Caution needs to be exercised in reading and interpreting this text. In addition to being written by a third person and thereby increasing the potential for inaccuracies, the intermittent, discontinuous character of Ellen White's utterances while in vision means that there is often insufficient context available to make the meaning of individual statements clear or to understand the overall structure of the vision. The same caution should be applied to the brief summary of Ellen White's “explanations” found in the second part of the manuscript. The brevity of these comments clouds their meaning.

See: “The Conference,” Review, Mar. 23, 1852, p. 108.

1EGWLM 322.2

Previously unpublished.1EGWLM 322.3

Preparing for earth's final events. Utterances while in vision and explanations given after coming out of vision.1EGWLM 322.4

“If the sins do not go beforehand to judgment, they will never go. Thy people (repeated four times) not ready (three times). In that time one sin uncovered will crush the soul. Heaven will give no answer. That time will try men's souls. Confusion will take place and their desire will not be accomplished.²

For comment on these opening statements, see notes on the “explanations” in the second part of the manuscript.

Can ye not see?—subjects of grace in that time of trouble^{3
See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Time of Trouble.”} one, or once sealed,^{4
See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Seal of God.”} sealed for heaven. Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! Get ready. Almost finished.1EGWLM 322.5

“Look ye! Light all the way that is given must be acted upon. If that light is rejected, then stupidity will increase. Look ye! The ark of God can abide. The Most Holy is above the ark. Why cannot that ark abide there?⁵

An allusion to the ark of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary, a symbol of God's presence in the camp of the Israelites. Compare the language used here with the following passage in a document written two years later: “A death-like stupor has hung upon the people of God. The reason is, the ark is not with them, for the holy commandments have been broken, and God has taken it away in His anger” (Ms 1, 1854 [Feb. 12]).

The heart is not right with God. Ye I behold (repeated). Those that have that excellent reward sacrifice to obtain it. How afraid to die that they may live. Die to self, it is the hardest thing. Can ye not see that the people of God will be one when that unity prevails? Then will ye see His stately steppings^{6
For a sense of Ellen White's use of “His stately steppings,” compare with the following passage: “The Lord walks among men by His providences; but His stately steppings are not heard, His presence is not discerned, His hand is not recognized.”
See: Ellen G. White, “Meetings at South Lancaster, Mass.,” Review, Mar. 5, 1889, p. 146.} even among you. The angels of God will behold it.1EGWLM 322.6

“The sword cannot touch them. Can ye not see that prayers are going up from that company? His ear is heavy.⁷

“Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isa. 59:1).

That fountain is open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in.^{8
“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zech. 13:1).} Think ye that they can cover up the least sin and yet get in where the angels are? That sanctuary a great High Priest. Israel is not right. Why? Oh, why are ye not in love to plunge—bring them up, get ready (four times). He is coming. Unless you get ready, others will go in before you. Suffer them not to blind their eyes to their own destruction. Help the children to get ready. The four angels^{9
See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Seal of God,” “Time of Trouble.”} holding for Israel to get ready. Will the angels wait? No, look ye! Can ye not see? Not ready, something to be done. Self! Self! O Jesus, pity and forgive thine erring children.”1EGWLM 323.1

After she came out of vision some things were more fully explained. Respecting that time [which] will try men's souls, confusion will take place and their desire will not be accomplished.1EGWLM 323.2

That desire was with the people to dethrone their kings, but it would not be accomplished, for kings would reign until Christ begins to reign. Said she, I saw away off there in Europe just as things were moving to accomplish their desires, there would appear to be a slacking up once or twice. This would serve to harden the hearts of the wicked, but the work would not settle down, only appear to; for the minds of the rulers were as intent in sustaining themselves, as were the minds of the people to get the ascendancy.¹⁰

Adventist pioneer ministers disagreed on how this passage should be understood. This is not surprising, given its intermittent and almost cryptic character. J. N. Loughborough wrote in 1916 that Ellen White was referring in part to the revolutions that swept through central Europe in 1848 but that died down within a short space of time. “There was,” he wrote, “one slacking up after the revolution of 1848. In the present war, beginning in 1914, is manifest on a still larger scale the determination to overthrow kings and rulers. … The testimony seems to indicate a second slacking up before the final conflict of the nations shall come.” Alonzo T. Jones, on the other hand, speaking before the General Conference session in 1893, interpreted these statements in terms of future persecution by state-church alliances in Europe and America.

See: J. N. Loughborough, Questions on the Sealing Message (1916), p. 12, as in Words of the Pioneers; A. T. Jones, “The Third Angel's Message—No. 24,” General Conference Daily Bulletin, Mar. 26, 1893, p. 518.

I saw that each party ruled and rulers were stretching their thoughts intensely on this work before them. The sins of Israel must go to judgment beforehand. Every sin must be confessed at the sanctuary.^{11
Based on 1 Timothy 5:24: “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.” The reading given this text here is that those who confess their sins now will be clear in the coming judgment while the unrepentant will then face their unconfessed sins. “I warn all who profess the name of Christ to closely examine themselves and make full and thorough confession of all their wrongs, that they may go beforehand to judgment, and that the recording angel may write pardon opposite their names” (Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 263).} Then the work will move; it must be done now (“now” probably referred to some present). The remnant in the time of trouble will cry, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”^{12
“In the time of trouble, if the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith, and they could not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance. But while they have a deep sense of their unworthiness, they have no concealed wrongs to reveal. Their sins have gone beforehand to judgment, and have been blotted out” (Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 620).}1EGWLM 323.3

The latter rain¹³

See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Latter Rain.”

is coming on those that are pure. None receive the latter rain but those that did all they could. Christ would help us. All could be overcomers by the grace of God through the blood of Christ. When the four angels let go,^{14
For early interpretations of the four angels of Revelation 7:1-3, see notes under Ms 1, 1848 (Nov. 18, 19).} Christ would set up His kingdom.1EGWLM 324.1

Lt 9, 1851

Ms 1, 1852