Storrs urges the waiting Adventists to wake
interpretation
On: Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Source quotation · George Storrs
The Tenth Day of the Seventh Month
I take up my pen with feelings such as I never before experienced. Beyond a doubt, in my mind, the tenth day of the seventh month will witness the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven. We are then within a few days of that event. Awful moment to those who are unprepared—but glorious to those who are ready. I feel that I am making the last appeal that I shall ever make through the press. My heart is full. I see the ungodly and the sinner disappearing from my view, and there now stands before my mind the professed believers in the Lord’s near approach. But what shall I say to them? Alas! we have all been slumbering and sleeping—both the wise and the foolish; but so our Savior told us it would be; and “thus the Scriptures are fulfilled,” and it is the last prophecy relating to the events to precede the personal advent of our Lord; now comes the True Midnight Cry. The previous was but the alarm. Now the real one is sounding; and Oh, how solemn the hour. The “virgins” have been asleep or slumbering; yes, all of us. Asleep on the time: that is the point. Some have indeed preached the seventh month, but it has with doubt whether it is this year or some other: and that doubt is now removed from my mind. “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh,” This Year, “Go ye out to meet him.” We have done with the nominal churches and all the wicked, except so far as this cry may affect them: our work is now to wake up the “virgins” who “took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom.” Where are we now? “If the vision tarry, wait for it.” Is not that our answer since last March and April? Yes. What happened while the bridegroom tarried?—The virgins all slumbered and slept, did they not? Christ’s word’s have not failed; and “the Scriptures cannot be broken,” and it is of no use for us to pretend that we have been awake: we have been slumbering; not on the fact of Christ’s coming, but on the time. We came into the tarrying time—we did not know “how long” it would tarry, and on that point we have slumbered—some of us have said, in our sleep, “Don’t fix another time;” so we slept. Now the trouble is to wake us up. Lord help, for vain is the help of man. Speak thyself, Lord. O, that the “Father” may now “make known” the time.
Peter 1st Epistle, chap. 1:11, positively declares that the Spirit of Christ, in the prophets, did testify the time for the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, and gives us to understand, in the 13th verse, that that glory was to be “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Speaking of the prophets, Peter says—“Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow... Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Here we have the fact stated that the Spirit of Christ did reveal to the prophets the time not only of Christ’s sufferings, but of his glory, or “revelation.” Peter tells us the time revealed was not literal but symbolical. “What manner of time?” He also says that “the angels desire to look into” these “things.” By turning to the 12th chapter of Daniel, we find, that after the angel had finished the detailed explanation of the visions, and wound up with the standing up of Michael, [one like God—the Son of God,] the resurrection of the saints, and those that had turned many to righteousness shine as the stars, etc., that Daniel sees, verse 5, two angels, “and one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river—how long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” Here is an inquiry about time, by the angels. Well, Peter said the angels desired to look into it. Did they get an answer? See Daniel 12:7—“And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever, and it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” This person thus swearing was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ; and he sware to time. Yea, to time connected with the second advent, the resurrection, and the glorification of his people. The time, however, is symbolical. But will any man dare take the blasphemous position that the Lord Jesus sware to time that meant nothing; or, which is the same thing, sware, with the most solemn oath, to time that he intended should never be understood! Such a position, one would suppose, is blasphemous enough to make a devil tremble; for, it is virtually charging the Lord of Glory with swearing a lie!! Beware, O vain man, how you thus charge the Son of God. Time is revealed. But it cannot be understood without obeying Christ, and “inquiring and searching diligently what, and what manner of time.” Those who are too indolent to search, or who are afraid to follow truth when they find it, for fear of man, whose breath is in his nostrils, will of course remain in ignorance of time, and that day, most likely, will come upon them unawares.
I will now present a brief argument from the types to show that the tenth day of the seventh month is the time in the year to look for our coming Lord.
