A Vindication of the Seventh-Day Sabbath and the Commandments of God

But to get clear of all this, we are told that this 13th verse evidently represents the saints at the resurrection. (See Bible Advocate, Sept. 23, 1847.) He refers, (as I have,) to the advent message in 6th and 7th verses, but avoids the second and third angels' messages, (8-11 verses) or leaves them and the 12th verse also, to be fulfilled in connection with the 13th verse, at the resurrection. Then to make his view clear to our understanding, we must read it something like this: Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from the time the advent message began, (say 1840,) until Babylon falls, and the statement is being made about what is recorded in the 12th verse “where is the patience of the saints,” &c. Well, say then, that one hundred saints, or more, have actually departed this life, since that time commenced, and they will be blessed at the resurrection. The question then arises – If this must actually be fulfilled for these few, where is the blessing for John, who had this vision, and all the saints who have actually died since 1840? Is God partial? Shall we find this distinction in the 7th chapter, 9, 10, 15 and 17th verses, where the great multitude of all the departed saints are represented before the throne of God with white robes, and palms in their hands? No. Shall we find it in the 20th chapter? where he says, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection;” where not only the departed saints, but the 144,000 living ones, are brought to view? No – nothing of the kind. This Revelation was concerning “things present, (A.D. 96,) and things to come.” We see, then, if this 13th verse, as we are told, does represent the departed saints any where, or time, since A.D. 96, and will be fulfilled at the resurrection, it is yet incomprehensible. Is it not clear that it only has reference to all the righteous saints in these messages from Oct. 1844? How can it mean the literal dead? Is it not clear that the dead know not any thing; therefore the blessing would not effect them as this text teaches any more than to bless any other inanimate substance. The Blessing belongs always to the living. Just look at Jesus' sermon on the mount. – Matt. v: 3-11 – “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” &c. &c. This is now being fulfilled to the letter; see also Rev. i: 3; xvi: 15; xix: 9; xxii: 7; v: 12, 13; Luke xxiv: 50, 51, “Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.” —Jesus. “Blessed are they that do his commandments,” they shall be saved, – xxii: 14. Also, Isaiah lvi: 2, that keep the Sabbath; these two last are to the point, just what they are doing in our text, 12th and 13th verses of Rev. xiv. John is here certainly speaking of a class, or company, of living believers, and not the literal dead. Rest is opposite to labor. He shows that the seraphim and cherubim, (invisible angels,) rest not day, nor night, but are continually “saying Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.” – also v: 11, 12. The sleeping saints at the resurrection have no rest, they serve God day and night in his temple – vii: 15. Then the rest spoken of here in the 13th verse is of the living; resting from their labors with the world. Once more, “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord.” Paul said the commandment so affected him that he died– Rom. vii: 9. He means that he died to sin. Again, he says, “I die daily,” – 1st Cor. xv: 31; “In deaths oft” – 2d Cor. xi: 23; “If ye be dead with Christ,” &c. – “For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God” &c. – Col. ii: 20; iii: 3, 4; also, see Rom. vi: 8, 11, “Dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” In all these, and much more, he uses these terms for himself and others that were actually alive in the church. But the general term used for such as were literally dead, by Jesus and the apostles, are asleep; they sleep; “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.” He spake of his death; the people did not understand; he explained by saying “plainly he is dead.” – John xi: 11-14. Paul says, “they also which are fallen asleep in Christ” – 1st Cor. xv: 18; “Some are fallen asleep.” – 6th verse: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed.” – 51st verse: see also 1st Thes. iv: 15, “Them also which sleep in Jesus” &c.; “Since the Fathers fell asleep” – 2d Pet. iii: 4.

History.– We prove these, then, to be a part of the same class of the messengers and their adherents that came out of the churches. Thousands of living testimonies could be adduced to prove the multitudes who died in the camp meetings and conferences, about the time that the messengers were closing up their messages. Why, many were burdened with the cry, die to sin, and the world; and live unto God. And thousands passed through this death struggle. Yes, they were blessed by dying in the Lord. Those who deny and make light of this part of our experience, were but little acquainted with the work of God in the fall of 1844, and need to be instructed again. But those that died to sin, and the world then; cannot be in a saved state now, if returned to the world. To be safe, follow Paul's example, “die daily.”

