Eating the Little Book

8/7/2019 Eating the Little Book

1/9

Eating the Little Book.

God deals with us in ways that we can

understand. While Adventist students of

prophecy can see that 1798 marked the end

of an era and the beginning of the time of

the end, to the average person, especially tothe average evangelical Christian, the

phrase, time of the end means a short time

before the close of history and the return of

Christ. Few today, besides Adventists,

know of the falling of the stars or the

darkening of the sun two centuries ago. But

Christ has said these are signs of his soonreturn. And He also says that the darkening

of the sun etc would occur immediately

after the great tribulation, an event that was

fulfilled during the 1260 years ending in

1798. But isnt it possible that thetribulation Christ refers to is not just the

1260 years of papal domination, but that it

also refers to the time of trouble at the end

and that the falling of the stars and

darkening of the sun may happen again?

Ellen White also makes a number of

statements that reapply prophecies that a

strictly historical application wouldnt

allow. We Adventists have largely ignored

these and when we have given them

attention, we have often explained themaway in an attempt to preserve a purely

historical approach to prophetic studies.

This has been a factor in limiting the work

of the Holy Spirit in His effort to give us

clearer insight into the prophecies of Daniel

and Revelation. (There are other factors,especially our failure to accept and apply the

message to the Laodicean Church. If we

arent living up to the light we already have,

God in mercy knows it would not be good

for us to be given more and to be

responsible for it as well.) But, Ellen Whitemakes a number of statements saying that

when Daniel and Revelation are properly

understood and practically applied the end-

time, global revival will come. Here are two

of them:

"The book of Revelation opens with aninjunction to us to understand the

instruction that it contains. Blessed is

he that readeth and they that hear the

words of this prophecy," God declares,

and keep those things which arewritten therein: for the time is at hand.

When we as a people understand whatthis book means to us there will be seen

among us a great revival. Testimonies to

Ministers, Page 113.

To those who truly love God the HolySpirit will reveal truths that have faded

from the mind, and will also reveal

truths that are entirely new. Those who

eat the flesh and drink the blood of theSon of God will bring from the books of

Daniel and Revelation truth that isinspired by the Holy Spirit. They will

start into action forces that cannot be

repressed. The lips of children will be

opened to proclaim the mysteries thathave been hidden from the minds of

men. The Lord has chosen the foolish

things of this world to confound thewise, and the weak things of the world to

confound the mighty. -- Review andHerald, August 17, 1897.

When Ellen White says, Those who eatthe flesh and drink the blood of the Son

of God will bring from the books of

Daniel and Revelation truth that isinspired by the Holy Spirit, she strikes

the right balance; in allowing the wordsof prophecy to speak to our souls, not

preferring one text over another, but

looking to harmonize all thats revealedand acting on it, we are opening our

mouth wide and receiving the word.

To be fair, before quoting some of the

many future application statements fromEllen White I should say that the motives

of conservative Adventists who resist


2/9

future applications are good. They want

to avoid sensationalism and time-setting.

They assume that any reapplications ofDaniel and Revelation to the future will

result in this. But thats not the case.

Ellen White repeatedly makes futureapplications without falling into that

trap. We can and should do the same.

And unless we do follow her example, Isuggest that well miss out on the kinds

of insights from the prophecies that she

speaks of that will start into action

forces that cannot be repressed. Inwriting that do I mean that future

applications of Revelations prophecies

are the key to revival? Not at all. The

key to revival has always been promptand thorough repentance and obedience

to the Holy Spirit. It has always beenheeding the counsel of the True Witness.

But one of the results of a careful study

of Revelation will be a clearer view of

future aspects of the Great Controversythat are revealed there. God revealsHimself in history, past and future. Itsessential therefore that we see His future

work of judgment clearly, which all the

prophets have born witness to starting withEnoch, so that we can, by His grace, take on

the attributes of His character.