Matthew 5:17, 18—Our Lord says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” This must relate to the law of types as well as the moral law. Let us now inquire how the types have been fulfilled. The first we will notice is the slaying of the pascal lamb, Exodus 12:6,—“And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” “Between the two evenings,” is the marginal reading. The Jews divided their afternoon into two evenings, viz. from the sixth to the ninth hour, and from the ninth hour to sundown; this is, from mid-day to our three o’clock, and from three o’clock to the sun setting. The lamb, which was a type of Christ, was killed in the point in the day we call three o’clock in the afternoon, on the fourteenth of the first month. Was this type exactly fulfilled to our Lord’s death? Yes. He was put to death at the Passover, and died at three o’clock, or the ninth hour. See Mark 15:33-37. Thus the type had an exact fulfilment on the day, and at the very hour; so exact is God about time.
Leviticus 23:9-11,—We read thus, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye become into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest; and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.” Here is a type of Christ’s resurrection, and Paul tells us, 1 Corinthians 15:20—“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.” On what day did our Lord rise from the dead? On the first day of the week, or the “morrow after the Sabbath.” Thus exactly fulfilling the type, not only in the thing signified, but in the time. Leviticus 23:15, 10—we have the time of the feast of weeks, or, as it is called, the Pentecost, which signifies the fiftieth day. This was the anniversary of the giving of the Law, and the descent of the Lord upon Mount Sinai. Exactly on that day did the Holy Spirit descend on the Apostles. Acts 2:1-4.
If the types have been fulfilled exact, as to time, even to the hour, where that is known, will those that remain to be fulfilled, be less exact? I think not. God always has kept time in the fulfillment of the prophecies; and thus far, as we have seen, in the types. He will not fail on us now. No, not “one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law till all be fulfilled.” Let us then look at those types that remain to be accomplished. Leviticus 16:29-34—“And this shall be a statue for ever unto you, that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be on of your own country, or a stranger that sojaurneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statue forever. And the priest, when he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: And he shall make an atonement, for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar; and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statue unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” In the 9th chap. we have an account of what was to be done on that day, and at the closing part it of we are told, Leviticus 9:22, 23—“And Aaron lifted up his hand towards the people and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin-offering, and the burnt offering, and peace-offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people.” Christ, our great High Priest, has gone into the Holy of Holies for us, with his own blood, and “to them that look for him shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28. When be comes out of the Holy of Holies, will it not be on the day typified? Beyond a doubt in my mind it will be. Look at this type as set forth in Leviticus 23:26, 27, 29, 32—“And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Also on the tenth day of the seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.... For whatsoever soul it be that shall be not afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.... It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.” Every soul not found “afflicted,” that is, humbled and penetent for his sins on that day “among his people,” will be “cut off.”
We will now look at the Jubilee. Leviticus 25:8-10, 13—“And thou shall number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shall thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound, on the tenth day of the seventh mouth; in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family... In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.” All Christians admit this is a type of the final deliverance of the saints. The tenth day of the seventh month is the time God has set. Will it not come then? Yes, God will vindicate his word to the last “jot and little.”
This present year called 1844, but truly 1843, will be the Jubilee. It may not be possible to determine with certainty when the anniversary of the fiftieth year of the Jubilee, as kept by the Jews, would return; but that does not alter the nature of the type; and the day in the year is expressly fixed in the tenth day of the seventh month, “in the day of atonement.” I now see that God has given us the year as well as the month and day in which our Great High Priest will come forth, and the Trump of Jubilee will sound.
So far as the chronology is concerned, on which we have based the termination of the 2300 years, I care but little, and shall say but little; for, I consider the types to be fulfilled, and the 25th of Matthew, as I shall show, settles the fact that this year is the true termination. I would just say, that we have taken 457 before Christ as the point from which to start the 2300 years. The year corresponds with the Julian Period 4257. The Julian Period is a period used by astronomers reaching back of creation. Now add to that year of the Julian Period 2300, and we have 6557.
Thus 4257+2300=6557, which corresponds with this year 1844.
