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xvi
Early Writings
At the beginning of the symbolic pathway revealed to youthful
Ellen was a bright light, identified by the angel as the midnight cry,
an expression linked with the climactic preaching in the summer
and autumn of 1844 of the imminent Second Advent. In this vision
[xvii]
she saw Christ as leading the people to the city of God. Their
conversation indicated that the journey would be longer than they
had anticipated. Some lost sight of Jesus and fell off the pathway,
but those who kept their eyes on Jesus and the city reached their
destination in safety. It is this that we find presented in “My First
Vision” on pages 13-17
.
Two Groups of Adventists
At first only a few were identified with this group who were
moving forward in advancing light. By the year 1846 they reckoned
their numbers as about fifty
.
The larger group who turned from confidence in the fulfillment
of prophecy in 1844 numbered approximately thirty thousand. Their
leaders came together in 1845 in a conference in Albany, New York,
April 29 to May 1, at which time they restudied their positions. By
formal action they went on record as warning against those who
claim “special illumination,” those who teach “Jewish fables,” and
those who establish “new tests” (
Advent Herald
, May 14, 1845).
Thus they closed the door to light on the Sabbath and the Spirit of
Prophecy. They were confident that prophecy had not been fulfilled
in 1844, and some set time for the termination of the 2300-day
period in the future. Various times were set, but one after another
they passed by. These people, held together by the cohesive element
of the Advent hope, at first aligned themselves in several rather
loosely knit groups with considerable variation in certain doctrinal
positions. Some of these groups soon faded out. The group that
survived became the Advent Christian Church. Such are identified
in this book as the “first day Adventists” or “nominal adventists.”
[xviii]
Dawn of the Light on the Sanctuary
But we must now turn back to those who tenaciously clung to
their confidence that prophecy had been fulfilled on October 22,