William Miller: 1782 - 1849
WM 1Miller page paragraph 1
1842 252
Author: William Miller Publisher: Joshua V.
Himes, Boston. Title: Miller's Works. Views of the Prophecies and Prophetic Chronology. Volume 1.
publication type: book book code: 1Miller
MILLER'S WORKS Volume 1.
VIEWS
OF THE
PROPHECIES
AND
PROPHETIC CHRONOLOGY,
SELECTED FROM MANUSCRIPTS OF
WILLIAM MILLER;
WITH A
MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE.
EDITED BY
JOSHUA V. HIMES.
VOLUME I.
JOSHUA V. HIMES
1842
ii
TO ALL THEM
WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THE BLESSED HOPE
AND GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE
GREAT GOD, AND OUR SAVIOR
JESUS CHRIST AT HAND,
THESE WORKS
ARE RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
BY THE EDITOR.
iii
THE EDITOR'S REMARKS.
WM 1Miller page iii paragraph 4
WE hold the doctrine of a man's responsibility for the
sentiments which he publishes, whether they are his own or another's. He is accountable to the
community, and will be held accountable at the great tribunal, for the good or the evil they produce.
We have had this thought in view in all that we have done to give publicity to Mr. Miller's writings; both
in the publication of the Boston edition of his Lectures, and of the numerous Essays and Letters from his
pen which have appeared in the "Signs of the Times" during the past year.
WM 1Miller page iii paragraph 5
Notwithstanding the fears of many, esteemed wise and good,
that the effect of this class of writings upon the community would be deleterious; we have, on the
contrary, witnessed, as we expected, the most happy results. Their moral and religious influence upon
all classes who have given them a candid examination has been most salutary.
WM 1Miller page iii paragraph 6
We are now induced to add a second volume on similar subjects,
with a short memoir of Mr. Miller's life. We send it forth with the fullest assurance of its usefulness to
the church and the world. It will be a valuable aid to an understanding of the chronology of his Lectures;
as also the dictionary of prophetic figure, and principles of interpretation, will be of great service to the
biblical student.
WM 1Miller page iii paragraph 7
As it respects the general views of Mr. Miller, we consider them
in the main to be in accordance with the word of God. We do not, however, adopt the peculiarities of
any man. We call no man master. Yet we frankly avow that there is much in his theory that we approve
and embrace as gospel truth. For example: His views of the literal interpretation of the prophecies - The
character and divinity of Christ, and his personal reign on the earth - The restoration of Israel according
to the faith of Abraham, with the rejection of the "judaizing notion" of the return of the carnal Jew to
Palestine - The true millennium of the saints in the resurrection state; and the utter rejection
iv
of the modern notion of a temporal millennium - The first and second resurrections and judgments - The
final destiny of the righteous and the wicked: on all these points we fully agree with him.
WM 1Miller page iv paragraph 9
On the question of "prophetic periods," and of his laborious and
learned chronology, we are not competent, with our limited erudition on the subject, to decide with
such positiveness as on the other topics; having never given our attention to the critical study of the
subject till within the last year. We, however, believe in the definiteness of prophetic periods, and feel
satisfied that we live near the end of time. We have come to this conclusion by the prophetic times of
Daniel and John, and not from the fact only that the kingdom has always been at hand. These "times,"
(to which we might refer, if it were proper in this place,) are nearly accomplished, as all who believe in
prophetic periods agree. Some have fixed upon the year 1866, some 1847, while Mr. Miller fixes upon
1843 as the "time of the end." We think he has given the more satisfactory demonstration of the
correctness of his calculation. The advent is near. It is possible that we may be mistaken in the
chronology. It may vary a few years, but we are persuaded that the end cannot be far distant.
WM 1Miller page iv paragraph 10
With these views, we proclaim continually the gospel of the
kingdom at hand. And not being able with the voice alone, and our limited abilities, to give the
"midnight cry" the extent which we think the subject demands, we have availed ourself of the aid of the
press. Accordingly, Mr. Miller's Lectures were put into the hands of a popular bookseller, who has in the
last year circulated five thousand copies. In the mean time, fifty thousand numbers of the "Signs of the
Times" have been sent abroad in the United States and in Europe; and two thousand copies of the full
Report of the General Conference on the Second Advent have just been issued from the press,
v
for distribution. We now send out this volume to bear the same message, and arouse a slumbering
world to duty.
WM 1Miller page v paragraph 12
Some repetitions may be noticed in this work, in consequence
of many of the articles having been written at different times, without reference to publication in a
connected series. But these the reader will find of advantage, on the whole, as they will present the
subjects in various and new aspects.
WM 1Miller page v paragraph 13
The work claims nothing of literary merit. It is given in a plain
English dress, that will present to the reader the various subjects discussed in a distinct and intelligible
style.
WM 1Miller page v paragraph 14
We are not insensible of the fact, that much obloquy will be cast
upon us in consequence of our association with the author of this work. This, however, gives us no pain.
We had rather be associated with such a man as William Miller, and stand with him in gloom or glory, in
the cause of the living God, than to be associated with his enemies, and enjoy all the honors of this
world.
WM 1Miller page v paragraph 15
Finally, whatever may be the truth upon the subject treated in
this volume, it is certainly one that commends itself to the serious and careful examination of all persons,
whether saints or sinners. If, indeed, the grand drama of this world's wickedness and wrongs is about to
close up - if, indeed, the Son of God is about to descend from heaven, to take vengeance on them who
obey not the gospel, and to receive his saints to their final rest, - then how important is it that we should
all know these facts - the wicked to tremble if they will not repent, and the righteous to wait with calm
faith, and a certain hope of the coming of the Lord. Do not dream that all is well because you see no
threatening signs of the great day. Did the inhabitants of the old world stand in fear of the flood? Yet
the flood came and "took them all away." All great calamities which come upon the nations by special
interposition of divine Providence have been sudden, and, by the mass, unexpected.
vi
CONTENTS.
PART FIRST
WM 1Miller CONTENTS. page paragraph 17
Page.
I. Memoir of William Miller ....................
7
II. Mr. Miller's Influence upon the People .....
15
III. Rules of Scriptural Interpretation ........
20
IV. Explanation of Prophetic Figures ...........
25
V. Synopsis of Mr. Miller's Religious Views ....
32
VI. A Bible Chronology from Adam to Christ .....
36
VII. A Dissertation on Prophetic Chronology ....
40
PART SECOND.
ADDRESS AND LECTURES.
WM 1Miller CONTENTS. page paragraph 18
I. An Address to the Believers in the Second
Advent near, - ..............................
II. Lecture on the Battle of Gog -
54
Ezek.xxxix.1-11 ............................
67
III. Lecture on the Two Sticks Ezek.xxxvii.15-17 .........................
85
IV. Lecture on the Times and its Duties Rom.xiii.12 ................................
101
V. Lecture on What is Truth - John xviii.38 ....
111
VI. Lecture on the Visions of Ezekiel Ezek.xii.27 ................................
118
VII. Lecture on the Harvest of the World Rev.xiv.16 ................................
132
VIII. Lecture on the Final Judgment Acts xvii.31 .............................
IX. Lecture on the Great Sabbath - Ezek.xx.12 ..
145
157
PART THIRD.
REVIEWS AND LETTERS.
WM 1Miller CONTENTS. page paragraph 19
I. A Review of Ethan Smith's and David Cambell's
Exposition of the "Little Horn" and Return of
Jews - Dan.viii.9 ...........................
172
II. Brief Review of Dowling's Reply to Miller,
No. I ......................................
III. Review of Dowling, No. II .................
182
187
IV. Brief Review of S. Cobb's Lectures on the
"Miller Mania" .............................
192
V. Review of "A Bible Reader" on the Two
Witnesses, Rev.xi.8 .........................
198
VI. Remarkable Fulfillment of Prophecy relating
to France and the "Two Witnesses." Quotations
from eminent Expositors of Prophecy, with
Remarks by Mr. Miller ......................
203
LETTERS.
WM 1Miller CONTENTS. page paragraph 20
I. On the Second Advent ........................
212
II. On the Return of the Jews ..................
225
III. To Mr. Cambell, on the Little Horn, Evening
and Morning Vision, Jews' Return, Millennium
before the Resurrection ...................
232
IV. Closing of the Door of Mercy - Millennium The Chronology .............................
236
V. Mr. Miller recovering - Disappointment in
being deprived of meeting the Conference His Resignation, &c., .......................
241
APPENDIX.
WM 1Miller CONTENTS. page paragraph 21
I. Extract from Ferguson's Astronomy ...........
244
II. Extract from the "Present Crisis" ..........
III. Views of the closing of the Door of Mercy .
249
251
0007
MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0007 paragraph 1
WILLIAM MILLER was born at
Pittsfield, Mass., Feb. 15, 1782. When he was four years of age, his father removed to the town of
Hampton, Washington County, New York, the present residence of Mr. Miller. The country was then
new, and his means of education, till nine years of age, were very small. His mother, however, taught
him to read, so that when he was sent to the common school, he could read in the Bible, Psalter, and an
old Hymn Book, which at that time constituted the whole of his father's library. After his ninth year, he
was sent to school three months in the year, till he was fourteen. During this time, he was noted by his
companions as a prodigy for learning, as they called it, particularly in the branches of spelling, reading,
and writing. At the age of fourteen, he became anxious to obtain books to read. The first history he
obtained was Robinson Crusoe; and the first novel he ever saw was Robert Boyle. He read them with
avidity, and being so much interested in them, he read them many times over. He then became still
more anxious to obtain books, especially histories and journals of travelers. A number of gentlemen in
the vicinity of his father's residence, on being made acquainted with his love of reading, kindly offered
him the privilege of their private libraries, which he accepted with much gratitude. From this time till he
was twenty-one years of age, he was a most devoted student
0008
of ancient and modern history. The names of his benefactors ought to be given in this place, as they
deserve to be honored for their liberality and love of learning. One of them was the Hon. Matthew Lyon,
Representative to Congress from Vermont, from 1794 to 1798. The others were Judge James Witherell,
afterwards judge of Michigan Territory; and Alexander Cruikshanks, Esq., of Whitehall, formerly of
Scotland. By the kindness of these gentlemen, he was enabled to store his mind with a vast collection of
historical facts, which have since been of so much service to him in the illustration of the prophecies.
Possessing a strong mind and a retentive memory, he appropriated the contents of those gentlemen's
libraries to his own use; and even now, after a lapse of more than thirty years, it is astonishing to
observe the correctness of his frequent references to these historical facts and dates in his
extemporaneous lectures.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0008 paragraph 1
At the age of twenty-two, he
was married, and settled in Poultney, Vt. Here, he was still favored with the privilege of pursuing his
favorite study; having free access to a large public library. Here also he became acquainted with the
deistical writings of Voltaire, Hume, Paine, Ethan Allen, and others. He studied them closely, and at
length professedly became a Deist. The principal men in the village were Deists; but, as a class, they
were good citizens, and as a general thing were moral, and of serious deportment. With these he was
associated about twelve years, in the defense of deistical sentiments.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0008 paragraph 2
In the last war with Great
Britain, he received a captain's commission in the United States' service, and served in the army until the
25th of June, 1815, after peace was declared. He then moved to his present residence, Low Hampton,
where the year following, 1816, he was converted from Deism to the christian faith, and united with the
regular Baptist church in that place, of which he is now a member in good standing.
0009
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0009 paragraph 1
We gather the following facts
relating to his past history and experience from his letters to us on this subject. The following
connected account is made out from them, mostly in his own words:
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0009 paragraph 2
"In my youth, between the
years of seven and ten, I was often concerned about the welfare of my soul; particularly in relation to its
future destiny. I spent much time in trying to invent some plan, whereby I might please God, when
brought into his immediate presence. Two ways suggested themselves to me, which I tried. One was,
to be very good, to do nothing wrong, tell no lies, and obey my parents. But I found my resolutions
were weak, and soon broken. The other was to sacrifice; by giving up the most cherished objects I
possessed. But this also failed me; so that I was never settled and happy in mind, until I came to Jesus
Christ. While I was a Deist, I believed in a God, but I could not, as I thought, believe the Bible was the
word of God. The many contradictions, and inconsistencies, which I thought could be shown, made me
suppose it to be a work of designing men, whose object was to enslave the mind of man; operate on
their hopes and fears, with a view to aggrandize themselves. The history of religion as it had been
presented to the world, and particularly by the historians of the eighteenth century, was but a history of
blood, tyranny, and oppression; in which the common people were the greatest sufferers. I viewed it as
a system of craft, rather than of truth. Besides, the advocates of Christianity admitted that the Bible
was so dark and intricate that no man could understand it. This always was to me an inconsistent idea
of God; and even made the Bible appear more like the oracles of the heathen gods, than like the wisdom
of the just and righteous God: To give us the Scriptures to teach us the way of eternal life, and at the
same time clothe them in a mantle of mysticism, so that no man could understand them! Reveal his will,
which we cannot understand, and then punish us for disobedience! How can such a being be called
either wise or good?
0010
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0010 paragraph 1
These, and the like, were my
arguments against the Bible. In the mean time, I continued my studies, storing my mind with historical
knowledge. The more I read, the more dreadfully corrupt did the character of man appear. I could
discern no bright spot in the history of the past. Those conquerors of the world, and heroes of history,
were apparently but demons in human form. All the sorrow, suffering, and misery in the world, seemed
to be increased in proportion to the power they obtained over their fellows. I began to feel very
distrustful of all men. In this state of mind I entered the service of my country. I fondly cherished the
idea, that I should find one bright spot at least in the human character, as a star of hope: a love of
country - PATRIOTISM. But two years in the service was enough to convince me that I was in an error in
this thing also. When I left the service I had become completely disgusted with man's public character. I
retired from the busy scenes of public life, in which I had been engaged about ten years; and thought to
seek for that happiness, which had always eluded my pursuit in my former occupations, in the domestic
circle. For a little space, a care and burden was taken off from my mind; but after a while I felt the need
of some more active employment. My life became too monotonous. I had lost all those pleasing
prospects, which in youth I expected to enjoy in riper years. It appeared to me that there was nothing
good on earth. Those things in which I expected to find some solid good had deceived me. I began to
think man was no more than a brute, and the idea of hereafter was a dream; annihilation was a cold and
chilling thought; and accountability was sure destruction to all. The heavens were as brass over my head,
and the earth as iron under my feet. ETERNITY! What was it? And death, why was it? The more I
reasoned, the further I was from demonstration. The more I thought, the more scattered were my
conclusions. I tried to stop thinking; but my thoughts would not be controlled. I was truly
0011
wretched;; but did not understand the cause. I murmured and complained, but knew not of whom. I
felt that there was a wrong, but knew not how, or where, to find the right. I mourned, but without hope.
I continued in this state of mind for some months; at length, when brought almost to despair, God by his
Holy Spirit opened my eyes. I saw Jesus as a friend, and my only help, and the word of God as the
perfect rule of duty. Jesus Christ became to me the chiefest among ten thousand, and the Scriptures,
which before were dark and contradictory, now became the lamp to my feet and light to my path. My
mind became settled and satisfied. I found the Lord God to be a Rock in the midst of the ocean of life.
The Bible now became my chief study; and I can truly say I searched it with great delight. I found the
half was never told me. I wondered why I had not seen its beauty and glory before, and marvelled that I
could ever have rejected it. I found everything revealed that my heart could desire, and a remedy for
every disease of the soul. I lost all taste for other reading, and applied my heart to get wisdom from
God.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0011 paragraph 1
"I laid by all commentaries,
former views and prepossessions, and determined to read and try to understand for myself. I then
began the reading of the Bible in a methodical manner; and by comparing scripture with scripture, and
taking notice of the manner of prophesying, and how it was fulfilled, (so much as had received its
accomplishment,) I found that prophecy had been literally fulfilled, after understanding the figures and
metaphors by which God had more clearly illustrated the subjects conveyed in said prophecies. I found,
on a close and careful examination of the Scriptures, that God had explained all the figures and
metaphors in the Bible, or had given us rules for their explanation. And in so doing, I found, to my joy,
and as I trust with everlasting gratitude to God, that the Bible contained a system of revealed truths, so
clearly and simply given that the 'wayfaring man though a fool need not err
0012
therein.'.' And I discovered that God had in his word revealed 'times and seasons;' and in every case
where time had been revealed, every event was accomplished as predicted, (except the case of Nineveh,
in Jonah,) in the time and manner; therefore I believed all would be accomplished.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0012 paragraph 1
"I found, in going through with
the Bible, the end of all things was clearly and emphatically predicted, both as to time and manner. I
believed; and immediately the duty to publish this doctrine, that the world might believe and get ready
to meet the Judge and Bridegroom at his coming, was impressed upon my mind. I need not here go into
a detailed account of my long and sore trials. Suffice it to say, that after a number of years, I was
compelled by the Spirit of God, the power of truth and the love of souls, to take up my cross and
proclaim these things to a dying and perishing world.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0012 paragraph 2
"The first time I ever spake in
public on this subject was in the year 1832. The Lord poured his grace on the congregation, and many
believed to the salvation of their souls. From that day to this, doors have been opened to me, to
proclaim this doctrine of the second coming of Christ, among almost all denominations, so that I have
not been able to comply with but a small portion of the calls.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0012 paragraph 3
"I have lectured in the states of
New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and Canada. In
every place, I think, two good effects have been produced. The church has been awakened, and the
Bible has been read with more interest. In many, and I might say almost in every place, a revival of
religion has followed, which has lasted for months. Infidelity in many cases has been made to yield her
iron grasp on the mind of many an individual. Deism has yielded to the truth of God's word, and many
men of strong minds have acknowledged that the Scriptures must be of divine origin. The sandy
foundation of Universalism, has been shaken in every place where it could be reached by an attendance
on the whole
0013
course of lectures. And hundreds of men of sound minds and strong powers, have had their spider's
web broken, and have got a more sure hope in an experimental knowledge of the justice of God, and
the forgiveness of sin, through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0013 paragraph 1
"As proof of the truth of the
above facts, I would refer you to the many false reports which Universalists and Infidels have
industriously circulated in their periodicals and papers, concerning me and my views: the `hundred
years' mistake,' the `refusal to sell my farm,' and the `rail fence,' &c. &c. Stories too foolish for children
to credit are promulgated as facts, sufficient to destroy the truth which is fairly proved by the word of
God and history of ages past. Why use such false and weak arguments? Because the goddess Diana is in
danger. It is evidence strong as holy writ, that when men use weak arguments and false productions,
their cause is weak, and their foundation is trembling.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0013 paragraph 2
"Furthermore. I have been fully
convinced, that the effects of the promulgation of this doctrine on those who candidly hear, produce no
little examination of the evidence of their hopes, founded upon the word of inspiration. The traditions
of men too are brought before the public and tried by the unerring rule of God's word: such as a
`temporal millennium,' the `Jews' return.' In one word, in a moral point of view, every effect is good;
and if ever there is a `midnight cry' made, the effect must be similar to the one now produced, or it
cannot have a scriptural fulfillment. `Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.' If this
doctrine does not make men search the Scriptures, (lamp,) I cannot conceive what would. One more
effect I will mention. In every place where I have been, the most pious, devoted, and living members of
the churches do most readily embrace the views thus proclaimed; while the worlding professor, the
pharisee, the bigot, the proud, haughty, and selfish, scoff at and ridicule the doctrine of the Second
Coming of Christ.
0014
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0014 paragraph 1
"And if ever God's word, in his
second Epistle of Peter, can be fulfilled, surely it is so now: `Knowing this first, that there shall come in
the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for
since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the creation.' Every word of this sign
is literally fulfilled. In every place where I have been, the Infidel, the Universalist, and many who would
be called teachers in our several sects of limitarians, before they are convicted, can all meet on the
broad ground of scoffing, ridicule, and falsehood, to put down the doctrine which they are not prepared
to meet; and even meet the Universalists on the ground that the judgment day was past at Jerusalem,
rather than believe this thrilling doctrine of immediate accountability. McKnight thinks these scoffers
will be in the church; how true is it so fulfilled. I have often blushed to see the hardihood of our priests
who take the ground of `my Lord delayeth his coming,' and publicly advocate the doctrine that it is a
long while yet to come. `And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants.' Hear them, calling all manner of
names, `false prophet,' `visionary fanatic,' `crazy old man,' &c. `And to eat and drink with the drunken.'
Join any other doctrine, however repugnant to their creeds, rather than consent to this. `Pilate and
Herod can make friends' against this doctrine of the coming of Christ.
WM 1Miller MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MILLER. page 0014 paragraph 2
"In conclusion, although I have
received scoffs from the worldly and profane, ridicule from the proud and haughty, contempt from the
bigot and pharisee, and insult from the pulpit and press; yet I have one great consolation: God has never
forsaken me, and their weapons have fallen harmless at my feet. Thousands have been brought to read
their Bibles with more pleasure; hundreds have found faith in that word they once despised; false
theories have been made to pass through a fiery ordeal; and undisputed errors have been searched out
and exposed, and the `word of God has mightily grown and multiplied.'"
0015
MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0015 paragraph 1
MUCH has
been said in the pulpit, and by the editors of public journals, about the evil tendency of Mr. Miller's
lectures. An orthodox clergyman of Lynn, (Rev. Parsons Cook,) thinks they are more demoralizing than
the theatre! A minister in Boston, of high standing, stated to one of his hearers, that he thought it as
great a sin for church members to attend these lectures, as to visit the theatre! Indeed, most of the
ministers and laity of different denominations, who have not heard Mr. Miller, have judged unfavorably
of his labors. It is supposed that the people are frightened - excited by terrific scenes connected with
the conflagration of the world. To place this matter in its true light, we shall give, as a general
illustration of Mr. Miller as a speaker, and the influence of his labors on the community at large, the
following account of his visit and labors in Portland, Me., in March last.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0015 paragraph 2
"MR. MILLER IN
PORTLAND. Mr. Miller has been in Portland, lecturing to crowded congregations in Casco-street church,
on his favorite theme, the end of the world, or literal reign of Christ for 1000 years. As faithful
chroniclers of passing events, it will be expected of us that we say something of the man, and his
peculiar views.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0015 paragraph 3
"Mr. Miller is
about sixty years of age; a plain farmer from Hampton, in the state of New York. He is a member of the
Baptist church in that place, from which he brings satisfactory testimonials of good standing, and a
license to improve publicly. He has, we understand, numerous testimonials also from clergymen of
different denominations favorable to his general character. We should think him a man of but commonschool education; evidently
0016
possessing strong powers of mind, which for about fourteen years have been almost exclusively bent to
the investigation of scripture prophecies. The last eight years of his life have been devoted to lecturing
on this favorite subject.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0016 paragraph 1
"In his public
discourses he is self-possessed and ready; distinct in his utterance, and frequently quaint in his
expressions. He succeeds in chaining the attention of his auditory for an hour and a half to two hours;
and in the management of his subject discovers much tact, holding frequent colloquies with the objector
and inquirer, supplying the questions and answers himself in a very natural manner; and although grave
himself, sometimes producing a smile from a portion of his auditors.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0016 paragraph 2
"Mr. Miller is a
great stickler for literal interpretations; never admitting the figurative, unless absolutely required to
make correct sense or meet the event which is intended to be pointed out. He doubtless believes, most
unwaveringly, all he teaches to others. His lectures are interspersed with powerful admonitions to the
wicked, and he handles Universalism with gloves of steel.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0016 paragraph 3
"He is evidently
disposed to make but little allowance for those who think differently from him on the millennium;
dealing often in terrible denunciations against such as oppose his peculiar views on this point; as he fully
believes they are crying peace and safety when sudden destruction cometh. Judging from what we see
and hear, we should think his lectures are making a decided impression on many minds, favorable to his
theory."
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0016 paragraph 4
This account of
Mr. Miller is from the Rev. Mr. Springer, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and editor of the "Maine
Wesleyan Journal," from which we copy it. Mr. Miller, on reading the account, exclaimed, "I have found
one honest editor!" Mr. Springer, it will be observed, is not a partisan of Mr. Miller. We commend him
for his candor.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0016 paragraph 5
extracts of letters from Elder Fleming, the pastor of the Christian church in Casco St.,
The following
0017
where Mr. Miller delivered his lectures, will show the legitimate effects of his labors.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0017 paragraph 1
Immediately
after the lectures were closed, Mr. Fleming writes: "Things here are moving powerfully. Last evening
about 200 requested prayers, and the interest seems constantly increasing. The whole city seems
agitated. Br. Miller's lectures have not the least effect to affright; they are far from it. The great alarm is
among those who did not come near. Many who stayed away and opposed seem excited, and perhaps
alarmed. But those who candidly hear are far from excitement and alarm.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0017 paragraph 2
"The interest
awakened by his lectures is of the most deliberate and dispassionate kind, and though it is the greatest
revival I ever saw, yet there is the least passionate excitement. It seems to take the greatest hold on the
male part of community. What produces the effect is this - Brother Miller simply takes the sword of the
Spirit, unsheathed and naked, and lays its sharp edge on the naked heart, and it cuts! that is all. Before
the edge of this mighty weapon, infidelity falls, and Universalism withers. False foundations vanish, and
Babel's merchants wonder. It seems to me that this must be a little the nearest like apostolic revivals of
anything modern times have witnessed."
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0017 paragraph 3
A short time
after, he wrote again, as follows: "There has probably never been so much religious interest among the
inhabitants of this place generally as at present; and Mr. Miller must be regarded, directly or indirectly,
as the instrument, although many, no doubt, will deny it; as some are very unwilling to admit that a
good work of God can follow his labors; and yet we have the most indubitable evidence that this is the
work of the Lord. It is worthy of note, that in the present interest there has been comparatively nothing
like mechanical effort. There has been nothing like passionate excitement. If there has been excitement,
it has been out of doors, among such as did not attend Br. Miller's lectures.
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0017 paragraph 4
meetings since Br. Miller left, as
"At some of our
0018
many as 250, it has been estimated, have expressed a desire for religion, by coming forward for prayers;
and probably between one and two hundred have professed conversion at our meeting; and now the
fire is being kindled through this whole city, and all the adjacent country. A number of rum-sellers have
turned their shops into meeting-rooms, and those places that were once devoted to intemperance and
revelry, are now devoted to prayer and praise. Others have abandoned the traffic entirely, and are
become converted to God. One or two gambling establishments, I am informed, are entirely broken up.
Infidels, Deists, Universalists, and the most abandoned profligates, have been converted; some who had
not been to the house of worship for years. Prayer-meetings have been established in every part of the
city by the different denominations, or by individuals, and at almost every hour. Being down in the
business part of our city, I was conducted into a room over one of the banks, where I found about thirty
or forty men, of different denominations, engaged with one accord in prayer, at about eleven o'clock in
the day-time! In short, it would be almost impossible to give an adequate idea of the interest now felt
in this city. There is nothing like extravagant excitement, but an almost universal solemnity on the
minds of all the people. One of the principal booksellers informed me that he had sold more Bibles in
one month, since Br. Miller came here, than he had in any four months previous. A member of an
orthodox church informed me that if Mr. Miller could now return, he could probably be admitted into
any of the orthodox houses of worship, and he expressed a strong desire for his return to our city."
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0018 paragraph 1
Similar
accounts might be given from most of the places where he has given a full course of lectures, to a
society; the minister and church co-operating with him. We could name Boston, Cambridgeport,
Watertown, and numerous places; but we will refer to one more, viz. Portsmouth, N. H. The same
glorious effects followed his labors in this place, as at
0019
Portland. We simply wish to give the testimony of the Unitarian minister of that town, relating to the
character of the revival. We are the more particular on this point, because the advocates of revivals
have charged Mr. Miller with getting up "fanatical excitements." Now we have an impartial witness on
this point. Hear him; he says:
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0019 paragraph 1
"If I am rightly
informed, the present season of religious excitement has been to a great degree free from what, I
confess, has always made me dread such times, I mean those excesses and extravagances, which wound
religion in the house of its friends, and cause its enemies to blaspheme. I most cheerfully express my
opinion, that there will be in the fruits of the present excitement far less to regret, and much more for
the friends of God to rejoice in, much more to be recorded in the book of eternal life, than in any similar
series of religious exercises, which I have ever had the opportunity of watching."*
WM 1Miller MR. MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE. page 0019 paragraph 2
Will the Rev.
Parsons Cooke join with the editor of the "Trumpet" in ridiculing such revivals as these? Will he now
pronounce these lectures "more demoralizing than the theatre?" These are the legitimate fruits of Mr.
Miller's labors. Let his accusers beware, lest they be found fighting against God.+
----------
* Sermon on Revivals, by Rev. A. P. Peabody.
+ The above testimony to the salutary influence of Mr. Miller's labors must suffice. If it were necessary,
we could add a volume of similar testimony from ministers of almost all denominations.
0020
RULES OF INTERPRETATION.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0020 paragraph 1
IN studying the Bible, I have
found the following rules to be of great service to myself, and now give them to the public by special
request. Every rule should be well studied, in connexion with the scripture references, if the Bible
student would be at all benefited by them.
RULE I.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0020 paragraph 2
proper bearing on the subject presented in the Bible.
Every word must have its
PROOF
Matt.v.18.
RULE II.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0020 paragraph 3
may be understood by a diligent application and study.
All scripture is necessary, and
PROOF
2Tim.iii.15,16,17.
RULE III.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0020 paragraph 4
scripture can or will be hid from those who ask in faith, not wavering.
Nothing revealed in the
PROOF
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0020 paragraph 5
Deut.xxix.29. Matt.x.26,27.
1Cor.ii.10. Phil.iii.15. Isa.xiv.11. Matt.xxi.22. John xiv.13,14. xv.7. James i.5,6. 1John v.13,14,15.
RULE IV.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0020 paragraph 6
To understand doctrine, bring
all the scriptures together on the subject you wish to know; then let every word have its proper
influence, and if you can form your theory without a contradiction, you cannot be in an error.
PROOF
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0020 paragraph 7
Isa.xxviii.7-29. xxxv.8.
Prov.xix.27. Luke xxiv.27,44,45. Rom.xvi.26. James v.19. 2Pet.i.19,29.
RULE V.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0020 paragraph 8
Scripture must be its own
expositor, since it is a rule of itself. If I depend on a teacher to expound it to me, and he should guess at
its meaning, or desire to have it so on account of his sectarian creed, or to be
PROOFS
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0020 paragraph 9
Ps.xix.7,8,9,10,11.
cxix.97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104,105. Matt.xxiii.8,9,10. 1Cor.ii.12,13,14,15,16. Eze.xxxiv.18,19. Luke
xi.52. Mal.ii.7,8.
0021
RULE V (Continued).
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0021 paragraph 1
desire, creed or wisdom is my rule, not the Bible.
thought wise, then his guessing,
RULE VI.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0021 paragraph 2
God has revealed things to
come, by visions, in figures and parables, and in this way the same things are oftentime revealed again
and again, by different visions, or in different figures, and parables. If you wish to understand them, you
must combine them all in one.
PROOFS
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0021 paragraph 3
Ps.lxxxix.19. Hos.xii.10. Hab.ii.2.
Acts ii.17. 1Cor.x.6. Heb.ix.9,24. Ps.lxxviii.2. Matt.xiii.13,34. Gen.xli.1-32. Dan.ii. vii. and viii. Acts x.916.
RULE VII.
Visions are always mentioned as such.
PROOFS
2Cor.xii.1.
RULE VIII.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0021 paragraph 4
Figures always have a figurative
meaning, and are used much in prophecy, to represent future things, times and events; such as
mountains, meaning governments; beasts, meaning kingdoms.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0021 paragraph 5
Waters, meaning people.
Lamp, meaning Word of God.
Day, meaning year.
PROOFS
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0021 paragraph 6
Rev.xvii.1,15. Ps.cxix.105. Ezek.iv.6.
Dan.ii.35,44. vii.8,17.
RULE IX.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0021 paragraph 7
Parables are used as
comparisons to illustrate subjects, and must be explained in the same way as figures by the subject and
Bible. Mark iv.13. See explanation of the ten virgins, Miller's Lectures, No.xvi.
RULE X.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0021 paragraph 8
Figures sometimes have two or
more different significations, as day is used in a figurative sense to represent three different periods of
time.
PROOFS
Ecc.vii.14.
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RULE X. (Continued).
1. Indefinite.
2. Definite, a day for a year.
3. Day for a thousand years.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0022 paragraph 1
If you put on the right
construction it will harmonize with the Bible and make good sense, otherwise it will not.
PROOFS
Ezek.iv.6. 2Pet.iii.8.
RULE XI.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0022 paragraph 2
How to know when a word is
used figuratively. If it makes good sense as it stands, and does no violence to the simple laws of nature,
then it must be understood literally, if not, figuratively.
PROOFS
Rev.xii.1,2. xvii.3-7.
RULE XII.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0022 paragraph 3
To learn the true meaning of
figures, trace your figurative word through your Bible, and where you find it explained, put it on your
figure, and if it makes good sense you need look no further, if not, look again.
RULE XIII.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0022 paragraph 4
To know whether we have the
true historical event for the fulfilment of a prophecy. If you find every word of the prophecy (after the
figures are understood) is literally fulfilled, then you may know that your history is the true event. But if
one word lacks a fulfilment, then you must look for another event, or wait its future development. For
God takes care that history and prophecy doth agree, so that the true believing children of God may
never be ashamed.
PROOFS
Ps.xxii.5. Isa.xlv.17,18,19. 1Pet.ii.6. Rev.xvii.17. Acts iii.18.
RULE XIV.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0022 paragraph 5
that you must have faith. It must be a faith that requires
The most important rule of all is,
0023
RULE XIV. (Continued)
a sacrifice, and, if tried, would give up the dearest object on earth, the world and all its desires,
character, living, occupation, friends, home, comforts, and worldly honors. If any of these should hinder
our believing any part of God's word, it would show our faith to be vain. Nor can we ever believe so
long as one of these motives lies lurking in our hearts. We must believe that God will never forfeit his
word. And we can have confidence that he that takes notice of the sparrow, and numbers the hairs of
our head, will guard the translation of his own word, and throw a barrier around it, and prevent those
who sincerely trust in God, and put implicit confidence in his word, from erring far from the truth,
though they may not understand Hebrew or Greek.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0023 paragraph 1
These are some of the most
important rules which I find the word of God warrants me to adopt and follow, in order for system and
regularity. And if I am not greatly deceived, in so doing, I have found the Bible, as a whole, one of the
most simple, plain, and intelligible books ever written, containing proof in itself of its divine origin, and
full of all knowledge that our hearts could wish to know or enjoy. I have found it a treasure which the
world cannot purchase. It gives a calm peace in believing, and a firm hope in the future. It sustains the
mind in adversity, and teaches us to be humble in prosperity. It prepares us to love and do good to
others, and to realize the value of the soul. It makes us bold and valiant for the truth, and nerves the
arm to oppose error. It gives us a powerful weapon to break down Infidelity, and makes known the only
antidote for sin. It instructs us how death will be conquered, and how the bonds of the tomb must be
broken. It tells us of future events, and shows the preparation necessary to meet them. It gives us an
opportunity to hold conversation with the King of kings, and reveals the best code of laws ever enacted.
0024
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0024 paragraph 1
This is but a faint view of its
value; yet how many perishing souls treat it with neglect, or, what is equally as bad, treat it as a hidden
mystery which cannot be known. Oh, my dear reader, make it your chief study. Try it well, and you will
find it to be all I have said. Yes, like the Queen of Sheba, you will say the half was not told you.
WM 1Miller RULES OF INTERPRETATION. page 0024 paragraph 2
The divinity taught in our
schools is always founded on some sectarian creed. It may do to take a blank mind and impress it with
this kind, but it will always end in bigotry. A free mind will never be satisfied with the views of others.
Were I a teacher of youth in divinity, I would first learn their capacity and mind. If these were good, I
would make them study the Bible for themselves, and send them out free to do the world good. But if
they had no mind, I would stamp them with another's mind, write bigot on their forehead, and send
them out as slaves!
0025
EXPLANATION OF
PROPHETIC FIGURES.
WM 1Miller EXPLANATION OF page 0025 paragraph 2 ADULTERY. Idolatry. Jer.iii.9. Eze.xxiii.37.
AIR. Spirit of piety - false theories. Eph.ii.2.
ALTAR. Christ. Ps.xliii.4. Heb.xiii.10.
AMON. A people, or son of my people.
ANCIENT OF DAYS. God. Dan.vii.9.
ANGEL. Christ, or messenger of God. Ex.xxiii.20. Rev.i.1. xx.1.
ARK. Christ. Ps.cxxxii.8. Num.x.33.
ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN. Dignity and honor. John vi.62. Isa.xiv.13,14. Rev.xi.12.
ASLEEP. Death. Acts vii.60. 2Pet.iii.4. 1Cor.xv.18.
AWAKE. Resurrection. Job xiv.12. Ps.xvii.15. John xi.11. Dan.xii.2.
WM 1Miller EXPLANATION OF page 0025 paragraph 3 BABYLON. Confusion, mixture, worldly.
BALAAM. Their destruction without the prophet.
BALANCE. Justice. Daniel v.27. Worldly mind. Rev.vi.5.
BANNER. Gospel ensign, love. Cant.ii.4.
BEASTS. Kingdoms, or powers. Dan.vii.3,17. Rev.iv.6-8. v.8,9.
BEHELD or BEHOLDING. Joy, or grief, according to the circumstances. Ps.cxix.158. Rev.xi.12.
BED. A place of confinement. Rev.ii.22. Isa.xxviii.20.
BELLY. Practical part. Rom.xvi.18. Job xv.35. Rev.x.9,10. Luke xv.16. John vii.38.
BIND. To judge and condemn. Matt.xiii.30. xxii.13.
BIRD or FOWL. Warriors and conquerors. Isa.xlvi.11. Jer.xii.9. Rev.xviii.2.
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WM 1Miller EXPLANATION OF page 0026 paragraph 1 BIRTH. Deliverance from heavy judgments.
Isa.xxxvii.3-20. lxvi.9.
BLACK. Error, cruelty, death. Jer.iv.28. Rev.vi.5-12.
BLASPHEMY. Idolatry. Isa.lxv.7. Eze.xx.24-27.
BLESS or BLESSED. Saved from sin and from death. Ps.xxviii.9. xxxvii.22. Isa.lxi.9. Rev.xiv.13.
BLIND. Those who are willfully ignorant and prejudiced. Isa.lvi.10-12. xlii.18-20. Matt.xxiii.16.
xv.14. 2Cor.iv.4. 1John ii.11.
BLIND. Self-righteousness. Matt.xv.14. xxiii.16 to 26.
BLOOD. Death, war and slaughter. Matt.xxvii.24. Isa.xv.9. xxxiv.3. Rev.vi.10. viii.8. xi.6. xiv.20.
BLOWING OF THE WIND. The Holy Spirit doing its office in regeneration. Cant.iv.16. John iii.8.
Rev.vii.1.
BOOK. God's designs, knowledge and counsel. Ps.cxxxix.16. Is.xxxiv.16. Reading, is to make his
designs known. To Seal, is to shut up, or make sure.
BOW AND ARROWS. Victory over enemies. Isa.xli.2. Rev.vi.2.
BRASS, is used for impudence and sin, warlike. Isa.xlviii.4. Jer.vi.28. Mic.iv.13.
BRANCH. A descendant, or offspring. Isa.xi.1. Jer.xxiii.5. Dan.xi.7.
BREAD. Doctrine of life. Amos viii.11. Matt.iv.4.
BREAST-PLATE. Defense, or armor. Isa.lix.17. Rev.ix.9.
BREASTS. Consolation, word of God. Isa.lxvi.11.
BRIDLE. The restraining power of God. Isa.xxx.28.
BRIMSTONE. Curse of God. Isa.xxx.33. xi.4.
BURNING WITH FIRE, is to destroy, or change their state completely. Mal.iv.1-3. 2Pet.iii.10,11.
Rev.xx.9.
BUY, or BUYING, is used as an act of giving or receiving religious instruction. Isa.lv.1. Rev.iii.18.
xiii.17.
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WM 1Miller EXPLANATION OF page 0027 paragraph 1 CANDLE, is light. Jer.xxv.10. Matt.v.15. Luke
xi.36. xv.8.
CANDLESTICKS. The means of light; as the kingdom of Christ, the two witnesses, and seven
churches, are called candlesticks. Dan.v.5. Zech.iv.2,11. Rev.ii.5. xi.4.
CARMEL. The vineyard of God. Mich.vii.14.
CHAIN, signifies the laws of God; or man, in prophecy. Ps.cxlix.8. Acts xxviii.20. Jude 6.
CHITTEM. Those that bruise. Dan.xi.30.
CITY OF GOD. New Jerusalem. Heb.xii.22. Rev.iii.12.
CITY OF NATIONS. Antichrist, or Babylon. Rev.xvi.19. xvii.18.
The streets of the great city are the ten kings. Rev.xi.8,13.
CLOUD, or TO RIDE ON A CLOUD, is an emblem of power and great glory. Matt.xxiv.30.
Sometimes it means heavy judgments, as in Joel ii.2. Zeph.i.15.
CROWN. Dignity and honor. Prov.xvi.31. Isa.xxviii.1-5. lxii.3.
CRY or CRIED. To be sensible of want. Prayers and petitions for relief; or forerunner of war.
2Kin.iv.40. Ps.xxx.2-8. Rev.xiv.18.
DARKNESS. Ignorance, unbelief, and every evil work, confusion and horror. Prov.iv.19. Isa.lx.2.
Eph.v.11.
DAY, is one year - revolution of the earth in its orbit. Num.xiv.34. Eze.iv.5,6. Dan.ix.24.
DAY OF THE LORD. Judgment day, or 1000 years. 1Thes.v.2. 2Pet.iii.8-10. Rev.xx.4-7.
DEATH. Separation from body, from holiness, from God; inactive, separate from former state.
This is the proper sense.
DESERT, or WILDERNESS. Paganism, or away from the force of the laws of the Romish Church.
Isa.xl.3. Eze.xlvii.8. Rev.xii.6.
DEVIL. Roman government; pagan and papal, when used as a symbol. Rev.ii.10. xii.9. xx.2.
DEW AND RAIN, signify the pouring out of the Spirit
0028
and heavenly blessing. Ps.cxxxiii.3. Prov.xix.12. Hos.xiv.5.
WM 1Miller EXPLANATION OF page 0028 paragraph 1 DOGS. Wicked men and teachers. Isa.lvi.10.
Rev.xxii.15. Phil.iii.2. Ps.lix.6-14.
DRAGON. Rome pagan. Rev.xvii.8. Afterwards papal. Persecuting governments.
DRUNKENNESS. Intoxicated with worldly riches, pleasures and honors. Isa.xxix.9. Matt.xxiv.49.
Luke xxi.34.
EAGLE, denotes a people hid, or out of sight. Rev.xii.14. iv.7. Matt.xxiv.28.
EARTH. The Roman kingdom. Rev.xiii.12, and xix.2.
EARTHQUAKE. Revolutions. Hag.ii.21,22. Rev.vi.12. xvi.18.
EAT. To consume or destroy. Rev.xvii.16. Jam.v.3. Rev.xix.18.
ELDERS, TWENTY-FOUR, denote the whole priesthood, taken from twenty-four courses.
1Chron.xxiv.
FIRE, is used to denote destruction, and justice of God. Ps.lxviii.2. Heb.xii.29. Word of God.
Jer.v.14.
FLESH. Riches and honors of the world. 2Pet.ii.10-18. 1John ii.15,16. Rev.xix.18.
FLOOD. Great numbers. Isa.lix.19. Dan.ix.26. Rev.xii.15,16.
FOREHEAD. Public profession, or character. Jer.iii.3. Eze.ix.4. Rev.vii.3. xiii.16.
FROGS. The symbolic meaning of frogs (say some) is flatterers or impostors. See Rev.xvi.13.
GARMENTS, denote the character, as white denotes purity or righteousness; rags, filthy;
sackcloth, mourning. Dan.vii.9. Zec.iii.3,4. Rev.xvi.15.
GOD, when used as a symbol, denotes a prince, ruler, or magistrate. 1Cor.viii.5. Gal.iv.8.
GRAVE. To hide in secret; put out of memory. Job xiv.13.
GRASS, means people, as green the righteous, dry or stubble the wicked. Isa.xl.6,7,8. 1Pet.i.24.
Rev.viii.7. ix.4.
HAIL, denotes wars, slaughter and desolation, by
0029
some Northern government. Isa.xxviii.2,17. xxx.30,32. Rev.viii.7.
WM 1Miller EXPLANATION OF page 0029 paragraph 1 HAND. Symbol of action and labor. Isa.x.13.
xlviii.13. Rev.xx.1. Dan.viii.25.
HARLOT. An idolatrous community, or church. Isa.i.21. Jer.iii.1-8. Rev.xvii.5.
HARVEST. The gathering of men to their final destiny. Matt.xiii.39. Jer.li.33. Joel iii.13.
HEAD. The supreme power of the object. Dan.ii.38. Eph.i.22. Rev.xix.12.
HEAT. Anger, calamity. Deut.xxix.24. Ezek.iii.14. Rev.xvi.9.
HEAVEN. Government of God with his people. Deut.xi.21. Isa.xlix.13. Matt.xvi.19. xxv.1,14.
Dan.vii.18,22.
HILL. Kingdoms. Isa.ii.2. v.25. Mic.vi.1,2.
HORN. Kings. Dan.vii.24. viii.20,21. Rev.xvii.12,16.
HORSE. War and conquest. Prov.xxi.31. Jer.viii.6.
White, victory. Rev.vi.2. xix.11.
Black, distress and calamity. Rev.vi.5.
Red, war and hostility. Rev.vi.4.
Pale, death and destruction. Rev.vi.8.
IRON. Strength. Dan.ii.33-41. Rev.ii.27.
ISRAEL. Christian church. Isa.xlv.4-25. Gal.vi.16.
ISLANDS. Small governments in Roman states. Ezek.xxvi.15,16. Zeph.ii.11. Rev.x.20. vi.14.
JERUSALEM. The church of God. Isa.lii.9. Gal.iv.26.
JEZEBEL. Antichrist. 1Kin.xviii.19. Rev.ii.20.
KILLING. Depriving of power. Ps.xliv.22. Rom.viii.36. Rev.vi.4. xi.7.
KING. Forms of government or power. Dan.viii.23. Rev.ix.11. xvii.10.
LAMB. Messiah. Isa.xvi.1. John i.29. Rev.v.12.
LAMP. Word of God or Mahometan Bible. Ps.cxix.105. Rev.viii.10.
0030
WM 1Miller EXPLANATION OF page 0030 paragraph 1 LEOPARD. A cruel, fierce, and quick conqueror.
Hos.xiii.7. Hab.i.8. Rev.xiii.2.
LION. Valiant, strong, courageous. Prov.xxviii. i. xxx.30. Rev.x.3. xiii.2.
LOCUSTS. Great armies. Isa.xxxiii.4. Nah.iii.15,17. Rev.ix.3-7.
