VII. Holt-Saints in Heaven; Earth Desolate During Millennium

GEORGE W. HOLT (1812-1877), ^{46Obituary, Review and Herald, Feb. 21, 1878, p. 83.} of Connecticut, was an Adventist minister under the first and second messages, and one of the earliest to embrace the new sanctuary and Sabbath positions. In 1850 he associated with James White in publishing the Advent Review, his name appearing on the publishing committee card. He traveled much in northeastern Canada, New York, and Ohio, helping to build up the constituencies, later pioneering in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. He did not write much, and two points in interpretation must suffice.PFF4 1088.3

1. Revelation 13-APPLIED 666 TO TWO-HORNED BEAST

In 1850 Holt seems still unsettled as to the identity of the two-horned beast and the relationship of the “666” to the two—horned beast. He simply expresses an opinion:PFF4 1088.4

“The Papal beast, having seven heads and ten horns is the one referred to; and I think the image, is the beast having ‘two horns like a lamb,’ but ‘spake as a dragon.’ His number is 666.” ^{47George W. Holt, Letter in Present Truth, March, 1850, p. 64.}PFF4 1088.5

2. Revelation 20-EARTH DESOLATE DURING THOUSAND YEARS

Strictly premillennialist, as were all the Sabbatarian Adventists, Holt believed the resurrected and translated saints, in their immortalized state, will be with Christ in the heavenly Jerusalem throughout the thousand years, during which time the earth is desolate:PFF4 1088.6

“When Jesus conies in the clouds of heaven, at the commencement of the 1000 years, the saints do not then come with him, but all the holy angels. The saints are then caught away to live and reign with him 1000 years. When this is fulfilled, at the commencement of the day of eternity the Lord God and all the saints with him come down in the Holy City, New Jerusalem and it is located upon die land here referred to.PFF4 1089.1

“Satan gathers the whole host of Gog and Magog [the resurrected wicked] around the Beloved City, and Camp of the saints; the same host that have been deceived by him, and are still deceived, and they come up on the breadth of the old earth, that has been desolate 1000 years, to battle. Here they think to overcome the saints, and take the City; but to their great consternation they hear their final sentence pronounced: ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’” ^{48Holt, “The Day of the Lord,” Review and Herald, March 23, 1852, p. 107. (Brackets in second paragraph in original.)}PFF4 1089.2