October 6, 2023 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Hello, friends. Today, we will be looking at the last part of Chapter 22, titled “Prophecies Fulfilled,” in the book The Great Controversy.
As we saw in our previous video, through careful Bible study and prayer, the early Advent believers realized the 2,300-day prophecy found in Daniel 8:14 would end in the autumn of 1844. Upon further reflection, they concluded that this event was typified by the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament, and would therefore take place on the actual Day of Atonement of that year, which fell on October 22.
Eagerly they waited in expectation for Christ to come and shared this amazing news with others. Everything else faded into the background as they prepared for this great day. “Like a tidal wave,” wrote Ellen White, “the movement swept over the land. . . . Fanaticism disappeared before this proclamation like early frost before the rising sun. Believers saw their doubt and perplexity removed, and hope and courage animated their hearts. . . . There was persevering prayer and unreserved consecration to God” (The Great Controversy, pp. 400, 401).
But again, they were destined to disappointment. Christ did not come on October 22, 1844, as they expected. Yet even this tremendous disappointment was foretold in Scripture. We read about it in Revelation, Chapter 10, where John describes the following vision:
“I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had a little book open in his hand and he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land . . . Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, ‘Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.’ So I went to the angel and said to him, ‘Give me the little book.’ And he said to me, ‘Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.’ Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings'” (vs. 1-2, 8-11).
This prophecy explains precisely what happened to the early Advent believers. The “little book” mentioned here is the Book of Daniel, which they had so carefully studied. As they came to understand the prophecies outlined there, it was sweet as honey to them as they eagerly looked forward to the Lord’s return. However, when the expected event did not take place, it was a terribly bitter experience. Nevertheless, notice the command given at the end of this prophecy: “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings” (vs. 11). What could this mean? What were they to prophesy about?
“With unwavering confidence they had looked forward to His coming, and now they felt as did Mary when, coming to the Saviour’s tomb and finding it empty, she exclaimed with weeping, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.’ John 20:13” (The Great Controversy, p. 403).
Sadly, a large group who had professed belief, now renounced their faith, never to return. Like Jonah, they blamed God, and would rather die than live.
Nevertheless, there were some who, although they did not fully understand why Jesus had not come, did not give up their faith. They were sure that the prophecies were correct. They believed God’s Word and knew it was within those sacred pages where the answer was to be found.
“Their only safe course,” wrote Ellen White, “was to cherish the light which they had already received of God, hold fast to His promises, and continue to search the Scriptures, and patiently wait and watch to receive further light” (The Great Controversy, p. 408).
Fortunately, they did not have long to wait. God’s Word is faithful and true.
In our next video, we will discover the marvelous light they would soon come to see.
Once again, if you have not already done so, I invite you to download the marvelous book The Great Controversy at thegreatcontroversyproject.org [Insert: thegreatcontroversyproject.org] so you can follow along as we discover tremendous truths for our time.
Let’s pray together just now.
Father in Heaven, thank you for revealing to your followers precise truth at the right time to help them to not lose faith but to realize that you are in control of everything. Lord, we ask now that you will help us to understand, as we look into the next phase of this chapter of this book and understanding about Jesus’ soon return, exactly how the early Advent believers understood that Christ’s return was imminent and that they were not incorrect in interpreting the wonderful sequence of events in Scripture. But that soon Jesus would come. Help us to understand fully that beautiful story. In Christ’s name we ask it. Amen.