The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

V. Editor Tudor-“This Is Our Day of Atonement”

JOHN TUDOR (d. 1862) is listed in the British Museum catalogue as one-time editor of the Church of England Quarterly Review. He was one of the initial members of the Society for the Investigation of Prophecy, and later editor of The Morning Watch (1829-33). Tudor was also one of the forty-tour men who attended annually the Albury Park Prophetic Conferences (1826-30) to discuss the fulfillment of prophecy. In 1833 he became an elder, and in 1835 an apostle in the Catholic Apostolic Church. ³⁷ PFF3 506.4

His is the first of the papers read before the Society for the Investigation of Prophecy in 1828. He was author of Brief Interpretation of Revelation (1833). and Prophetic Character of Revelation (1858). In discussing “The Structure of the Apocalypse,” he takes as axiomatic the four empires of prophecy and the year-day principle for the 12GO years, and the pouring out of the seven vials, or plagues, as connected with the sealing and the harvest. ³⁸ PFF3 506.5

1. Two TESTAMENTS SLAIN IN FRENCH REVOLUTION

The 1260 years of the treading down of the Holy City, when the church is in the wilderness, and the Witnesses, or Old and New Testaments, are in sackcloth, is when they are “degraded from their proper dignity, kept from the people, and prohibited from being had in any other version than the Vulgate, a dead language.” ³⁹ The slaying of the Witnesses Tudor ties to the “time of the French Revolution,” “their office as witness being cut short by the infidel beast,” before the preaching of the “ever lasting gospel” of Revelation 14. ⁴⁰ PFF3 507.1

2. THIS PERIOD OUR DAY OF ATONEMENT

When the last vial is poured out, Tudor adds, the voice from heaven cries, “It is done,” and the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of our Lord. Now comes this remarkable statement likening the time they had reached to the Day of Atonement: PFF3 507.2

“The temple of God is then opened, and the ark of his testament seen, xi.19; and the voice issues from The throne, xvi.17; both expressions equally denoting the holy of holies, which was only entered once a year, on the day of atonement. This period is therefore our day of atonement, and requires our particular notice, to know what events we may expect, answering to the type. PFF3 507.3

“The day of atonement, called in the Mishna, THE DAY (Joma), was the strictest of the Mosaic fasts, and observed annually on the 10th of Tisri. All the morning was employed by the High Priest in sacrifices; first to atone for his own sins, then for the sins of the people: among which the (wo goats, one of which became the scape goat, was a form of sacrifice peculiar to this day. But the most important ordinance of the day was the High Priest’s entrance, then and on no other occasion, within the vail of the holy of holies. After the sacrifices, he put on his white linen garments, and, taking a censer full of coals from the brazen altar, strewed incense thereon, and entered with a cloud of smoke. This was the turning point of the day. During his disappearance, the people gave every demonstration of sorrow; but as soon as he had offered the incense, he changed the linen for the gorgeous priestly garments, and, coming forth to the people, turned their sorrow into joy; and from that time in the year of release did the jubilee begin.” ⁴¹ PFF3 507.4

3. CLIMAXES WITH REAPPEARANCE OK ABSENT LORD

Applying the type, Tudor says the Christian “doth yet feel it a time of humiliation and mourning for his absent Lord. But unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. ⁴² And he feels that the turning point is when the temple, or tabernacle, is opened and the ark is seen. After describing the tabernacle and its furniture and the daily and yearly service ⁴³ Tudor deals with the command to measure the temple and court where the worshipers assembled, which was “cast out,” or made common and unholy, its enclosure removed by the professing but apostate church for forty-two months ⁴⁴ During this time the true temple remains invisible, and the apostate woman attires herself with purple and scarlet, and takes up her golden cup. Then, says Tudor: PFF3 508.1

“At the conclusion of the forty two months, when the judgment on this apostasy begins, a true visible church is brought forth, consisting of the 144,000 sealed ones, vii.4, who stand on mount Zion, and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.” ⁴⁵ PFF3 508.2

4. HARVEST AND VINTAGE FOLLOWED BY JUBILEE

Tudor next discusses the harvesting of the wheat and the burning of the tares-the latter synchronizing with the destruction of Babylon ⁴⁶ Then he considers the vintage, which concluded the operations of the Jewish sacred year, and is “the closing event of our present dispensation.” The vintage, continues Tudor, “was immediately succeeded by the feast of tabernacles, 15 Tisri”-Tisri “answering nearly to October.” ⁴⁷ Tudor then expounds the types and antitype, and how at the close of the Day of Atonement they began returning to their “alienated possessions and suspended liberty; and could keep the feast of tabernacles on the 15th.” ⁴⁸ This was the climax of the series. PFF3 508.3

5. THE SEALING AND THE MARK INDICATED

The types are pressed still further: PFF3 508.4

“When the ark came up out of the wilderness, the first act, after crossing Jordan, was the renewal of the covenant at Gilgal, Jos. v.; so when the wilderness state of the church in the Apocalypse has expired, the first act is the sealing a true church, vii.l, xiv.l, xv.2. But the sealing includes protection also, and therefore alludes to the marking the foreheads of those men who sigh and cry for the abominations of the land, Ezekiel 9:4.” ⁴⁹ PFF3 509.1

6. HERALDING THE COMING BRIDEGROOM

The ancient judgments on Babylon-the captivity, the drying up of its river for Cyrus, and the capture, setting the captives free-Tudor presents as symbolizing the fall of Babylon, the cry to come out of her, her plagues coming in a day, her destruction by fire, her merchants lamenting, as set forth in Revelation 18 and 19. ⁵⁰ Then comes Tudor’s next remarkable statement: PFF3 509.2

“If these things be so, and I think it certain that they are so; our situation in the prophetic series of events is brought within narrow limits, and our duties are clear and obvious. We live under the sixth vial, the preparation for the great day of God Almighty, xiv.14. ‘The second woe is past, and behold the third woe cometh quickly,’ xi.14. The seventh vial impends over our heads, at whose effusion the cry shall be heard, ‘It is done.’ xvi.17. The seventh angel is preparing; and ‘when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished.’ x.7. The Gospel of the kingdom has well nigh gone round the earth, and ‘then shall the end be,’ Matthew 24:14. ‘The fig tree beginneth to put forth its leaves, shewing that summer is at hand,’ Matthew 24:32. The cry is raised among the virgins, ‘Behold the bridegroom cometh,’ Matthew 25:6. The lord is returning from a far country, to reckon with his servants, 19.” ⁵¹ PFF3 509.3

7. SOUNDS CALL OUT OF BABYLON

Tudor’s conclusion is an appeal for his readers not to be like the auditors of Noah, heedless of the message; or like Sodom, indifferent to the gathering tempest of fire. The plagues of Babylon will come in one hour, and fiery judgment-“therefore come out of her my people.” Watch, he admonishes, lest the Master of the house coming suddenly, find you sleeping. ⁵² PFF3 509.4