Again, add to 4257 the Julian Period of the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, the 70 weeks or 490 years, that are cut off from the vision of 2300 days, and we are bro’t to 4747 of the Julian Period, which corresponds to A. D. 34; fixing the termination of the seventy weeks at that point. Thus 4257+490=4747, which is A. D. 34. 2300 years the whole length of the vision.
490 years cut off, Daniel 9th, 24, bringing us to A. D. 34.
1810 “remained after the 70 weeks were cut off.
Thus add to A. D. 34+1810, and we have A. D. 1844, which is in fact the true year, 1843.
I am satisfied, we must give up our previous positions, or admit this is the year of our Lord’s return.
“The wise shall understand,” the angel declared, and we have echoed it. Understand what? we have asked, and answered—“The Time.” Shall we now take our opponents’ ground, and say—“No man is to know anything about the day and hour?” Yes, we shall say so if we are asleep; not without. Do we not say, “We are in the tarrying time?” What does our Lord say shall then happen? The virgins slumber and sleep. Who are the virgins? Not the heathen who never had the lamp—the Bible; not the wicked, out of the churches—they never “went forth to meet the Bridegroom;”—not the nominal churches, they have done no such thing; no, no: it was the professed believers in the advent of “1843,” and nobody else. Now look at the 24th chapter of Matthew:—all the signs to precede the advent had been given, and the chapter closes with the evil servants doing the very works which we know has been going on for a short time past. One of those so-called doctors of divinity said in the pulpit, a few days since, that the advent believers had “cursed the Church long enough.” That looks as if the prophecy now had its full accomplishment. The 25th of Matthew commences at that point, and says—“Then”—at that time “shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. And five of them were wise and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the Bridegroom tarried, [if the vision tarry,] they all slumbered and slept.” On what did they slumber and sleep? Time. Not the fact that Christ is coming—but the time. “And at midnight.” “How long the vision? Unto 2300 evening-mornings.” An evening, or “night,” then, is half of one of those prophetic days. Here then we have the “chronology” of Jesus Christ. The tarrying time is just half a year. When did we go into this time? Last March or April. Then the latter part of July would bring us to midnight. At that time God put this cry into the hearts of some of his servants, and they saw, from the Bible, that God had given the chronology of the tarrying time, and its length. There it is, in the 25th of Matthew. “At midnight there was a cry made, Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” Here we are—the last warning is now sounding!? O, heed it ye virgins. Awake, awake, awake. O, flee for thy life—look not behind thee—remember Lot’s wife—“Whosoever shall seek to sure his life, shall loose it; and whosoever shall lose his life, shall preserve it.” He that will not venture on the Lord and his word, risking all—leaving all—going “out” from all, with works corresponding to his faith, will perish; for “faith without works is dead,” and “by works is faith made perfect.” O that our Lord may now give power to His truth, and beget in us the sprint of entire consecration that we may go in to the marriage feast of the Lamb.
