The Voice of Truth for November 7, 1844, says: “We did believe that he would come at that time, and now, though we sorrow on account of our disappointment, yet we rejoice that we have acted according to our faith. We have had, and still have, a conscience void of offense in this matter, toward God and man. God has blessed us abundantly, and we have not a doubt but that all will soon be made to work together for the good of his dear people, and his glory. We cheerfully admit that we have been mistaken in the nature of the event we expected would occur on the tenth day of the seventh month; but we cannot yet admit that our great High Priest did not on that very day accomplish all that the type would justify us to expect. We now believe he did.”
The hour was a most trying one. There seemed to be a strong inclination with many to draw back, which ripened in them into a general stampede in the direction of Egypt. Finally, not a few settled, with more or less clearness, upon a position embracing the following points:—
1. That the parable of the ten virgins represented the great Advent movement, each specification illustrating a corresponding event connected with Second Advent history.
2. That, in answer to the inquiry, Where are we? the point of time was reached when the words of our Lord, following the parable, were applicable, “Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matt. 25:13.
3. That the time had come to liken, or to compare, the experience of those who were looking for the kingdom, here called the kingdom of heaven, with an eastern marriage, and that in order to do this, both must be matters of history, showing that each specification in the parable was already fulfilled.
4. That the time when to compare Second Advent experience with the events in the marriage was definitely pointed out by our Lord when he says, “Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins.” When? He had just closed a description of two kinds of servants in chapter 24, one servant giving meat to his master’s household in due season, the other smiting this good and faithful servant, and in his heart saying, “My Lord delayeth his coming.” Just then may the events connected with Advent history be compared with the specifications of the parable. These two servants had been engaged in the same work. But by some means one begins to say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and smites his fellow. No one who118wished to see, could fail to see a clear fulfillment of this illustration in the labors and general course of Advent ministers soon after the passing of the time. All came up to that time apparently a band of brothers. The time passed. Some became impatient and cast away their confidence in the work, confessed to a scoffing church and world, and because others would not confess as they had done, that a human or satanic influence had controlled them, they were ready to smite those who were strengthening the Master’s household with the bread of heaven.
The spiritual food for that time was by no means that teaching which would let them down from the position they had taken, and send them weeping and mourning back to Egypt. But meat in due season was those expositions of God’s word which showed his hand in the movement, and such cheering testimonies as are quoted in the foregoing pages in vindication of the Advent movement. How humiliating and painful the fact that Satan is permitted to bring the spiritual warfare within the Second Advent ranks.
5. That in the sense of the parable the Bridegroom had come. Come where? Answer, To the marriage. Was the marriage of the Lamb to take place in this world at the second appearing of Christ? The Bridegroom had not come. But if the marriage of the Lamb was to take place in heaven, the position might be correct. And right here the charge of our Lord to the waiting ones comes in with peculiar force: “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding.” Luke 12:35, 36. If our Lord at his second appearing returns from the wedding, then the marriage of the Lamb must take place in heaven prior to his return. Therefore, the coming of the bridegroom in the parable illustrated some change119in the position and work of our great High Priest in heaven in reference to the marriage of the Lamb.
6. That the established view, that in the marriage of the Lamb the church is the bride of Christ, was among the errors of past times. By investigation it was clearly seen that there were two things which the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments illustrate by marriage. First, the union of God’s people in all past ages, as well as at the present time, with their Lord. Second, Christ’s reception of the throne of David, which is in the New Jerusalem. But union of believers with their Lord has existed since the days of Adam, and cannot be regarded as the marriage of the Lamb. It is supposed that Isaiah 54:5, speaks of the church when he says, “Thy Maker is thine husband;” but Paul in Gal. 4, applies this prophecy to the New Jerusalem.
Says John, speaking of Christ, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom.” John 3:29. That Christ is here represented in his relation to his followers by a bridegroom, and his followers by a bride, is true; but that he and they are here called the bridegroom and bride, is not true. No one believes that the event called the marriage of the Lamb took place eighteen hundred years since.
Paul, in writing to the church, 2 Cor. 11:2, says, “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ.” But does this prove that the marriage of the Lamb took place in Corinth? Or, did Paul only wish to represent by marriage, the union which he had effected, through the gospel, between Christ and the church at Corinth? He also says, Eph. 5:23, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church.” But please turn and read from verse 22, and it will be seen that Paul’s subject is the relation and duty of man and wife to each other. This is illustrated and enforced by the120relation of Christ and the church. Those who suppose that Paul is here defining who the Lamb’s wife is, are greatly mistaken. That is not his subject. He commences, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands.” Verse 22. “Husbands, love your wives.” Verse 25. It is, indeed, an excellent subject, but has nothing to do in determining what the bride is.
The marriage of the Lamb does not cover the entire period of probation, in which believers are united to their Lord, from Adam to the close of probation. It is one event, to take place at one point of time, and that is just prior to the resurrection of the just.
Then what is the bride in the marriage of the Lamb? Said the angel to John, “Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” Rev. 21:9. Did the angel show John the church? Let John testify. “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” Verse 10.
The New Jerusalem is also represented as the mother. “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Gal. 4:26. Christ is represented (Isa. 9:6,) as the “everlasting Father” of his people; the New Jerusalem, the mother, and the subjects of the first resurrection, the children. And, beyond all doubt, the resurrection of the just is represented by birth. How appropriate, then, is the view that the marriage of the Lamb takes place in heaven, before the Lord comes, and before the children of the great family of heaven are brought forth at the resurrection of the just.
