Pioneer Seventh Day Adventist Must Read Books

Department 9

Some Observations on the Millerite and Pioneer Seventh-twenty-four hours Adventist Movements

We will summarize our conclusions on early on Adventism with some observations and questions concerning both the Millerite move and the pioneer Seventh-day Adventist movement.

The Millerite Movement

However much we might wish to honor the leading of God in the early Advent Movement, we must not construct a history which fails to acknowledge Adventism'southward immaturities and fallacies. We must learn from the weaknesses as well equally the strengths of this history.

one. The terminal stages of the Millerite movement were marked by frantic time setting. There was much speculation, using calendars, types, times and seasons. As each date failed, another date was gear up.

2. In the 7th-month movement the acceptance of the Oct 22 date for the coming of the Lord became a "test" of salvation. Even after the passing of fourth dimension, the pioneers of 7th-mean solar day Adventism even so tended to believe that God had ordained the October 22 date as "a test."¹

In view of clear biblical prohibitions against speculation on the fourth dimension of Christ's coming, and in view of the disasters which accept overtaken those in past ages who presumed to set such dates, tin can we justify the setting of a definite appointment by the Millerite movement? Would God be involved in making a date for Christ's coming a test when His Word had already strictly forbidden this?

3. In the catastrophe of the prophetic time periods, should not the Millerites have seen an indication that they were to restore the true preaching of the gospel in "the time of the finish" rather than indulging in speculations on the exact twenty-four hours of Christ's coming? Were they somewhat diverted from their task of preaching the gospel by frantic date setting? Did they thus delay rather than hasten the Parousia?

4. Was it correct to make all who rejected the Oct 22 engagement every bit Babylonian apostates and lost? While information technology is not hard to imagine that many rejected the message of Jesus' coming from unworthy motives, was it right to conclude that all who failed to participate in the Advent move were governed by evil motives? There were certainly many great and good Christians in the world who were unimpressed with the Adventists for setting an exact date for Christ's coming. Are they therefore to exist indiscriminately denounced as Babylonians?

5. Some of Miller's arguments for believing that Christ would come in 1844 were certainly baroque.² God sometimes worked in spite of the immaturities of the motion, non because of them. While we can legitimately deny such excesses every bit the ascension-robe stories, nosotros must not imagine that the Adventists were entirely free from false excitements or were always models of decorum.

6. Like many in that age, the Millerites tended to take prophetic and parabolic Scriptures and apply them exclusively to themselves. Fitch's 1843 chart was regarded as literally fulfilling Habbakuk 2:2: "Write the vision, and make information technology plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." Their application of the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25 is an outstanding example of this. Only is this parable a prophetic allegory, a detailed forecasting of the events of the Millerite movement? The Millerites failed to see the divergence betwixt a parable and an allegory. When Christ just said, "While the Benedict tarried... ," was He specifically talking about the six-month delay from the bound to the summer of 1844? Is Matthew 25 a detailed business relationship of what happened in 1844? This literalistic employ of Matthew 25—as if it were an allegory intended to draw the Millerite motion in advance—led the Adventists directly into the close-door dilemma.

7. Certainly many people were stirred to think nearly the coming of Jesus past the Millerite preaching and by the ominous signs of that hour. In the providence of God it was an hour of expectation. Simply should not the Millerites accept capitalized on the aroused consciousness of that generation by preaching the gospel more and indulging in speculation less? Too, was the Oct 22 date really supported by irrefutable arguments?

viii. The Millerites fabricated deductions from the type which are not fabricated past the New Testament. For example, they speculated that Christ would fulfill the type by coming out of the holy of holies on the day corresponding to the Jewish 24-hour interval of amende. Information technology is true that the antitypical passover barbarous on the exact day of the Passover and that Pentecost came at Pentecost, 50 days after Passover. Just if that is used as an analogy, why did not the antitypical twenty-four hours of amende come exactly seven months afterward Passover? Or why not say that the antitypical feast of tabernacles would come up five days after the Day of Atonement, as in the blazon? Withal in the type the high priest went into the holy of holies and came out on the aforementioned day that he offered the Twenty-four hour period of Atonement sacrifice. In brusk, the analogy of the types could exist used in many ways. On what grounds, therefore, could it be conclusively said that the Millerites were using the correct analogy?

9. What proof is there that the Karaite agenda is superior to the Rabbinical calendar? Did the salvation of that generation depend on using the right agenda? Was God proverb to the pioneer generation, "Unless you employ the correct calendar, you lot cannot be saved," or, "Believe on the Karaite agenda and you will be saved"? While the evidence indicated that the prophetic periods were pointing to that era, at that place were evidently speculative elements involved in establishing an exact mean solar day. Of course, a Seventh-twenty-four hours Adventist might say, "Nosotros have the Spirit of Prophecy to confirm the Oct 22 engagement." Just while that may satisfy a Seventh-twenty-four hour period Adventist, it is non Sola Scriptura.

