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Early Writings
the passing of the time in 1844. They see their disappointment
explained, and joy and certainty again animate them. The third angel
has lighted up the past, the present, and the future, and they know
that God has indeed led them by His mysterious providence.
It was represented to me that the remnant followed Jesus into
the most holy place and beheld the ark and the mercy seat, and were
captivated with their glory. Jesus then raised the cover of the ark,
and lo! the tables of stone, with the ten commandments written
upon them. They trace down the lively oracles, but start back with
trembling when they see the fourth commandment among the ten
holy precepts, with a brighter light shining upon it than upon the
other nine, and a halo of glory all around it. They find nothing there
informing them that the Sabbath has been abolished, or changed to
the first day of the week. The commandment reads as when spoken
by the voice of God in solemn and awful grandeur upon the mount,
while the lightnings flashed and the thunders rolled; it is the same
as when written with His own finger on the tables of stone: “Six
days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” They are amazed as they behold the
care taken of the ten commandments. They see them placed close
by Jehovah, overshadowed and protected by His holiness. They see
that they have been trampling upon the fourth commandment of the
Decalogue, and have observed a day handed down by the heathen
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and papists, instead of the day sanctified by Jehovah. They humble
themselves before God and mourn over their past transgressions.
I saw the incense in the censer smoke as Jesus offered their con-
fessions and prayers to His Father. And as it ascended, a bright light
rested upon Jesus and upon the mercy seat; and the earnest, praying
ones, who were troubled because they had discovered themselves to
be transgressors of God’s law, were blessed, and their countenances
lighted up with hope and joy. They joined in the work of the third
angel and raised their voices to proclaim the solemn warning. But
few at first received it; yet the faithful continued with energy to
proclaim the message. Then I saw many embrace the message of the
third angel and unite their voices with those who had first given the
warning, and they honored God by observing His sanctified rest day.
Many who embraced the third message had not had an experience
in the two former messages. Satan understood this, and his evil