Southcott connects Prescott’s visions with Joel
interpretation
On: your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions
Source quotation · Joanna Southcott · A Word in Season to a Sinking Kingdom
ONCE more I am ordered to address the public. The day of the Lord is at hand, and he hath warned by his Spirit, and by visions, as he promised by the prophet Joel, ii. ch. 28 v. that, in the latter days, when “He cometh to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” Now call to your remembrance the words of our dear Redeemer—“Think not that I am come to destroy the Law of God, or the Prophets; I come not to destroy them, but to fulfil them; and this generation shall not pass away till all is fulfilled”—that meaneth, the generation under the fall—but when the Lord cometh to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, he must destroy the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, that we may be made children of the light. He gave us a parable from the fig-tree putting forth its green leaves, knowing that summer was nigh at hand. So when you see the fulfilment of the Prophets and the Gospel together, know, that your redemption draweth nigh. But as this Book will treat mostly of the explanations of VISIONS, I shall beg my readers to weigh deeply the 2d chapter of Joel, and compare it with the present times. The visions, which I shall now treat of, are those of Joseph Prescott, of Bermondsey, who hath been in the habit of seeing visions from 1798 to the present day; but unknown to me, and I to him, till February 28, 1803, after my Writings had been proved in January, by fifty-eight persons then present, and who all signed their names of approbation. Soon after, the above youth was taken into the house of a friend, where the visions were shewn to him, in the manner, and according to the dates, which will be hereafter mentioned. The visions were brought to me, and explained as you will see in this book. Now, judge for yourselves, my brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord; and trace his footsteps backward: for no man living can trace them forward, as the wisdom of the Lord is hid in the great deep, and his paths past man’s finding out. Here I might enter into a field large enough for a volume, was I to explain the strange dealings of the Lord with Joseph in Egypt, Moses, and Pharaoh; with Noah, Daniel, and with Job in all his afflictions. None could trace the wisdom of the Lord till they saw the end; and so it is at this moment; none can trace the wisdom of God forward, in all his directions to me, till they see the end.
JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.
High-House, Paddington,
May 4, 1803.
A Word in Season to a Sinking Kingdom · Third edition (London: Galabin and Marchant, August 1810), pp. 1–2; entire opening address dated 4 May 1803, before the following section. Page 1 imprint also names June 1803 first and June 1807 second editions. Visually transcribed from scans; line-end hyphenation joined, spacing normalized, italics rendered plain. Names/dates checked on magnified page 2; Prescott’s reported visions begin 1798, not OCR 1795.
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2026-09-11T16:24:26+00:00
ONCE more I am ordered to address the public. The day of the Lord is at hand, and he hath warned by his Spirit, and by visions, as he promised by the prophet Joel, ii. ch. 28 v. that, in the latter days, when “He cometh to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” Now call to your remembrance the words of our dear Redeemer—“Think not that I am come to destroy the Law of God, or the Prophets; I come not to destroy them, but to fulfil them; and this generation shall not pass away till all is fulfilled”—that meaneth, the generation under the fall—but when the Lord cometh to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, he must destroy the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, that we may be made children of the light. He gave us a parable from the fig-tree putting forth its green leaves, knowing that summer was nigh at hand. So when you see the fulfilment of the Prophets and the Gospel together, know, that your redemption draweth nigh. But as this Book will treat mostly of the explanations of VISIONS, I shall beg my readers to weigh deeply the 2d chapter of Joel, and compare it with the present times. The visions, which I shall now treat of, are those of Joseph Prescott, of Bermondsey, who hath been in the habit of seeing visions from 1798 to the present day; but unknown to me, and I to him, till February 28, 1803, after my Writings had been proved in January, by fifty-eight persons then present, and who all signed their names of approbation. Soon after, the above youth was taken into the house of a friend, where the visions were shewn to him, in the manner, and according to the dates, which will be hereafter mentioned. The visions were brought to me, and explained as you will see in this book. Now, judge for yourselves, my brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord; and trace his footsteps backward: for no man living can trace them forward, as the wisdom of the Lord is hid in the great deep, and his paths past man’s finding out. Here I might enter into a field large enough for a volume, was I to explain the strange dealings of the Lord with Joseph in Egypt, Moses, and Pharaoh; with Noah, Daniel, and with Job in all his afflictions. None could trace the wisdom of the Lord till they saw the end; and so it is at this moment; none can trace the wisdom of God forward, in all his directions to me, till they see the end.
JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.
High-House, Paddington,
May 4, 1803.
White calls for a worldwide warning
interpretation
On: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood
Source quotation · Ellen G. White
The most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals have been given to us to proclaim to the world. The proclamation of these truths is our work. The world is to be warned, and God’s people are to be true to the trust committed to them. They are not to engage in speculations, neither are they to enter into business enterprises with unbelievers; for this would hinder them in doing the work given them.
