Counsels on Close of Probation and Prophetic Periods
Context of closing events
Matt 26:8-14 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? (9) For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. (10) When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. (11) For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. (12) For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. (13) Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. (14) Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
God has not revealed to us the time when this message will close, or when probation will have an end. Those things that are revealed we shall accept for ourselves and for our children; but let us not seek to know that which has been kept secret in the councils of the Almighty. It is our duty to watch and work and wait, to labor every moment for the souls of men that are ready to perish. We are to keep walking continually in the footsteps of Jesus, working in His lines, dispensing His gifts as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Satan will be ready to give to anyone who is not learning every day of Jesus, a special message of his own creating, in order to make of no effect the wonderful truth for this time. {1SM 191.1}
Letters have come to me asking me if I have any special light as to the time when probation will close; and I answer that I have only this message to bear, that it is now time to work while the day lasts, for the night cometh in which no man can work. Now, just now, it is time for us to be watching, working, and waiting. The Word of the Lord reveals the fact that the end of all things is at hand, and its testimony is most decided that it is necessary for every soul to have the truth planted in the heart so that it will control the life and sanctify the character.1SM 191.2
The Spirit of the Lord is working to take the truth of the Inspired Word and stamp it upon the soul so that the professed followers of Christ will have a holy, sacred joy that they will be able to impart to others. The opportune time for us to work is now, just now, while the day lasts. But there is no command for anyone to search the Scriptures in order to ascertain, if possible, when probation will close. God has no such message for any mortal lips. He would have no mortal tongue declare that which He has hidden in His secret councils (RH Oct. 9, 1894). 1SM 192.1
The world placed all time-proclamation on the same level and called it a delusion, fanaticism and heresy. Ever since 1844 I have borne my testimony that we were now in a period of time in which we are to take heed to ourselves lest our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon us unawares. Our position has been one of waiting and watching, with no time-proclamation to intervene between the close of the prophetic periods in 1844 and the time of our Lord's coming. We do not know the day nor the hour, or when the definite time is, and yet the prophetic reckoning shows us that Christ is at the door. {10MR 270.1}
This time, which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world's history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. That is, the people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time, reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844. {7BC 971.7}
"When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. {COL 69.1}
The 1335 days
We told him [Brother H] of some of his errors in the past, that the 1335 days were ended, and numerous [other] errors of his.--Letter 28, 1850, pp. 1-3
The above quote is understood by some to prove that the 1335 days are not ended but this destroys what is being said. The word “that” does not mean “such as.” Also None of the Pioneers believed that the 1335 days were not complete. They all believed this. Here are some quotes below.
The end of the Prophetic periods – Pioneers
When did those days end? Evidences are conclusive that the 1335 days ended with the 2300, with the Midnight Cry in 1844. Then the angel [Rev.x,1-6] swore that time should be no longer. Time here cannot mean duration, as measured in months and years, for 1000 years are measured after this; but it must refer to prophetic time, which was the burden of the angel's message. As Daniel was to stand in his lot at the end of the days, we must conclude that the judgment of the righteous dead commenced at that time, and has been progressing more than twelve years. James White {January 29, 1857 UrSe, ARSH 100.22}
There was no mistake in the figures given on the chart for the beginning of the 2300 days, there must also of necessity be, and there was, a harmony of the dates of the 1260, the 1290, and the 1335 days with that of the 2300 days. These then were all correct. True there was a mistake in the minds or faith and teaching of Advent believers in dating the commencement of the 2300 days from the first month of 457 B. C., but this mistake was not on the chart. 457 is the true year from which to reckon the 2300 days: 457 and 1843 full years added together make just 2300 full years; hence there was no mistake on the chart in all these figures. And as I understand the time which the angel of Rev.x,5,6, swore should be no longer, included all prophetic time, and that that testimony given, and that most solemn oath was fulfilled in the time of the tenth of the seventh month move 1844, hence I believe that all of the prophetic periods were then ended, and none of them can be extended beyond that point. Hiram Edson {January 10, 1856 JWe, ARSH 113.16}
Your first question here is, Do the 1335 days of Dan.xii,12 reach to the end of the wonders in verse 6? We answer, they do not. We understand that the same period of time from the cleansing of the Sanctuary in 1844 to the breaking of the little horn without hand in chap.viii, as proved above, will also be found between the 1335 days and the end of the wonders in Dan.xii; because we further show that the 1335 days ended with the 2300 in 1844. Uriah Smith RH June 4 1857
Let us now glance at the dangers to which we should be exposed, by committing ourselves to the position that the 1335 days have not yet ended. On this hypothesis, prophetic time has not yet expired. Then the angel of Rev. x, who swears that time shall be no longer, has not delivered his message. But this angel is identical with the angel of Rev. xiv, 6. Hence we have not yet had the first angel's message. And if the first message has not been given, of course we are not now having the third, and our position in this respect is all wrong. But the third message is founded upon the sanctuary work in Heaven; and if we are not now having the third message, the sanctuary is not being cleansed. And if that is not being cleansed, the 2300 days, which bring us to that event, have not yet ended. And if these days are not yet ended, and none of the messages have been given, and the sanctuary is not being cleansed, and the coming of Christ is thrown indefinitely in the future-where is the present truth! Shivered to atoms. The present truth is a nicely-adjusted, and harmonious system;and we cannot remove a plank or draw a bolt, without precipitating the whole structure to ruins. {February 27, 1866 UrSe, ARSH 100.14}
To our own mind the subject as herein presented, is plain and harmonious, presenting sufficient ground for unwavering faith. But if any are anxious to give up the present truth, abandon its immortal hopes, renounce its glorious liberty, and break away from its blessed restraints, perhaps the 1335 days is as good a point of departure as they could have. Uriah Smith {RH February 27, 1866
Haskell on Daniel and Revelation – Focus on Character development.
