In the month of September, in the year 1870, I do not remember the exact day of the month, but it was in the dark of the moon, I was visiting with my uncle in northwestern Illinois, in the locality then known as Green Vale, now Stockton Post-office. One evening my uncle and I were up until nearly midnight, and before retiring went out of doors, and noticed a great red light, lighting up all things lighter than a bright moonlight. The sky was perfectly clear, and as we looked into the heavens to see what caused this great light, we saw a large bright circle of golden red, with streaks of red from the edge of it all around. These outer circles seemed to be moving upward, and finally the object we were viewing assumed the form of a beautiful crown, apparently as large as a good sized wash-tub; from the body of the crown there went up sharp prongs about eighteen inches in length. All was vivid red. There were no jewels on this crown, but all was of one color. This view lasted about ten minutes after we first saw it. I do not know how long it may have been in the heavens before we noticed it. It opened up as it appeared and disappeared from view, leaving all in dense darkness for a moment. Then it was immediately replaced by a streak of red light about four feet wide, extending over the entire heavens from east to west, with prongs out on the lower or south side of the band. These prongs were about two feet long, all pointing to the99southwest. The prongs were also of deep red. The band then looked much like a timber saw, as all of these sharp points were pointed one way.
While we were looking wonderingly upon this, there arose from the north, as far up as the sun would be when two hours high, a perfect army composed of thousands of men, fully equipped, arms shouldered; and then, from the south, another army just like the first arose. Both of these armies were clad in deep red, and marched towards one another. When they reached the red band, and that extended, as we said, from east to west, they leveled their guns and both sides fired at once. We heard no report, but saw the blast of the fire from the guns and the smoke rolling upward. Then all at once they seized their guns by the barrels, and with the breech of the guns began beating one another, using their guns as clubs. I was in the Civil War, 1861 to 1865, and saw skirmishes where this very mode of warfare was resorted to, but this scene in the heavens was the most awful battle one could ever want to witness. It was immensely greater than anything I ever witnessed in the war. In this sky battle the clubbing went on until there was not a person left standing. All were killed and prostrate on the ground. We heard no noise, as before stated, but saw the thick smoke and confusion of the battle.
The battle being thus over, the whole scene again disappeared, but only for a short time, when there arose from the east a bright flaming red light, extending from east to west across the whole heavens.106This band of light was about one rod wide, and went from the east to the western horizon over the zenith of the heavens. This wave of light lasted about five minutes, revealing a terrible scene of dead bodies and broken guns, covering the whole earth as far as the eye could extend. This whole scene, with its varied changes, lasted from thirty to forty-five minutes.
When I was in Missouri some years later, hunting land, I met a man to whom, in the course of our conversation, I quoted from scripture the text about there being ‘signs in the heavens,’ when he at once described to me the very scene which I have here related, he having also seen it in Missouri at the same time I saw it in Illinois. Henry Shultz. Oakland, Cal., June 13, 1901.
CHAPTER VI.
OTHER WONDERS WITNESSED.
In the previous chapter attention was called especially to wonderful phenomena connected with the sun. In tracing this subject further, it will be seen that there have been some strange and unaccountable appearances connected with the moon. It will be remembered that our Saviour, in mentioning the signs of His coming, said: “There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon.” Reference has already been made to the darkening of the moon, May 19, 1780. From the prophecy of Joel, and the book of Revelation, it will be observed that when this event should occur, the moon would appear “as blood.”
Milo Bostwick, of Camden, New Jersey, in speaking of the darkness of May 19, 1780, as witnessed by himself, when sixteen years of age, said: “At noon we lit a candle, but it did not give light as in the night, and my father and mother could not see to read with two candles. My father and mother, who were pious, thought the day of judgment was near. They sat up that night, during the latter part of which they said the darkness disappeared, and the sky seemed as usual, but the moon, which was at its full, had the appearance of blood. The alarm that it caused and108the frequent talks about it impressed it deep on my mind.”
The appearance of the moon on that occasion, as above described, is in exact accord with the relation of the circumstance often made by my grandfather in my presence as he saw it at Trenton, New Jersey. He said, “When the moon appeared on that night, for some time it looked like a great ball of blood hung in the heavens.”
OTHER SIGNS IN THE MOON.
Of the many reported signs in the moon witnessed in various localities, space is given only to a few of the most striking. The first noticed is one reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer, as described by an officer in the United States army, a man said to be of the most unquestionable character and veracity. This letter was dated Fort Leavenworth, Kan., March 20, 1843, and reads as follows:—
“On the 14th of February we had the most remarkable phenomenon I ever heard of, except the falling of the stars. At three A. M., the moon, which had been obscured by a cloud for some hours, burst forth of a deep blood-red color, with a black cross of equal proportion over the face, but not extending beyond the rim, while on the two sides small pieces of a rainbow were visible.
