The Holy Scripture - english version B.indd - Sabbat

THE ADVENT REVIEW - November, 1850.311been burdened with this subject andfelt the cry in them, insisted upon itthat these were mistaken, for Jesus hadsaid, „If any man will do his will, heshall know of the doctrine whether itbe of God.“ And they knew perfectlywell that they had not been to Babel,nor into the Catholic church, nor to thecity of Rome, to preach this doctrine,neither were they burdened to preach itto all the world; but to the organizedchurches, where God‘s people were. -It now began to be more clearlydiscerned that the standard work hadnot given the scriptural exposition ofBabylon and her fall; for the mightycry of these flying messengers withhis second message, began to make thenominal organized churches tremble totheir foundations. At this crisis anothereffort was put forth to check thesedisorganizers. Mr. Miller now came outwith a different exposition, showingthat Babylon would fall twice –first on the French Revolution, in theeighteenth century, second at the finaldestruction of all things. It was clearlyseen that this position, if followed,would preclude the necessity of the 2dand 3d messages that were to follow thefirst, in Rev. xiv, 6, 7, until the saintswere immortalized. And yet in otherparts of the book (from which I shallquote by and by) he clearly showedthat this was the time for the message,and it was actually being given.Subsequently he came out againwith his view of Revelations xiv., 6-20,where he says, „I regard the woman ormystical Babylon as the fallen church,and all churches, that have the papalspirit. But it does not fallow that therecan be no churches that love the Lordin sincerity.“ I wonder if there is suchan organized church to be found. Ithink this globe will be searched invain for it.He further says of the loud cry(first waymark) in Rev. 6,7, „that itwill continue until Christ comes in hiskingdom. The 2d message in 8v., thefall of Babylon, will take place afterChrist comes. And further, that theangel in xviii, 1,2 is the Lord Jesusdescending from heaven to take thekingdom. When the angel has declaredor is declaring the fall of Babylon,then the 3d angel that followed the 2din xiv, 9-12, is showing the fate of hisworshippers, and that the 13v. is theresurrection, and must synchronizewith chapter xviii., 4, come out andmeet him in the air, - 14 – 16 v., here thesaints are called to meat the Lord in theair. Then 17 – 20, the vine of the earthis reaped. And this is the harmoniousview of the scriptures. To apply themdifferently is to pervert them.“ Now Idon‘t mean to pervert the scriptures,neither can I receive this exposition.It is evident from xviii., 4, that God‘speople are called out of Babylon, thatthey may not receive of he plagues.How many plagues are there?The angel says seven. Now, Mr. M.taught at that time, and I suppose fullybelieved, that six of these plagues hadbeen poured out. Indeed, he has taughtin his book, and in almost every placewhere he has given a course of lectures,that the seven last plagues (of coursethere are no plagues to come after thelast) would be poured out before thegathering of the saints. Rev. xvi. Showsclearly that six of them will be pouredout before Christ comes. (See v. 15)Now if God‘s people have to wait inBabylon until Christ takes them out athis coming, as he has here attempted toshow, then there is no meaning to the 4th v. of the xviii, where God‘s peopleare called out of Babylon to get clear