~ The Pattern of Christ Study ~
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"We are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. Many of the prophecies are about to be fulfilled in quick succession. Every element of power is about to be set to work. Past history will be repeated; old controversies will arouse to new life, and peril will beset God's people on every side." Review and Herald, August 31, 1897
The same seven-point pattern of events that reveals itself in Christ's life in the past and in the future is also evident in the historical events connected with the Bible itself as seen in Revelation chapter 11, the history of the Antichrist and the history of Adventism. Not every point appears in each sequence but the order is the same.
The seven points of the pattern are: 1) Thirty years of Preparation, 2) Three and one-half years of Power and Testimony, 3) Death, 4) Resurrection, 5) Ascension, 6) Babylon's fall and the Seven Last Plagues, and 7) Jesus' Second Coming.
If we keep these points in mind during the confusion of the last days we will be able to understand the times we live in and act accordingly.
"The servants of Christ should seek to understand the requirements for this time. The conditions of warfare are not what they were years ago, because increased light has been shining upon us, and great and solemn warnings have come to us. Unless we have an understanding of the times in which we live, we may, even with the best of intentions, make great mistakes, and stand in the way of the advancement of the work. The claims upon the Christians are the same now as ever,--perfect obedience,--but Satan's attacks are more deceptive. His manner of warfare is so different from that expected that, unless the senses are sharpened to comprehend his plans, we shall not be prepared for defense. Satan has many wily agents who will avail themselves of every means to assault those who vindicate the claims of God's law." Signs of the Times, September 7, 1891
I. Christ's Sequence:
1) Jesus was "about thirty years of age" when He was baptized (Lk.3:23).
2) His time of Power and Testimony was three and one-half years (Dan. 9:27).
3) His Death at the Cross.
4) His Resurrection.
5) His Ascension.
6) Babylon's Fall and Seven Last Plagues at the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
"In the prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction Christ said, ‘Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.' This prophecy will again be fulfilled. The abounding iniquity of that day finds its counterpart in this generation." The Desire of Ages, p. 633 (emphasis supplied)
7) Jesus' Second Coming on Patmos in 100AD.
"In the days of the early Christians, Christ came the second time. His first advent was at Bethlehem, when He came as an infant. His second advent was at the Isle of Patmos, when He revealed Himself in glory to John the Revelator." Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, p. 40 (emphasis supplied)
II. The Bible's Sequence, Revelation 11, the Two Witnesses:
1) The thirty years of Preparation is only implied in verses one and two.
2) Verses 3 through 6 are about the 1260 days, or three and one-half years that the Two Witnesses prophesied, or gave their Testimony.
3) Verses 7 through 10 are about the Death of the Bible in atheistic France.
4) Verse 11 is the Resurrection of the Two Witnesses/Bible.
5) Verse 12 is the Ascension.
6) Verse 13 is the Fall of Babylon (atheistic France) as the "tenth-part" (one of the ten nations that composed both Pagan and Papal Rome).
7) Verse 14 announces the third "Woe," which includes Jesus' Second Coming.
III. The Antichrist's Sequence, the Papacy:
1) The thirty years of Preparation for the papacy is revealed in the thirty year difference between the 1260 years of Daniel 12:7 and the 1290 years of Dan. 12:11. The thirty years of Preparation for the papacy began in 508AD.
2) The papacy had its time of Power and Testimony for three and one-half times, or 1260 years.
3) At the end of the 1260 the papacy received its "deadly wound" (Rev. 13:3).
"This period, as stated in preceding chapters, began with the supremacy of the papacy, A.D. 538, and terminated in 1798. At that time the pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.'" The Great Controversy, p. 439
4) In the future, the papacy will have a Resurrection.
"The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power." GC 578 (emphasis supplied)
5) The papacy will also "Ascend" to the throne of the world (Daniel 11:40-43).
"Protestants will work upon the rulers of the land to make laws to restore the lost ascendancy of the man of sin, who sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Roman Catholic principles will be taken under the care and protection of the state. This national apostasy will speedily be followed by national ruin." Review and Herald, June 15, 1897 (emphasis supplied)
"The scenes connected with the working of the man of sin are the last features plainly revealed in this earth's history." Selected Messages, vol. 2, p.102 (emphasis supplied)
6) After its ascension, the papacy, as Modern Global Babylon, "shall come to his end, and none shall help him" in the Seven Last Plagues (Dan. 11:45).
7) Jesus comes again to destroy the papacy's Modern Global Babylon (Dan. 12:1-3, Rev. 19:19-21).
IV. Adventism's Sequence, or the 144,000:
1) There was a Preparation time for Adventism.