“After continuing in this way for about an hour, the color of the moon changed to its ordinary hue, and the cross became of a silvery white, with the edges extending beyond the moon, and touching the rainbow.
“It continued so for half an hour, and heavy clouds then intervening obscured the moon, which set unseen. This phenomenon was seen by the hospital attendants, who were up at that hour—some of them very intelligent men—and by the guard and sentinels on post, and by several citizens of Weston, a little town five miles off. The next morning the sun arose accompanied by two sun-dogs, as they are commonly called, nearly equal in brilliancy to the sun, and resembling two other suns. This latter scene was witnessed by numbers.”
CROSS IN THE MOON.
The Vincennes (Ind.) Gazette, in December, 1843, described a sight which was witnessed at that place on December 18, of the same year, as follows:— “Shortly after the rising of the moon, two luminous appearances, similar to sun-dogs, were observed near the planet; and in a few minutes after, the form of a cross, similar to that of a Greek cross, was distinctly and clearly seen, extending from top to bottom, right and left, making the moon a center. This continued about half an hour.”
IMAGE ON THE MOON.
The New York Express, of May 25, 1848, contained the following, copied from the Penola (Miss.) Register: “Wonderful Phenomena—Singular Appearance of the Moon—A Black Spot on the Surface—The Moon Split into Fragments—Lights Shooting Off from It and Forming into the Shape of a Man!”
“Mr. James D. King, a respectable citizen of this county, and a gentleman of undoubted veracity, called at our office on Wednesday, and gave the following details of a most remarkable appearance of the moon, for about an hour between seven and nine o’clock on Tuesday night last:—
“He stated that, being in the habit of noticing the appearances of the moon at this season of the year, with a view to the common prognostication of whether it would be ‘wet or dry,’ he observed, while looking with that object, on Tuesday night, that it appeared at first much larger than common, nearly three times the usual size, and more like a circular sheet of fire than like an ordinary moon. In a few moments a very black spot was plainly discernible about the center of the moon’s disc, which immediately commenced playing up and down, backward and forward, on the surface; and as the spot approached the upper edge, it grew less, and a faint light distinctly shone through it. This spot became stationary in the center, when the moon divided into three separate fragments, each giving distinct and separate lights, being of irregular forms, and appearing as though the spot had split them off. Then the moon gradually returned to its original appearance, and from that again looked natural.
“What he had already seen was so remarkable that Mr. King, with his family, continued the observation, and but a few moments had elapsed before the black spot again appeared, and again the moon divided—this time into four distinct irregular parts or fragments;113and immediately a light resembling the tail of a comet shot from the lower fragment at the southeast corner, apparently some three or four feet downward, while another, much larger, from the upper portion, or northwest corner, struck off directly upward, to the length of between five and six feet. This last now went off and left the corner apparently four feet or more, and turned into the shape of a man standing erect. The figure was of the most perfect imaginable symmetry, of about the medium size and height, clothed in the purest snow white, and the back alone presenting itself to view. It was visible a few moments, when gradually the figure changed to the simple light, the lights returned to the fragments, these again came together, and the moon resumed a natural appearance.
“The family of Mr. King, consisting of his wife and a daughter thirteen years of age, with another young lady, all witnessed what is above related. Mr. King lives about five miles east of this place. He protests that, in calling on us to make public these facts, he has no motive but to tell a plain, unvarnished tale of truth, and leaves others to judge of its import—that he was not in the least alarmed or agitated, but as much in his sober senses as he ever was in his life—and in order that no one should have occasion to doubt the sincerity of his narrative, he has authorized us to give his name and to refer to his family as witnesses of the scene with himself. . . . He avows that his statement, from which we have deviated, if at all, in no essential particular, is true, and will at all116times be maintained to be true on his honor and character as a man, as he will convince any one more fully who may choose to inquire of him further in relation to it.”
THREE RAINBOW RINGS AROUND THE MOON.
The following is an account of a phenomenon which appeared at Newark, N. J., on the evening of Feb. 15, 1843, and was reported in the Midnight Cry, of New York City. The scene was witnessed by hundreds of spectators with thrilling admiration. The article reads:—
“It was first observed between eight and nine o’clock in the evening, the moon being about at the zenith. It was surrounded by three concentric circles, beautifully marked with all the varied colors of the rainbow, of the most brilliant hue, the center space within the circumference of the lunar circle being of beautiful silvery whiteness.
“The opposers of the speedy coming of Christ seem to have been somewhat agitated by the phenomenon, and anticipated an application for us. A clergyman at Newark, on seeing it, said, ‘I suppose the Millerites will see something of Miller in it,’—probably he ‘supposed’ we were not philosophers enough to SEE GOD IN IT!! An elderly lady, who despises ‘Millerism,’ on seeing it, made the following beautifully prophetic observation: ‘The Lord has promised that He will not drown the world with water any more, and He has set the rainbow in the clouds for a sign. But now He has closed the bow, and is going to burn the world with fire.’”
