Questioning The Significance of 1844

Men such as Dirk Anderson, Martin Eldon, and other Ellen White detractors have questioned the significance of 1844, implying that nothing of real import occurred at that time. Martin Eldon has made an attempt on the Worldwide Internet this past week (Aug. 23-29) to totally lambaste the 1844 experience, and to label Ellen White as a false prophet because of her ascribing importance to 1844. As well, many professing Seventh-day Adventists are questioning the verity of the 2300 days as they apply to the 1844 experience. It will be seen from the following study that the 2300 days would have to accord with the Philadelphia era of the church. This is a most important observation to remember.

What is the Biblical Significance of 1844?

How do we establish the significance of 1844 from a biblical perspective? In denying the 1844 movement, detractors are calling into question one of the seven era's of the church, Philadelphia. Philadelphia was a perfect church. She keeps the commandments of God and gives the Testimony of Jesus, and keeps the faith of Jesus, Revelation 14. She has no guile in her mouth, Revelation 14:5. There is a direct correlation between Revelation 14:6-12, and chapter 3:7-13. Having no guile in her mouth certainly coincides with keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Ellen White says that only the 144,000 go into the Temple on Mt. Zion. Philadelphia in made "a pillar in the temple of my God." Rev. 3:12. The 144,000 of Rev. 14:1-4, with guile in their mouth, have the Father's name written in their forehead, verse 1. Of Philadelphia it is said:

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name. John the Revelator says the bride is the New Jerusalem:

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

So, the following things are indicative of the 144,000, the New Jerusalem, the bride:

• She, as Philadelphia, is perfect with no guile in her mouth, as is the 144,000.

• She, as does Philadelphia, is made a pillar in the Temple of God.

• She, as does Philadelphia, has the same new name, New Jerusalem, written in her forehead.

• John says that the bride is the New Jerusalem.

• Philadelphia is the sixth church coming at the end of time.

• Philadelphia gives the Testimony of Jesus which is the Everlasting Gospel, which is the three angel's messages.

• Philadelphia's era was circa 1844 -1852, and she gave the three angel's messages and advocated the keeping of the ten commandments, the capstone to the Everlasting Gospel in Revelation 14:12.

This is the kind of Biblical evidence that is discredited by the detractors of the era of Philadelphia, circa 1844, until the church first became Laodicean circa 1852. This is the first mention of the church being Laodicean, and it appears as follows:

"The words addressed to the Laodicean church describe the present condition perfectly." E.G. White, Review and Herald, Vol. 1, p. 18, col. 2, June 10, 1852.

The Tarrying Time Factor

Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

Some might try to interpret that the bridegroom tarried from the time of Jesus' return to heaven until His second coming. This will not work because Philadelphia, the perfect church, would give the Everlasting Gospel. She would not be perfect if she did not give the gospel commission and the Everlasting Gospel of Revelation 14:6-12. She could not sleep while giving that gospel Midnight Cry. Neither could those sleep to whom she gave that awakening cry. What was her cry? It was not only a first fulfillment of Revelation 18. It was a fulfillment of Matthew 25, as follows:

"While the bridegroom tarried, they ALL slumbered and slept, And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." Matthew 25:5, 6.

Three crucial and all-important points friend:

1. Midnight refers to the end-time. 2. There will be no sleeping when the Midnight Cry is given the second time. The final events will be rapid and no one will be sleeping during the greatest time of trouble to hit planet earth! Obviously, there was to be a call before the final call, that Christ was coming, and He would not come, but tarry. That is Bible. That is not fanatic Adventists circa 1844! 3. The condition of Laodicea, feeling rich, increased with goods, in need of nothing, is totally indicative of the sleeping, slumbering condition of the 10 virgins. Philadelphia awakened. Laodicean slumbered and slept.

SDA and 1844 detractors, mock the Adventists who then made the Midnight Cry, because the bridegroom did not come. But it is totally evident that a cry was to go forth at MIDNIGHT, THE TIME OF THE END, and then a tarrying time would ensue after that cry. So Ellen White was right in saying that God held His hand over the time of His coming, and there indeed was to be a cry AT MIDNIGHT--the end-time, that the bridegroom would come and would not come, but would tarry for a period of time, and the ten-virgins would go back to sleep. Notice the words "...they ALL SLUMBERED AND SLEPT." Has the bride ever slumbered and slept? No. There has been a wide awake faithful few in every generation. But her children, son and daughters, Isaiah 62, slumbered and slept. Then it is her voice and the voice of God, who awaken the ten virgins at the final call, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 405-6.

Conclusion

So is there biblical evidence placing significance on the era of Philadelphia--1844-1852, when the church was first labeled as Laodicean? There certainly is, and you have just witnessed another wielding of the Elijah two-edged sword to the jugular of all such detractors, which cuts whichever way it moves. All and any who are discrediting 1844 as an era of great importance are denying high biblical evidence to the contrary. They are denying the Bible, not Ellen White and Adventists. Men such as Martin Eldon, do not know what they are about. They have a lot of knowledge--they are ever learning, but never coming to a knowledge of the real truth. They are learning in order to try and discredit truth, and not in order to establish truth, just as their mentor Satan did and continues to do.

There can be no doubt that there was a Midnight Cry in 1844, and then a slumbering time while the Bridegroom tarried and did not come. There can be no doubt that "Midnight" refers to an end-time call saying: "Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye OUT to meet Him." Matthew 25:6. There can be no doubt that He was not to come at that time and a slumbering time would ensue. There can be no doubt that the era of Philadelphia, 1844-1852, was the time of that call which accompanied the sounding of the first and second angel's message, and paved the way for the sounding of the third angel's message. There can be no doubt that Philadelphia is the faithful bride of Christ, the 144,000. There can be no doubt that Christ will regenerate the faithful bride of all ages, to include the disciples, Desire of Ages, 179, to give the Loud Cry message to the world, at which time they will be translated without seeing death as a result of the time of Jacob's trouble. This is how the "stones" will cry out, because Laodicea will never repent, just as literal Laodicea in the days of the diciples did not repent. God has a bride who will give the message. I have been shown that Ellen White's words that the 144,000 will be translated without seeing death, refers to not seeing death after being regenerated to give the gospel Loud Cry. Ellen White implied that in the following statement:

"A Firmament of Chosen Ones.-- Among earth's inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these FAITHFUL ONES will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of CHOSEN ONES that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law. Even now they are appearing (Written a long time ago!--but true) IN EVERY NATION, AMONG EVERY TONGUE AND PEOPLE; and in the hour of deepest apostasy, when Satan's supreme effort is made to cause 'all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,' to receive, under penalty of death, the sign of allegiance to a false rest day, these faithful ones, 'blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke,' will 'shine as light in the world.'" The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine." E.G. White, Evangelism,707, and Prophets and Kings, pp. 188, 189.

This firmament of chosen ones will be comprised of the bride of Jesus Christ from all ages. Why leave the disciples out? They were called the bride--Desire of Ages, 179. Satan's counterfeit for this scenario is reincarnation. He has a counterfeit for EVERYTHING God has done and/or will do. These facts also account for Ellen White's statement about some in 1856 being food for worms, but some would be translated, Testimonies, Vol. 1, 152.

Ron Beaulieu