[Bates’ Pamphlet #2] Second Advent Way Marks and High Heaps

SEVENTH WAY MARK. - SEVENTH ANGEL SOUNDING UNDER THE THIRD WO

“But in the days of the voice of the Seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound the mystery (or secret) of God should be finished as he hath declared to his servants, the prophets.” BP2 77.1

1st. Here it is plain and positive that the secret of God should be finished when the seventh angel begins to sound. BP2 77.2

2nd. That the Seventh Angel is to sound days, (which mean years,) no one I think will dispute, who will first examine the word day and days brought to view twenty times in this book of Rev. It is plain from the 591 years in the 9th chap and 1260 and 31/2 in the 11th, called days, on each side of this text, and 1260 in 12th chap., all proved to be years, that this has the same meaning; every other day in this book has its meaning attached to it. Then this text would read thus: “In the years of the voice of the seventh angel,” etc. BP2 77.3

3rd. Then this proves that this angel will sound years. O yes, says the reader, he will sound 1000 years, because he won’t begin to sound until the 1000 years commence. You know the messengers have taught that Jesus would sound the seventh trumpet and that would be the last. Am I to understand that Jesus will be 1000 years sounding the seventh trumpet? O no, he has got something else to do. This view then falls to the ground, unless you can prove that Jesus gives the trumpet or message to some one else after he has raised the righteous dead. You say this won’t do. Well then take the Bible view, and no longer undertake to pervert “the scriptures.” What is the Bible view? It is this. The seventh angel or messenger sounds and delivers his message in this mortal state. Immortalized beings will perfectly understand their duty without the book. BP2 78.1

Now turn to Revelation 8:2, 6. These seven angels with their messages prepared themselves to sound. As we read on down to the 13th v. we see four of them have sounded. But the 13th v. shows plainly that the other three are connected with (separately and distinctly) the three woes that are to come on the earth; the third is the last wo, or the message of the seventh angel. Now I ask in all candor where is the least particle of proof that our blessed Lord is one of these angels or messengers. Do you see any thing here to distinguish him from the other six? Let us for a moment compare your view with the apostle Paul’s. “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” And then the living will be changed and caught up. “We shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound.” Thes. 9. 1 Corinthians 15. Will you confound the apostle’s view here given so distinctly? BP2 78.2

(1st.) Are any of the seven angels, particularly the last, said to be descending from heaven? (2nd.) Is the last one called an archangel? (3rd.) Is it said that the seventh has the trump of God? (4th.) Is it said that the seventh is the Lord himself? (5th.) Is it said that the seventh raises the dead and changes the living saints? No, say you, but I think it has reference to it, for the seventh must be the last. Allow me to say that your thought and John’s vision don’t agree, for he says distinctly, “And the seventh angel sounded, [did the Lord descent now from heaven?] and there were great voices in heaven, saying the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.” 11:15. Let us read the acts recorded under the sounding of the seventh messenger. (1st.) The seventh messenger sounded. (2nd.) The four and twenty elders (the whole Priesthood) fell upon their faces. I understand this thus: all that had been giving the messages subscribed to it and believed it then when a Cry at Midnight ended in 1844. Please read the next verse, 17th; this conclusively proves the Lord is yet to come, after he received his kingdom: don’t forget this point here. (3rd.) The nations were angry. (4th.) Thy wrath is come. (5th.) And the time of the dead that they should be judged. (6th.) That thou shouldst give reward to thy servants. (7th.) And shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth. BP2 78.3

Now don’t you see plainly that the seventh angel or messenger has been sounding for years, and still the Lord himself has not yet come. And don’t you see as many of you are teaching that the Lord will come to-day, (April 18) how inconsistent you are and have been since Oct.22, 1844, or a little after, in not admitting the seventh messenger to fulfil the five first items above mentioned? BP2 79.1

Can it be believed that God will change the order of things, or have every thing here in disorder to suit our views? No, no! We read, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” “Every thing upon his day.” God is exact; and we shall yet find it so. I say it is clear that the seventh messenger began to sound on the 1st day of the 7th month, 1844. If he has not sounded, you will look in vain for the Lord. I have no idea that he can ever come until this message is given. The scripture also teaches me that if you do not admit this, you are looking in vain for the Lord to-day. How can he come according to the order of the signs in Matthew 24. until God shall speak and shake the earth and also heaven? And after that, see the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; then the order is clear for him to come next. I think the proof is clear that the seventh angel sounds years before Christ comes, as I have shown in the sixth place, to reward his servants, (see Matthew 16:27,) and that he is now sounding the third year from the 12th day of Oct.1844. BP2 79.2