So, lets get started. The quote below isremarkable for several reasons. It was

written December 22, 1890, from

Washington, D. C., to "Dear Children,

Edson, Emma, and Willie." The first part of

the letter gives her children the news of what

shes been doing. The second half launches

into a description of final events. Among

many other interesting comments on the end

she says the trumpets of Revelation 8 to 11have a future application:

The power of the Holy Ghost must

be upon us, and the Captain of the

Lord's host will stand at the head ofthe angels of heaven to direct the

battle.Solemn events before us are

yet to transpire. Trumpet after

trumpet is to be sounded, vial after

vial poured out one after another

upon the inhabitants of the earth.

{14MR 287.1}

Below is another quote on the same topic.

This one places the both the seals and

trumpet in the future:

My imagination anticipated what it

must be in that period when the

Lord's mighty voice shall give

commission to His angels, "Go

your ways, and pour out the vials

of the wrath of God upon the

earth" (Rev. 16:1). Thy right hand,

O God, shall dash in pieces Thineenemies. Revelation 6 and 7 are

full of meaning. Terrible are the

judgments of God revealed. The

seven angels stood before God to

receive their commission. To them

were given seven trumpets. TheLord was going forth to punish the

inhabitants of the earth for their

iniquity, and the earth was to

disclose her blood and no more

cover her slain. Give the description

in chapter 6. {15MR 219.2 220.1}

See also T9 267 where Ellen White places

the seals in the future by linking the seals to

the plagues.

In the quote below, Ellen White places the

seven thunders of Revelation 10 in the future

and links them to the time when the three

angels messages are repeated under the

latter rain.

After these seven thunders uttered

their voices, the injunction comes to

John as to Daniel in regard to the

little book: "Seal up those things

which the seven thunders uttered."

These relate to future events

which will be disclosed in their


3/9

order. Daniel shall stand in his lot

at the end of the days. John sees the

little book unsealed. Then Daniel's

prophecies have their proper place

in the first, second, and third angels'messages to be given to the world.

The unsealing of the little book wasthe message in relation to time.

{7BC 971.4}

Regarding Revelation 11 Ellen White

applies it to the future to the time just

before the close of probation when God

rains fire and brimstone as well as otherless supernatural disasters on the great

cities of the world.

Out of the cities, is my messageat this time. Be assured that the

call is for our people to locatemiles away from the large cities.

One look at San Francisco as it is

today would speak to yourintelligent minds, showing you

the necessity of getting out of the

cities. . . . {LDE 95.2}

The Lord calls for His people to

locate away from the cities, forin such an hour as ye think not,

fire and brimstone will be rained

from heaven upon these cities.

Proportionate to their sins will betheir visitation. When one city is

destroyed, let not our people

regard this matter as a lightaffair, and think that they may, if

favorable opportunity offers,

build themselves homes in that

same destroyed city. . . . {LDE95.3}

Let all who would understand

the meaning of these things

read the eleventh chapter of

Revelation. Read every verse,

and learn the things that are yet

to take place in the cities. Readalso the scenes portrayed in the

eighteenth chapter of the same

book.--MR 1518 (May 10, 1906).

{LDE 95.4}

When you have a chance turn to Rev 11

and look to see how she has applied this.Rather than looking for a future

fulfillment that closely parallels our past

interpretation, note how widely different

her future application is on this chapter.The sins of atheistic France -

licentiousness and idolatry - will be the

hallmarks of the cities that bear the

judgments of God, but beyond that, wehave to let the prophecy speak for itself.

Ellen White is clearly speaking as aprophet here in applying this prophecy to

future events. I would never have

applied this passage as shes done. In

my view, only inspiration could makesuch an application. Wed be well

advised to follow her instruction and

make Revelation 11 a topic of prayerfulstudy.

Heres another fascinating application toa different prophecy, Daniel 10:

Study the tenth chapter of Daniel,and mark particularly the

fourteenth verse. "Now I am

come to make thee understand

what shall befall thy people inthe latter days: for yet the vision

is for many days" (Daniel 10:14).

