reject the messages are the false ones; but the unlettered slave and those who have been, as it were, enshrouded in moral darkness, and have been honestly following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, as far as they knew, have not rejected this light as have the advent believers in this land; therefore they are not under the same condemnation. SC3 224.1

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write: Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them,” 15th verse. SC3 224.2

I understand this verse as still referring to the same messengers and their adherents, who had been laboring almost incessantly to convince their friends of the reality of the messages, in an especial manner, during a cry at midnight, where they closed with the world. If it was not true of them then as a body, then there is no history since John had this vision, to show any thing like it; and it looks like making Scripture, to attempt its application in the future, disconnected with the labor in the preceding verses. The inference is natural, and it is just like God’s order every where, that these his honest believers, should rest from their labors with the world, to get their own minds clearly and calmly fixed on the great event before them. Isaiah saw it; see 26:20, 21, and 25:9 How can God’s children be shut away in their chambers from the world, and then say at his coming we have waited for him, if they were not resting from their labors with the world, doing what he says, in his 40th chapter 1st verse. It is also in perfect harmony with the type. SC3 224.3

Do stop here a little while, and turn to Leviticus 23:27-32, and show, if you can, where the harmony, anti-type, or clear fulfillment of these verses are, if they are not found in Revelations 14; 12th and 13th verses. SC3 225.1

First - then, the type in Leviticus: Here the primitive establishment church annually, on the tenth day of the seventh month, had a twenty-four hour day of atonement, to cleanse them from their sins. During these twenty-four hours they were positively required by the statute or law to enter into a Sabbath of rest and a day of affliction, or trial, and rest from all their labor “from even to even,” under penalty of being forever cut off from his people. - 29th and 30th verses. There is one more peculiar trait in this type which demands our particular attention; that is, in every other Sabbath or holy convocation they were positively required to abstain from all servile work - but in the tenth day it is not specified; see also Numbers 29:7 This shows the perfect order of God that when the church in the last days should enter upon the anti-type, as in Revelation 14:12, 13, that they would not be required to cease from servile work, (if necessary), because the atonement for them would require more than twenty-four hours, seeing that there were 144,000 from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; whereas those represented by the type could all be assembled in a few hours. This is also in harmony with the fourth commandment for laboring the other six days for food and raiment, as long as we keep the Sabbath even to the gates of the city. - 22:14 SC3 225.2

Second - the anti-type - Revelation 14:12, 13 After passing through the messages above described they are now out of the Sardis, (or nominal,) into the Philadelphia state of the church, and commenced their day of atonement since Oct.1844, they also enter into the same kind of rest by keeping for the first time the right Sabbath of the Lord our God in their patient waiting, or trying time; resting from their labors, in these messages, from the world: having now done with them; waiting for their great high priest to finish the cleansing of the sanctuary, which blots out their sins, and purifies them to enter into the holy city. The reason of the anti-type in the atonement, being longer than the type (twenty-four hours) is obvious, because God will give his people sufficient time to accept or refuse the light presented to them after their labors with the world, to perfectly fulfill the type, by voluntarily entering into this Sabbath and resting from their labors. SC3 225.3

Will this be objected to because it reads “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth;” and must mean such as die a natural death. Well, Paul says “prove all things,” etc. Suppose then we say this verse was to have its fulfillment from A.D. 96, when John wrote it, henceforth from that time. Then the strong and clear inference would be, that Stephen and James, and all the rest of the disciples who had died before, would not be blessed - because the blessing here given, is from the time when given, henceforward. If we move the beginning of this time to Luther’s day, as some will have it, then we cut off John and all the saints up to that time; and if we move it to Oct.1844, then we cut off every saint that has died in the Lord before. SC3 226.1