To illustrate the position we have, occupied. Time—the preaching of definite time for the coming of our Lord was what led us to take our lamps and go forth to meet the Bridegroom. The great truth, our Lord Jesus Christ is coming again, personally, to this earth, was, so to speak, the rope let down from heaven, made fast to the throne of God, and equally immoveable as that throne; by faith, as with both hands, we took hold of that rope; under our feet we had a solid platform, time, where we stood, and all our opponents could not remove it, nor make us let go of the rope. There we stood and rejoiced in the “blessed hope.” What our opponents never could and never did do, the end of the supposed Jewish year 1843, effected, viz.—swept away our platform from under us, and left us with nothing but the rope to hold on by. Did we let go? Some have, and drawn back to perdition. But many have continued to hold by the rope. The scoffing winds have beat against us severely, and we have swung in the air the sport of our opponents. They told us we were now with them, looking for the Lord’s coming, but without any definite time; and we have been compelled to admit it, but have refused to let go the rope,—saying—“If the vision tarry, wait for it.” But we have not known how long we were thus to swing non the rope, without a foundation for our feet; and we have not felt the same joy and glory that we did when we stood on definite time. God has been trying our faith, to see if we would hold on. Now, once more, he offers us a platform on which to stand. It is in the 25th chapter of Matthew. Here we have the chronology of the tarrying time, and its duration. “If ye shall receive it,” you will find once more your feet upon a rock, and the glory that the first belief in time produced in our breasts, returns with a large addition to it, even a “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
The tenth day of the seventh month cannot I think be farther off than October 22nd or 23rd; it may be sooner. From the language of Leviticus 23:32, I think the hour of the advent will be at the evening of the tenth day; thus God may design to try our faith till the very last moment; and “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
I am inclined to believe that those who watch for the day and hour will “understand” both, before they arrive. Paul says, Hebrews 10:25, “Exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching,” Which seems to imply that it may be seen before it actually arrives. Our Lord says, Revelation 3:3. “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Which implies, that, if we will watch we shall know what hour. It appears to me probable that the “blowing of trumpets in the seventh month, in the first day of the month,” Leviticus 23:24. is to be understood as a type of something that is to occur on that day which will be a signal to those who are watching to show them that the seventh month has commenced. It may be the literal sounding of the “seventh trumpet.” If not that, something that God’s people, who are watching, will understand, and then know for certainty when the tenth day is. Psalm 81:3, “Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, [the first day of the seventh month] in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.” I think that blowing of trumpets means something that we shall very soon understand. The Lord help us to stand on our watch tower.
Recapitulation. 1. Time for the Advent of our Lord is revealed. “The vision is yet for an appointed time.”
2. The time may known. “The wise shall understand.”
3. “Though it [He] tarry, wait for it” [Him.]
4. “While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.” On what? Time.
5. We are in the tarrying time now, and have been since last spring.
6. How long is the tarrying time? Half a year. How do you know? Because, our Lord says, “at midnight,” while the Bridegroom tarried. The vision was for “2300 evening-mornings,” or days. An “evening,” or night is half of one of those prophetic days, and is therefore six months. That is the whole length of the tarrying time. The present strong cry of time commenced about the middle of July, and has spread with great rapidity and power, and is attended with a demonstration of the Spirit, such as I never witnessed when the cry was “1843.” It is now literaly, “go ye out to meet him.” There is a leaving all, that I never dreamed could be seen. Where this cry gets hold of the heart, farmers leave their farms, with their crops standing, to go out and sound the alarm—and mechanics their shops. There is a strong crying with tears, and a consecration of all to God, such as I never witnessed. There is a confidence in this truth such as was never felt in the previous cry, in the same degree; and a weeping or melting glory in it that passes all understanding except to those who have felt it.
On this present truth, I, through grace, dare venture all, and feel that to indulge in doubt about it, would be to offend God find bring upon myself “swift destruction.” I am satisfied that now—“whosoever shall seek to save his life,” where this cry has been fairly made, by indulging in an “if it don’t come,” or by a fear to venture out on this truth, “shall lose” his life. It requires the same faith that led Abraham to offer up Isaac—or Noah to build the ark—or Lot to leave Sodom—or the children of Israel to stand all night waiting for their departure out of Egypt—or for Daniel to go into the lion’s den—or the three Hebrews into the fiery furnace. We have fancied we were going into the kingdom without such a test of faith; but I am satisfied we are not. This last truth brings such a test, and none will venture upon it but such as dare be accounted fools, madmen, or anything else that Antediluvians, Sodomites, a luke-warm church, or steeping virgins, are disposed to heap upon them. Once more would I cry—“Escape for thy life”—“Look not behind you.” “Remember Lot’s wife.”
Geo. Storrs.
