G. Summary
During the period of 1850-74 the basic structure of the SDA theology of mission further developed the apocalyptic-eschatological dimensions of the three angels’ messages. Those developments were possible through the consistent use of their historicist hermeneutic, making it possible for believers to interpret the current events, especially those in the U.S.A., as signs of the times indicating the nearness of the Second Advent. Although the third angel received the greatest attention, there was an intimate relationship among all these angels. A knowledge of the first two angels’ messages was considered a prerequisite for the understanding of the third angel. The proclamation of the three angels’ messages was seen as a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.FSDA 268.1
The first angel’s message came to be especially associated with the pre-Advent judgment aspect of Christ’s post-1844 ministry. The successful mission praxis among non-Adventists was responsible for new soteriological developments in the sanctuary theology. There was a gradual maturing of the concept of the atonement which involved the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The significance of this message for mission was its special relevance for non-Adventists. Its proclamation prepared them to accept the other angels’ messages and the awareness of a present pre-Advent judgment provided a warning of the nearness of Christ’s return.FSDA 268.2
As a result of further developments of the second angel’s message, a distinction was made between a moral fall of Babylon and a final fall. The concept of the fall of Babylon determined the evaluation of revivals among non-Adventists, prevented ecumenical cooperation, and stressed the unique unity, function, and raison d’être of SDA. The Seventh Day Baptists were the only re ligious body toward which they had a somewhat positive attitude. An important mission of this message was that it informed people about the spiritual condition of Christianity in contrast to that of the SDA.FSDA 269.1
The third angel’s message was considered a message of restoration. Its central theme was the proclamation of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus which explained the 1844 Advent experience and the present theological position. This message pointed out that the final conflict in the world was to be on the issue of worship: The worship of God versus the worship of the beast and his image. In this issue in which the Decalogue in general, and especially the Sabbath, played a central role, each individual would receive either the seal of God or the mark of the beast. The third angel’s message was interpreted as a preparatory message restoring true worship and purifying God’s people for the coming crisis and Second Advent and was considered as a vital part of the closing work of salvation through Jesus Christ because man’s response to it was to ripen the harvest of the earth.FSDA 269.2
The strong emphasis on the Sabbath and the Decalogue may cause some to characterize this period as legalistic. A careful reading of contemporary literature, however, cannot support such a view. The primary sources advocated a concept of salvation which revealed a close relationship between works of obedience to God and faith in Jesus Christ, a relationship also expressed in the central theme of the third angel’s message.FSDA 269.3
Viewed as an important aid in the preparation for Christ’s return, health reform became an integral part of the third angel’s message. This reform advocated a series of changes in behavior based on the concept that the laws of nature are as divine as the Ten Commandments. Resultant, purifying influences on spiritual, mental, and physical faculties were expected to leave believers in a better condition to engage in mission work. Health institutions were to be established to facilitate not only the improvement of health among believers but also to restore others while reaching them with the gospel.FSDA 269.4
Further ecclesiological developments reflecting the character of the church created a better climate for mission work and contributed to the already unique position of SDA in the history of the Christian church. It was especially the Laodicean motif which brought out the anti-triumphalistic dimension in the missionary ecclesiology, while more than any other motif, the Elijah motif revealed the mission of restoration-the specific mission of the third angel’s message.FSDA 269.5
The missionary nature of the church was evident in the general understanding that all believers were called to engage in missionary activity-though a distinction in authority was maintained between the leadership and the laity. The mission endeavors of the believers were placed in the framework of God’s mission. It was felt that both angels and man played an active role in this divine mission. The relationship between God and man was seen as a cooperative one in the salvation of man.FSDA 270.1
During the period under discussion, apocalyptic-eschatological motives for mission dominated the movement. The development of non-apocalyptic motives could be attributed to E. G. White more than others, with her prevailing theme being the imitatio Christi.FSDA 270.2
This chapter dealt with the basic structure of the theology of mission which slowly emerged into a harmonious system in which each component played an indispensable role. Even though different individuals emphasized different aspects, the published primary sources reveal a remarkable uniformity in regard to the eschatological thrust of the mission theology. Although the believers continued to stress the soon return of Christ, they realized that His coming could not take place at any moment; the process of preparation would take some time during which certain events in the history of salvation would occur. Thus the urgency of the imminent parousia changed into a view which expected the Second Advent in the near future, creating in turn a climate in which missionary consciousness could gradually develop to a concept of a world-wide mission responsibility. The next chapter discusses the development of the missionary consciousness during the same period in which the basic structure of the theology of mission emerged. The context of that discussion is the interaction of theology and missionary praxis.FSDA 270.3