The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

I. Sabine-Long a Student of Bible Prophecy

With many other thoughtful men, JAMES SABINE ¹ had long been studying the prophecies and watching the times. Back in 1823, at Boston, before Miller’s first public address, in a sermon from the text, “Can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Sabine had declared: PFF4 663.2

“A great and general revolution is about to break upon the moral world. This present century is already fraught with events so clearly in fulfillment of verily believed prophecy, that one may take these cases as the sure precursor of the ‘Latter-day Glory.’ ² PFF4 664.1

“All the great monarchies [of prophecy] were founded before the Advent of Christ,” he said—Babylonia, Persia, Grecia, and Rome. These had tried every basic form of civil polity. And now mankind has lived for centuries in the divided-kingdom stage, and we are nearing the great climax of human affairs. He assured his hearers, “We can discern the Signs of this Time—the sign of the Coming of the Son of Man. We cannot but see it. The subject has attracted much attention of late.” In the past, as time advanced, people were increasingly impressed with the times reached in fulfillment of prophecy, as recognized in the days of Babylonia of old, then of Persia, and at the first advent. PFF4 664.2

God has again stirred up His people to expect a speedy fulfillment of the latter days, he declared. “During the last twenty years,” he continued, “this expected glory has been the theme of prayer and doctrine.” The various missionary societies inaugurated by the Wesleyans, Baptists, and others, and the Bible societies as well, all attest it. In millennial and missionary enterprises, sectarian spirit is laid aside and men pray for the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. The latter-day glory is breaking upon us. “The morning beam,” he cried, “has streaked with white the dark mountain top.” ³ Sabine was unconsciously getting ready for the acceptance of the Millerite positions, based on last-day prophecy. PFF4 664.3

Sabine was of such caliber as to write, back in 1820, an acceptable Ecclesiastical History of 650 pages, covering the Christian Era. A glance over its various chapters shows Sabine’s impressive familiarity with the details of church history and his broad grasp of the vital principles underlying the perpetual conflict between the great apostasy and the protesting groups that has characterized each century in the march of time. That the Papacy as Antichrist, definitely emerging in the sixth century, is succinctly presented, in perpetual conflict with dissentient voices like Claude of Turin, the Waldenses, Wyclifites, and Hussites, the Lutherans and contemporary Reformation groups-and on to the nineteenth century. All this gave Sabine an invaluable background for his interpretation of prophecy in the light of historical fulfillment. ⁴ PFF4 664.4

Then, for a number of years prior to 1842, the second advent hope was the object of his belief and presentation. His attention was first called to this great theme by recent writers in the Church of England Advent Awakening-M’Neile, Bickersteth, and Melville of Great Britain. An American publisher had asked him to read one of these English works, seeking advice as to an American reprint. Like others, in 1833 Sabine was unaware of the number in the New World who were believers in the premillennial advent doctrine. When it began to be heralded as at the door, many became uneasy. There was widespread searching of heart. No sooner was the cry given, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh,” than both the world and the church rose up in arms, some for and some against the contention. The prophecies, Sabine firmly held, are heaven’s timetable. ⁵ PFF4 665.1