Time of the End - Chronological events

TIME OF THE END – 1798

"Since 1798 the book of Daniel has been unsealed, knowledge of the prophecies has increased, and many have proclaimed the solemn message of the judgment near." - The Great Controversy, p. 356.

So that is the arrival of first Increase of Knowledge

“No such message has ever been given in past ages. Paul, as we have seen, did not preach it; he pointed his brethren into the then far-distant future for the coming of the Lord. The Reformers did not proclaim it. Martin Luther placed the judgment about three hundred years in the future from his day. But since 1798 the book of Daniel has been unsealed, knowledge of the prophecies has increased, and many have proclaimed the solemn message of the judgment near. Like the great Reformation of the sixteenth century, the advent movement appeared in different countries of Christendom at the same time. In both Europe and America men of faith and prayer were led to the study of the prophecies, and, tracing down the inspired record, they saw convincing evidence that the end of all things was at hand. In different lands there were isolated bodies of Christians who, solely by the study of the Scriptures, arrived at the belief that the Saviour’s advent was near. In 1821, three years after Miller had arrived at his exposition of the prophecies pointing to the time of the judgment, Dr. Joseph Wolff, “the missionary to the world,” began to proclaim the Lord’s soon coming.” – {Great Controversy, pg.356.2-357.2}

So according to Dan12:4 knowledge starts to increase.

The prophetic passage that was unsealed in this history is Daniel 8:14—the 2300 days leading to the judgment. The increase of knowledge which followed the arrival of the time of the end is seen in the experience of “men of faith and prayer” “in both Europe and America” who “were led to the study of the prophecies”—men such as Dr. Joseph Wolff and William Miller. The classical illustration of the increase of knowledge which will be the focus of this study is William Miller. This is because, according to inspiration, it is in his country and because of his labors that the Advent movement took a more definite form; and America became the center of this prophetic movement:

As early as 1826 the advent message began to be preached in England. The movement here did not take so definite a form as in America; the exact time of the advent was not so generally taught, but the great truth of Christ’s soon coming in power and glory was extensively proclaimed…To William Miller and his colaborers it was given to preach the warning in America. This country became the center of the great advent movement. It was here that the prophecy of the first angel’s message had its most direct fulfillment. The writings of Miller and his associates were carried to distant lands. Wherever missionaries had penetrated in all the world, were sent the glad tidings of Christ’s speedy return. Far and wide spread the message of the everlasting gospel: “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.”” – {Great Controversy, pg.362.2, 368.1}

Separation of Classes Initiated

The proclamation of a definite time for Christ’s coming called forth great opposition from many of all classes, from the minister in the pulpit down to the most reckless, Heaven-daring sinner. The words of prophecy were fulfilled: “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:3, 4. Many who professed to love the Saviour, declared that they had no opposition to the doctrine of the second advent; they merely objected to the definite time. But God’s allseeing eye read their hearts. They did not wish to hear of Christ’s coming to judge the world in righteousness. They had been unfaithful servants, their works would not bear the inspection of the heart-searching God, and they feared to meet their Lord. Like the Jews at the time of Christ’s first advent they were not prepared to welcome Jesus. They not only refused to listen to the plain arguments from the Bible, but ridiculed those who were looking for the Lord. Satan and his angels exulted, and flung the taunt in the face of Christ and holy angels that His professed people had so little love for Him that they did not desire His appearing.” – {Great Controversy, pg.370.1} “Some ministers laid aside their sectarian views and feelings, left their salaries and their churches, and united in proclaiming the coming of Jesus. There were comparatively few ministers, however, who would accept this message; therefore it was largely committed to humble laymen. Farmers left their fields, mechanics their tools, traders their merchandise, professional men their positions; and yet the number of workers was small in comparison with the work to be accomplished. The condition of an ungodly church and a world lying in wickedness, burdened the souls of the true watchmen, and they willingly endured toil, privation, and suffering, that they might call men to repentance unto salvation. Though opposed by Satan, the work went steadily forward, and the advent truth was accepted by many thousands.” – {Great Controversy, pg.368.2}

The increase of knowledge of the time prophecies of the end times produced a dual response and initiated an escalating process of separation. From a very early stage, men of all classes who did not understand the increase of knowledge did wickedly and opposed and ridiculed those who did understand and were made wise unto salvation. It is worth noting that as the message in the time of Christ was given to ignorant shepherds and heathen magi, the message of the judgment hour “was largely committed to humble laymen.” The reason for this was “comparatively few ministers” were willing to lay “aside their sectarian views and feelings” and “their salaries and their churches” to endure the hardships associated with spreading unpopular yet salvational truth. This rift between the two classes would only widen as more light was shed on the time prophecies.

