revealed　the　time　of　the　second　advent。　His　error　resulted　from　accepting
  the　popular　view　as　to　what　constitutes　the　sanctuary。
  In　the　typical　system；　which　was　a　shadow　of　the　sacrifice　and　priesthood　of
  Christ；　the　cleansing　of　the　sanctuary　was　the　last　service　performed　by　the
  high　priest　in　the　yearly　round　of　ministration。　It　was　the　closing　work　of
  the　atonement　a　removal　or　putting　away　of　sin　from　Israel。　It　prefigured
  the　closing　work　in　the　ministration　of　our　High　Priest　in　heaven；　in　the
  removal　or　blotting　out　of　the　sins　of　His　people；　which　are　registered　in
  the　heavenly　records。　This　service　involves　a　work　of　investigation；　a　work
  of　judgment；　and　it　immediately　precedes　the　coming　of　Christ　in　the　clouds
  of　heaven　with　power　and　great　glory；　for　when　He　comes；　every　case　has　been
  decided。　Says　Jesus：　〃My　reward　is　with　Me；　to　give　every　man　according　as
  his　work　shall　be。〃　Revelation　22：12。　It　is　this　work　of　judgment；
  immediately　preceding　the　second　advent；　that　is　announced　in　the　first
  angel's　message　of　Revelation　14：7：　〃Fear　God；　and　give　glory　to　Him；　for
  the　hour　of　His　judgment　is　come。〃
  Those　who　proclaimed　this　warning　gave　the　right　message　at　the　right　time。
  But　as　the　early　disciples　declared；　〃The　time　is　fulfilled；　and　the　kingdom
  of　God　is　at　hand；〃
  353
  based　on　the　prophecy　of　Daniel　9；　while　they　failed　to　perceive　that　the
  death　of　the　Messiah　was　foretold　in　the　same　scripture；　so　Miller　and　his
  associates　preached　the　message　based　on　Daniel　8：14　and　Revelation　14：7；
  and　failed　to　see　that　there　were　still　other　messages　brought　to　view　in
  Revelation
  14；　which　were　also　to　be　given　before　the　advent　of
  the　Lord。　As　the　disciples　were　mistaken　in　regard　to　the　kingdom　to　be　set
  up　at　the　end　of　the　seventy　weeks；　so　Adventists　were　mistaken　in　regard　to
  the　event　to　take　place　at　the　expiration　of　the　2300　days。　In　both　cases
  there　was　an　acceptance　of；　or　rather　an　adherence　to；　popular　errors　that
  blinded　the　mind　to　the　truth。　Both　classes　fulfilled　the　will　of　God　in
  delivering　the　message　which　He　desired　to　be　given；　and　both；　through　their
  own　misapprehension　of　their　message；　suffered　disappointment。
  Yet　God　accomplished　His　own　beneficent　purpose　in　permitting　the　warning　of
  the　judgment　to　be　given　just　as　it　was。　The　great　day　was　at　hand；　and　in
  His　providence　the　people　were　brought　to　the　test　of　a　definite　time；　in
  order　to　reveal　to　them　what　was　in　their　hearts。　The　message　was　designed
  for　the　testing　and　purification　of　the　church。　They　were　to　be　led　to　see
  whether　their　affections　were　set　upon　this　world　or　upon　Christ　and　heaven。
  They　professed　to　love　the　Saviour；　now　they　were　to　prove　their　love。　Were
  they　ready　to　renounce　their　worldly　hopes　and　ambitions；　and　welcome　with
  joy　the　advent　of　their　Lord？　The　message　was　designed　to　enable　them　to
  discern　their　true　spiritual　state；　it　was　sent　in　mercy　to　arouse　them　to
  seek　the　Lord　with　repentance　and　humiliation。
  The　disappointment　also；　though　the　result　of　their　own　misapprehension　of
  the　message　which　they　gave；　was　to　be　overruled　for　good。　It　would　test　the
  hearts　of　those　who　had　professed　to　receive　the　warning。　In　the　face　of
  their　disappointment　would　they　rashly　give　up　their　experience　and　cast
  away　their　confidence　in　God's　word？　or　would　they；　in
  354
  prayer　and　humility；　seek　to　discern　where　they　had　failed　to　comprehend　the
  significance　of　the　prophecy？　How　many　had　moved　from　fear；　or　from　impulse
  and　excitement？　How　many　were　halfhearted　and　unbelieving？　Multitudes
  professed　to　love　the　appearing　of　the　Lord。　When　called　to　endure　the
  scoffs　and　reproach　of　the　world；　and　the　test　of　delay　and　disappointment；
  would　they　renounce　the　faith？　Because　they　did　not　immediately　understand
  the　dealings　of　God　with　them；　would　they　cast　aside　truths　sustained　by　the
  clearest　testimony　of　His　word？
  This　test　would　reveal　the　strength　of　those　who　with　real　faith　had　obeyed
  what　they　believed　to　be　the　teaching　of　the　word　and　the　Spirit　of　God。　It
  would　teach　them；　as　only　such　an　experience　could；　the　danger　of　accepting
  the　theories　and　interpretations　of　men；　instead　of　making　the　Bible　its　own
  interpreter。　To　the　children　of　faith　the　perplexity　and　sorrow　resulting
  from　their　error　would　work　the　needed　correction。　They　would　be　led　to　a
  closer　study　of　the　prophetic　word。　They　would　be　taught　to　examine　more