The prophecy as given to John is a revelation of Jesus Christ, and is the history of God's dealings with the church which bears the name, Christian. Daniel is a history of nations; the Revelation is ecclesiastical history, and into it, nations are introduced only when they affect the growth of the church. The life of Daniel shows how God can work through men in high positions: the preparation of John for his work as a prophet is the story of the transformation wrought in the heart of a fisherman by the Spirit of God. The extremes Margin of society were represented by these two men The story of each life is the narration of the events of a life in which love worked, and is an object lesson of the development of Christian character. {1905 SNH, SSP 14.1-3}
Daniel 12 Yet future
The Lord has shown me in vision, that Jesus rose up, and shut the door, and entered the Holy of Holies, at the 7th month 1844; but Michael's standing up (Daniel 12:1) to deliver his people, is in the future. {WLF 12.4}
The people of God need to study what characters they must form in order to pass through the test and proving of the last days. Many are living in spiritual weakness and backsliding. They know not what they believe. Let us read and study the twelfth chapter of Daniel. It is a warning that we shall all need to understand before the time of the end. There are ministers claiming to believe the truth who are not sanctified through the truth. Unless a change comes in their lives, they will say, "My Lord delayeth His coming." {15MR 228.2} (1903)
The context of this statement relates to character preparation in light of Daniel 12 speaking to Michael standing up and the need to turn many to righteousness
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I am deeply moved by the unprepared condition of our churches. One thing we must do. We must keep our feet in the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. We must make no missteps now. The first and second chapters of Colossians have been presented to me as an expression of what our churches in every part of the world should be. The great apostle had many visions. The Lord showed him many things that it is not lawful for a man to utter. Why could he not tell the believers what he had seen? Because they would have made a misapplication of the great truths presented. They would not have been able to comprehend these truths. And yet all that was shown to Paul molded the messages that God gave him to bear to the churches. {15MR 228.1}
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Read the 21st chapter of Luke. In it Christ gives the warning, "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 15MR 228.3
Rev 13 Quote
In the last days Satan will appear as an angel of light, with great power and heavenly glory, and claim to be the Lord of the whole earth. He will declare that the Sabbath has been changed from the seventh to the first day of the week; and as lord of the first day of the week he will present this spurious sabbath as a test of loyalty to him. Then will take place the final fulfillment of the Revelator's prophecy. [Revelation 13:4-18, quoted.] {19MR 282.1}
In the context of Ellen White’s clear statements about repeated history it is possible there will be a period of approximately 42 months for the Papacy but it is not critical to the sequence of the history being played out in this chapter in the final fulfilment.
Study Revelation in context of the character of Christ
To the apostle John, on the Isle of Patmos, were revealed the things that God desired him to give to the people. Study these revelations. Here are themes worthy of our contemplation, large and comprehensive lessons, which all the angelic hosts are now seeking to communicate. Behold the life and character of Christ, and study his mediatorial work. Here are infinite wisdom, infinite love, infinite justice, infinite mercy. Here are depths and heights, lengths and breadths, for our consideration. Numberless pens have been employed in presenting to the world the life, the character, and the mediatorial work of Christ; yet every mind through whom the Holy Spirit has worked has presented these themes in a light that is fresh and new, according to the mind and spirit of the human agent. {RH April 4, 1899, par. 10}
Warnings about dealing with the time of trouble.
There is a time of trouble coming to the people of God, but we are not to keep that constantly before the people, and rein them up to have a time of trouble beforehand. There is to be a shaking among God's people, but this is not the present truth to carry to the churches.... {1SM 180.2}
Some time ago Elder _____ got out some very startling notices regarding the destruction of New York. I wrote immediately to the ones in charge of the work there, saying that it was not wise to publish such notices, that thus an excitement might be aroused which would result in a fanatical movement, hurting the cause of God. It is enough to present the truth of the Word of God to the people. Startling notices are detrimental to the progress of His work. . . . {Ev 387.3} I have sent cautions to the brethren working in New York, saying that these flaming, terrifying notices should not be published. When my brethren go to extremes, it reacts on me, and I have to bear the reproach of being called a false prophet. {Ev 387.4}
