The Nature Of Present Truth-2

March 24  The Nature Of Present Truth-2

 


And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice. . .Rev. 14:9, RSV.

One way to grasp the founders of Sabbatarian Adventism's understanding of present truth is to examine one of James White's evangelistic sermons. As we glimpse its powerful flow we need to remember that he was preaching to and writing to ex-Millerites-men and women who had already accepted the first and perhaps the second angels' messages of Revelation 14.

"Then," James declares, "the sixth verse of the fourteenth chapter introduces the second advent message, and commences another chain of events related to the seccessive messages which were to be proclaimed to the people of God" before the Second Advent.

"All advent believers agree that the first angel's message" was fulfilled in the proclamation of Christ's second advent n the 1840s. "With what soleminity, zeal and holy confidence the servants of the Lord proclaimed the time. And O, how their words fell upon the people, melting the hardest sinner's heart."

The second angel "followed after the first delivered the burden of his message." He "called us out from the . . .churches where we are now free to think, and act for ourselves in the fear of God. It is an exceedingly interesting fact, that the Sabbath question began to be agitated among second advent believers immediately after they were called  out of the churches by the second angel's message. God's work moves in order. THe Sabbath truth came up in just the right time to fulfill prophecy. Amen."

"He called us from the bondage of the churches in 1844, and there humbled us, and has and has been proving us, and has been developing the hearts of his people, and seeing whether they would keep his commandments. . .

"Many stopped at the first  angel's message, and others at the second, and many will refuse the thrid; but a few will 'follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth,' and go up and possess the land."

Present truth for the founders of Sabbatarian Adventism had to do with the flow of prophetic history. God was summoning a people. Step by step He was revealing His truth to them. Never did they view themselves as merely  another denomination. To the contrary, they consistently saw their movement as one of propehcy. They had a special message to give before Jesus would come-a message spelled out in Revlation 14:6-12 and forming the core of God's end-time proclamation.

He who looks often upon the cross of Calvary, remembering that his sins placed the Saviour there, will never try to estimate the degree of his guilt in comparison with that of others. He will not climb upon the judgment seat to bring accusation against another. There can be no spirit of criticism or self-exaltation on the part of those who walk in the shadow of Calvary's cross(TFMB, 128).