  carefully　the　foundation　of　their　faith；　and　to　reject　everything；　however
  widely　accepted　by　the　Christian　world；　that　was　not　founded　upon　the
  Scriptures　of　truth。
  With　these　believers；　as　with　the　first　disciples；　that　which　in　the　hour　of
  trial　seemed　dark　to　their　understanding　would　afterward　be　made　plain。　When
  they　should　see　the　〃end　of　the　Lord〃　they　would　know　that；　notwithstanding
  the　trial　resulting　from　their　errors；　His　purposes　of　love　toward　them　had
  been　steadily　fulfilling。　They　would　learn　by　a　blessed　experience　that　He
  is　〃very　pitiful；　and　of　tender　mercy；〃　that　all　His　paths　〃are　mercy　and
  truth　unto　such　as　keep　His　covenant　and　His　testimonies。〃
  （355）
  Chapter　20
  A　Great　Religious　Awakening
  A　Great　religious　awakening　under　the　proclamation　of　Christ's　soon　coming
  is　foretold　in　the　prophecy　of　the　first　angel's　message　of　Revelation　14。
  An　angel　is　seen　flying　〃in　the　midst　of　heaven；　having　the　everlasting
  gospel　to　preach　unto　them　that　dwell　on　the　earth；　and　to　every　nation；　and
  kindred；　and　tongue；　and　people。〃　〃With　a　loud　voice〃　he　proclaims　the
  message：　〃Fear　God；　and　give　glory　to　Him；　for　the　hour　of　His　judgment　is
  come：　and　worship　Him　that　made　heaven；　and　earth；　and　the　sea；　and　the
  fountains　of　waters。〃　Verses　6；　7。
  The　fact　that　an　angel　is　said　to　be　the　herald　of　this　warning　is
  significant。　By　the　purity；　the　glory；　and　the　power　of　the　heavenly
  messenger；　divine　wisdom　has　been　pleased　to　represent　the　exalted　character
  of　the　work　to　be　accomplished　by　the　message　and　the　power　and　glory　that
  were　to　attend　it。　And　the　angel's　flight　〃in　the　midst　of　heaven；〃　the
  〃loud　voice〃　with　which　the　warning　is　uttered；　and　its　promulgation　to　all
  〃that　dwell　on　the　earth；〃〃to　every　nation；　and　kindred；　and　tongue；　and
  people；〃give　evidence　of　the　rapidity　and　world…wide　extent　of　the
  movement。
  The　message　itself　sheds　light　as　to　the　time　when　this　movement　is　to　take
  place。　It　is　declared　to　be　a　part　of　the　〃everlasting　gospel；〃　and　it
  announces　the　opening　of　the
  356
  judgment。　The　message　of　salvation　has　been　preached　in　all　ages；　but　this
  message　is　a　part　of　the　gospel　which　could　be　proclaimed　only　in　the　last
  days；　for　only　then　would　it　be　true　that　the　hour　of　judgment　had　come。　The
  prophecies　present　a　succession　of　events　leading　down　to　the　opening　of　the
  judgment。　This　is　especially　true　of　the　book　of　Daniel。　But　that　part　of
  his　prophecy　which　related　to　the　last　days；　Daniel　was　bidden　to　close　up
  and　seal　〃to　the　time　of　the　end。〃　Not　till　we　reach　this　time　could　a
  message　concerning　the　judgment　be　proclaimed；　based　on　the　fulfillment　of
  these　prophecies。　But　at　the　time　of　the　end；　says　the　prophet；　〃many　shall
  run　to　and　fro；　and　knowledge　shall　be　increased。〃　Daniel　12：4。
  The　apostle　Paul　warned　the　church　not　to　look　for　the　coming　of　Christ　in
  his　day。　〃That　day　shall　not　come；〃　he　says；　〃except　there　come　a　falling
  away　first；　and　that　man　of　sin　be　revealed。〃　2　Thessalonians　2：3。　Not　till
  after　the　great　apostasy；　and　the　long　period　of　the　reign　of　the　〃man　of
  sin；〃　can　we　look　for　the　advent　of　our　Lord。　The　〃man　of　sin；〃　which　is
  also　styled　〃the　mystery　of　iniquity；〃　〃the　son　of　perdition；〃　and　〃that
  wicked；〃　represents　the　papacy；　which；　as　foretold　in　prophecy；　was　to
  maintain　its　supremacy　for　1260　years。　This　period　ended　in　1798。　The　coming
  of　Christ　could　not　take　place　before　that　time。　Paul　covers　with　his
  caution　the　whole　of　the　Christian　dispensation　down　to　the　year　1798。　It　is
  this　side　of　that　time　that　the　message　of　Christ's　second　coming　is　to　be
  proclaimed。
  No　such　message　has　ever　been　given　in　past　ages。　Paul；　as　we　have　seen；　did
  not　preach　it；　he　pointed　his　brethren　into　the　then　far…distant　future　for
  the　coming　of　the　Lord。　The　Reformers　did　not　proclaim　it。　Martin　Luther
  placed　the　judgment　about　three　hundred　years　in　the　future　from　his　day。
  But　since　1798　the　book　of　Daniel　has　been　unsealed；　knowledge　of　the
  prophecies　has　increased；　and　many　have　proclaimed　the　solemn　message　of　the
  judgment　near。
  357
  Like　the　great　Reformation　of　the　sixteenth　century；　the　advent　movement
  appeared　in　different　countries　of　Christendom　at　the　same　time。　In　both
  Europe　and　America　men　of　faith　and　prayer　were　led　to　the　study　of　the
  prophecies；　and；　tracing　down　the　inspired　record；　they　saw　convincing
  evidence　that　the　end　of　all　things　was　at　hand。　In　different　lands　ther