Formalization of the Message

1833

After reviewing his positions over a period of years and assuring himself as to their certainty, he [Miller] responded in early August, 1831, to an invitation to publicly present his views on the prophecies. From then on his time was devoted largely to the heralding of the Advent message. In due time he was joined by hundreds of other Protestant ministers who participated in the great Advent Awakening of the 1840’s.” – {Early Writings, pg.303.1} “He [Miller] began to present his views in private as he had opportunity, praying that some minister might feel their force and devote himself to their promulgation. But he could not banish the conviction that he had a personal duty to perform in giving the warning. The words were ever recurring to his mind: “Go and tell it to the world; their blood will I require at thy hand.” For nine years he waited, the burden still pressing upon his soul, until in 1831 he for the first time publicly gave the reasons of his faith.” – {Great Controversy, pg.330.2} “In 1833 Miller received a license to preach, from the Baptist Church, of which he was a member. A large number of the ministers of his denomination also approved his work, and it was with their formal sanction that he continued his labors. He traveled and preached unceasingly, though his personal labors were confined principally to the New England and Middle States. In 1833, two years after Miller began to present in public the evidences of Christ’s soon coming, the last of the signs appeared which were promised by the Saviour as tokens of His second advent. Said Jesus: “The stars shall fall from heaven.” Matthew 24:29. And John in the Revelation declared, as he beheld in vision the scenes that should herald the day of God: “The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” Revelation 6:13. This prophecy received a striking and impressive fulfillment in the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. That was the most extensive and wonderful display of falling stars which has ever been recorded; “the whole firmament, over all the United States, being then, for hours, in fiery commotion!” – {Great Controversy, pg.332.1, 333.1}

The presentation of the message of definite time for the hour of judgment by William Miller during the years of his initial public labors (the 1830’s) answers to the formalization of the message of that history. In 1831, Miller prepared a series of articles on the subject which were published and circulated in subsequent years; in the same year, he also began public spoken presentations. In 1833, he received credentials from the Baptist church to formally present his findings. It is worth noting that in the very year that Miller received his license to preach from the Baptist church, the celestial shower (falling of the stars) which prophecy had predicted as a sign of the end times took place. Thus, God gave a token of divine endorsement to the work of William Miller in heralding the message of the judgment near. And the Protestant churches of his generation could be held accountable for that formalized light. It goes without saying, the reformer of that time was an American Reformer (as Great Controversy puts it)—William Miller.

Empowerment of the First Message – August 11, 1840 Revelation 10:1-6

In the year 1840 another remarkable fulfillment of prophecy excited widespread interest. Two years before, Josiah Litch, one of the leading ministers preaching the second advent, published an exposition of Revelation 9, predicting the fall of the Ottoman Empire. According to his calculations, this power was to be overthrown “in A.D. 1840, sometime in the month of August;” and only a few days previous to its accomplishment he wrote: “Allowing the first period, 150 years, to have been exactly fulfilled before Deacozes ascended the throne by permission of the Turks, and that the 391 years, fifteen days, commenced at the close of the first period, it will end on the 11th of August, 1840, when the Ottoman power in Constantinople may be expected to be broken. And this, I believe, will be found to be the case.”—Josiah Litch, in Signs of the Times, and Expositor of Prophecy, August 1, 1840. At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Europe, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian nations. The event exactly fulfilled the prediction. (See Appendix.) When it became known, multitudes were convinced of the correctness of the principles of prophetic interpretation adopted by Miller and his associates, and a wonderful impetus was given to the advent movement. Men of learning and position united with Miller, both in preaching and in publishing his views, and from 1840 to 1844 the work rapidly extended.”” – {GC 335.1} “The message of Revelation 14, proclaiming that the hour of God’s judgment is come, is given in the time of the end. The angel of Revelation 10 is represented as having one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, showing that the message will be carried to distant lands, the ocean will be crossed, and the islands of the sea will hear the proclamation of the last message of warning to our world....“That there should be time no longer.” This message announces the end of the prophetic periods. The disappointment of those who expected to see our Lord in 1844 was indeed bitter to those who had so ardently looked for His appearing. It was in the Lord’s order that this disappointment should come, and that hearts should be revealed.” – {Christ Triumphant, pg.340.2, 3} “This time, which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world’s history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. That is, the people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time, reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844.” – {Manuscript Releases, vol.19, pg.

The advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel’s message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century;…”– {Great Controversy, pg.611.1} The empowerment of the first message is marked on August 11, 1840. The characteristics are outlined as follows:

1. Inspiration identifies that the confirmation of the rules of interpretation adopted by Miller in explaining the time prophecies of the end times gave an impetus to (or empowered) the Advent movement. This is parallel to the confirmation of the message of John concerning the first advent of Christ by the miraculous circumstances associated with Christ’s baptism. 2. The message was worldwide in its scope; the work rapidly extended, the first angel’s message was carried to every missionary station in the world. This is parallel to Moses’ message to Pharaoh which was not to have an impact on Egypt alone, but the surrounding nations as well. It also parallels John’s message of the Saviour whose sacrifice was to encompass the world. John’s message also spread to regions abroad his native land. 3. The Bible and Spirit of prophecy represent the Angel of Revelation 10 as Christ, but more specifically as a symbol of the work He accomplished through the Advent people in carrying the first angel’s message to “distant lands.” This is further confirmed by the Angel’s words “time shall be no longer.” This was applicable to the termination of prophetic time by 1844. And this was the message and work accomplished by the Advent people. Therefore, the empowerment of the first angel’s message was associated with the descent of the Angel of Revelation 10. The parallels in the histories of Moses and Christ were the descent of the angel of the Lord who confronted Moses with the test of circumcision and the descent of the Holy Spirit at the baptism of Christ respectively. 4. The empowerment of the work represented by the first angel of Revelation 14 was associated with the fulfillment of a time prophecy in Revelation 9 predicting the collapse of the Ottoman Islamic Empire on August 11, 1840. Our Adventist pioneers understood that Revelation 9 elaborated on the role of Islam in Bible prophecy. They referred to the adherents of this religion as the Mahometans (or Mohammedans). 5. Revelation 9 represents or symbolizes them as an army of war horses, members of the equine family. This brings us back to a parallel history, the history of Moses. An ass, (another member of the equine family) upon which his family rode, was headed towards judgment-bound Egypt; but at the time of the descent of the angel to Moses, it was turned out of its way and returned to Midian as a way to protect Moses’ ill-prepared family. This was a type, shadow, sign, or symbol of the forces of Islam at the beginning of Modern Israel (the Ottoman Islamic Empire and Islamic Egypt) whose conflict was distressing the European powers in the late 1830’s. Both nations had to be turned out of their ways, i.e., had to have their wild warlike activities put in check or restrained. Islamic Egypt was turned out of its way (or restrained) by an order to cease its insurrection against the Ottoman Turks. And the Ottoman Turks were turned out of their way by handing the governing of their affairs over to the European nations; thus losing their national sovereignty. The following Adventist theologian, Professor Pieter. G. Damsteegt gives a summary of these transactions:

The sixth trumpet of Rev. 9 depicted the conquest and killing done by the Ottoman empire. The duration of the supremacy of this power was "an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year" (9:15). The actual time was again found by using the year-day principle. An hour was 15 days; a day, one year; a month, 30 years; and a year, 360 literal years, the whole amounting to 391 years and 15 days. Thus, to Litch the completion of the sixth trumpet, or the end of the Ottoman supremacy, should occur "150 years" and "391 years and 15 days" after July 27, 1299, that is, precisely on August 11, 1840. To this conclusion he arrived about two weeks before the expected event. Several months later another article by Litch on the Eastern question appeared in which he claimed that the latest political developments were a confirmation of his prediction. The Sultan of the empire had been engaged in a quarrel with Mehemet Ali, Pasha of Egypt. The Pasha rebelled against the Sultan, declared his independence, and conquered a large part of the Ottoman empire and fleet. This aroused the Western European powers, who wanted to restore the balance of power. A conference was held in London on July 15, 1840 and an ultimatum was drawn up demanding the Pasha to return part of his conquests and the Sultan's fleet. Rifaat Bey, the Sultan's envoy, was sent to Alexandria to communicate the ultimatum to the Pasha. Litch felt that the end of the prophetic period of Rev. 9:15 and the end of the supremacy of the Sultan were inseparably connected with the ultimatum of the great powers to Mehemet Ali. As long as the decision of that conference remained in the hands of Rifaat Bey, the Sultan maintained his independence. But when the ultimatum had been passed into the Pasha's hands, the question of war or peace was beyond the Sultan's control. This happened, Litch said, when "Rifaat Bey arrived at Alexandria on the 11th of August and threw the decision of the affair into the hands of Mehemet Ali. And from that time it was out of the sultan's power to control the affairs. It lay with Mehemet Ali to say whether there should be war or peace." According to Litch, this was the conclusion of the sixth trumpet, and since the 11th of August the Ottoman power in Constantinople had been "entirely under the dictation of the great Christian powers of Europe." He concluded his remarks by stressing the urgency of the times:” – {Foundation of the Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission, pg.27.1} Thus, these developments provided an umbrella of protection to the faith of multitudes of people in the churches who were yet unprepared for the judgment, as the turning away of Moses’ ass afforded his family respite and protection from the conflicts they were not prepared to meet in ancient Egypt. 6. With the confirmation of the fulfillment of the prophecy of “the second woe” in Revelation 9, the testing process became life and death to all who were confronted with the truth because it had been proven to be valid. 7. This confirmation brought with it a fearful conviction of sin reflected in the words of the

Foundations Laid – May 1842

As early as 1842, the Spirit of God had moved upon Charles Fitch to devise the prophetic chart, which was generally regarded by Adventists as a fulfillment of the command given by the prophet Habakkuk, “to write the vision and make it plain upon tables.” No one, however, then saw the tarrying time, which was brought to view in the same prophecy. After the disappointment, the full meaning of this scripture became apparent. Thus speaks the prophet: “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” [Habakkuk 2:2, 3.]” – {Spirit of Prophecy, pg.241.2} “The warning has come: Nothing is to be allowed to come in that will disturb the foundation of the faith upon which we have been building ever since the message came in 1842, 1843, and 1844. I was in this message, and ever since I have been standing before the world, true to the light that God has given us. We do not propose to take our feet off the platform on which they were placed as day by day we sought the Lord with earnest prayer, seeking for light. Do you think that I could give up the light that God has given me? It is to be as the Rock of Ages. It has been guiding me ever since it was given. Brethren and sisters, God lives and reigns and works today. His hand is on the wheel, and in his providence he is turning the wheel in accordance with his own will. Let not men fasten themselves to documents, saying what they will do, and what they will not do. Let them fasten themselves to the Lord God of heaven. Then the light of heaven will shine into the soul-temple, and we shall see the salvation of God.” – {Review and Herald, April 14, 1903 Par. 35} “I have seen that the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the Lord, and that it should not be altered; that the figures were as He wanted them; that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures, so that none could see it, until His hand was removed.” – {Early Writings, pg.74.1} “In May, 1842, a General Conference was convened in Boston, Mass. At the opening of this meeting, Brn. Charles Fitch and Apollos Hale, of Haverhill, presented the pictorial prophecies of Daniel and John, which they had painted on cloth, with the prophetic numbers, showing their fulfillment. Bro. Fitch in explaining from his chart before the Conference, said, while examining these prophecies, he had thought if he could get out something of the kind as here presented it would simplify the subject and make it easier for him to present to an audience. Here was more light in our pathway. These brethren had been doing what the Lord had shown Habakkuk in his vision 2468 years before, saying, "Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time." Hab.ii,2.” – {The Autobiography of Elder Joseph Bates, pg.262.1}

In the year 1840 people flock in into the movement.

They saw the principles using was correct.

Which are the foundation of God's throne: (144,000).