The Tenth Day of the Seventh Month · The Advent Herald and Signs of the Times Reporter, volume 8 no. 10, 9 October 1844; EGW Writings digital transcription. Source paragraphs retained; site reference-code labels removed, whitespace normalized, typographic emphasis rendered plain. Digital historical transcription. The identified digital edition reads “swing non the rope”, “offend God find”, “steeping virgins” and “literaly”. These readings are retained.
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2026-09-21T02:03:32+00:00
The Tenth Day of the Seventh Month
I take up my pen with feelings such as I never before experienced. Beyond a doubt, in my mind, the tenth day of the seventh month will witness the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven. We are then within a few days of that event. Awful moment to those who are unprepared—but glorious to those who are ready. I feel that I am making the last appeal that I shall ever make through the press. My heart is full. I see the ungodly and the sinner disappearing from my view, and there now stands before my mind the professed believers in the Lord’s near approach. But what shall I say to them? Alas! we have all been slumbering and sleeping—both the wise and the foolish; but so our Savior told us it would be; and “thus the Scriptures are fulfilled,” and it is the last prophecy relating to the events to precede the personal advent of our Lord; now comes the True Midnight Cry. The previous was but the alarm. Now the real one is sounding; and Oh, how solemn the hour. The “virgins” have been asleep or slumbering; yes, all of us. Asleep on the time: that is the point. Some have indeed preached the seventh month, but it has with doubt whether it is this year or some other: and that doubt is now removed from my mind. “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh,” This Year, “Go ye out to meet him.” We have done with the nominal churches and all the wicked, except so far as this cry may affect them: our work is now to wake up the “virgins” who “took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom.” Where are we now? “If the vision tarry, wait for it.” Is not that our answer since last March and April? Yes. What happened while the bridegroom tarried?—The virgins all slumbered and slept, did they not? Christ’s word’s have not failed; and “the Scriptures cannot be broken,” and it is of no use for us to pretend that we have been awake: we have been slumbering; not on the fact of Christ’s coming, but on the time. We came into the tarrying time—we did not know “how long” it would tarry, and on that point we have slumbered—some of us have said, in our sleep, “Don’t fix another time;” so we slept. Now the trouble is to wake us up. Lord help, for vain is the help of man. Speak thyself, Lord. O, that the “Father” may now “make known” the time.
Peter 1st Epistle, chap. 1:11, positively declares that the Spirit of Christ, in the prophets, did testify the time for the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, and gives us to understand, in the 13th verse, that that glory was to be “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Speaking of the prophets, Peter says—“Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow... Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Here we have the fact stated that the Spirit of Christ did reveal to the prophets the time not only of Christ’s sufferings, but of his glory, or “revelation.” Peter tells us the time revealed was not literal but symbolical. “What manner of time?” He also says that “the angels desire to look into” these “things.” By turning to the 12th chapter of Daniel, we find, that after the angel had finished the detailed explanation of the visions, and wound up with the standing up of Michael, [one like God—the Son of God,] the resurrection of the saints, and those that had turned many to righteousness shine as the stars, etc., that Daniel sees, verse 5, two angels, “and one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river—how long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” Here is an inquiry about time, by the angels. Well, Peter said the angels desired to look into it. Did they get an answer? See Daniel 12:7—“And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever, and it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” This person thus swearing was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ; and he sware to time. Yea, to time connected with the second advent, the resurrection, and the glorification of his people. The time, however, is symbolical. But will any man dare take the blasphemous position that the Lord Jesus sware to time that meant nothing; or, which is the same thing, sware, with the most solemn oath, to time that he intended should never be understood! Such a position, one would suppose, is blasphemous enough to make a devil tremble; for, it is virtually charging the Lord of Glory with swearing a lie!! Beware, O vain man, how you thus charge the Son of God. Time is revealed. But it cannot be understood without obeying Christ, and “inquiring and searching diligently what, and what manner of time.” Those who are too indolent to search, or who are afraid to follow truth when they find it, for fear of man, whose breath is in his nostrils, will of course remain in ignorance of time, and that day, most likely, will come upon them unawares.
