LESSON L. First Special Message

Questions to Lesson 50^{*What will the faithful servant be giving the household when Christ comes? What must he know? In the parable, how many calls to supper are there? Of what have we a clear prophecy in Rev. xiv? Who appears after the three are fulfilled? What is the first message? What is the only thing special in it? What time had been appointed? What is judged in the cleansing of the Sanctuary? How far has such a message been heard? What was the grand point in the preaching? What were its evidences, compared with those of John’s mission? How did it find the people? To what has it led many? How many times can prophecy be fulfilled? In fulfilling prophecy, what may the actors, though children of God, not know at the time?}

Christ never can come again according to the scriptures, and his coming not be preached in the world beforehand. The faithful servant will be found giving the household meat in due season when he comes; [Matthew 24:46;] and the only meat that can be in season then, is the coming of the Lord, and the needed preparation for that event. To give meat in due season, one must know the time of day, and not be calling to breakfast or dinner when it is supper time.BIC 117.1

In the parable [Luke 14:16] there are three invitations to the supper, which seem to denote three special messages to be given at the close of the great day of probationary time. But we have something to depend upon besides our exposition of this parable. In Revelation 14, we have a clear prophecy of three special messages to be given in the world, just before the Son of man is seen upon the great white cloud. Verse 14.BIC 117.2

The first message is addressed to every nation and people, and is expressed in these words: Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Verse 7. The only thing special in this, is the time-the hour of judgment. This must refer to some set time which God had appointed; and what is more reasonable than to suppose that it refers to the ending of the 2300 days, when the sanctuary was to be cleansed. The cleansing of the sanctuary is a judgment scene. It is actually passing judgment, or deciding whose sins shall be blotted out, and whose shall not.BIC 118.1

Such a message has been proclaimed to all the world, as far as the sound of the gospel is known. Wm. Miller was the first to preach it in this country, and, on that account, it was called Millerism. Prophetic time was the very life of the message-without it, it could not have existed; and the ending of the 2300 days was the grand point to which all other periods were only so many witnesses. This was the basis of the cry, The hour of his judgment is come.BIC 118.2

Compared with this movement, the work of John the Baptist was very limited. They both, however, fulfilled the Scriptures, and accomplished the end for which they each were sent. They both rested upon the same kinds of evidence, viz.: a prophetic message, prophetic time, and a life and actions corresponding to the faith preached.BIC 118.3

It may be objected, that erroneous views were preached in connection with this time message. We reply, that it found the people in many errors, some of which were completely and for ever exploded by that very preaching; and others have since been uprooted, as a consequence of men’s being awakened, by this, to search the Scriptures, in order to escape those things that are coming on the earth, and to stand before the Son of man. And when the word of God is once literally fulfilled, there it must for ever stand; no matter if the disciples, who are instrumental in its fulfillment, do not so much as know the part which they act themselves till afterwards. See John 12:16, also Lesson xxxv.BIC 119.1