MARK. To profess allegiance. The Roman soldiers had marked foreheads and hands. Ezek.ix.4.
Rev.xiii.16,17. xiv.9,11.
MEASURE. Completed, finished. Ps.xxxix.4. Jer.li.13. Matt.xxiii.32. Rev.xi.1.
MERCHANTS. Professed ministers of Christ. Isa.xxiii.8,18. Jer.xiv.18. Rev.xviii.11,12,23.
MOON. Gospel. Isa.xxx.26. Rev.xii.1. Or church. Cant.vi.10.
MOUNTAIN. Governments. Isa.ii.2. Dan.ii.35.
MOUNTAIN, HOLY. The gospel kingdom. Isa.xi.9. The seat of Antichrist. Ezek.xxviii.14.
Dan.xi.45.
MORNING. Resurrection of the just. Ps.xlix.14.
MOUTH. Commands, or laws. Dan.vii.8. Rev.xiii.5. xvi.13. 1Thes.ii.8.
NAKED. Shame and disgrace. Mic.i.8,11. Rev.iii.18. xvi.15. xvii.16.
NIGHT. Moral darkness or wickedness. Isa.xxi.8. Rom.xiii.12. 1Thes.v.5. Rev.xxi.25.
NUMBER or NUMBERED. Finished - end. Ps.xc.12. Dan.v.26. Ezek.iv.4-6. Rev.xiii.17,18.
OIL. Faith. Matt.xxv.8. Cant.i.3. Heb.iv.2.
OX, denotes a people for slaughter. Prov.vii.22. Jer.xi.19. Num.xxiii.1.
RAIN. Reformation, grace, refreshing. Deut.xxxii.2. Hos.vi.3. Jam.v.7.
RED. Persecuting, bloody. Rev.vi.4. xii.3.
RIVERS. People living on the rivers, mentioned Isa.viii.7. Rev.viii.10. xvi.4.
ROD OF IRON. Power of Christ. Ps.ii.9. Isa.xi.1. Rev.ii.27.
SCARLET. Bloody, cruel. Rev.xvii.3,4.
SEA. A large body of people. Isa.lvii.20. Dan.vii.3. Rev.vii.2,3.
0031
WM 1Miller EXPLANATION OF page 0031 paragraph 1 SHIELD AND BUCKLER. Ps.xci.4.
STARS. Ministers in the church, or rulers in the world. Rev.xii.1. Dan.viii.10. xii.3. Jude 13.
SUN. As in the natural, so in the moral world, source of all light, Christ or his word. Gen.xxxvii.9.
Ps.lxxxiv.11. Mal.iv.2.
SWORD. Slaughter. Jer.xv.3. Ezek.xxi.28.
SWORD, TWO-EDGED. Word of God. Ps.cxlix.6. Heb.iv.12. Rev.i.16. ii.12.
TAIL. Subordinate officers or provinces. Isa.ix.14,15. Rev.xii.4.
TEETH, LARGE IRON. Strong devouring enemy. Dan.vii.7,19. Rev.ix.8.
TEMPLE. The church professedly of Christ or Antichrist. Mal.iii.1. 2Cor.vi.16. Rev.vii.15.
THUNDER. Sudden dispersion of armies or kingdoms. 1Sam.ii.10. Isa.xxix.5,6. Ps.xviii.13.
TREE OF LIFE. Jesus Christ. Rev.ii.7. xxii.2.
VINE. A class of people, as wicked or righteous. Hos.x.1. Rev.xiv.18.
VOICES. Many people engaged in the same cry to be eased of burdens, or rejoicing. Luke
xxiii.23. Rev.viii.5. xi.15,19.
WALK WITH GOD, is to live with and be in communion with him. 2Cor.vi.16. Rev.iii.4.
WATERS. Flesh, or people. Num.xxiv.7. Isa.xlviii.1. viii.7. John v.8. Rev.xvii.15.
WHIRLWIND. Heavy judgments of God. Ps.lviii.9. Prov.i.27. Isa.lxvi.15.
WILDERNESS. Outlawed from the great city. Deut.xxxii.10. Jer.xii.10. Rev.xii.6.
WIND. Doctrine, good and bad. Cant.iv.16. Isa.xxvi.18. Eph.iv.14.
WINE, is consolation, and anger, and justice. Cant.v.1. Isa.lv.1. Rev.xvi.19. xvii.2.
WINGS. Protection, defense. Ex.xix.4. Ps.xvii.8. xxxvi.7. Rev.ix.9. xii.14.
WITNESS. Christ, prophets and apostles. Isa.xliii.10. Acts i.8,22. Rev.i.5. iii.14. xx.4.
WITNESSES, TWO. Two testaments, scriptures, figured
0032
by the two cherubims. Rev.xi.3,4. Zach.iv.3-6. John v.39. 1John v.9. Ex.xxxi.18.
WM 1Miller EXPLANATION OF page 0032 paragraph 1 WOMAN. The true church and anti-christian
church. Isa.liv.6. Jer.vi.2. Rev.xii.1. xvii.3,7.
WOOD. People. Jer.v.14.
WORDS OF GOD. Fire. Jer.v.14.
WRATH, DAY OF. Judgment day. Job xxi.30. Ps.cx.5. Zeph.i.15. Rom.ii.5. Rev.vi.17.
SYNOPSIS OF MR. MILLER'S VIEWS.
WM 1Miller SYNOPSIS OF MR. MILLER'S VIEWS. page 0032 paragraph 2 MY DEAR BROTHER, - You have
requested a synopsis of my views of the christian faith. The following sketch will give you some idea of
the religious opinions I have formed by a careful study of the word of God.
WM 1Miller SYNOPSIS OF MR. MILLER'S VIEWS. page 0032 paragraph 3 I believe all men, coming to
years of discretion, do and will disobey God, and this is, in some measure, owing to corrupted nature by
the sin of our parent. I believe God will not condemn us for any pollution in our father, but the soul that
sinneth shall die. All pollution of which we may be partakers from the sins of our ancestors, in which we
could have no agency, can and will be washed away in the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, without
our agency. But all sins committed by us as rational, intelligent agents, can only be cleansed by the
blood of Jesus Christ, through our repentance and faith. I believe in the salvation of all men who receive
the grace of God by repentance and faith in the mediation of Jesus Christ. I believe in the condemnation
of all men who reject the gospel and mediation of Christ, and thereby lose the efficacy of the blood and
righteousness of our Redeemer, as proffered to us in the gospel. I believe in practical godliness as
commanded us in the Scriptures, (which are our only rule of faith and practice,) and that they only will
be entitled to heaven and future blessedness, who obey and keep the commandments of God as given
us in the Bible, which
0033
is the word of God. I believe in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is a Spirit, omnipresent,
omniscient, having all power, creator, preserver, and self-existent. As being holy, just and beneficent, I
believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, having a body in fashion and form like man, divine in his nature,
human in his person, godlike in his character and power. He is a Savior for sinners, a priest to God, a
mediator between God and man, and King in Zion. He will be all to his people, God with us forever. The
spirit of the Most High is in him, the power of the Most High is given him, the people of the Most High
are purchased by him, the glory of the Most High shall be with him, and the kingdom of the Most High is
his on earth.
WM 1Miller SYNOPSIS OF MR. MILLER'S VIEWS. page 0033 paragraph 1 I believe the Bible is the
revealed will of God to man, and all therein is necessary to be understood by Christians in the several
ages and circumstances to which they may refer; - for instance, what may be understood to-day might
not have been necessary to have been understood 1000 years ago. For its object is to reveal things new
and old, that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished for, and perfected in, every good word and
work, for the age in which he lives. I believe it is revealed in the best possible manner for all people in
every age and under every circumstance to understand, and that it is to be understood as literal as it can
be and make good sense; - and that in every case where the language is figurative, we must let the Bible
explain its own figures. We are in no case allowed to speculate on the Scriptures, and suppose things
which are not clearly expressed, nor reject things which are plainly taught. I believe all of the
prophecies are revealed to try our faith, and to give us hope, without which we could have no
reasonable hope. I believe that the Scriptures do reveal unto us, in plain language, that Jesus Christ will
appear again on this earth, that he will come in the glory of God, in the clouds of heaven, with all his
saints and angels; that he will raise the dead bodies of all his saints who have slept, change the bodies of
all that are alive on the earth that are his, and both
0034
these living and raised saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. There the saints will be
judged and presented to the Father, without spot or wrinkle. Then the gospel kingdom will be given up
to God the Father. Then will the Father give the bride to the Son Jesus Christ; and when the marriage
takes place, the church will become the "New Jerusalem," the "beloved city." And while this is being
done in the air, the earth will be cleansed by fire, the elements will melt with fervent heat, the works of
men will be destroyed, the bodies of the wicked will be burned to ashes, the devil and all evil spirits,
with the souls and spirits of those who have rejected the gospel, will be banished from the earth, shut
up in the pit or place prepared for the devil and his angels, and will not be permitted to visit the earth
again until 1000 years. This is the first resurrection, and first judgment. Then Christ and his people will
come down from the heavens, or middle air, and live with his saints on the new earth in a new heaven,
or dispensation, forever, even forever and ever. This will be the restitution of the right owners to the
earth.
WM 1Miller SYNOPSIS OF MR. MILLER'S VIEWS. page 0034 paragraph 1 Then will the promise of God,
to his Son, be accomplished: "I will give him the heathen for his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the
earth for his possession." Then "the whole earth shall be full of his glory." And then, will the holy
people take possession of their joint heirship with Christ, and his promise be verified, "the meek shall
inherit the earth," and the kingdom of God will have come, and "his will done in earth as in heaven."
After 1000 years shall have passed away, the saints will all be gathered and encamped in the beloved
city. The sea, death and hell will give up their dead, which will rise up on the breadths of the earth, out
of the city, a great company like the sand of the sea-shore. The devil will be let loose, to go out and
deceive this wicked host. He will tell them of a battle against the saints, the beloved city; he will gather
them in the battle around the camp of the saints. But there is no battle; the devil has deceived them.
The saints will judge them, the justice of God will drive them from the earth into
0035
the lake of fire and brimstone, where they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever. "This is
the second death." After the second resurrection, second judgment, the righteous will then possess the
earth forever.
WM 1Miller SYNOPSIS OF MR. MILLER'S VIEWS. page 0035 paragraph 1 I understand that the judgment
day will be a thousand years long. The righteous are raised and judged in the commencement of that
day, the wicked in the end of that day. I believe that the saints will be raised and judged about the year
1843; according to Moses' prophecy, Lev.xxvi. Ezek.xxxix. Dan.ii., vii., viii-xii. Hos.v.1-3. Rev. the whole
book; and many other prophets have spoken of these things. Time will soon tell if I am right, and soon
he that is righteous will be righteous still, and he that is filthy will be filthy still. I do most solemnly
entreat mankind to make their peace with God, be ready for these things. "The end of all things is at
hand." I do ask my brethren in the gospel ministry to consider well what they say before they oppose
these things. Say not in your hearts, "my Lord delayeth his coming." Let all do as they would wish they
had if it does come, and none will say they have not done right if it does not come. I believe it will come;
but if it should not come, then I will wait and look until it does come. Yet I must pray, "Come, Lord Jesus,
come quickly."
WM 1Miller SYNOPSIS OF MR. MILLER'S VIEWS. page 0035 paragraph 2 This is a synopsis of my views. I
give it as a matter of faith. I know of no scripture to contradict any view given in the above sketch.
Men's theories may oppose. The ancients believed in a temporal and personal reign of Christ on earth.
The moderns believe in a temporal, spiritual reign as a millennium. Both views are wrong - both are too
gross and carnal. I believe in a glorious, immortal and personal reign of Jesus Christ with all his people
on the purified earth forever. I believe the millennium is between the two resurrections and two
judgments: the righteous and the wicked, the just and the unjust. I hope the dear friends of Christ will
lay by all prejudice, and look at and examine these three views by the only rule and standard, the BIBLE.
0036
A BIBLE CHRONOLOGY FROM ADAM TO CHRIST.
WM 1Miller A BIBLE CHRONOLOGY FROM ADAM TO CHRIST. page 0036 paragraph 1
Book, chap.,verse.
No.
Names of Patriarchs,Kings,&c.Age.
Creation ...................
1
A.M.
4157
B.C.
Gen.i.,ii.
1.
Adam .......................130
130
4027 " v. 3
2.
Seth .......................105
235
3922 " " 6
3.
Enos ....................... 90
325
3832 " " 9
4.
Cainan ..................... 70
395
3762 " " 12
5.
Mahalaleel ................. 65
460
3697 " " 15
6.
Jared ......................162
622
3535 " " 18
7.
Enoch ...................... 65
687
3470 " " 21
8.
Methuselah .................187
874
3283 " " 25
9.
Lamech .....................182
1056
3101 " " 28
10.
Noah .......................600*
1656
2501 " vii 6
The Flood .................. 1
1657
2500 " viii.13
11.
Shem ....................... 2
1659
2498 " xi.10
12.
Arphaxad ................... 35
1694
2463 " " 12
13.
Salah ...................... 30
1724
2433 " " 14
14.
Heber ...................... 34
1758
2399 " " 16
15.
Peleg ...................... 30
1788
2369 " " 18
16.
Reu ........................ 32 1820
2337 " " 20
17.
Serug ...................... 30
1850
2307 " " 22
---------* To the Flood.
0037
WM 1Miller A BIBLE CHRONOLOGY FROM ADAM TO CHRIST.
page 0037 paragraph 1
18.
Nahor ...................... 29
1879
2278 Gen. xi.24
19.
Terah's life ...............205*
2084
2073 " " 32
20.
Exode, &c. .................430+
2514
1643 Ex.xii.40,41
21.
Wilderness ................. 40
2554
1603 Josh.v. 6
22.
Joshua ..................... 25++
2579
1578 xiv.7; xxiv.29
1.
Elders and AnarchySs ..... 18
2597
1560 See Josephus
2.
Under Cushan ............... 8
2605
1552 Judg.iii.8
3.
Othniel .................... 40
2645
1512 " " 11
4.
Eglon ...................... 18
2663
1494 " " 14
5.
Ehud ....................... 80
2743
1414 " " 30
6.
Jabin ...................... 20 2763
1394 " iv. 3
7.
Barak ...................... 40
2803
1354 " v. 31
8.
Midianites ................. 7
2810
1347 " vi. 1
9.
Gideon ..................... 40
2850
1307 " viii. 28
10.
Abimelech .................. 3
2853
1304 " ix. 22
11.
Tola ....................... 23 2876
1281 " x. 2
12.
Jair ....................... 22 2898
1259 " " 3
13.
Philistines ................ 18
2916
1241 " " 8
14.
Jephthah ................... 6
2922
1235 " xii. 7
15.
Ibzan ...................... 7 2929
1228 " " 9
16.
Elon ....................... 10 2939
1218 " " 11
17.
Abdon ...................... 8
2947
1210 " " 14
18.
Philistines ................ 40
2987
1170 " xiii. 1
---------* The Exode did not begin until Terah's death; then Abram left Haran
and the Exode began, as is clearly proved by Acts vii.4.
+ Exode in Egypt from Abraham to the wilderness-state.
++ Joshua was a young man when he came out of Egypt, Ex.xxxiii.11;
could not have been more than 45 years old then. Eighty-five when
he entered Canaan, and 110 when he died, leaves 25 years.
Ss Judges begin. See Judg.ii.7-15.
0038
WM 1Miller A BIBLE CHRONOLOGY FROM ADAM TO CHRIST. page 0038 paragraph 1
Book,chap.,verse.
No.
Names of Patriarchs,Kings,&c.Age.
A.M.
B.C.
19.
Eli ........................ 40* 3027
1130 1Sam.iv.18
20.
Samuel, prophet ............ 24+
3051
1106 " vii.2-17
1.
Kings - Saul ............... 40
3091
1066 Acts xiii.21
2.
David ...................... 40
3131
1026 2Sam.v.4
3.
Solomon .................... 40
3171
986 1Kin. xi.42
4.
Rehoboam ................... 17
3188
969 2Chr.xii.13
5.
Abijam ..................... 3
3191
966 1Kin.xv. 2
6.
Asa ........................ 41 3232
925
" " 10
7.
Jehoshaphat ................ 25
3257
900
8.
Jehoram .................... 5
3262
895 2Kin.viii.17
9.
Ahaziah .................... 1
3263
894 " " 26
10.
Athaliah, his mother ....... 6
3269
888 " xi.3,4
11.
Joash ...................... 40
3309
848 " xii. 1
12.
Amaziah .................... 29
3338
819 " xiv. 2
3349
808 " xv.1,2
Interregnum++ ............ 11
" xxii. 42
13.
Azariah .................... 52
3401
756 " " 2
14.
Jotham ..................... 16
3417
740 " " 33
15.
Ahaz ....................... 16
3433
724 " xvi. 2
16.
Hezekiah ................... 29
3462
695 " xviii.2
17.
Manasseh ................... 55
3517
640 " xxi. 1
18.
Amon ....................... 2
3519
638 " " 19
19.
Josiah ..................... 31
3550
607 " xxii.1
----------
* This ends the Judges - 448 years. Acts xiii.20; also ch.viii.
+ Samuel could not have been more than 38 when Eli died. Then,
Israel was lamenting the loss of the Ark more than 20 years.
Samuel judged Israel some years after, and became old, and his sons
judged Israel. He must have been 62 or 63 when Saul was made king.
++ See 2 Kings, chapters xiv. and xv.
0039
WM 1Miller A BIBLE CHRONOLOGY FROM ADAM TO CHRIST. page 0039 paragraph 1
20.
Jehoahaz, 3 months .........
21.
Jehoiakim .................. 11
3550
3561
596 " "
The 70 years of captivity
began here, ended
607 2Kin.xxiii.31
36
" xxiv.2-16
70
3631
1st year of Cyrus ..........
526 2Chr.xxxvi.
5-10, 15-23
Cyrus ...................... 6 3637
520 Rol.i.p.354
Cambyses ................... 7
3644
513
" " " 366
Darius Hystaspes ........... 36
3680
477
" ii." 9
Xerxes ..................... 13
3693
464
" "" "
Artaxerxes Longimanus ...... 7 3700
Birth of Christ* ......... 457
Add present year, 1840 .....1840
457 Ez.vii.10-13
4157
5997
To 1843 .................... 3
6000
---------* See Extract from Ferguson's Astronomy, APPENDIX, No. I. Also Prideaux's Connection.
If this Chronology is not correct, I shall despair of ever getting from the Bible and history, a true
account of the age of the world. At any rate, I shall rest satisfied here, and wait the event; time will
determine. As it respects the text in 1Kin.vi.1, it cannot be reconciled with the history of the Judges and
the statement of St. Paul; I have therefore followed two witnesses instead of one. As it respects Samuel,
I have no doubt of as long a period as 21 years; but it may possibly have exceeded 24 years.
0040
A DISSERTATION ON
PROPHETIC CHRONOLOGY.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0040 paragraph 2
WHEN we read in divine inspiration a
class of texts like the following, Acts iii.20,21, "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was
preached unto you; whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God
hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began;" verse 24, "Yea, and all the
prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of
these days;" - again, in Acts xvii.26, "And hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all
the face of the earth; and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their
habitation;" and 31st verse, "Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in
righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in
that he hath raised him from the dead;" Amos iii.7, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he
revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets;" - I say no man can read these texts, and the like, of
which the Scriptures abound, without being convicted that God has set bounds, determined times, and
revealed unto his prophets the events long before they were accomplished; and having thus revealed
himself, has never failed in time and manner to fulfil all things which, by his prophets, have been spoken
or written. He has in his word revealed the times in different ways: sometimes in plain language, by
telling the exact number of years; at other times, by types, as the year of release, the jubilee, and the
Sabbaths;
0041
in other places by figurative language, by calling a year a day, or a thousand years a day; again by
analogy, as in Hebrews iv.10, showing, that as God created the heavens and earth, and all that are in
them, in six days, and rested on the seventh, so Christ would be six thousand years creating the new
heavens and earth, and would rest on the seventh millennium. I will now present a few cases where
time has been revealed in the above manner, and fulfilled so far as present time will allow.
I. IN PLAIN LANGUAGE, BY YEARS, MONTHS, OR DAYS, AS THE CASE MAY BE.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0041 paragraph 1
1. Seven days before the flood began,
and the forty days the rain continued, were prophesied of, and literally fulfilled. See Genesis vii.4. "For
yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights." These days were
literal days, and so fulfilled. Verses 10 and 12: "And it came to pass after the seventh day that the
waters of the flood were upon the earth." "And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty
nights."
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0041 paragraph 2
2. Abraham was informed by God, that
his seed should be afflicted in a strange land four hundred years, which, including his sojourn, would
make 430 years. Gen.xv.13. This was literally accomplished. See Exodus xii.40,41.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0041 paragraph 3
3. The butler's and baker's dreams
were interpreted to mean three days, by Joseph, and were exactly fulfilled. See Gen.xl.12-20.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0041 paragraph 4
4. The dream of Pharaoh, as explained
by Joseph, meaning seven years' plenty and seven years' famine, was literally completed. See
Gen.xli.28-54.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0041 paragraph 5
5. The forty years in the wilderness
were prophesied and fulfilled literally. See Num.xiv.34. Josh.v.6.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0041 paragraph 6
6. Three years and a half Elijah
prophesied that there would be no rain, and there was none until the time was finished. 1Kings xvii.1.
James v.17.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0041 paragraph 7
7. Isaiah prophesied that within sixtyfive years Ephraim should be broken, so that they should not be a people, Isa.vii.8; and in sixty-five years
they
0042
were broken and carried away by Esarhaddon, king of Babylon, B.C. 742-677.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0042 paragraph 1
8. The seventy years' captivity
prophesied of by Jeremiah, Jer.xxv.11, were fulfilled between B.C. 596 and 526.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0042 paragraph 2
9. Nebuchadnezzar's seven times were
foretold by Daniel, and fulfilled in seven years. See Daniel iv.25 and Josephus.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0042 paragraph 3
10. The seventy weeks which Gabriel
informed Daniel would "finish transgression, to make an end of sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy," which Daniel had before of
the four kingdoms of the earth, that should finally be destroyed by the kingdom of the "stone cut out
without hands," and "to anoint the Most Holy." Who can read this prophecy of the seventy weeks, and
the history of Ezra, Nehemiah, the Jews, Romans, John and Jesus Christ, and not be convicted of its exact
fulfilment in 490 years? And I would ask, how can it be possible that men who believe the Bible, and
who have seen the exact fulfilment of all prophetic chronology thus far, can say with any degree of
propriety these seventy weeks are indefinite? Where are their proofs? Not on the records of divine
inspiration. For, here we find no sample. Here is no time given, that has not been literally fulfilled
according to the true intent and meaning of the prophecy. Why not, then, settle this one point forever,
among believers in the divine authority of the Scriptures: that the chronology of prophecy is to be
received with an equal faith with the chronology of history? Why not believe the declarations of God
concerning the future, as we do concerning the past? Who denies that God created the heavens and
the earth, and all that were in them, in six days? None but the Infidel, say you. What better then is he
who denies that God will accomplish what he has said he would perform in a given period? Well may
the Infidel charge home upon us hypocrisy, when we refuse to believe the latter as well as the former.
0043
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0043 paragraph 1
All these cases which I have brought
forward as proof of prophetic chronology were once prophecies; and would it have been right in Noah,
the patriarchs, and prophets, to have rejected the time given, any more than the manner? I answer, it
could not have been faith to have rejected either. Then let us have faith to believe the chronology of
the future, as well as of the past.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0043 paragraph 2
The seventy weeks were evidently
fulfilled in the year A.D. 33, beginning 457 years B.C., at the going forth of the commandment to Ezra to
restore the law and the people to Jerusalem. See Ezra vii.10-13. I need not stop to argue this point, as
very few can be found who have the hardihood to deny the seventy weeks as being a definite time. One
reason, out of the many, may be here presented. Why should the man Gabriel be so particular in
defining the beginning and the end of the seventy weeks, if indefinite time only is meant? And why did
he name the events so particularly, as to divide the seventy into three very unequal parts, and yet in all
three parts include the whole? Surely, no mortal can account for this agreement of numbers, and yet
call it indefinite. There was much more ambiguity in the prophecy to Abraham, concerning his seed
sojourning in a strange land four hundred years, (see Gen.xv.13,14,) than in this of the 70 weeks. Yet
that was exactly accomplished on the self-same day predicted. Ex.xii.41. And, in me, it would be the
very height of folly to believe otherwise concerning these 70 weeks of years, than as an exact fulfilment,
on the self-same day. God has not changed, that he will not be as particular now as in the days of
Abraham. He surely will; and when men, through cowardice or unbelief, charge God with thus
tampering with his word, they must, sooner or later, find it to their cost to make such a solemn charge.
II. I WILL NOW BRING FORWARD SOME PROPHECIES WHICH REMAIN TO BE FULFILLED, OR WHICH HAVE
RECENTLY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0043 paragraph 3
the people
1. Moses' prophecy of the scattering of
0044
of God among all nations "seven times;" see Lev.xxvi.14-46. It is evident that these "seven times" were
a succession of years, for their land was to lie desolate as long as they were in their enemies' land. And
the people of God have been scattered, and are now a scattered and a peeled people. These "seven
times" are not yet accomplished, for Daniel says, "When he shall have accomplished to scatter the
power of the holy people all these things shall be finished." The resurrection and judgment will take
place. Dan.xii.6,7: "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? 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 forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and a half: and when he shall have accomplished to
scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0044 paragraph 1
What did the angel mean by time, times,
and a half? I answer, he meant three years and a half prophetic, or forty-two months, as in Rev.xi.2, and
xiii.5; or 1260 prophetic days, as in Rev.xi.3, and xii.6 and 14. He meant the one half of "seven times."
Daniel saw the same thing as Moses, only to Daniel the time was divided. He was informed that the
little horn would "speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most
High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time, times, and
the dividing of time." This makes Moses' seven times, for twice three and a half are seven, and twice
1260 are 2520 common years. But you may inquire, are not these two things the same in Daniel? I
answer, no. For their work is different, and their time of existence is at different periods. The one
scatters the holy people; the other wears out the saints. The one means the kingdoms which Daniel and
John saw; the other means Papacy, which
0045
is called the little horn, which had not come up when the people of God were scattered by Babylon and
the Romans. The first means literal Babylon or the kings of the earth, the other means mystical Babylon
or Papacy. And both together would scatter the holy people and wear out the saints "seven times," or
2520 years.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0045 paragraph 1
Moses tells us the cause of their being
scattered. Lev.xxvi.21: "And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me." Jeremiah tells
us when this time commenced. Jer.xv.4 to 7: "And I will cause them to be removed (scattered) into all
kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in
Jerusalem. For thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou art gone backward; therefore will I stretch
out my hand against thee, and destroy thee. I am weary with repenting. And I will fan them with a fan
in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not
from their ways." We have the same cause assigned by Jeremiah as was given by Moses, and the same
judgments denounced against his people, and the time is here clearly specified when these judgments
began, "in the days of Manasseh." And we find in 2Chron.xxxiii.9-11, that for this same crime they were
scattered. "Wherefore the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not hearken.
Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the kings of Assyria, which took
Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon." Here then began
the "power (their king) of the holy people to be scattered." This year, also, the ten tribes were carried
away by Esarhaddon, king of Babylon, and Isaiah's sixty-five years were fulfilled when Ephraim was
broken. This was in the year B.C. 677. The seven times are 2520; take 677 from which, and it leaves
1843 after Christ, when "all these things will be finished." You may wish to know how the "time, times,
and a half" are divided.
0046
I answer, the Babylonians bear rule over Israel and Judah 140 years, Medes and Persians 205 years, the
Grecians 174 years, and the Romans before the rise of Papacy 696 years; making in all of the four
kingdoms 1215 years that the people of God were in bondage to the kings or rulers of these kingdoms.
Then Papacy began her time, times and a half, which lasted until 1798, being a period of 1260 years;
which added to the 1215 years of the kings, before mentioned, make 2475 years; wanting 45 years to
complete the "seven times." And then the kings of the earth must consume the papal power and reign
45 years to complete the "seven times;" which added to 1798, when the last of the ten kings broke loose
from the power of Papacy, and again exercised their kingly power, (see the holy alliance, Rev.xvii.16 to
18. Dan.vii.12,) ends 1843. Dan.xii.7 to 13. Thus this 45 years accomplishes the "time, times, and a
half," which the kingdoms of the earth were to exercise their authority in, "scattering the power of the
holy people," being 1260 years. And Papacy, or mystical Babylon, accomplished her "time, times, and
the dividing of time," being 1260 years, between A.D. 538 and 1798, in "wearing out the saints of the
Most High and thinking to change times and laws." And both together make 2520 years, beginning
before Christ 677, which taken out of 2520, leaves 1843 after Christ, when captive Zion will go free from
all bondage, even from death, and the last enemy conquered, the remnant out of all nations saved, the
New Jerusalem completed, the saints glorified.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0046 paragraph 1
The next prophetic number to which we
shall attend, will be Daniel viii.14. "Unto 2300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed, or justified."
After Daniel had seen three visions, two of them including the whole "seven times," he sees under his
last vision but the three last kingdoms, Persia, Grecia and Rome. He then hears a saint speaking, and
another saint inquiring for how long time this last vision should be. Daniel was then informed, that it
0047
should be unto 2300 days. He afterwards heard a voice commanding Gabriel to make him (Daniel)
understand the vision. He came and told him, that the vision would carry him to the end of all
indignation, and at the time appointed (2300 days) the end would be. Gabriel then named two of the
three kingdoms, i.e. Persia and Grecia, and described the Roman by its acts. Then he left Daniel to
consider of the vision. Fifteen years afterwards, while Daniel was praying, Gabriel came to him again,
and told Daniel he had come to make him understand the vision. Then he gives him the 70 weeks, and
tells him plainly that the 70 weeks would seal (or make sure) the vision and prophecy. Here he gave him
a clue to know when his vision of the ram and he-goat began. He tells Daniel plainly, and shows how
those who should live after the 70 weeks were fulfilled, might know his prophecy to be true, and what
they might understand by days in this vision. If, then, the 70 weeks were a part of the vision of the ram
and he-goat, and given, as it is evident, for the express purpose of showing the beginning of the vision, it
remains a simple problem. If 490 days were fulfilled in the year A.D. 33, by being so many years, when
will 1810 days afterwards be fulfilled in the same manner? Answer, 1843.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0047 paragraph 1
Then in the twelfth chapter of Daniel, at
the 7th verse, we have the three and a half times, which have been already explained in part, meaning
1260 days. See Rev.xii.6 and 14: The woman in the wilderness, 1260 days, which is the same thing as
three and a half times. Daniel, in the seventh chapter, 25th verse, mentions the little horn wearing out
the saints three and a half times; but in the twelfth chapter, 7th verse, it is "scattering the power of the
holy people" three and a half times. This was to be accomplished by the kings of the earth. Jer.l.17:
"Israel is a scattered sheep, the lions have driven him away; first the king of Assyria hath devoured him,
and last this Nebuchadnezzar, king of
0048
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0048 paragraph 1
Zech.i.18-21.
Babylon, hath broken his bones." Also,
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0048 paragraph 2
Then in the twelfth chapter of Daniel,
11th verse: "And from the time that the daily sacrifice, (meaning abomination,) shall be taken away, and
the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be 1290 days." There is some difficulty in
knowing what is here intended by "daily sacrifice" in this text. It cannot mean the Jewish sacrifices, for
two good reasons:-
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0048 paragraph 3
1. It has some immediate connection
with "the abomination that maketh desolate," i.e. Papacy, or papal power of Rome, that is "taken away,
to set up," &c. Now all must admit that Jewish sacrifices were taken away about five hundred years
before Papacy was set up, or exalted.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0048 paragraph 4
2. If Jewish sacrifices are here meant,
then in A.D. 1360 this papal power would have ended her setting up, or exaltation. But Papacy was then
at the height of its power. I have come to this conclusion: that this power, called "daily sacrifice," is
Rome pagan abomination; the same as Christ has reference to in Matt.xxiv.15. Luke xxi.21. Certainly
Christ could not have reference to papal abomination that maketh desolate until Christ's second coming;
for that was not set up until nearly five hundred years afterwards. Of course, it must have been the
pagan abomination which would be taken away. This agrees with Paul, 2Thess.ii.3-10: "Let no man
deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that
man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition: who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped: so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is
God. Remember ye not that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what
withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only
he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked
0049
be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and
signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." Here Paul shows plainly, that there
was one abomination then at work, which would hinder the rise of the last abomination, until the first
was "taken out of the way." Then the second would be revealed, whom the Lord would destroy with
the brightness of his coming. The question then would be, when was Paganism taken out of the way? I
answer, it must have been after the ten horns arose out of what is called the Western empire of Rome,
which were to arise up and rule one hour,* (a little time,) with the beast, pagan: for this little horn was
to arise or be "set up" among the ten horns. It could not be until after the year 476 after Christ, when
the Western empire fell, and was divided into ten kingdoms. It could not come until "they," the ten
kings, had "polluted the sanctuary of strength," (meaning Rome.) Dan.xi.31: "And they shall pollute the
sanctuary of strength, and shall `take away' the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that
maketh desolate." Who shall do this? I answer, the ten horns, or kings. Rev.xvii.12,13: "And the ten
horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, (when John saw his
vision,) but receive power as kings one hour, (a short time,) with the beast." The beast here must mean
Rome pagan, for we have been told that beast means a kingdom. Daniel vii.23: "Thus he said, the fourth
beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth." And as papal Rome had not yet been "set up," we must
of necessity call this beast Rome pagan. Then he tells us, Rev.xvii.13, "These (ten kings) have one mind,"
that is, one
---------* Rev.xvii.10.
0050
faith,, all being converted to the orthodox religion of the Catholic Roman Church, "and shall give their
power and strength to the beast," meaning Rome papal; for now this beast is "set up," and the ten kings
have given their power and strength to the pope of Rome, and the woman or Papacy sits upon the
scarlet-colored beast having seven heads and ten horns.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0050 paragraph 1
Then the abomination that maketh
desolate began his rule in the fourth kingdom, when "the dragon (emperor of the Eastern empire) gave
him his power, his seat, (Rome,) and great authority," (Rev.xiii.2,) and when the ten kings give their
power and strength to him, and he (the pope) uses his authority over the kings of the earth. See
Rev.xvii.18. "And the woman thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
These several marks, and combinations of events, and circumstances, in my opinion, can nowhere be
fulfilled in any manner agreeing with the prophecy, except in the conversion of the pagan kings to
Christianity, which happened as soon as A.D. 508; then they "must continue a short space," Rev.xvii.10;
which is shown in Daniel to be thirty years, the difference between Dan.vii.25 and xii.11, the last number,
1290 years, beginning at the "taking away" Paganism, A.D. 508; the first number, 1260 years, beginning
at the setting up of Papacy, A.D. 538, when the dragon gave his power, his seat and great authority, and
when the ten kings gave their power and strength to Rome papal, and he exerciseth the power of the
pagan beast before him. Papacy now killed heretics, as Paganism had Christians before. Then these
numbers would end in the year A.D. 1798, allowing a day for a year.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0050 paragraph 2
The events which took place in the year
1798, are strong evidence that my calculations of these numbers are correct. Papacy then lost the
power to punish heretics with death, and to reign over the kings of the earth. All must agree that
Papacy has no temporal power over any kingdom, except the
0051
little kingdom of Italy, one of the horns of which the ten are composed. It is very evident, too, that the
church is not now in the wilderness, and the time, times and a half of the church in the wilderness were
fulfilled when free toleration was given to all religions in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, &c.; where
Bonaparte obtained power and granted free toleration. Also, the two witnesses are not clothed in
sackcloth, and the 1260 years are fulfilled. No one can doubt for a moment that the Bible was forbidden
to the common people, and forbidden to be translated in any common language, after the orthodox put
down the Arian heresy in Italy and the West, by Bellisarius, the general of Justinian's troops, sent into
Africa and Italy for the express purpose of suppressing the Arian power, and giving the Church of Rome
the pre-eminence over all schismatics. Then was the Bible taken from the common people, and
remained in a sackcloth state from A.D. 538 until A.D. 1798, during 1260 years. Here we find the
prophetic time of days fulfilled in years, by two ways more. And now it remains to show the end, by
Dan.xii.11,12. "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that
maketh desolate set up, there shall be 1290 days." Paganism taken away A.D. 508; add 1290, makes
1798. "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the 1335 days: but go thou thy way until the end be,
for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0051 paragraph 1
When will the end of these days be?
you may inquire. I answer, 1335 years from taking away the first abomination of the Roman kingdom,
A.D. 508, to which add 1335 and it makes A.D. 1843, when Daniel will stand in his lot, and all who have
waited for the Lord will be blessed.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0051 paragraph 2
III. I will now show some proof that
days in prophetic chronology are used for years. All must agree, that God has in many places, and at
divers times, revealed future things in figures, emblems, types and allegories; and, as I believe, for wise
and benevolent purposes. The most prominent is, that
0052
in order to get anything clear, the Bible student must study the whole. And as it respects the matter
under consideration, days being put for years: If God had revealed himself plainly by using plain
language instead of figures; if he had said, "Unto 2300 years from the time that Ezra would be sent up
from Babylon to restore the law and captives, &c., to the time when the end of the world should come,"
many men of the world would reject the whole Bible because of these words.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0052 paragraph 1
Again, others, during past ages, if they
could have known that the judgment day was yet many years to come, they would have abused the
mercies of God, because vengeance was not executed speedily. Yet God had determined times, and set
bounds, and must reveal it to his prophets, or he would deny himself, (Amos iii.7: "Surely the Lord God
will do nothing," &c.) that that day may not overtake the true believer as a thief, 1Thess.v.4. It is in the
manner of Christ's parables, Matt.xiii.14,16: "By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and
seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive." "But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for
they hear."
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0052 paragraph 2
That God has used days as a figure of
years, none will or can deny. With Moses, Num.xiv.34: "After the number of the days in which ye
searched the land, even forty days, (each day for a year,) shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years;
and ye shall know my breach of promise." With Ezek.iv.4-6: "Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the
iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it
thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the
number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of
the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year." Also the seventy weeks in
0053
Dan.ix.24-27. These are samples. But you will inquire, How shall we know when days are used for years?
I answer, you will know by the subject matter to be performed in the given time: for instance, the seven
of the seventy weeks, "The streets and walls of the city should be built again, in troublous times;" every
man must know this could not be performed in forty-nine days; or even in seventy weeks, 490 common
days. So we are to look for another meaning to days; and we find it, as above, to mean years.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0053 paragraph 1
Again, the 2300 days. This is an answer
given to the question, "For how long a time the vision," of the ram, the he-goat and the little horn, "shall
be?" Answer, unto 2300 days. Who cannot see at a glance, that these three kingdoms could not
conquer each other, rule over the whole world, each one separately for a time, and do this in six years
and four months? Thus the infidel rejects his Bible, and the worldly scribe and priest try to explain away,
by their own wisdom, what God has made plain by his word. "By hearing ye shall hear, and not
understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive."
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0053 paragraph 2
all is simple, plain, and intelligible.
But apply our rule, "years for days," and
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0053 paragraph 3
I might here show how God has
revealed time by types in his word, by Jewish sabbaths, by the jubilee, and by the day of rest; but I am
warned that I have already trespassed on your patience. May we all apply our hearts unto that wisdom
which compares scripture with scripture, and understand "times and seasons," which God has put
within our power by his revelation unto us.
WM 1Miller A DISSERTATION ON page 0053 paragraph 4
For the time is at hand, "when the wise
shall understand - but the wicked shall not understand." Amen.*
---------* See Sermon on the Sabbath, in PART SECOND.
0054
PART SECOND.
ADDRESS AND LECTURES.
AN ADDRESS
TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0054
paragraph 1
MY DEAR BRETHREN AND FRIENDS:-
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0054
paragraph 2
GRACE, mercy and peace be multiplied unto you, from God the Father, and our Lord
Jesus Christ.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0054
paragraph 3
In time past, I have travelled quite extensively in the U. States and in Canada, publishing
the glorious news of the near approach of the Second Coming of the dear Savior, to tens of thousands,
both of saints and sinners. With many of these, I have formed the happiest acquaintance. It would
afford me the greatest pleasure to meet those friends again, and renew an acquaintance so happy and
endearing. But for this I cannot hope in this world. You will therefore permit me to address you,
through the only medium now left me, on the glorious subject which has occupied your and my
attention for several years past. It may be the last time I shall be favored with of addressing my friends
scattered abroad, to whom I am bound by so many tender ties. As a friend of mine has conceived the
idea of publishing another volume of my productions, which may fall into the hands of very many of my
old friends who will see my face no more in this world, I avail myself of the privilege of appending to the
same this address, containing my solemn, and, perhaps, last advice to you all, and thereby clearing the
skirts of my garments of the blood of all.
0055
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0055
paragraph 1
It is about nine years since I first began to publish the doctrine of the Advent near;
though I had been fully convinced of its truth long before, by a close and patient study of the Bible. But
such were the difficulties attending its promulgation, that I was restrained from the duty for a long time.
And when you consider the circumstances in which I was placed, you will not wonder that I shrunk, for a
time, from the responsibility. I was alone; "no man stood with me" for a number of years. I had to
contend against the prepossessions and prejudices of the entire christian community; the systems,
talents, as also the superior education of the clergy; the religious press, and the political also,
throughout the country; the institutions of learning, both literary and theological; the unbelief of the
church; and, in short, the whole world were against me. Had you have seen the old farmer then,
without education, with but limited means, almost unknown, unaccustomed to public speaking; without
sympathy, authority, or recommendation from men; going into the world with the Bible alone in his
hand to bear a solemn message to a sleeping church and a stupid world; - a message so alarming as the
announcement of the speedy coming of the last judgment, and the conflagration of the world; - a
doctrine so contrary to the human heart, so opposed to all the received opinions of the community; had you have seen me under these circumstances, I am disposed to believe that you would have
pronounced me very visionary and fanatical. I speak not these things boastingly; God forbid; but rather
to show my weakness and incompetency, and to magnify the wisdom and power of God, who is able to
take worms to thresh mountains, and the weak things of the world to confound the wise and mighty;
and that you may value these things the more, as being of God, and remain steadfast, watching unto
prayer.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0055
paragraph 2
This view of the instrumentality which God has seen fit to employ in connection with the
effects produced, will show that this cause and doctrine are of
0056
God. What other object could I have had in view, in preaching this doctrine, under the trying
circumstances specified above, but to glorify God and save my fellow-men? Yet how many unworthy
objects and motives have been attributed to me, by many of the professed disciples of Christ, and by a
scoffing and unbelieving world! Take for examples the following from among the thousand lying reports
circulated through the land:-
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0056
paragraph 1
"That it was for worldly gain!" How can this be true? Look at the circumstances.
According to my calculation of "prophetic times," there were but twelve years to the "consummation of
all things." If I ever got rich, it must be within this period of time. Now what were the facts? Four years
of the time were spent in New York, Vermont, and Canada; and all that the old man received would not
amount to one dollar! Not that the brethren were not willing to give. No; for they often urged me to
take; but it was wholly refused. Since which time, I have received some contributions, in order to bear
my heavy travelling expenses; but my receipts have never exceeded my expenditures. But say they, "he
has made it by his books." But, my brethren, this cannot be a motive; for my books were not thought of
nor written until a number of years after I had gone out and published the doctrine. And then, again,
the books were not published by me; but by those to whom I gave the privilege of publishing the first
and second editions without charge. Does this look like speculation? "Well, then," says the opposer,
"he does it to get a name, like the man who set a city on fire that he might obtain notoriety." This needs
no argument to confute it. The man who could conceive so ridiculous and silly a motive, or impute to
others such motives, would be considered, if justly dealt with, either a madman or a fool; particularly
where there is not a particle of evidence to support such imputations. Then he does it "to raise up a
sect or party." This needs no more argument than the
0057
former.. To raise a party or sect, to exist certainly not more than twelve years, and now not more than
three years, - you cannot suppose it to be an object. Again, thousands, and even tens of thousands
more of you can witness, that I have begged of you to make no divisions in your churches or sects; that
we had more than enough already. I have advised all men of every sect not to separate from their
brethren, if they could live among them and enjoy christian privileges. I have often given my advice to
those who have complained of persecution among their brethren, to live down persecution by wellordered lives and godly conversation. Surely, my brethren, you will say this doth not look like
sectarianism. And then, to cap the climax of arguments, a Rev. D. D. of the Baptist order cries out, "It is
all moonshine." "Amen," says the Universalist minister. This is argument well endorsed. My opponents
have been in the habit, too, of spreading false reports, in order to destroy the influence of what they
could not confute, and by ridicule try to destroy what in sober reason they could not condemn. They
have published my death in the public papers, when some of them knew it to be false. They have
published, and reported, over and over again, that I had altered my calculation of prophetic time a
hundred years. They have published the foolish story, that I would not gamble away my little home, in
order to convince wicked and corrupt men that I believed the doctrine that I preached. They have told
and published too that I built stone-wall instead of rail-fence on my farm. Some have gone into distant
places, and reported that I was building a large house with money I got for preaching, when the truth is I
built a house in 1817, of small dimensions. They have reported that I was insane, and had been in a
mad-house seven years; if they had said a mad world fifty-seven years, I must have plead guilty to the
charge. They have reported, that, for preaching this doctrine in many places, I have been cast into
prison. They have reported, that city authorities had ordered me to leave
0058
their jurisdictions, and not to preach publicly within their borders. Here let me state, as an act of justice
to my country, and honorable to our rulers, that in no case has any officer, in any city or town that ever I
have been in, or under any government, interfered between me and my duty, or misused me in any
manner; but wherever I have had any occasion for their assistance, I have ever found them prompt and
energetic in their measures, and kind and gentlemanly in their manners. I wish I could say as much of
some of our bigoted clergymen. These, and many more foolish and false reports, have been circulated
through our country; yes, and by those who ought to be examples of the flock and shepherds in Israel.
