The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

ought before the Apostle's view, and not to the events themselves. And as there was no
audible, startling, miraculous, wide-sounding, celestial bugle-note to announce to the
world the fulfillment of the predictions connected with the six trumpets, so I infer and
conclude that there is to be no audible trumpet-blast from mid-heaven to inform the world
when the day of judgment has come. For aught you or I know, the last trump has already
sounded, or is now sounding in the sermons and books of many able and earnest
preachers and laymen in various parts of the world, who are striving to awaken men's
minds to a sense of what is approaching, and crying into the ears of the slumbering
Church, 'Behold, the Bridegroom cometh! Go ye out to meet Him.' . . .
"Of this one thing, my brethren, I am well assured, that the stupendous occurrences of the
day of judgment will glide in upon the world as by stealth, and before a great number of
even pious people shall be aware that these great scenes have commenced; whilst the great
mass of worldlings and politicians will not believe it to the very last. . . . The nations shall
be undergoing their judgment, the sainted dead shall be raised, the sainted living shall be
translated, and the whole earth shall heave with the throes of judgment already present;
and yet multitudes will go on as they did before, and refuse to believe what is transpiring.
Nations in their desperation will continue to declare war, and make treaties, and form
alliances, and join their armies, and gather together their warriors against the Lamb and
His people, until at last to their . . . consternation, the Son of Man shall appear with His
sainted hosts."
It will be seen that this writer, at the time he wrote these words, believed that there were
two different aspects of the Second Advent of Christ, the first of which would be known
only to His watching saints, during which period their resurrection and change would be
going on. The second aspect would be when this resurrection and change is completed, for
at this stage of the Advent the saints are represented as being with Him in the final
judgment scene. (Rev. 19:14.) It is very apparent at the present time to many of the Lord's
people that the events described in the words, "And there were great voices in heaven,
saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His
Christ" (ver. 15), have been for some time in process of fulfillment--that these "great
voices" have been for some time heard in the ecclesiastical heaven, the heaven of the
vision.
Fulfillment in these latter days
About the time the twentieth century opened, a most remarkable movement among the
witnesses of Christ began to be observed in all parts of the world--a movement which
continued to increase in power and influence. Up to the beginning of the twentieth century
it had attracted very little attention, and was little known. It had, however, in its initial
stages been going on for some years previous, unobserved by the world, and indeed, by
the great professed church systems. This movement, like all other movements of its kind
prior to this, beginning with the Reformation, was the outcome of Bible study. One of the
chief results of this study was that of obtaining a clearer view of the ransom sacrifice of the
Great Redeemer--that it was made for all mankind, and that at a divinely appointed time