When our brethren and ministersshall feel the burden that should

rest upon them, they will not be

content with a few surface truths.They will sink the shaft deep, and

will have the spirit that Daniel

possessed. 9MR 365


4/9

In the above passage two things are

remarkable: One is the implication that

the vision applies to the very end of timeprimarily and the second is that we will

need the spirit of Daniel to stand at that

time.

The vision that chapter 10 introduces

which is in chapters 11 and 12, containsthe most detailed information on the

abomination of desolation, the passages

in Daniel that Christ has told us to read

and understand. When ye thereforeshall see the abomination of desolation,

spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in

the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him

understand:) Then let them which bein Judaea flee into the mountains.

Matthew 24:15.

The same warning regarding the

abomination of desolation contained in

Daniel 11 is repeated and expanded uponin chapter 12. Regarding that warning

Ellen White says:

Let us read and study the twelfth

chapter of Daniel. It is a warningthat we shall all need to

understand before the time of the

end.--15 MR 228 (1903). {LDE15.4}

Ellen White expands on the dual

application of the abomination ofdesolation in the quote below:

By the decree enforcing the

institution of the papacy in violation

of the law of God, our nation [theUnited States] will disconnect

herself fully from righteousness....

{Mar 199.3}

As the approach of the Roman

armies was a sign to the disciples of

the impending destruction of

Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a

sign to us that the limit of God's

forbearance is reached, that the

measure of our nation's iniquity is

full, and that the angel of mercy isabout to take her flight, never to

return. The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of

affliction and distress which

prophets have described as the time

of Jacob's trouble. The cries of the

faithful, persecuted ones ascend to

heaven. And as the blood of Abel

cried from the ground, there are

voices also crying to God from

martyrs' graves, from the sepulchers

of the sea, from mountain caverns,

from convents vaults: "How long, O

Lord, holy and true, dost thou notjudge and avenge our blood on them

that dwell on the earth? {Mar

199.4}

When the fifth seal was opened,John the Revelator in vision saw

beneath the altar the company that

were slain for the Word of God and

the testimony of Jesus Christ. After

this came the scenes described in the

eighteenth of Revelation, when

those who are faithful and true are

called out from Babylon. {Mar199.5}

Christ will restore the life taken;

for He is the Life-giver: He will

beautify the righteous with immortal

life. {Mar 199.6}

Below is another passage where Ellen White

draws our attention to the abomination of

desolation:

Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of

in the prophecies will take place.The prophecy in the eleventh of

Daniel has nearly reached its

complete fulfillment. Much of thehistory that has taken place in

fulfillment of this prophecy will berepeated. In the thirtieth verse a

power is spoken of that "shall begrieved, and return, and have


5/9

indignation against the holy

covenant: so shall he do; he shall

even return, and have intelligence

with them that forsake the holy

covenant." [Verses 31-36, quoted.]{13MR 394.1}

OK, so far we have the abomination of

desolation in Daniel, the seals, trumpets,

thunders, and testimony of the two

witnesses, all having a future application.

Those items are found roughly in Daniel 8,

9, 11, 12, Revelation 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11

Moving on now, what about theintroductory scenes to the seals and

trumpets, Revelation 4 and 5 andRevelation 8:1-5 respectively? Here's a

quote on Revelation 5:

The fifth chapter of Revelation

needs to be closely studied. It is of

great importance to those who shall

act a part in the work of God forthese last days. There are some who

are deceived. They do not realize

what is coming on the earth. {9T

267.}

That Ellen White above is applying

Revelation 5 to the future is clear. The

question is, when is she applying it to? I

suggest that if the passage is read in its

context she makes a dual application - both

to the future. Her first application is to the

'little time of trouble' and the second is to the

execution of the judgment at the end of the

millennium.

