Lessons from the Sealing Message of 1848
Our German family have been studying the book from J.N. Loughborough about The Great Second Advent Movement. They discovered something quite significant that has relevance for us. This is from Pages 271-272 in the English edition
Confusion of Nations in 1848
On the 21st day of February, 1848, when the courtiers of Louis Phillippe, of France, were gathered around him, he said: “I was never more firmly seated on the throne of empire than I am to-night.” In the twilight of the next evening, wearing a “pea jacket,” disguised as a hackney coachman, he fled outside the walls of the city of Paris seeking a refuge for his personal safety. The cause of this great and sudden change is said to have been the result of some movement on his part favoring the papal usurpation, which offended his subjects and his soldiers. He had on that day completed, in the city of Paris, a grand military review of the French army; and when their arms were stacked, he retired to the palace, when suddenly a small boy jumped upon a cannon, waving a tricolored flag, crying, “DOWN WITH THE POPE! DOWN WITH THE POPE!!” The soldiers taking up the cry, it passed swiftly up and down the lines, gaining strength as it went, until connected with it was the cry, “AND DOWN WITH THE KING!” In a few hours all Paris was a scene of wild confusion. The soldiers, with guns in hand, accompanied by a mob, were rushing for the king’s palace. He, on being informed of the turmoil, hastened to escape under disguise.
Nations that were Involved in the Struggle
The commotion and unrest of France spread rapidly to other countries. Prussia, Hanover, Sardinia, Sicily, Naples, Venice, Lombardy, Tuscany, and Rome caught the same mob spirit. Within three months all Europe was astir, and over thirty empires and kingdoms were in the greatest disorder. Thrones were burned in the streets, kings and emperors were fleeing and hiding for fear of losing their lives. Politicians predicted that there would be a general revolution of the governments of the world. Many of the Adventist ministers who had not as yet heard of the third angel’s message, saw this confusion, and supposed it must be the rallying of the nations for “the battle of the great day of God Almighty.”
Sealing Message Discovered
Just at this time the Seventh-day Adventists were learning from the Scriptures that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment was the sign, or seal, of the living God, and that the time had arrived for the proclamation of the sealing message of Rev. 10:1-4, and they were devising ways and means of getting this message before the people. While the seventh-day people were preparing for this work, the First-day Adventists were saying, “You are too late with your sealing message, for the battle of the great day and the Lord’s actual coming are right upon us.”
Turmoil Suddenly Quieted Down
Some three months later, the outburst among the nations quieted down; not, however, by a settlement of their grievances, but in a manner that journalists themselves could not explain. Of this trouble, Horace Greeley, in the New York Tribune, said: “It was a great wonder to us all what started so suddenly that confusion among the nations; but it is a greater wonder still what stopped it.”
Over the past little while our little flock from around the world have been studying the Character of our Father, the nature of the judgment and connected to this how we receive the seal of God by the Spirit. We have been preparing the past few months for how we shall share this message more fully in the Bible Training Program in the USA and the launch of our canvassing program and the beginnings of a public outreach in regard to this message.
Now the doors appear to be closing through the confusion and upheaval related to this coronovirus. Let us pray to our Father to cause these present events to die down that we may take up the work committed to us. We must do this for the sake of our beloved Saviour. The truth is too precious to be held to ourselves and we know this.
Let is pray morning and evening, Sabbath and New Moon and especially at Passover that things will subside so we may advance.
The Sealing message is now given to us:
1. It is the character of our Father as revealed in His Son.
2. It will come through a ministration of death to the old man that where sin abounds grace will much more abound.
3. The Sabbath more fully will bring the Spirit to complete the sealing.
4. The judgment we have made of our Father will then judge us and we shall overcome in the judgment. Praise God!
Let us trim our lamps, watch and be ready