Then, without destroying one single link of this harmonious chain of events, these saints will be in the right place to fulfill the next message in the 15th verse, “crying with a loud voice,” (different from the preceding ones,) this I understand will be a combination of labor among the resting ones, to be united in the incessant prayer, or crying to God day and night in the time of Jacob and Daniel's trouble (Jer. xxx: 7; Dan. xii: 1,) for deliverance, and for Christ to come on the white cloud, as represented in 14th verse, with his sharp sickle and reap the harvest for all things will appear to be ripe on the earth; see Sam. vii: 8; Jer. xxii: 4, 5; Mark xv: 34, 37; Luke xviii: 1, 7. Here, I believe, is where the 144,000 living saints of all nations, are sealed; especially will it be manifest among the tried ones then, that have passed through these messages. Then the four angel governments will cease to restrain war and bloodshed; God will speak as in Joel iii: 16, 17: the Sanctuary will be cleansed; the sins of God's people blotted out – in other words, the atonement finished and their trials ended; their captivity turned. Two such ones will then put ten thousand to flight. Jesus comes out of the most holy place, changes his garments, puts on his kingly robes and stands up to reign over the nations, as in Dan. xii: 1; mounts his cloudy chariot with his sharp sickle to reap the harvest of the earth. Here the 144,000 are in a state of deliverance, ready for the next and last message in the 17th and 18th verses. This message looks like one united and incessant prevailing prayer, (differing from all the others, because of the everlasting union that these messages have at length accomplished with these sealed saints,) ascending to God, while these messengers who have now, as it seems, become reapers similar to those in xix: 14, 15, “and are to gather the vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God,” (19. v.) “to execute upon them (the wicked) the judgment written; this honor have all the saints. Praise ye the Lord.” Now return to the 7th chapter, 9-15 verses – “After this,” (when? after the saints were numbered and sealed,) “I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. And they cried saying amen, blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be unto our God forever and ever, Amen.” The 144,000 will then stand on the Mount Zion.

“Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

CHRIST NOT REPRESENTED AS AN ANGEL.

Christ is no where represented as an angel, in Rev. unless it can be proved that he is so, in the 8th ch. 3-5 vs. He tells us that the 7 stars in his right hand are the angels, or messengers; see i: 20. He is called “one like unto the son of man.” Read his description i: 13-18; xiv: 14; the same in Dan. vii: 13; x: 5, 6; xii: 6, 7. He is also called the Lamb 26 times; see v: 6, 8, 12, 13 vs.; vi: 1, 16; vii: 9, 10, 14, 17; xii: 11; xiii: 8, 11; xiv: 1-4; xv: 3; xvii: 14; xix: 7, 9; xxi: 9, 14, 22, 23, 27; xxii: 1, 3. This Lamb is the Lord of Lords, and king of kings; and they that are with him are called and chosen, and faithful; see xvii: 14; xix: 16. He is called the word of God, and “the armies” the “chosen and faithful” ones follow him; see xix: 13, 14. He is called the first and the last i: 8, 17; ii: 8; xxii: 13. And the one which was, and is, and is to come, i: 4, 8; iv: 8; xi: 17. He is the true and faithful witness i: 5; iii: 14. Also the root of David, the morning star, xxii: 16; ii: 28; also Mich. xii: 7. And faithful witness i: 5; iii: 14; xix: 11. Please examine this subject:

TYPE. Now turn to Lev. xxiii: 10, 11; when you reap the harvest (in the spring,) then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits, and the Priest shall wave it before the Lord – on the morrow after the Sabbath, (as in 3d v.). And ye shall count from the day after the Sabbath, (the some 7th day Sabbath in 3d v.) the day after ye offer the wave sheaf, 7 Sabbaths shall be complete; that is, counting the next day after the 7 Sabbaths, which will make 50 days, 16, 17 vs.; then with the sacrifices they are to offer two wave leaves, the bread made from the harvested grain; see 17-20. Now turn to Exo. xxxiv: 21, 22: here we see God required the people to keep the 7th day Sabbath, i. e. to rest in caring time, and harvest, but they were to observe the first fruits in their place, Deut. xvi: 9, shows where; begin to count the 50 days from the time thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. Now send the reapers forth the next morning after the Sabbath, what day is that? why, it is Sunday in the morning; so we see in the anti-type the morning of the resurrection instead of being a holy day (and as the world will have it the Sabbath) it was the day for the laborers to go out into the fields to reap the spring harvest. How could that be a holy day.

HYMN. – Tune —Zion

By H. S. GURNEY

Lo, an Angel loud proclaiming,
With the gospel of good news;
To every kindred, tongue and people;
Fear the Lord, give glory due;
Proclamation,
Of the hour of judgment near.

Lo, another Angel follows,
With another solemn cry!
Babylon the great is fallen,
Peals like thunder through the sky:
Let "Thy People,"
Now forsake her pois'nous creeds.

Yet, a third and solemn message,
Now proclaims a final doom;
All who “worship Beast or Image;”
Soon shall drink the wrath of God:
Without mixture,
Mercy, now no longer pleads.

Here are they, who now are waiting,
And have patience to endure;
While the Dragon's hosts are raging,
Those confide in God secure:
Faith of Jesus;
And commandments, keep them pure.

Hear a voice from heav'n proclaiming,
“Write” the message, “firm decree”:
Bless'd are they, who die in Jesus,
“From henceforth” forever be:
The Spirit sanctions,
And the Saints adore His Law.

notes

1

Campbell translates this in three, and Matt. xxviii: 63, within three days.

2

Small sea birds.

3

Allow me, once more, to recommend to your careful, candid and prayerful attention, the simple, unadorned, scriptural, published visions of Ellen G. Harmon, now White. If you do not see the simple outlines of our history past and at that time in the future, marking our pathway, then I fear you will not comprehend what I have written. Reject it not because of her childhood and diseased bodily infirmities, and lack of worldly knowledge. God's manner has ever been to use the weak things of this world to confound the learned and mighty. I often feel to praise my God for this simple means to strengthen and encourage the little flock, just at the time that their teachers and shepherds were deserting them. It looks like God's work.