Christ says of his people, “Ye are the light of the world.” It is not a small matter that the counsels and purposes and plans of God have been so clearly opened to us. It is a wonderful privilege to be able to understand the will of God as revealed in the sure word of prophecy. This places on us a heavy responsibility. God expects us to impart to others the knowledge he has given us. It is his purpose that divine and human instrumentalities shall unite in the proclamation of the warning message.
John writes: “I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” This message is to be proclaimed, not in a few places only, but to the whole world.
“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice. If any man worship the beast and his image, ... the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”
To John was given a view of the remnant people of God, and as he beheld their character and their work, he exclaimed, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.... And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
In the issue of the great conflict, there will be only two classes in the world,—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark. Although church and state will unite their power to compel “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” to receive the mark of the beast; yet the people of God will not receive it. The prophet of Patmos beheld them “that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God,” and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.
But of those who trample on God’s law, and oppress his faithful people, the terrible prediction is uttered:
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.”
On which side are we standing? Have we placed ourselves fully under the direction and protection of the Holy Spirit, and are we giving the message for this time? Does every effort we put forth tend to advance the proclamation of the message? So far as his opportunities extend, every one who has received the light of truth is under the same solemn and fearful responsibility as was the prophet of Israel, to whom came the word: “Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”
Are we to wait until the fulfilment of the prophecies of the end before we say anything concerning them? Of what value will our words be then? Shall we wait until the judgments fall upon the transgressor before we tell him how to avoid them? Where is our faith in the word of God? Must we see the things foretold come to pass before we will believe what he has said? In clear, distinct rays light has come to us, showing that the great day of the Lord is at hand, “even at the door.” Let us read and understand, before it is too late.
Study carefully the following scriptures:
“Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, ... and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.”
“The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of man shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”
“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.”
“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?”
The Lord has declared the judgments and calamities that must fall upon those who continue to dishonor him. Warnings have been given by God, and these warnings should be kept before the people. God’s appointed messengers are to give the call to flee from the wrath to come.
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children: ... let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
“Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen.”
“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the [vats] shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.”
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.”
The World to Be Warned · Review and Herald, 28 July 1904, The World to Be Warned; EGW Writings digital transcription. Source paragraphs retained; site reference-code labels removed, whitespace normalized, typographic emphasis rendered plain. Digital historical transcription. Source ellipses and bracketed [vats] retained.
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Historical English original published before 1931, public domain. Modern editorial introductions, website apparatus and later reprint additions excluded.
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2026-09-21T02:03:32+00:00
The most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals have been given to us to proclaim to the world. The proclamation of these truths is our work. The world is to be warned, and God’s people are to be true to the trust committed to them. They are not to engage in speculations, neither are they to enter into business enterprises with unbelievers; for this would hinder them in doing the work given them.
Christ says of his people, “Ye are the light of the world.” It is not a small matter that the counsels and purposes and plans of God have been so clearly opened to us. It is a wonderful privilege to be able to understand the will of God as revealed in the sure word of prophecy. This places on us a heavy responsibility. God expects us to impart to others the knowledge he has given us. It is his purpose that divine and human instrumentalities shall unite in the proclamation of the warning message.
John writes: “I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” This message is to be proclaimed, not in a few places only, but to the whole world.
“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice. If any man worship the beast and his image, ... the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”
To John was given a view of the remnant people of God, and as he beheld their character and their work, he exclaimed, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.... And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
In the issue of the great conflict, there will be only two classes in the world,—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark. Although church and state will unite their power to compel “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” to receive the mark of the beast; yet the people of God will not receive it. The prophet of Patmos beheld them “that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God,” and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.
But of those who trample on God’s law, and oppress his faithful people, the terrible prediction is uttered:
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.”
On which side are we standing? Have we placed ourselves fully under the direction and protection of the Holy Spirit, and are we giving the message for this time? Does every effort we put forth tend to advance the proclamation of the message? So far as his opportunities extend, every one who has received the light of truth is under the same solemn and fearful responsibility as was the prophet of Israel, to whom came the word: “Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”
Are we to wait until the fulfilment of the prophecies of the end before we say anything concerning them? Of what value will our words be then? Shall we wait until the judgments fall upon the transgressor before we tell him how to avoid them? Where is our faith in the word of God? Must we see the things foretold come to pass before we will believe what he has said? In clear, distinct rays light has come to us, showing that the great day of the Lord is at hand, “even at the door.” Let us read and understand, before it is too late.
Study carefully the following scriptures:
“Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, ... and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.”
“The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of man shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”
“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.”
“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?”
The Lord has declared the judgments and calamities that must fall upon those who continue to dishonor him. Warnings have been given by God, and these warnings should be kept before the people. God’s appointed messengers are to give the call to flee from the wrath to come.
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children: ... let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
“Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen.”
“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the [vats] shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.”
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.”