But to get clear of all this, we are told that this 13th verse evidently represents the saints at the resurrection. (See Bible Advocate, Sept. 23, 1847.) He refers, (as I have,) to the advent message in 6th and 7th verses, but avoids the second and third angels’ messages, (8-11 verses) or leaves them and the 12th verse also, to be fulfilled in connection with the 13th verse, at the resurrection. Then to make his view clear to our understanding, we must read it something like this: Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from the time the advent message began, (say 1840,) until Babylon falls, and the statement is being made about what is recorded in the 12th verse “where is the patience of the saints,” etc. Well, say then, that one hundred saints, or more, have actually departed this life, since that time commenced, and they will be blessed at the resurrection. The question then arises - If this must actually be fulfilled for these few, where is the blessing for John, who had this vision, and all the saints who have actually died since 1840? Is God partial? Shall we find this distinction in the 7th chapter, 9, 10, 15 and 17th verses, where the great multitude of all the departed saints are represented before the throne of God with white robes, and palms in their hands? No. Shall we find it in the 20th chapter? where he says, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection;” where not only the departed saints, but the 144,000 living ones, are brought to view? No - nothing of the kind. This Revelation was concerning “things present (A.D. 96,) and things to come.” We see, then, if this 13th verse, as we are told, does represent the departed saints any where, or time, since A.D. 96, and will be fulfilled at the resurrection, it is yet incomprehensible. Is it not clear that it only has reference to all the righteous saints in these messages from Oct. 1844? How can it mean the literal dead? Is it not clear that the dead know not any thing; therefore the blessing would not effect them as this text teaches any more than to bless any other inanimate substance. The Blessing belongs always to the living. Just look at Jesus’ sermon on the mount. - Matthew 5:3-11 - “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” etc.etc. This is now being fulfilled to the letter; see also Revelation 1:3; 16:15; 19:9; 22:7; 5:12, 13; Luke 24:50, 51, “Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.” - Jesus. “Blessed are they that do his commandments,” they shall be saved, - 22:14 Also, Isaiah 56:2, that keep the Sabbath; these two last are to the point, just what they are doing in our text, 12th and 13th verses of Revelation 14 John is here certainly speaking of a class, or company, of living believers, and not the literal dead. Rest is opposite to labor. He shows that the seraphim and cherubim, (invisible angels,) rest not day, nor night, but are continually “saying Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.” - also 5:11, 12 The sleeping saints at the resurrection have no rest, they serve God day and night in his temple - 7:15 Then the rest spoken of here in the 13th verse is of the living; resting from their labors with the world. Once more, “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord.” Paul said the commandment so affected him that he died - Romans 7:9 He means that he died to sin. Again, he says, “I die daily,” - 1st 1 Corinthians 15:31; “In deaths oft - 2nd 2 Corinthians 11:23; “If ye be dead with Christ,” etc. - Colossians 2:20; 3:3, 4; also, see Romans 6:8, 11, “Dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” In all these, and much more, he uses these terms for himself and others that were actually alive in the church. But the general term used for such as were literally dead, by Jesus and the apostles, are asleep; they sleep; “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.” He spake of his death; the people did not understand; he explained by saying “plainly he is dead.” - John 11:11-14 Paul says, “they also which are fallen asleep in Christ” - 1st 1 Corinthians 15:18; “Some are fallen asleep.” - 6th verse; “We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed.” - 51st verse: see also 1 Thessalonians 4:15, “Them also which sleep in Jesus” etc.; “Since the Fathers fell asleep” - 2nd 2 Peter 3:4 SC3 226.2

History - We prove these, then, to be a part of the same class of the messengers and their adherents that came out of the churches. Thousands of living testimonies could be adduced to prove the multitudes who died in the camp meetings and conferences, about the time that the messengers were closing up their messages. Why, many were burdened with the cry, die to sin, and the world; and live unto God. And thousands passed through this death struggle. Yes, they were blessed by dying in the Lord. Those who deny and make light of this part of our experience, were but little acquainted with the work of God in the fall of 1844, and need to be instructed again. But those that died to sin, and the world then; cannot be in a saved state now, if returned to the world. To be safe, follow Paul’s example, “die daily.” SC3 228.1

Then, without destroying one single link of this harmonious chain of events, these saints will be in the right place to fulfill the next message in the 15th verse, “crying with a loud voice,” (different from the preceding ones,) this I understand will be a combination of labor among the resting ones, to be united in the incessant prayer, or crying to God day and night in the time of Jacob and Daniel’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1,) for deliverance, and for Christ to come on the white cloud, as represented in 14th verse, with his sharp sickle and reap the harvest for all things will appear to be ripe on the earth; see Sam.7:8; Jeremiah 22:4, 5; Mark 15:34, 37; Luke 18:1, 7 Here, I believe, is where the 144,000 living saints of all nations, are sealed; especially will it be manifest among the tried ones then, that have passed through these messages. Then the four angel governments will cease to restrain war and bloodshed; God will speak as in Joel 2:16, 17: the Sanctuary will be cleansed; the sins of God’s people blotted out - in other words, the atonement finished and their trials ended; their captivity turned. Two such ones will then put ten thousand to flight. Jesus comes out of the most holy place, changes his garments, puts on his kingly robes and stands up to reign over the nations as in Daniel 12:1; mounts his cloudy chariot with his sharp sickle to reap the harvest of the earth. Here the 144,000 are in a state of deliverance, ready for the next and last message in the 17th and 18th verses. This message looks like one united and incessant prevailing prayer, (differing from all the others, because of the everlasting union that these messages have at length accomplished with these sealed saints,) ascending to God, while these messengers who have now, as it seems, become reapers similar to those in 19:14, 15, “and are to gather the vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God,” (19 v.) “to execute upon them (the wicked) the judgment written; this honor have all the saints. Praise ye the Lord.” Now return to the 7th chapter, 9-15 verses - “after this,” (when? after the saints were numbered and sealed,) “I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. And “they cried saying amen, blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be unto our God forever and ever, Amen.” The 144,000 will then stand on the Mount Zion. SC3 228.2

“Fear not little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” SC3 229.1