CROSS IN MOON. TWO EXTRA MOONS.
The following is an extract from a letter signed “Veritas,” dated Auburn, N. Y., Feb. 27, 1843:—
“I have seen no published notice of a singular phenomenon which was seen by the citizens of this place, and also, I understand, in the neighboring towns, on the evening of the 16th of February. Coming out of church about half past nine o’clock, with some friends, . . . the moon being then near its full, and in its ascension about one-half above the eastern horizon, in a clear sky, there was seen in the same distance from the horizon and parallel with the moon, two bright representations of the moon, a little obscured, having the colors of the rainbow. These mock moons, as they were called, continued visible until about ten o’clock, the northern one fading away first. I understand that they had been visible some time previous to their being noticed by us. But the most extraordinary part of the whole was, that before they faded away, there was distinctly seen a light or luminous line running perpendicular through the true moon, commencing a little above and running down to near the horizon; then another, a similar streak, crossing the other horizontally through the center of the moon, giving the appearance of a cross. A brother was asked the next day how he accounted for it. He said it was the reflection of the false moons upon the true moon. When asked why these reflections were not horizontal or both perpendicular, he could not give the reason.”
“The above you may depend upon as correct, as it was seen by many witnesses.”
A FIERY MOON.
Henry Jones, in a letter dated New York, May 9, 1843, writes as follows concerning strange phenomena witnessed in Patchogue, Long Island:—
“Several credible witnesses residing in the above place have recently informed me at their own dwellings that they and others saw on Saturday evening, April 29, 1843, between nine and ten o’clock, a very brilliant light in the northwest, brighter than the moon, which, increasing and diminishing in size, sometimes appeared nearly as large as the moon itself, apparently two or three hours high, and continued something like three-fourths of an hour; and what was most singular, they say that there were streaks of fiery light, resembling red-hot bars of iron, which emanated from it, upward and downward, to a considerable distance, some of which would remain for a minute or so, and then vanish. Its disappearance was sudden, and at once, and at a time when it was brightest.
“The same witnesses testify that some six or eight weeks ago they saw very nearly the same image or appearance of the moon in the west, somewhat above the horizon, which continued, as they thought, about an hour. The singularities of it differed from that of April 29, in its having streaks of light more red than itself, of apparently three inches width, which passed directly through its center, forming a perfect cross, and extending beyond the edge of it twice the121diameter of the light, with several spots like blood on its surface. Its size, like the other, increased and diminished, with occasional seeming sparks of fire thrown out from it in various directions, and, like the other, its disappearance was sudden, and all at once.
“Barnet Matthias, pastor of the Congregational Church in Patchogue, will witness to the correctness of this matter, if called upon.”
A BAND OF LIGHT.
Near the last of December, 1843, there was seen in the sky, in the central part of the state of New York, a clearly-defined band of white light extending from the western to the eastern horizon. It was of about the same width as the disc of the full moon when half an hour high. It was in the “dark of the moon,” with a cloudless, starlit night. Such an arch, extending over the zenith, and spanning the whole dome, was indeed a most beautiful and soul-inspiring sight. It was a mysterious visitor that none could explain—one of the Lord’s wonders hung out in the heavens.
It was the privilege of the writer to behold this grand sight in Victor, N. Y., about ten o’clock at night, on coming out of the meeting house where Elder James Barry (an Adventist) had just delivered a very solemn discourse on the subject of the final judgment. The sermon was characterized by great solemnity, and made a deep impression on the audience. On beholding this “token” in the122sky, more than one gave utterance to their convictions by saying, “The Adventists’ doctrine is true.”
The band of light continued in the heavens all that night. The next night being just as clear, it was again visible all night. Some few illiterate persons said: “This light must be the tail of a comet.” A few nights after, a large comet did appear for several nights in the southwestern heavens. Its tail was of a fiery red color, and apparently about three feet in length. The band of light was as white as a summer’s fleecy cloud, and extended from the eastern to the western horizon.
CROSS AND RAINBOW ARCS.
Another view worthy of notice is a grand display which was visible in the heavens for two days in northeastern Iowa, the last of November, 1856. The sky was free from clouds, and the sun was shining brightly. In the morning there were particles of frost floating in the air. At about ten o’clock there formed a most magnificent sight in connection with the sun. There first appeared a Greek cross, with the sun at its central point of intersection. The bars of the cross were of the same breadth as the sun, and the ends extended beyond the sun’s disc, apparently about six or seven times the breadth of the sun. When the cross was formed, the point of intersection covering the sun could be looked upon without any inconvenience to the naked eye; still it was clearly apparent that the sun was there. No sooner had this cross formed than123a still grander scene opened to view; on the outer end of each bar of the cross appeared a section of a rainbow, in bright colors, with the convex of the arc toward the sun, as represented in the cut.