And now let us take a view of the effects produced by the promulgation of this doctrine, and see how
much evidence we have that it is of God.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0058
paragraph 1
1. Wherever this subject has been presented to the people with any fairness, it has
been invariably said, and you yourselves are witnesses, that it has produced a general reading and
searching of the Bible; our enemies themselves being witnesses also. This cannot be called a bad effect.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0058
paragraph 2
2. Wherever this fruit has been seen, ("the searching of Bible,") it has produced a
complete revolution with a large majority of such in their faith and hope. And whereas some did not
believe that Christ was ever coming again to the earth, or, if he did, it was a great while yet to come, and
of course there could be no such thing as watching for his return with such; now they are anxiously
looking for his glorious appearing. This must have the happiest influence on the mind and life of every
individual who thus believes. Again, many were of opinion, that the church in some future period would
enjoy a long time of unexampled prosperity; while those who had slept would sleep on for 1000 years,
and some supposed 365,000 years; and of course they would not be united with their brethren, nor be
satisfied, until a vast number of years had rolled away, for the resurrection could not take place until
after
0059
that period. Now they believe in the near approach of the resurrection, and the final union of all the
saints, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; and that the great Sabbath will be enjoyed as a
day of rest, with all the children at home. There is a great difference between their former and present
faith, as well as hope. And you can all judge which is most scriptural, and congenial with the christian
heart.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0059
paragraph 1
3. There were many, very many, sleeping and slumbering over this important subject, of
the coming of Christ, the judgment day, and the glorious reign. Now, in every part of the christian world,
the cry is being made, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him;" and the response is
heard, "Come tell us of these things." And you, my brethren, are my witnesses, many of you, that
hundreds, yea thousands, have been as it were chained to their seats for hours, silent as the tomb, to
hear this subject discussed.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0059
paragraph 2
4. In every place where this subject has been judiciously preached, and the necessity of
repentance properly enforced, the sceptic, the deist, the Universalist, the impenitent and the careless of
all classes, have been made by the power of the Spirit to see and feel their danger, and to seek for the
forgiveness of their sins by repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Many of you, my
brethren, can witness to the saving influence of preaching "the kingdom of God at hand," as a motive to
repentance, and to a godly life and conversation.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0059
paragraph 3
5. We have the consolation of seeing many of our best ministers renouncing the
doctrine of the temporal millennium, believing in the Second Advent as near at hand; and the kingdom
of God in its glorified state about to be established on the ruins of the kingdoms of this world; the
resurrection of the just, and judgment of the saints; the reign of Christ on the earth 1000 years; then the
resurrection of the wicked, and the finale, or close of the judgment. I know and have heard of more
than three hundred in
0060
the United States, and in all probability double that number may be found! Fifteen years ago, there
were none, publicly known, in these United States. "This is the Lord's doing, and marvellous in our
eyes." And what is equally as marvellous, is, that there are some among all christian nations who are
proclaiming this doctrine; and these, too, all coming out about the same time! Again, we find some of
them among all sects or denominations, except among Universalists, and as they are the sect to which
Paul alludes, 1Thess.v.3, the reason is very obvious why none of them believe. What has caused all this
great movement to one point? Have our periodicals accomplished this? No, my brethren; five years ago
not an individual could be found who had moral courage enough to edit a paper advocating these
doctrines. Have societies been formed to carry the news? No. Have missionaries been sent out by any
Board or sect? No. Have seminaries taught their students and sent them out to tell the church of the
approach of her blessed Lord? No. What has revived and brought this soul-reviving news to the
suffering children of God? Have wicked men? Our opponents dare not accuse us thus. What then has
moved the wheel that rolls this blessed sound, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh?" Is it Satan? Look at
the effects, and tell me what object he could have in opposing his own kingdom? How inconsistent he
must be to oppose his own children thus! see how angry they are, how it disturbs their ranks! Will
Beelzebub cast out devils? Again, where this doctrine is promulgated, see our churches waking up and
trimming their lamps; see sinners converted, saints lifting up their heads and rejoicing! Has Satan
become a missionary of this cast? Then I shall look for Christ to dismiss some of his "dumb dogs," and
employ better men. No, my brethren, reason and common sense tell us better. What then has called
out some of every class, of every sect, in every place, and in all lands, with different gifts and discordant
views on other points, to harmonize in this?
0061
The answer must be obvious; a child could tell us what; it is the Spirit and power of God. It is he who
has promised "to do nothing but he will reveal his secret to his servants the prophets." He can move
upon the minds of his servants to read his word. He can open it to their understandings. He can call
them to publish it far and near. He can protect them from the anger of men, and the fowler's snare. He
will do his will on earth as in heaven, and no one can say, Why doest thou thus?
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0061
paragraph 1
Now let me address you in particular, my brethren in the gospel ministry, of every sect,
who believe in the speedy coming of our Divine Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0061
paragraph 2
Many of our fathers in the gospel have undoubtedly desired to see the day which you
now see is very nigh, but have fallen asleep in Christ and saw it not. For us who now live is reserved the
most important period that man ever saw on earth: the time when these heavens and this earth are
rolling together like a scroll, and the history of the world and the church are folding up for the judgment;
- the time when the last remnant of prophecy is unfolding its leaves, and the last promise of God will be
verified, "Surely I come quickly;" - at the time when the friends of the Bridegroom are giving the
midnight cry, and the wise virgins are going out to meet him; - at the time when we see the signs of the
Son of Man in heaven, and soon the clouds will bring him to our view; - at the time when the last vial of
God's wrath is emptying its last plague on the earth, and the kingdoms of the whole world are gathering
to the battle; - when the harvest of the earth is being reaped, and the gathering of the vine has evidently
begun; - when the nations are angry, and the wrath of God will soon be manifested against our
aggravated and national sins; - when many are running to and fro, and knowledge is rapidly increasing in
the earth; - when the different sects in Christendom are dividing, and proving to the world that the end
of all things which can be shaken is at hand. My brethren, "can
0062
you not discern the signs of the times?" Yes, I know many of you do. Then what a thrilling time! what a
fearful period! and especially to those servants who may "say in their hearts, my Lord delayeth his
coming;" or who "cry peace and safety when sudden destruction cometh!" Let us arouse ourselves, one
and all, to the battle, not of blood, but of truth. Let us not mix with the divisions of the day in setting up
men or measures, nor stop to contend who shall be greatest; but let our conversation be in heaven,
from whence we look for the Savior. Let us be like servants who wait for their Lord. If we believe we
shall soon stand before the judgment seat of Christ, will it not prompt us to have our work done and
well done? so that we be not ashamed before him at his coming. If we believe the prophets, shall not
our faith be manifested by our works? If we believe that the midnight cry is being made, will we not
show ourselves to be friends of the Bridegroom? Can we behold the signs in the moral heavens
gathering thick around us, and yet be unmoved at the sight? Do we behold the last plagues pouring
upon this guilty world, and our warning voices not mingling in the blast? Is this the harvest-home, and
are we folding our hands to sleep? Let us ask ourselves these solemn questions, and answer them to
God and our own souls without deceit. Shall we see some of our brethren moving on to the onset,
receiving the darts of the scoffer, the shafts of the malignant, the arrows of the enemies, and we,
through fear or cowardice, remain among the stuff? No, my brethren, I am persuaded better things of
you; if you have courage enough to avow your principles in this age of scoffers, you will have grace
enough to protect you in the time of battle. Go on then to victory and glory. Bring in your whole
strength to the field, give your enemies no advantage over you, put on the whole armor, be immovably
fixed in this one thing, to stand whole nights on your watch-tower, if need be; to show our love for God
by our faithfulness in the work he has assigned us to
0063
do.. Let us manifest our love for souls, by our plain dealing in truth, and faithfully warning the wicked
and impenitent of their danger. Let us take the Bible for our guide, and teach others the way of life.
Then, if Christ come, we shall be found ready; and if he does not come at the time which I believe is
specified in the Bible, still there can be no harm done; for to watch for his coming is duty now, and it can
be no less a duty then.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0063
paragraph 1
A few words to the dear brethren scattered over the land, in every church, and among
all sects, who believe in the near approach of the Lord Jesus. My dear brethren, you will remember the
joy of your heart when you first had evidence to believe that the day of the Lord was at hand. Many of
you I have seen, and have seen you, too, at the moment when the evidence came home to your minds,
and your hearts leaped for joy - I have seen your countenances lighted up with a beam of glory, like that
which shone in the face of Moses, when he came down from the mount. I have often heard the
whispered ejaculation, "God grant that it may be so." I have often, very often, heard from a warm and
animated heart, expressed by voice, the loud response, "Amen." I have often felt, when retiring from
the house of worship, the warm pressure of a hand, accompanied with a "God bless you, my brother." I
have received many written epistles, full of expressions of love and gratitude to God for the good news
of a coming Savior. Need I say to such, watch, lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping? No. As
well might I say to the loving mother, "Forget not your lovely babe." What shall I say? I will say, Rejoice;
for now your salvation from all sin is drawing nigh. Keep the faith, and soon you will receive a crown
which is laid up for all those who love his appearing. I will say with the apostle, 1Peter i.13, "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." And may I not say with our beloved brother Paul, 1Cor.i.6-8, "Even
as the testimony of Christ was confirmed
0064
in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also
confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Go on, my
brethren, in well doing; encourage, I pray you, those dear servants who are willing to publish the news
of a coming Savior, the kingdom of heaven at hand. You know how your souls were fed, and now will
you feed others? Remember that those who are willing to preach this good news are many of them
poor and persecuted servants; even their own sects treat them harshly, turn them from their doors, and
shut their pulpits against them. And shall it be said in that glorious day, "As much as ye did it not unto
one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it not to me," unto any of you? No, no, I pledge my word
for you. I know many of you have done otherwise by me. Some of you will remember, when the old
man was turned from a clergyman's door and pulpit in a cold winter's night, you opened your doors,
chaffed his stiffened feet and hands, and warmed his cheerless heart by your kindnesses. Go thou and
do likewise to others who are the servants of Jesus, and a cup of cold water will not be unrewarded.
Then, when opportunity offers, forget not to communicate to the messengers of Christ.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0064
paragraph 1
A word to those who, by reading or hearing the Lectures on the coming of the Son of
man, have been convinced of sin, of righteousness, and of a judgment, and have fled for refuge to the
blessed Savior. I would say, hold on by faith, let no man take your crown of rejoicing from you; are not
even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? You, undoubtedly, many of you, have
been ridiculed by an unfeeling world; you have been taunted by the bigoted professor; you have heard
the scoffs of the profane, and have sometimes been wounded by the barbed arrows of calumny. Let
none of these things move you; remember your Savior also suffered all these things in the flesh, and
that all things work together for good. Your trials are preparing you for the kingdom. The time is at
hand. Be
0065
watchful,, and strengthen the things that remain: for God will bruise Satan under your feet shortly. I
hope to meet you where sighing and sorrowing will be done away, where there will be no foes, where
the last enemy, death, will be conquered, and the family of the redeemed meet in one general assembly.
Oh! there will be joy, and immortal life, when we shall meet again! Therefore, let me persuade you to
be faithful, even to the end. If any of you should feel your hearts grow cold, and relax from your duty,
and have strong doubts of your interest in the kingdom, go to the Bible, pray for the Spirit of God to help
you, examine this doctrine of the coming of Christ, the resurrection and judgment; if you are a child of
God, you will love the doctrine; if you are not, you will hate it. Whatever you may think of yourself,
whatever doubts or fears you may have, your heart must be the thermometer on this subject; your
affections, like quicksilver, will rise or fall as you come in contact with this glorious theme. If a man love
Christ, he will love his appearing; if he hate him, he will hate to see him come. This rule cannot be
broken. Now, if, on close examination, you do love the thought, cast not away your confidence, which
has great recompense of reward. The cares and conversation of this world have choked the seed, not
destroyed it. Then let your conversation be in heaven, whence we look for the Savior.
WM 1Miller TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE SECOND ADVENT NEAR, SCATTERED ABROAD. page 0065
paragraph 1
And now to all men who may read this address, I would say, Sirs, what is your prospect
after the scene of this short life shall have closed? Have you an interest laid up in heaven? Do you
possess that religion which assimilates to the life and examples of Jesus Christ? You must acknowledge
if there is a religion on this earth, that would be pleasing to God, or honorable* to man, it must be that
kind manifested in the principles, life, and character of Jesus Christ. If God sent his Son into the world, it
was partly to give the world a code of laws, by the which
---------* See Appendix, No. II.
0066
man might be reconciled to God, and worship him in spirit and in truth. And if that code was ever given
to the world, it must be the Bible. Therefore, I would solemnly inquire, have you that religion? Are you
prepared for eternity? Have you done the work which you have often promised God and your own soul
you would do, before death or judgment should come upon you? Must you, can you, will you, slumber
on, in your mantle of unbelief, in your robes of carnal security, until the last blast of Gabriel's trump shall
awake you to shame and everlasting contempt? Oh, my friends, be wise, be cautious how you spend
your time; it is but a span at most, and soon that span will run out, time itself with us must end. Be
rational, be candid. Where can be the harm in being prepared? You all in your hearts answer, none.
Very well, then, it is better to be ready and not go, then to go and not be ready. Let me pray you in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. There is religion for you, it is free as the mountain brook, it is
plenteous as the dew on mount Hermon, it is as rich as the fruits in autumn, there is "enough and to
spare," it is ever green as the foliage in the spring. Why then perish? What reasons can you give for
your rejection of Christ? He is the one whose day our fathers desired to see, and kings waited for.
Prophets foretold his birth, and declared his work from times of old. And will you not believe? Will you
not hear Moses and the prophets, nor Christ and his disciples? Then in vain would it be for me to try to
persuade you to get religion: "For if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither would they one
though he went from the dead." Let me close by quoting to you the apostle Peter's words, Acts iii.19-21:
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached
unto you: whom the heavens must receive, until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath
spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began."
0067
LECTURE ON
THE BATTLE OF GOG.
EZEK.XXXIX.1,11.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0067 paragraph 2
Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against
Gog, and say, Thus saith the LORD GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech
and Tubal. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel,
the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses (or mouths) of the
passengers: and there shall they bury Gog, and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of
Hamon-gog.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0067 paragraph 3
A FEW things, in this prophecy, may to us be
dark and intricate, not because God designed in his revelation to make it so, to deceive, puzzle or
perplex his children, in the study of his holy word; - far be it from me to impute such motives to my
heavenly Father; - but on account of the translators' retaining certain words, or names of places, or
things, in the original language, which might have been used intelligently when Ezekiel prophesied of
them in their common tongue, but which, as it respects us, have become obsolete. Yet I think when I
read this passage, which at first view may appear dark, with other prophecies of like import, and
compare scripture with scripture, I find not only much instruction, but comfort and consolation in
believing that in God's light I can see light. And even in the history of modern times, I can behold the
prophet's eye calmly surveying scenes, (on which we are looking, or may look,) with a keen vision and
clear perception, which on the score of human reason can never be accounted
0068
for,, only by supposing something more than mortal had given to the prophet's eye powers of perceiving
the end from the beginning; which fixes upon our minds a solemn conviction, that the ken of the
prophet once looked on scenes, which he has described in the common language of his day; which he
saw far in the distance of the future; and describes them unto us in the typical language of his time.
Much of it now has become a matter of history unto us, and the very last part is now being fulfilled
before our faces. This consideration ought to lead us to humble prayer, for the same Spirit's piercing
rays of light to discern the truth, and for the same child-like, teachable disposition of soul to receive, as
our fathers the prophets evidently possessed. May God, therefore, by his Holy Spirit direct us while we
shall attempt to understand, -
I. THE CHARACTERS AND PERSONS DESCRIBED IN THIS PROPHECY.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0068 paragraph 1
PROPHESIED OF. And,
II. THE HISTORY AND TRANSACTIONS
III. THE TIMES AND PERIODS GIVEN US IN THIS PROPHECY.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0068 paragraph 2
on forbidden ground, while we attempt,
We shall feel as though we were not treading
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0068 paragraph 3
I. TO UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPAL
CHARACTERS SPOKEN OF BY GOD IN THIS PROPHECY. And first, it appears to me that this prophecy has
special reference to the two great contending powers on the earth; their contention, and the final
victory of the one over the other. As it respects personal power, it means the wicked and righteous. As
far as principle may be involved in this prophecy, it would mean sin and holiness; but if men in a
collective sense, then it must be understood to mean the kingdoms of this world in a worldly sense, and
the kingdom of God in a spiritual sense. The places spoken of in these chapters, sometimes describe the
world at large, at other times the particular places where the people or kingdoms have sway, spoken of
in the prophecy.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0068 paragraph 4
principles,
And, now, let the reader keep in view these
0069
or rules, and a knowledge of some of the principal outlines of history and geography will give, in my
humble opinion, sufficient helps to understand the literal sense of these chapters, and with the aid of
the Holy Spirit, he may improve upon this knowledge, to the glory of God, and to the good of his fellowbeings.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0069 paragraph 1
What does Gog mean? Answer. God tells
Ezekiel that it is "the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal." He is a chief, over what? I say over the world,
or wicked nations of the world. Meshech, if a character is meant, signifies, "to draw by force." If a place
is meant, it would mean what is now Russia in Asia, Georgia, &c. Meshech was the sixth son of Japheth,
and settled in that part of the world, when the earth was divided, after the flood. Tubal signifies
"confusion," or, properly, "the earth or world." If a place is designed, then it would be in Syria, Armenia,
&c. He was the fifth son of Japheth. It is my humble belief, that by Meshech and Tubal we are to
understand the character and quality, rather than place of this chief prince. My reasons are these: the
places from whence the multitude of the forces of this chief come, are given in another place,
Ezek.xxxviii.5 and 6, and include the three quarters of the world, then supposed to be the whole earth,
i.e. - Persia, which is in Asia, and was settled by the descendants of Shem, the third son of Noah;
Ethiopia, which is Arabia and Upper Egypt. This country was peopled by Ham's posterity. Sheba and
Dedan are mentioned in this prophecy, 13th verse, both of them sons of Ham. See Gen.x.7. Libya is
Egypt, Barbary, Tripoli, in Africa. This land was settled by the descendants of Ham also. Gomer was the
oldest son of Japheth, and his sons peopled the Grecian islands, and all the maritime countries of Europe,
and the part now called the Russian empire, both in Asia and Europe. Togarmah, he too was a son of
Japheth, and settled the countries of the north; the same as I have mentioned before - the Russian
empire. "These were the three sons of
0070
Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread." Gen.ix.19. Magog is mentioned too in this
prophecy, as "the land of Magog," Ezek.xxxviii.2, which signifies "covering." He, too, was one of the sons
of Japheth. And Noah says of Japheth, Gen.ix.27, "God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the
tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant." This prophecy has been literally fulfilled, and the
descendants of Japheth have actually covered the world with fruit, and for ages have dwelt in the tents
of Shem, and have been chief prince over the nations of Ham. Tarshish is also mentioned in this
prophecy; he also was a descendant of Japheth, and settled in Europe. This country lay upon the north
side of the Mediterranean sea. There is now no doubt remaining in my mind, that the Gog spoken of in
our text means the great powers which Daniel gives us to understand were to arise up, and each
successively rule over the world: the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, the Grecians, and lastly the
Romans. These nations, or kingdoms, have, each in their turn, ruled over the people of God, drawn
them into idolatry, and persecuted them with a spirit of the old serpent, the devil, for more than 2500
years. Gog, then, has appeared and "drawn away" the holy people, and ruled over the world, made war
with the saints, and opposed God. Gog, in my opinion, constitutes the wicked powers of the earth, and
especially Antichrist, or Rome papal. These are the "kings of the East," and of the world, which will be
gathered to the great battle of God Almighty in the last day, when the final issue of Gog and the church
will be decided, at the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Savior Jesus Christ. You have
undoubtedly noticed the similarity of events between Ezek.xxxix.17 to 21, and Rev.xix.17 to 21. These
are events of the same time, and describe the last great battle, when God shall destroy the kingdoms of
this world, and set up his glorious kingdom, which shall fill the whole earth.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0070 paragraph 1
Israel is the other character specially noticed in
0071
our text. We should suppose, that there could be no dispute on this word, or who is meant by Israel.
Yet on this name there is as much division as on any other in the whole Bible. Some will tell you, that it
means the ancient covenant people of God, the Jews; others will tell you that Israel means the "ten
tribes" of the children of Israel which were separated from the Jews in the days of Jeroboam; but if you
will suffer me to give my opinion, I shall say, that "Israel" means the whole household of faith, whether
among Jews or Gentiles, whether under the law or gospel. And Paul has given us this rule in Rom.ix.6
and 7: "For they are not all Israel that are of Israel. Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are
they all children; but in Isaac shall thy seed be called." Here is the stumbling stone, where our teachers
of prophecy stumble; they will have Israel mean the Jews, and so prove the Jews' return, by this mode of
expounding the prophecies; when Paul has given us a plain rule to the contrary. Therefore, wherever I
find a prophecy unfulfilled when the gospel was preached by Christ and his apostles, I am constrained to
understand the word Israel to mean the children of Christ, except where they plainly declare they mean
Israel in the flesh. Then so far as this prophecy was not fulfilled before Christ, I must understand the
"house of Israel" to mean the household of faith. By the word "heathen," we understand not only
unbelievers among the Gentiles, but also among the Jews; "for God hath included them all in unbelief,"
as Paul tells us, "that he might have mercy upon all."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0071 paragraph 1
II. I WILL NOW PRESENT THE HISTORY AND
TRANSACTIONS PROPHESIED OF. I will give a paraphrase of the chapter, which will enable me to present
my views clearly on this point.
PARAPHRASE.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0071 paragraph 2
Verse 1. Therefore, thou Ezekiel, prophesy
against the great kingdoms of the world, and say, Thus saith
0072
the Lord God, Behold, I am against you, O ye kingdoms that have persecuted my people, and ruled over
the whole world.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0072 paragraph 1
Verse 2. And I will turn you back, and destroy
you with six plagues; and I will cause you to come up from the north parts, and will bring you upon the
governments of my people.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0072 paragraph 2
Verse 3. And I will smite your bow out of your
left hand, and cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand, i.e. destroy all their power.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0072 paragraph 3
Verse 4. You shall be destroyed by the
government of my people; you, and all your armies, and the people who support your power. I will give
you to the warriors of the common people, and to the smaller kingdoms, to be destroyed. This has been
literally fulfilled with the four great monarchies, which have each in their turn persecuted the visible
people of God. First, Babylon, the lady of kingdoms, was destroyed by the two smaller kingdoms of
Media and Persia. Persia, the second great monarchy, was destroyed by the small states of Grecia.
Then Grecia became the third great monarchy, and in her turn was swallowed up by the Roman Republic.
Rome in her turn became mistress of the world, and a great empire; which was destroyed by the
barbarians of the north. (See verse 2.) Then arose up the wonderful beast, Papacy, which is the Gog of
our day, and ruled over kings, filled the world with her abominations, and must and will fall upon the
mountains of Israel. Already have the kings of the earth eaten her flesh, and no one can dispute but
that the present signs of the times indicate her final dissolution; together with the false prophet, the
Turkish empire, and Eastern Gog.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0072 paragraph 4
(world;) for I have spoken it, saith the LORD GOD.
Verse 5. You shall fall upon the face of the field,
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0072 paragraph 5
Verse 6. And I will send a fire on Magog,
(supporters of Gog,) and among them that dwell confidently in the isles, and they shall know that I am
the Lord. So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let
0073
them pollute my holy name any more: and the Gentiles shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in
Israel, (the church.) Thus far we have the character of Gog.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0073 paragraph 1
Verse 8. "Behold, it is come, and it is done,
saith the Lord God; this is the day whereof I have spoken." We learn by this text that Gog had already
come, in that day when Ezekiel prophesied, and the work was already done of leading the children of
God into bondage, as God had spoken by Moses and his former prophets. Already were the prophecies
being fulfilled concerning these kingdoms which would be the chief ones of the earth. Compare
Isa.xiv.4-9. Amos vi.1-14.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0073 paragraph 2
Verse 9. "And they that dwell in the cities of
Israel shall go forth," be scattered over the world, or in these kingdoms called Gog, "and shall set on fire
and burn the weapons," their armor of opposition to the word of God, which is compared to fire, (see
Jer.v.14,) "both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves and the
spears," (Isa.liv.15-17,) "and they shall make a fire of them seven years." Compare with Isa.x.12-25.
Oba.18. Luke xii.49. (The seven years spoken of in this verse will be attended to under my last division.)
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0073 paragraph 3
Verse 10. "So that they shall take no wood out
of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire." This
shows us that the people of God would not be under the necessity of going forth into the open field of
the world to find subjects, on which to operate by the fire of God's word, but they would find enough
among themselves; nor to go into the dark and benighted corners of the earth, while there were
heathen enough in their immediate vicinity. "And they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob
those that robbed them, saith the Lord God." By this clause it is evident I am right in my construction of
the former; for here we are clearly informed, they shall spoil and rob those (meaning the nations)
0074
that had spoiled and robbed them. And surely the history of these nations, from Babylon to Rome, has
proved this prophecy to be true.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0074 paragraph 1
Verse 11. "And it shall come to pass at that day,
that I will give unto Gog," meaning Rome papal, who would be chief prince at the closing scene of the
world, "a place there of graves in Israel," meaning a place where the power of Gog, or Rome papal,
would be destroyed among the people of God. "The valley of the passengers on the east of the sea."
This, in my opinion, means the great thoroughfare in Europe on the east of the Atlantic, as England,
France and Germany; here, Papacy would meet its death-blow. "And it should stop the mouths of
passengers; and there shall they bury Gog, and all his multitude; and they shall call it the valley of
Hamon-gog," or multitude of papal Rome. To "bury," is to put down, or rule over. See Ecclesiastes
viii.9,10: "All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is
a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. And so I saw the wicked buried, who had
come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done:
this is also vanity."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0074 paragraph 2
Verse 12, shows how long the kings of the earth
would be putting down the power of Rome papal. "Seven months shall the house of Israel be in burying
them, that they may cleanse the land." This would be done by christian kingdoms. See Rev.xvii.16,17:
"And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her
desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to
fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be
fulfilled."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0074 paragraph 3
Verse 13. "Yea, all the people of the land shall
bury them; and it shall be to them a renown, the day I shall be glorified, saith the LORD GOD." This text
shows us that this will be done immediately
0075
previous to the glorification of the saints. And who cannot see, in the history of Europe, an exact
fulfilment of this prophecy, for more than two centuries past?
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0075 paragraph 1
Verse 14. "And they shall sever out men
(missionaries) of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those
that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months (which I will show
was 1798) shall they search."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0075 paragraph 2
Verse 15. "And the passengers (or people of
God who are called "strangers and pilgrims") that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone,
(or principles of Papacy,) then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers (kings or rulers) have buried it in
the valley of the multitude of Gog," (or Papacy.)
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0075 paragraph 3
Verse 16. "And also the name of the city shall
be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land." What city is this? I answer, it is the great city, Babylon,
that "made all nations (multitude) drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Rev.xiv.8. It is the
great city which is now or will be "divided into three parts." Rev.xvi.19. Also the great city "which
reigneth over the kings of the earth." Rev.xvii.18. It is called a woman, because she claims to be the
church of Christ; she is called the multitude, because she is the mother of more children than any other,
or all others, on the earth; she is called Gog, because she is chief prince, and rules, or hath ruled, over
the kings of the earth.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0075 paragraph 4
Ezekiel xxxix.17-21.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0075 paragraph 5
And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God;
Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather
yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the
mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink
the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of
Bashan.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0075 paragraph 6
Rev.xix.17-21.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0075 paragraph 7
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he
cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come, and gather
yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of
captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the
flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the
earth, and their
0076
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0076 paragraph 1
Ezekiel xxxix.17-21. cont.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0076 paragraph 2
And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink
blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my
table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God. And I will
set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and
my hand that I have laid upon them.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0076 paragraph 3
Rev.xix.17-21. cont.
armies,, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And
the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he
deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These
both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the
sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were
filled with their flesh.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0076 paragraph 4
Let the reader compare, if he please,
Ezek.xxxviii.14 to 22, with Rev.xvi.14 to 21, and he must see a striking likeness between the two
prophecies; and that, in both places, they describe the last great battle of the kings and of the world,
when Christ will come and destroy all the kingdoms of this world, and set up a kingdom which will fill the
whole earth. Every living thing on earth is described as taking part in this awful conflict. The heavens
and earth shake in this mighty war; voices and thunders, lightnings and earthquakes, fish and fowl, beast
and birds, men and worms, blood and fire, plague and pestilence, rain and hail, all commingle in this last
great throe of expiring nature. How awful is the scene described by these two prophets! Some
expositors have supposed this to be a moral battle only; but I am of the opinion, as every living and
active thing, whether in earth, air or water, is described as taking a part in this mighty struggle, so will
every power, whether spiritual or physical, be put in desperate requisition in this last struggle for an
earthly existence. I could not, upon the supposition of a moral battle only, account for this description
of kings and captains, warriors and mighty men, horses and chariots, bond and free. If it is all to be
understood in a moral sense, why are they called princes of the earth? Why are they to eat fat and drink
blood until they are full? Surely, I think these questions cannot be
0077
answered,, if it is a moral battle only. From the 22d to 24th verse inclusive, God shows the prophet, that
then he will justify himself in the eyes of his people, and in the eyes of the world, and show good and
sufficient cause why he suffered his people to be persecuted in the world, a scattered and a peeled
people; why he suffered the chief princes to rule over them; why they have been so long robbed and
spoiled and led into captivity. He gives one good reason; yet we heed it not. He says it was for our
iniquities, trespasses, uncleanness and transgressions.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0077 paragraph 1
Verse 25. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God:
Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be
jealous for my holy name." Some have supposed that we have here a proof of the Jews being gathered
to their own land; but I cannot so understand it; for not only Jacob would have to be gathered, but the
whole house of Israel; and this would prove too much, unless they admit a literal resurrection before it
takes place. They could not all be there without; for Jacob is dead. O yes, says the objector, but Jacob is
used in that passage as a figure. Very well, sir; the very same arguments that you would bring to prove
Jacob is used in a figurative sense, I will bring to show that the whole house of Israel is used so too; then
what becomes of literal Israel? Paul has given us, in Romans xi.26, the meaning of Jacob; it is those
whose sins are forgiven through the atonement, and turned from ungodliness. Israel is said to be the
children of Christ. Rom.ix.6-8. Then the bringing of them again is the bringing of his sons to glory.
Heb.ii.10. And the gathering of his elect from the four winds of heaven, and from the land of death, the
last enemy, and sanctifying them in the sight of the world, (for every eye will see them separated,
changed, and caught up to meet the Lord at his coming,) is an explanation of the 27th verse.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0077 paragraph 2
Lord their God, which caused them to be led into
Verse 28. "Then shall they know that I am the
0078
captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land," (new heavens and new
earth, 2Pet.iii.13,) "and have left none of them any more there." Where? None are left in death, nor in
the grave; for certainly the grave is called the land of the enemy. Jeremiah xxxi.16. Now if this passage
means the literal Jew, then certainly it includes the whole; for none are left any more there. This would
prove too much for our judaizing teachers.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0078 paragraph 1
Verse 29. "Neither will I hide my face any more
from them." This certainly must be after Christ's second advent. 1John iii.2: "Beloved, now are we the
sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." See Isaiah liv.8: "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee
for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."
Now let the reader examine this chapter, and he will find the same gathering and promises as in Ezekiel,
and if one means Jews only, so must the other. "For I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of
Israel, saith the Lord God." The house of Israel. What language could the prophets have used, in the
days when the Old-Testament prophets prophesied, to have described the people of God under the new
dispensation, better than Jacob, Israel, &c.? What, my brethren, will rend the veil from your faces in
reading the Old Testament? Have you no love for the soul of the perishing Jew? Will you deceive them
until the last? Will you forever harp on the old string, "God's ancient covenant people?" Will you not
even inquire who are that people? Are they the Jews? No, sir, not the Jews only; for the promise was
first made to Abraham, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Where is the Jew,
as a Jew, said to be entitled to one promise in the gospel, that the Gentile is not? Can you say they have
a promise of the land of Canaan, which is not fulfilled? See Joshua xxiii.14,15: "And ye know in all your
0079
hearts, and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your
God spake concerning you; all hath come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof." Then,
in my opinion, the captivity spoken of in verse 25th, is the subjection the people of God have been and
will continue in to Gog, the principal kingdoms of the world, until Christ's second advent; when he will
destroy all those kingdoms, conquer death, and let his people go free.
III. I SHALL SHOW THE TIMES AND PERIODS GIVEN IN THIS CHAPTER.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0079 paragraph 1
First. In the ninth verse, we are told, that they
that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall burn the weapons of their enemies "seven
years." This must mean either literal or figurative years. If this passage has not been fulfilled, then I
argue that it cannot be fulfilled in a literal sense; for we have no such weapons as are there described, at
the present day. Again, it would be very unnatural to suppose that there could actually be weapons of
war enough collected, contiguous to many cities, to supply the inhabitants of them with fuel seven years.
It appears unnatural to me in every view of the subject to understand these things as describing a literal
battle, and yet not to be fulfilled; for it is evident that the people of God are meant, as one party. It
cannot be in the gospel day, for two reasons: Christ forbade his servants to fight, and the gospel does
not permit its subjects to rob and spoil others, because they rob and spoil us. From these considerations,
I must conclude that the 9th and 10th verses are figurative language, and that seven years are seven
times 360, making 2520 common years; that these kingdoms denominated Gog in our text would lead
into captivity the Israel or children of God, spoil and rob them of their peace and rights, and scatter over
the earth Judah and Israel; and in process of time would smite the Shepherd of Israel and scatter the
sheep. All this has been fulfilled in the history of the children of God for ages past. The
0080
next question which would naturally arise, would be, When did the seven years begin? Our text tells us,
"They that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth." This shows us what event will begin our prophecy:
it will be the children of Israel going forth into captivity. 2Kings xvii.20: "And the Lord rejected all the
seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them
out of his sight." Isa.xlii.22-24. Amos vii.11 and 17. Again, 2Kings xvii.23: "Until the Lord moved Israel
out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their
own land to Assyria unto this day." Isaiah prophesied that within sixty-five years Ephraim should be
broken and be not a people. Is.vii.8. This was in the days of Pekah and Rezin, 742 years before Christ.
Sixty-five years afterwards, B.C. 677, Esarhaddon, king of Assyria and Babylon, came with a large army
into the land of Israel and Judah, carried away the last remnant of Israel, and they have not been a
nation since.* Then he also made war against Jerusalem, took Manasseh and carried him to Babylon;
which begins the "seven times" Judah was to be in bondage to the kings of the earth, and also the
"seven years" Israel should be a captive, robbed and spoiled people; both beginning and ending at one
time, 2520 years, beginning B.C. 677, ending A.D. 1843. To 1843 add 677, and the sum equals 2520.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0080 paragraph 1
Perhaps the reader may not be aware that
Ezekiel was commanded to understand a day for a year. See Ezekiel iv.5,6.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0080 paragraph 2
We can hardly read a chapter in any of the
prophets, but we find this thing prophesied of, i.e., the captivity of Israel, the spoiling and robbing of
them, both Israel and Judah, by these great kingdoms of the earth, which Ezekiel has called Gog in our
text. It must and will be acknowledged, by every man conversant with his Bible, that the times of their
---------* Rollin's Ancient History, vol.i. page 286.
0081
captivity have, in every case, been prophesied of by the prophets of God. And, in general, the cases of
captivity, which would end in the dispensation in which the prophet lived who prophesied these things,
are given to us in plain language; as 400 years' captivity, or bondage, in Egypt, meant years. This was
literally fulfilled before the law was given on mount Sinai, which was the beginning of the Mosaic
dispensation. Then the 70 years' captivity of Judah in Babylon was literally accomplished in the same
dispensation. Judah was released, (not all Israel,) from their captivity in Babylon; but the captivity of
Israel is nowhere limited to the law dispensation: but the release of Israel from their captivity is a gospel
release, and the subjects of this release must be gospel subjects; for if the dispensation changes, so, of
course, must the subjects change; for "old things are done away; behold, all things are become new."
See Paul's most powerful reasoning on this subject, in Hebrews eighth and ninth chapters. Who can
read these reasons of Paul's and not be convinced? Moses was faithful over his house; so was Jesus
Christ faithful over his house, "whose house are we, (says the apostle,) if we hold fast our confidence
unto the end." It was Israel in the flesh that was scattered then, and was never gathered under the law.
The gospel came, the law of Israel was done away; he is not a Jew who is of the flesh, but circumcision is
of the heart. They are not all Israel which are of Israel; but in Christ thy seed shall be called. For he will
gather in one all the children of God (true Israel) scattered abroad. John xi.52. The high priest, although
a Jew, understood that Christ was to gather not only that nation, the Jews, but all the children of God
scattered abroad. How can our judaizing priests get over this text? But to return to our subject. The
seventy weeks prophesied of in Dan.ix.24-27, are used in a figurative sense; a day stands for a year.
Why so? Because these seventy weeks in their fulfilment would carry us seven years, at least, into the
new dispensation; and as the veil
0082
was not yet taken away, and they could only see into the new as through a glass darkly, God therefore
only spake to them by his law and prophets in types and figures. Therefore the "seven years" must be
used in a figurative sense, for the above well-grounded reasons. And the children of God in the new
dispensation are called Israel, for the same reason that papal Rome is called Babylon under the new.
For the law was a shadow of good things to come; it made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a
better covenant did perfect the comers thereunto.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0082 paragraph 1
Now carry out this reasoning of Paul's, and
what must Israel be in order to be made perfect? They cannot be made perfect without us Gentiles.
See Heb.xi.40, also ix.8-12. How a man can read the arguments of the apostle, and retain these
judaizing sentiments of gathering the Jews, as Jews, to their own land, and building up their temple and
city again, I cannot conceive. But another time is specified in our context. See verse 12: "And seven
months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land." See also verse 14.
This transaction is in the last days of Gog's power, and probably under the last form which Gog may
assume, and must mean Rome papal, which is the last head of abominations; who has, by her
abominable doctrine and practices, filled the world with her sorceries and fornications; - she has made
the kings of the earth support her ecclesiastical power, and commit fornication with her; - she has filled
the earth with her murders, and drenched the soil with the blood of victims which she called heretics; she has leagued herself with kings and princes to support a power, which she blasphemously pretended
was given her by God. By these means, and many more, she has filled the world with the cup of her
abominations, and covered the earth with her pollutions. The "seven months" spoken of in the verse we
have quoted, are 210 days, or 210 years, as Ezekiel was commanded to reckon. Then the people of God
would be 210 years putting away this rotten carcass
0083
of papal power, which had for ages ruled over kings and lorded it over his people. The year 1588, the
edict in favor of Protestants, which was afterwards called the edict of Nantes, was first published by
Henry IV., king of Navarre, one of the principal heads of the Protestant cause in France, who began a
war in Europe between the Catholics and Protestants, which lasted, with very little cessation, for 210
years, until 1798; when finally the Protestants destroyed the power of the pope, and he that had ruled
over kings, became weak and inefficient as any of the smallest dukedoms in Europe. The struggle
between the Protestants on the one part, and the Catholic league on the other, was, with the former, to
destroy the power of this Gog, of whom we have been speaking, and to humble in the dust this
Meshech and Tubal of modern times; while with the latter it was to retain power, which papal Rome
had long exercised over the kings of the earth, and over the consciences, lives, and fortunes of her
subjects. All the civil power was finally taken from her, and nothing remains but the bones, or principles
of the carcass. The kings of the earth have eaten her flesh, and burned her with the fire of their anger;
nothing remains but a skeleton of this once most powerful empress, that had humbled kings at her feet,
and had made princes vassals at her will. But John had, many centuries before, prophesied her
consumption, and the manner of it. See Rev.xvii.16: "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the
beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and
burn her with fire." He also has given us to understand that there would be kings and great men of the
earth who would lament her fall and loss of power. See Rev.xviii.8-16. All this was literally fulfilled in
those wars to which I have directed your attention.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0083 paragraph 1
One thing more I will notice. After they had
eaten her flesh and buried her power, they severed out men of continual employment, meaning
missionaries, who were to go through the land and search for her bones,
0084
or principles, which would remain on the face of the earth, after the "seven months," that is, after the
civil power of Papacy should be destroyed, which took place A.D. 1798. And when any should see a
man's bone, they were to set up a sign by it, until the buriers should bury it in the valley of Hamon-gog.
Who can but see, that the relics of Papacy are to be found in almost every church in our land? The love
and practice of slavery is a bone of the old mother; the love and practice of war is another bone;
sectarian prejudices, and a tyrannical display of physical force to put down principles not harmonizing
with our views, is a great bone. Taking to ourselves titles that belong to God, or calling men Rabbis,
which belong only to Christ, are men's bones. Puffing each other in public papers, and passing
resolutions in our own favor, are bones of the feet or the hands of man. To preach the traditions of men,
instead of the word of God; and the laws and ordinances of the church and councils, instead of the laws
of the Scriptures and ordinances once delivered to the saints by Jesus Christ and his apostles, is the
backbone of Gog, and must and will be buried, and will no more come into mind. Some may inquire, Is
this the same Gog in Ezekiel, as we find in the twentieth chapter of Revelation? I answer, it is the same,
with this difference only: this is prophesying of his power, his acts, death and burial; that of his
resurrection, judgment, and final and last destruction from the earth. Now, my dear reader, do you
want to know whether you belong to Gog, or the saints? Try your spirit. If you are proud, haughty,
tyrannical, selfish, worldly, dogmatical, full of bigotry, egotism and wilfulness, prone to misrepresent,
deceive and lie against your neighbor, because he cannot see in every point exactly as you do; you may
rest assured that your warrant is not a counterfeit, - you belong to the ARMY OF GOG. AMEN.
0085
LECTURE ON
THE TWO STICKS.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0085 paragraph 1
EZE.XXXVII.15-17.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0085 paragraph 2
The word of the LORD came again unto me,
saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the
children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of
Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: and join them one to another into one stick; and
they shall become one in thy hand.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0085 paragraph 3
I AM well aware, my brethren, that the views I
have of this text will be called by many ultra-biblical, a vagary, or fanciful, at least; and many a man will
turn away with disgust, curl the lip, and go to work in imagination, at least, to confute what they have
not heard, and think they can destroy at a nod what may be built upon the immutable pillars of truth; so
that truth may be cast down in the street, while tradition, bigotry, and falsehood are clasped to our
hearts. But wisdom teaches us "to hear and then judge." "Prove all things, and hold fast that which is
good." If men were to treat earthly things as bigots do religious subjects, reject every new thing, or new
measure, because it is to them new, what would become of the improvements of the present day? or
where would be the increase of knowledge spoken of by Daniel the prophet in the latter day? Christ, in
speaking of these same characters, calls them "blind guides," or "blind leaders of the blind." If any such
person should hear or read this discourse,
0086
I beg of them to hear, weigh the evidence, and then judge.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0086 paragraph 1
I shall therefore,
I. SHOW WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DESIGNED BY THE TWO STICKS.
II. WHAT IS MEANT BY THEIR BECOMING ONE.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0086 paragraph 2
Our text is an allegory, as all must agree, for the
18th and 19th verses, "And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not
show us what thou meanest by these? say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the
stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them
with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in my hand,"
thus prove it: "Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?" The Holy Spirit then tells him
plainly that the two sticks mean, - 1st. Judah, and the children of Israel his companions; and, 2d. Joseph,
which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows. Thus far we cannot be mistaken.
And, say you, the text itself proves it thus, and why call it an allegory? Because we have not yet got the
meaning of Judah, Joseph and Ephraim; these must be understood as allegorical; for no one believes a
moment that this can mean Judah, Joseph, and Ephraim literally; for they have all been dead many
thousand years, and must arise from the dead, and all their companions, in order to be united in one
kingdom on the mountains of Israel. See verse 22: "And I will make them one nation in the land upon
the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations,
neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all." Then, say you, Judah must mean the
two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, and Joseph and Ephraim must mean the ten tribes, and put them
together and they will make the twelve tribes. Then, if Judah and Joseph stand for these tribes, I ask,
who are their companions? For the text says, take thee one stick, and write upon it,
0087
for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions. It is very evident, then, that Judah and his
companions cannot mean the same things; for he tells us plainly what companions mean, "the children
of Israel;" these are companions with Judah. Therefore Judah cannot mean the two tribes, for they are
the children of Israel. And the same argument will apply to Joseph and Ephraim, and all the house of
Israel his companions. Here we have another difficulty: first, the children of Israel are put with Judah;
this would include the ten tribes, as well as the two; for they were called the children of Israel in a
special sense, while the two tribes were called Jews, and are so called to the present day.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0087 paragraph 1
Again, they are to be put together and become
one kingdom, "and David my servant," saith the Lord, "shall be king over them; and they all shall have
one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them." This does
not look like unbelief. Paul tells us, Rom.xi.23, "If they abide not in unbelief, they shall be graffed in,"
with the Gentiles; "for God is able to graff them in again." Yet our context tells us in 25-27, "And they
shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt, and
they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children, forever: and my
servant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall
be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my
sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their
God, and they shall be my people." How can these things be? They are to dwell in the land given to
Jacob, they, and their children, and children's children, forever, and David is to be their prince forever,
and God is to be their God, and they are to be his people, with his sanctuary in the midst of them for
evermore. And all this in a state of unbelief; for if they believe, they are graffed in with the Gentiles,
0088
where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but all one in Christ Jesus. And without faith it is impossible to
please God: yet the two tribes of the Jews, and the ten tribes of Israel, are to enjoy all these blessings for
evermore, in their own land on the mountains of Israel, before the new heavens and new earth - before
Christ shall come - before the resurrection of the dead! How, I ask, can the whole house of Israel be
there? How can David be there? No more defiled with idols, nor detestable things, nor transgressions?
"Saved out of all their dwelling-places wherein they have sinned;" and yet saved in Judea, the very
dwelling-place where they committed the great sin of murdering their own Messiah, the son and Lord of
David their prince forever! How can these things be? I answer, they cannot be, and understand these
two sticks to be the two tribes of the Jews and the ten tribes of Israel only; for this view of the scripture,
(and I mean to speak with reverence of that blessed book,) would contain palpable contradictions.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0088 paragraph 1
But, in my humble opinion, these two sticks
represent the two covenants, or two dispensations, called the Law and the Gospel. These are called two
separate kingdoms. One is called the "kingdom of Israel." This is represented by Judah; for it is said of
him, "The sceptre (or rod) shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver between his feet, until Shiloh
come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." What gathering of the people? The union of
the two kingdoms, and the final gathering of the true Israel of God from all nations, the elect from the
four winds of heaven. The other kingdom is called the gospel kingdom, or "kingdom of heaven." This is
clearly represented by Joseph; for of him it is said, Gen.xlviii.24, "His bow (or stick) abode in strength,
and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is
the shepherd, the stone of Israel;") meaning Christ, the shepherd spoken of in our context; and the
stone means the same gospel kingdom, which Daniel tells us will become a great mountain
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and fill the whole earth; - and, in our context, it is the same kingdom of which David (meaning Christ)
will be our king forever. Hear further: "Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the
Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above," (these certainly look like gospel
blessings,) "blessings of the deep that lieth under," (yes, Christ says, "Blessed are the meek, for they
shall inherit the earth,") "blessings of the breast and of the womb." Again, Christ says, "Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." I will here remark, that the
same blessings which Jacob gave to Joseph are in substance repeated to Ezekiel, and afterwards
promised by Christ to gospel penitents. Also, let me turn your attention to Moses' blessing Joseph,
Deut.xxxiii.13-17: "And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of
heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth
by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient
mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and
fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head
of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him who was separated from his brethren. His glory is like
the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the
people together to the ends of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the
thousands of Manasseh." Here we have the gospel blessings again brought to view, in Moses' prophetic
blessing of Joseph; all things in heaven and in earth are given into his hands, or placed upon his head.