10. Was not the real test of that era ane's relationship to the Saviour? And was this not proved by one'south response to the message of His soon coming? Although Miller used typological and prophetic arguments to agitate people's conscience, his sermons all concluded with strong gospel appeals. A comparing of Adventist literature before and after the Disappointment indicates that there was far more gospel preaching in the Millerite stage of the motion than afterward.

The Pioneer Seventh-day Adventist Movement

1. While we need to discern and admit the divine element in history, we must also recognize the human being element. Every bit in the sanctification of the private, corporate sanctification does not altogether cancel out human being weakness and sinfulness.

The pioneer Seventh-day Adventist Move was marked past the results of a burdensome and bitter disappointment. This left a deep imprint on the pioneer psyche. In fact, the Disappointment has left a mark on Seventh-day Adventism to this day.

The upshot of the Disappointment was a severe withdrawal from association with the world. The unfortunate shut-door mentality, shared by all the pioneers for most x years, was at to the lowest degree to some extent a psychological reaction to the Disappointment. In reading the literature of that period, one becomes acutely aware that the pioneers were deeply hurt by their rejection by other Christians and by the plummet of their fond expectations. They wrote much near persecution, suffering and ridicule—in fact, far likewise much. Yet in that location were no martyrs, no dreadful privations. The pioneers gave far too little prove of a downwardly-to-globe sense of sense of humor. Luther's humor might have helped them in their hour of trial. Information technology has been said that all practiced theologians have some sense of humour.

The severe shut-door doctrine of the pioneers was certainly non an expression of the mind of God toward what they as well often called "the wicked world." God had non shut the door on sinners. To some extent the pioneers reflected Jonah's mental attitude toward Nineveh. They should take been glad that God was extending further opportunity to the world to apologize.

ii. For the kickoff several years after the Disappointment, "present truth" to the pioneers consisted essentially of 2 points—the 7th-solar day Sabbath and the shut door of 1844. 1 searches in vain for any clear expression of the gospel in the pioneer literature. The gospel was not their preoccupation.

The earliest pioneer publication, A Discussion to the "Little Flock", contains no educational activity on the manner of salvation. This is quite understandable when nosotros remember that they thought God was no longer saving sinners but was only concerned with saints. A Discussion to the "Little Flock" does contain this remark by Joseph Bates: "I believe her [Ellen One thousand. White] to be a cocky-sacrificing, honest, willing child of God, and saved, if at all, through her entire obedience to His volition."³

If Bates had a articulate grasp of the New Testament gospel, none of his booklets and papers give whatsoever indication of this. Perhaps the clearest statement on the pioneers' concept of conservancy was made in the Nowadays Truth by James White:

The keeping of the fourth commandment is earth-shaking nowadays truth; but this alone, will non save whatever one. We must go on all 10 of the commandments, and strictly follow all the directions of the New Attestation, and have living active religion in Jesus. Those who would exist found prepare to enter the saint'south balance, at the appearing of Christ, must live wholly, WHOLLY for Jesus now.⁴

This hardly qualifies as gospel! The Present Truth issues embrace fourscore-eight pages of fine print, just one searches in vain for annihilation like an expression of the gospel. Yet this small close-door group of less than 1 hundred souls idea they were the only ones who possessed "the everlasting gospel." We admire their backbone for believing that they alone had the everlasting gospel—if only they had told us what it was. This reminds u.s.a. of the professor who asked his class, "Can anyone tell us what electricity is?" A boyfriend put up his hand. "Fine, Jack," best-selling the professor, "tell united states of america what it is." "Ah, um . . . I've forgotten," said Jack. "Isn't that terrible," replied the professor. "Only two persons in this whole universe know what electricity is—God and Jack. God won't tell, and Jack has forgotten."

We accept been prone to idealize the pioneers. Information technology has often been suggested that the dry, legalistic flow began in the 1850's or even in the 1860's. Merely the evidence indicates that the pioneers did far better in preaching the gospel in the 1850's than in their first 10 years. During the 1850's they at least began preaching and witnessing to existent sinners. Our examination of early pioneer literature leads us to conclude that despite their continuing legalism, they made progressive improvement.

3. The use the pioneers made of Scripture was often unsatisfactory. The Old Testament was non interpreted in the light of the New Testament. In fact, deductions from Old Testament types and prophecies were used to overrule the plainest revelation of the New Attestation. For example, it was said that the atonement was not made on the cross, that the last days did not brainstorm until 1798 or 1844 and that the remnant did not appear until 1844. The pioneers apparently did not empathise that the apostolic revelation was God'south terminal and definitive revelation, which must translate the meaning of the Quondam Testament, including the book of Daniel.

