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

MYSTERY OF GOD - WHAT IS IT?

Let the Apostle Paul answer: Ephesians 1:9, “Mystery of his (God’s) will,” 2:2, “Mystery of God and of Christ,” 3:4, “Mystery of Christ,” 9th v. “Mystery hid in God,” 4:19, “Mystery of the Gospel;” Romans 16:25, 26, “Mystery of the preaching of Jesus Christ;” Colossians 4:3, “Mystery of Christ;” 1 Timothy 3:16, “Mystery of godliness was preached unto the Gentiles;” Colossians 1:27, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory, which we preach.” BP2 83.3

This then is the good news and glad tidings; the Gospel of Christ published to the Gentiles, or as Jesus said, “And these good tidings of the reign shall be published through all the world for the information of all nations, and then shall come the end.” Matthew 24:14. What end? See 3rd v. “The conclusion of this state,” (Campbell’s trans). “And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be over.” Luke 21:24. “Blindness in part hath happened unto Israel till the fullness of the Gentiles come in,” Rom. id. In farther proof see Doddridge and Campbell’s notes on Matthew 12:22, 24:3, and 28:20 — “In this world.” “World to come,” “End of the world.” “The word STATE suits better than “age” or “world,” though it is not certain that the Jews and christian dispensation is here meant.” Says the standard, “Take the word of God wherever the context will bear it in its literal and grammatical sense.” And then no sophistry of man can drive you from your position. I have looked for other translations of the text, viz. Revelation 10:7. Here is the last one, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he shall begin to sound the secret of God as he hath revealed his glad tidings to his servants the prophets, should be fulfilled.” BP2 83.4

Now to be honest in the sight of God, taking the above rule and the foregoing scriptures for my guide, whether my heart be pained with such a view of the awful state of the world or not, or rejoice that God’s word is thus far fulfilled, the inevitable conclusion is that the seventh angel has been sounding for the last 30 months. And the best and clearest understanding of the text is that when “he B E G A N to sound the Mystery of God should be finished as he had declared to his servants the prophets.” Please read the above cited scriptures once more. I am aware of the main conclusion that thousands have resorted to; yes, and even many of those that have stated their belief, and even now insist upon it that the seventh angel has sounded, and the Bridegroom has come, and the door is shut, that the mystery brought to view in 1 Corinthians 15:51, is the final end of this secret which God had declared to his servants the prophets. In other words that it includes the mystery of God which will be finished there, and not as the angel has stated, when he begins to sound. Paul does not call this the mystery of God. This reasoning might possibly answer for the first class, if there was not to be another resurrection at the expiration of a thousand years, which will probably be as great a mystery as the first. I cannot see why the secret of God should apply to one resurrection more than another. If it does not, then all those who adhere to the mystery’s being finished at the resurrection, (to be consistent) cannot look for its finishing until 1000 years in the future. And the sounding of the seventh angel would avail us no more than just the bare notice of it. Then if we have the original meaning of the text; “the mystery of God is finished.” Here then is the last link in the chain of our first way mark. The judgment hour cry ceases to be published throughout the world, because the conclusion of this state has come. The last link in the chain of all the previous way marks, connected with the first except the sixth, also ended here. Here also the Vision began to tarry after it spoke and told the truth at the appointed time, and will tarry to the coming of the Lord. Hebrews 10:37. This we believe was the ending of the times of the Gentiles 2520 years. Here then of course ended the 2300 days of the vision, because there is to be a tarrying after. Don’t forget this, neither. “For at the time appointed the end shall be.” Here too ended our last work in warning the world; and our labor ceased. Why? Because the messages ceased, and left us entirely destitute of labor. And there was silence in heaven for the space of half an hour, a whole week or seven and a half days. Here we say our glorious High Priest began the cleansing of the sanctuary, and “received his kingdom, dominion, and glory,” the “New Jerusalem.” “And there were great voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.” BP2 84.1