Regarding the introduction to the trumpets

Revelation 8:2-5, since the trumpets are

future, this scene, which describes theintercession of Christ in heaven just prior to

the trumpets sounding would be future as

well. The throwing down of fire just before

the trumpets sound should not be confusedwith the throwing down of the censor at the

end of probation. This scene, like the ones

in Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 9 and 10 describes

the latter rain, the baptism of the church with

fire foretold by John the Baptist.

About 100 years ago, an Adventist minister,

George Fifield wrote:

Almost the whole typology of the Bibledepends upon the fact that the leading ofthe children of Israel out of Egypt, acrossthe Red Sea, and into the land of Canaan,is a type of the leading of the true Israelout of the darkness of this world into thetrue Canaan of rest. The force of this typeis recognized in the book of Revelation,where the redeemed on the sea of glass arerepresented as singing the song of Mosesand the Lamb. The two songs are one; oneis the type of the other. The children ofIsrael were delivered by a series of plagues

through which God revealed himself to theEgyptians, and also revealed his hatred ofthe sin of idolatry. Those plagues were notsent to destroy the Egyptiansmeaninglessly, through a motive of wrath,but to reveal God to them, giving them onemore, one last, chance to go with hispeople; and all this through the motive oflove. God is to set his hand a second timeto the deliverance of Israel. He will make afinal revelation to the world of himself andof his hatred of sin.

John says, I looked, and, behold, thetemple of the tabernacle of the testimonyin heaven was opened: and the sevenangels came out of the temple, having theseven plagues, . . . and the temple wasfilled with smoke from the glory of God,and from his power; and no man was ableto enter into the temple, TILL THE SEVENPLAGUES OF THE SEVEN ANGELS WEREFULFILLED. In these words, the Lorddefinitely informs us just how the plaguesstand related, in point of time, to theclosing work in the heavenly sanctuary, and

therefore to the closing of probation. Thisis the antitype; to understand it we mustgo back to the type.

When was the time, and the only time inthe yearly round of the earthlyministration, when the temple was filledwith smoke, and no man permitted toenter? Was it after the ministration wascompleted, and probation as typified by


6/9

that years ministration at an end? Or wasit during the closing moments of thatministration, while the high priest was inthe most holy place? We answer, the last isthe truth. The tenth day of the seventhmonth was the day of atonement. The high

priest, however, did not really enter themost holy place to make the finalatonement until the closing minutes of thatday, just before sunset. During the day theassistant priests were in the temple, butwhen the climax was reached, the highpriest went into the holy of holies alone;all-other priests retired even from theouter apartment of the temple, the templewas filled with smoke, and none permittedto enter till the ministration wascompleted. (See Lev 16:13, 17; andelsewhere.) This is the type; and Rev. 15:8is the antitype.

Since the termination of the propheticperiods, in 1844, we have been in the dayof atonement, but the assistant priestshave been in the temple above, and theministration has been going on in the outerapartment as well. When the hour of theatonement arrives, all will retire, Jesus willenter the holy of holies alone, and at thattime, not after he comes out and the dooris shut, will the plagues be poured out.

With this statement, every text in the

Scriptures that relates at all to the closingof probation is in perfect agreement, whilethey are all in direct antagonism to theidea that probation closes before theplagues being to fall. It must beremembered, however, that when wespeak of the closing of probation, we mean,not the closing of probation for someindividuals, but the complete closing ofprobation for the world. This distinction isall-important, for we have seen that themarking and sealing work, or the closing ofprobation, is progressive, and covers a

period of time. The plagues fall upon thosewho have the mark of the beast, that is,upon those person whose probation isclosed, because they have fully committedthemselves to the powers of evil.

But while they fall upon individuals whoseprobation is closed, they fall before theprobation of all the world is closed, that is,

before all have taken the final step thatcommits them wholly to evil. They fall forthe purpose of so revealing Gods truth andhis wrath against sin, as to help those whoare deciding, to decide aright.

