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Example #11, page 228-9
In Rea's book he has split one of James White's paragraphs into two examples without telling the reader he has done so.
Color schema:
bold = dropped;
italics = ellipsed;
red = clipped from a sentence;
green = identical;
blue = similar;
maroon = paragraphs that are ignored in Rea's book;
underlining = faulty ellipsing in Rea's book;
orange = faulty capitalizing in Rea's book
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With intense interest he studied the books of Daniel and the Revelation, employing the same principles of interpretation as in the other scriptures, and found, to his great joy, that the prophetic symbols could be understood. He saw that the prophecies, so far as they had been fulfilled, had been fulfilled literally; that all the various figures, metaphors, parables, similitudes, etc., were either explained in their immediate connection, or the terms in which they were expressed were defined in other scriptures, and when thus explained, were to be literally understood. "I was thus satisfied," he says, "that the Bible is a system of revealed truths, so clearly and simply given that the wayfaring man, though Page 321a fool, need not err therein."--Bliss, page 70. Link after link of the chain of truth rewarded his efforts, as step by step he traced down the great lines of prophecy. Angels of heaven were guiding his mind and opening the Scriptures to his understanding. |
"His manner of studying the Bible is thus described by himself: `I determined to lay aside all my prepossessions, to thoroughly compare Scripture with Scripture, and to pursue its study in a regular, methodical manner. I commenced with Genesis, and read verse by verse, proceeding no faster than the meaning of the several passages should be so unfolded as to leave me free from embarrassment respecting any mysticisms or contradictions. Whenever I found anything obscure, my practice was to compare it will all collateral passages; and, by the help of Cruden, I examined all the texts of Scripture in which were found any of the prominent words contained in any obscure portion. Then, by letting every word have its proper bearing on the subject of the text, if my view of it harmonized with
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Note that Ellen G. White does her give her source for the words that appear in her text.
Color schema:
bold = dropped;
italics = ellipsed;
red = clipped from a sentence;
green = identical;
blue = similar;
maroon = paragraphs that are ignored in Rea's book;
underlining = faulty ellipsing in Rea's book;
orange = faulty capitalizing in Rea's book
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Taking the manner in which the prophecies had been fulfilled in the past as a criterion by which to judge of the fulfillment of those which were still future, he became satisfied that the popular view of the spiritual reign of Christ1a--a temporal millennium before the end of the world--was not sustained by the word of God. This doctrine, pointing to a thousand years of righteousness and peace before the personal coming of the Lord, put far off the terrors of the day of God. But, pleasing though it may be, it is contrary to the teachings of Christ and His apostles, who declared that the wheat and the tares and to grow together until the harvest, the end of the world; that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse;" that "in the last days perilous times shall come;" and that the kingdom of darkness shall continue until the advent of the Lord and shall be consumed with the spirit of His mouth and be destroyed with the brightness of His coming. Matthew 13:30, 38-41; 2 Timothy 3:13, 1; 2 Thessalonians 2:8. The doctrine of the world's conversion and the spiritual reign of Christ was not held by the apostolic church. It was not generally accepted by Christians until about the beginning of the eighteenth century. Like every other error, its results were evil. It taught men to look far in the future for the coming of the Lord and prevented them from giving heed to the signs heralding His approach. It induced a feeling of confidence and security that was not well founded and led many to neglect the preparation necessary in order to meet their Lord. Miller found the literal, personal coming of Christ to be plainly taught in the Scriptures. Says Paul: "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
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"While thus studying the Scriptures," continuing the words of his own narrative, "I became satisfied if the prophecies which have fulfilled in the past are any criterion by which to judge of the manner of the fulfillment of those which are future, that the popular views of the spiritual reign of Christ1b - a temporal millennium before the end of the world, and the Jews' return - are not sustained by the word of God; for I found that all the scriptures on which those favorite theories are based, are as clearly expressed as are those that were literally fulfilled at the first advent, or at any other period in the past. I found it plainly taught in the Scriptures that Jesus Christ will again descend to this earth, coming in the clouds of heaven, in all the glory of his Father. |
1 Note the high degree of similarity between Ellen G. White's text (1a) and that of James White (1b), unfortunately for Rea he ellipsed the words from both texts in his example.
