The first of these messages proclaims the “everlasting gospel.” It is not the work of literal angels visibly to preach the gospel to men, but to minister to those “who shall be heirs of salvation.” Hebrews 1:14. In the case of the devoted Cornelius, to whom a glorious angel appeared, it was not to communicate to him the simplest fact of the gospel even, but to tell him where one of God’s chosen ministers was, who could and would teach him the truth. See Acts 10:3-6.

Our Saviour committed the preaching of the gospel to men, and to those faithful in their commission is still His assurance, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matt. 28:20.

These angelic messengers of Revelation are regarded as symbols of messages of truth to be proclaimed by men to this last generation. While the visible workers are men, angels, who “desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12) the truths of the gospel, camp about (see Psalm 34:7) those who, in the fear of the Lord, proclaim His Word.

It is not a new gospel that is to be proclaimed to the last generation, but the same “everlasting gospel.” In the first of these three messages, however, there is, connected with the proclamation of the gospel, a new reason assigned why men should yield obedience to the Lord. It is found in these words: “For the hour of his judgment is come.” Rev. 14:7. When the apostle Paul stood before Felix and “reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled”! Acts. 24:25. His trembling, undoubtedly, would have been much greater had the message been, “The hour of his judgment IS come.” This first angel’s message does not say the judgment is coming, but “the hour (period) of his judgment IS COME.”

Such an announcement could only be made at a time when the judgment is actually to begin. If men are to give such a message to their fellow men, the Scriptures must contain a line of prophetic truth, and a prophetic period leading down to the session of the judgment. Do the Scriptures contain such a period! They do, or men could never, from the Scriptures, give such a message. That period of time is the 2300 days (see Dan. 8:13) leading down to the cleansing of the sanctuary.

The work of mediation in the earthly sanctuary was a representations, in figure, of the real work of Christ, the true High priest, as he pleads before His Father, in the heavenly sanctuary, for those who, with truly contrite hearts, confess their sins to Him. (See Hebrews 8:4-5; 9:13-14,24) first as in the typical service, there is a pardon for the repentant believer; and in the closing of the service (cleansing of the sanctuary), a blotting out of sins, which blotting out is a final decision of the cases of the righteous. In the type, the sins blotted out one year were remembered again the next year (see Hebrews 10:3) because the blood of beasts did not actually take away their sins. In the blotting out to be accomplished by Christ, the sins of His people will be remembered no more. See verse 17. So this final work of Christ, as the true High Priest, in blotting out the sins of God’s people--the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary--must be the passing of judgment on their cases.

As performed in the Jewish economy, the cleansing of the sanctuary must have been a matter with which Daniel was familiar. It occurred in their service once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh month. He must also have had some definite idea of the significance of that atonement, as it prefigured the final work to be accomplished by the promised Messiah.

The Jewish people of this day who carefully study their service understand the type, at least. That this is so is seen both in their sayings and in their writings. As proof, your attention is called to the following circumstance: In September 1869, during a series of meetings held at Healdsburg, Cal., a well-educated Jew who resided in that place became much interested in the meetings. Being a man who was very diligent in his mercantile business, it was a matter of great surprise that he should leave his store to attend a meeting in midweek, and in the daytime. At the close of the meeting, one of the ministers questioned him regarding the matter. He replied, with seriousness: “Why, elder, a Jew who broke every Sabbath in the year would not dare to work today. This is the Day of Atonement, the tenth day of the Jewish seventh month.” The minister then asked, “What is the most solemn name your people have for this day?” With a most devout and reverential look, and in a tremulous tone of voice, he replied, “Today is the day of judgment.”

The following quotation from the Scriptures represents the Day of Atonement as a decisive day with that people: “On the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And you shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.” Lev. 23:27-29.

In further proof that the Jewish people regard the tenth day of the seventh month as a day of judgment, the following is quoted from one of their journals published in San Francisco. It is called the Jewish Exponent, and is an organ of orthodox Jews west of the Rocky Mountains. In the issue for September 1892, was the announcement that before the next number would be published the seventh month and the Day of Atonement would come. Their name for the seventh month is Tisri, and that of the sixth month is Elul; so the paper stated, “ The month of Elul is here, and the monitory sounds of the shofar (the trumpet that was to be blown from the first to tenth day of the seventh month) (see psalm 81:3-4) are to be heard every morning in the orthodox synagogues, advising preparation for the day of memorial, and the final judgment of "yom kippur", hence, as they were in the close of Elul, the sixth month, and Tisri, the seventh month, was about to open, they would every morning, for ten days, hear the trumpet announcing the final day of judgment of that typical system.

