~ The Pattern of Great Reformatory Movements ~
The work of God in the earth presents, from age to age, a striking similarity in every great reformation or religious movement. THe principles of God's dealing with men are ever the same. The important movements of the present have their parallel in those of the past, and the experience of the church in former ages has lessons of great value for our own time. The Great Controversy, p. 343 The Great Reformatory Movements of the past (Noah, Moses, Elijah, Cyrus, John the Baptist) 1) Spiritual Darkness precedes reformation. 2) A Time Prophecy ends, marking a "time of the end." 3) There is an "increase of knowledge" about the near future. 4) God chooses a man to publicize the knowledge in a message. 5) God works to "empower" that message. 6) A "life-or-death" Testing Process begins. 7) Three Enemies oppose the message. 8) God manifests His power to surge the message over the opponents. 9) The message culminates in a Judgment event. 10) Judgment is followed by Disappointment. 11) A work-duty is given to God's tested and faithful people. 12) God's people backslide and stop doing the work. 13) A new work of Repentance begins. 14) There is a new Restoration of God's power. 15) There is a new Judgment. 16) Jesus Comes. Noah 1) Darkness: Man's thoughts were "only evil continually." Gen. 6:5 2) Time Prophecy ends: 120 years. Gen. 6:3 3) Increase of knowledge re. near future: Methuselah, "when he dies, it shall come." Gen. 5:27 4) God chooses a man to give the message: Noah. Gen. 6:13 5) God "empowers" the message: Ark plans given to Noah. Gen. 6:14 6) Life-or-Death Testing Process begins. Noah builds & preaches. (PK 94) 7) 3 Enemies oppose: "worldly, honored, and wise men." (PK 95) 8) God manifests His power to surge the message: Animals enter the Ark. Gen. 7:9 9) Judgment event: Flood. Gen. 7:17 10) Disappointment: Re. condition of the "new" earth. (PK 108) 11) Work given to God's people: "Replenish" the earth. Gen. 9:1 12) Backsliding: Tower of Babel. Gen. 11:4 13) New work of Repentance: "Those that feared the Lord cried unto Him." (PP 123) 14) New restoration of God's power: Confusion of languages. Gen. 11:9 15) New Judgment: Lightning destroys Tower. (PP 119) 16) Jesus (the Prince of Peace) Comes: "Companies" live in relative peace. (PP 123)
parallel the Great Reformation of our day, William Miller and Seventh-day Adventism. Not all of the points appear in every reform movement, but the "striking similarity" is evident.
Moses
1) Darkness: Egyptian bondage. Ex. 1:13 2) Time Prophecy ends: 430 years. Gen. 15:13, Ex. 12:41 3) Increase of knowledge re. near future: Burning Bush. Ex. 3 4) God chooses a man to give the message: Moses. Ex. 3 5) God "empowers" the message: Serpent-Rod. Ex. 4 6) Life-or-Death Testing Process begins: Circumcision. Ex. 4:25 7) 3 Enemies oppose: Pharaoh, Magicians, Israelite officers. Ex. 5 8) God manifests His power to surge the message: Plagues. Ex. 7-12 9) Judgment event: Death of firstborn. Ex. 12:29 10) Disappointment: Red Sea. Ex. 14 11) Work given to God's people: Preparation to receive God's Law. Ex. 19:10-11 12) Backsliding: Golden Calf. Ex. 32:1-8 13) New work of Repentance: (God repented, but not the people) Ex. 32:14 14) New restoration of God's power: Levites side with Moses. Ex. 32:26 15) New Judgment: Levites execute apostates. Ex. 32:29 16) Jesus Comes: Moses' atonement a type of Christ's. Ex. 32:30
Ellijah & Elisha