Satan, the Bible says, will be working withall power and signs, and lying wonders, andwith all deceivableness of unrighteousness,so that, if it were possible, he woulddeceive the very elect. Under thesecircumstances, if God wrought only withthe silent power of the truth, some honestsouls, whose intellects have not beentrained to quickly recognize and appreciatethe truth, might be deceived. God will notpermit this. He will set his hand a secondtime to deliver his people. He will manifesthimself openly and mightily, as of old.The Son of God, the divine Word, will be inthe temple during the plagues, for afterthe pouring out of the seventh vial his voiceis heard out of the temple from the throne,that is, from the inner apartment of theheavenly sanctuary, saying It is done.

After the sixth plague is poured out, thissolemn warning is given, Behold, I come asa thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, andkeepeth his garments, lest he walk naked,and they see his shame. All will admit thatthis is speaking of the garments of divinerighteousness, with which the redeemed

will be clothed.

Then there is danger that this garment maybe lost at that time, else why this solemnwarning? But if the garment of righteousness can be lost after six plagueshave been poured out, then it can also begained; for at the same time that the Lordsays, He that is righteous, let him berighteous still, he says also, He that isfilthy, let him be filthy still. Thereforeprobation is not closed until after the sixthplague is poured out.

And he gathereth them into a place calledin the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. It isunder this plague that the wicked aregathered for the great battle. Joeldescribes this same gathering thus:Assemble yourselves, and come, all yeheathen, and gather yourselves together


7/9

round about: thither cause thy mighty onesto come down, O Lord. Let the heathen bewakened, and come up to the valley ofJehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge allthe heather round about. Put ye in thesickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get

you down; for the press is full, the fatsoverflow; for their wickedness is great.Multitudes, multitudes in the valley ofdecision: for the day of the Lord is near inthe valley of decision. Here it is seen thatwhen they are gathered here, under thesixth plague, instead of their cases allhaving been decided long before, they areright now in the valley of decision, wherethey must make their choice at once. Howappropriate, then, the warning to watch,lest the heavenly garment be lost.

The prophet Zephaniah, speaking of thisgathering of the wicked who are withoutshame, or, as one translator puts it,without desire of repentance, says:Gather yourselves together, yea, gathertogether, O nation not desired; before thedecree bring forth, before the day pass asthe chaff, before the fierce anger of theLord comes upon you, before the day of theLords anger comes upon you. Then hespeaks of the righteous with an admonitionmuch like that in Revelation about thegarments of righteousness: Seek ye theLord, all ye meek of the earth, which have

wrought his judgment; seek righteousness,seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid inthe day of the Lords anger. Here thisgathering, which is under the sixth plague,is plainly declared to be before the decreebring forth, before the day pass as thechaff, as it is before the fierce anger of theLord against sin, which under the seventhplague destroys the unrepentant sinnerfrom the earth. (George Fifield, God isLove, Ch. 23)

Some Adventists are going to be

uncomfortable with the idea that attention isbeing drawn to these kinds of statements

from Ellen White. They might prefer the

idea that although Ellen White puts some

things that we teach as being fulfilled in the

future, shes only making future applications

to the principles of the prophecies, not the

prophecies themselves.

Well, friends, you be the judge. In the

passages quoted above, is Ellen White

saying study the principles of these

prophecies; the details of them have nofuture application? Or, is she saying study

the prophecies themselves in detail and letthem speak? Isnt it the latter? In the

passages Ive quoted shes directed our

attention to these things and urged that we

study them in detail. Why? Again, its

because God reveals Himself in history, past

and future. If we see His future acts of

judgment and mercy clearly, which all the

prophets have born witness to starting with

Enoch, we will take on the attributes of His

character.

Ellen Whites burden and hopefully mineand yours is character development. We so

much need to eat that little prophetic book

thats open in the hand of the Mighty Angel

in order to become like Him. EveryChristian, including the devil too, is familiar

with the claim that God is love. But its in

reviewing His great acts in the past and in

the future in detail, meditating on them and

assimilating them into our souls that our

characters are transformed into His image.

