Omens of a New Era
Mark 13:24, 25
Papacy Wounded in 1798
Rev. 13:5,3: "Power
was given unto him to continue forty and two months [1260 years]. And I saw one
of his heads as it were wounded to death."
"...in 1798:..the
pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly
wound." —GC 439.
United States Rising to Power in 1798
Note: Immediately after Rev. 12:6-16 revealed the
1260 years (ending in 1798) of papal oppression, the very next chapter (Rev.
13) predicted the rise of the United States to prominence:
Rev. 13:11: "And I
beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a
lamb, and spake as a dragon."
"...the beast with
lamb-like horns was seen 'coming up out of the earth'... in territory
previously unoccupied and grew up gradually and peacefully. ...
"...One nation, and
only one, meets the specifications of this prophecy: it points unmistakably to
the United States of America....
"'And he had two
horns like a lamb.' The lamb-like horns indicate youth, innocence, and
gentleness, fitly representing the character of the United States when
presented to the prophet as 'coming up' in 1798." —GC 440,441.
Note: It was in 1776 that the U.S. Declaration of
Independence was issued; and in 1789, only nine years before 1798, the U.S.
Constitution was framed. Thus the U.S. was just "coming up" into
prominence in 1798. The United States is singled out in prophecy because of the
important part she is to play during the time of the end, as the center of
Bible study and a world mission movement, as well as its powerful political
position in the world.
Falling Stars in 1833, A Warning of Coming
Judgment
Mark 13:24, 25: "But
in those days, after the tribulation (1260 years of papal persecution), the sun
shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of
heaven shall fall."
Note: As has already been seen in the previous
chapter, the darkening of the sun and moon took place before 1798, on May 19,
1780. The "tribulation" refers to the papal persecution which was
"shortened" (Matt. 24:22), so that the general persecution did not
last to the end of the 1260-year period in 1798. Pope Clement XIV, on July 21,
1773, issued a decree suppressing the Jesuit order, and its organized
persecution ended. Thus the "dark day" took place in 1780, after the
persecution (tribulation), but before the end of the papal supremacy (1798).
However, the falling of the stars took place in "the time of the
end," (after 1798) on Nov. 13, 1833, just a few years before the
judgment-hour message was to be proclaimed (in 1844).
"In 1833...the last
of the signs appeared which were promised by the Saviour as tokens of His
second advent. Said Jesus: The stars shall fall from heaven.' (Matt.
24:29)...This prophecy received a striking and impressive fulfillment in the
great meteoric shower of Nov. 13, 1833." —GC 333.
The Encyclopedia
Americana states: "The most brilliant meteoric shower on record—that of
Nov. 13, 1833...Hundreds of thousands of shooting stars fell in the course of
two or three hours. Some observers compared their number to the flakes of a
snow storm."
Eyewitness, Henry Dana
Ward, Episcopal Minister wrote: "We felt in our hearts, that it was a sign
of the last days. For, truly, the stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as a
fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when it is shaken by a mighty wind."'
—New York Journal of Commerce, Nov. 14, 1933.
Frederick Douglass,
Presbyterian minister wrote: "I witnessed this gorgeous spectacle, and was
awestruck...I was not without the suggestion, at the moment, that it might be
the harbinger of the coming of the Son of man...I had read that the 'stars
shall fall from heaven,' and they were now falling." —Life and Time of
Frederick Douglass, p. 117.
Second Coming of Christ Proclaimed After 1798
"This period (of
papal supremacy) ended in 1798...It is this side of that time that the message
of Christ's second coming is to be proclaimed...
"No such message has
ever been given in past ages." —GC 356.
Knowledge of Daniel's Prophecies Increased in
the Time of the End
"But thou, 0 Daniel,
shut up the words, and seal the book even to the time of the end; many shall
run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." —Dan. 12:4.
Book of Daniel Unsealed in the Time of the
End
"Go thy way, Daniel:
for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end....but the wise
shall understand." —Dan. 12:9-11.
"Since 1798 the book
of Daniel has been unsealed, knowledge of the prophecies has increased, and
many have proclaimed the solemn message of the judgment near." —GC 356.
Special Message Began to Prepare People for
Second Advent
"To prepare a people
to stand in the day of God, a great work of reform was to be accomplished. God
saw that many of His professed people were not building for eternity, and in
His mercy He was about to send a message of warning to arouse them from their
stupor, and lead them to make ready for the coming of the Lord.
"This warning is
brought to view in Revelation 14. Here is a threefold message." —GC 311.
[Note: These three angels' messages will be covered in chapters 8 to 11.]
Great Advent Movement Began With William
Miller, a Baptist Preacher
"With intense
interest he [William Miller] studied the books of Daniel and Revelation...and
found, to his great joy, that the prophetic symbols could be
understood....Angels of heaven were guiding his mind and opening the Scriptures
to his understanding." —GC 320,321.
"The prophecy which
seemed most clearly to reveal the time of the second advent was that of
Dan.8:14: 'Unto two thousand and three hundred days; and then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed.' Following his rule of making Scripture its own
interpreter, Miller learned that a day in symbolic prophecy represents a
year....Miller accepted the generally received view, that in the Christian age
the earth is the sanctuary, and he therefore understood that the cleansing of
the sanctuary foretold in Dan. 8:14 represented the purification of the earth
by fire at the second coming of Christ. If then, the correct starting-point
could be found for the 2300 days, he concluded that the time of the second
advent could be readily ascertained....
"Taking B.C. 457....
[as the starting point]....
"The 2300 days of
Dan.8:14 terminate in 1844....
"Miller and his
associates at first believed that the 2300 days would terminate in the spring
of 1844, whereas the prophecy points to the autumn of that year....
"In 1833 Miller
received a license to preach, from the Baptist Church, of which he was a
member. A large number of the ministers of his denomination also approved his
work, and it was with their formal sanction that he continued his labors. He
traveled and preached unceasingly....
"In 1833, two years
after Miller began to present in public the evidences of Christ's soon coming,
the last of the signs appeared which were promised by the Saviour as tokens of
His second advent. Said Jesus, 'The stars shall fall from heaven.'
[Matt.24:29]....This prophecy received a striking and impressive fulfillment in
the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. That was the most extensive and
wonderful display of falling stars which has ever been recorded; the whole
firmament, over all the United States, being then, for hours, in fiery
commotion!"' —GC 324, 325,327-329,332-333. [See Appendix 2, p.454 for more
on Millerites]
Most Denominations Invited Miller to Preach
the Advent Message
"In nearly every
town there were scores, in some hundreds, converted as the result of his
preaching. In many places Protestant churches of nearly all denominations were
thrown open to him; and the invitations to labor usually came from the
ministers of the several congregations." —GC 332.
Note: Many others proclaimed the soon coming of
Jesus. Among them was Joseph Wolff, a Jew living in Germany, who proclaimed the
message in Africa, Asia, and even in the U.S. Congress. During this same time,
at least 700 ministers from various denominations in Europe did the same. In
Scandinavia, even children preached the message when adults were forbidden.
(This summary is based on GC 357-367).
"In many places
where the preachers of the Lord's soon coming were silenced, God was pleased to
send the message, in a miraculous manner, through little children....
"....Some of them
were not more than six or eight years of age....Tone and manner changed and
with solemn power they gave the warning of the judgment, employing the very
words of Scripture, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment
is come."' —GC 366-367.
Note: God was preparing a people for the
emergence of the remnant church, even using a mistake of man to prepare a
people to enlighten a darkened world with His gospel. Note: For more
information regarding William Miller's life and work, see Appendix 2, p.454.
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