This phenomenon continued with the sun until it set at night, and appeared with it the same when it arose the next morning, continuing until about four o’clock in the afternoon of the second day, when suddenly it vanished, and the sun shone out brightly. This phenomenon was witnessed by the writer at Waukon, Allamakee County, Iowa.
A YEAR OF WONDERS.
At the close of the year 1860, there appeared in the Chicago Journal an article giving a summary of mysterious events of the year, in which the writer says: “Regarding the year that has just closed, with an eye to its celestial as well as planetary phenomena, it has been a remarkable one, and might well create in the mind of a Millerite an irrefragable conviction that he had at last the date for a final prophecy. Thunder and lightning storms have been more violent and disastrous than usual. Tornadoes, unprecedented in fury, have ravaged every part of the country. Our western frontier has been parched and blighted by burning simoons. While one section reaped a bountiful harvest, another had its crops cut off by the lack of vivifying showers. Terrible storms and gales have swept our inland waters and seaboard. Freshets and inundations have ravaged the country in different quarters. Meteors of126unusual splendor and size have burst in upper air. Comets have brandished their fiery traces. The aurora has flaunted its banners of crimson and pearl in the northern heavens with unusual brilliancy. We have had rain storms and lightning, hail storms and gales of wind, sunshine and a variation of twenty degrees by the thermometer in a single day. The predictions of the weather-wise have been falsified, the astronomer confounded, and the almanac man at fault. Is there not here a magnificent field for the man of science who shall explain these things, trace out secret agencies at work, and show the cause of the phenomena of 1860?”
A FULL MOON IN FOUR QUARTERS, EACH A DIFFERENT COLOR.
The accompanying phenomenon, which was seen in Nord Laen (county), Sweden, in the midsummer of 1870, was related to me by an eye-witness. It was at the time of the full moon, in a clear night, when their hay was just in the condition to “house.” Fearing a storm was coming on that would injure the crop, hundreds of people arose at three o’clock in the morning to draw in their hay by clear moonlight. Their astonishment was great, when they beheld the moon lined off into four quarters, and each quarter of a different color. The upper right-hand quarter was a bright red, while the left-hand upper quarter was natural color, the left-hand lower quarter a livid green, and the lower right-hand quarter127a bright yellow. Hundreds were on their knees, calling on God for mercy, fearing that the end of all things was right upon them.
J K S
A RED CROSS AND INITIAL LETTERS.
The phenomenon of the red cross was witnessed at Urskong, some twenty English miles north of Christiania, Norway, in the month of August, 1896. About two hours after sunset, in a clear sky, at an angle of forty-five degrees, in the western heavens, was seen, for an hour or more, a large red cross, and under it, in great red letters, J. K. S. Those who saw it recognized at once the initial letters for an important sentence in their language—“Jeg kommer snart.” The English of this sentence is, “I come quickly.” So great was the impression of this scene upon the people, as I was told by one who not long after made a trip of some fifty miles above Christiania, that the people had painted on the flat surface of the perpendicular rocks, in red letters, in various places, a red cross, and under it the letters “J. K. S.” On inquiring as to what this meant, he was told that it was to keep in the memory of their children the wonderful sight that just before had been seen in the heavens.
WONDER SEEN IN SOUTH DAKOTA, 1897.
Passing over a number of years, observations of a more recent date are brought to your notice. First, a phenomenon that appeared in the horizon at Alexander, S. D., about Feb. 10, 1897, an account of which was furnished the writer at Mitchell,130S. D., in June, 1897, and attested by several persons who witnessed it. From the description given, a diagram was prepared, and the description written out and sent to Judge Miller, of Alexander, S. D. In a letter accompanying a testimonial which he sent, with his signature attached, he said: “The diagram is as nearly correct as I can describe it at this time.”
The testimonial reads: “This certifies that at Alexander, S. D., on or about Feb. 10, 1897, from 9 A. M. until about 4 P. M., there was a rainbow-colored band around the whole heavens about one hour above the horizon. In this band were four suns. Around two of the suns were rainbow-colored rings, having the suns for their centers, and two other rainbow rings with the suns in the circumference of the circles, as here represented. By two o’clock some of the people began to wonder if the Adventists would not think this a sign of the Lord’s coming. J. H. MILLER.”
Why should such a question be asked, unless the mind was impressed with the thought that this unexplainable “wonder” in the heavens might be one of the last-day tokens? And such is the case, for the Word says that when the great and terrible day of the Lord is drawing nigh, He will show wonders in the heavens, and signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars.
