Heavenly Visions

REMARKABLE CONCURRENCE

Here is something unexplainable on the basis of human reasoning. On the Isle of Patmos the prophet John was shown in vision the rise of a movement preaching, “The hour of His judgment is come.” The prophet John was shown the kind of people who were preaching that message-a people keeping the commandments of God. And he was shown that the Spirit of prophecy would be in their midst. The centuries passed. Nowhere on earth was such a work as that seen developing until the year 1844 came. Then what? - HEVI 113.10

In 1844 this definite advent movement began to rise into sight. HEVI 113.11

In 1844 the people of the advent movement came, keeping the commandments of God. HEVI 113.12

In 1844 came the light on the sanctuary in heaven and the judgment hour, a doctrine that had been little known in the Christian church since the apostasy of the early centuries. Light on it necessarily had to come in 1844, if the movement then to rise was to preach, “The hour of His judgment is come.” HEVI 113.13

In 1844 the human agent was called by whom the gift of the Spirit of prophecy was to be exercised in the building up and guiding of this movement. HEVI 113.14

A concurrence of fulfillments like that could never come by any human foresight and devising. As the time of the movement came, the living God was bringing forth the factors essential to it. HEVI 113.15

Here was a movement which was to be led of God-a church of commandment-keeping people on the march, carrying to every nation and tongue the message of the judgment hour. In ancient days God set His hand to lead the exodus movement from Egypt to Canaan. He gave them His holy law, to make them a commandment-keeping people. He put the gift of the Spirit of prophecy in their midst, as one agency for guiding the movement. HEVI 113.16

“By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.” Hosea 12:13. HEVI 113.17

That was the first time He had set His hand to lead such an organized movement of people who were representing His commandments before the world. Now, in 1844, He was launching another organized movement. He had “set His hand again the second time,” this time to gather “the remnant of His people” from all “the four corners of the earth.” Isaiah 11:11, 12. Isaiah’s prophecy foretold a world-wide work. HEVI 113.18

And this “remnant,” as the prophet John was shown on Patmos, was not only to “keep the commandments of God,” as ancient Israel did in the exodus movement, but was to “have the testimony of Jesus.” Of this gift the angel said, “The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 12:17; 19:10. HEVI 113.19