Second Quarter 2005 Adult Sabbath School Lessons:
Jesus Through the Eyes of Mark

Insights to Lesson 10
Predictions of the End
May 28-June 3

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

What happened to the great urgency and the breathless anticipation surrounding the announcement of the soon coming of Christ proclaimed by William Miller and his fellow advent preachers during the Great Advent Awakening in the 1840s? Surprisingly, the Quarterly did not touch upon the biblical evidence recorded in Mark 13, Matthew 24, Luke 21, Daniel 12, and Revelation 6 in the context of laying the foundation for the powerful advent preaching of the 1840s.

Jesus describes in exact order two of the three events which were to occur (Matt. 24:29): the great Lisbon earthquake on Nov. 1, 1755, the blackened sun and blood-like moon on May 19, 1780, and the star shower on Nov. 13, 1833. In conjunction with these three climactic events, the papacy received its deadly wound marking the beginning of the “time of the end” (1798) following “times, time, and half of time” or 1260 years as specified in Daniel 12 (cf. Dan. 7:25 and Rev. 13).

With this overwhelming biblical evidence of the fulfillment of the signs preceding Christ’s advent, and the “time of the end” marked by the papal deadly wound in 1798, followed by the star shower in 1833, the momentum was unstoppable for the enthusiasm of the advent proclamation. But the capstone event which provided the final impetus for Miller’s preaching was the prediction of Josiah Litch that the Turkish (Moslem) empire would subjugate itself to Europe on August 11, 1840. Litch based his prediction on the time prophecy recorded in Revelation 9:15. He reasoned that the “the hour and day and month and year” would be 391 years and 15 days based on the “day for year” prophetic time principle. When the Turkish Empire surrendered according to his predicted date of Aug. 11, 1840, the “day for year” principle was confirmed and the momentum for Miller’s advent preaching was like a freight train traveling at 100 mph.

Now Miller’s interpretation of the “2300 days” of Daniel 8:14 as 2300 years ending in 1843 or 1844 with the cleansing of the earth by fire at the Second Coming began to gain credence. The advent preaching received heaven’s endorsement with the fulfillment of the climactic signs predicted by Jesus in their exact order in conjunction with commencement of the “time of the end” and the subjugation of the Turkish Empire.

Examine the events occurring between 1755 and 1840:

1. Great Lisbon Earthquake, Nov. 1, 1755

2. Sun darkened, May 19, 1780

3. Time of the End, 1798

4. N. American Star Shower, Nov. 13, 1833

5. Fall of Turkish Empire (day year principle confirmed), Aug. 11, 1840

6. Termination of the 2300 day prophecy 1844.

It may be of some interest to students of prophecy that the three woes specified in Revelation 9-11 have significance for us today. Clearly the first woe is connected with the fifth trumpet which concerns the rise of Islam and Mohammed. If the second woe is connected with the sixth trumpet, it too is associated with Islam (Rev. 11:14 says the second woe is past). “[T]he third woe is coming quickly” may mean that the Islamic fury toward the West presently occurring is now underway in conjunction with seventh trumpet and the Second Coming.

Jesus said, “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations and then the end shall come.” There is one date that should stand out for all Adventists and have equal or greater significance than the dates identified above associated with the Great Advent Awakening. In the Minneapolis General Conference of 1888 the recovery of the everlasting gospel and its preaching began with two of heaven’s delegated messengers, A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner. The message was intended to prepare a people for translation rather than the resurrection. Heaven had ordained that message to go worldwide, but the brakes were put on the momentum by the stubborn resistance of certain leading men. In consequence of this rejection, the beginning of the showers of the latter rain began to evaporate. It was a message of Christ our righteousness and justification by faith.

“What is justification by faith? — It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself. When men see their own nothingness, they are prepared to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. When they begin to praise and exalt God all the day long, then by beholding they are becoming changed into the same image. What is regeneration? — It is revealing to man what is his own real nature, that in himself he is worthless” (Special Testimonies for Ministers and Workers, No. 9, p. 62).

The Quarterly states that “each day that goes by brings the Second Coming one day closer.” It could well be that with the continuing rejection of this “most precious message,” each day that goes by actually delays the Second Coming further into the future. May it be true that we as a church cooperate with heaven and allow Christ to “finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth” (Rom. 9:28).

—John W. Peters

Read the study notes for Lesson 11