Here is the testimony of another, the Rev. Isidore Myer, rabbi of a large congregation in San Francisco. In announcing the Day of atonement in the autumn of 1902, he explained the significance of the feast thus:

While crossing the threshold of time from one year to another, the Israelite is forcibly reminded of the creation and of the universal sovereignty of the Creator, and is called upon to celebrate, with the blast of trumpet, the anniversary, so to speak, of the birth of time and of the coronation of the great King. He is also summoned by the voice of the same trumpet, or ‘shofar’ to scrutinize retrospectively his actions of the past year, while he stands trembling before the all seeing eye of Eternal Justice sitting on the throne of judgment.”

Finally, he is given to understand that a knowledge of the time is not for his day. It is said to him, “Go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” Verse 13.

Some have supposed this language to refer to the final end of the world, and that at that time Daniel, with the rest of the Lord’s people, would receive their reward, and stand in their lot of inheritance. The Hebrew word for lot of inheritance, region of country, and so on, we are told is geh vehl. That is not the word translated “lot” in this scripture. The word is goh rahl. Hebrew scholars tell us that this word occurs 76 times in the Old Testament. It is the same word that is used in speaking of the typical cleansing of the sanctuary, where “lots” were cast to determine which of the two goats was to be slain. As the high priest took the blood of the Lord’s goat, and went into the sanctuary to perform the work of cleansing, all Israel stood without, afflicting their souls, and confessing their sins, that they might stand clear, and receive the blessing of the high priest as he would come out of the sanctuary, instead of being classed with the rejected ones, who would be cut off from among the people. Thus, on that day, Israel stood in their lot.

When the final cleansing of the sanctuary should come, at the close of the 2300 days (which comes down a little further than any other prophetic period, at the end of which it could be said, “The end of the days”), Daniel’s case, with the cases of all the righteous dead, would come in review before God. So Daniel would stand in his lot.

At the close of the 2300 days…Daniel’s case, with the cases of all the righteous dead, would come in review before God. So Daniel would stand in his lot.

Thus, it is seen that the great period of 2300 days brings us to the investigative judgement. As in the Jewish temple service, the sanctuary was cleansed once every year, it must have been apparent to Daniel that this cleansing at the end of the 2300 days must relate to something besides the yearly typical service. The Lord had instructed his people that when using symbols in prophecy, the time given was counted “each day for a year” (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6) so this period of 2300 years would reach far into the future from Daniel’s time.

In the twelfth chapter, this anxious inquiry is found: “How long shall it be to the end of these wonder?” and “O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” Daniel 12:6,8.

In response to Daniel’s inquiry, the angel replied, “O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4. Again, “Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” Verse 9.

What so exercised the mind of Daniel was the “when” the “how long,” and “what shall be the end.” These were the points that perplexed and troubled the prophet, and these things only were to be sealed up till the time of the end, and not the whole book of Daniel, as some have supposed. These words were not, then, written in vain, never to be understood; for the time was to come when the wise should understand. See verse 10./ When the appointed time should come for this sealed matter to be opened--for the “when”, the “what,” and the “end” of these periods to be unsealed and made plain--when the time of the end should come, many would “run to and fro” through the Scriptures, searching into these things, and knowledge on the close of these prophetic times would be increased.

That this is the idea conveyed in the foregoing language will be made more clear by the following translations of the text:

Dr. Adam Clarke says, “Many shall endeavour to search out the sense: and knowledge shall be increased--by this means.”

In the German Bible of Lutheran, Revised, we read, “So shall many come over it, and find great understanding.”

The German Parallel Bible reads, “Many shall run it through, and sot the knowledge will be increased.”

The German Bible of L.Van Ess, admitted also by the pope to Catholic readers, translates it, “Many will search it through, and the knowledge will be great.”

The Swedish Bible reads, “Many shall search in it, and knowledge shall become great.”

The Danish-Norwegian, Revised, reads, “Many shall eagerly search, and knowledge shall become much.”

In the prediction concerning the sealing up and the opening of these words, the accuracy of prophetic fulfillment is again seen; namely, that the event, the time, the knowledge of the period of time, shall be sealed up, and when it shall be opened and understood by “many,” This event is called “the time of the end.”

Till the time of the end, this matter should be sealed up. What is the time of the end? It cannot be the actual end of the world, for then this part of Daniel’s prophecy would be of no use to mortals’ it must therefore refer to a period just before the end. But “things which are revealed belong unto us” (Deut. 29:29) says the prophet.