"Shortly after the fulfillment of some of the signs that the Saviour foretold would be seen before his second coming, there took place throughout the Christian world a great religious awakening. Students of prophecy came to the conclusion that the time of the end was at hand. ...Searching the Scriptures for further light, and comparing this prophetic period with the records of historians, they learned that the twenty-three hundred days extended to the year 1844. This was the foundation of the great advent movement of 1844. The falling of the stars in 1833 gave added force to the proclamation of the message of a soon-coming Saviour. Through the labors of William Miller and many others...the advent message was carried to a large part of the habitable globe." Southern Watchman January 24, 1905 (emphasis supplied)
2) The Advent Movement was given Power on August 11, 1840.
"The fall of the Ottoman Empire: At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Europe, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian nations. The event exactly fulfilled the prediction. When it became known, multitudes were convinced of the correctness of the principles of prophetic interpretation adopted by Miller and his associates, and a wonderful impetus was given to the advent movement. Men of learning and position united with Miller, both in preaching and in publishing his views, and from 1840 to 1844 the work rapidly extended. GC 334-335 (emphasis supplied)
3) The Advent Movement suffered a Death to their faith on October 22, 1844.
"The disappointment of the disciples well represents the disappointment of those who expected their Lord in 1844." Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, p.149 (emphasis supplied)
4) The Advent Movement anticipates a Resurrection of its Power.
"A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer." Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 121 (emphasis supplied)
"Let us give more time to the study of the Bible. We do not understand the word as we should. The book of Revelation opens with an injunction 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 are written therein: for the time is at hand." When we as a people understand what this book means to us, there will be seen among us a great revival." Testimonies to Ministers, p. 113
5) The Advent Movement "Ascends" in its advancing mission stations.
"These prophecies of a great spiritual awakening in a time of gross darkness are today meeting fulfillment in the advancing lines of mission stations that are reaching out into the benighted regions of earth. The groups of missionaries in heathen lands have been likened by the prophet to ensigns set up for the guidance of those who are looking for the light of truth."
(Isa. 11:10-12 quoted.) RH June 24, 1915 (Prophets and Kings, p. 375)
6) The Advent Movement anticipates Babylon's Fall and the Seven Last Plagues as described in Revelation 18:1-4.
7) The Advent Movement finally anticipates Jesus' Second Coming as described in Revelation 19:11-16.
EGW Quotes:
DA 633 (The Desire of Ages, p.633)
"In the prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction Christ said, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." This prophecy will again be fulfilled. The abounding iniquity of that day finds its counterpart in this generation."
19 MR 40 (Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, p.40)
"In the days of the early Christians, Christ came the second time. His first advent was at Bethlehem, when He came as an infant. His second advent was at the Isle of Patmos, when He revealed Himself in glory to John the Revelator."
GC 439 (The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan, p.439)
"This period, as stated in preceding chapters, began with the supremacy of the papacy, A.D. 538, and terminated in 1798. At that time the pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.'"
GC 578
"The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power."
RH 6-15-1897 (Review & Herald, June 15, 1897)
"Protestants will work upon the rulers of the land to make laws to restore the lost ascendancy of the man of sin, who sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Roman Catholic principles will be taken under the care and protection of the state. This national apostasy will speedily be followed by national ruin."
2 SM 102 (Selected Messages, vol. 2, p.102)
"The scenes connected with the working of the man of sin are the last features plainly revealed in this earth's history."
SW 1-24-1905 (The Southern Watchman, January 24, 1905)
"Shortly after the fulfillment of some of the signs that the Saviour foretold would be seen before his second coming, there took place throughout the Christian world a great religious awakening. Students of prophecy came to the conclusion that the time of the end was at hand. ...Searching the Scriptures for further light, and comparing this prophetic period with the records of historians, they learned that the twenty-three hundred days extended to the year 1844. This was the foundation of the great advent movement of 1844. The falling of the stars in 1833 gave added force to the proclamation of the message of a soon-coming Saviour. Through the labors of William Miller and many others...."
GC 334-335
"The fall of the Ottoman Empire: At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Europe, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian nations. The event exactly fulfilled the prediction. When it became known, multitudes were convinced of the correctness of the principles of prophetic interpretation adopted by Miller and his associates, and a wonderful impetus was given to the advent movement. Men of learning and position united with Miller, both in preaching and in publishing his views, and from 1840 to 1844 the work rapidly extended.
1 SG 149 (Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, p.149)
"The disappointment of the disciples well represents the disappointment of those who expected their Lord in 1844."
1 SM 121 (Selected Messages, vol. 1, p.121)
"A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer."
RH 6-24-1915 (PK 375) (Prophets and Kings, p.375)
"These prophecies of a great spiritual awakening in a time of gross darkness are today meeting fulfillment in the advancing lines of mission stations that are reaching out into the benighted regions of earth. The groups of missionaries in heathen lands have been likened by the prophet to ensigns set up for the guidance of those who are looking for the light of truth."
(Isa. 11:10-12 quoted.)
