Fanaticism and Extremism
535
If the Jews had studied the Scriptures with earnest, prayerful hearts,
their searching would have been rewarded with a true knowledge of the
time, and not only the time, but also the manner of Christ’s appearing.
They would not have ascribed the glorious second appearing of Christ
to His first advent. They had the testimony of Daniel; they had the
testimony of Isaiah and the other prophets; they had the teachings of
Moses; and here was Christ in their very midst, and still they were
searching the Scriptures for evidence in regard to His coming. And
they were doing unto Christ the very things that had been prophesied
[613]
they would do. They were so blinded they knew not what they were
doing.
And many are doing the same thing today, in 1897, because they
have not had experience in the testing messages comprehended in the
first, second, and third angel’s messages. There are those who are
searching the Scriptures for proof that these messages are still in the
future. They gather together the truthfulness of the messages, but they
fail to give them their proper place in prophetic history. Therefore
such are in danger of misleading the people in regard to locating the
messages. They do not see and understand the time of the end, or
when to locate the messages. The day of God is coming with stealthy
tread, but the supposed wise and great men are prating about “higher
education.” They know not the signs of Christ’s coming, or of the end
of the world.—
Manuscript 136, 1897
.