1) Darkness: Jezebel's idolatry. 1 Ki. 16:31 2) Time Prophecy ends: 3) Increase of knowledge re. near future: 4) God chooses a man to give the message: Elijah. (PK 120-121) 5) God "empowers" the message: 6) Life-or-Death Testing Process begins: No rain. 1 Ki. 17:1 7) 3 Enemies oppose: Ahab, Jezebel, Priests of Baal. 1 Ki. 17-19 8) God manifests His power to surge the message: Fire on Mt. Carmel. 1 Ki. 18:38 9) Judgment event: Execute False Prophets. 1 Ki. 18:40 10) Disappointment: Elijah flees from Jezebel. 1 Ki. 19:1-4 11) Work given to God's people: Elijah anoints next generation of players. 1 Ki. 19:15-16 12) Backsliding: 13) New work of Repentance: 14) New restoration of God's power: Elisha's ministry. 15) New Judgment: She-bears. 16) Jesus Comes: Elisha's ministry a type of Christ (PK240); also the 144,000 (PK227) 1) Darkness: Babylonian Captivity. 2 Chron. 36:20 2) Time Prophecy ends: 70 years. Jer. 25:12 (Begin 2300) 3) Increase of knowledge re. near future: Daniel prays for restoration. Dan. 9:2 4) God chooses a man to give the message: Cyrus' Decree. 2 Chron. 36:23 5) God "empowers" the message: Christ as Michael influences Cyrus. (PK 571) 6) Life-or-Death Testing Process begins: Jews who didn't go faced death decree. (PK 600) 7) 3 Enemies oppose: Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian. Neh. 2:19 8) God manifests His power to surge the message: Esther 9) Judgment event: 3rd Decree, national sovereignty returned to Jews. Ezra 7:25 10) Disappointment: Few Jews return. (PK 612) 11) Work given to God's people: Finish rebuilding Jerusalem. Ezra 7 12) Backsliding: Artaxerxes' 20th year, work still not done. Neh. 1:1-3 (PK 669) 13) New work of Repentance: Nehemiah, 1:4ff; Leaders, 9:1ff (PK 675) 14) New restoration of God's power: 4th Decree. Neh. 2:8-9 15) New Judgment: Sabbath & marriage reforms enforced. Neh. 13 16) Jesus Comes: Malachi predicts John the Baptist & Christ. Mal. 3:1 John the Baptist & Christ 1) Darkness: "superstitions and traditions of professed interpreters" (FCE 238-9) 2) Time Prophecy ends: 490 years. Dan. 9:24-25, Mk. 1:14-15 3) Increase of knowledge re. near future: Shepherds, Simeon, Anna, Herod, Magi, boy Jesus. 4) God chooses a man to give the message: John the Baptist. Mt. 3:1-4 5) God "empowers" the message: Dove & Voice at Jesus' baptism. Mt. 3:16-17 6) Life-or-Death Testing Process begins: Jesus in the wilderness. Mt. 4:1 7) 3 Enemies oppose: Herod, Herodias, Salome Mt. 14:6-11 8) God manifests His power to surge the message: Triumphal Entry. Mt. 21:9 9) Judgment event: The Cross. 10) Disappointment: Disciples. 11) Work given to God's people: "...so send I you." Jn. 20:21 12) Backsliding: "Gone Fishing" Jn. 21:3 13) New work of Repentance: Peter, Jn. 20:15ff; Disciples unify, Acts 12:1 14) New restoration of God's power: Pentecost. 15) New Judgment: Destruction of Jerusalem, 70 AD. (GC 36) 16) Jesus Comes: Patmos. (19MR 40-41) Adventism: Millerites & 144,000 1) Darkness: Papal "Dark Ages" 2) Time Prophecy ends: 1260 years. Dan. 7:24, 12:7; Rev. 11:2,3,9,11; 12:6 3) Increase of knowledge re. near future: End of 2300 years. (SW 1/24/05) 4) God chooses a man to give the message: William Miller. (EW 229-233) 5) God "empowers" the message: Rev.10: "book" open re. Islam's fall, 8/11/40. (GC 335) 6) Life/Death Testing Process begins: 7 Thunders = Millerite time, sweet/bitter. Rev. 10:9-10 7) 3 Enemies (End Time): Dragon (U.N.), Beast (Papists), False Prophet (USA), Rev. 16:13 8) God manifests His power to surge the message: 1843 chart, Midnight Cry. 9) Judgment event: Oct. 22, 1844 10) Disappointment: Oct. 23, 1844 11) Work given to God's people: "Thou must prophesy again [to the world]" Rev. 10:11 12) Backsliding: Laodicea. 13) New work of Repentance: Rev. 3:19, Needed before "Image" formed. (7BC 976) 14) New restoration of God's power: 4th Angel; Latter Rain & Loud Cry. Rev. 18 15) New Judgment: 7 Last Plagues. 16) Jesus comes: Jesus Comes! Clarification:
Cyrus & Ezra - Nehemiah
In an effort to clarify (I hope) the overlapping and probably confusing aspects of the Great Reformatory Movements list I gave above as it applies to the Millerites and the 144,000 I will apply the truth that in this 3 + 1 sequence (meaning the 3 Angels plus the 4th Angel), the 4th Angel's message is a repeat of the 2nd Angel's message that "Babylon is fallen."
"Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory. The light which attended this angel penetrated everywhere, as he cried mightily, with a strong voice, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Rev. 18:2. The message of the fall of Babylon, as given by the second angel, is repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the churches since 1844. The work of this angel comes in at the right time to join in the last great work of the third angel's message as it swells to a loud cry. And the people of God are thus prepared to stand in the hour of temptation, which they are soon to meet. I saw a great light resting upon them, and they united to fearlessly proclaim the third angel's message." The Faith I Live By, p. 335
The second and fourth messages also both are empowered by the Holy Spirit (Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, p.429), they both are cleansing messages (2SM 118), they both are testing messages (9T 228), they both illustrate the parable of the Ten Virgins (R&H Aug. 19, 1890), and the Loud Cry of the 4th Angel joins the 3rd message as the Midnight Cry joined the 2nd message (EW 277-278).
I believe the best printed explanation of the 3 + 1 sequence is in Jeff Pippenger's booklet entitled "Prophetic Timelines," that he published about 1997. Every person who reads the "Future News" www.future-news.org or is interested in these discussions should ask him for a copy.
That this repetition of the Millerite time during the 144,000 time is evident in Scripture was pointed out by Jeff when he noted that Rev. 10:3-6 applied to the Millerite time, and Rev. 10:7-11 applies to the 144,000 time. (And I suggest that Rev. 10:1-3 applies to both times because two passages of Daniel, Dan. 8:14 & Dan. 11:40-45, were opened or unsealed at separate times, roughly in the 1830's and the 1990's.)
Applying the principle of the 4th repeating the 2nd in the list below:
Adventism : Millerites & 144,000
1) Darkness: Papal "Dark Ages"
2) Time Prophecy ends: 1260 years. Dan. 7:24, 12:7; Rev. 11:2,3,9,11; 12:6
3) Increase of knowledge re. near future: End of 2300 years. (SW 1/24/05)
4) God chooses a man to give the message: (1st Angel) William Miller. (EW 229-233)
5) God "empowers" the message: Rev.10: "book" open re. Islam's fall, 8/11/40. (GC 335)
6) Life/Death Testing Process begins: 7 Thunders = Millerite time, sweet/bitter. Rev. 10:1-6
7) 3 Enemies (not apparent in Millerite time, but 2nd Angel announces the Fall of Babylon)
8) God manifests His power to surge the message: 1843 chart, Midnight Cry.
9) Judgment event: Oct. 22, 1844
10) Disappointment: (Begin 3rd Angel's time) Oct. 23, 1844
---150+ years later...(Continuing 3rd Angel's time):
11) Work given to God's people: "Thou must prophesy again [to the world]" Rev. 10:7-11
12) Backsliding: Laodicea (1850 - present)
13) New work of Repentance: Rev. 3:19, Needed before "Image" formed. (7BC 976)
---3 enemies: Dragon (U.N.), Beast (Papists), False Prophet (USA), Rev. 16:13
14) New restoration of God's power: (4th Angel repeats 2nd) Rev. 18, Latter Rain & Loud Cry.
15) New Judgment: 7 Last Plagues.
16) Jesus Comes: Jesus Comes!