This reminds us of the blessings of Christ, Eph.i.10, "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he
might gather in one (kingdom) all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth;
even in him." How exactly do these blessings agree:
0090
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0090 paragraph 1
Joseph pushes the people together to the ends
of the earth; Christ gathers them in the fulness of time at the end of this dispensation.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0090 paragraph 2
This is sufficient for my purpose, to show that
Joseph is a lively type of Christ, and that in Christ both sticks would be united, and Judah's rod (or stick)
swallowed up in the Shiloh when he should come; and then there would be but one stick unto the ends
of the earth, and then would our spiritual Joseph push the people together, and to him would the
gathering of the people be. "And I will make them one nation, in the land upon the mountains of Israel;
and one king shall be king to them all." This king can be no less than our spiritual Joseph, and his
kingdom was typified in the stick of Joseph, as Jacob said in his blessing of Joseph, "From thence is the
shepherd, the stone of Israel." But you will ask, Why is Joseph's stick in the hand of Ephraim? I will
answer you: Joseph's stick, or kingdom, was not yet made manifest, neither could it be while Judah's
was yet standing; - as says Paul, Heb.ix.8-15, Christ must first come, the mediator of the new testament,
before the old could be done away, or immerged into the new. Therefore, when Ezekiel gave this
prophecy, Ephraim was broken, and was not a people. See Is.vii.8. This was about 742 years before
Christ, and Ezekiel's prophecy was given only 587, being almost a hundred years after Ephraim was no
more a people. Of course, he was a fit type of the gospel church, who were not a people until Jesus
came and took the stick of Joseph out of the hand of Ephraim, which then were not a people, and
constituted a new covenant people, and made them sons and daughters of God. He then brake off all
the dead branches from Judah's stick, and with the living branches under the old covenant, called in our
text "the children of Israel his companions," he called in the Gentiles, which were not a people. Like
Ephraim, they were scattered over the whole earth, in all the kingdoms of the world; the moths had
eaten them, Hos.v.12; they were unaccustomed to the yoke, Jer.xxxi.18. "Ephraim has mixed himself
0091
among the people; he is a cake not turned," says Hosea, vii.8. That is, he is yet among the people, the
Gentiles; they have not repented, they are not accustomed to the yoke, (the Jewish laws.) See
Hos.viii.12: "I have written unto him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange
thing." Ephraim is a type, then, of the state of the Gentiles, when Christ came, and called in the
believers among the Gentiles, immersed them into one body both Jew and Gentile, and they became
one in his hand, that is, one kingdom, and both together constituted the whole house of Israel; that is,
the seed of Christ, the companions of the spiritual Joseph. Hos.i.9-11, has reference to this very thing of
which I have been speaking, when he says, "Then said God, call his name Loammi, (not my people;) for
ye are not my people, and I will not be your God." That is, "They are not all Israel which are of Israel;
neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children; but in Isaac shall thy seed be
called." See Rom.ix.6-27. You will there see Paul uses the same arguments as I have used, and for the
same purpose, to show the union of the spiritual seed of Judah and Joseph, and who are the true Israel
of God. But we will return to Hosea, 10th verse: "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the
sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place
(Jerusalem) where it was said unto them, (Gentiles,) ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto
them, (Gentiles,) ye are the sons of the living God;" at Jerusalem united with the stick of Judah, "it will
be said," &c. "Then (at that time) shall the children of Judah (meaning the companions of Judah) and
the children of Israel (the companions of spiritual Joseph, now called sons of God) be gathered together,
(united into one stick, one government,) and appoint themselves one head, (Christ, for he is head over
all things to the church,) and they shall come up out of the land, (out of all nations;) for great shall be
the day of Jezreel," (the
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meaning of which is, the seed of God.) I pray you, my brethren, study this prophecy of Hosea with this
view; understand Judah as being the representative of the Jewish kingdom, and Joseph and Ephraim as
representatives of the gospel kingdom, and its state; and if you do not find harmony and light in it, and
many other parts and prophecies in the Bible, I shall be not a little surprised.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0092 paragraph 1
I will bring one more proof that Ephraim
represents the gospel kingdom among all nations. See Gen.xlviii.16-20: "The Angel which redeemed me
from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham
and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his
father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand,
to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my
father: for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I
know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his
younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he
blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as
Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh." You see when Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph,
he blessed Ephraim, the younger, above Manasseh, the elder: "he (Manasseh) also shall become a
people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother (Ephraim) shall be greater than he, and
his seed shall become a fulness of nations." This is plain and positive proof that Ephraim would be called
the head or representative of the gospel seed, which Paul calls the "fulness of the Gentiles," and which
Jacob calls "fulness of nations." Paul says, "So all Israel shall be saved," that is, when the fulness of the
Gentiles be come in. Our text says, "For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all
0093
the house of Israel his companions." Here is the same fulness, the same all, and the same Israel, in one
case as in the other.
II. I SHALL SHOW HOW AND WHEN THESE STICKS WERE UNITED.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0093 paragraph 1
They are united by Christ, are made one in his
hand. John xi.52: "And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the
children of God that were scattered abroad," evidently meaning Jews and Gentile believers. Again, John
xvii.22,23: "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we
are one; I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know
that thou hast sent me." Ezekiel says, verse 28, "And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify
Israel." Again, see 1Cor.xii.12: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of
that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body, (one stick,) whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free." See Eph.ii.14-16: "For
he (Christ) is our peace, who hath made both (Jew and Gentile believers) one, and hath broken down
the middle wall of partition between us, (Jew and Gentile;) having abolished in his flesh the enmity,
even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain (Jew and
Gentile) one new man, (one stick,) so making peace;" that is, "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, nor Judah
vex Ephraim."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0093 paragraph 2
In what manner are they made one? I answer,
by being all born of one Spirit, having one Father and one mother. See Eph.ii.18: "For through him we
both (Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father." The context says, verse 27, "I will be
their God, and they shall be my people." John i.13: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of
the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God;" and, "except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God." Gal.iv.26: "But Jerusalem
0094
which is above is free, which is the mother of us all," (Jew and Gentile.) Without this birth, we cannot
possibly be called the people of God, and are not entitled to an heirship with Jesus Christ: and if we are
born from above, then we, whether Jew or Gentile, are not looking for a Jerusalem which is in bondage
with her children, but one from above which is free; for here we have no continuing city, but we look for
a city whose builder and maker is God.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0094 paragraph 1
Again, they are to be made one nation, verse 22:
"And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel." Was this true in the gospel?
you may inquire. Christ says, Matt.xxi.43, "Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken
from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof." If it was to be taken from the Jew, and
given to another nation, of course, it would take away the promise of the land, as well as the kingdom of
God, and the Jew, as a Jew, would have no more inheritance either in land or mountain, which means
kingdom; and then being given to a nation bringing forth fruits, they would be, as Peter says, "a holy
nation, a peculiar people." 1Pet.ii.9.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0094 paragraph 2
Again, they are to have one king: "And one king
shall be king to them all," says Ezekiel. What says Zech.xiv.9? "And the Lord shall be king over all the
earth; in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one." Christ taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom
come," &c. Again Christ, when Pilate inquired of him if he was king of the Jews, answered, "Thou
sayest." And at another time, when the multitude spread their garments in the way, and cried, saying,
"Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord," Christ consented, and even gave
encouragement thereto, denying not, but confessing he was king of the Jews: not of the literal Jews; for
he has told us plainly that the kingdom of God is taken from them, and given to a nation bringing forth
the fruits thereof. And Ezekiel further says, "And they shall be no more two nations,
0095
neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all." Yet your judaizing teachers tell you
that the Jews, as Jews, must be brought back into their own land, have their own old Jewish kingdom
restored, their city, temple, temple worship, and David their king restored unto them. Well may we say
unto the Jew, you do well to reject Jesus of Nazareth; for it is evident he has given his kingdom to
believers in him, and your prophets tell you there shall be no more two kingdoms. So says the Jew, "We
will wait for our own kingdom, which will, according to your own showing, be restored unto us;" and, "as
there cannot be but one kingdom, your Nazarene must be an impostor; he has promised you Nazarenes
a kingdom, which will be given unto us, and which will stand forever, as you yourselves confess and
acknowledge. We think, then, we are safest, for we know our prophets to be true, and you own it. We
know there can be but one kingdom, and that you give to us, and that kingdom will destroy all others
and stand forever. Dan.ii.44: 'And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,
which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in
pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.'"
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0095 paragraph 1
Again, the subjects of this kingdom are to
possess new hearts and be born of the Spirit. See Ezekiel xxxvi.24-28: "For I will take you from among
the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I
sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will
I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away
the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you,
and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. And ye shall dwell
in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will
0096
be your God." Here we have the same gathering, the same people, the same land, the same cleansing,
the same obedience of the same statutes and judgments, the same promise of his being their God and
they being his people, together with the surety of a new heart and his Spirit within them, as we have in
the chapter under consideration. Where is the difference between these promises and those given to
the Gentile believers?
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0096 paragraph 1
1. Are not Gentile believers promised all these
things as much as the Jews? - are they not taken from among the heathen? John says, Rev.v.9, "And has
redeemed us to God out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0096 paragraph 2
2. Are not Gentile believers promised their own
land for an inheritance? The apostle says, "They shall inherit all things." And Christ promises, "The
meek shall inherit the earth."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0096 paragraph 3
3. Are not Gentile believers promised to be
cleansed from idols as well as Jews? 1Cor.xii.2: "For ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto
these dumb idols, even as ye were led." 1Thess.i.9: "And how ye turned to God, from idols, to serve the
living and true God."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0096 paragraph 4
4. Hath not God promised to give a new heart
to Gentiles as well as Jews, and put his Spirit in them, write his laws there, be their God, and hath
declared that they shall be his people? See Paul's arguments in the eighth chapter of Hebrews, verse 10:
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord: I will
put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall
be to me a people."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0096 paragraph 5
5. Hath not God promised to raise up the
tabernacle of David for the Gentile as well as the Jew? No, say you. If you will prove this, you will gain
the point contended for. See Acts xv.14-17: "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the
Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name, (Israel.) And to this agree the prophets,"
0097
says James, (and surely his commentary on the prophecies must, and will, take precedence of all the
judaizing commentators of our times;) but hear James further: "As it is written, after this I will return,
and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof,
and I will set it up." For what purpose? James answers, "That the residue of men might seek after the
Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name (Israel) is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these
things."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0097 paragraph 1
Now let our teachers be silent, and learn the
first rule of interpreting the prophecies concerning the building again the ruins of Jerusalem. This that
the prophets declare, as James acknowledges, began to be done in the days of the apostles; yet who can
pretend that Jerusalem, old literal Jerusalem, began to be builded again in the days of the apostles?
And it remains as evident to the unbiased mind, that the prophets allude to the gospel, and to a New
Jerusalem, as it is that the sun ever shone.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0097 paragraph 2
Why is it, say you, that our good, holy, and
great men, of the present day, are, as you say, so blinded? Do you set yourself up to be above them?
By no means. I am not, nor are they, or you, anything but poor, frail, selfish mortals; but my Master is
above all, and his word is true. And to read that word understandingly, we must all have the veil of
Judaism taken away; or we shall most assuredly err from the truth. Are we yet to learn that God "takes
the weak things of this world to confound the wise and mighty?"
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0097 paragraph 3
And when I see our would-be-great men,
boasting like a Goliath,* I think of David, my Master, and the smooth stone, and am content to leave the
battle in the hands of him, "the Shepherd, the stone of Israel."
----------
* See Dowling's Reply to Miller, page 155: "For I should think it about as rational to triumph for a victory
over arguments like Mr. Miller's, as to boast of my strength for demolishing a paper castle."
0098
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0098 paragraph 1
Again, Ezekiel says, "And they all shall have one
shepherd." Who shall all have one shepherd? I answer, the whole house of Israel, the two sticks, and
their companions. And now we will let Christ tell us who they are. John x.15,16: "I lay down my life for
the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall
hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Does not Christ mean the very same
thing as Ezekiel? Christ calls them folds, Ezekiel calls them sticks; Christ unites them into one fold,
Ezekiel into one stick; Christ calls them sheep, Ezekiel calls them the whole house of Israel. Christ plainly
means Jews and Gentiles; then as plainly do we infer Jews and Gentiles in Ezekiel. Christ will, in process
of time, unite all his sheep into the gospel kingdom, whether they be Jew or Gentile, bond or free. Then,
as Paul tells us, Eph.iv.4-6, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all,
and in you all." Ezekiel says, "My tabernacle also shall be with them; yea, I will be their God, and they
shall be my people." See Rev.xxi.3-5: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God
himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0098 paragraph 2
Lastly. I will show when these things began to
be fulfilled, and when they will be finished. They began when the unbelieving Jews were cut off, and the
believing Gentiles began to be grafted in. It began when Jesus nailed the ceremonial law to his cross,
and commanded the gospel to be preached in
0099
all the world. It began when the old covenant vanished away, and the new covenant was established on
better promises. Heb., chapters viii. and ix. It began when Judah's rod ended in the Shiloh, and the
gospel ensign was unfurled to the Gentiles.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0099 paragraph 1
When will it be finished? When the great voice
from heaven, from him that sat upon the throne, shall say, "IT IS DONE." Rev.xxi.6. Yes, it will be
completed when the angel, standing on the sea and on the land, shall lift his hand and swear, that time
shall be no longer. Rev.x.5 and 6. When the last Gentile who ever will be born again has received the
Holy Spirit by regeneration, then will the last companion come in, and so all Israel shall be saved.
Rom.xi.25,26. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, and send his angels unto the four winds of
heaven, and gather his elect home into the new heavens, new earth, and New Jerusalem; - then will
heaven and earth, men and angels, Judah and Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, Jew and Gentile, all
respond the great Amen, saying, "It is done."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0099 paragraph 2
Now let me close with a few remarks. And first,
to the Jew, let me say, Repent, believe on the dear Jesus of Nazareth, whom your fathers did crucify, or
you will never be united with the stick of Joseph. There is no other way, there is no other name under
heaven whereby you can be saved - rend the veil from your faces, the covenant which God made with
your fathers, when he took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. You have broken it, yes, in a
thousand ways it is broken; you have seen it pass away like the morning cloud, or like the early dew - it
is gone, and not a wreck of it is left behind. Where is the sceptre in Judah? Your father Jacob said "it
should not depart from Judah until Shiloh come." You know it has departed, and by the same parity of
reasoning you ought to know that the Messiah has come. Rend your veil, my brother, and look into this
new covenant which God has made for the house of Judah, and the house of Israel, after those days, i.e.
after the Shiloh came. Hear, I pray
0100
you,, the voice of him that spake from heaven, and is yet speaking, saying, "Repent, and be converted,
every one of you; that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the
heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of
all his holy prophets since the world began." And Ezekiel plainly tells you that you must observe his
judgments and statutes and do them, in order to be grafted into the stick of Judah and Joseph united.
Then let me entreat you to repent, believe on him who has come, in the time and manner your prophets
have specified, and you will find rest to your souls. I am awfully afraid your veil will blind you, your
Rabbis will deceive you. Our doctors and great men are flattering, and crying peace and safety when
sudden destruction cometh. All, all, are combined to destroy the poor unbelieving Jew. Oh, Christian,
awake to this subject! The Jews, that were the means of handing down these glorious promises to us
Gentiles, are perishing by thousands, and none to lay it to heart. Ho, all ye that pass by, is this nothing
to you? Will the priests pass by on one side, and the Levites on the other, and not one Samaritan to
help the wounded, down-trodden Jew? I bless God there is a few, a little despised band of Samaritans,
who look upon this subject in its proper light, in my humble opinion, who will do all in their power to
give the Jew the midnight cry. Go on, my brethren, in the glorious cause; show the Jews and Gentiles
their transgressions and danger. Let the trump give a certain sound - prepare to meet your God, Oh
Israel! For he will come, and will not tarry. Then will his tabernacle be with men, then will he sanctify
the whole house of Israel, then will he be our God, and we shall be his people, and his sanctuary shall be
in the midst of us for evermore. AMEN.
0101
LECTURE ON
THE TIMES AND ITS DUTIES*
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0101 paragraph 2
ROMANS xiii.12.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0101 paragraph 3
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us
therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0101 paragraph 4
THE apostle in the context exhorts his Roman
brethren to good works, to a holy life in conformity with the law, - the royal law, which teaches us to
love God with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves. He then gives the text as one of the most
prominent reasons why we should conform to the requisitions of the law: because the night is far spent,
and the day is at hand.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0101 paragraph 5
I shall, therefore, in explaining the text,
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0101 paragraph 6
"NIGHT AND DAY."
I. SHOW WHAT THE APOSTLE MEANS BY
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0101 paragraph 7
"CAST OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS."
II. SHOW THE PROPRIETY OF HIS ADMONITION,
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0101 paragraph 8
ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT."
III. ATTEND TO HIS EXHORTATION, "LET US PUT
I. EXPLAIN THE TERMS NIGHT AND DAY.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0101 paragraph 9
illustrate
Night and day are used in this passage to
---------* The three following lectures on "The Times," "The Truth," and "Visions of Ezekiel," were written some
years ago; and are but sketches of the subjects on which they treat. The author had neither time nor
health to re-write them. And although the manner and style of them are not as good as the author and
editor would desire; yet they contain so much plain, old-fashioned truth, that we have concluded to give
them to the public, in the expectation that they will exert a salutary influence.
0102
a moral or spiritual idea, which the apostle wished to communicate to his brethren at Rome, and
through them to us. 1. Night, in the natural world, is that portion of time in which the face of the
natural sun is hid from us, or that part of our earth on which we dwell, in accordance with certain
infallible laws of nature, such as light and the vivifying influence of the sun, or the revolution of our
earth upon its axis. 2. Night in the moral world is like night in the natural. God is the fountain of all
light, life, and holiness, and without his vivifying influence we are left to grope our way in moral
darkness. We cannot see things clearly, but we stumble upon the dark mountains of infidelity and
doubt. This great Sun of light, life, and holiness, is governed by as immutable laws as the natural sun,
yes, and ten thousand times stronger, and more stable; because natural laws may change, "heaven and
earth may pass away," but not one jot or tittle of his word or law shall ever fail. One of these
unchangeable laws is, that God cannot look upon sin with the least allowance. Witness the withdrawal
of his countenance from Adam in the garden when he sinned, and the beginning of the night spoken of
in our text. Adam, like the natural world, turned from God, and all was darkness. He broke the holy law
- "thou shalt not sin," and he and all his posterity became involved in a moral night, with only now and
then some glimmering star, some Abel, Enoch, Noah, some patriarchs and prophets - or a changing
moon, the church, to shed a glimmer upon this moral night, that may haply lead us to a blessed hope of
the glorious appearing of the Son of Man. The ancient prophets and apostles all prophesied of the glory
that should follow; these were stars in the night of moral darkness. The church, which Christ in his flesh
set up in the world, has sometimes, like the moon at its stated seasons, shown her full round face, and
has given strong evidence that there was a sun, although hid from the immediate view of the world, and
that she looked, by faith at least, upon the glorious Sun
0103
of Righteousness. At other times she has been veiled in a cloud or smoke of error, which rose from the
bottomless pit. Sometimes she has been made gory by the persecutions which have assailed her; for
the faithful have waded through trials, changes, afflictions and death. Yet one thing have they all shown
by these things, that this is not their continuing city; but that they seek one to come, whose builder and
maker is God. But the apostle says in our text that this night (of moral darkness) is far spent, and the
day is at hand; which brings us to consider,
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0103 paragraph 1
Second, what we may understand the apostle
as meaning by Day. Natural day flows immediately from light, or the great luminary of the heavens, the
sun. Just so the moral day. Wherever God by his immediate presence dwells, and light, life and
righteousness are enjoyed, there is day. The gospel is sometimes compared to the sun and light, and
where and when that is enjoyed, it is sometimes called day, as in Zech.xiv.7,8. Ps.xcv.7: "To-day, if you
will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Heb.iii.7.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0103 paragraph 2
But that the apostle did not mean this gospel
day, is evident from the text immediately preceding: "For now is our salvation nearer than when we
believed." For the night is far spent, &c.; strongly expressing it to be future. Now if it meant the gospel
day, why did the apostle call the time in which he wrote night? Surely if ever the gospel shined in our
world, it was in the apostles' days. Then, before the antichristian beast, and the smoke out of the
bottomless pit, arose on the earth, and darkened the sun, and filled the world with corrupt sentiments,
and the minds of men with heretical principles, before the obnoxious vapors of the doctrine of devils
filled the moral air, and the moon was turned to blood, and the stars fell to the earth, this day must
have been, or we must look for it in the future.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0103 paragraph 3
That the apostle does not mean the gospel day,
is evident, also, from the fact that he gives instructions
0104
to the Roman Christians how to obtain the gospel armor, which was to be as light to them during this
night of moral darkness; for if it had been day, their armor of light would be of no more use than a
candle at noon.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0104 paragraph 1
Again. The day spoken of cannot mean death;
for death is nowhere in scripture called day, but the reverse. "The night cometh, when no man can
work." John ix.4. Then I know not what day the apostle alludes to, unless he has reference to the great
day when "Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." That this day is what
the apostle meant, is evident, - 1. Because it is a day of salvation, as he says in the context - "For now is
our salvation nearer than when we believed," and "he comes the second time without sin unto
salvation." Again, "I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before
God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." It is evident that he
means this day, also, because the Sun of Righteousness will then live and dwell on the earth, and he
shall be the light thereof. See Mal.iv.2: "But unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of Righteousness
arise with healing in his wings, and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall. And ye shall tread
down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, in the day that I shall do this, saith
the Lord of hosts." Again, in Psalm lxviii.18: "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive:
thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among
them." Zech.ii.10: "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of
thee, saith the Lord, and many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people:
and I will dwell in the midst of thee." Again, Rev.xxi.3: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying,
Behold, the
0105
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God
himself shall be with them, and be their God." This is the day, my brethren, which the apostle Paul
alludes to in our text; and if he could say eighteen hundred years ago, "The night is far spent, the day is
at hand," surely, my brethren, we may say now he standeth at the door. And I do most solemnly believe
that the day of the Lord is near, yes, very near. "Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness." This
brings us to our second head, - to show,
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0105 paragraph 1
OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS."
II. THE PROPRIETY OF THE ADMONITION, "CAST
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0105 paragraph 2
What then is meant by works of darkness? In
the first place, it is an abhorrence of light, for fear our sins will be brought to light or made manifest.
"We love darkness rather than light, because our deeds are evil." These characters may be known by
their anxiety to destroy the main principles of the word of God. Sin, in their view, is nothing more than a
misfortune; salvation is only the good deeds of man; Christ is only a man that set good examples;
atonement is only the forgiveness of our Adamic sin; and punishment is only the evils of life! They
always are very uneasy, and often angry, if future punishment is mentioned. And we may know they are
wrong; "for anger rests only in the bosom of fools."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0105 paragraph 3
Again, there is another class who work the
works of darkness. These are those who are ignorant of the righteousness of God, and go about (as the
apostle says) to establish their own righteousness. These may be known by their complainings; nobody
is right but themselves; they are always justifying their own ways and condemning others; they will ever
be framing some plausible excuse for neglect of any duty, and condemning others for the merest trifle.
They are strange characters. You may preach to them of their crimes, and they will give it to their
neighbor; you may admonish them, and they regard it not. They are so completely shrouded
0106
in their mantle of selfishness, that nothing makes any impression upon them. Preach law - they have
kept it; preach gospel - they need it not; preach duty - they will throw in your face a host of excuses.
Their coat of mail is like the hide of Leviathan, no arrow can pierce it, and I have thought that nothing
but the trump of God will ever awake them. Well did Christ say to such characters, "O generation of
vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?"
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0106 paragraph 1
There is another class whom the apostle calls
"worldly-minded sinners," who "work the works of darkness." These may be known by their anxiety for
the world, and their disregard to all the means of salvation. Visit them, and their whole mind is on the
world: they can talk freely and flippantly of their farms, their silver, their cattle, and sheep; but not one
word about salvation. They can go into a long detail of their plans to gain property, but talk to them of
the plan of salvation and it will be very insipid and dry. The week is spent in hoarding up treasures, and
the Sabbath in counting their silver and casting their accounts. They never visit the house of God
without some worldly motive in view. They search their accounts oftener than their Bibles; they study
more how to obtain the world than eternal life. In one word, they are glued to the present evil world,
and when the day shall come, they will, with the rich man, lift up their eyes, being in torment.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0106 paragraph 2
There is still another class, and they are those
who seek for the honors of this world, more than to honor God, having men's persons in admiration. In
their works of darkness you may discover them; they are deceitful, their words are smooth as oil, and
with their lips they use deceit. They flatter but to destroy; they deceive but to betray; they pretend to
be friendly to all, yet are friends only to themselves. They never talk plain or open-hearted, but always
wound in private. There is no meanness which they will not stoop to do, to obtain their end. Solomon
says, "He that knoweth and dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him, when he
0107
speaketh fair, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered
by deceit, his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation." "But the fearful and
unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second
death." Rev.xxi.8. If these things are so, then surely the apostle has done well to admonish us to "put
off these works of darkness;" - and oh, my hearers, we should do well, yes, we should be wise, and that
too for ourselves, to obey the injunction of the apostle, "for the night is far spent, the day is at hand,
when every man's works will be tried so as by fire."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0107 paragraph 1
III. WE WILL NOW EXAMINE THE APOSTLE'S
EXHORTATION, "LET US PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0107 paragraph 2
The Christian in this night of darkness and error
is compared to a soldier on guard in the night, and in time of war; and how apt and instructing is the
allusion. In the night, on guard, a soldier must have his armor all on; he must not lie down; he must
keep awake, not sleep, stand at his post; he must watch the approach of the enemy, hail the approach
of a friend, understand the use of his armor, have in readiness the watchwords of the camp; and he will
watch for the dawn of the morning with as much anxiety as a bride for the return of the bridegroom.
Just so with a Christian in this night of moral darkness. He is called to watch, and to have on the armor
of light. He must stand up, and having done all, must stand. He too must keep awake, as says the
prophet, Is.li.17: "Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem." He must not sleep, as Paul says, 1Thess.v.6:
"Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober." He must watch his enemies,
both outward and inward; he must hail and rejoice over one sinner that repenteth; he must learn and
understand the use of his spiritual armor; he must be ready with the word at all times, so that he may
give the reason of his hope with meekness and
0108
fear.. And if he is a good soldier in Christ, he will watch for the dawn of the morning when the Captain
of his salvation shall come the second time without sin unto salvation; when his enemies will all be slain,
and the shout of victory be heard by all the righteous dead, and the last loud blast of the trump of God
shall proclaim universal peace in the kingdom of Christ.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0108 paragraph 1
Then how happy will that soldier of the cross be,
whom, when his Lord comes, he shall find with his whole armor of light on. So doing, "stand, therefore,
having your loins girt about with truth." The truth will make you free. It will strengthen you to combat
error; it is all-powerful, for God is truth; and he hath all power in heaven and earth. You will never be
afraid that your cause will not prevail; for truth is mighty and will prevail. You will never want to use
carnal weapons, for the holiness of truth will forbid the thought. And that man who resorts to carnal
weapons to support his cause, may depend upon it he is not on truth. "And having on the breastplate of
righteousness." This, too, is the armor of God prepared for us by Christ himself. This righteousness will
give us confidence, that we shall not be afraid to front all enemies, even death itself, knowing that in
him and by his robe we shall be justified from all things wherein the law could not justify; for we, being
weak in the flesh, could not justify ourselves by the works of the law, but Christ becoming the end of the
law for righteousness to every one that believeth, we, therefore, may have confidence, who have fled
for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us; and such need not be ashamed before him at his
coming. "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." This teaches us that we
must walk after the example of John, who prepared a people made ready for the Lord, and Christ, who
fulfilled all righteousness. How necessary, my brethren, that our walk be found according to the
examples of Christ and the apostles, that our feet
0109
may be shod with the gospel of peace, that we may be ready to enter in through the gate into the city.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0109 paragraph 1
"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith
ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked." This is an important part of the armor. Faith is
able to carry us through all the trials of life. By faith we receive and enjoy all the rich promises of God.
By faith we live upon his word, as the children of Israel lived on manna in the wilderness. By faith we
please God; by faith we believe in the day spoken of in our text; and through faith we shall be able to
subdue kingdoms, work righteousness, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence
of fire; in one word, come off conquerors through him who hath loved us.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0109 paragraph 2
"And take the helmet of salvation." This is our
hope, and the evidence of this only can be obtained by our diligence in the calling, and by our love for
the Author of our salvation. How do we know that we are in a state of salvation? Answer. By our hope.
And how do we know our hope is a good one? By its being founded on the grace of God, and not on our
works. Then the speaker, say you, has contradicted himself, for he has just told us that hope was
obtained by our diligence, and that part suited his belief exactly. You have mistaken me; I did not say
our hope was obtained by our diligence; but the evidence of its being a good one. Will not smoke
ascend, and will not water run down? If you have a good hope, you have a good heart, and from that
heart will proceed good fruits.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0109 paragraph 3
Again; "The sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God." This, being our only rule of life, and the only means of trying the Spirit, may be truly
compared to a sword, for it cuts off all false rules, doctrines, spirits, and leaves nothing but "thus saith
the Lord." And here, again, we may try ourselves: In every trial do we fly to the word of God for
direction? Do we square our lives by its rules? Is this word our law-book, our director? And, like David,
can we say, "How love I thy law?"
0110
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0110 paragraph 1
"Praying always with all prayer, and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."
These constitute the whole armor of light, or of God, as the apostle calls it in Eph.vi.13. Here again is
another rule to try ourselves by. Is prayer a solemn, an interesting, and soul-reviving duty? Do we in
trials, in afflictions, in joy and sorrow, in light and darkness, in coldness and warmth, find peace, comfort,
consolation, and reconciliation in this duty? Or do we pray to be seen of men, or to stop the gnawings
of a guilty conscience; or do we neglect this weapon altogether? Let God and our own consciences
decide - and let us decide quickly, and justly - for the "day is at hand which will try every man's work,
whether it be good or evil." - "Let us, then, put on the whole armor of light."
IMPROVEMENT.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0110 paragraph 2
error, darkness, and every evil work, is almost spent.
1. By our subject we learn that the night of sin,
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0110 paragraph 3
2. The day is near when all these things will be
brought to light, and every evil work will receive a just recompense of reward.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0110 paragraph 4
darkness. And,
3. We are admonished to cast off the works of
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0110 paragraph 5
4. We are exhorted to put on the armor of light.
0111
LECTURE ON TRUTH.
I. WHAT IS TRUTH?
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0111 paragraph 2
JOHN xviii.38.
Pilate saith unto him, What is Truth?
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0111 paragraph 3
IN this question by Pilate, we have the same
thing presented which all mankind are professedly seeking after; yet with as little desire, perhaps, to
know, believe, or practise the truth, as the individual who asked the question.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0111 paragraph 4
Pilate was noted for his depravity, wickedness,
and crime; and when he had asked the question, went out, without waiting for a reply, and did that
which he knew was wickedly wrong. For he said to the Jews, "I find in him no fault at all;" and yet he
released unto them a murderer, and took Jesus and scourged him, crowned him with thorns, mocked
and smote him, and said unto the Jews, "Take ye him and crucify him, for I find no fault in him." Just so
at the present day: we find many inquirers after truth, but few who are willing to hear, and fewer still
who are willing to practise it.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0111 paragraph 5
I. I shall, in this discourse, endeavor to show
some things that are true; although in this question a field is open which neither you or I could fully
explore, even with the talents of the highest seraph, or the ability of an elect angel. Yet, by divine
permission,
0112
we may look within the door, and see so much, and only so much, as Christ came to witness unto us.
For he says, "For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." We may,
then, safely inquire, "What is truth?"
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0112 paragraph 1
1. God is true. This may be known by his works.
Look into yourselves; see the order of your bodily system, the flow of blood, the heaving of the lungs;
see, too, the activity of thought, the affections of the soul, the acuteness of feeling; every department of
the mind, every function of the body acting in unison with its fellow; no jarring, while in health, but
every motion and emotion true to the original cause as the needle to the pole. Can these laws by which
we are governed in the body be thus true, and He who created them be untrue? No.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0112 paragraph 2
Look at the vegetable world. See the regular
system of all the plants of the earth, each springing forth in its season, growing, budding, blossoming,
bearing fruit, yielding its seed after its kind, and each seed containing elements of further increase, and
so on, until figures would fail to multiply the number of likes contained in every seed. All true to the
laws of the vegetable world - can this be true, and He who clothes the field with its verdure not be true?
Never.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0112 paragraph 3
Look again at the heavens. See the systems of
the planetary world. See suns innumerable, each the centre of a system, and all the planets moving in
their respective orbits around these suns, keeping their proper distances, observing regular times, and
so true that revolutions unnumbered may pass off without the variation of a moment. Do not all these
things show that He who spake them into existence must be truth?
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0112 paragraph 4
When, in short, we view the regular laws of
nature, and behold all things, both animate and inanimate, obeying those laws, and man, though a rebel,
compelled to yield to them, so that he cannot by any physical force evade or nullify the acts of the
Almighty, are we not irresistibly led to conclude, that God is true - true to himself, true to his own laws,
true to
0113
his own word and will, and that he does manifestly declare that he will be true in his moral government?
This leads us to show,
II. THAT THE WORD OF GOD IS TRUTH.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0113 paragraph 1
That the Old and New Testaments are the word
of God, is hardly a disputable point at the present day. Yet there are a few heaven-daring sceptics who
do sneeringly insinuate that it is only the work of man. And we would not wish to deny that there are
many, very many, who deny parts of the word, and by so doing nullify, or endeavor to nullify, so much as
does not suit their carnal appetite or moral taste of things. Some do away the divinity of Christ, others
the office or work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, others the depravity of the natural heart; and so on,
to the several other parts of the word. Some deny the historical, and some the prophetical; some
dispute the doctrines, and some the precepts. But I am to show that the word of God, embraced in the
Old and New Testaments, is true.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0113 paragraph 2
rational account of creation.
1. It is true, because those books give the only
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0113 paragraph 3
laws in our world.
2. It is true, because they give the best code of
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0113 paragraph 4
certainty that silences all caviling.
3. It is true. They tell of events to come with a
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0113 paragraph 5
man, the thoughts and intents of the heart.
4. It is true. They describe the character of
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0113 paragraph 6
5. It is true. There is a general harmony
through the whole. In every page, in every book, we find the same important pillars of truth. We find
the same God, the same Savior, the same Spirit, described. We see human character unfolded with
entire harmony and truth; and the two opposite states of man, the righteous and the wicked, from Abel
and Cain, down to the judgment of the great day, clearly brought to view. In every book we find the
same promises to the one, and the same curses denounced upon the other. And, although these writers
lived in different ages of the world, and about sixteen hundred years apart, from the first writer to the
last;
0114
although there were between forty and fifty of them, in every grade of life, from the king on his throne
to the poor fisherman; yet their enemies have not been able to show any discrepancy, or disagreement,
that is not easily reconciled.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0114 paragraph 1
These things show that God is the author of his
word. "And holy men (from the king to the peasant) spake as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0114 paragraph 2
Again; the historical part of the word of God is
true. All the contemporary profane historians agree in supporting some parts, and collectively prove the
whole; and many monuments of antiquity, still standing, are an additional weight of testimony. The
evidences of the flood, of the cities of the plain, of Babylon, Jerusalem, and the monuments of Egypt, all
show that the writers lived in the several ages in which they professed to write; and if their writings had
not been true, how easily would their enemies have detected them. And surely no one will pretend that
the writers of the sacred books had no opposers. Had Moses none? See Egypt, then in her glory; see
the Moabites, the Ammonites, Edomites, and all the nations of the land of Judea. Had Joshua, Samuel,
David, no enemies? Yes; for there was war all the days of these writers. Had the prophets no enemies?
Yes - in their own kings. See the history of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and of all the smaller prophets.
Would not the kings and rulers among the Jews have confuted the writings of these men, if it had been
in their power, for they were all against them? Yes, yes. But God preserved his word; for it was truth.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0114 paragraph 3
In the apostles' days, - had they no enemies?
There were Jews and Gentiles, all opposed to those wild fanatics and visionary fools, as they were called,
who wrote the New Testament, - "to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness." All the
erudition and wisdom of the pagan government of Rome, that mistress of the world, embracing the
most learned people in the whole earth, worshiping
0115
in all manner of ways, having and professing to have a knowledge of all the gods many and lords many
then known, and altars erected in every city and kingdom in their empire, with their gods and goddesses,
priests and priestesses, kings, generals, heroes, soldiers, and people, all combined to destroy the Bible;
and yet how vain was the attempt. It stood; "for truth is mighty and will prevail." The fishermen's Bible
hath stood the shock.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0115 paragraph 1
Look at the infidels of France in modern times.
A government which shook the kingdoms of Europe, and made Egypt and Asia quail, bent all her energy
and power to destroy the Bible. Her learned men, her great men, her mighty men, did all that men
could, - and what did they do? They opened the eyes of the world. For after three years and a half,
during which time the Bible was a dead letter in France, anarchy, murder, and blood filled the kingdom
with horror, terror, and dismay; so that the infidels and deists themselves prayed for the restoration of
the christian religion - the precepts of the Bible. And the two witnesses, the Old and New Testaments,
arose in a cloud, and have been sent to every nation, in every clime, and are now witnessing in every
language.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0115 paragraph 2
By these events, the truth of the prophecies of
the Bible has been tested. John, in Rev.xi.5,6, says, "And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out
of their mouth and devoureth their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be
killed. These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power
over waters (people) to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they
will."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0115 paragraph 3
How truly were these texts fulfilled on infidel
France! Where are her infidel writers? "Devoured and slain" in the same Revolution which they said
would revolutionize the christian world and destroy the Bible. Where are the millions of deists who
filled France in the days of her Revolution? And the millions more in every nation in Europe and
0116
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0116 paragraph 1
America? They are "turned to blood," or
"smitten with a curse." There are but few left, and that "remnant was affrighted, and gave glory to the
God of heaven." Once, our cities, our villages and hamlets, were full of deists. But now, where are they?
None, none, to raise their puny arm against the Lord and his Anointed.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0116 paragraph 2
But, my brethren, there is one more battle, and
then the mystery of God will be finished. The enemies of truth have one weapon yet. They wield it now;
they begin to shout the victory. It is to pervert the word of God, and wrest its meaning: to change the
truth into a lie. This will be the last struggle. Here the enemies of the truth will fall to rise no more
forever; for "truth is mighty and will prevail." "Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as
they do the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these
things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own
steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: to him be
glory, both now and forever. Amen." So says Peter; and it is a solemn admonition to us, in this last day.
Let us not pervert or wrest the scriptures from their own simple meaning. The word of God must be its
own expositor. It is a chain of truth which cannot be broken without doing despite to the Spirit of God
by whom it was indicted.
III. WHAT DOES THE WORD TEACH US?
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0116 paragraph 3
1. It teaches that God is the Creator of all things,
both which are in heaven and on earth. It teaches that we must be created anew in Christ Jesus: yet
some say we create ourselves by good works.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0116 paragraph 4
2. It teaches that Jesus Christ is God manifest in
the flesh: the mighty God, the everlasting Father. Yet some tell us he is but a man.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0116 paragraph 5
3. It teaches that the Holy Spirit is sent down
from God, as a sanctifier and reprover, to lead our minds into truth, and to regenerate the heart. Yet
some deny his office totally, and some in part.
0117
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0117 paragraph 1
4. The word teaches that we are elected
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. See 1Pet.i.2: "Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." And yet there are many, very many, who
profess to be Christians, who deny this doctrine.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0117 paragraph 2
5. The word teaches that "we are kept by the
mighty power of God through faith unto salvation. Yet some say we keep ourselves. "I give unto them
eternal life, and they shall never perish." Yet some at this day say they can perish.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0117 paragraph 3
6. The Bible says the wicked shall be driven into
hell, punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, shall go away into everlasting
punishment. Yet, say some, everlasting has an end. "But the fearful and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and ALL liars, shall have
their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." And yet many
say, you shall not surely die.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0117 paragraph 4
This is a fearful day, my brethren. It seems the
devil has come down unto us, knowing that he hath but a short time. The lo-heres and lo-theres gather
upon us thick as a cloud. Some pervert the doctrine of the gospel, and some the precept; some resist
the power, and some pervert the ordinances. Let us, then, take heed unto the truth; for the truth shall
make us free.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0117 paragraph 5
Let us often ask the question, "What is truth?"
and let us be sure we believe, practise, and teach it. For what good will deception or false sentiments
do us in the coming storm; when the fire of God's wrath will try every man's work, and when truth only
will stand in the day of judgment? "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but not one jot or tittle of my
word shall fail." "For the great day of his wrath is come, and who will be able to stand?" AMEN.
0118
LECTURE ON
THE VISIONS OF EZEKIEL.
I. Introduction.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0118 paragraph 2
EZEK.xii.27.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0118 paragraph 3
Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel
say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0118 paragraph 4
EVER since man fell from the state of innocence
and obedience in which he was created and placed in the garden of Eden, he has been prone to hide
from God, and to cover iniquity in his bosom, rather than to confess his crimes and forsake his
transgressions, as the law of gratitude would dictate, and the gospel of Jesus Christ require. When man
sinned, all the malignant passions of the evil spirit entered the citadel of his heart, and reigned
predominant over his soul.* Hatred, which like a goad urges him on to his own destruction, is ever
rankling in his breast, and, mad with rage, he plunges forward like an angry horse in the day of battle, to
trample under foot the Being he abhors, the law he dislikes, and even the offers of mercy and peace
which he detests. Malice deliberately influencing his mind, like a deep flowing river, presses him
onward to plot all kind of mischief against him whom he ought in his soul to admire and respect, and
likewise against those who may love, or be loved, by the object of his malicious spite.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0118 paragraph 5
persecution
This can only account for the ferocious
---------* See Eph.ii.2. 2Tim.ii.26.
+ Rom.iii.10-18. i.21-32.
0119
which has followed the people of God in all ages, and among all nations, from the days of Cain and Abel
to the present time. If man had been only possessed of hatred without malice, he would not have
persecuted, he would only have shunned the society of him he detested; but malice pursues the object
with an untiring zeal, which will never yield, even in death itself. For in hell they lift up their eyes, (with
a malicious spite against the throne, and him who sitteth upon it,) being in torment. Show me a man, or
WOMAN if you please, who has malice against a neighbor, and I will show you one whose tongue will
never tire, whose feet will never be weary. Neither the torrents nor the blasts, the rains nor the snows,
darkness nor light, will ever prevent them from spreading their malicious lies, to injure their neighbor's
character. They will visit the couch of the sick, or the bed of the dying, to whisper the often-told,
malignant tale. They will put on the visage of sanctity itself, and visit the sanctuary of God, where holy
men and women meet to praise and pray, in order to drop their poison into the ear of some unwary
listener. They will creep into houses to lead captive silly women, as says the apostle. They will separate
very friends - they will destroy the peace of families, the prosperity of Zion. Such are the servants of
Satan.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0119 paragraph 1
Envy is another base and sordid passion of
fallen man. How mean, how selfish, how despicable is that soul that looks with envy on those above it,
that cannot be at ease when others are blessed, that rests only in the woes of others. Vexation and
disappointment are the lot of its inheritance. "Envy," says Solomon, "is the rottenness of the bones."
The envious man is his own tormentor. Job says "envy slayeth the silly one."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0119 paragraph 2
But unbelief, that worst of all sins, that final,
soul-destroying sin, which makes man an infidel, and sinks him down to dwell in endless woe, where
hope and joy, and every grace that gives to life a blessing, are gone, forever gone - which distrusts the
word of
0120
God given for the soul's salvation; discards the promises, although supported by the oath of God; and
hinders the work of God, though Christ himself be engaged in it; - what shall we say of this climax of all
sins?
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0120 paragraph 1
Christ himself could not do many mighty works
in his own country, and among his own kin, because of their unbelief. Unbelief caused the destruction
of the Israelites in the wilderness; they did not rely on the word of God, his promises they rejected, his
precepts despised, his providence disregarded, and murmured against his government; therefore they
were consumed in the wilderness. Unbelief will eventually prove the condemnation of the wicked. For
the unbelieving, says John, shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second
death. This then, of all the evils of the human heart, brings most destructive consequences. For all that
Christ has done for the salvation of sinful man cannot save an unbeliever, and all that God has done, by
sending his Son, and revealing his will, his word, his grace, and proving the truth thereof by a cloud of
incontestable witnesses, showing man his fallen state, his need of salvation, the certainty of
condemnation, placing before him the highest motives to happiness and glory, presenting the most
deplorable condition of the finally impenitent, exciting the rational mind to virtue and holiness by the
promise of great and lasting rewards, threatening the incorrigible with just and heavy judgments here,
and in the world to come eternal banishment from all good; - all this will not effect his salvation; the
unbeliever is an unbeliever still. Nothing, no motives, no threatenings, no rewards can move him. He
remains unchanged. Yet there is one way and one only by which the unbelieving heart can be changed.
And blessed be the name of God, he alone was able to discover the way and execute the plan. Infinite
knowledge could devise, and creative power could do the work. You must be born again - created in
Christ Jesus unto good works. All other ways were
0121
tried with the people to whom our text is addressed, "the house of Israel." Their fathers had been called
and separated from all the families of the earth, they had been preserved by miracles, and delivered
from their powerful foes by the more powerful arm of the Almighty. They had been fed and clothed by
the liberal hand of him who called them sons. He condescended to converse with some of them as a
man converses with his friend, face to face. He wrote the constitution of their laws with his own finger
on tables of stone. He gave his precepts to Moses, and sanctioned them on mount Sinai by his voice.