I will now present a brief argument from the types to show that the tenth day of the seventh month is the time in the year to look for our coming Lord.
Matthew 5:17, 18—Our Lord says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” This must relate to the law of types as well as the moral law. Let us now inquire how the types have been fulfilled. The first we will notice is the slaying of the pascal lamb, Exodus 12:6,—“And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” “Between the two evenings,” is the marginal reading. The Jews divided their afternoon into two evenings, viz. from the sixth to the ninth hour, and from the ninth hour to sundown; this is, from mid-day to our three o’clock, and from three o’clock to the sun setting. The lamb, which was a type of Christ, was killed in the point in the day we call three o’clock in the afternoon, on the fourteenth of the first month. Was this type exactly fulfilled to our Lord’s death? Yes. He was put to death at the Passover, and died at three o’clock, or the ninth hour. See Mark 15:33-37. Thus the type had an exact fulfilment on the day, and at the very hour; so exact is God about time.
Leviticus 23:9-11,—We read thus, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye become into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest; and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.” Here is a type of Christ’s resurrection, and Paul tells us, 1 Corinthians 15:20—“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.” On what day did our Lord rise from the dead? On the first day of the week, or the “morrow after the Sabbath.” Thus exactly fulfilling the type, not only in the thing signified, but in the time. Leviticus 23:15, 10—we have the time of the feast of weeks, or, as it is called, the Pentecost, which signifies the fiftieth day. This was the anniversary of the giving of the Law, and the descent of the Lord upon Mount Sinai. Exactly on that day did the Holy Spirit descend on the Apostles. Acts 2:1-4.
If the types have been fulfilled exact, as to time, even to the hour, where that is known, will those that remain to be fulfilled, be less exact? I think not. God always has kept time in the fulfillment of the prophecies; and thus far, as we have seen, in the types. He will not fail on us now. No, not “one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law till all be fulfilled.” Let us then look at those types that remain to be accomplished. Leviticus 16:29-34—“And this shall be a statue for ever unto you, that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be on of your own country, or a stranger that sojaurneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statue forever. And the priest, when he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: And he shall make an atonement, for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar; and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statue unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” In the 9th chap. we have an account of what was to be done on that day, and at the closing part it of we are told, Leviticus 9:22, 23—“And Aaron lifted up his hand towards the people and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin-offering, and the burnt offering, and peace-offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people.” Christ, our great High Priest, has gone into the Holy of Holies for us, with his own blood, and “to them that look for him shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28. When be comes out of the Holy of Holies, will it not be on the day typified? Beyond a doubt in my mind it will be. Look at this type as set forth in Leviticus 23:26, 27, 29, 32—“And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Also on the tenth day of the seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.... For whatsoever soul it be that shall be not afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.... It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.” Every soul not found “afflicted,” that is, humbled and penetent for his sins on that day “among his people,” will be “cut off.”
We will now look at the Jubilee. Leviticus 25:8-10, 13—“And thou shall number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shall thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound, on the tenth day of the seventh mouth; in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family... In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.” All Christians admit this is a type of the final deliverance of the saints. The tenth day of the seventh month is the time God has set. Will it not come then? Yes, God will vindicate his word to the last “jot and little.”
This present year called 1844, but truly 1843, will be the Jubilee. It may not be possible to determine with certainty when the anniversary of the fiftieth year of the Jubilee, as kept by the Jews, would return; but that does not alter the nature of the type; and the day in the year is expressly fixed in the tenth day of the seventh month, “in the day of atonement.” I now see that God has given us the year as well as the month and day in which our Great High Priest will come forth, and the Trump of Jubilee will sound.
So far as the chronology is concerned, on which we have based the termination of the 2300 years, I care but little, and shall say but little; for, I consider the types to be fulfilled, and the 25th of Matthew, as I shall show, settles the fact that this year is the true termination. I would just say, that we have taken 457 before Christ as the point from which to start the 2300 years. The year corresponds with the Julian Period 4257. The Julian Period is a period used by astronomers reaching back of creation. Now add to that year of the Julian Period 2300, and we have 6557.
