The Judgment Message

Notes

1. From this scripture we know that there will be a proclamation to the world concerning the judgment, and this proves that some will know when the hour of God's judgment has come. It therefore follows that the time of the judgment must be revealed in the word of God, or no one would know when it begins.

2. Such a message would not be due till the last generation is reached, because the judgment does not come till the last days of this world's history.

3. In the great Advent movement, which began to assume great proportions in 1840, the second coming of Christ and the judgment were proclaimed in all parts of the world.

4. The time of papal persecution is brought to view in this scripture, and it was to reach till the time of the end. The period began in A. D. 538, and continued for 1260 years (see Dan. 7:25; Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; 13:5); hence it would terminate in A. D. 1798; 1798, therefore, marks the commencement of the time of the end. Then Daniel's prophecy would be unsealed, the book would be opened, many would run to and fro through it, or search its pages diligently, and thereby knowledge would be increased, and the wise would understand. Dan. 12:4, 9, 10. This has been literally fulfilled since 1798.

5. (a) The message was world-wide in extent. (b) It was a time message. (c) It was based on the book of Daniel, a little book which is now open, although formerly sealed, or closed. (d) It was not clearly understood; something was hidden from view. This is represented by the angel being clothed with a cloud. The time message, preached back in 1840 to 1844, exactly fulfilled Rev. 10:1-6, while the true Advent message since 1844 has been in fulfillment of Rev. 14:6-12, for, prior to the fall of 1844, they preached that the judgment would come on the tenth day of the seventh month (Jewish time), 1844 (October 22), which was then future, but since that time we preach that "the hour of His judgment is come," which they did not and could not truthfully do prior to that date.

6. The bitter disappointment which Adventists suffered when the time passed and the Saviour did not appear, is not proof that they were not His people and were not engaged in His work, because the disappointment is clearly foretold in the scripture where the message is found.

7. The time message of Rev. 10:1-6 reaches to the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and, as it is based on the little book which says that "unto 2300 days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," we know that that period also brings us to that event, which is really the finishing of the mystery of God. Verse 7.

8. The finishing of the gospel work includes the closing work of our High Priest in the heavenly temple, or the cleansing of the sanctuary, and the closing message of the gospel here on the earth, the threefold message of Rev. 14:6-12. The last is the necessary complement of the first.