He divided to Israel by lot, and appointed their portion in a land flowing with milk and honey. He drove
his enemies before them, and gave them peace in all their borders. He established his ordinances
among them, and his holiness filled their temple at Jerusalem. He promised them a Messiah in the seed
of Abraham to sit upon the throne of David. Yet after all they were rebellious still, as the prophet says in
the context.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0121 paragraph 1
With these preliminary remarks, I now come,
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0121 paragraph 2
I. TO ILLUSTRATE THE VISION; the vision which
they treated with so much neglect, and said it was yet "for many days to come, and he prophesieth of
the times that are far off."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0121 paragraph 3
The visions which Ezekiel had seen you will find
in the first chapter of Ezekiel, and then again the eighth to the tenth inclusive. In these visions, which
agree, are represented the glory of God in the revelation of the gospel, which would be revealed in
Christ between the two cherubims, the Old and New Testaments; the setting up of the spiritual kingdom,
and destruction of the Jewish hierarchy; the different situations or times in the gospel day, through
which this kingdom would pass; and the completion of the same, and destruction of the world and all
the abominations of the earth. It is very evident to those who will read these visions of Ezekiel, that the
principal design of God was to warn the Jews of the heavy judgments which he was about to bring
0122
upon their city and nation, for their gross sins, their dreadful abominations, and idolatrous departure
from the living God, and through them also to warn us of our approaching danger, under similar
circumstances. For what happened to them "happened unto them for ensamples, (or types,) and they
are written for our admonition, on whom the end of the world is come," as saith the apostle, 1Cor.x.11.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0122 paragraph 1
The first and second chapters of Ezekiel give us
the vision which he first saw. The four living creatures, having the faces of a lion, man, ox and eagle, are
the same as John saw, Revelations fourth and fifth chapters, and, as we are there taught, are those who
are redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, including the Gentiles as well
as the Jews. The lion represents the church in the apostles' age, when they went forth bold as lions,
preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in all the world. The ox represents the church in a state of
subjection and persecution, under the Roman emperors Nero, Domitian, and others, when they were
delivered unto the slaughter and were made slaves by the Roman power. The face of a man denotes
that state under which the church lived in the days of Constantine and his successors, when the
kingdoms of the world, represented in prophecy by beasts, were more or less under the control of the
church and her ambitious clergy, as beasts are under the rule of man; and when the church united with
the state, and became haughty, imperious, and proud, like a man. The face of an eagle represents the
church in the state when antichrist began to persecute and devour the true children of God, and her
divine Master gave her two wings of an eagle, that she might fly unto the place in the wilderness, where
she hath a place prepared of God, to be nourished 1260 days, or time, times and a half: thus giving us
the four principal features of the church as she has appeared to the world since her establishment on
the earth. The wheels denote the government of God. The outer or outside wheel is his general
government with
0123
the world, and the kingdoms thereof, in which the church now moves. The inner wheel is the
government of God over his church while in this state, under the control or power of the kingdoms of
the world, and shows us that God has a people, a remnant, in the world, children of the kingdom,
invisible perhaps to us, but known unto God from the creation, as all his works were; "For we have this
seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his." Yet they grow with the tares, and will grow with them, as our
Savior said, until the harvest, or end of the world: when they, that is, his people, will be gathered from
among all people, where they have been scattered during the dark and cloudy day of persecution,
tribulation, and distress.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0123 paragraph 1
But God, rich in mercy towards those who
believe, has by the prophets and apostles opened the door of his future dealings, so that we can look
into the times yet to come, and discover some of that glory which his children will inherit at the
revelation of Jesus Christ, to comfort and console those who believe, under their trials and afflictions,
and to animate and excite those who are dilatory and negligent in his cause to more faithfulness and
perseverance in the way.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0123 paragraph 2
Not only has our heavenly Father opened the
doors of futurity to his children, but to those also who are yet in a state of nature, that they might
believe. He has, by his word, by the mouth of his prophets, and by Jesus Christ and the apostles, taught
them the awful destruction that awaits the finally impenitent. David says, "The wicked shall be turned
into hell," Psalm ix.17, and prays, "Let them go down quick into hell." lv.15. Isaiah, speaking of the
wicked worshipers of Babylon, says, "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell." Isaiah xiv.15. Christ says,
"Fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt.x.28. Again, "How can ye escape the
damnation of hell?" Matt.xxiii.33.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0123 paragraph 3
which are now, by the same word are kept in store,
In 2Peter iii.7: "But the heavens and the earth
0124
reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." And "these shall go away
into everlasting punishment." Matt.xxv.46. "And they that have done evil unto the resurrection of
damnation." John v.29. Surely God could not have talked more plainly; and, indeed, what language
could have been used, so that wicked men would not have perverted and wrested it? They themselves
cannot give us any language which would have expressed the idea to their satisfaction. Peter says,
"Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own
destruction. Ye, therefore, brethren, seeing that ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being
led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness." 2Peter iii.16,17.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0124 paragraph 1
I have endeavored to show you some of the
things which God has revealed to his servants the prophets in visions; and it now remains for me to
show some of those excuses which the Jews made, to evade the force and truth of Ezekiel's prophecy.
II. I SHALL SHOW THAT PEOPLE AT THE PRESENT DAY ARE MAKING THE SAME EXCUSES AND PLEAS AS
THEN.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0124 paragraph 2
1. The Jews said "the vision was for many days
to come." You will readily see why they put off the vision for many days. It was that they might have
more time to accomplish their own wicked purposes, to execute their own avaricious plans. They were
engaged, in Ezekiel's days, in idolatry to an alarming degree. The people were embracing some of the
most dangerous errors that ever crept into the Jewish church. It had become very fashionable to be
prophets, or teachers. Whether this was because such persons received great salaries, or because their
trade was called honorable, or because it was an easy life, and they were too indolent to get a living by
labor, we may not be able exactly to tell. But some things we can tell: Ezekiel has recorded them. They
are compared to foxes. Ezek.xiii.4: "O Israel, thy prophets are like foxes in the deserts." They were
0125
cunning,, sly, and deceitful. They were too indolent to study the word of God, and bring out things new
and old; therefore they prophesied out of their own hearts, or stole, perhaps, the writings of others, as
the Lord accuses them in the 2d and 3d verses. In the 5th verse, "Ye have not gone up into the gap,
neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel." When trials came into the church and breaches
were made in her walls, they fled and left the people of God in affliction, and did not, by their
instruction, prepare them "to stand in the battle, in the day of the Lord." They preached or prophesied
that which was not in the word of God. See chapter xiii.6 to 8. They prophesied that which suited the
carnal ear, always ready to cry peace, even where the Lord had not spoken peace. See verse 10. Read
Ezekiel xiii.19 to the end. They conspired together, like a roaring lion ravening for the prey. They
devoured souls, and hunted for treasures and precious things; they caused many to mourn among the
people of God. They violated the law of God, and polluted holy things, by making no difference
between the clean and unclean. They shed blood and destroyed souls to get dishonest gain. They
daubed with untempered mortar, and formed creeds and ceremonies which God had not commanded.
They fed themselves on the fat of the land, and clothed themselves with the finest wool; but the flock
they did not feed. The diseased they did not strengthen, neither healed that which was sick. They
bound not up the broken in heart, nor brought back the wandering. They sought not for those which
were lost; but with force and cruelty they ruled over them. See Eze.xxii.25 to 29, and xxxiv.1 to 6,
inclusive.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0125 paragraph 1
The prophet Isaiah, in describing the same
characters, says, "His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot
bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough,
and they are shepherds that cannot understand. They
0126
all look to their own way, every one for his gain from his quarter." Is.lvi.10 and 11.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0126 paragraph 1
If any man, pretending to be a preacher of the
gospel, at this day, should preach to us in as plain and forcible a manner as Ezekiel did to the prophets of
his time, should we be apt to apply the word so preached to ourselves? No. Perhaps we should say, he is prophesying of many days yet to come, or of times that are afar off.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0126 paragraph 2
2. The people in that day were guilty, as God by
Ezekiel charges them, of setting up idols in their hearts, and putting the stumbling-block of their iniquity
before their face. See Ezekiel xiv.3.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0126 paragraph 3
The idols which they set up in their hearts were
these very prophets which Ezekiel had before described; for, instead of searching the word of God for
their faith and practice, they set up their false prophets as their lawgivers, and their construction of the
word as their best rule. These were their stumbling-blocks which the children of Israel stumbled over
into iniquity, and instead of going to God to inquire of him concerning their principles and duty, they go
to these false prophets to inquire; and God says he will suffer them to be deluded, and prophet and
people will be caught in a net together of their own making.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0126 paragraph 4
3. They had rebelled against the Lord, and were
stiff-hearted; they kept not his statutes, and despised his judgments; they regarded not his commands,
and kept not the holy Sabbath. They changed the ordinances of his house, and committed whoredom
by their communion with idols. They defiled the sanctuary of God, by admitting the profane and
unclean within the sacred place. They set up altars in every high place, and did not humble themselves
before God. They were proud and haughty of spirit, and regarded not the wants of the poor and needy.
They had much respect for those of high birth, while the low and base-born were treated with total
neglect. For the proverb, "Because the fathers have
0127
eaten sour grapes, the children's teeth are set on edge," had been much used in Israel at that day.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0127 paragraph 1
4. They had got to themselves itching ears,
being more pleased with the musical voice of their teachers than with the truth. They looked more for
an orator than they did for a true prophet. Eze.xxxiii.30-32. Yes. The Lord says to Ezekiel, "The children
of thy people still are talking against thee, by the walls and in the doors of their houses, and speak one
to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh
forth of the Lord; and they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people,
and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their
heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath
a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not."
These are some of the abominations of the children of Israel, and for these things Ezekiel was sent to
them, and was commanded to denounce sore and heavy judgments upon them, to wit, pestilence,
famine, war, and captivity. And what was the effect? Why, all the effect it had was to make them say,
"The vision he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off." They
dare not deny the vision itself, for this would have been too barefaced, or perhaps Ezekiel had given
them too much evidence of his being a true prophet. Yet they could avoid the conclusion, the evil
consequences, as they vainly thought, or could excuse themselves from repenting then, for he
prophesied of times that are afar off, say they; and perhaps some of them might have fixed on 2428
years afterward for these judgments to be poured out upon the world, which would bring it down to the
very day in which we live. I shall now show,
III. THAT THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL APPLIES TO US IN THIS DAY AS WELL AS TO THE JEWS.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0127 paragraph 2
Men in all ages of the world are, and have been,
0128
the same. The natural man among the Jews was governed by the same selfish, worldly, unholy
principles, as the natural man among the Gentiles. And the spiritual man among them was led by the
same Spirit, governed by the same principle of love to God and love for his fellows, as you, my brethren,
if you are what you profess to be. Therefore, there can be no reason shown why God will not deal with
us as with them, under similar circumstances. For the scripture is of no private interpretation, but is
given as a rule for all.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0128 paragraph 1
The same promises that were given to believing
Abraham, are also given to a believer now; only we live nearer the consummation of the promise than
our father Abraham did. It is the same river of life, on the banks of which we live, that issued, ankle
deep, from the garden of Eden, in the days of our first parents; only we can swim in it. It is the same
gospel that was given to Adam in the promise of the "seed of the woman," as we enjoy in the revelation
of Jesus Christ our Savior; only we live in a more brilliant display of that gospel. And the same law which
Adam our head broke, we his children have broken, though under more aggravating circumstances. The
same curse denounced against Adam for sin, has been poured upon us to this day; only in a greater
degree, because we sin against greater light. Then, can there be a reasonable argument produced, why
the woes denounced against Israel may not, eventually, be poured upon us, for like offences? No. God
is the same, his justice is the same, his mercy, his long-suffering is the same; therefore the sons of Jacob
are not consumed.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0128 paragraph 2
And one thing more - men make the same
excuses, the same pleas, now as in the days of Ezekiel. Tell them of the judgments of God being poured
out upon those that are hirelings in the church, those who feed themselves and not the flock; those who
come in with sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves; those who preach smooth things, and
cry peace, peace, when there is no peace; those who
0129
change the ordinances of God's house and teach the doctrine of men; those who build up creeds and
plaster them over with man's wisdom and reasoning, - and when you refer them to Ezekiel for proof,
what will be their answer? The vision which he saw was fulfilled many days past, and the time that he
prophesied of is far back.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0129 paragraph 1
The only difference between our excuse and
that of the Jews, is - they cast the blame and judgments forward many days, upon us; and we throw it
many days back, upon them. And thus we put off the evil day a great while yet to come, or place it on
our fathers' shoulders a great way back. There is a sect calling themselves believers in the word of God,
that originated in the garden of Eden, and have been laboring to convince men that there will be no
judgment day. They tell you it was past a long while ago, and therefore they cry peace; but let one of
their fellow-creatures owe them a trifling sum, say one hundred pence, if you please, and if he is unable
or unwilling to pay, they are as fond of a day of judgment as other men. They claim that which they
deny to God, the right to judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath appointed, even
Jesus Christ.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0129 paragraph 2
Again; if we show that God has appointed a day
in which he will judge the world, and refer to the prophets as proof; if by the most simple and plain
testimony we point out the time when that day will take place, what will be the common reply? I ask
not for the answer of infidels, but of those who pretend to believe in the word of God. They will tell you
"that the vision which the prophet saw is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that
are far off."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0129 paragraph 3
Again. Tell men that they ought to repent and
believe in God to the saving of their souls, and they will retort that there is time enough yet, there are
many days to come; and so they will put far off the day of repentance. Tell them death may cut them
off in an unexpected moment, and then it will be too
0130
late to make preparation; and, like the Jews, they will answer you that death "is for many days to come,"
and "the time is far off."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0130 paragraph 1
But propose to men any worldly advantage, any
gratification of their carnal desires, and they are all anxiety to obtain it; nothing will prevent their
pursuing the object with indefatigable industry. Rain or snow, cold or wet, naked or clothed, they press
towards their object; they will go without sleep or refreshment to obtain this or that gratification.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0130 paragraph 2
But present to them eternal riches laid up in
heaven for the willing and obedient, and call on them to perform any of the duties God requires of them,
and they are ready with a host of excuses. Ask them to go to the sanctuary. It looks like rain. Ask them
to go to the prayer meeting. They have no time. Ask them to come to the conference room. It is too
dark. Invite them to an assembly of saints. They have no clothes fit to wear. Tell them of a crucified
Savior, they are so dull. Speak of the great supper which he has provided for them, and they have no
appetite. Ask them if they know he is coming soon to receive them to himself. We have paid no
attention to that subject. Ask them if they expect to enter into his rest? We hope to. What is the
ground of your hope, my dear friend? If you love him not now, how can you expect to love him
hereafter? If you can sacrifice nothing in this life, how can you expect to receive the benefits of that
sacrifice which cost the Son of God a life of poverty, deprivation, and distress? which cost him groans
and tears and blood in the garden? which cost him mockings, tauntings, and scourging in Pilate's
judgment hall? which cost him sweat, and blood, and death on the cross? Think, my brethren, Oh! think
of the passion of Christ; and if that will not move you to a more active and diligent life in his cause, then
you may safely conclude you have no lot nor part in that glorious hope which he hath laid up for all
those who love his appearing.
0131
IMPROVEMENT.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0131 paragraph 1
1. We are taught by our subject that man is
naturally prone to put far off the evil day, especially death and the judgment day.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0131 paragraph 2
2. We learn that those who make excuses, to
exonerate themselves from their duties to God, ought to inquire if the same excuses prevent them from
the active duties of the world.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0131 paragraph 3
3. We may conclude, that as the righteous
judgments of God, threatened upon the Jews, were literally accomplished; so will they, and in an
unexpected hour, overtake us.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0131 paragraph 4
4. We learn, my brother professors, that if our
love is not as strong for Christ as for the world, we are wolves in sheep's clothing, and ought to be
alarmed for our future state.
0132
LECTURE ON
THE HARVEST OF THE WORLD.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0132 paragraph 2
REV.xiv.16.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0132 paragraph 3
on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0132 paragraph 4
THAT the word of God informs us of a harvest
after the gospel day, or at the closing up of the gospel period, I think no one, who believes in the
Scriptures, can deny. Here, then, I hope to meet my brethren of different sects on one common ground,
while I attempt to explain the fourteenth chapter of Revelations. I shall inquire,
I. WHO IT IS THAT SAT ON THE CLOUD AND ORDERED THE EARTH TO BE REAPED.
II. SHOW THE SEVERAL FRUITS OF THE EARTH WHICH ARE GATHERED IN OR DESTROYED AT THE
HARVEST, AND THE MANNER OF THE HARVEST.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0132 paragraph 5
I. THEN I AM TO SHOW WHO IT IS THAT SITS
UPON THE CLOUD AND ORDERS THE HARVEST. It must be the Lord Jesus Christ. See verse 14: "And I
looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his
head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0132 paragraph 6
The first description is "a white cloud." This is
the same cloud as was seen when Christ was transfigured on the mount. Matt.xvii.5: "While he yet
spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said,
0133
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Which, according to Peter, denotes
the glory of God. 2Pet.i.17: "For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came
such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0133 paragraph 1
The second description is, "one sat like unto the
Son of man." This agrees with Dan.vii.13: "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man
came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before
him." Matt.xxvi.64: "Jesus saith unto him, thou hast said: nevertheless, I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye
see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0133 paragraph 2
The third description is, "having on his head a
golden crown." Ps.xxi.3: "For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness; thou settest a crown
of pure gold on his head." Heb.ii.9: "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for
the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for
every man."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0133 paragraph 3
The fourth description is, "and in his hand a
sharp sickle." Joel iii.12,13,14: "Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat:
for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come,
get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes,
multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." In all these
passages it is evident that by "Son of man" is meant the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. I SHALL SHOW WHAT IS MEANT BY THE HARVEST, THE SEVERAL FRUITS OF THE EARTH, AND THE
MANNER OF GATHERING IN THE FRUITS, TOGETHER WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF THE VINE.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0133 paragraph 4
What is the meaning of the harvest? It has two
plain meanings. One is the cutting off of life, the other is the end of the world. In our text it
undoubtedly
0134
means the end of the world; for "the earth was reaped." What may we understand by the several fruits
of the earth? 1. They are those precious seeds which are useful to God or man. The children of the
promise are counted for the seed, that is, the children of faith. This is of two kinds, - the first fruits,
which means small children, which are cut off by death in early life, being the first fruits to God and the
Lamb. The second are those who are dead to sin, and made alive to holiness, through faith in the name
of Jesus and the word of God; their end is eternal life, and they, in due time, or in the end of the world,
are gathered into the garner of God. The last fruits, or the harvest of the vine, is the final destruction of
the wicked from the earth, by death, or such sore and heavy judgments as God may appoint at the end
of the world, to remove the wicked far from the earth, separate the goats from the sheep, the tares
from the wheat, and destroy the curse from the earth.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0134 paragraph 1
The chapter of Revelation now under
consideration, gives us a description of the harvest of the world in these three different ways. From the
first to fifth verses inclusive, we have a description of the first fruits, i.e. children not arrived to the age
of accountability. Rev.xiv.1: "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an
hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads." We in this verse
have an account of the whole number of infants saved by the number 144,000, it being a perfect or
square, showing, in my opinion, that all those who die in infancy are saved; this having reference to the
whole class, up to a certain age, best known to God. Verse 2: "And I heard a voice from heaven, as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder; and I heard the voice of harpers harping with
their harps;" showing us the occupation of this happy class in heaven. Verse 3: "And they sung as it
were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts and the elders; and no man
0135
could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the
earth." This verse shows who they are, first, by the song which no man could learn - it is known only to
infants: for man must sing redemption from actual transgression and sin; infants only from pollution and
death, inherited from their first parent. The class that stood before the four beasts and the elders do
not belong to them, and never did belong to the church on earth; for the "four beasts and four and
twenty elders" constitute the whole body of the church on earth. See Rev.v.8,9. These "were redeemed
from the earth," not through faith in them, nor have they "golden vials full of odors, which are prayers
of saints." Verse 4: "These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins." They did
not sin after the similitude of Adam's transgression, for he was tempted of the woman, and did eat.
"These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." They have followed him in death up to
immortal glory, where they sing a song which you nor I, dear reader, can ever learn, for Jesus was their
guardian, and took them home. "These were redeemed from among men." It does not say they were
men; but "redeemed from among men," being the children of men, and "being the first fruits unto God
and to the Lamb." They dropped into death, or were ripe in early life, like the first fruit under the law;
they were given to Christ as a part of his reward for his death and sufferings. "Suffer little children to
come unto me," says Christ; "for of such is the kingdom of heaven;" not like such, but "of such." Verse 5:
"And in their mouth was found no guile;" never was any guile found there, "for they are without fault
before the throne of God." Happy, happy infants! you never, never knowingly or willfully disobeyed a
holy God, or crucified or put to shame the blessed Child or Son of God. Weep no more, mothers; your
infants are without fault before the throne of God. "Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes
from tears; for thy work
0136
shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy." What land,
and what enemy? I answer, from the land of the graves, and the last enemy, death. "And there is hope
in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border." Jer.xxxi.16,17:
"Thus saith the Lord, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be
rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in
thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border." See to it, mothers,
that you weep no more for your infants, but weep for yourselves; secure to yourselves that blessed
hope which will secure an interest in the first resurrection, where the dead, small and great, shall stand
before God. This will be the border of those who have hope in their end, and this will be the border of
all infants, for they are blessed and holy, without fault before the throne of God. Ps.lxxxviii.54: "And he
brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had
purchased." This is the border of the glorious sanctuary which God pitched and not man. These are
harvested by death and brought into the garner in early life; not being wilful transgressors, they have no
need of repentance, and they could not exercise faith. They are the first fruits of the harvest.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0136 paragraph 1
The second fruit. Rev.xiv.6: "And 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." In this verse we have an account how
the second crop is harvested by the gospel, sent to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation,
kindred, tongue and people, and those who hear and believe may and will be harvested for eternal life.
Verse 7: "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,
0137
and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." This verse contains the new song, sung by those
who are brought in by the gospel. Verse 8: "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."
This verse shows the downfall of the papal power, or mystical Babylon, which was fulfilled in 1798, when
she lost her power to rule over the kings of the earth. Rev.xvii.18: "And the woman which thou sawest
is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." The first angel in the 6th verse represents
the sending out of missionaries and Bibles into every part of the world, which began about 1798. The
second angel is the messenger of God, denouncing the judgments of God upon mystical Babylon. Verse
9: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his
image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand," - the third angel, which follows the others,
is the same as the "midnight cry," giving due notice to the world of the near approach of the judgment
day. He has already sounded the alarm, "saying with a loud voice." This has sounded from every part of
God's moral vineyard; some in Asia, many in Europe, and multitudes in America, are now sounding the
alarm to the world given in verses 10 and 11: "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: and the smoke of
their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the
beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." These verses describe the same
events as the last vial of God's wrath, and the scene which will take place at the coming of the Lord Jesus,
with all his saints, taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall be punished
0138
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. Why start so, my Universal brother? What
aileth thee? You used a bad word. What word, my dear sir? Everlasting destruction. Is it not scripture?
Yes. But God doth not mean what he says. Ah! ah! my brother, let me tell you one solemn truth: if your
conscience had not been alarming you, and if its thunders had not brought conviction to your mind, you
would not thus have started; for words are harmless things. Oh, be warned, my dear sir; let conscience
speak, and you will no longer cry "peace and safety, when sudden destruction cometh." Verse 12: "Here
is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
While the saints have been tantalized, scoffed at, ridiculed and persecuted, they have had patience, they
continued to keep the commands of God, and have believed in the testimony of Jesus. "For the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Verse 13: "And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto
me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they
may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." In this verse the blessings of those who die
in the faith of Jesus are clearly brought to view: "they rest from their labors, and their works do follow
them." They will be rewarded according to their works. Verse 14: "And I looked, and behold a white
cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in
his hand a sharp sickle." The Son of man is now discovered sitting on the throne of his glory, crowned
with a pure crown of righteousness and truth; having all power to gather the remnant of his people, to
reap the last harvest of the wheat, and tread the winepress of the wrath of God. Verse 15: "And
another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in
thy sickle and reap; for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe." God
0139
commands,, by his angel, the earth to be reaped; that is, the last of the servants of God to be sealed.
We are now living in this last sealing time: the singular means and measures that have been used, the
great blessings that have attended these means, the meetings of days, answering to the Jewish feast of
tabernacles in time of harvest, the rain of grace that has descended upon these protracted efforts, the
withholding of the rain from those churches who would not keep the feast of the tabernacles.
Zech.xiv.16-19: "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came
against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep
the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto
Jerusalem to worship the King the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of
Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will
smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of
Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0139 paragraph 1
The extraordinary spread of the Bible, the
conversion of the inhabitants of the islands of the sea, the numerous societies which have arisen within
a few years for moral and universal reform, all go far to prove to me that we are living in the time when
the angel has "thrust in his sickle on the earth," and many who are now alive will, no doubt, live to see
this angel's work done - "and the earth was reaped." The door of mercy will then close forever, and the
next angel will come forth to use as extraordinary means to reap the vine of the earth as were used to
reap the wheat. Verses 17,18: "And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also
having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried
with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the
0140
clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe." Another angel having power over fire; but
as he cannot exercise his power to cleanse the world by fire until the third angel has reaped the vine, he
therefore cries "with a loud cry to him that had a sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and
gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe." Verses 19,20: "And the angel
thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the
wine-press even unto the horses' bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0140 paragraph 1
This last harvest is the great battle of God
Almighty, when the wicked of the earth will be cut off by famine, pestilence, and the sword; "for with
these three will God plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many." The whole vine of the
earth will be gathered, and cast into the wine-press of the wrath of God. This is the last cup of the
indignation of God, poured upon the kingdoms of the earth. Here the kingdoms of the earth, spoken of
in Daniel's vision, will be broken to pieces, and carried away like the chaff of the summer threshing floor,
and no place found for them. Then Ps.ii.9 will be fulfilled: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron,
thou shalt dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise, therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye
judges of the earth."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0140 paragraph 2
Ezekiel xxxviii.19-23 shall then be fulfilled: "For
in my jealousy, and in the fire of my wrath, have I spoken. Surely, in that day, there shall be a great
shaking in the land of Israel; so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of
the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the
earth, shall shake at my presence; and the mountains (meaning kingdoms) shall be thrown down, and
the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword
0141
against him, throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God; every man's sword shall be against his
brother. And I will plead against him (Gog, meaning the wicked or persecuting world) with pestilence
and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people with him, an
overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0141 paragraph 1
Again, Ezekiel xxxix.17-20: "And, thou son of
man, thus saith the Lord God: Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field,
Assemble yourselves and come, gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice, that I do sacrifice for
you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, (pretended christian kingdoms,) that ye may
eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the
earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till
ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice, which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye
shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and all men of war, saith the Lord
God." These prophecies of Ezekiel, I am confident, are only to be fulfilled after the gospel harvest, and
at the time of the harvest of the vine, when God will be sanctified - all nations on the earth will see him,
and every tongue confess, and every knee shall bow, when "his glory shall be revealed and all flesh shall
see it together."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0141 paragraph 2
All who believe that the harvest of the world is
this mundane system, must and will acknowledge, that in the description given in this chapter there is
not the least allusion to a reign of a thousand years of great happiness and prosperity before the harvest,
before the wine-press is trodden without the city. "O no," says the modern millenarian, "we do not
profess to believe that the wicked kingdoms, and kings, and wicked men, will be permitted to lord it
over God's people then; but we believe that the battle of the kings, and the harvest of the vine, the
0142
destruction of war, for `the nations will learn war no more,' must be before our millennium!" Very well,
brethren; I ask, what is meant by these words, "and the earth was reaped?" Mr. Cambell says, in his
Illustrations of Prophecy, page 378, "As the vintage succeeds the harvest in the course of nature, so it is
subsequent to it in the prophecy, and will be by far the most terrible. The figure of a harvest is
frequently used to denote the gathering of the righteous, but the vintage seldom, if ever, in the Bible."
What does Bro. Cambell mean? He means that the gathering of the saints is before the destruction of
the wicked, in plain English; or it is a "vagary," and has no meaning. Then, page 380, he says, "This will
be the gathering of the clusters of the wicked for the great battle preceding (before) the reign of the
saints." Then, speaking of this reign, page 409, he says, "The SOUL of eminent piety - will live and reign
in the persons of Christians during the thousand years, not the bodies of the dead." But what does
brother Cambell mean? say you. There appears to be some darkness in his Illustrations. True; but you
never read one of those writers in your life, who did not leave you in greater darkness than before you
read their illustrations. Mr. Cambell is the most fortunate of any of their writers, and is deserving of
most praise. Why? Because he has said very little on this reign before the resurrection; and if he had
quoted all the Scripture, as he has, and then said that little less, his illustrations would have been
excellent. But as it is, we hope it will do little or no harm.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0142 paragraph 1
But what does he mean? say you. I answer. He,
in the first quotation, acknowledges that the first harvest is the gathering of the saints, then afterwards
comes the harvest of the vine, which is the destruction of the wicked. Then the SOUL of piety will live
and reign in the persons of saints (or Christians) during the thousand years, not in dead bodies. No,
nobody can for a moment suppose that a "SOUL of eminent piety can live in a dead body a thousand
0143
years."." But where does he get his knowledge of this "SOUL?" I suppose he gets his account from
Rev.xx.4. John says, "And I saw the souls" (Bro. Cambell says "he saw the soul") "of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands." Bro. Cambell
has improved much upon John; he says, "of eminent piety." What a great improvement is this!
Beheading, witness, word of God, worship, beast, image, mark, forehead, hands, all, all left out. John
further says, "and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Bro. Cambell says, "will live and
reign in the persons of Christians during the thousand years." Christ, through John, says, "This is the first
resurrection." Bro. Cambell says, "Not the bodies of the dead." Here, my dear reader, is a specimen of
your teachers, that are so highly applauded by all the popes and cardinals in the land. Why? Because he
has outdone the pope himself. The pope has made new laws; but Bro. Cambell has in this exposition
made new scripture!
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0143 paragraph 1
Christ says, "The harvest is the end of the
world." Cambell and Smith tell us that the world will not end until more than a thousand years after the
harvest. Christ says, "Let the tares and the wheat grow together until the harvest." Bro. Cambell says,
"The wheat shall grow a thousand years after the tares are harvested and burned," that is, if you and I
can understand him. What a plain contradiction between our Savior and these popular writers of the
present day. The world, and the proud pharisees, my dear reader, love their own. Anything that will put
off the evil day, and "cry peace and safety," will be accepted by our bigoted editors and worldly-minded
priests. But, my dear friends, study for yourselves, be sure you get the mind and will of God. Lay your
foundation sure. Let no man deceive you by any means. Many who say, Lord, Lord, shall not be able to
enter in; but those, and
0144
those only, which do the will of our Heavenly Father, shall have right to the tree of life and enter
through the gates into the city. Do not, my impenitent friends, delay the salvation of your souls until the
harvest of the gospel is past; and then, in the end, have it to say, as said the prophet Jeremiah, "The
harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." AMEN.
0145
LECTURE ON
THE FINAL JUDGMENT.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0145 paragraph 2
ACTS xvii.31.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0145 paragraph 3
he will judge the world in righteousness.
Because he hath appointed a day in the which
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0145 paragraph 4
JUDGMENT is the sentence or decision of a
judge, and implies that there is a right and wrong, good and evil. And in judging, it is always supposed
that the judge will, in his judgment, bring to light the right and wrong, good and evil. And in judgment,
too, it is expected to receive rewards and punishments, according to the law by which we are judged.
There are many judgments spoken of in the Scriptures: but my object will not be to take you into all the
different ways in which judgment is there used, but I shall endeavor to prove that God hath appointed a
day of retribution, in which he will judge the world in equity and truth; those under the law he will judge
by the law, and those under the gospel by the gospel.
I. I WILL PROVE THAT THERE IS A DAY APPOINTED FOR THE JUDGMENT OF THE WHOLE WORLD, AFTER
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0145 paragraph 5
Acts xvii.31: "Because he hath appointed a day,
in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof
0146
he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0146 paragraph 1
It is very evident that those who heard the
apostle, understood him to assert, plainly, that there was a day of judgment appointed, in which all men
that were dead would be raised and participate in it, as well as those who were alive. See what follows.
Verse 32: "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said, We will
hear thee again of this matter." Again, Rom.ii.16: "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men,
by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel." We see by this passage, that the day of judgment spoken of in
this text is yet in the future; for every man knows that every secret thing is not yet brought to light.
Luke viii.17: "For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid that shall not be
known and come abroad." Or, as Paul says, 1Cor.iv.5: "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until
the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the
counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God." What time? In the day appointed.
And when? When the Lord shall come. Then shall every man who has done well have praise of God.
"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0146 paragraph 2
Again, we are told, that Jesus Christ is to judge
the quick (or the living) and the dead, at his appearing, and his kingdom. See Acts x.42: "And he
commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be
the judge of quick and dead." 2Tim.iv.1: "I CHARGE thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom." See also 1Peter iv.5: "Who
shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." By these passages we are
taught that there is a judgment after death, at the resurrection. You will permit me to bring
0147
another text, to prove that Christ will judge his people at his coming. Psalm l.3-6: "Our God shall come,
and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about
him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, (that he may judge his people,) Gather
my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens
shall declare his righteousness, for God is judge himself." This passage, if it prove anything, proves that
when Christ comes to gather his elect, he will judge his people, and that all his saints will be there, both
which are in heaven and on earth.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0147 paragraph 1
Again. Peter clearly shows that there is a day of
judgment, when the world shall be cleansed by fire. 2Peter iii.7: "But the heavens and the earth, which
are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and
perdition of ungodly men." This text agrees with the fiftieth Psalm, and evidently refers to the same
time, when Christ shall come; for he in the tenth verse says, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief
in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with great heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up." We learn by this
passage, that it is the same time as Paul tells us in 1Thess.iv.15-18; also v.1-4: "But of the times and the
seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly, that the day of
the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye,
brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." And in 2Peter iii.15,16, we
are assured by Peter that Paul "had written unto us concerning these things." Paul speaks of the same
day of the Lord coming as a thief, &c., and says, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of
0148
the archangel and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0148 paragraph 1
God has revealed unto us the following truths: -
Let these passages be sufficient to prove that
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0148 paragraph 2
1. That he has appointed a day of judgment.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0148 paragraph 3
2. That the judgment follows the resurrection.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0148 paragraph 4
second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. That his saints are raised and judged at the
II. I WILL NOW SHOW HOW LONG THAT DAY WILL BE, AND WHEN THE WICKED WILL BE RAISED AND
JUDGED.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0148 paragraph 5
1. This day of judgment is often called "the day
of the Lord," as in Isaiah ii.12: "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." Isaiah xiii.9: "Behold, the day of the
Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it."
(Consult Isaiah xxxiv.8. lxi.2. lxiii.4.) These passages all go to show, that, when Christ comes to
recompense the controversy of Zion and reward his people, he will destroy the incorrigible, the proud,
and wicked out of his kingdom. And we are clearly made to understand by the prophets and apostles,
that this is to be done by literal fire. And Christ, in the parable of the tares and wheat, more than
intimates the same thing. Malachi, in the fourth chapter of his prophecy, shows, as plain as words can
make it, "that the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn
them up, saith the Lord of hosts; it shall leave them neither root nor branch." This day has not yet come,
certainly, that all the proud and all that do wickedly are burnt up, not one of them left. We have too
much evidence that there are such characters yet in the earth; and as the word all is said by our
opponents to mean all, they, of course, to be consistent with themselves, will not deny the conclusion.
"But unto you that fear my name, shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings, and ye
shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall."
0149
This, to me, is a plain figure of the coming of Christ, the resurrection of the saints, the meeting of Christ
in the air, and the security from the burning wrath of God when the proud and wicked are consumed.
"And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, in the day I
shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts." It is evident, that the bodies of the wicked are now burnt, and are
not raised, for they are ashes: this then must be a day between the destruction of the wicked and their
resurrection. It is after the resurrection of the righteous, for they have gone forth from the dust and the
grave to meet the sun of righteousness. They have received the last healing beams from Christ, in his
second advent. Death is now conquered; for they now stand in their lot on the earth; they have feet, for
they shall tread down the wicked "in that day." In what day? I answer, in the day of the Lord; in the day
between the two resurrections, of the just and of the unjust. John says, Rev.xx.5,6: "But the rest of the
dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and
holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall
be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." This is the day of the Lord,
one thousand years. Is this day to be understood a literal or figurative thousand years? I answer, literal,
for it is an explanation of a figure, rather than a figure. See 2Peter iii.8: "But, beloved, be not ignorant of
this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day;" that
is, one day with the Lord is as a thousand years with us. It is evident that Peter is talking about this same
judgment day, in the 7th verse; in the 8th and 9th verses he explains the length of the day, and gives a
good reason why it is a thousand years, because God is long-suffering. Then, in the 10th verse, he goes
on to describe the same day as spoken of in the 7th and 8th verses,
0150
there called judgment day; but in this 10th verse it is named the "day of the Lord."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0150 paragraph 1
2. When will the wicked be raised and judged?
I answer, when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, Gog and Magog
will come up on the surface of the earth. Gog and Magog signify the whole host of the wicked which
have ever lived on the earth, the opposers of Christ, and the persecutors of the people of God. Ezekiel
says Gog is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, which mean the powers of this world, at the head of
all their followers, an army like the sand of the seashore. Magog signifies dissolved Gog. They have
once been dissolved, dust or ashes in the earth; but have now been raised. "The sea, death and hell
have given up their dead." Then they are gathered around the camp of the saints and the beloved city,
and are there judged, "every man according to their works;" and then the justice of God drives them
from the earth into a lake of fire, where they are tormented day and night forever and ever. This is the
second death. In order to get the proof of the things mentioned above, let the inquirer read the 20th
chapter of Revelations. In that chapter, 1st verse, John is describing the second advent of Jesus Christ.
The 2d and 3d verses give an account of his chaining Satan and casting him into the bottomless pit and
shutting him up. The 4th verse gives an account of the resurrection of the saints, their judgment, and
reign with Christ one thousand years. The 5th verse shows that the wicked dead will not live again until
the thousand years are finished, and calls the above the first resurrection. The 6th verse speaks of the
blessings of those who have part in the first resurrection. The 7th verse shows that when the thousand
years have expired, Satan will be loosed from his prison. The 8th verse describes the acts of Satan, in
deceiving the wicked host, that have now lived again on the earth, gathering them to battle, as he tells
them, (but there is no battle,) and gives the number as the sand upon the sea-shore, implying the
0151
whole class of the wicked. The 9th verse tells us that this army went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; which proves two things: First, that no
saint is deceived; but they are all encamped in the city, and nothing that worketh abomination or
maketh a lie can enter into the city. Therefore none can be deceived who have lived on the earth during
the thousand years. Secondly, that the New Jerusalem is on the earth, and of course must have come
down from heaven at the commencement of the thousand years: for we find it on the earth when the
wicked compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city, where the wicked are judged by
the saints, and by the justice of God are driven from the earth, represented by the figure of fire; and as
shown in the 10th verse, the devil, the beast, and false prophet, are cast into the lake of fire, where they
shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. This closes John's first account of the judgment. The
11th and 12th verses show the resurrection and judgment of the saints at the commencement of the
thousand years, and are properly a review of the account given in the former part of the chapter.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0151 paragraph 1
The 13th, 14th, and 15th verses, are an account
of the resurrection of the wicked; for "death and hell deliver up the dead which were in them," and they
are judged every man according to their works, and the same persons cast into the lake of fire, which is
the second death.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0151 paragraph 2
I shall now meet a few objections, raised by the
opponents of a future judgment. First: they say this judgment was fulfilled in the destruction of
Jerusalem. To this I answer, that Christ says, Matt.xxiv.29, "Immediately after the tribulation of those
days" - that is, after the destruction of Jerusalem, by their own showing, - "shall the sun be darkened,
and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the
heavens shall be shaken." This evidently shows the gospel, or two witnesses, being clothed in sackcloth,
the
0152
church in her wilderness state, and the fall of ministers from the purity of the gospel into antichristian
abominations, and the shaking of the moral heavens by the doctrines of Papacy, called in the word of
God "the doctrines of devils;" to accomplish which, according to Daniel and John, and the opinions of all
commentators, will include a time or period of 1260 years. "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great
sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other." All this was to happen after the tribulation of those days; therefore could not
have happened at the destruction of Jerusalem.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0152 paragraph 1
Paul, in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians,
speaking of the faith and patience of the saints in enduring persecution and tribulation, says, i.5-10,
"Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the
kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer; seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense
tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall
come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." It is evident that Paul in
this place is speaking of the righteous judgment of God, the revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven, the
taking vengeance on all who know not God, both Jew and Gentile, and the punishing with everlasting
destruction those who obey not the gospel, from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his
power; and this, too, when he comes to be glorified in his saints.
0153
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0153 paragraph 1
This can have no reference particularly to the
Jews, as it was written to the Gentile believers at Thessalonica; and must have reference to all that
troubled or persecuted them, whether Jew or Gentile. Then, in the second chapter, he tells us, "Now we
beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us,
as that the day of Christ is at hand. "And yet the objector says that it was near at hand. "Let no man
deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that
man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition: who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is
God." This description of Paul agrees with Daniel's little horn, vii.25: "And he shall speak great words
against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and
laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the
judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end."
Paul says, 8th verse, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after
the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they
all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0153 paragraph 2
By these quotations, we perceive that the
coming of Christ was not at hand, and could not take place, as Paul reasons, until the man of sin should
be revealed, the son of perdition, who should wear out
0154
the saints of the Most High 1260 years; and then should the Son of man be revealed, and destroy him by
the brightness of his coming. No man can suppose that this time could have passed between Paul's
epistle to his Thessalonian brethren and the destruction of Jerusalem. Therefore we conclude, from
these facts, that the judgment must be in the future; for Daniel says, that at the end of all these things
"the judgment shall sit;" and Paul says, that these persecutions and tribulations are a manifest token of
the righteous judgment of God.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0154 paragraph 1
Another set of objectors say, "The judgment will
not take place until we have enjoyed one thousand years of peace and prosperity, and the world be
converted to God."
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0154 paragraph 2
In reply to this objection, I would present the
following text in Daniel, vii.21,22: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed
against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High."
Luke xvii.26, Christ says: "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of
man. 28: Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man
is revealed." Paul says, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." 2Thess.ii.8. Again, 2Tim.iii.1-5:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without
natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 12th and 13th verses: "Yea, and all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving and being deceived." John, in the 7th chapter of Revelations, when he saw
0155
the whole family of the redeemed out of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, standing
before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands, was inquired
of by one of the elders, "What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" the
answer was, "These are they which came out of great tribulation." This evidently shows us that there
can possibly be no period of time in which the children of God will not suffer persecution or tribulation,
till the end come. Consult also 2Tim.iv.1-8. Jas.v.1-9. Jude 14-21.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0155 paragraph 1
Now, if this objection is valid, how can it be true
that Daniel's little horn, and Paul's man of sin, can make war and prevail against the saints until the
Ancient of days comes, and be "consumed only with the spirit of his mouth, and destroyed by the
brightness of his coming?" How can it be true that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution, if the whole world is to be converted, and universal peace pervade the earth for a thousand
years? What kind of a millennium will that be, when evil men and seducers wax worse and worse, in the
midst of perilous times, and all hell, as it were, is disgorged of its contents, and come up to the great
battle of God Almighty? Or must these objectors be classed with those who cry "peace and safety,"
when "sudden destruction cometh?"
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0155 paragraph 2
And now, kind reader, let me warn you to
prepare for a future judgment. I know the Universalist priest will laugh and scoff at the word prepare;
but let them laugh and jeer, their race is short; for when men cry "peace and safety, then sudden
destruction cometh, and they shall not escape." Be warned, then; prepare to meet your God in
judgment. The Holy Spirit whispers in your mind, a judgment. The word of God reads plain, "Because
he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness;" and this, too, after the
resurrection, as the hearers then understood the apostle Paul. See Acts xvii.31,32: "Because he hath
appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness,
0156
by that man whom he hath ordained: whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath
raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and
others said, We will hear thee again of this matter." The apostle Paul, and all true ministers from that
day to this, have preached a judgment to come, after the resurrection of the dead. Your consciences
have always been a monitor unto you, until they became seared by false teachers and vain theories of
men. Your judgment and reason are well convinced that in this life equal justice is not distributed to all
alike, which is an evident token to you that there is a judgment to come, in the which God will reward
the virtuous and punish the vicious.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0156 paragraph 1
If all these evidences will not lead us to a
preparation for that great and notable day of the Lord, I ask, what will? What can God do more? He has
come by his Spirit, his word, his servants, and with your conscience and reason, all combining to make
you believe and live with reference to that day. Why do you linger, sinner, on the brink of eternal ruin?
What evidence have you got that all will be well? The demon of darkness tells you "that you shall not
die;" the Universalist minister tells you that all will be saved, prepared or unprepared, and that there is
no judgment in a future state; and the desire of your own heart says, time enough yet. Which, I ask, will
finally succeed? Will the Spirit of God, will the word of God have any influence upon you? I beg of you,
dear reader, read and judge for yourselves - think and act for eternity; do not put off a preparation
which is of vast importance, if there be a judgment day in a future state. When the kingdoms of this
world shall pass away like chaff, when error shall vanish like the smoke, and man shall stand before his
Maker, uncovered from all hypocrisy, naked of all deceit, exposed in thought, word and deed, see as he
is seen, and know as he is known, - will you be able to stand? Will you be found in heaven? AMEN.
0157
LECTURE ON
THE GREAT SABBATH.
EZE.xx.12.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0157 paragraph 1
Moreover, also, I gave them my sabbaths, to be
a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0157 paragraph 2
THIS text is but a recapitulation of one in
Exodus xxxi.13, and is repeated again by the prophet Ezekiel in verse 20. You will take notice that it is a
sign between God and the children of Israel forever. See Ex.xxxi.17: "It is a sign between me and the
children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he
rested and was refreshed." It is also a perpetual covenant: see verse 16. Now I want you should
observe, that this sabbath was the seventh day sabbath. God calls it "my sabbath," and shows his
reason why: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and
was refreshed." He engrafted it then into the decalogue, and it was written upon both tables of
testimony, showing clearly that it would be binding under the gospel, as well as under the law. See
verse 18: "And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount
Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." And its being contained
in the ten commands, written by the finger of God, on both tables of the testimony, graven on stone, to
be a sign
0158
forever,, and a perpetual covenant, proves, in my opinion, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it is as
binding upon the christian church as upon the Jewish, and in the same manner, and for the same
reasons. "Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord." This
was the manner.
I. WE SHALL INQUIRE WHETHER THE SEVENTH OR THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK OUGHT TO BE KEPT AS
A SABBATH.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0158 paragraph 1
I say the first; for two reasons. One is Christ's
resurrection, and his often meeting with his disciples afterwards on that day. This, with the example of
the apostles, is strong evidence that the proper creation sabbath to man came on the first day of the
week. For Adam must have rested on the first day after his creation, he being the last work of God, and
then God rested. Adam must have rested on the first day of his life, and thus you will see that to Adam
it was the first day of the week; for it would not be reasonable to suppose that Adam began to reckon
time before he was created. He certainly could not be able to work six days before the first sabbath.