May God help and bless us in our efforts toeat and share that little open book. Its when

we do this that well be empowered to rise

and prophecy again and become effective

agents in the hands of the Holy Spirit to

share the first, second and third angels

messages in the power of the latter rai


8/9

Post Script

After finishing the above paper I recently

came across some more quotes from Ellen

White and from others that need to be added.

One is an extract from a paper on future

applications of prophecy by Eugene Prewitt.

Eugene looks ant the claims some well

known Adventists are making that the 1290and 1335 days of Daniel 12 are future and

concludes:

How sad it is that many persons try

to place the 1335 day prophecy,

with the 1290, into the future. If

they are in the future, then the book

of Daniel is not yet unsealed. Then

the advent movement was founded

on an error. Then we are robbed of

one of the most simple and direct

prophecies of the founding of this

great Advent Movement. Let it notbe.

Heres a quote that has a bearing:

Revelation is a sealed book, but it isalso an opened book. It records

marvelous events that are to take

place in the last days of this earth's

history. The teachings of this book

are definite, not mystical and

unintelligible. In it the same line ofprophecy is taken up as in Daniel.

Some prophecies God has repeated,thus showing that importance must

be given to them. The Lord does not

repeat things that are of no great

consequence.--Ms 107, 1897, pp. 1,

2.

I've found several interesting quotes recently

by Ellen White on prophecy, but this is oneof the most. In almost all of her statements

on the sealing and unsealing of prophecy,

she says Revelation is an unsealed book.

But in this one, she says it's both sealed andunsealed. Rather than ignoring this

statement and relying on her others,

shouldn't we be looking at this and asking

ourselves what part(s) of Revelation is/are

sealed? And given her other statements that

the seven seals are in the future, it seems

reasonable that she is referring to them, and

probably to the seven thunders which she

says relate to future events (not messages)

that will be disclosed in their order.

And it so happens that in the same shortstatement above, she urges us to look at the

prophecies that are repeated in Daniel andRevelation, linking those prophecies by

implication to the parts of Revelation that

are sealed. So, what prophesies are covered

in both books? What prophecies were partly

unsealed in 1798? When will the prophecies

be fully unsealed? If the seven seals and

thunders are future, then we can expect

they'll be progressively unsealed until the

last of them is. Remember the Greeks and

when it thundered from heaven just beforethe crucifixion? Only a few heard and

understood the thunder. It will be similar at

the end but my thinking is that those who

understand will number in the tens ofthousands.


9/9

I've been on the fence for many years on the

issue of whether the 1260, 1290, and 1335

days have a future application. Your Deeper

paper nudges me closer to the view that all

of the above do have a future application.I'm going to revise my Eating the Little

Book paper to include the above quote. Iuploaded my paper to Scribd, but haven't

included this additional quote yet. Give me

a few days or so if you want to see the latest

revision. I'm listed under my name on

Scribd, Mark Shipowick.

On the way to church today I commented to

my wife that the reason Kenneth Cox and

other Adventists probably don't place the

1260 days in the future as well is that they

know it's too big a step for the Adventist

public. I'm not up on it so maybe some ofthem do. But if they don't, it's because they

don't want to divide the church and/or take

the flack. But their logic would require that

conclusion. It's all or nothing in my view.

Good Sabbath to you.

Mark

Revelation is a sealed book, but it is also an

opened book. It records marvelous eventsthat are to take place in the last days of this

earth's history. The teachings of this book

are definite, not mystical and unintelligible.

In it the same line of prophecy is taken up as

in Daniel. Some prophecies God has

repeated, thus showing that importance must

be given to them. The Lord does not repeat

things that are of no great consequence.--Ms

107, 1897, pp. 1, 2. 8MR 415?

Eating the Little Book

Documents

Transcript of Eating the Little Book