To ascertain what is meant by the expression “time of the end,” we will notice where the same terms are used in another prophetic scene. In the eleventh chapter of Daniel, a persecuting power is introduced which was to hold its dominion until the time of the end. The Lord says of the work of this persecutor, “And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it (the time of the end) is yet for a time appointed.” (Daniel 11:35) Protestant commentators are generally agreed in applying the prophecy of this persecuting power to the papal church, which had the civil power in its hands for the appointed time--”time times, and an half” (Daniel 12:7) the 1260 years from A.D. 538 to 1798. Its civil power was taken away at the end of the “time appointed”--1798. So, at that time, the people had ceased to “fall” by the hand of the persecuting power, as they had previously been falling. This marks 1798 as the time called in prophecy the time of the end.

Then, in the light of this prediction the knowledge of when the 2300 days (the last of all prophetic days) were to close, was sealed up; but when that point of time passed, “many” were to search out, and obtain the light upon the subject. Now, these are the facts in the case; for until the year 1798, the exponents of prophecy had no light as to where the 2300 days would end. They could understand the symbols, the image, and the beasts of the book of Daniel. They also understood and correctly applied the 70 weeks of the ninth chapter, but could not tell where the 2300 days ended; for as yet, they had no understanding as to where the days commenced.

Knowledge Increased

In the paper called the Midnight Cry of June 15, 1842, we read,

“It is truly interesting to find the various independent writers, who, since 1798 have seen what was entirely unperceived before-- that the seventy weeks was a key to the twenty-three hundred days.”

The discovery that the 70 weeks were the first part of the 2300 days, unlocked the whole subject.

Whereas, before, they failed to find where the 2300 days commenced, now, as the 70 weeks were the first part of the 2300 days, of course, the two periods must begin at the same date.

Coming down this side of 1798, the other part of the prediction is as accurately fulfilled. Again we quote from the same number of the Midnight Cry:” “Is it not a wonderful coincidence that so many writers, without any knowledge of one another, came to the same conclusions about the same time?” And why should it not be so? The Lord’s time had come when He said “many” would receive the light, and His Spirit would lead minds to the truth regardless of distance or countries, and without knowledge one of another.

Before me is a list of 20 different localities where the light was discovered, not by communication one with another, but as the result of diligent searching of the Scriptures, led by the influence of the Spirit of God.

Heading the list is William Miller, of the state of New York. Then follow A.J. Krupp, of Philadelphia; David McGregor, of Falmouth, Mass,: Edward Irving, of England; Archibald Mason, of Scotland; W.E Davis, of South Carolina; Joseph Wolff, who labored in various parts of Asia; Alexander Campbell, in his debate with R. Dale Owen, 1829; Capt,. A. Landers, of Liverpool, England; Leonard Heinrich Kelber, of Stuttgart, Germany; Laucunza, of Spain, in his book, “Ben Ezra;” Hentzepeter, of the Hague, Holland; Dr. Capadose, of Amsterdam, Holland; Rau, of Bavaria; priests of Tartary, in 1821; bible students of Yemen, in the book called “Seera;” Hengstenberg, in another part of Germany; Russians on the Caspian Sea; Molokaners, on the shores of the Baltic, and so on.

Such a general discovery of light on the close of the 2300 days, and at the time when God predicted that the matter, so long sealed up, would be opened, is not so surprising. It is, however, interesting, after the lapse of years, to bring together the conclusions of the various students who, from the opening of the nineteenth century to 1840, reckoned out the period of 2300 days, and located the 70 weeks as the first part of that period, and then to find the whole period terminating I 1844.

The question arises, Can we rest with certainty that 1844 is the true date for the close of the 2300 days?--YES; for as surely as a false fulfillment of prophecy cannot come in the right time for the true fulfillment, the conclusion must be correct that 1844 is the true date for the close of that period.

God, who sealed up the knowledge of the time till 1798 and promised that then the true light would shine, by His unerring Sprit, guided those who earnestly sought Him to a correct understanding of this time. His time had come for the “knowledge” on that subject to “be increased,” and He guided to the true light.

We have now discovered the period of time, developed in the Lord’s order, when the judgment of the saints would come. With this time as a basis, the message could finally be give, “The hour of His judgment is come,” Mark, it does not say that immediately on the discovery of that period the message would be proclaimed, but that this light previously sealed would be made plain…It will be seen that the Lord just as definitely marks the time when the Advent message would be proclaimed to the whole world.

Index for Pioneer Writings