And thus with the second Adam; the first day of the week he arose and lived. And we find by the Bible
and by history, that the first day of the week was ever afterwards observed as a day of worship.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0158 paragraph 2
Again; another reason I give is, that the sabbath
is a sign of the rest which remains for the people of God. And to me it is very evident that this rest must
be after the resurrection of the saints, and not before; and of course the saints' rest will be the
beginning of time in the new heavens and new earth, as the creation sabbath was the beginning of time
with Adam. For Adam rested with God after He had finished his work; so, in the new creation, the
church will rest with her Head when he has finished his work and made all things new. To Christ it will
be the seventh day; for he will have been six thousand years creating his bride; that is, to the time she is
perfected, and pronounced good, or sanctified,
0159
as it is said in our text; but to man in his perfect state it will be the first day. Now those who believe in a
temporal millennium, or the seventh thousand years, wherein Christ will do more work than he has in
six thousand years before, are very inconsistent with the Bible and themselves. They are inconsistent
with the Bible; for that says, "Six days shalt thou do thy work; but the seventh is a day of rest, holy to the
LORD." Can any one believe that Christ in his work will not keep his Father's law? No, not one jot or
tittle of that law shall fail, which was written by the finger of God upon the two tables of testimony. But
be not ignorant, brethren, that one day with the LORD is as a thousand years with you, and a thousand
years with you is one day with the LORD. You think Christ is slack concerning this law of the sabbath,
because he has thus worked almost six thousand years. You think he will always be working to redeem
sinners. True, he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. This is
the reason why Christ has chosen the longest days, as given in the Scriptures, for his working days. And,
Oh! sinner, do you know that the last hour of the sixth day is almost run out, and you have not come to
repentance yet? But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night; for when they shall say peace
and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0159 paragraph 1
Who says peace and safety? Must I be plain
with you, my friend? Yes, yes, I must, or I shall meet my Master's frown. Of this class are all those who
tell men that they need not look for that day of rest until Christ converts the whole world; for certainly,
if the world were converted, it would be no harm to say peace and safety. For all men to be Christians,
and live as such too, I think would make peace and safety, truly. Those, then, cry peace and safety, who
say all men will be converted before that day. Those, too, who believe all mankind will enter into that
rest, and preach this doctrine to sinners, are deceiving souls, and will meet with destruction. Those
0160
who cry peace and safety, either by saying that "my Lord delays his coming," or that all men will be
saved, without any reference to their character in this life, are both alike deceiving souls.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0160 paragraph 1
Again; those who believe in a temporal
millennium ought to keep the seventh day of the week, instead of the first, to be consistent with
themselves; for there must be a similarity between our sabbath and the day of rest, or it is not a sign!
"The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." Do you understand the argument, my
dear reader? I say the sabbath, with God, was the seventh day; but with man, it was the first day, as is
evident by the account of the creation; for the sabbath was the first day which man enjoyed in time:
even so the sabbath is the seventh day with the Lord, with Christ; but with the church in the new
creation it will be the first day. Creation opened to man by a sabbath; so will eternity open to man by a
sabbath. As man began time with a sabbath, so also will man, in the new creation, begin eternity by the
keeping of a sabbath; for it is a "sign," says our text. Thus, the first day of the week is a sabbath for man.
I will now,
II. SHOW HOW AND IN WHAT WAY THE SABBATH IS A SIGN, AND WHAT IT IS A SIGN OF.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0160 paragraph 2
1. It is a sign, because God has given it to us
expressly for that purpose. See our text: "To be a sign between me and them;" that is, between God
and the children of Israel. Now another question will evidently arise: Who are the children of Israel? I
answer, while the first covenant was standing they were the children of Jacob, descendants of the
twelve tribes; but that covenant they broke: see Lev.xxvi.2,15; also Deut.xxxi.10-16. This covenant was
broken, as Moses had foretold. Then Jesus Christ brought in a new covenant, which continued the sign
of the sabbath, and prepared another people, by writing his law upon their hearts. These now are the
true Israel; for the changing of the subjects never did, nor ever can, change the moral law of God.
Therefore Paul argues the circumcision of the heart,
0161
and says that "they are not all Israel which are of Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abraham
are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called; that is, they which are the children of the flesh,
these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." Now if the
children of God are the true Israel, and if the sabbath was given as a sign forever, and a perpetual
covenant, I ask, how can it be abolished while there is one Israelite remaining to claim the promise? You
have evidently noticed, that all the difficulties on the sabbath question among Christians have arisen
from the foolish, judaizing notion, that Israel meant only the literal Jew. But when we understand Israel
to mean the people of God, the difficulties, every man must acknowledge, all vanish at once.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0161 paragraph 1
I say, and I believe I am supported by the Bible,
that the moral law was never given to the Jews as a people exclusively, but they were for a season the
keepers of it in charge. And through them the law, oracles, and testimony, have been handed down to
us: see Paul's clear reasoning in Romans, second, third, and fourth chapters, on that point. Then, says
the objector, we are under the same obligation to keep the sabbaths of weeks, months and years, as the
Jews were. No, sir; you will observe that these were not included in the decalogue; they were
attachments, added by reason of transgression, until the seed should come, to whom the promise of
one eternal day, or sabbath of rest, was made. "Therefore there remaineth a keeping of a sabbath to
the people of God." Only one kind of sabbath was given to Adam, and one only remains for us. See
Hosea ii.11: "I will cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all
her solemn feasts." All the Jewish sabbaths did cease, when Christ nailed them to his cross. Col.ii.14-17:
"Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it
out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show
0162
of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in
respect of a holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come;
but the body is of Christ." These were properly called Jewish sabbaths. Hosea says, "her sabbaths." But
the sabbath of which we are speaking, God calls "my sabbath." Here is a clear distinction between the
creation sabbath and the ceremonial. The one is perpetual; the others were merely shadows of good
things to come, and are limited in Christ. The sabbath which remains is to be kept on the first day of
every week, as a perpetual sign that, when Christ shall have finished the work of redemption, we shall
enter into that rest which remains for the people of God, which will be an eternal rest.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0162 paragraph 1
2. It is a sign, because no servile labor is to be
performed in it. "Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work." This is a sign that our work for time,
and for eternity, must be done here; no work of preparation in the great sabbath, and certainly there is
no work nor device in the grave, whither thou goest. Then we are taught to have our work done, and
well done, while in life. Paul certainly intimates as much as this, Heb.iv.11: "Let us labor, therefore, to
enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." Some say that this rest
means natural death. How can that be Paul's meaning? Would he exhort us to murder ourselves?
Moreover, does not Paul tell us, in verse 6, that "they to whom it was first preached entered not in
because of unbelief?" And is unbelief a preservation from natural death? Who can believe this? This
certainly shows most conclusively that our present state is a probationary one, and that we are here
forming characters for eternity. It teaches us, too, that Christ will have finished his work of redemption
before the great sabbath, and that the new heavens and the new earth will have been finished before
this day will commence. Heb.iv.11: "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall
0163
after the same example of unbelief." For Christ must finish his work, as the Father did his, before the
great sabbath.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0163 paragraph 1
3. It is a sign that we shall know him, see him,
and live with him. For the text tells us, "I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them,
that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." If you will take the pains to examine the
places in scripture where this phrase is used, "that they may know that I am the Lord," you will find it
generally refers to a time when God has wrought or will work out some great deliverance for his people:
such as their deliverance out of Egyptian bondage, as in Exodus vi.7, and viii.22,23; feeding them in the
wilderness with quails and manna, Exodus xvi.12; delivering them from the host of the Syrians, 1Kings
xx.28; destruction of idolaters from among his people, as in Eze.vi.7,13; when they are brought into
judgment for their abominations, Eze.vii.4,9; destruction of false teachers, Eze.xiii.9-23. xiv.8; purging
out the wicked rebels from among the children of God, Eze.xx.38; the final deliverance of the people of
God in the end of the world, Eze.xxxiv.22-31. xxxviii.22,23; the Lord sanctifying his people and dwelling
among them forever, Ex.xxix.43-46. Eze.xxxvii.23-28. And our text plainly declares, that it is a sign of
their sanctification, when they will all know him. And by the New Testament we are referred to the
second coming of Christ as the time when these things will take place; 1John iii.2: "Beloved, now are we
the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear,
we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Then we shall not be wholly sanctified until he comes,
and then we shall be like him, and see him as he is. We shall certainly know him then. Job says, "In my
flesh shall I see God." David says, Ps.xvii.15, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be
satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness." Blessed are the pure in
0164
heart, for they shall see God. Paul says, 1Cor.xiii.12, "For now we see through a glass darkly, but then
face to face; now we know in part, but then shall I know even as I am known." Now we see through
signs "darkly," and "then face to face;" we shall have no need of signs, no need of our present sabbaths,
or any other memorial; for we shall be with him. As long as the sign is given, and kept by us, so long we
may be satisfied that the thing signified has not come; and if the sabbath is not a sign of the day of glory,
what is it a sign of? Not of the gospel day; for that has already come, and we continue the sign. This
certainly would be inconsistent. Paul tells us, that "when that which is perfect is come, then that which
is in part shall be done away." Not of a temporal millennium, for in that, if there ever is one, which I do
not believe, they will have to "work," and keep the "sign." For I believe all who advocate the doctrine of
a temporal millennium, which they call spiritual, believe we shall have a weekly sabbath as the nations
do now. Of course, then, the sign must allude to that happy period when Christ will come in all his glory,
gather his scattered sheep, deliver them from the bondage of death, destroy the host of the wicked
from among them, burn up the idols out of the land, punish and banish from his church and people all
false prophets and teachers, cleanse his chosen ones from all their abominations and filthiness, judge
them in righteousness, present them sanctified before his Father, form them into a glorified kingdom,
enter with them into the eternal rest, and live with them, and reign over them forever.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0164 paragraph 1
4. I shall now show that the sabbath is a sign of
the TIME. I beg of you, my dear reader, not to let your prejudice against my saying anything about time
cause you to throw down the book and read no further. I pray you, do not judge before you read. "Hear,
and then judge," is an excellent maxim. Many a man has lost his life by not reading - Julius Caesar, Henry
Fourth, &c. It is even possible that
0165
your eternal life may be at stake; or the life of some of your relatives or friends may hang upon your
conduct, even in this thing. Your example may prevent others from reading, who might possibly, if they
should read, be convinced, get ready, enter into life, and be happy. It may be your companion, or child,
or some other dear friend who is looking up to you for example. Do nothing that may cause your heart
to ache in a coming day.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0165 paragraph 1
I shall show that the sabbath, which God has
given to us as a sign, does indicate the time of the great sabbath of rest, which the apostle Paul exhorts
us to labor to enter into. You will perceive, Ex.xxxi.17, that "it is a sign between me and the children of
Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and
was refreshed." God gives us a reason why it is a sign - because he was six days making heaven and
earth, and rested on the seventh. Paul has given us a comment on this very text, in Heb. third and
fourth chapters. He shows us in these chapters that there is a day of rest, or keeping of the sabbath, to
the people of God; and that it was not fulfilled by the children of Israel going into Canaan. We should
conclude, by the apostle's manner of reasoning, that he was contending against some persons who
believed the sabbaths had their fulfilment and end, like the manna, when the children of Israel entered
the land of Canaan; for it is very evident that it was in the days of Paul as it is with us now. Some then
contended that the sabbaths given by God to Moses, in the wilderness, were ended when Joshua led the
people into the promised land. Paul confutes them by showing that David afterwards spake of this
sabbath as being limited to another day. Our anti-sabbatarians argue that the sabbaths ended with
Christ's crucifixion. And now may I not use the weapons which Paul has put into my hands against these
anti-sabbatarians? for Paul says, thirty years after Christ's death, "There remaineth, therefore, a keeping
of a sabbath to the people of God." Now,
0166
if sabbaths had been done away, Paul would not have spoken of a sabbath remaining. It is also evident,
by the next verse, that Paul means to show us that time is also prefigured in this keeping of a sabbath
which remains. He says, "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as
God did from his." In this text, there is, at the first view, a little ambiguity. Either Paul is continuing his
argument, by showing that if Christ had entered into his rest, as you suppose, he might have said to the
opposers of a sabbath, then "he has ceased from his labors, as God did from his." Or Paul may mean,
that Jesus Christ had finished his personal work on earth, and was now entered into his glory as a
forerunner for us; not that we can suppose that the work of salvation, of which Jesus Christ is the author,
was finished when Christ ascended into heaven; for he is yet an advocate for us; as the apostle tells us,
"If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." And this certainly is a
work which we hope is not yet finished. Now which will you choose? Either the sabbath must continue,
or else the work of salvation by Jesus Christ is finished; for when the sabbath ended as a sign, then
Christ's work must have ended, to agree with the figure, "as God did from his." But one thing is certain,
and that is, as God created the old heavens and earth in six days, and rested on the seventh, so, in like
manner, will Christ be six days creating the new heavens and earth, and then he will rest from his labors.
This is the inference we must draw from Paul's expression in the text we are examining. If, then, the
work of redemption and salvation must be completed in six days, what can those days mean?
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0166 paragraph 1
There are three kinds of days mentioned in the
Bible: 1. The natural day, which is twenty-four hours. 2. The prophetic day, which is a year with us. See
Eze.iv.5,6: "For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days,
three hundred and ninety days: so shalt
0167
thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy
right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each
day for a year." 3. The day of the Lord, which is as a thousand years with us. See 2Pet.iii.8,10: "But,
beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also
and the works that are therein shall be burned up." These are the only ways in which the Bible uses the
word day, denoting any given or regular period of time. The first is measured by the revolution of the
earth on its axis, and is known by day and night. The second is measured by the revolution of the earth
around the sun, in its orbit, and is known by the four seasons, spring, summer, fall, and winter. The
third is the Lord's day, which cannot be measured by the life of any one man, no man, in this world, ever
having lived out one of these days: it cannot properly be called by any other name than "the Lord's day."
Peter tells us expressly not to be ignorant of this one thing, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand
years. What does Peter mean by this expression? It would seem by his charge that he meant something
of importance for us to know: "Beloved, be not ignorant." Very well, Peter, we listen to you, we are all
attention, we will try not to be ignorant: but of what? "Of this one thing." Only one thing; we will try
hard to understand you, Peter; we think we can learn one thing. But what is this one thing? Here steps
in one of our wise-heads, and says, "Peter, let me explain your meaning to this inquirer; let me answer
his question; I can do it to a charm." The inquirer then turns his attention to Wise-head, and says, "Pray,
sir, tell me what this one thing is?" "This is it, that one day, twenty-four hours, is as long with God as a
thousand years." "But," says
0168
the inquirer, "sir, I am ignorant yet; I cannot understand how twenty-four hours is as long as 365,000
times that. If this is true, then numbers and mathematics are not true, and I am all abaft." Another
wiseacre now steps up and says, "Let me explain, sir." The inquirer turns round to Wiseacre - "Well, sir,
what say you this one thing is?" "I say, Peter tells you that God does not count time at all; with him is
one forever now; no beginning of days nor end of years." "You have made it more dark still; I cannot
conceive how God does not count time at all, and yet tells us of one day and a thousand years. How
could he tell us that he was six days making the heavens and the earth? How could he measure all the
events spoken of in the prophets, and specify the time to the self-same day? What did he mean by
saying, `In the fulness of time, God sent forth his Son?' How can he appoint a day in which he will judge
the world? I am ignorant how things may be, and not be, at one and the same time. Who gave the sun
its decree, and the moon its time of changing, and fixed its revolution in the heavens? Who gave the
earth its diurnal motion, and marked the circle of its annual pathway so complete? He that made the
day and night can number them in his wisdom. He that made time can surely number the seasons at his
will. He that numbers our months can tell our days to a hair's breadth. I am ignorant how God does not
count time, when such a cloud of witnesses daily testify to the contrary." Our inquirer now turns to
Peter, and asks, "What is this one thing of which we ought not to be ignorant, brother Peter?" Peter
answers, "That one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Now I
understand you, Peter; it is plain enough. Let me illustrate the meaning of these words by an example.
Suppose I am talking with my neighbor about the President elect, General Harrison. I say, he will have
two days to rule these United States. "What do you mean?" says my neighbor. I answer, "Beloved
neighbor, be not
0169
ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the President as four years, and four years as one day."
Now, I ask, who would not understand me? The smallest intellect would understand me to mean that
General Harrison would be elected the second time, and have two periods, of four years each, to rule
over these United States. Why, then, not understand Peter, whose language is as simple and plain? Ah!
many would if it were not for wise-heads and wiseacres, who draw our attention from Peter, take the
words out of his mouth, put in some ambiguous words of their own, clothe the scripture in sackcloth,
multiply words without knowledge, confuse and confound our thoughts, so that we hardly know what to
think, till, in our confusion, we throw down our Bibles in disgust, become almost sceptics, and lose the
whole force of truth and relish for the Bible.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0169 paragraph 1
Peter, in this chapter, is talking about the
judgment day, and the perdition of ungodly men. He then tells us how long that day shall be, charges us
not to be ignorant that it is a thousand years, gives a plain reason why a day of the Lord is a thousand
years long - because he is long-suffering towards men, not willing that any should perish, but rather they
would come to repentance. Peter next informs us that the day of the Lord, which he has just told us is as
a thousand years, will come upon us - and how? As a thief in the night: the heavens shall pass away
with a great noise; the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also and the works therein shall
be burnt up. Then, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0169 paragraph 2
Who, let me now inquire, can believe that this
great work will be performed in the holy sabbath of eternal rest? How can Christ do all his work in six
days, and yet perform all this in or after the seventh? What is the seventh day? It is a holy day. Peter
says, "wherein dwelleth righteousness." It is the day of the Lord, and the day of God. And Peter says,
"looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God."
0170
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0170 paragraph 1
Therefore, it is evident that Peter means to be
understood, that the destruction of ungodly men, the burning of the works of men, the passing away of
the heavens, melting of the elements, and making the new heavens and new earth, are all performed
before this holy sabbath, rather than afterwards, as our modern millenarians hold. If, then, Jesus Christ
does his work in six days, and rests from all his labors on the seventh, when may we expect this great
event to take place? I answer - if a thousand years is one day with the Lord, as I think I have proved,
then six thousand years from the first creation the new one must be formed: "For in six days God made
the heavens and the earth, and rested on the seventh." Mason Good, in his "Book of Nature," supposes
that the earth was six thousand years in forming: if so, then here would be another proof that I am right
concerning a thousand years being a day with the Lord. And, moreover, if Christ worked after the
example of his Father, and rested, as God rested from his labors, then the seventh thousand years
would be a sabbath of rest for Christ and his people.
WM 1Miller LECTURE ON page 0170 paragraph 2
To arrive at a nearer conclusion of the whole
matter, we shall now consult the age of the world. It is a well-known fact that chronological writers
disagree much as to the present age. The Chinese make it about 25,000 years; the Hindoos about
14,000; the Romans about 6550. The Pentateuch, or Samaritan copy of the five books of Moses, makes
it about 5648. The Septuagint copy of the Old Testament makes it 6254. The Hebrew Bible, from which
ours is principally taken, makes the age of the world, as calculated by Usher, 5844. Some others have
varied from Usher's calculation. The reader will find, accompanying this volume,* a chronology, made,
as it is believed, from the Bible, having very clear evidence of every period of time given from the
creation to Christ, which makes our present year, from the
---------* Dissertation on Prophetic Chronology, page 40.
0171
creation of Adam, 5997. If this should be the true era of the world, then we live within three or four
years of the great sabbath of rest. You are under obligation to examine for yourselves. Whether any
one of the above calculations concerning the age of the world is right, no man can, in my opinion,
possibly determine with entire certainty. But I have never seen any chronology with so few difficulties
to my mind as the one here presented. Compare, and read, and labor to enter into that rest which
remains for the people of God. Every sabbath we enjoy here ought to remind us of the great sabbath to
which we shall shortly come. Every trial we have here to endure should remind us that the days of our
labor will soon be past, and our work finished and sealed up for eternity. Strive, then, to enter into that
rest; and know, O man! that this is the time to prepare to meet God and our Savior in rest. AMEN.
0172
PART THIRD.
REVIEWS AND LETTERS.
A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN," AND RETURN
OF THE JEWS.
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0172 paragraph 1
DANIEL viii.9.
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0172 paragraph 2
And out of one of them came forth a little horn,
which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0172 paragraph 3
I. WE might inquire what power this "little
horn" represents. I answer, the Romans, or Daniel's fourth kingdom, as explained by the heavenly
messenger, Dan.vii.23-26: "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which
shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down and break
it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise
after them, and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak
great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change
times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time, times, and the dividing of time. But
the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the
end."
Messrs. Smith and Cambell say that it is Mahomet.
0173 PICTURE AND TEXT
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0173 paragraph 1
What right they have for giving a different
construction, without any intimation from God, the angel, or Daniel, I cannot conceive; but when men
have false theories to support, they must explain to suit their convenience.
PICTURE
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0173 paragraph 2
The text says, "out of one of them," - meaning
one of the four kingdoms into which Alexander's was divided, - "came forth a little horn." Rollin says
"that these four kingdoms all became Roman provinces between the years 148 and 30 B.C." Of course,
they ceased to be kingdoms. And, as this little horn "came out of one of them," it must have arisen
before Christ, instead of 622 years after Christ, when Mahomet arose. (See Rollin, vol.iv.pp.210, 246,
264, 377.)
0174
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0174 paragraph 1
The angel says, Dan.viii.10, "it waxed great,
even to the host of heaven." Now if host of heaven means the Jews, then it must be before they were
cut off as a nation, and of course the Mahometan power cannot be the "little horn." For God has cut off
the Jews, and said, "I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
For ye are not my people, and I will not be your God." Hosea i.6,9. "For the Lord God shall slay thee,
(Jews,) and call his servants by another name." Is.lxv.15. They cannot, then, wax great to the host of
heaven nearly six hundred years after they are not the host of heaven. If they should say it means the
christian church, then I ask, what is meant by the place of his sanctuary? See 11th verse: "Yea, he (little
horn) magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away,
and the place of his sanctuary was cast down." Who is the prince of the host? It cannot be the high
priest, as some say; for the priesthood was abolished many centuries before Mahomet lived. What is
the place of his sanctuary? They must and will answer, if they answer at all, Jerusalem. And Jerusalem
was cast down by the Romans five hundred and fifty years before Mahomet lived. How can these things
be?
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0174 paragraph 2
Again. The angel says, Dan.viii.23, "And in the
latter time of their kingdom," (the four kingdoms of Alexander's empire, the last of which was destroyed,
as Rollin has shown, thirty years B.C.,) "when the transgressors are come to the full," - that is, when the
Jews are come to the height of their transgression, in the cup of abominations, God will suffer them to
make a league with the Romans, or little horn; and "a king of fierce countenance, and understanding
dark sentences, shall stand up," meaning Rome, for Mahomet did not exist until five hundred and fifty
years after the Jews were destroyed for their transgressions. Moses explains this, Deut.xxviii.49,50:
"The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle
0175
flieth;; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; a nation of fierce countenance, which shall
not regard the person of the old nor show favor to the young." All commentators agree that Moses is
prophesying the destruction of the city of Jerusalem by the Romans. If so, then is Daniel prophesying
the same, for the characters and descriptions are the same.
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0175 paragraph 1
Verse 24: "And his power shall be mighty, but
not by his own power." Now this is representing the Roman kingdom in its last part, Papacy, as in the
vision of the little horn, Dan.vii.25: "And they shall be given into his hand," not by his own power. Here
is an agreement with the little horn of Papacy, and agrees with the ten horns giving up their power to
the papal beast. See Rev.xvii.13,17: "These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto
the beast. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto
the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0175 paragraph 2
"And he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall
prosper and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people." Mahomet certainly did bear
rule by his own power, he governed by his own laws, and, as John tells us, he was not raised up to
destroy green things, (the people of the Holy One,) "but only those men who have not the seal of God in
their foreheads." Rev.ix.4: "And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the
earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in
their foreheads."
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0175 paragraph 3
Dan.viii.25: "And through his policy also he shall
cause craft to prosper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart." Compare this with the
little horn of Papacy, Dan.vii.25: "And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear
out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his
hand until a time, times, and the dividing of time." 2Thess.ii.4: "Who opposeth and exalteth himself
0176
above all that is called God, or that is worshipped so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God,
showing himself that he is God."
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0176 paragraph 1
Rev.xiii.4-6: "And they worshipped the dragon
which gave power unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast?
who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things, and
blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his
mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in
heaven." "And by peace shall destroy many." That is, by pretending to be a minister of peace he shall
destroy many by his delegated power over heretics. "He shall stand up against the Prince of princes."
This is the Antichrist spoken of by John, in 1John ii.18: "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have
heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the
last time." Against the Prince of princes, cannot apply to Mahomet, for he did not stand up against
Christ nor the high priest. "But he shall be broken without hand." I answer, he must be broken by the
stone cut out without hands. See Daniel ii.34,35: "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without
hands, which smote the image upon his feet, that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then
was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the
chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for
them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth," which
carries away all the kingdoms of the earth, and sets up the kingdom of Christ, which will stand forever.
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0176 paragraph 2
Mr. Smith and Mr. Cambell admit, that the
twenty-three hundred days will end in 1843; and then Mahometanism will be destroyed, the Jews
return, &c. Very well; I will show that the papal beast will be destroyed at the same time, and that
Christ will
0177
come at the same time, and if ever the Jews return it must be at the same time when the false prophet
is destroyed. See Rev.xix.20: "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had the mark of the beast, and them that
worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." This text
shows their destruction to be at one time. Now the coming of Christ. See 2Thess.ii.8: "And then shall
that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy
with the brightness of his coming." This text proves that Christ will come in his glory before the beast
will be destroyed, meaning Papacy. See also Dan.vii.21,22: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with
the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the
saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." See also
Dan.vii.9,10,13,14: "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose
garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery
flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand
thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment
was set, and the books were opened. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man
came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before
him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and
languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Will Mr. Smith or Cambell tell us what these texts mean, if
it is not Christ's second coming.
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0177 paragraph 1
II. THE RETURN OF THE JEWS. "And they shall
fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be
0178
led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of
the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon
the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them
for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall
be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory. And
when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption
draweth nigh."* This proves that Jerusalem shall be trodden down or possessed by the Gentiles, until
the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. See Rom.ii.9,10: "Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man
that doeth evil; of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile. But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that
worketh good; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile." We see by this text that the time of the Gentiles
carries us to the end of the gospel dispensation. And if old Jerusalem is ever built again, it cannot be
until the end of the gospel day. See Rom.xi.25,26: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant
of this mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits,) that blindness in part is happened to Israel,
until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall
come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." When the fulness of the
Gentiles be come in, then all Israel (spiritually) shall be saved. Is.vi.3: "And one cried unto another, and
said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." "His glory is the fulness of
the whole earth," (i.e. Gentiles.) Eph.i.9,10, also 23: "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself: that, in the dispensation of the
fulness of times, he might
----------
* Luke xxi.24-28.
0179
gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in
him:" "which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0179 paragraph 1
By these and similar texts we are taught that
the gospel church among the Gentiles is the fulness of Christ, and the times of the Gentiles must of
course be the fulness of the gospel day. If then the Jews are to return to their own land and build
Jerusalem again, it cannot be until the gospel dispensation is finished, or "the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled." For while the gospel dispensation lasts, if they continue not in unbelief, they are grafted in
among the Gentiles, and are all one in Christ. And as long as they are without faith they cannot please
God, and, of course, cannot be the people of God. Paul argues the above in the eleventh chapter of
Romans. Where, in the New Testament, can a single passage be found to prove the return of the Jews
to their own land? And, if it is not in the New Testament, what biblical rule has any one to say that it
remains to be fulfilled? If you say the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the
remnant of his people, Is.xi.11, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand
again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from
Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from
the islands of the sea;" - if this means the Jews, then it was fulfilled in the return of the Jews from
Babylon.
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0179 paragraph 2
1. They were redeemed from Egypt. See
Deut.vii.8, xv.15: "But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had
sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of
the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." "And thou shalt remember that thou
wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee
this thing to-day." 1Chron.xvii.21: "And what one
0180
nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make
thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou
hast redeemed out of Egypt?"
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0180 paragraph 1
2. They were redeemed from Babylon. See
Ezra ii.1: "Now these are the children of the province that went up out of captivity, of those which had
been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and
came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city." Neh.i.8-10: "Remember, I beseech thee,
the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad
among the nations: but if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them, though there
were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will
bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Now these are thy servants, and
thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand." Dan.ix.2,15: "In
the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of
the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of
Jerusalem." "And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of Egypt with a mighty
hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly." Micah
iv.10: "Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt
thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon: there
shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies."
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0180 paragraph 2
If this means spiritual Israel, then why look for
the Jews' return? True, God will redeem his people (spiritually) the second time: WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0180 paragraph 3
1. From Sin by regeneration through faith.
Heb.ix.15: "And for this cause he is the mediator of the
0181
new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Titus ii.14:
"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works." Ps.cxxx.8: "And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities."
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0181 paragraph 1
2. From Death by the power of God in the
resurrection. Hosea xiii.14: "I will ransom thee from the power of the grave; I will redeem thee from
death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction; repentance shall be hid from
mine eyes. Rom.viii.23: "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our
body."
WM 1Miller A REVIEW OF ETHAN SMITH'S AND DAVID CAMBELL'S EXPOSITION OF THE "LITTLE HORN,"
AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. page 0181 paragraph 2
So let Messrs. Smith and Cambell take which
horn of the dilemma they please. I have shown by the plain scripture, that the SON OF MAN must come
at the time specified, Dan.viii.14: "And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days;
then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." And as it is the main object of these writers to try to support a
"Millennium" before Christ's second coming, I challenge them all, or either, to prove it by the Bible, and
nothing but the Bible; let them keep to the point.
WILLIAM MILLER.
Boston, March 15, 1840.
0182
BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0182 paragraph 1
DEAR
BRO. HIMES: - I thank you for the book you sent me, - "Dowling's Reply to Miller." I was in hopes, when I
read his introduction, we should have fair argument at least; yet when he gave his reasons for exposing
my expositions, (as he calls them,) I had some fears that I had not found in him an honest, disinterested
opponent.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0182 paragraph 2
"Were
the doctrine of Mr. Miller established upon evidence satisfactory to my own mind, I would not rest till I
had published in the streets, and proclaimed in the ears of my fellow-townsmen, and especially of my
beloved flock, `"THE DAY OF THE LORD IS AT HAND!" Build no more houses! plant no more fields and
gardens! forsake your shops and farms, and all secular pursuits, and give every moment to preparation
for this great event! for in three short years this earth shall be burned up, and Christ shall come in the
clouds, awake the sleeping dead, and call all the living before his dread tribunal.' It is not, therefore, in a
captious spirit that the following pages are sent into the world, but in order to vindicate myself, as a
minister of the gospel, from what would be a most criminal neglect in not sounding such an ALARM."
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0182 paragraph 3
The
amount of the above extract is simply this: he would disobey the positive command of Christ, "occupy
till I come," and counteract a prophecy of the dear Savior, Luke xvii.28-30, "Likewise also as it was in the
days of Lot: they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same
day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven,
0183
and destroyed them all: even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed," - and be a
fanatic. No danger, Mr. Dowling; with these motives, God will never call you to warn mankind: your
wisdom would be folly with God. But I have read the work, and, if I am not in an "egregious error," I
plainly saw that Mr. Dowling was laboring in an uphill business. It was like the prayer we heard in
Boston last winter, when the speaker prayed to God, "begging that he would not suffer men to burn up
their Bibles after 1843." I find it, also, to be full of the same spirit of boasting and bragging which we
find in "Miller Overthrown," "Miller Exploded," "Boston Resolution," &c.; all of which are signs of the last
days. See 2Tim.iii.1,2: "This know, also, that in the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be
lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy." Our great men were in trouble; therefore Mr. Dowling must throw darkness upon the Bible he must preach up that men cannot understand the Bible unless we come to him or some other A.M. or
a D.D. Let me here say, once for all, I do not despise good men who may have worn or now wear these
titles. I do not despise learning; for of all things on earth which I ever beheld, a humble, learned man I
truly love. But I do despise these baubles or titles, which have become too common in the christian
world, which the Son of God never wore, and taught his followers to reject.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0183 paragraph 1
Mr.
Dowling begins first with the seventy weeks; and, after shifting, twisting, and turning, he says, page 49,
"Mr. Miller says the 490 years begin B.C. 457, which is correct. He says they end A.D. 33, which is also
correct." This is all I ask. If it ended in 33, then 1810 would end in 1843. Let this part of the controversy
be settled here. No matter when Christ died, it has nothing to do with the argument. We are then
agreed that 70 weeks or 490 days were just fulfilled in 490 years, ending A.D. 33. So far we agree. In his
next section, page 53, after quoting
0184
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0184 paragraph 1
Daniel's
vision, he then begins to confuse the minds of his readers, by quoting all the ancient and modern
opinions of men; - he dares not stand on Bible alone. But I shall not follow him in his confusion of
tongues. We wish to understand the question, Dan.viii.13, "For how long a time shall the vision last, the
daily sacrifice be taken away, and the transgression of desolation continue, to give both the sanctuary
and host to be trodden under foot?" Answer, "Unto two thousand three hundred days." With this
translation, I have no difficulty. But what vision? I answer, the ram, he-goat, and little horn. Mr.
Dowling, on pages 85 and 86, has endeavored to make people believe that I fix the rise of the little horn
at the beginning of the vision. I cannot impute this to his ignorance; it cannot be less than a wanton
disregard to truth; for he well knew I had applied the "little horn" to Rome pagan and papal. See page
59 of his own work. The text inquires, "For how long time shall the vision last?" not how long shall the
little horn last? So all that he has said on that point is sheer duplicity, to blind, and draw his readers
from the point at issue. The point at issue is, doth the vision contain any thing, or time, but the history
of Antiochus, and the time he defiled the temple? I answer, it does; and every reader must see that it
contains a part, if not all, of the Persian history, all of the Grecian, and all of the "little horn," which
evidently includes Antichrist, which power is to end only with Christ's coming. See Dan.vii.21,22.
2Thess.ii.8. Remember the question: "For how long time shall the vision last?" The vision begins with
the ram pushing westward, which is Persia warring against Grecia, according to Mr. Dowling's own
showing. Then for him to say the answer only includes Antiochus Epiphanes, is a perversion of the
question. It includes Grecia under Alexander, the four kingdoms into which his was divided, then
another power, called a "little horn," when the transgression of the Jews should come to the full. See
the instruction of the angel, Dan.viii.23-25: "And
0185
in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce
countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not
by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy
the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand;
and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against
the Prince of princes: but he shall be broken without hand." Was this all done under Antiochus? was it
not his own power which defiled the temple? Surely it was. But Mr. Dowling says this "little horn"
means a person, not a kingdom. He says, "To this it may be replied, that while in most instances in this
prophecy," and he ought to have said in every instance, "a horn does signify a kingdom, to assert that it
does so in this case is begging the question." Is this your logic, Mr. Dowling? Suppose, sir, you write me
a letter; in that letter you use the word "student" ten times - nine times you explain yourself to mean a
"wise man;" would it be begging the question to call the tenth a "wise man?" And if my opponent called
it "a fool," would he not be put upon his proof to show you meant in this isolated case "a fool?" And as
Mr. Dowling has admitted my proof, and brought not a particle of proof from the Bible to support his
assertion, I can safely rest my view, that it means the Roman kingdom, or that abomination spoken of by
Christ, Matt.xxiv.15, which would destroy the city and sanctuary, the Jews as a people, and magnify
himself, and stand up against Christ.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0185 paragraph 1
I shall
now examine the evidence he has brought against the seventy weeks being a part of the vision. In this
he evidently has tried to blind people's eyes, by hiding the truth and throwing dust.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0185 paragraph 2
"But
the reader who has not read Mr. Miller's book will inquire, Does he place the date so far back without a
shadow of a reason? I reply, I have read
0186
his third lecture very carefully, to discover whether he has any reason whatever for placing the
commencement of the 2300 years at the same time as the commencement of the 70 weeks, and I can
discover none, except a most singular inference he draws from the words in Dan.viii.21, `the man
Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision, at the beginning, touched me,' &c."
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0186 paragraph 1
He says
I have brought no other proof but Dan.viii.21. Now let the reader turn to my lectures, page 57, twentysecond and twenty-third lines from the top. "Does not the angel say to Daniel, ix.23, [not viii. or ix.21,]
Therefore understand the matter and consider the vision?" He has quoted a wrong verse, and then says
the word "the" is not in the Hebrew; he dares not say the word "the" is not in the twenty-third and
twenty-fourth verses, - "to seal up the vision," &c. You see, my dear reader, how your ministers will
stoop to the meanest subterfuges to deceive you, and "cry peace." But not all of them. No: I bless God
there are a few honest ones left yet. But this book is evidently got up to throw darkness upon the
people, to misrepresent my views, and to clothe the scripture in a mantle of darkness.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0186 paragraph 2
In
pages 84-86 he has misrepresented my views entirely: I have nowhere said the "little horn" began the
vision, or had its rise until 158 years B.C., when the Grecians ceased to trouble the Jews, and the
Romans began to work deceitfully. All his arguments, then, are founded on false premises. And I may
well say the whole of his arguments are built upon false premises and conjectures. His four years, of
which he attempts to make so much, has no effect on my system at all. I think Christ died A.D. 33. He
thinks Christ died A.D. 29. But the end of the 70 weeks, he says, was A.D. 33. Very well, sir, this is all I
ask; you may think what you please about Christ's death, it is the year I want, whether you reckon 453
and add 37, or reckon 457 and add 33. We agree it is 33, according to our chronology. And from the
end of the 70 weeks I
0187
may reckon "backwards or forwards" as I please. Now, sir, if the instruction that Gabriel gives Daniel in
the 9th chapter is concerning the vision of the 8th chapter, then I am right. If not, then I may be wrong.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF DOWLING'S REPLY TO MILLER. No.I. page 0187 paragraph 1
Let all
of our readers examine for themselves, and then their blood must be on their own heads. I wish not to
deceive any - nor be deceived. I ask the reader to read Daniel viii.16-19; then read Daniel ix.21 to 24;
and determine for himself what "vision" the angel came to make Daniel understand, and what "vision
and prophet or prophecy" would be sealed up by the 70 weeks. This is the turning point, and Mr.
Dowling knows it, or he would never have tried so hard to misquote and darken my arguments, which
he will not call "arguments," and by which expression he has discovered his prejudice, and his unfitness
to review any serious or candid work. "Let no man deceive you by any means."
WILLIAM MILLER.
Low Hampton, July 13, 1840.
REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II.
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II. page 0187 paragraph 2
DEAR BRO. HIMES: - I am
pained to the heart when I see the deceit and art that are used at the present day to lull the church to
sleep and deceive souls. Yes, I see even those who profess to be servants of Christ and lovers of souls,
taking sides with the scoffer, and ridiculing and treating with contempt an important doctrine of the
Bible, which has eternal consequences hanging upon a right understanding and a just appreciation of its
truth. Of all the writers which I have seen, none is equal to "John Dowling, A.M., pastor of the Pinestreet Baptist church, Providence, R.I." He, in my opinion, will be the means of sinking more souls into
perdition, than your "Parsons
0188
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II. page 0188 paragraph 1
Cooke, Whittemore, Skinner,
Cobb, Thomas," and all the host of scoffers put together. For they have only prompted men to read and
hear with more attention and profit. But Dowling steals upon men in that sly, deceitful, and artful
manner, that they are chilled before they know it, and poisoned with a noxious vapor by the air they
breathe. The effects will be easily seen, wherever Dowling's work is read and believed: the Bible will be
neglected, reformations will cease, and indifference succeed.
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II. page 0188 paragraph 2
Permit me, now, in a farther
review of this work, to examine a few of his main attacks on my "four pillars," as he calls them. 1. The
2300 days, Dan.viii.13,14. This he has endeavored to destroy, root and branch; and if his assertion were
evidence, I would give it up; but to a rational and free mind it is not sufficient. He begins with the 70
weeks, at the last end of my argument. (He calls it no argument.) You may inquire why he begins with
the seventy weeks. This is very evident; - he wishes to avoid the main argument. And first, he asserts,
over and over again, that I am ignorant. This would throw some dust in the reader's eyes. What is his
final conclusion? I answer - he finally concludes, that 70 weeks were fulfilled in 490 years, and ended
A.D. 33. Ignorant as I am, we agree in this to a charm. Very well. What is his next argument? His next
argument of any bearing or force is, that "the vision of the ram and he-goat" was Antiochus Epiphanes.
Here, he is very careful to keep out of sight my argument that the three visions, had at three several
times, are but one prophecy: Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel ii.26-45; also Daniel vii.; and then Daniel
viii., the ram and he-goat. My argument was, that these three visions are but one prophecy. "The
dreams are the same," as Joseph said to Pharaoh. And if this be true, then the little horn, instead of
being Antiochus, must be the Roman kingdom. This would be natural; and then, to be consistent, all the
proof that I should be under any obligation to show would be the agreement between the little horn
0189
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II. page 0189 paragraph 1
and the Roman kingdom. The
little horn in the 7th chapter is explained to mean the fourth or Roman kingdom. See Dan.vii.7,8. And
what rule has Mr. Dowling to apply the same "little horn," in the next vision, to some other kingdom,
when the inspired writer has nowhere told us he meant another kingdom, but the reverse? See
Dan.viii.1: "After (or like) that which appeared unto me at the first." Then he sees the vision of the
Medes and Persians; (compare Dan.vii.5, with viii.3,4;) then of the Grecian, Dan.vii.6, with viii.5-8. Then
the little horn answers to the fourth kingdom. Now let us compare Daniel vii.7,8, with viii.9,10. The first
was "dreadful, and terrible, and strong exceedingly." The other "waxed exceeding great towards the
south, towards the east, and towards the pleasant land." The first "devoured, brake in pieces, and
stamped the residue with the feet of it." The next, "It cast down some (or residue) of the host and stars
to the ground, and stamped upon them." The first, Dan.vii.21, "made war with the saints and prevailed
against them." The other "waxed great against the host of heaven." The first "shall speak great words
against the Most High," Dan.vii.25. The last, "Yea, he magnified himself against the Prince of the host."
The Roman kingdom is described by Moses, Deut.xxviii.49,50, as "a nation of fierce countenance," "a
nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand." Daniel says this little horn is "a king of fierce
countenance and understanding dark sentences." The first, Dan.vii.25,26: "And he shall speak great
words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times
and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time. But the
judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end."
Now, viii.24,25: "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy
wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the
0190
holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify
himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;
but he shall be broken without hand."
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II. page 0190 paragraph 1
Surely, Mr. Dowling, this is an
argument that you cannot guess away; nor can all the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and soothsayers
of Babylon confute it.
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II. page 0190 paragraph 2
The next argument Mr. Dowling
brings is, "that he does not regard the 2300 evenings and mornings as prophetical days or years," page
84. What do I care what he regards? Shall we crouch and fawn to his dogmatism? No, my dear reader;
if you have read my lectures, you know I have proved as clearly that the 70 weeks is a part of the vision,
as he has proved that the 70 weeks were 490 years. And if 490 years were included in the same vision,
(see Dan.ix.23,24,) then of course his 3 years and 55 days, and all his long struggle on that point, is but
wind. For the question is, as he has shown, page 70, - "For how long a time shall the vision last?" I
answer, as he says, page 71, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days." But what was to be done in
the vision? The text says, as Mr. Lowth translates it, "The daily sacrifice be taken away, and the
transgression of desolation continue." What does Daniel say about taking away daily sacrifice and the
transgression of desolation continuing? Dan.xii.11: "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be
taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred
and ninety days." Here, Mr. Dowling, are 1290 days, and you acknowledge, page 71, that these are
probably years; where then are your "1150 evenings and mornings?" A lame conclusion, poor logic, this!
What else must be done in the vision? "To give both the sanctuary and host to be trodden under foot."
What do Daniel and John say about treading under foot? Dan.vii.7,19,25: "After this I saw in the night
visions, and behold, a fourth beast,
0191
dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in
pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were
before it; and it had ten horns. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from
all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured,
brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet. And he shall speak great words against the Most
High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall
be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time." Rev.xi.2: "But the court which is
without the temple, leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city
shall they tread under foot forty and two months."
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II. page 0191 paragraph 1
These times spoken of in Daniel
and Revelation mean 1260 years, he admits, on page 71. Where then is your 1150 common days, Mr.
Dowling? Is there no argument in this? The argument about the little horn, page 86, "Placing the little
horn which was to spring from the head of the goat, before the time when the goat began to exist,"
which he charges me as having done, is a subterfuge too base to be replied to, and an argument too silly
to need a serious answer. The vision began 457 B.C., not the little horn.
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II. page 0191 paragraph 2
If Mr. Dowling's cause is so
weak that he must descend to such misrepresentations, and contradictory arguments, I would advise
him to apply to the Boston clergy for a "resolution" in his favor, or to get a few more puffs from the
"Watchman" and "Secretary," to sustain him in his inconsistent course!
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF DOWLING. No. II. page 0191 paragraph 3
I have removed the principal
difficulties that he has thrown in the way of sincere seekers after truth, and now take my leave of the
work.
WILLIAM MILLER.
Low Hampton, July 18,1840.
0192
BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA."
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0192 paragraph 1
THE Rev. S. Cobb, of Waltham, Mass., some time last year gave a course of lectures to the
Universalist society in that town, and has since published them in the "Christian Freeman," under the
caption of the "Miller Mania." The following passing notice of them, by brother Miller, will give the
reader some idea of their merit.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0192 paragraph 2
DEAR BRO. HIMES: I have by your politeness received Rev. S. Cobb's Lectures on the "Miller
Mania." I think a few such lectures would do good among the followers of Universalism here. For they
have been taught here that Christ will never come again to the earth, that his second coming was at
Jerusalem; and Mr. Cobb has admitted that the "glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ" is yet future. He has also admitted that Paul, in 1Thess.iv.16, means a coming that is yet
future. Admitting these two passages to apply to the future coming of Christ, it follows, of course, that
all Mr. Miller claims may be true; for the passages of like import and expression must have a like
meaning. 1st. Take Titus ii.13: "Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Savior Jesus Christ." Then the text in Heb.ix.28 must have a similar meaning and the same
fulfilment. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him
(looking for, says Paul to Titus) shall he appear (glorious appearing) the second time (first time was when
he was offered, second time will be when he comes to bless
0193
his people and consummate their hopes) without sin unto salvation." Where then can his coming to
Jerusalem be placed? It cannot be his first, for that was before. It cannot be his second, for that is the
one we are looking for, and yet in the future. Can Mr. Cobb get a space between one and two? Try
again, my dear sir; it is a difficult task, but try again; you can wrest the scripture. A desperate cause
needs a desperate effort.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0193 paragraph 1
Again; let Mr. Cobb compare 1John ii.28: "And now, little children, abide in him; that when he
shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." Was this written
before Jerusalem was destroyed? Be careful, Mr. Cobb; you may yet prove that John was dead before
Jerusalem was destroyed, and if so, your theory all goes to the wind. If, then, this text from John's
epistle was written twenty years after Jerusalem was destroyed, then his appearing must be in the
future. And why this caution, "Little children, abide in him," &c.? How is this? who can be ashamed
before him at his coming, if all will be happy and holy? This text does favor my views, surely. "Some to
shame and everlasting contempt."
