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The Great Controversy 1888
Those who accepted the Advent doctrine were roused to the neces-
sity of repentance and humiliation before God. Many had long been
halting between Christ and the world; “now they felt that it was time
to take a stand. The things of eternity assumed to them an unwonted
reality. Heaven was brought near, and they felt themselves guilty be-
fore God. Christians were quickened to new spiritual life. They were
made to feel that time was short, that what they had to do for their
fellow-men must be done quickly. Earth receded, eternity seemed to
open before them, and the soul, with all that pertains to its immortal
weal or woe, was felt to eclipse every temporal object.” The Spirit of
God rested upon them, and gave power to their earnest appeals to their
brethren, as well as to sinners, to prepare for the day of God. The
silent testimony of their daily life was a constant rebuke to formal and
unconsecrated church-members. These did not wish to be disturbed in
their pursuit of pleasure, their devotion to money-making, and their
ambition for worldly honor. Hence the enmity and opposition excited
against the Advent faith and those who proclaimed it.
As the arguments from the prophetic periods were found to be
impregnable, opposers endeavored to discourage investigation of the
subject, by teaching that the prophecies were sealed. Thus Protestants
followed in the steps of Romanists. While the papal church withholds
the Bible from the people, Protestant churches claimed that an impor-
tant part of the sacred Word—and that the part which brings to view
truths specially applicable to our time—could not be understood.
Ministers and people declared that the prophecies of Daniel and the
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Revelation were incomprehensible mysteries. But Christ directed his
disciples to the words of the prophet Daniel concerning events to take
place in their time, and said, “Whoso readeth, let him understand.”
[
Matthew 24:15
.] And the assertion that the Revelation is a mystery,
not to be understood, is contradicted by the very title of the book: “The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his
servants things which must shortly come to pass.... Blessed is he that
readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those
things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.” [
Revelation
1:1-3
.]
Says the prophet: “Blessed is he that readeth”—there are those who
will not read; the blessing is not for them. “And they that hear”—there
are some, also, who refuse to hear anything concerning the prophecies;