Let those who are disposed to cling to the old view that the church is the bride, and that the marriage is after Christ comes, and the saints are caught up to heaven, answer the following questions:—
1. Who are illustrated by the man found at the121marriage, Matt. 22, not having on the wedding garment?
2. Will any be caught up by mistake, to be bound hand and foot, and be cast down to the earth again?
3. If the church is the wife, who are they that are called to the marriage as guests?
4. Jerusalem above is the mother of the children of promise; but if the church is the Lamb’s wife, who are the children?
5. That the door was shut. The clear light from the heavenly sanctuary that a door, or ministration, was opened at the close of the 2300 days, while another was closed at that time, had not yet been seen. And in the absence of light in reference to the shut and open door of the heavenly sanctuary, the reader can hardly see how those who held fast their Advent experience, as illustrated by the parable of the ten virgins, could fail to come to the conclusion that probation for sinners had closed.
But light on the subject soon came, and then it was seen that although Christ closed one ministration at the termination of the 2300 days, he had opened another in the most holy place, and still presented his blood before the Father for sinners. As the high priest, in the type, on the tenth day of the seventh month, entered the most holy place, and offered blood for the sins of the people, before the ark of the testament and the mercy-seat, so Christ, at the close of the 2300 days, came before the ark of God and the mercy-seat to plead his blood in behalf of sinners. Mark this: The great Redeemer then approached the mercy-seat in behalf of sinners. Was the door of mercy closed? This is an unscriptural expression, but, if I may be allowed to use it, may I not say that in the fullest sense of the expression the door of mercy was opened on the tenth day of the seventh month, 1844?
Beside the ark of God containing the ten precepts122of his holy law, over which was the mercy-seat, did the trusting ones now behold their merciful High Priest. They had stood in harmony with the whole Advent host at the passing of the time, then represented as “the church in Philadelphia,” meaning brotherly love. And with what inexpressible sweetness did the following words addressed to that church come home to their stricken hearts: “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.” Rev. 3:7, 8.
Adventists were agreed that the seven churches of Rev. 2 and 3, symbolized seven states of the Christian church, covering the entire period from the first advent of Christ to his second appearing, and that the sixth state addressed represented those who with one united voice proclaimed the coming of Jesus, in the autumn of 1844. This church was about to enter upon a period of great trial. And they were to find relief from it, so far as ascertaining their true position is concerned, by light from the heavenly sanctuary. After the light should come, then would also come the battle upon the shut and open door. Here was seen the connecting link between the work of God in the past Advent movement, present duty to keep the commandments of God, and the future glory and reward. And as these views were taught in vindication of the Advent movement, in connection with the claims of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, these men, especially those who had given up their Advent experience, felt called upon to oppose. And their opposition, as a general thing, was most violent, bitter, and wicked.
The shut and open door of the heavenly sanctuary constituted the strong point upon which the matter turned. If we were right on the subject of the123cleansing of the sanctuary, then the door or ministration of the holy place was shut, and the door or ministration of the most holy place was opened, the 2300 days had ended, the preaching of time was correct, and the entire movement was right. But let our opponents show that we were in error upon the sanctuary question, that Christ had not entered the most holy place to cleanse the sanctuary, then the 2300 days had not ended, the preaching of the time was an error, and the entire movement was wrong. And, again, if the door or ministration of the most holy place was opened, and the faith of the waiting ones was to view Jesus standing before the mercy-seat and the ark of the ten commandments in heaven, how forcible the arguments for the perpetuity and claims of the entire law of God, the fourth precept not excepted. The hand of the Lord was with those who took a firm position that the great Advent movement had been in his direct providence, and that the time had come for the Sabbath reform, and many embraced these views. Then it was that our opponents arose in the spirit of persecution, manifesting the wrath of the dragon against those who kept the commandments of God, and labored to open the door that had been shut, and to shut that door which had been opened, and thus put an end to the matter. Hence the strong expressions quoted above—“He that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth.” “Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.” Nothing can be plainer than that man, or a set of men, near the close of the history of the church, would war against the truth of God in reference to the shut and open door.
And to this day those who retain the spirit of war upon those who keep the commandments of God, make the belief in the shut and open door odious, and charge it all upon Seventh-day Adventists,124Many of them, however, are not unaware of the injustice of this.
And it may be worthy of notice that although the belief in, and abandonment of, the shut-door position has been general, there have been two distinct and opposite ways of getting out of it. One class did this by casting away their confidence in the Advent movement, by confessions to those who had opposed and had scoffed at them, and by ascribing the powerful work of the Holy Spirit to human or satanic influences. These got out of the position on the side of perdition.
Another class heeded the many exhortations of Christ and his apostles, applicable to their position, with its trials, dangers, and duties—Watch—Be ye therefore patient—Cast not away therefore your confidence—For ye have need of patience—Hold fast. They waited, watched, and prayed, till light came, and they by faith in the word saw the open door of the heavenly sanctuary, and Jesus there pleading his precious blood before the ark of the most holy place.
But what was that ark? It was the ark of God’s testimony, the ten commandments. Reader, please follow these trusting, waiting ones, as they by faith enter the heavenly sanctuary. They take you into the holy place and show you “the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread,” and other articles of furniture. Then they lead you into the most holy where stands Jesus, clad in priestly garments, before the mercy-seat which is upon, and but the cover of, the ark containing the law of God. They lift the cover and bid you look into the sacred ark, and there you behold the ten commandments, a copy of which God gave to Moses. Yes, dear reader, there, safe from the wrath of man and the rage of demons, beside his own holiness, are the ten precepts of God’s holy law.
The waiting, watching, praying ones, embraced the fourth precept of that law, and with fresh courage took their onward course to the golden gates of the city of God, cheered by the closing benediction of the Son of God: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Thus they came out of the position of the shut door on the side of loyalty to the God of high heaven, the tree of life, and the eternal city of the redeemed. The reader will not fail to see the difference between their course and getting out of the shut door on the side of perdition. God pity the apostate.