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0193 paragraph 2
Mr. Cobb admits that 1Thess.iv.16, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first,"
is a future coming of Christ. This is admitting the whole ground; for the following verses, to the fourth
verse of the fifth chapter, - "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort
one another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write
unto you. For yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For
when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a
woman with child; and they shall not escape," -
0194
must mean the same coming. And three things are plain and obvious: -
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0194 paragraph 1
1. The duty of brethren to comfort one another with talking and preaching this doctrine of
Christ's coming, which Mr. Cobb opposes.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0194 paragraph 2
2. That the brethren have no need that he write of the times and seasons, for they very well
knew, yes, they perfectly knew, that the day of the Lord would come as a thief in the night, to some, and
they would be destroyed, and should not escape. I ask, how did they know this thing? I answer, by
Christ's words. Matt.xxiv.38-44: "For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until
the flood came and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two
be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the
one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth
come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come,
he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready:
for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Mark xiii.32-37: "But of that day and that
hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye
heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far
journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and
commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye, therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house
cometh; at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning: lest, coming suddenly, he
find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch." Luke xii.35-40: "Let your loins be
girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait
0195
for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may
open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find
watching; verily, I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will
come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and
find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the good man of the house had known
what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken
through. Be ye, therefore, ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." By
these texts they knew it perfectly. And this proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Christ in Matthew
had reference to a yet future coming, according to Mr. Cobb's own admission.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0195 paragraph 1
3. That those who say "peace and safety" are the ones that will be destroyed. And "when they
shall say it," we know that the time is at hand when they shall be destroyed, and that suddenly.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0195 paragraph 2
Here we have a strong evidence that the coming of the Lord, according to Mr. Cobb's own
concession, is near at hand. See "Christian Freeman," vol.i. No.43, p.1.2d col.: "And the accomplishment
of the great and glorious purpose of God, in the resurrection of all men from the dead, is also in a few
instances called the coming of Christ; as in 1Thess.iv.16: "For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead shall rise
in Christ first." And in whom, I inquire, will they rise next? The Bible says, "And the dead in Christ shall
rise first." But Mr. Cobb can transpose and say, "And the dead shall rise in Christ first." This wresting of
scripture to suit our own creed would make even the notorious Whittemore blush. But this is proving
2Peter iii.16, - "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard
to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable
0196
wrest,, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction," - to be fulfilled, and completes
Paul's sign, "For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then (at that time) sudden destruction cometh
upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, (surely the Universalists are in great trouble,) and they
shall not escape." This "great and glorious purpose of God" is what I am trying to prove. Mr. C., why in
so much trouble, then? Do you not like to have the "glorious purpose" of God done? Why so much
perplexity and distress? The "glorious purpose of God" will be done in earth as in heaven. "Ah! yes, Oh!
Oh!! that is what I am afraid off," said the guilty man. You are safe, and need have no fear; why are you
all in such a bluster?
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0196 paragraph 1
Again; in the introduction to his first lecture, Mr. Cobb has tried to make out that I am governed
by some corrupt motive, such as vain-glory, marvellousness, design to deceive, &c. This shows the true
character of the man. No man can have an honest motive in writing or giving his views of scripture.
Why not? Because he judges out of his own heart, and from his own conduct. And as he does not
pretend to know me personally, of course his judgment must proceed from his knowledge of his own
motives, (James iv.12;) and as such a course was not called for to put down an error, so easily disposed
of, as he says, it cannot but satisfy every thinking mind that he had grappled with arguments too
powerful for him to encounter, without the aid of misrepresentation and lying, to prejudice his hearers
and blind their judgment. This mode of beginning a religious discourse is calculated to destroy all
confidence in the man, as a Christian or an honest opponent.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0196 paragraph 2
Again; his main argument is that all judgment was fulfilled at Jerusalem. And this view of our
Savior's predictions, hatched up between our D.D.s' standard authors on the one part, and Universalists,
or modern Deists, or scoffers, on the other part, has produced a doctrine which will be the means of
carrying thousands of the unthinking part of the
0197
world to endless ruin. All that Mr. Cobb does is to bring one of these D.D.s to prove his point; no matter
what the Bible may say, one of these will put down all the Bible in the world. They feed on all rotten
carcasses, and will find themselves in the end where John has placed them, Rev.xxii.18,19, and 15: "For I
testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto
these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take
away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life,
and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. For without are dogs, and
sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."
This hobby of the Universalists has been confuted a thousand times; yet they will harp on a broken
string their discordant notes, to lull mortals to sleep, and to prevent the lost children of men from
hearing the midnight cry and preparing for judgment.
WM 1Miller BRIEF REVIEW OF S. COBB'S LECTURES ON THE "MILLER MANIA." page 0197 paragraph 1
I will confute them once more. Acts xvii.30-32: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because he hath appointed a day in the which he
will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given
assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the
resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter." This
judgment day is at the resurrection, evidently; and this day is appointed, and I am showing the
appointed time. Amos iii.7: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his
servants the prophets;" and I have plainly shown that he has so done it, Phelps, Cambell, Skinner and
Whittemore to the contrary notwithstanding.
WILLIAM MILLER.
Low Hampton, Aug. 1, 1840.
0198
REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8.
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0198 paragraph 1
DEAR BRO. HIMES: The rules which are given in the 13th No. of the "Signs of the Times," by a
"Bible Reader," to interpret scripture, I believe to be good, and worthy to be known and read of all men.
Therefore, I wish to apply his rules to the text in question, Rev.xi.8: "And their dead bodies shall lie in
the streets of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was
crucified."
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0198 paragraph 2
Now let me inquire of the Holy Spirit, WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0198 paragraph 3
1. What dead bodies? Spirit answers: The two witnesses, or testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev.xi.37: "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and
threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive-trees, and the two candlesticks standing
before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and
devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have
power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn
them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have
finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them,
and shall overcome them, and kill them."
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0198 paragraph 4
2. What are those witnesses? Rev.xi.4: "These are the two olive-trees, and the two candlesticks
standing before the God of the earth." Zech.iv.: The candlestick is there called the word of God
0199
unto Zerubbabel. Psalm cxix.105: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." The
olive-trees are sons of oil, the evidence for our faith in Christ. John v.39: "Search the Scriptures; for in
them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." The answer then is, the
Scriptures.
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0199 paragraph 1
3. Who killed the witnesses? The Spirit answers, John v.7: "The beast that ascendeth out of the
bottomless pit." What is the beast? Spirit answers, Rev.xvii.3: "So he carried me away in the spirit into
the wilderness; and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having
seven heads and ten horns." This beast had seven heads and ten horns. Now read Rev.xvii.4-8: "And the
woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her
forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel
said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast
that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest, was, and is
not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth
shall wonder, (whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,)
when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." Daniel has explained this beast. Dan.vii.7
and 23: "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong
exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with
the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that
0200
were before it; and it had ten horns. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon
the earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it
down and break it in pieces." The answer then will be, in plain, simple language, "The Roman kingdom,
while under the woman (or false church) or last head." Rev.xvii.13: "These have one mind, and shall give
their power and strength to the beast."
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0200 paragraph 1
What great city is this alluded to in the text? Spirit answers, Rev.xvii.18: "And the woman which
thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Also Rev.xvi.19: "And the
great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in
remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." Again,
Rev.xiv.8: "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." Then this great city is Babylon
mystical; yes, or Rome under papal rule. Why is it called Sodom and Egypt? Because the Holy Spirit has
made them an ensample or figure of other cities or nations that should afterwards live as they had lived.
2Peter ii.6: "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an
overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly." Jude 5-7: "I will
therefore put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept
not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness
unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like
manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an
example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
0201
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0201 paragraph 1
Why does it say "where also our Lord was crucified?" Answer. If Sodom and Egypt are used
figuratively in the text, which "the Bible Reader" must admit by his own exposition; then also must
"where the Lord was crucified" be so used; for it says "where also;" i.e., in like manner as this place
would sin like Sodom and Egypt, so would they crucify the Lord of glory afresh. Heb.vi.6: "If they shall
fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put him to an open shame." In his mystical body, Col.i.24: "Who now rejoice in my
sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's
sake, which is the church."
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0201 paragraph 2
How many streets were in this great city? Answer. Rev.xi.13: "And the same hour was there a
great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven
thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." Ten streets,
agreeing with ten toes, ten horns, and meaning ten kingdoms. Rev.xvii.12: "And the ten horns which
thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour
with the beast."
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0201 paragraph 3
Were these witnesses only to be slain in one kingdom? No more. Rev.xi.9: "And they of the
people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and
shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves."
WM 1Miller REVIEW OF "A BIBLE READER" ON THE TWO WITNESSES, REV.XI.8. page 0201 paragraph 4
Which of the ten kingdoms would do this; or in which would it be done? I answer, the Holy
Spirit has not told us. This is only to be known when the subject matter is fulfilled. Here, "the Bible
Reader" seems to be confused. He has gone into the city of Jerusalem, he is hunting for the street
where Christ was crucified. Dear sir, you will never find it there. Go you out of the city on the mount
that is paved with skulls; go where criminals suffer, if you would find where the Sodomitish rulers and
Egyptian tyrants
0202
will persecute or slay the Son of God. Again, he is looking for Elijah to come; Christ says he has come
already. "Have these astounding predictions ever been so fulfilled?" he inquires. I answer, they have.
"Who has seen them?" Not the proud Pharisee; he had eyes, but he saw not. Why, he could not believe,
although he saw the "astounding" miracles of our Savior. I know of many who have seen these things,
and believed them too, and are now waiting for the consolation of Israel. But you say, "When?" I
answer, in the French revolution, and since.* "Where?" In France, in Europe, in America, and in all the
world. "These astounding predictions," these "amazing wonders," have been, are now, and will be
shortly fulfilled, or fulfilling, and will be seen by every eye. He closes with good advice; may we all go
and do likewise.
WILLIAM MILLER.
Low Hampton, Oct. 20, 1840.
---------* See next article.
0203
REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO WITNESSES."
QUOTATIONS FROM EMINENT EXPOSITORS OF PROPHECY, WITH REMARKS BY MR. MILLER.
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0203 paragraph 1 DEAR BRO. HIMES: I send you a few extracts from some ancient
authors on the subject of the "two witnesses." Please to give them a place in your new work, and you
will oblige many.
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0203 paragraph 2 I. I shall quote Dr. Thomas Goodwin, president of the Magdalen
College, Oxford, who wrote an exposition of Revelation in A.D. 1639, more than two hundred years since.
On Rev.xi.13, he remarks: "By the tenth part of the city, I understand some one tenth part of Europe. By
earthquake here is meant a great concussion or shaking of states, politic, or ecclesiastical. By this
earthquake's so falling out in a tenth part of the city, this tenth part of it is so shaken that it falls; that is,
ceaseth to be a tenth part of the city, or to belong to its jurisdiction any longer. The effect of this
earthquake, and fall of this tenth part of the city, is killing seven thousand of the names of men. Now,
by men of name, in scripture, is meant men of title, office and dignity; these having killed the witnesses,
themselves are to be killed, by being bereft of their names and titles, which are to be rooted out forever.
Now which of these ten kingdoms (may be intended,) it is not hard to conjecture. The saints and
churches of France, God has made a wonder unto me in all his proceedings towards them, first and last;
and there would seem some great and special honor reserved for them, yet, at the last; for it is certain
that the first light
0204
of the gospel, by the first and second angel's preaching, in Rev.xiv., which laid the foundation of
Antichrist's ruin, was out from among them, namely those of Lyons, and other places in France. And
they bore and underwent the great heat of that morning of persecution, which was as great, if not
greater, than any since. And so, as that kingdom had the first great stroke, so now it should have the
honor of having the last great stroke in the ruin of Rome."
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0204 paragraph 1 So much for Dr. Goodwin. And who has read the history of the
French revolution, but will acknowledge that these extracts breathe a spirit of prophecy, literally fulfilled
in about one hundred and fifty years afterwards?
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0204 paragraph 2 I will next quote Dr. H. Moore. In his book, "MYSTERY OF
INIQUITY contained in the kingdom of Antichrist," Book 2, ch. 12, on Rev.xi.13, he observes: "That an
earthquake signifies political commotions and change of affairs, is obvious to any one; but that the city
here mentioned should be understood not of a city of brick or stone, but a polity. For I conceive it is
plain enough that this city is the very city mentioned in the eighth verse, which is called the great city,
and this great city is the whore of Babylon, and the whore of Babylon is nothing but the body of the
idolatrous clergy in the empire, who appertain to the seventh or last head of the beast, which is an head
of blasphemy, as well as the six first, that is to say, an idolatrous head. Whence we may understand
what is meant by these seven thousand names of men; for neither seven nor thousand signify any
determinate number, but only the nature or property of these names of men that are said to be slain,
namely, that they are TITLES, DIGNITIES, OFFICES OR ORDERS of men belonging to the state of
Christendom. As under the seventh head, that is become idolatrous and antichristian, and this number
seven is multiplied into a thousand, it signifies a perfect nulling of all such offices and orders of men; for
no men at all here are necessarily implied to be slain, but only all antichristian OFFICES and
FRATERNITIES to
0205
be dissolved and abrogated, and things to be reduced to the purity of the first four hundred years. For
to slay by a diorismus, signifies nothing else but a causing a thing to cease to be. This, but little question,
is the true meaning of this place. And the tenth part of the city will have a sense marvellously coincident
therewith."
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0205 paragraph 1 The above sentiment was published by Dr. Moore, A.D. 1663. In
a little more than a hundred and thirty years afterwards it became a matter of fact, instead of prophecy
and opinion. No one need to be informed, that one of the ten kingdoms of western Rome, or of Papacy,
France, abolished all titles and orders in one day or decree, in A.D. 1793 or 1794.
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0205 paragraph 2 I will now give you a few extracts from REV. PETER JURINE, a
minister of the French church at Rotterdam, taken from a work entitled "The Accomplishment of
Scripture Prophecies, or the approaching Deliverance of the Church." This work was translated into
English in the year 1687, more than one hundred and fifty years ago. He says, Part II. page 68, "We shall
see such admirable agreement between the events and the prophecies explained, that shall abundantly
convince that what I am about to say is not simple conjecture." Page 242, on Rev.xi.13, he says, "There
shall be an earthquake, that is, a great emotion and trouble in the world, and in the antichristian
kingdom. In this emotion a tenth part of the city shall fall; that is, a tenth part of the antichristian
kingdom shall be taken away from it. Now what is the tenth part of the city which shall fall? In my
opinion we cannot doubt that it is France. This kingdom is the most considerable part or piece of the
ten horns, or states, which once made up the great Babylon city. It fell. This does not signify that the
French monarchy shall be ruined; but it may be humbled; but in all appearance, Providence does design
for her afterwards a great elevation. It is highly probable that God will not let go unpunished the
horrible outrages which it acts at this day (of persecution.)
0206
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0205 paragraph 3 "Afterward, it must build its greatness upon the ruins of the
papal empire, and enrich itself with the spoils of those who shall take part with the Papacy. They who
persecute the Protestants, know not where God is leading them: this is not the way by which he will
lead France to the height of glory. If she comes thither, it is because she shall shortly change her road.
Her greatness will be no damage to Protestant states; on the contrary, the Protestant states shall be
enriched with the spoils of others, and be strengthened by the fall of Antichrist's empire. This tenth part
of the city shall fall with respect to the Papacy; it shall break with Rome, and the Roman religion. One
thing is certain, that the Babylonian empire shall perish through the refusal of obedience by the ten
kings, who had given their power to the beast. The thing is already come to pass in part. The kingdoms
of Sweden, Denmark, England, and the states of Germany, have withdrawn themselves from the
jurisdiction of the Pope. They have spoiled the harlot of her riches. They have eaten her flesh, that is,
seized on her benefices and revenues which she had in their countries. This must go on, and be finished
as it is begun. The kings who yet remain under the empire of Rome, must break with her, leave her
solitary and desolate. But who must begin this last revolt? It is most probable that FRANCE shall. Not
Spain, which is as yet under the clergy, and plunged in superstition and under tyranny as much as ever.
Not the emperor, who in temporals is subject to the Pope, and permits that in his states the archbishop
of Strigonium should teach that the Pope can take away the imperial crown from him. It cannot be any
country but France."
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0205 paragraph 4 How can it be possible that this servant of God could, without a
prophetic spirit, so exactly describe events more than a hundred years before they were literally fulfilled?
I beg of you, my brethren of the ministry, read this over again; compare it with the history of Europe for
fifty years past. Why will you be so unbelieving? Are you not ashamed of your
0207
unbelief, when you see the faith, boldness, and honesty of this French Protestant, who lived in the days
of persecution when the world wondered after the beast? Oh Lord God! what will become of our
stallfed, indolent, unbelieving, hypocritical, and proud clergy of the present day? Do they believe any
scripture is fulfilling at the present day? No. They are blind and cannot see afar off; they love to
slumber, they will not bark. And if any of thy servants do lift up their voices, these will only murmur in
their nests, and dream on, I fear, into eternity. Oh God! awaken us to a sense of our awful danger.
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0207 paragraph 1 Again, he says, "Seeing that the tenth part of the city that must
fall is France, this gives me some hopes that the death of the `two witnesses' hath a particular relation
to this kingdom. It is the street or place of this city, that is, the most fair and eminent part of it. The
witnesses must remain dead upon this street, and upon it they must be raised again. And, as the death
of the witnesses and their resurrection have a relation to the kingdom of France, it may well fall out that
we are not far distant from the time." On page 50, speaking of the time, he says "that it will fall on the
year 1785." On page 279, he says, "If I should be mistaken nine or ten years, - I do not think that any
could justly treat me as a false prophet, and accuse me of rashness." In another place, he says, "And in
the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand; in the Greek it is names of men, not seven thousand
men. I confess that this seems somewhat mysterious: in other places we find not this phrase, names of
men, put simply for men. Perhaps there is here a figure of grammar called hypallage casus, so that
names of men are put for men of name, that is, of raised or considerable quality, be it on account of
riches, dignity, or of learning. But I am more inclined to say, that here these words, names of men, are
put for men of name, and must be taken in their natural signification, and do intimate that the total
reformation of France shall not be made with bloodshed;
0208
nothing shall be destroyed but NAMES, such as the names of Monks, Carmalites, Augustines,
Dominicans, Jacobins, Franciscans, Capuchins, Jesuites, Minimes, and an infinite company of others,
whose number it is not easy to define, and which the Holy Ghost denotes by the number seven, which is
the number of perfection, to signify that the order of monks and nuns shall perish forever. This is an
institution so degenerated from its first original, that it is become the arm of Antichrist. These orders
cannot perish one with another. These great events deserve to be distinguished from all others, for they
will change THE WHOLE FACE OF THE WORLD."
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0208 paragraph 1 What can we think, when we compare this prophecy, if you
please to call it such, with the history of the French revolution, but that God in the fulfilment has given
us indubitable proof that these servants of his, in their exposition of this passage, gathered the true and
simple meaning of the Holy Spirit? They could not have written to support any particular theory, for
neither do any of them appear to have any on this point. They wrote while it was yet a prophecy. They
could have no national prejudice, for they were from different nations. Surely, we must admire their
harmony, and the power and goodness of God, in thus giving them knowledge of these events spoken of
in this prophecy, so as to tell the manner, place, and time when these things should be fulfilled.
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0208 paragraph 2 Let me quote to you from Rev. John Willison, minister of
Dundee, who published a number of sermons under the title of "The Balm of Gilead." In one of these,
he says, "Before Antichrist's fall, one of the ten kingdoms which supported the beast shall undergo a
marvellous revolution. Rev.xi.13: `And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part
of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were
affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven;' by which tenth part is to be understood one of the ten
kingdoms into which the great city,
0209
Romish Babylon, was divided. This many take to be the kingdom of France, it being the tenth and last of
the kingdoms, according to the rise, and that which gave Rome the denomination of the beast with ten
horns, and also it being the only one of the ten that was never conquered since its rise. However
unlikely this, and other prophesied events, may appear at the time, yet the almighty hand of the only
wise God can soon bring them about when least expected." These sermons were published in A. D.
1742, more than fifty years before the fulfilment of the prediction.
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0209 paragraph 1 Many other authors of great celebrity, who wrote many years
before the French revolution, might be quoted, who all believed that the two witnesses would be slain
in France, that the earthquake would be in that kingdom, and that there the names, titles, or orders of
men would be abolished. And nearly all of them fixed the time between the years 1785 and 1795. I will
give one more extract on this point, from DR. GILL, taken from a sermon on the answer to the question,
"Watchman, what of the night?" published in A. D. 1748, almost one hundred years since. He says, "If it
should be asked, What time it is with us now? whereabout we are? and what is yet to come of this night?
as a faithful watchman, I will give you the best account I can. I take it, we are in the Sardian church state,
in the last part of it, which brought on the Reformation, and represents that. We are in the decline of
that state, and there are many things said of that church which agree with us, as that we have a name
that we live, and are dead, &c. - It is a sort of twilight with us, between clear and dark, between day and
night. As to what of the night is yet to come, or what will befall the churches, and will bring on the
dismal night before us; - they are the slaying of the witnesses, and the universal spread of Popery all
over Christendom; and the latter is the unavoidable consequence of the former. The slaying of the
witnesses, which I understand not so much in a literal sense, or of a corporal death, though there may
be
0210
many slain in this sense when it will be, but in a civil sense, with respect to their ministry being silenced
by their enemies, and neglected by their friends; - this is an affair that is not yet over: the witnesses
have not yet finished their testimony; they are still prophesying, though in sackcloth or under some
discouragements; whereas it will be, when they have finished their testimony, and at the close of the
1260 days or years of Antichrist's reign, that they will be killed. - The ruin of Antichrist will immediately
follow the rising and ascension of these witnesses; for at the same hour that they shall ascend, will be a
great earthquake, or a revolution in the papal state; and the tenth part of the city, or of the Romish
jurisdiction, shall fall; that is, one of its ten horns, kings or kingdoms belonging to it, and perhaps the
kingdom of FRANCE is meant, and seven thousand men of name will be slain, and the rest be affrighted,
and give glory to God; nothing of which has yet been done. From all of which it may be concluded, that
the slaying of witnesses is yet to come, and will make the dismal part of that night we are entering into,
and which will be accompanied with a universal spread of Popery: - but her `plagues shall come in one
day, death, and mourning, and famine, and she shall be utterly burnt with fire.' Before the utter
destruction of Antichrist, he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many;
yea, he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas, in the glorious holy mountain, or the
mountain of delight, of holiness; and what place is there, in all the globe, to which this description so
well answers as Great Britain? (I answer, Italy.) This will be done before, and but a little before, his ruin;
for it follows, `yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.'"
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0210 paragraph 1 If these doctors had lived in this day, with the same spirit in
which they then wrote, they would not have called my views "moonshine," for they harmonize to a
charm; or if our D. D.s had a little
0211
more of their Bible knowledge, some of their modesty, and less of their own sufficiency, they would not
bluster in "resolutions," nor be blinded in "lunar rays," but, like our author above quoted, they would be
able to give the time of night, that the people might be prepared for the morning.
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0211 paragraph 1 These writers which I have quoted, and a number more which
might be given with equal propriety, predicted, on the authority of the Bible, a grand and very important
revolution in France, a change of ecclesiastical and civil polity, the introduction of a new system, fatal to
Popery and tyranny, but friendly to the liberty, peace, and happiness of man. They foretold that this
revolution should be effected, not in the ordinary course of things, nor by the ministry of the gospel, but
by a peculiar dispensation of God; by a sudden convulsion, like an earthquake, attended with the
destruction of names, titles, dignities, orders, and the humiliation of the French monarchy, falling from
the support of Papacy. They foretold her subsequent exaltation, liberty of the nations, spread of the
gospel, and the death and resurrection of the witnesses. They fixed the time between 1785 and 1795.
Love, who wrote in 1651, prophesied that Babylon should begin to fall in 1790. Rev. Robert Fleming,
minister of the Scotts church in London, in a discourse on the rise and fall of Papacy, published in 1701,
says, "The French monarchy will begin to be humbled as soon as 1794."
WM 1Miller REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, RELATING TO FRANCE AND THE "TWO
WITNESSES." page 0211 paragraph 2 What can all this mean? Can you not see the signs of the times
in all this? If not, your eyes are indeed closed that you cannot see, and your ears stopped that you will
not hear; and in such an hour as ye think not, it will come upon you. Oh! you scoffers, and scorners of
the cry, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!" - what will you do?
0212
LETTER I.
ON THE SECOND ADVENT.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0212 paragraph 1 DEAR BRO. HIMES:- The following is an extract of a
letter which I wrote sixteen years since to a friend, on the subject of the near approach of the dear
Savior. This was several years before I publicly avowed my faith in the doctrine.
WILLIAM MILLER.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0212 paragraph 2 1. * Come, blessed Savior! nor let time delay
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0212 paragraph 3 2. The sacred morn of that expected day,
3. When all the happy throng, the heavenly band,
4. Descending from above, "the spirit land;"
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0212 paragraph 4 5. When the seventh trump its solemn blast shall sound,
6. And Gabriel's voice shall shake the solid ground.
7. Then sleeping myriads from their graves shall rise,
8. And meet their Savior in those nether skies;
9. While those who yet remain, by men oppressed,
10. Will feel a sudden change and join the bless'd;
11. Where, in one chorus joined, the song be raised,
12. To God, the Father, Son, - "Ancient of days."
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0212 paragraph 5 I sometimes almost flatter myself I shall live to see this
glorious day. "Fanatical," say you. Very well; I should not be surprised if you and I should both be on
this earth, alive, -
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0212 paragraph 6 13. When from the east we see a cloud arise;
14. And bring to view a Savior long despised;
---------* The figures refer to proof-texts, having the same numbers, immediately following the letter.
0213
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0213 paragraph 1 15. When we shall hear that trumpet's dreadful roll,
16. That shakes the earth from centre to the pole;
17. When, from the great white throne, indignant ire
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0213 paragraph 2 18. Shoots forth its blaze, and sets the world on fire:19. Then all the wicked, all that pride can boast,
20. Shall be as stubble, saith the Lord of hosts;
21. When kings, and captains, tyrants, mighty men,
22. Are the great supper for the fowls of heaven;
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0213 paragraph 3 23. And kingdoms, thrones, and powers, dominions
riven,
24. Like chaff before the angry whirlwind driven.
25. The dragon, papal beast, and great arch foe,
26. Shall sink in endless night, eternal woe;
27. The orb of day, his face be hid in gloom,
28. And the old reeling earth in Nature's tomb.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0213 paragraph 4 "Then you believe in annihilation?" methinks I hear you
say. No, sir; I believe
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0213 paragraph 5 29. That this dark orb shall from its ashes rise,
30. And the new heavens, descending from the skies,
31. The happy bride, adorned in righteousness,
32. Shall with the Bridegroom enter to his rest.
33. Then, O my soul, will you, permitted, view
34. This word fulfilled, "created all things new;"
35. And all be banished - trials, sins, and fears,
36. To live and reign with Christ a thousand years.
37. The beloved city, filled with boys and men,
38. Will constitute the New Jerusalem,
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0213 paragraph 6 39. And there, as priests to God, with Christ to dwell,
40. While Satan and his hosts are chained in hell. 41. But, lo! a thousand years are past and gone,
42. Since the new world was from the old one born;
43. When death gives up the particles of dust,
44. And hell lets loose the spirits of the cursed.
0214
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0214 paragraph 1 45. Then on the surface of the earth they stand,
46. A company unnumbered as the sand;
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0214 paragraph 2 47. For in their flesh they sinned in time that's pass'd,
48. So in the flesh must they be judged at last;
49. Driven and gathered, round the city roam,
50. To hear their sentence and receive their doom.
51. But can they scale those walls, so great and high?
52. No; nothing enters that doth make a lie.
53. Lo! on the golden walls, from tower to tower,
54. See saints stand judging them in this dread hour!
55. There justice, from above, in fiery breath,
56. Destroys the rebels - "this the second death!"
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0214 paragraph 3 I am almost persuaded to believe that we shall never
meet again until that day, when the Sun of righteousness shall rise
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0214 paragraph 4 57. With healing wings, and grace on grace distil,
58. And cleanse the church on Zion's holy hill;
59. Where sin no more controls, nor death by sin,
60. But justified and glorified with him:
61. No need of sun or moon, for he's our light;
62. No changing seasons there, nor gloomy night;
63. No parting there of friends, nor farewells given,
64. But gathered all in one from earth and heaven.
65. On this my faith is fixed, my hope is raised 66. To him the glory, and his name the praise.
67. Then, while I stay in this unfriendly state,
68. Lord, give me grace, and patiently I'll wait.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0214 paragraph 5 The above is written to you, my brother, hoping that
you may catch some of the feelings and exercises of the author's heart, while he has often read and
pondered over the blessed passages to which you are referred in the conclusion, under head of "Prooftexts." I can only claim your indulgence; merit I claim not.
0215
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0215 paragraph 1 For poets say, and surely they can tell,
To read a poet right, "drink from his well;"
To feel the spirit, catch the spirit's flame,
And kindred spirits kindle back again.
Then read the proof, my brother, and believe,
If I'm not right, I'm happy being deceived;
For hope's an anchor, - all in this agree, And faith a helmsman - so at least with me;
The word of God my compass, love the pole,
Experience are my sails, and Christ the whole.
Grace is my ballast, for it keeps me low;
The Spirit is the wind, that bears me through;
Perfection is the haven for which I run,
Consigned to him who gave for me his Son;
Life is the voyage, and I am "homeward bound,"
Time is my log-book, death my anchor-ground;
The resurrection is my ship o'erhauled,
Eternity unites us all in all.
WILLIAM MILLER.
August 17, 1826.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0215 paragraph 2 PROOF-TEXTS.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0215 paragraph 3 1. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come
quickly: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. - Rev.xxii.20.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0215 paragraph 4 2. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that
watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. - Ps.cxxx.6.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0215 paragraph 5 3. To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable
in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 1Thess.iii.13.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0215 paragraph 6 4. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the
earth, that he may judge his people. - Psa.l.4.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0215 paragraph 7 5. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were
great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms
0216
of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.
- Rev.xi.15.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0216 paragraph 1 6. 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. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made
each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into
the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty; when he ariseth to
shake terribly the earth. - Isa.ii.19-21.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0216 paragraph 2 7. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the
which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth. - John v.28.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0216 paragraph 3 8. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1Thess.iv.17.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0216 paragraph 4 9. Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment
of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: seeing it is a
righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you, who are
troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. 2Thess.i.5-7.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0216 paragraph 5 10. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
- 1Cor.xv.52.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0216 paragraph 6 11. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy
to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. - Rev.v.9.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0216 paragraph 7 12. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the
Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool:
his throne was like the fiery flame, and his
0217
wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands
ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set,
and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn
spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As
concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged
for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the
clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there
was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve
him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed. - Dan.vii.9-14.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0217 paragraph 1 13. And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon
the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp
sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud,
Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. - Rev.xiv.14-16.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0217 paragraph 2 14. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless, I
say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in
the clouds of heaven. - Matt.xxvi.64.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0217 paragraph 3 15. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great
trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the
outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. - Isa.xxvii.13.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0217 paragraph 4 16. Immediately after the tribulation of those
0218
days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. - Matt.xxiv.29.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0218 paragraph 1 17. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on
it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. Rev.xx.11.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0218 paragraph 2 18. For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with
his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire
and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. - Isa.lxvi.15,16.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0218 paragraph 3 19. For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an
oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall
burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. - Mal.iv.1.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0218 paragraph 4 20. Therefore, as the fire devoureth the stubble, and
the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust:
because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of
Israel. - Isa.v.24.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0218 paragraph 5 21. That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of
captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the
flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. - Rev.xix.18.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0218 paragraph 6 22. And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God;
Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather
yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the
mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink
the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of
Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice
0219
which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty
men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God. - Ezek.xxxix.17-20.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0219 paragraph 1 23. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver,
and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and
the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image
became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. And in the days of these kings shall the God of
heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other
people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Dan.ii.35,44.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0219 paragraph 2 24. The nations shall rush like the rushing of many
waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the
mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. - Isa.xvii.13.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0219 paragraph 3 25. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a
beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and
upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet
were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power,
and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his
deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the
dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the
beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things
and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his
mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in
heaven. And it was given unto him
0220
to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations. - Rev.xiii.1-7.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 1 26. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the
lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and
night forever and ever. - Rev.xx.10.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 2 27. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun
ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients
gloriously. - Isa.xxiv.23.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 3 28. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and
shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it: and it shall fall,
and not rise again. - Isa.xxiv.20.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 4 29. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for
new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. - 2Pet.iii.13.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 5 30. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. - Rev.xxi.2.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 6 31. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed
in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. - Rev.xix.8.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 7 32. There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of
God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Heb.iv.9-11.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 8 33. Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of
hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do if God permit. Heb.vi.2,3.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 9 34. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth:
and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. - Isa.lxv.17.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0220 paragraph 10 35. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and
come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,
0221
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. - Isa.xxxv.10.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0221 paragraph 1 36. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
and shall reign with him a thousand years. - Rev.xx.6.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0221 paragraph 2 37. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of
heaven, and devoured them. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the
streets thereof. - Rev.xx.9. Zech.viii.5.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0221 paragraph 3 38. 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. - Rev.iii.12.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0221 paragraph 4 39. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests:
and we shall reign on the earth. - Rev.v.10.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0221 paragraph 5 40. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent,
which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit,
and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand
years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season. - Rev.xx.2,3.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0221 paragraph 6 41. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan
shall be loosed out of his prison. - Rev.xx.7.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0221 paragraph 7 42. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the
first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. - Rev.xxi.1.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0221 paragraph 8 43,44. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it;
and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man
according to their works. - Rev.xx.13.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0221 paragraph 9 45. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of
heaven, and devoured them. - Rev.xx.9.
0222
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0222 paragraph 1 46. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in
the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom
is as the sand of the sea. - Rev.xx.8.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0222 paragraph 2 47. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins,
which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. - Rom.vii.5.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0222 paragraph 3 48. For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to
them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God
in the spirit. - 1Pet.iv.6.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0222 paragraph 4 49. They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog,
and go round about the city. And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and
go round about the city. - Ps.lix.6,14.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0222 paragraph 5 50. Even a full wind from those places shall come unto
me: now also will I give sentence against them. - Jer.iv.12.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0222 paragraph 6 51. And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates,
and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of
the children of Israel. - Rev.xxi.12.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0222 paragraph 7 52. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing
that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in
the Lamb's book of life. - Rev.xxi.27.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0222 paragraph 8 53. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that
day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to
Rimmon, south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate
unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner-gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's
wine-presses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem
shall be safely inhabited. - Zech.xiv.9-11.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0222 paragraph 9 54. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?
and if the world shall be judged by you, are
0223
ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? - 1Cor.vi.2.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0223 paragraph 1 55. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of
heaven, and devoured them. - Rev.xx.9.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0223 paragraph 2 56. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake
of fire. - Rev.xx.14,15.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0223 paragraph 3 57. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of
righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. Mal.iv.2.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0223 paragraph 4 58. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion,
and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living
in Jerusalem: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have
purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of
burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a
cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a
defence. - Isa.iv.3-5.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0223 paragraph 5 59. I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I
will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction:
repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. - Hos.xiii.14.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0223 paragraph 6 60. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. - Rom.viii.17.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0223 paragraph 7 61. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the
moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. - Rev.xxi.23.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0223 paragraph 8 62. And there shall be no night there; and they need no
candle, neither light of the sun; for the
0224
Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever. - Rev.xxii.5.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0224 paragraph 1 63. Therefore, they shall come and sing in the height of
Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for
the young of the flock, and of the herd; and their soul shall be as a watered garden: and they shall not
sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for
I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
saith the Lord. - Jer.xxxi.12-14.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0224 paragraph 2 64. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he
might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even
in him. - Eph.i.10.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0224 paragraph 3 65. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. - Tit.ii.13.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0224 paragraph 4 66. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and
honor, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Rev.iv.11.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0224 paragraph 5 67. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. - Eph.vi.13.
WM 1Miller LETTER I. page 0224 paragraph 6 68. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have
done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will
come, and will not tarry. - Heb.x.36,37.
0225
LETTER II.
ON THE RETURN OF THE JEWS.
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0225 paragraph 1 DEAR BRO. HIMES:- I am now at home - found my family
and friends well; yesterday was very sick, owing to my great anxiety to see home, and my fatigue on my
journey. To-day I feel much better, and shall employ a little time in writing to you.
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0225 paragraph 2 Those souls whom I have addressed in my six months'
tour are continually before me, sleeping or waking. I can see them perishing by thousands; and when I
reflect on the accountability of their teachers, who cry "peace and safety," I am in pain for them. How
many souls will brothers Phelps, Cambell, and others, who are sticklers for the Jews' return, and for a
temporal millennium, be the means of lulling to sleep; and while they are flattering themselves that
their teachers are right, find, to their eternal cost, that their preparation for the eternal world was
delayed a few days too long, on the vain supposition that the Jews must return and a millennium
intervene. Why will they not listen to reason and scripture? Peter was converted from such a selfish
and bigoted mind, when he said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons." Acts
x.34,35. And yet, truly, if the Jews ever return, they must be respected of God; for will not all
acknowledge that they are to be gathered by God out of all nations, &c.? Isa.lxvi.20: "And they shall
bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations, upon horses, and in chariots, and
in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the
children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of
0226
the Lord." They are not gathered because they work righteousness, or because they are children of faith;
but because they are "God's ancient covenant people." For if they believe, they are grafted in among
the Gentile believers, and are no more Jews in that sense. Rom.x.12: "For there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0226 paragraph 1 Now if the Jew be restored because he is a Jew, then
Peter needed another conversion; for he said he perceived that God was no respecter of persons. What
a pity that Peter had not the aid of brother Phelps and his deacon to teach him better. Again - how
foolish Paul must have been to wish himself accursed, Rom.ix.3: "For I could wish that myself were
accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh;" when brother Phelps,
Skinner, and the notorious Whittemore,* if they had lived in his day, could have told him, in five words,
"Father Paul, God will not cast away his ancient covenant people; for all Israel shall be saved."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0226 paragraph 2 Once more - if James had lived in the days of the Boston
trio, he might have written a very different epistle than the one he wrote to the "twelve tribes scattered
abroad." Instead of pointing to the law of liberty and faith in Christ Jesus as their justification, and
respect of persons, he might have told them to remain steadfast as Jews, and in the end they would all
be gathered in and saved. Yes, how different would James have written, if he had believed in the return
of the Jews, and the salvation of God's ancient covenant people.
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0226 paragraph 3 If then the Jew, as a Jew in the flesh, must have another
day, God must have respect of persons, without any reference to the work of righteousness. Or God
must give the Gentile another day, after the Jew. Rom.i.16,17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation
---------* These gentlemen, with a few others, made themselves conspicuous by their hostility to Mr. Miller and
his views, when in Boston in the winter of 1840.
0227
to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of
God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0227 paragraph 1 Here we are plainly taught that the Jew has had his day,
and now the Gentile has his. Rom.ii.7,11,28,29: "To them who, by patient continuance in well-doing
seek for glory, and honor, and immortality, eternal life; for there is no respect of persons with God. For
he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he
is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of God."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0227 paragraph 2 These passages show plainly, that the Jews have had
their day, and have been visited with the indignation and wrath of God, of which they are a sample unto
us who afterwards should live ungodly. Now, if they, as unbelievers, after suffering, as a nation, the
vengeance of God, are to be gathered again and restored to their privileges, land and laws, then the
Gentiles, after suffering the vengeance of eternal life, are to be restored again to their present privileges,
country, and laws. Will the trio agree to this? I think not. Yet the type must agree with the antitype.
But the gospel promise, which was before the law made to Abraham, was in Christ unto all them which
believe, both Jew and Gentile. This is certainly the apostle's reasoning in the 3d and 4th chapters of
Romans, and he says not one word about the Jews' return, when he sums up the advantage the Jew had
over the Gentile. Rom.iii.1,9: "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of
circumcision? What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both
Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0227 paragraph 3 Not a word about this return, and inheritance of Judea
again. Yet, if so, their restoration would be a great advantage over the Gentile. Deut.xxx.7:
0228
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0228 paragraph 1 "And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon
thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee." Isa.xi.14: "But they shall fly upon
the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay
their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them." Isa.liv.7,8,15: "For a
small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my
face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy
Redeemer. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together
against thee shall fall for thy sake." Hosea i.11: "Then shall the children of Judah and the children of
Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land:
for great shall be the day of Jezreel."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0228 paragraph 2 If these passages mean the Jews, then certainly they
will rule over the Gentiles; and it was an unpardonable neglect in the apostle to the Gentiles not to give
us warning of it. But he does tell us that the chief advantage of the Jew was, that he had the praise of
God, which advantage the Gentile now has over the Jew. So it is to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0228 paragraph 3 Again - are the Jews to be gathered to their own land,
and never pulled up again? Amos ix.15: "And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more
be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God." If so, how can Paul
reconcile Gal.vi.15: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a
new creature?" Eph.i.10: "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet
pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Also ii.12,16: "That at that time ye were without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope, and without
0229
God in the world: and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the
enmity thereby."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0229 paragraph 1 And how would our dear Savior explain John x.16: "And
other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and
there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." How is this explained, if the Jews are to be a separate
people again, and never pulled up? When will Christ break down the partition wall? When will he unite
Jew and Gentile in one body? And if the church be the fulness of him, (see Eph.i.22,23:) "And hath put
all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the
fulness of him that filleth all in all," - how can the Jew, as a Jew, be a part of his body, inheriting old
Jerusalem, while the church is the fulness of him who inherits all things, and the Jew at the same time
contribute to the prosperity of the New Jerusalem? Can brother Phelps, or Cambell his prompter,
answer these questions? Let us have plain, distinct answers; keep to the point. But, say these judaizing
teachers, what shall we do with all those passages in the prophets that speak the Jews' return to their
own land? I answer, sirs, will you be so good as to notice that all the passages which you dare quote to
prove your doctrine were written or prophesied before the Jews were restored from Babylon, and had
their literal fulfilment in that event.
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0229 paragraph 2 But, say you, some of them, such as they should "never
be pulled up," "David shall be their king forever," &c. &c., were not fulfilled. Very well, gentlemen. If
you will examine your Bibles you will find every prophecy which could not be fulfilled literally, has a
direct allusion to the new covenant, and cannot be fulfilled under the old. There, Israel, Judah, and my
people are to be understood as spiritual Israel, &c., as in Isa.xi.10,12: "And in that day there shall be a
root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people: to it shall the Gentiles seek; and his rest shall
be glorious. And he shall set up
0230
an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of
Judah from the four corners of the earth."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0230 paragraph 1 The 11th verse speaks of the gathering of the remnant
of his people. The 10th and 12th verses show that it is under the new covenant. Also Jer.xxxii.37,40:
"Behold, I will gather them out of all countries whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury,
and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely; and
I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good; but
I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0230 paragraph 2 Verses 36th and 37th speak of their being gathered out
of Babylon; 38th and 40th show plainly that it is under the new covenant. Again, Ezekiel xxxvii.21,28:
"And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the
heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
and the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of
them for evermore."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0230 paragraph 3 The 21st and 22d verses speak of the children of Israel
being gathered, the 23d and 24th show the new covenant, 25th speaks of their dwelling in the land
forever, 26th and 28th of the new covenant. These specimens show how the prophecies may be
understood, and the scriptures harmonize; but if we take into consideration the names and phrases
used by the prophets under the Old Testament, we must, unless we are willingly ignorant, see that no
other names would or could be used with propriety, but such as have been used. And every bible
student must have discovered this, and seen that if it were not so, in vain might we look for any
prophecy in the Old Testament concerning the church in the New. By thus having a veil over their faces,
and thus construing scripture, Skinner and Whittemore can throw all judgment on the poor Jews, and
0231
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0231 paragraph 1 Phelps and Cambell can give them all the promises. But
father Paul gives to each a portion in due season: "Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that
doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honor, and peace, to every man that
worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile."
WM 1Miller LETTER II. page 0231 paragraph 2 If brother Cambell's book is published, send me a copy,
and if brother Phelps publishes his lectures, send them also. I long for the privilege of squaring them by
the Bible, the rule which will sweep away the cobwebs of man-made wisdom, like darkness before the
rising sun. I have not had time to read "Miller Exploded," nor "Miller Overthrown." If they are as
sarcastic and foolish as I am informed they are, I shall take no pains to answer them. Let the authors
meet him whose word they have ridiculed. I remain, as ever, yours,
WILLIAM MILLER.
Low Hampton, March 31, 1840.
0232
LETTER III.
TO MR. CAMBELL, ON THE LITTLE HORN, THE EVENING AND MORNING VISION, JEWS' RETURN, AND
MILLENNIUM BEFORE THE RESURRECTION.
WM 1Miller LETTER III. page 0232 paragraph 1 DEAR BRO. HIMES: I perceive in the last number of the
"Signs of the Times," that Bro. Cambell is still harping on his little horn of the third beast, and separating
the morning from the evening vision. And, without any proof, he continually asserts the Jews' return
and millennial reign before the resurrection. Do I understand aright?
WM 1Miller LETTER III. page 0232 paragraph 2 Now, I think Bro. Cambell may be put right, or at least
he will help a brother, in charity, out of his "vagaries."
WM 1Miller LETTER III. page 0232 paragraph 3 I. As it respects the little horn of Daniel, eighth chapter,
he says it is Mahomedism; and yet it belongs to the third or Grecian kingdom, and, of course, is now in
existence, and must be until 2300 years are accomplished, which, according to his own showing, will be
in A. D. 1843. Then, the fourth, or Roman kingdom, is not yet in being; for the fourth kingdom was to
bear rule over, or tread down, the whole earth. Dan.vii.23: "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the
fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth,
and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces." And this little horn is the third kingdom, and is said to
wax exceeding great. Dan.viii.9-11.
WM 1Miller LETTER III. page 0232 paragraph 4 Surely, Bro. Cambell will help Bro. Miller out of this
"vagary." Rollin tells us "that the four kingdoms of the Grecian monarchy became Roman provinces
thirty years before Christ," which was six
0233
hundred and fifty before Mahomet. Daniel tells us that this little horn would stand up in the latter time
of these four kingdoms. Mr. Cambell makes him stand up six hundred and fifty years after the fourth
kingdom had destroyed the whole earth. Dan.viii.23-25: "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when
the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,
shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy
wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And
through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his
heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall
be broken without hand." Surely this is a paradox; or I am dreaming.