The parables of Christ, especially the parable of the ten virgins, were used as allegories to be interpreted in literal particular. Interpreting Matthew 25 as if it were a prophecy literally describing the events of 1844 caused much of the difficulty over the shut door. This was a far-fetched method of handling parable. A parable is not an allegory. Every item of a parable does not have a meaning to be deciphered. A parable is a story illustrating an essential point. Thus, the parable of the virgins illustrates preparedness for Jesus' coming. It is not an allegory of historical events in 1844.

Parables should not be used to establish doctrine. They simply illustrate doctrine. "Mixing" parables together is worse than mixing metaphors! To this day, Adventists tend to treat parables as allegories. Of course, we make a notable exception of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus!

The Millerites and the pioneers of Seventh-mean solar day Adventism based much of their reasoning on analogy. Damsteegt has shown that:

• The principle of the analogy of Scripture and its application to a particular discipline he [Miller] often used every bit a ways to understand Scripture.⁵
• Miller's interpretation of this text was based on the hermeneutical principle of the illustration of Scripture.⁶
• It was reasoned from analogy.^vii
• An analogy was drawn. ... On the basis of typology it was argued....⁸
• ... employed the analogy-of-Scripture principle.^nine
  
  
• Employing typological reasoning....^ten
• Reasoning from analogy....¹¹
  
  
• Reasoning from illustration, Bates .....¹²

Nosotros should not exclude the use of analogy. For case, we used the analogy between Jonah and the pioneers. But analogy must not be used for proof. One can "prove" practically annihilation by analogy.

4. Early literature of the Seventh-day Adventist pioneers was overwhelmingly preoccupied with apocalypticism and with typological and parabolic speculation on the details of last-day events. In this period Adventism was not preoccupied with apostolic religion. It was definitely sub-New Testamental.

Those accustomed to reading the mighty outpouring of New Testament gospel exegesis by the sixteenth-century Reformers would be acutely witting of the severe deficiencies of the pioneers of Seventh-twenty-four hours Adventism. This should atmosphere the triumphalistic Adventist mental attitude and the "remnant-church" superiority circuitous toward other Christian movements.

v. The pioneers were theologically unlearned and young. They had no groovy theological heritage, and they had no experience in leadership. They entertained serious heresies. Many of them were Arian. And James White, for example, rejected the Trinity. They were a few survivors from the shipwreck of the Great Disappointment. Adventism was born in a befouled, and its founders were as unlearned as the Galilean fishermen, Peter, James and John. We practice non brand these observations to damn the pioneer memory but to truly laurels the divine leading despite human weakness.

six. If Daniel 8:fourteen only points to what happened in 1844, nosotros might conclude that the 1844 result was a "fizzle." In the light of history the 1844 movement certainly looks feeble compared to the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Just we have to say that "1844" is not finished yet. The 1844 effect was not a static event. We must see that Adventism is a dynamic movement. Wisdom volition be justified by her children. If we endeavor to freeze Adventism—as if the revelation of nineteenth-century low-cal is all at that place is—nosotros are non actually following in the footsteps of the pioneers, who dwelt in tents like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Our God will become the God of the status quo. Belongings to the forms of the pioneers, we will reject their spirit!

If the shut-door formulation of the first ten years was not the final revelation of truth well-nigh the 1844 event, perhaps the investigative judgment doctrine, also formulated in the nineteenth century, was non the last word on the meaning of 1844.

7. In the providence of God perchance the heavy pioneer dependence on the Old Testament was used to prepare for something beyond their own dreams. A framework was developed in which the New Testament gospel could eventually be proclaimed.

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^1. They saw the Sabbath as "the final test."
^two. William Miller had 666, the seven years of Nebuchadnezzar and Conductor's chronology all mixed together in some very ingenious speculations.
^iii. Joseph Bates, "Remarks," in A Word to the "Trivial Flock, "p. 21.
^4. James White, "Dear Brethren and Sisters," Present Truth, July 1849, p. 6. A letter.
^5. P. Gerard Damsteegt, Foundations of the 7th-twenty-four hours Adventist Message and Mission, p. 17.
^6. Ibid., p. 38.
^7. Ibid., p. 52.
^viii. Ibid., p. 104.
^9. Ibid., p. 123.
^10. Ibid., p. 124.
^11. Ibid., p. 125.
^12. Ibid., p. 143.

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Source: http://presenttruthmag.com/7dayadventist/1844/9.html

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