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336
The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 4
Then the question arises, if Wm. Miller’s calculation of time was
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correct, whence his disappointment? This was due to his mistake
as to the
event
. The prophecy says, “Unto two thousand and three
hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Mr. Miller and
his associates failed to understand the subject of the sanctuary and its
cleansing. Here was the secret of their disappointment. For a brief
explanation of this important point, showing what is the sanctuary,
and how its cleansing—beginning at the termination of the 2300
days in 1844—fulfills the prophecy of
Daniel 8:14
, see chapter 18.,
entitled “The Sanctuary.”
Another question then arises: “If he was mistaken in the event,
was not his whole work an error?” That does not follow. The disci-
ples of Christ were utterly mistaken when he rode into Jerusalem,
and they hailed him as a king with tokens of victory. They thought
he was then to be crowned a king on David’s throne. But it was not
an error in them to act according to their belief; is so doing they
fulfilled the prophecy of
Zechariah 9:9
, which they would not have
done if they had realized that he was going to judgment and to death.
But that scripture must be fulfilled, if it were necessary to make the
stones cry out.
Luke 19:37-40
. In like manner it appears that Mr.
Miller and his associates fulfilled prophecy, and gave a proclamation
(see
Revelation 14:6, 7
) which they would not have given had they
understood that yet other proclamations were to be made before the
Lord should come.
Revelation 14:8-14
.
Note 2. Page 225.—That a wrong use is often made of the text
(
Matthew 24:36
), is evident from the context. One question of the
disciples was concerning the sign of Christ’s coming and of the end
of the world. This question Jesus answered. In
verse 29
he gave
signs, and said, “When ye shall see all these things,
know
that it is
near, even at the doors.”
Verse 33
. One saying of the Saviour must
not be made to destroy another. Though no man knoweth the
day
nor
the
hour
, we are instructed and required (for it is in the imperative)
to know when it is near, even at the doors. And we are further taught
that it will be as fatal to us to disregard his warning, and refuse or
neglect to know, as it was for those who lived in the days of Noah
not to know when the flood was coming.
Verses 37-39
. And
verses
44-51
show in what light Christ, when He comes, will regard and
reward those whom he finds watching and teaching his coming, and
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