The Church: Its Organization, Order and Discipline

The Lord’s Purpose in Separation

The Lord’s purpose in this separation of his people from their oppressors very soon became apparent. Light on the great theme of “life and death,” or no immortality out of Christ, was published in that stirring pamphlet of Geo. Storrs, containing his six sermons on future punishment, the nature of man, the state of the dead, etc. This shed still clearer light on the coming of Christ as the only hope of future life to God’s people. This truth gave joy indeed to the hearts of believers waiting and expecting the immediate return of their King. COOD 88.2

After the close of the prophetic period,-Oct. 22, 1844-and until the Adventists should get an understanding of the real event to transpire at the “end of days,” they were like sheep without a shepherd. It could be said of them as in olden time, “There was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” COOD 88.3