Voices denote many people engaged in the same cry to be eased of their burdens or rejoicing. Here was the closing up of our burdens, and how we sang too as follows: “Rejoice, my friends, the Lord is KING.” Have I said any thing more than what we did and really believed? Was it not reiterated through the land that our work would cease here? Yes and it did cease. And there was not a man in all the advent ranks that knew what the next message was. And they literally waited for another message. What was the matter? Why, we had fulfilled the prophecy thus far - the nominal church or Sardis state had been tested, and rejected all the messages that had been given. And all those that had received the messages in part or full, were to be plunged into a fiery furnace to be tested also. “For God will have a tried people.” Here is the fulfilment of the second or next type, ten days after the seventh trumpet began to sound. Look now at Leviticus 23:27-32. Now I ask, if affliction and trials of the most peculiar kind, have not been the portion of God’s scattered Israel ever since that very day even the 10th of the 7th month, Oct.22, 1844. I care not what you call it. - fanaticism, disappointment, or the work of darkness! The same peculiar afflictions abide them still, and must, to fulfil that type. Peter tells us not to think strange of it, neither. 1 Peter 4:12. When this is admitted, (and where is there an honest advent believer that dare deny it?) you must also admit that the preceding type, the seventh trumpet, began to sound ten days before. Then the next type to be fulfilled here is the feast of Tabernacles, at the ingathering of the harvest. Here, then, is the final harvest, or ingathering of the Israel of God. As I before stated, here was where the division in the parable was progressing. The next message was, “here are the patients of the saints, here are they that keep the command of God and the faith of Jesus. “And a voice from heaven saying unto me write, blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the spirit, they do rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.” Whoever will take the trouble to examine the scripture references of “dying in the Lord,” will learn that we here followed Paul’s example of dying in the Lord. Our duty was and is still in part to be found in the rest of this chapter. Now one question: Where did we receive any orders while in this patient waiting to re-arouse these messengers and send them out to repeat these same messages in the vision again? Was not the work done once? Will not that suffice? Does God fulfil prophecy twice? No. Then how passing strange that the great majority of these messengers should without any authority undertake to do this work over again, and be continually finding fault with all who take the stand that that work was forever done, and what we now had to do was of an entire different character, and if done properly would result in salvation. Hence every move they make is only assimilating them nearer the old Sardis church, or rather developing the true features of the Laodicean. Isa. instructed us here what to do. Hear him: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people” (not the world, nor the condemned nominal church). God says, “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry (give the message,) that her appointed time is accomplished.” See 40:1, 52:8-10. If it was not here, pray tell me if you can, when and where it will be? For here is a message to be given God’s people in this world, and it is a definite and separate one, and does not include the world, but these of the “New Jerusalem,” “the mother of us all.” There is no such promise for old Jerusalem. If we are referred to the future for the giving of this message, then an entire new set of messengers must be raised for the purpose, for I do not know of three of the former among the ministers, but what are professedly doing the work in part or the whole over again, and while time continues will be if they follow their leader. Word from their head quarters now is, to be getting ready for great meetings in new places, to convert sinners. We say this message comes in after we had condemned the world. We are not left without witnesses all around us that it was an admitted fact that we had given the world the last warning, and discharged our duty. Out of scores that could be adduced, let the two following testimonies, from two of the principal messengers suffice: “We have done our work in warning sinners and trying to awake a formal church. God in his providence has shut the door. We can only stir one another up to be patient. Never since the days of the Apostles has there been such a division line drawn, as was drawn about the 10th, or 23rd day of the 7th Jewish month. Since that time they say “they have no confidence in us.” We have now need of patience after we have done the will of God, that we may receive the promise; for he says, “Behold I come quickly, to reward every one as his work shall be.” William Miller - Voice of Truth, Dec. 11th, 1844. BP2 85.1

Second. - Boston, Oct. 30. 1844. My dear Bro. Bates - This will be handed to you by Bro. Davis. He will tell you of our affairs, and of our faith in this time, this “trying time.” BP2 87.1

I repose in God. I never felt more happy and reconciled to his will; the late work has saved me - it has been a blessing to us all. Now let us hold on. Let us remember that though we have not realized our hope, yet we have condemned the world by our faith and stand justified before God. Abraham did not offer Isaac, God provided a lamb; so he has provided something else for us. And now to suffer and live for his name a little while longer. Yours, J. V. HIMES. BP2 87.2

This I think is a pretty fair representation of the state of things at this time, with this exception, divisions were going on. BP2 87.3

If any apology be necessary, I will say that it is not my practice to publish private correspondence. I have done this out of no wrong feelings to a once long and tried friend. I think it belongs to the cause. BP2 87.4

Here, then, we say the world received our last warning. And although the 30 months have rolled away since that crisis, I have yet to learn of one individual that has been brought into that state where that Gospel required the church of God to stand and pass through the fiery furnace of affliction. If the three cries of the 14th Rev. lst, 3rd and 4th way marks are in the past, as I think I have clearly proved, it is utterly vain to look to the nominal church for any such individual. And if the great majority of advent believers, and especially the preachers, as I have shown particularly in the sixth “way mark,“ have drawn back from this peculiar work, and I think it is as plain as that two and two make four, that they have; then it will be utterly futile to believe that any of the converts they claim to have been converted to their faith since that time can be saved, unless they send them to a higher standard than they aim at themselves. “If any man shall draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in them.” The vital commandment in the decalogue is set at naught and trampled upon by them. Inspiration says. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” “How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws,” the seventh day Sabbath. Exodus 16:28, 38. They boast much about keeping the commandments that lead into the gates of the city. But inspiration says again, “If we fail in one point we are guilty of all.” And yet they rush on, claiming, as I was told yesterday by an individual, that he knew all he wished to on this subject. BP2 88.1

It appears plain to me that if those that were truly in the work when the cry ended, had continued to exhort and pray, and labor with those which were willing to unite, that ten would have been saved that are now lost, for every one which is said to be gained by going out to preach as had been done before, “Remember Lot’s Wife.” BP2 88.2