Thus 4257+2300=6557, which corresponds with this year 1844.
Again, add to 4257 the Julian Period of the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, the 70 weeks or 490 years, that are cut off from the vision of 2300 days, and we are bro’t to 4747 of the Julian Period, which corresponds to A. D. 34; fixing the termination of the seventy weeks at that point. Thus 4257+490=4747, which is A. D. 34. 2300 years the whole length of the vision.
490 years cut off, Daniel 9th, 24, bringing us to A. D. 34.
1810 “remained after the 70 weeks were cut off.
Thus add to A. D. 34+1810, and we have A. D. 1844, which is in fact the true year, 1843.
I am satisfied, we must give up our previous positions, or admit this is the year of our Lord’s return.
“The wise shall understand,” the angel declared, and we have echoed it. Understand what? we have asked, and answered—“The Time.” Shall we now take our opponents’ ground, and say—“No man is to know anything about the day and hour?” Yes, we shall say so if we are asleep; not without. Do we not say, “We are in the tarrying time?” What does our Lord say shall then happen? The virgins slumber and sleep. Who are the virgins? Not the heathen who never had the lamp—the Bible; not the wicked, out of the churches—they never “went forth to meet the Bridegroom;”—not the nominal churches, they have done no such thing; no, no: it was the professed believers in the advent of “1843,” and nobody else. Now look at the 24th chapter of Matthew:—all the signs to precede the advent had been given, and the chapter closes with the evil servants doing the very works which we know has been going on for a short time past. One of those so-called doctors of divinity said in the pulpit, a few days since, that the advent believers had “cursed the Church long enough.” That looks as if the prophecy now had its full accomplishment. The 25th of Matthew commences at that point, and says—“Then”—at that time “shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. And five of them were wise and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the Bridegroom tarried, [if the vision tarry,] they all slumbered and slept.” On what did they slumber and sleep? Time. Not the fact that Christ is coming—but the time. “And at midnight.” “How long the vision? Unto 2300 evening-mornings.” An evening, or “night,” then, is half of one of those prophetic days. Here then we have the “chronology” of Jesus Christ. The tarrying time is just half a year. When did we go into this time? Last March or April. Then the latter part of July would bring us to midnight. At that time God put this cry into the hearts of some of his servants, and they saw, from the Bible, that God had given the chronology of the tarrying time, and its length. There it is, in the 25th of Matthew. “At midnight there was a cry made, Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” Here we are—the last warning is now sounding!? O, heed it ye virgins. Awake, awake, awake. O, flee for thy life—look not behind thee—remember Lot’s wife—“Whosoever shall seek to sure his life, shall loose it; and whosoever shall lose his life, shall preserve it.” He that will not venture on the Lord and his word, risking all—leaving all—going “out” from all, with works corresponding to his faith, will perish; for “faith without works is dead,” and “by works is faith made perfect.” O that our Lord may now give power to His truth, and beget in us the sprint of entire consecration that we may go in to the marriage feast of the Lamb.
