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The Lord, in his great mercy, does not bring judgments upon
the earth without giving warning to its inhabitants by the mouth of
his servants. Says the prophet Amos, “Surely the Lord God will do
nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
[Amos 3:7.] When the iniquity of the antediluvians moved him to bring a flood of waters upon the earth, he first made known to them
his purpose, that they might have opportunity to turn from their
evil ways. For a hundred and twenty years was sounded in their
ears the warning to repent, lest the wrath of God be manifested
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in their destruction. But the message seemed to them an idle tale,
and they believed it not. From unbelief they proceeded to scorn
and contempt, ridiculing the warning as highly improbable, and
unworthy of their notice. Emboldened in their wickedness, they
mocked the messenger of God, made light of his entreaties, and even
accused him of presumption. How dare one man stand up against all
the great men of the earth? If Noah’s message were true, why did
not all the world see it and believe it? One man’s assertion against
the wisdom of thousands! They would not credit the warning, nor
would they seek shelter in the ark.
Scoffers pointed to the things of nature,—to the unvarying suc-
cession of the seasons, to the blue skies that had never poured out
rain, to the green fields refreshed by the soft dews of night,—and
they cried out, “Doth he not speak parables?” In contempt they de-
clared the preacher of righteousness to be a wild enthusiast; and they
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went on, more eager in their pursuit of pleasure, more intent upon
their evil ways, than ever before. But their unbelief did not hinder
the predicted event. God bore long with their wickedness, giving
them ample opportunity for repentance; but at the appointed time
his judgments were visited upon the rejecters of his mercy.
Christ declares that there will exist similar unbelief concerning
his second coming. As the people of Noah’s day “knew not until the
flood came and took them all away, so,” in the words of our Saviour,
“shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” [Matthew 24:39.]
When the professed people of God are uniting with the world, living
as they live, and joining with them in forbidden pleasure; when the
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luxury of the world becomes the luxury of the church; when the
marriage bells are chiming, and all are looking forward to many
years of worldly prosperity,—then, suddenly as the lightning flashes
from the heavens, will come the end of their bright visions and
delusive hopes.
As God sent his servant to warn the world of the coming flood,
so he sent chosen messengers to make known the nearness of the
day of final judgment. But as Noah’s contemporaries laughed to
scorn the predictions of the solitary preacher of righteousness, so
did many in Miller’s day treat his words of warning.
In their labors for the Protestant churches, Wm. Miller and his
companions encountered a spirit of hatred and opposition little less
bitter than that which Luther experienced from Rome. By Romanists
in Luther’s time, and by Protestants in the time of Miller, fables,
false theories, human forms and customs, were received and honored
in place of the teachings of the word of truth. In the sixteenth century
the Roman Church withheld the Scriptures from the people; in the
nineteenth century, when Bibles are scattered everywhere like leaves
of autumn, the Protestant churches teach that an important part of the
sacred word—and that portion which brings to view truths especially
applicable to our time—is sealed, and ca
Ministers and people have declared the prophecies of Daniel and
John to be a collection of mysteries which no one could understand
or explain. But the very title of the book of Revelation contradicts
these assertions: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave
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unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come
to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant
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The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4
John, who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of
Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth,
and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things
which are written therein; for the time is at hand.” [Revelation 1:1-3.]
Says the prophet, “Blessed is he that readeth”—there are some
who will not read; the blessing is not for them. “And they that
hear”—there are some, also, who refuse to hear anything concerning
the prophecies; the blessing is not for this class. “And keep those
things that are written therein”—many refuse to heed the warnings
and instructions contained in the Revelation. None of these can
claim the blessing promised. All who ridicule the subjects of the
prophecy, and mock at the symbols here solemnly given, all who
refuse to reform their lives, and prepare for the coming of the Son
of man, will be unblest.
In view of the testimony of Inspiration, how dare ministers teach
that the Revelation is a mystery beyond the reach of human under-
standing? It is a mystery revealed, a book opened. The study of the
Revelation directs the mind to the prophecies of Daniel, and both
present most important instruction, given of God to men, concerning
events to take place at the close of this world’s history.
To John were opened scenes of deep and thrilling interest in the
experience of the church. He saw the position, dangers, conflicts,
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and final deliverance of the people of God. He records the closing
messages which are to ripen the harvest of the earth, either as sheaves
for the heavenly garner or as fagots for the fires of the last day.
Subjects of vast importance were revealed to him especially for the
last church, that those who should turn from error to truth might be
instructed concerning the perils and conflicts before them. None
need be in darkness in regard to what is coming upon the earth.
Why, then, this wide-spread ignorance concerning an important
part of Holy Writ? Why this general reluctance to investigate its
teachings? It is the result of a studied effort of the prince of dark-
ness to conceal from men that which reveals his deceptions. For
this reason, Christ the Revelator, foreseeing the warfare that would
be waged against the study of the Revelation, pronounced a bless-
ing upon all who should read, hear, and observe the words of the
prophecy.
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Those who believed that the Advent movement was of God, went
forth as did Luther and his co-laborers, with their Bibles in their
hands, and with fearless firmness met the opposition of the world’s