The Sabbath And The Apocalyptic Vision-5

March 16  The Sabbath And The Apocalyptic Vision-5

 


And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. Rev. 14:14.

The past few days we have been meditating upon Jeseph Bates' development of great controversy thoeology. By early 1847 he had come to the conclusion that what was becoming the Sabbatarian Adventist movement was not just another drive towrad denominationalism but a movement of prophecy.

Another thing that we need to note is that the great constroversy theme is firmly rooted in Scripture. Too many believe that it has its genesis in the writings of Ellen White. As early as April 7, 1847, she also would highlgith that teahcing. But her report of her vision on the topic would be one of confirmation of Bates' Bible study rather than one of origination. Let's take a look at her earliest great controversy vision.

"Dear Brother Bates," she wrote on April 7, 1847, "Last Sabbath we met with the dear brethren and sisters here. . .Soon I was lost to earthly things, and was wrapped up in a vision of God's glory. . .After viewing the glory of the Holy, Jesus raised the second veil, and I passed into the Holy of Holies.

"In the Holiest I saw the ark. . .In the ark, was. . .the tables of stone. . .Jesus opened them, and I saw the ten commandments written on them with the finger of God. . .On one table was four, and on the other six. The four on the first table shone brighter than the other six. But thet fourth (the Sabbath commandment) name. . .I saw that God had not changed the Sabbath, for He never changes. . .

"I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question, to unite the hearts of God's dear waiting saints"(WLF 18, 19).

She went on to note that the faithful preaching of the Sabbath and the keeping of it would become a powerful message, but that "at the commencement of the time of trouble" it would bring about persecution, even to the point at which all who "would not recieve the mark of the Beast, and of his image, . . . could not buy or sell." The vision ends in persecution and delieverance at the Second Advent by Jesus coming on a "great white cloud,"(ibid, 19, 20).

Father, we look forward to that cloud with all of its meaning and blessing. Amen.