Color schema:
bold = dropped;
italics = ellipsed;
red = clipped from a sentence;
green = identical;
blue = similar;
maroon = paragraphs that are ignored in Rea's book;
underlining = faulty ellipsing in Rea's book;
orange = faulty capitalizing in Rea's book
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The prophecy which seemed most clearly to reveal the time of the second advent was that of Daniel 8:14: "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Following his rule of making Scripture its own interpreter, Miller learned that a day in symbolic prophecy represents a year (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6); he saw that the period of 2300 prophetic days, or literal years, would extend far beyond the close of the Jewish dispensation, hence it could not refer to the sanctuary of that dispensation. Miller accepted the generally received view that in the Christian age
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Besides the symbols of governments contained in Dan.viii, there is a definite period of time brought to view, which claims attention. As recorded in verse 13, Daniel heard one saint ask another the question, how long the vision should be concerning the daily [sacrifice] and the transgression of desolation to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot. The angel then addressed himself to Daniel and said, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Waiving for the present the question as to what may constitute the sanctuary, we wish to ascertain if possible the nature, the commencement, and termination of this period of time. There are two kinds of time to be met with in the Bible; literal and symbolic Page 50In symbolic time, a day signifies a year. Num. 10,34; Eze. 4,6.1 To which class do the 2300 days belong? Being brought in connection with acknowledged symbols, it would be both easy and natural to infer that they partook of the nature of the rest of the vision and were symbolic, presenting us with a period of 2300 years. And that such is the case is further evident from the fact, as is shown in the investigation of Dan.viii, that the field of the prophet's vision, was the empires of Persia, Greece and Rome. The 2300 days there given cannot therefore be literal days; for literal days (scarcely six years and a half) would by no means cover the duration of any one of these empires singly, much less embrace so nearly the whole of their existence put together, as they evidently do. They must consequently denote 2300 years. Can we now ascertain the commencement of this period? We answer, Yes; the key to the matter being in the ninth2 chapter of Daniel, between which and the eighth there is an unmistakable connection, as we shall now endeavor to show. |
1 In James White's book the chapter numbers are given in Roman numerals.
2 This word is italicized in Rea's book.
Color schema:
bold = dropped;
italics = ellipsed;
red = clipped from a sentence;
green = identical;
blue = similar;
maroon = paragraphs that are ignored in Rea's book;
underlining = faulty ellipsing in Rea's book;
orange = faulty capitalizing in Rea's book
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With a new and deeper earnestness, Miller continued the examination of the prophecies, whole nights as well as days being devoted to the study of what now appeared of such stupendous importance and all-absorbing interest. In the eighth chapter of Daniel he could find no clue to the starting point of the 2300 days; the angel Gabriel, though commanded to make Daniel understand the vision, gave him only a partial explanation. As the terrible persecution to befall the church was unfolded to the prophet's vision, physical strength gave way. He could endure no more, and the angel left him for a time. Daniel "fainted, and was sick certain days."2a "And I was astonished at the vision," he says, "but none understood it." Yet God had bidden His messenger: "Make this man to understand the vision." That commission must be fulfilled. In obedience to it, the angel, some time afterward, returned to Daniel, saying:3 "I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding;" "therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision." Daniel 8:27, 16; 9:22, 23, 25-27.4 There was one important point in the vision of chapter 8 which had been left unexplained, namely, that relating to time--the period of the 2300 days; therefore the angel, in resuming his explanation, dwells chiefly upon the subject of time: Page 326"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy Holy City. . . . Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself. . . . And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease."The angel had been sent to Daniel for the express purpose of explaining to him the point which he had failed to understand in the vision of the eighth chapter, the statement relative to time--"unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." After bidding Daniel "understand the matter, and consider the vision," the very first words of the angel are: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy Holy City." The word here translated "determined" literally signifies "cut off." Seventy weeks, representing 490 years, are declared by the angel to be cut off, as specially pertaining to the Jews. But from what were they cut off? As the 2300 days was the only period of time mentioned in chapter 8, it must be the period from which the seventy weeks were cut off; the seventy weeks must therefore be a part of the 2300 days, and the two periods must begin together. The seventy weeks were declared by the angel to date from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. If the date of this commandment could be found, then the starting point for the great period of the 2300 days would be ascertained. {faulty ellipsing by Rea at this point} |
2. The being who came to Daniel at the time of the supplication, was the very same who had appeared to him in the vision at the beginning; namely, Gabriel. And that he had now come to undeceive him concerning his application of the time, is evident in that he says, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.1 Why did he not give him a full understanding of the vision at first? We answer, because he revealed to him all that he was then able to bear. He fainted and was sick certain days.2b 3. Direct reference is made to the vision at the beginning. And if that is not the vision of chapter viii, it is impossible to find it. And again, if Gabriel does not explain in chapter ix, what he omitted in chapter viii, it is impossible for any man to show wherein Gabriel fulfilled his commission to make this man understand the vision. 4. When Gabriel commenced his further explanation, he did not explain the symbol of the ram; for that he had already explained. He did not explain the goat; for he had likewise explained that. Neither did he commence about the little horn; for he had made that plain also in chapter viii. What then did he explain? The very point there omitted; namely, the time: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, &c. These facts are sufficient to show the connection of Dan.ix with the vision of chapter viii. But how do the words of Gabriel, Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people &c., explain the period of the 2300 days? The answer is, The word rendered determined, signifies literally, cut off. Gesenius, in his Hebrew Lexicon, thus defines it: Properly, to cut off; tropically, to divide,
Having now ascertained that the 70 weeks of Dan. 9 are the first 490 years of the 2300 days, and that consequently the two periods commence together, we further learn that this period of weeks dates from the going forth of a commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. Dan. 9,25. If then we can definitely locate this commandment, we have the starting point for the great period of the 2300 years. The Bible furnishes us with four tests by which to determine when the true date is found: |
1 Note that in Rea's book the order of these two passages is reversed. The word "now" is italicized in James White's work.
2 Are we really expected to believe that Ellen G. White (2a) copied the words of Scripture from her husbands work (2b)?
3 Ellipsed in the previous example.
4 Note that Ellen G. White supplies the text source which she cites.