To illustrate the position we have, occupied. Time—the preaching of definite time for the coming of our Lord was what led us to take our lamps and go forth to meet the Bridegroom. The great truth, our Lord Jesus Christ is coming again, personally, to this earth, was, so to speak, the rope let down from heaven, made fast to the throne of God, and equally immoveable as that throne; by faith, as with both hands, we took hold of that rope; under our feet we had a solid platform, time, where we stood, and all our opponents could not remove it, nor make us let go of the rope. There we stood and rejoiced in the “blessed hope.” What our opponents never could and never did do, the end of the supposed Jewish year 1843, effected, viz.—swept away our platform from under us, and left us with nothing but the rope to hold on by. Did we let go? Some have, and drawn back to perdition. But many have continued to hold by the rope. The scoffing winds have beat against us severely, and we have swung in the air the sport of our opponents. They told us we were now with them, looking for the Lord’s coming, but without any definite time; and we have been compelled to admit it, but have refused to let go the rope,—saying—“If the vision tarry, wait for it.” But we have not known how long we were thus to swing non the rope, without a foundation for our feet; and we have not felt the same joy and glory that we did when we stood on definite time. God has been trying our faith, to see if we would hold on. Now, once more, he offers us a platform on which to stand. It is in the 25th chapter of Matthew. Here we have the chronology of the tarrying time, and its duration. “If ye shall receive it,” you will find once more your feet upon a rock, and the glory that the first belief in time produced in our breasts, returns with a large addition to it, even a “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
The tenth day of the seventh month cannot I think be farther off than October 22nd or 23rd; it may be sooner. From the language of Leviticus 23:32, I think the hour of the advent will be at the evening of the tenth day; thus God may design to try our faith till the very last moment; and “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
I am inclined to believe that those who watch for the day and hour will “understand” both, before they arrive. Paul says, Hebrews 10:25, “Exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching,” Which seems to imply that it may be seen before it actually arrives. Our Lord says, Revelation 3:3. “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Which implies, that, if we will watch we shall know what hour. It appears to me probable that the “blowing of trumpets in the seventh month, in the first day of the month,” Leviticus 23:24. is to be understood as a type of something that is to occur on that day which will be a signal to those who are watching to show them that the seventh month has commenced. It may be the literal sounding of the “seventh trumpet.” If not that, something that God’s people, who are watching, will understand, and then know for certainty when the tenth day is. Psalm 81:3, “Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, [the first day of the seventh month] in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.” I think that blowing of trumpets means something that we shall very soon understand. The Lord help us to stand on our watch tower.
Recapitulation. 1. Time for the Advent of our Lord is revealed. “The vision is yet for an appointed time.”
2. The time may known. “The wise shall understand.”
3. “Though it [He] tarry, wait for it” [Him.]
4. “While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.” On what? Time.
5. We are in the tarrying time now, and have been since last spring.
6. How long is the tarrying time? Half a year. How do you know? Because, our Lord says, “at midnight,” while the Bridegroom tarried. The vision was for “2300 evening-mornings,” or days. An “evening,” or night is half of one of those prophetic days, and is therefore six months. That is the whole length of the tarrying time. The present strong cry of time commenced about the middle of July, and has spread with great rapidity and power, and is attended with a demonstration of the Spirit, such as I never witnessed when the cry was “1843.” It is now literaly, “go ye out to meet him.” There is a leaving all, that I never dreamed could be seen. Where this cry gets hold of the heart, farmers leave their farms, with their crops standing, to go out and sound the alarm—and mechanics their shops. There is a strong crying with tears, and a consecration of all to God, such as I never witnessed. There is a confidence in this truth such as was never felt in the previous cry, in the same degree; and a weeping or melting glory in it that passes all understanding except to those who have felt it.
On this present truth, I, through grace, dare venture all, and feel that to indulge in doubt about it, would be to offend God find bring upon myself “swift destruction.” I am satisfied that now—“whosoever shall seek to save his life,” where this cry has been fairly made, by indulging in an “if it don’t come,” or by a fear to venture out on this truth, “shall lose” his life. It requires the same faith that led Abraham to offer up Isaac—or Noah to build the ark—or Lot to leave Sodom—or the children of Israel to stand all night waiting for their departure out of Egypt—or for Daniel to go into the lion’s den—or the three Hebrews into the fiery furnace. We have fancied we were going into the kingdom without such a test of faith; but I am satisfied we are not. This last truth brings such a test, and none will venture upon it but such as dare be accounted fools, madmen, or anything else that Antediluvians, Sodomites, a luke-warm church, or steeping virgins, are disposed to heap upon them. Once more would I cry—“Escape for thy life”—“Look not behind you.” “Remember Lot’s wife.”
Geo. Storrs.