Power of the Message of Righteousness

There was a manifestation of revival power unto salvation in the preaching of justification by faith in the nineties like the power to be seen in the coming “loud cry.” Indeed, our ministers taught that it was the beginning of the “1atter rain” experience. Mrs. White called righteousness by faith “a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct.” (The Desire of Ages, 555.) She said further that “this is the glory of God which closes the work of the third angel.” (Testimonies for the Church 6:19.) This must be remembered as we think of God’s work today and tomorrow. As an illustration of the deep feeling and power of those revival days, I quote the following from a talk by O. A. Olsen at the General Conference session of 1893:FSG 244.1

“This place is becoming more and more solemn on account of the presence of God. I presume that none of us have ever before been in quite such a meeting as we are having at this time. The Lord is certainly coming very near, and is revealing things more and more, things which we have not heretofore appreciated nor understood. It is also evident that the message of the ‘True Witness’ is being appreciated more than in the past.FSG 244.2

“I felt very solemn last evening. To me the place was terrible on account of God’s nearness, on account of the solemn testimony that was borne to us here. I am so glad that the Lord is working, and I expect to see great things as the result.”—The General Conference Bulletin, 188, 189, 1893.FSG 244.3