WM 1Miller LETTER III. page 0233 paragraph 1 II. Concerning the evening and morning vision, I will say,
"What God has joined together, let no man put asunder." Dan.viii.26,27: "And the vision of the evening
and the morning which was told, is true; wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up and did the king's business; and I was
astonished at the vision, but none understood it." Here Daniel plainly unites the visions of the evening
and morning, as Mr. Cambell calls them, and Daniel unites them in one, calling it "the vision;" and plainly
says "it shall be for many days." What shall be for many days? The vision of the evening and morning.
How many days? I answer, 2300 days. Either both are to be understood as but one vision, seen at
different times, or both ending at the same time. If the morning vision is only numbered, why does the
prophet unite them and tell us it is for many days?
WM 1Miller LETTER III. page 0233 paragraph 2 III. As it respects the Jews return, I say there is not a
text, promise or prophecy, written or given of God, which was not given before their return from
Babylon, and I believe was then literally fulfilled.
0234
WM 1Miller LETTER III. page 0234 paragraph 1 IV. With reference to the millennial reign before Christ
comes, I ask Bro. Cambell to reconcile the following passages with his views, and give me light:Dan.vii.21,22: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until
the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came
that the saints possessed the kingdom;" - compared with Dan.vii.9,10,13: "I beheld till the thrones were
cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head
like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream
issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand
times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I saw in the
night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the
Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." Also, Luke xvii.26-30. Mark xiii.23-29.
1Thess.iv.14-18: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and
remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the
dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore,
comfort one another with these words." Also, v.1-4. 2Thess.ii.7-10: "For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that
Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is
0235
after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved." Rev.xiv.14-20.
WM 1Miller LETTER III. page 0235 paragraph 1 In the mean time, I advise you, my dear reader, not to
put off your preparation for eternity; I entreat you, by all that is dear, not to wait; I warn you now to
secure your title to heaven, to happiness, and glory. Do not wait until you see the end of our discussion.
Perhaps, before we have finished our controversy, the voice from the "great white throne" may
pronounce these dreadful words, "IT IS DONE!" There is no harm in being secure. It is safe to be ready.
If I thought, that I should be the means of your neglecting this one thing needful, by my writings, I would
write no more. Let not curiosity or neglect be the means of your eternal regret and misery.
WILLIAM MILLER.
New York, May 19, 1840.
0236
LETTER IV.
PREFATORY REMARKS - CLOSING UP OF THE DOOR OF MERCY - MILLENNIUM - THE CHRONOLOGY.
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0236 paragraph 1 DEAR BRO. HIMES: Your letters, both from Portland and
Boston, were received last Saturday, when on my way to Dresden, where I have lectured four days.
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0236 paragraph 2 We had a good time. The Lord was there. Day after tomorrow I begin a course of lectures at Fort Ann. The next week I go north, where I have three places,
which will take three weeks at least. I do not know what to say to you about coming to Massachusetts
again. I have more business on hand than two men like me could perform. I must lecture twice every
day. I must converse with many - answer a host of questions - write answers to letters from all points of
the compass, from Canada to Florida, from Maine to Missouri. I must read all the candid arguments,
(which I confess are not many,) that are urged against me. I must read all the "slang" of the drunken
and the sober; and since "hard cider" has become so popular, these publications are not few. The polar
star must be kept in view, the Chart consulted, the compass watched, the reckoning kept, the sails set,
the rudder managed, the ship cleaned, the sailors fed, the voyage prosecuted, the port of rest to which
we are destined understood, the watchman to answer the call, "Watchman, what of the night?"
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0236 paragraph 3 CLOSING OF THE DOOR OF MERCY - MILLENNIUM.
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0236 paragraph 4 Yours, and brother Litch's articles on the closing of the
door of mercy, are good.* All that I can do in addition, would be to bring a few passages of
---------* See Appendix, No. III. Also, see articles in the Signs of the Times, No. 9, page 70, by MR. LITCH.
0237
scripture as proof that in the end of the world there must be a little time to gather the wicked from the
just, to separate the bad from the good.
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0237 paragraph 1 1. The parable of the Tares. Matt.xiii.37-42. "He
answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world;
the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the
enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The
Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,
and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth." Take notice, the tares and the wheat grow together until the harvest, verse 30. The
harvest is the end of the world. Now let me ask, Can this scripture be true, and at the same time
brother Cambell's and Dowling's views of the millennium be fulfilled? Every unprejudiced mind must
answer, No. Before, or at the end of the world, he gathers out of his kingdom all that do iniquity or
offend; and at the end of the world they are burnt. They must grow together until the harvest, and "the
harvest is the end of the world." Where, then, can Mr. D. or C. find a place for their millennium?
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0237 paragraph 2 Again; see Matt.xiii.47-50: "Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full,
they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it
be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and
shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Take notice, the
net is the gospel; it gathers good and bad. In the end of the world it is drawn ashore, full of good and
bad. They then sit down and gather the good into vessels, and cast the bad away. After
0238
they have drawn the net ashore, they cannot take more fish. Now must come a little time to separate
the good from the bad. "So shall it be in the end of the world." Where can there be a time when all the
fish are good? If there is such a time, surely before they get to shore they must fall from grace. Will
brothers Cambell and Dowling admit this?
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0238 paragraph 1 Again; Rev.xiv.15-19: "And another angel came out of
the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap; for the
time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in
his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in
heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power
over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle,
and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his
sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the
wrath of God." The earth is first reaped, and the precious fruit gathered in. Then, before the angel
having power over fire can burn the world, and execute that purpose of God, the vine must be
harvested, and cast into the wine-press of the wrath of God, and the last battle be fought. In my
opinion, when this last bloody battle begins, the earth will have been reaped, the good fruit will then be
gathered, and the vine [kingdoms and combinations of earthly men] destroyed, and carried away, and
no place found for them on earth. Here we see a little time will be necessary to execute this last work of
God's vengeance on the earth. "For by pestilence, famine, and the sword, will God plead with all flesh."
Some say the time is too short now for all this to be done before 1843. But we ought to remember that
God has said, "A short work will the Lord make upon the earth." Rom.ix.28. And if the destruction of
Jerusalem was a type of the end of the world, as we generally believe it was, then
0239
this would all be performed in two or three years, at most. To say positively when the door will be shut,
I cannot; for I do not know how much time may be included in the words "when the seventh trump
begins to sound." That the seventh trump has begun to sound, I have little or no doubt; and how long
beginning to sound may last, whether one month, six months, or a year, I cannot tell. At any rate, it will
do us no harm to be ready. God says, Rev.x.7, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when
he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the
prophets." And Paul tells us, in his epistle to the Ephesians, iii.4-9, "Whereby, when ye read, ye may
understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the
sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles
should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual
working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the
fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ."
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0239 paragraph 1 What the mystery of God is, which God hath revealed to
his holy prophets and apostles - that it is the gospel preached unto the Gentiles. Then "time shall be no
longer," means gospel time, and "the mystery of God shall be finished," means the preaching of the
gospel to the world shall be completed. This agrees with Matt.xxiv.14: "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."
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0239 paragraph 2 Every one can judge for himself how long time "the
seventh trumpet beginning to sound" may be. Mr. Cambell, and those who believe in a temporal
millennium, must suppose it to last more than a
0240
thousand years, in order to be consistent with themselves, and then it would only begin to sound. And
this would be a short work, too! Can any man, with a sound mind, believe in a doctrine so full of
absurdities? I, for myself, can never believe it.
WM 1Miller LETTER IV. page 0240 paragraph 1 THE CHRONOLOGY. As it respects the Chronology I sent
you, no fault can be found, except in two or three places: the time of Joshua and Samuel, and the length
of the administration of the Judges. Our chronology, by Usher, fixes the time of the Judges only about
three hundred and thirty years. Paul, in Acts, says it was four hundred and fifty years. They have one
text, from which I expect they draw some conclusions; but they do not follow that 1Kings vi.1. This says
four hundred and eighty years after the children of Israel came out of Egypt. Now let us see how they
abide by this. Forty years in wilderness, thirty years for Joshua and Elders before their bondage in
Mesopotamia. Twenty-one years under Samuel certain, and perhaps more. Forty years under Saul,
forty years under David, and four years of Solomon, making in all but the Judges one hundred and
seventy-five years, leaving three hundred and five years for Judges. Usher has about three hundred and
sixty, or three hundred and sixty-five. Now it is morally certain he cannot agree with the text in 1Kings
vi.1. I should prefer Paul's account to Usher's; for Usher and others agree with neither. I agree with
Paul, and the Bible account of the Judges, which you will see exactly harmonize. No doubt the would-be
masters and teachers will criticize and grumble. But if they will not follow the Bible, it is no reason why
we should hide the truth from the perishing sinner. Brother Dowling will undoubtedly fret some; for he
has forestalled himself on the six thousand years. But I think brother Cambell will look at it candidly. I
may be mistaken; but if he knows that a number of worthy and learned divines have examined and
come to the same conclusion, I think he will treat it with candor.
WILLIAM MILLER.
Low Hampton, Aug. 12, 1840.
0241
LETTER V.
MR. MILLER RECOVERING - DISAPPOINTMENT IN BEING DEPRIVED OF MEETING THE CONFERENCE - HIS
RESIGNATION - HIS FRIENDS.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0241 paragraph 1 DEAR BRO. HIMES:- Again, by the blessing of God, I am
able to sit up and write a few lines to my friends. You, and the dear friends of the Conference in Boston,
have been in my mind both in my sleep and while awake, and my prayers have been continually raised
for the blessing of God upon your deliberations - that the Spirit of the Most High might direct your
counsels. I have feelings, and feel yet a confidence in God, that your Conference* will be instrumental
of doing much good, in rending the veil of tradition from all faces, and exposing the unscriptural
doctrine of "peace and safety," the "spiritual millennium," and "return of the Jews." Why was I deprived
of meeting those congenial minds, in this good, this glorious cause of light and truth? Why am I to bear
this last affliction, and not enjoy this one pleasure of meeting once more fellow-laborers in a cause so
big with prospects, so glorious in its results, so honoring to God, so safe for man? Why are the
providences of God so mysterious? I have often inquired - Am I never to have my will? No, never; until
my will shall harmonize with thine, O Father! Yes, God is right, his providence is right, his ways are just
and true, and I am foolish thus to murmur or complain.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0241 paragraph 2 I had set my heart on this, to see and to hear
---------* General Conference of the believers in the Advent near, held in Boston, Oct. 14,15, 1840.
0242
brothers Jones, Litch, Ward, Cole, Himes, Plumer, Millard, Burnham, French, Parker, Medbury, Ayres,
Smith, and others. Yes, and then to see those private brethren, too - brothers Shaw, Nichols, and Wood
- but I cannot name them all. Those colored brethren, too, at Belknap street, with christian hearts;
Heaven, I hope, has stamped them as its favorites. Oh! I had vainly hoped to see you all, to breathe and
feel that sacred flame of love, of heavenly fire; to hear and speak of that dear and blessed Savior's near
approach.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0242 paragraph 1 Away, ye cold, ye calculating formalists, ye proud and
haughty worldly professors. I had rather have one hour with those whom I have named above, and
hundreds more that could with the same propriety be named, than to enjoy an age of all that you call
great or good. But here I am, a weak, a feeble, toil-worn old man, upon a bed of sickness, with feeble
nerves, and worst of all, I fear, in part unreconciled to God. But bless the Lord, my soul; I have yet great
blessings, more than I can number. I was not taken sick far away from home; I am in the bosom of my
family: I have my reason; I can think, believe, and love. I have a Bible. O, blessed book! If I cannot read,
I have a daughter who loves that book, and she can read for me. How pleasant it is to hear these infant
voices read that holy book. How soft the couch of sickness may be made by dutiful children, and the
book of God. I have a hope, yes, yes, "a blessed hope," founded on that word that never fails; my hope
is on Him, who soon will come, and will not tarry. I love the thought; it makes my bed in sickness; I hope
it will in death. I wait for him; my soul, wait thou on God. I have the Spirit; O blessed Holy Spirit! He
whispers in my heart, "Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, I will sustain thee." I have a promise
from the great I AM: "Though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0242 paragraph 2 I have many friends, and I am persuaded they will
0243
last forever; for they are not built on worldly prospects, on earthly honors, nor selfish creeds. If they
could gain any of these by me, I might suspect them. But no; if they love me, it is for the work's sake; it
is for my Master's sake; and if they truly love my Master, he will love them; and this love of his is eternal,
and being reciprocal, makes us one forever. I am confident that I have daily prayers from many hearts. I
feel it truly. You worldly wise may smile at this idea, and call it fanaticism. But look ye, can you not
believe that many do believe the message that I bring? O yes, no doubt some fools, say you. Well, call
us what you please; but do not those who do believe call it good news? Perhaps they may. Well, if they
in their minds should call it good, would they not be apt to call it very good, yes, even glorious, great,
very great? We will admit all that. Very well; I now inquire, if a messenger should bring you news that
you had drawn a prize of fifty thousand dollars, and being poor, yes, very poor, had spent his time and
health to give you notice, would you not wish him well? I would not be ungrateful, say you. Neither will
these. For what is fifty thousand dollars' worth of gold, compared with this good news, "Behold, the
Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him?" Away with paltry gold; it bears no just comparison. Will,
then, these thousands of hearts be now ungrateful, whom I have seen rejoice, with joy so great, that all
the air was love where we were sitting? And I have no need to say, where I have carried the news, that
thousands have been made to hope in God, that never hoped before. Are these ungrateful? No, never.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0243 paragraph 1 I see, my brother, I have been preaching, instead of
writing to you. I must close. Yours,
WILLIAM MILLER.
Low Hampton, Oct. 15, 1840.
0244
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0244 paragraph 1 APPENDIX. No. I.
EXTRACT FROM FERGUSON'S ASTRONOMY.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0244 paragraph 3 THE vulgar era of Christ's birth was never settled till the
year 527, when Dionysius Exigus, a Roman abbot, fixed it to the end of the 4713th year of the Julian
period, which was four years too late. For our Savior was born before the death of Herod, who sought
to kill him as soon as he heard of his birth; and, according to the testimony of Josephus, (B.xvii.ch.8,)
there was an eclipse of the moon in the time of Herod's last illness; which eclipse appears, by our
astronomical tables, to have been in the year of the Julian period 4710, March 13th, at three hours past
midnight, at Jerusalem. Now, as our Savior must have been born some months before Herod's death,
since in the interval he was carried into Egypt, the latest time in which we can fix the true era of his birth,
is about the end of the 4709th year of the Julian period. There is a remarkable prophecy delivered to us
in the ninth chapter of the book of Daniel, which, from a certain epoch, fixes the time of restoring the
state of the Jews, and of building the walls of Jerusalem, the coming of Messiah, his death, and the
destruction of Jerusalem. But some parts of this prophecy (ver. 25) are so injudiciously pointed in our
English translation of the Bible, that, if they be read according to those stops of pointing, they are quite
unintelligible. But the learned Dr.
0245
Prideaux, by altering these stops, makes the sense plain; and, as he seems to me to have explained the
whole of it better than any other author I have read on the subject, I shall set down the whole of the
prophecy according as he has pointed it, to show in what manner he has divided it into four different
parts.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0245 paragraph 1 Ver. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy
people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and the
prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Ver. 25. Know therefore and understand, that from the going
forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the prince, shall be seven
weeks and threescore and two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous
times. Ver. 26. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and
the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and sanctuary, and the end thereof shall
be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. Ver. 27. And he shall confirm
the covenant with many for one week, and in the midst* of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the
oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0245 paragraph 2 This commandment was given to Ezra by Artaxerxes
Longimanus, in the seventh year of that king's reign, (Ezra vii.ver.11-26.) Ezra began the work, which
was afterward accomplished by Nehemiah, in which they meet with great opposition and trouble from
the Samaritans and others, during the first seven weeks, or 49 years.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0245 paragraph 3 From this accomplishment till the time when Christ's
messenger, John the Baptist, began to
---------* It is said this should be rendered last half, instead of midst.
0246
preach the kingdom of the Messiah, 62 weeks, or 434 years.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0246 paragraph 1 From thence to the beginning of Christ's public ministry,
half a week, or three and a half years.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0246 paragraph 2 And from thence to the death of Christ, half a week, or
three and a half years; in which half week he preached and confirmed the covenant of the Gospel with
many.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0246 paragraph 3 In all, from the going forth of the commandment, till the
death of Christ, 70 weeks, or 490 years.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0246 paragraph 4 And, lastly, in a very striking manner, the prophecy
foretells what should come to pass after the expiration of the 70 weeks; namely, the destruction of the
city and sanctuary by the people of the prince that was to come; which were the Roman armies, under
the command of Titus their prince, who came upon Jerusalem as a torrent, with their idolatrous images,
which were an abomination to the Jews, and under which they marched against them, invaded their
land, and besieged their holy city, and by a calamitous war brought such utter destruction upon both,
that the Jews have never been able to recover themselves, even to this day.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0246 paragraph 5 Now, both by the undoubted canon of Ptolemy, and the
famous era of Nabonassar, the beginning of the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus,
king of Persia, (who is called Ahasuerus in the book of Esther,) is pinned down to the 4256th year of the
Julian period, in which year he gave Ezra the above-mentioned ample commission; from which count
490 years to the death of Christ, and it will carry the same to the 4746th year of the Julian period.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0246 paragraph 6 Our Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath; and it is plain, from
St. Mark, ch.xv.ver.42, and St. Luke, ch.xxiii.ver.54, that Christ was crucified on Friday, seeing the
crucifixion was on the day next before the Jewish Sabbath; and according to St. John, ch.xviii.ver.28, on
the day that the passover was to be eaten, at least by many of the Jews.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0246 paragraph 7 The Jews reckoned their months by the moon, and
0247
their years by the apparent revolution of the sun; and they ate the passover on the 14th day of the
month Nisan, which was the first month of the year, reckoning from the first appearance of the new
moon, which at that time of the year might be on the evening of the day next after the change, if the sky
was clear. So that their 14th day of the month answers to our 15th day of the moon, on which she is full.
Consequently, the passover was always kept on the day of full moon.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0247 paragraph 1 And the full moon at which it was kept, was that one
which happened next after the vernal equinox. For Josephus expressly says, (Antiq. B.iii.ch.10,) the
passover was kept on the 14th day of the month of Nisan, according to the moon, when the sun was in
Aries. And the sun always enters Aries at the instant of the vernal equinox; which, in our Savior's time,
fell on the 22d day of March.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0247 paragraph 2 The dispute among chronologers about the year of
Christ's death, is limited to four or five years at most. But as we have shown that he was crucified on
the day of a paschal full moon, and on a Friday, all that we have to do, in order to ascertain the year of
his death, is only to compute in which of those years there was a passover full moon on a Friday. For
the full moons anticipate eleven days every year, (12 lunar months being so much short of a solar year,)
and therefore once in every three years, at least, the Jews were obliged to set their passover a month
farther forward than it fell by the course of the moon, on the year next before, in order to keep it at the
full moon next after the equinox. Therefore there could not be two passovers on the same day of the
week, within the compass of a few neighboring years. And I find by calculation, the only passover full
moon that fell on a Friday, for several years before or after the disputed year of the crucifixion, was on
the 3d day of April, in the 4746th year of the Julian period, which was the 490th year after Ezra received
the above-mentioned commission from Artaxerxes Longimanus, according to Ptolemy's
0248
canon,, and the year in which the Messiah was to be cut off, according to the prophecy, reckoning from
the going forth of that commission or commandment: and this 490th year was the 33d year of our
Savior's age, reckoning from the vulgar era of his birth; but the 37th, reckoning from the true era thereof.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0248 paragraph 1 And when we reflect on what the Jews told him, some
time before his death, (John viii.57,) "Thou art not yet fifty years old," we must confess, that it should
seem much likelier to have been said to a person near forty, than to one but just turned of thirty. And
we may easily suppose, that St. Luke expressed himself only in round numbers, when he said that Christ
was baptized about the 30th year of his age, when he began his public ministry; as our Savior himself did,
when he said he should lie three days and three nights in the grave.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0248 paragraph 2 The 4746th year of the Julian period, which we have
astronomically proved to be the year of the crucifixion, was the 4th of the 202d Olympiad; in which year,
Phlegon, a heathen writer, tells us there was a most extraordinary eclipse of the sun that ever was seen.
But I find by calculation, that there could be no total eclipse of the sun at Jerusalem, in a natural way, in
that year. So that what Phlegon here calls an eclipse of the sun, seems to have been the great darkness
for three hours at the time of our Savior's crucifixion, as mentioned by the evangelist; a darkness
altogether supernatural, as the moon was then in the side of the heavens opposite to the sun; and
therefore could not possibly darken the sun to any part of the earth.
0249
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0249 paragraph 1 No. II.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0249 paragraph 2 THE following extract from the "Present Crisis," by Rev.
John Hooper, Eng., will go to confirm Mr. Miller's view of this subject. There are many who seem
indisposed to hear of the coming of Christ, who, we fear, do not know what manner of spirit they are of.
Let such attentively read the following illustration, and examine themselves in reference to the advent
of the great Redeemer.
E X T R A C T.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0249 paragraph 3 It was a prominent characteristic of the primitive
Christians "that they loved (Christ's) appearing," and looked forward to it as the period that would
consummate their happiness. Surely, if our affections were placed on the Savior - if he was to us the
chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely - if we had none in heaven but him, or on earth that we
desired in comparison of him - we should desire his return - we should long to "see him as he is" - should
pray, "thy kingdom come" - "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." "Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why tarry the wheels of his chariot?" The observations of Mr. Drummond on this subject, in a speech
which that gentleman delivered at the Eleventh Anniversary of the Continental Society, are so much to
the point, that I cannot refrain from quoting them. "Let us suppose," says he, "for instance, a woman
whose husband is a long way absent from her, perhaps in the East Indies. She is possibly very diligent in
the management of his affairs, and conducts herself with perfect outward propriety, but always breaks
out into a passion whenever any one speaks to her of her husband's return: `Oh no,' she says, `he
cannot be coming yet; I expect to be much better off before he comes; I expect his estate under my
0250
management to be much more extensive; if he were to come now, he would disarrange all my plans
besides, what is the use of thinking about his coming - I may die first, and that will be exactly the same
as his coming to me.' Let her asseverations of love and affection be what they may, you cannot believe
otherwise than that her heart is alienated from her lord, and probably fixed upon another. Now let us
suppose another woman in the same situation: see her constantly reading his letters, and especially
those parts of them which describe the time and the circumstances attendant upon his return; hear her
talking of it to her children, and teaching them to look forward to it as the consummation of her and
their fondest wishes. Mark the silent scorn with which she treats a judicious friend who would try to
persuade her that there was no use in looking out for his return, for that he had never mentioned the
month, far less the day or the hour, when it was to take place. Though she may make no noisy
protestations of love; though she may speak but little about him, except to her children, and to those
whose hearts are tuned in unison with her own, we cannot for a moment entertain a doubt of the real
state of her affections. Let us apply this figure to ourselves: and of this I am certain, and I wish I could
make the warning ring through every corner of our professing land, that a dislike to hear of the coming
of the Lord is a more decided proof of the affections of the religious world at large, and of every single
member of it, being alienated from Christ, and, therefore, in an unholy, unsanctified, and unconverted
state, than all the noisy protestations at annual meetings, all the Bibles and tracts circulated, and
missionaries sent out, are proofs of the REVERSE."
0251
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0251 paragraph 1 No. III.
VIEWS OF THE CLOSING OF THE DOOR OF MERCY.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0251 paragraph 2 THE following is an extract of one of the articles* to
which Mr. Miller refers in Letter IV., page 236. We have thought best to give it in this work, that all
careful, inquiring, and candid students of prophecy may understand Mr. Miller's, as well as our own
views of this solemn subject. We are more particular on this point because we have been
misunderstood and misrepresented.
E X T R A C T.
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0251 paragraph 3 As there has been much inquiry of late on the subject of
the closing up of the day of grace, or probation, we here give the scriptures on which this opinion is
founded, with some remarks, and leave our readers to judge for themselves. Rev.xvi.12-21. The
attentive reader of the foregoing passages will see that on the pouring out of the "seventh vial," a voice
"from the throne" proclaimed, - "IT IS DONE." This was after the battle of "Armageddon." If it is after
that, then the day of grace will continue to the end of the world, or till Christ comes. 1Cor.xv.23,24:
"Afterwards, they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up
the kingdom to God, even the Father." On this passage, Prof. STUART, of Andover, makes the following
remark:- "The apostle here represents the end as coming when Christ will deliver up his mediatorial
kingdom, after he has put all enemies under his feet: this accomplished, his mediatorial work is done; his
embassy is completed; his mission, therefore, comes to an end."+ Again; Rev.x.7: "But in the days of the
voice of the seventh angel,
---------* "Signs of the Times," No. 9, page 69.
+ Biblical Repository for July, 1840. Art. Future Punishment.
0252
when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants
the prophets." When the sixth trumpet hath ceased to sound, the seventh begins, and "in the days of
the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall BEGIN to sound, the mystery of God [or dispensation of
grace] shall be finished." It would appear from this, that upon the fall of the Turkish empire, which will
take place on the closing up of the "sixth vial" and "trumpet," that the day of probation will close. Again,
Rev.xi.15: "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever
and ever." This most certainly closes up the gospel dispensation, and brings us to the glorified state; for
we are to "reign forever and ever." This will take place when the seventh angel shall sound. Here we
have this most solemn and momentous subject, as brought to view in the book of Revelation. There is
one other passage that we quote, which has an important bearing upon this subject. Matt.xxv.10-12:
"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the
marriage; and the DOOR WAS SHUT." We learn that the preparation was made by the wise when the
midnight cry was given: but the foolish deferred the matter until it was too late, for while they went to
buy, the bridegroom came, "and the door was shut." "Afterwards, the foolish virgins came, saying, Lord,
Lord, open unto us. But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not." This is the time
referred to in Rev.xxii.11: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy
still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still."
WM 1Miller LETTER V. page 0252 paragraph 1 "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me,
to give every man according as his work shall be. He which testifieth these things saith, SURELY; I come
quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
WM 2miller page paragraph 1 1842 304
Author: William Miller Publisher: Joshua V. Himes,
BOSTON
Title: Miller's Works Volume 2. publication type: Book book code: 2Miller
WILLIAM MILLER
EVIDENCE from SCRIPTURE AND HISTORY
of the
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST,
about
THE YEAR 1843;
0001
EVIDENCE
FROM
SCRIPTURE AND HISTORY
OF THE
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST,
ABOUT
THE YEAR 1843;
EXHIBITED
IN A COURSE OF LECTURES.
BY WILLIAM MILLER
BOSTON:
PUBLISHED BY JOSHUA V. HINES,
14 Devonshire Street.
1842.
0002
TO ALL THEM
WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THE BLESSED HOPE
AND GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE
GREAT GOD, AND OUR SAVIOR
JESUS CHRIST AT HAND,
THIS WORK
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
BY THE EDITOR
REPRINTED
APRIL 1979 200
OCT. 1980 200
MARCH 1985 300
DEC. 1988 300
0003
MILLER'S WORKS VOLUME 2.
INTRODUCTION.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0003 paragraph 1 In presenting these Lectures to the public, the
writer is only complying with the solicitations of some of his friends, who have requested that his views
on the Prophecies of Daniel and John might be made public. The reader is therefore requested to give
the subject a careful and candid perusal, and compare every part with the standard of Divine Truth; for
if the explanations the writer has given to the scriptures under consideration should prove correct, the
reader will readily perceive that it concerns us all, and becomes doubly important to us, because we live
on the eve of one of the most important events ever revealed to man by the wisdom of God--the
judgment of the great day.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0003 paragraph 2 In order that the reader may have an
understanding of my manner of studying the Prophecies, by which I have come to the following result, I
have thought proper to give some of the rules of interpretation which I have adopted to understand
prophecy.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0003 paragraph 3 Prophetical scripture is very much of it
communicated to us by figures and highly and richly adorned metaphors; by which I mean that figures
such as beasts, birds, airor wind, water, fire,
candlesticks, lamps, mountains, islands, &c., are used to represent things prophesied of -- such as
kingdoms, warriors, principles, people, judgments, churches, word of God, large and smaller
governments. It is metaphorical also, showing some peculiar quality of the thing prophesied of, by the
most prominent feature or quality of the figure used, as beasts--if a lion, power and rule; if a leopard,
celerity; if a bear, voracious; and ox, submissive; a man, proud and independent. Fire denotes justice
and judgment in its figure; in the metaphor, denotes the purifying or consuming up the dross or
wickedness; as fire has a cleansing quality, so will the justice or judgments of God. "For when thy
judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." Therefore almost all
the figures
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used in prophecy have their literal and metaphorical meaning; as beasts denote, literally, a kingdom, so
metaphorically good or bad, as the case may be, to be understood by the subject in connection.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0004 paragraph 1 To understand the literal meaning of figures
used in prophecy, I have pursued the following method: -- I find the word "beast" used in a figurative
sense; I take my concordance, trace the word, and in Daniel 7:17, it is explained to mean "kings or
kingdoms." Again, I come across the words "bird or fowl," and in Isa. 46:2, it is used, meaning a
conqueror or warrior,--Cyrus. Also, in Ezekiel 39:4-9, denotes armies or conquerors. Again, the words
"air or wind." as used in Rev. 9:2, and 16, 17, to understand which I turn to Eph 2:2, and 4-14, and there
learn that is used as a figure to denote the theories of worldly men or vain philosophy. Again, "water or
rivers" are used as figures in Rev. 17:13, it is explained to mean "peoples or nations." "Rivers" of course
mean the nation or people living on the river mentioned, as in Rev. 16: 12. "Fire" is often used in a
figurative sense; explained in Num. 21:27, 28, Deut. 32:22, Psal. 78:21, Heb. 12:29, to mean justice and
judgment.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0004 paragraph 2 As prophecy is a language somewhat different
from other parts of Scripture, owing to its having been revealed in vision, and that highly figurative, yet
God in his wisdom has so interwoven the several prophecies, that the events foretold are not all told by
one prophet, and although they lived and prophesied in different ages of the world, yet they tell us the
same things; so you take away one, and a link will be wanting. There is a general connection through
the whole; like a well-regulated community they all move in unison, speaking the same things, observing
the same rules, so that a Bible reader may almost with propriety suppose, let him read in what prophecy
he may, that he is reading the same prophet, the same author. This will appear evident to any one who
will compare scripture with scripture. For example, see Dan. 12:1, Matt. 24:21, Isa. 47:8, Zeph. 2:15, Rev.
18:7. There never was a book written that has a better connection and harmony than the Bible, and yet
it has the appearance of a great store-house full of all the precious commodities heart could desire,
thrown in promiscuously; therefore, the biblical student must select and bring together every part of the
subject he wishes to investigate, from every part of the Bible; then let every word have its own Scripture
meaning, every sentence its proper bearing, and have no contradiction, and your theory will and must of
necessity be correct. Truth is.
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one undeviating path, that grows brighter and brighter the more it is trodden; it needs no plausible
arguments nor pompous dress to make it more bright, for the more naked and simple the fact, the
stronger the truth appears.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0005 paragraph 1 Let it be noticed that God has revealed to his
prophets the same events in divers figures and at different times, as he has to Daniel in the second,
seventh, and eighth chapters concerning the four kingdoms; or to Peter, (see Acts 10:16;) also Isaiah and
John. Then, to get the whole truth, all those visions or prophecies must be concentrated and brought
together, that have reference to the subject which we wish to investigate; and when combined, let
every word and sentence have its proper bearing and force in the grand whole, and the theory or
system, as I have before shown, must be correct. I have likewise noticed that in those events, visions,
and prophecies which have had their fulfillment, every word and every particular has had an exact and
literal accomplishment, and that no two events have ever happened, that I can learn, which will exactly
apply or fulfil the same prophecy. Take, for instance, the prophecies concerning the birth, life, and
crucifixion of our Savior, and in his history we find a literal fulfillment; yet in the birth, life, or death of
any other individual it would be in vain to find a parallel. Again, take the prophecies which have been
admitted, by Protestants at least, to apply to Cyrus, Alexander, Julius Caesar, destruction of Jerusalem,
and the church of Rome, and I have never been able to trace even a resemblance to the prophecies in
question in any historical events except the true ones. If this is true, may we not suppose that the
unfulfilled prophecies in their accomplishments will be equally as evident and literal?
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0005 paragraph 2 There are two important points to which all
prophecy seems to centre, like a cluster of grapes upon its stem--the first and second coming of Christ;
the first coming to proclaim the gospel, set up his kingdom, suffer for sinners, and bring in an everlasting
righteousness. His second coming, to which the ardent faith and pious hope of the tried and tempted
child of God centres, is for complete redemption from sin, for the justification and glorification promised
to all those who look for his appearing, the destruction of the wicked and mystical Babylon, the
abomination of the whole earth.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0005 paragraph 3 His first coming was as a man, his human nature
being only visible, his Godhead known only in his miracles. His second coming will be as God, his divine
Godhead and power being most visible. He comes first, like the "first man of the earth, earthy;" his
second
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coming is "The Lord from heaven." His first coming was literally according to the prophecies. And so we
may safely infer will be his second appearance, according to the Scriptures. At his advent, his
forerunner was spoken of--"one crying in the wilderness;" the manner of his birth--"a child born of a
virgin;" the place where--"Bethlehem of Judea;" the time of his death--"when seventy weeks should be
fulfilled;" for what he should suffer--"to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to
bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy."
The star that appeared, the stripes he received, the miracles he performed, the tauntings of his foes--all
were literally fulfilled. Then, why not suppose that all the prophecies concerning his second coming will
be as literally accomplished as the former? Can any man show a single reason why it will not? If this be
true, we can obtain much light by reading the Scriptures. We are there informed of the manner of his
second coming--"suddenly, in the clouds, in like manner as he ascended;" the majesty of his coming--"on
a great white throne, with power and great glory, and all his saints with him;" the object of his coming-"as the Ancient of Days, to send his angels into the four winds of heaven gather his elect, raise the
righteous dead, change the righteous living, chain Satan, destroy anti-Christ, the wicked, and all those
who destroy the earth, judge, justify and glorify his people, cleanse his church, present her to his Father,
live and reign with her on the new heavens and new earth," the form of the old having passed away.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0006 paragraph 1 The time when these things shall take place is
also specified, by some of the prophets, unto 2300 days, (meaning years;) then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed, after the anti-Christian beast has reigned her "time, times, and a half;" after the two witnesses
have prophesied "a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth;" after the church
captivity in the wilderness, "forty-two months," after the "gospel should be preached in all the world for
a witness, then shall the end come." The signs of the times are also given, when we may know, he is
near, even at the door. When there are many "lo here's and lo there's;" when the way of truth is evil
spoken of; when many seducers are abroad in the land; when scoffers disbelieve in his coming, and say,
"Where is the promise of his coming;" when the wise and foolish virgins are called to trim their lamps,
and the voice of the friend of the bridegroom is, "Behold, he cometh;" when the city of the nations
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is divided into three parts; when the power of the holy people is scattered, and the kings of the east
come up to battle; when there is a time of trouble, such as never was before, and the church in her
Laodicean state; when the seventh seal opens, the seventh vial is poured out, the last woe pronounced
by the angel flying through the midst of heaven, and the seventh and last trumpet sounds;--then will the
mystery of God be finished, and the door of mercy be closed forever; then shall we be brought to the
last point, his second coming.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0007 paragraph 1 Again, prophecy is sometimes typical; that is,
partly fulfilled in the type, but completely only in the antitype. Such was the prophecy concerning Isaac,
partly fulfilled in him, wholly so in Christ; likewise concerning Israel, partly fulfilled in them as a nation,
but never fully accomplished until the final redemption of spiritual Israel. Likewise the prophecies
concerning the Jewish captivity in Babylon, and their return, are only partly accomplished in the history
of past events. The description of those things in the prophets is so august and magnificent, that if only
applicable to the literal captivity of the Jews and their return, the exposition would be weak and barren;
therefore I humbly believe that the exact fulfillment can only be looked for in the captivity of the church
in the wilderness, under the anti-Christian beast, destruction of mystical Babylon, and glorification of
the saints in the New Jerusalem state.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0007 paragraph 2 There are also in the 24th chapter of Matthew
many things prophesied of, which were not fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem; such as the coming
of the Son of Man in the clouds, the gathering his elect from the four winds of heaven, his taking one
and leaving another. This shows a typical meaning in this prophecy, and that it will not all be fulfilled
until the end of the world. Also, the transfiguration of Christ on the mount, prophesied of by himself
eight days before, is noticed by Peter, 2d Epistle 1: 16-13, as being a type or figure of his second coming.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0007 paragraph 3 Who, that has read the prophecies with any
degree of attention, will not acknowledge the great agreement between the Old Testament prophecies
and the New? Almost every prophecy given by Christ and his apostles may be found, in the Old
Testament prophets, represented by figures, which were familiar to the writers and readers of those
times. The foregoing rules are some of the principal ones which I have observed in attempting to
explain the prophecies of Daniel and John, and to give the time when the
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mystery of God will be finished, as I humbly believe it is revealed to the prophets.
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0008 paragraph 1 If I have erred in my exposition of the
prophecies, the time, being so near at hand, will soon expose my folly; but if I have the truth on the
subjects treated on in these pages, how important the era in which we live! What vast and important
events must soon be realized! and how necessary that every individual be prepared, that day may not
come upon them unawares, while they are surfeited with the cares and riches of this life, and the day
overtake them as a thief! "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that day should overtake you as a
thief," 1 Thess. 5:4. In studying these prophecies, I have endeavored to divest myself of all prepossessed
opinions, not warranted by the word of God, and to weigh well all the objections that might be raised
from the Scriptures; and after fourteen years' study of the prophecies and other parts of the Bible, I
have come to the following conclusions, and do now commit myself into the hands of God as my Judge,
in giving publicity to the sentiments herein contained, conscientiously desiring that this little book may
be the means to incite others to study the Scriptures, and to see whether these things be so, and that
some minds may be led to believe in the word of God, and find an interest in the offering and sacrifice of
the Lamb of God, that their sins might be forgiven them through the blood of the atonement, "when the
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power," "when he comes
to be admired in all them that believe in that day."
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0008 paragraph 2 And now, my dear readers, I beg of you to lay
aside prejudice; examine this subject candidly and carefully for yourselves. Your belief or unbelief will
not affect the truth. If it is so, whatever you may think or do will not alter the revealed purposes of God.
"Not one jot or tittle of his word will fail;" but you may, by your obedience in the faith, secure you an
interest in the first resurrection, and a glorious admittance into the New Jerusalem, and an inheritance
among the justified in glory, and you may sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of
God. May this be your lot--is the prayer of your servant,
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0008 paragraph 3
WM. MILLER
WM 2miller INTRODUCTION. page 0008 paragraph 4
HAMPTON, Washington county, N.Y.
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INDEX
WM 2miller INDEX page 0009 paragraph 1
Page
WM 2miller INDEX page 0009 paragraph 2
Introduction............................................................................................3
LECTURE 1
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0009 paragraph 3 The Second Appearing of Christ. Titus 2:13.--Looking for
that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God, and our Savior Jesus Christ .......11
LECTURE 2
WM 2miller LECTURE 2 page 0009 paragraph 4 The First Resurrection. Rev. 20:6.--Blessed and holy is
he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power--shall reign with him
a thousand years..................................................................................................28
LECTURE 3
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0009 paragraph 5 The Two Thousand Three Hundred Days. Dan. 8:10,11,-And he said unto me, Unto two thousand three hundred days: then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed...........................................................................................................39
LECTURE 4
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0009 paragraph 6 Daniel 9:24.--Seventy weeks are determined upon thy
people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy..............................................59
LECTURE 5
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0009 paragraph 7 Pagan Rome numbered. Rev. 13:18.--And his number is
six hundred threescore and six.............................................................................................76
LECTURE 6
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0009 paragraph 8 Daniel's Vision of the Latter Days; or, An exposition of
the Eleventh Chapter of Daniel. Dan 10:14.--Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall
thy people in the latter days..............................................................86
LECTURE 7
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0009 paragraph 9 Daniel's 1260, 1290, and 1335 Days explained. Daniel
12:8,--And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these
things?...........................................................................................................100
LECTURE 8
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0009 paragraph 10
The three Woe Trumpets. Rev. 8:13.--Woe,
woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three
angels which are yet to sound.............................................................................................115
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LECTURE 9, 10
WM 2miller LECTURE 9, 10 page 0010 paragraph 1
The Epistle to the Seven Churches of Asia,
considered as applying to Seven Periods of the Gospel Church. Rev.
1:20..................................................127,145
LECTURE 11
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0010 paragraph 2
The New Song. Rev. 5:9.--And they sung a new
song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and
hast redeemed us to God, &c.................................................................................161
LECTURE 12
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0010 paragraph 3
The Seven Seals, as representing Events to the
End of Time. Rev. 5:5.--Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed to open the book, and to
loose the seven seals thereof...........................................................................176
LECTURE 13
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0010 paragraph 4
The Two Witnesses, as having been slain in the
French Revolution. Rev. 11:3.--And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophecy
1260 days, clothed in sackcloth...............................................................................190
LECTURE 14
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0010 paragraph 5
The Woman in the Wilderness. Rev. 12:6.--And
the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her
there 1260 days......................................................................................................204
LECTURE 15
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0010 paragraph 6
The Seven Last Plagues, or Seven Vials. Rev.
16:17.--And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the
temple of heaven, from the throne, saying It is done....................................................219
LECTURE 16
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0010 paragraph 7
The Parable of the Ten Virgins. Matt. 25:1.-Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to
meet the bridegroom..............................................................................................233
LECTURE 17
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0010 paragraph 8
On the Punishment of the People of God Seven
Times for their Sins. Lev. 26:23,24.......................................................................................................250
LECTURE 18
WM 2miller LECTURE 18 page 0010 paragraph 9
Solomon's Song, 8:5.--Who is this that cometh
up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?.............................................................................264
LECTURE 19
WM 2miller LECTURE 19 page 0010 paragraph 10
Signs of the Present Times. Matt. 26:3.--But can
ye not discern the signs of times?...........................................................................................................283
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LECTURE 1
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0011 paragraph 1
TITUS 2:13
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0011 paragraph 2
Looking for that blessed hope, and glorious
appearing of the great God, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0011 paragraph 3
When we take a view of the trials, pains,
afflictions, persecutions, poverty, and distress, which the people of God suffer in this world, we are
almost led to exclaim with the apostle, "If in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most
miserable." But no; we will not complain; for to suffer the short period of threescore years and ten, at
most, will only give a greater zest to the glory which shall follow at the appearing of our Lord and Savior
the great God and Jesus Christ. I know the world are taunting us with the inquiry, "Where is the promise
of his coming? for, since the father's fell asleep, all things remain as there were, even from the creation
of the world;" for they will pretend to be ignorant (as the apostle Peter expresses himself of the deluge)
that the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; and still more do they pretend to
be ignorant, that the same earth is in like manner to be destroyed by fire, "reserved unto fire against the
day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:7 Also, my brethren, there are some even
among us, who "are spots in your feasts of charity, feeding themselves without fear; clouds without
water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth; twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging
waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering
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stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute
judgment upon all; and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which
they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which they have spoken against him. These
are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaking great swelling
words, having men's persons in admiration, because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the
words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there
would be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who
separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy (or
glorious appearing) of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Jude 12-21. Or, as Peter says, 2 Pet. 3:12,
"Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God." And again, Paul says, in Heb. 9:28, "And
unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." And Paul
further saith, to his Philippian brethren, "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look
for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body."
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0012 paragraph 1
Having thus proved that the apostles directed
our hope to the coming of Christ for the fulfillment of all our trials and persecutions, and the completion
of our faith, I shall now take up our subject in the following order:--1. I shall endeavor to prove that it is
yet future; viz., the coming of Christ, spoken of in the text. 2. The certainty of his coming. 3. The object
of his coming.
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0012 paragraph 2
1. We are, according to our design, to show that
the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, spoken of in the text, is yet future.
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WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0013 paragraph 1
Some teach us that he came at the destruction
of Jerusalem, and quote to the 24th chapter of Matthew as proof. Let us examine their evidence. As
Jesus went out of the temple, his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple,
where Christ delivered his memorable prophecy, which was exactly fulfilled in little more than thirty-six
years afterwards, "There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down."
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0013 paragraph 2
And it appears that, afterwards, as Jesus sat
upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, having, as may reasonably be supposed,
been ruminating in their minds, or conversing among themselves, on the prophecy, and had, perhaps,
supposed that no power on earth could destroy those strong buildings, and concluded that, when this
was accomplished, it would be the judgment-day. They therefore inquire of him, "saying, Tell us, when
shall these things be?" that is, what he had prophesied of; "and what shall be the sign of thy coming,
and of the end of the world?" They might not have intended to ask more than one question; yet they
did ask three, and Christ answered them accordingly. He had before told them of the destruction of
Jerusalem, 4th, 5th, and 6th verses; he cautions them against being deceived with false Christs, and not
to be troubled at wars and rumors of wars,--and yet Jerusalem was destroyed in the first war of any
note after this prophecy,--and then says plainly, "Theend is not yet." Now, if this end was the
destruction of Jerusalem, then where are those wars, spoken of by Christ? This cannot mean any thing
less than the end of the world. From the 7th to the 14th verse, inclusive, he gives a prophetic history of
the trials, afflictions, and persecutions of his people, and also of the success of the gospel immediately
previous to the end, and says, "Then shall the end come."
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0013 paragraph 3
Now, it must be evident that this cannot mean
the end of Jerusalem, because, if so, he that endured unto the end was to be saved from all the troubles
which Christ had been speaking of; and it was not true that
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the disciples of Christ did not suffer afterwards the same things which Christ said they would. From the
15th to the 28th verse, Christ instructs his disciples into their duty during the siege of Jerusalem, and
also down to the coming of the Son of Man. This, you will see, must mean Christ in person; because
neither the Holy Spirit nor Father is any where called Son of Man. He likewise speaks of the signs which
should follow the destruction of Jerusalem. From the 29th to the 35th verse, inclusive, Christ explains
the signs in the heavens and on the earth immediately after the tribulation of the people of God, which
had been spoken of as the common lot of all his followers, and which he had promised to shorten for
the elect's sake, and of his coming in the clouds with power and great glory; the gathering of his elect
from the four winds of heaven; gives his disciples the parable of the fig tree, as an illustration of the end;
and then says to his disciples, "Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass till all these things be
fulfilled; heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0014 paragraph 1
Here is the great stumbling-block to many.
Christ is talking about his elect, his children, and his generation; and not, as some will have it, about the
generations that then lived on the earth; for they did undoubtedly pass off, a large share of them; for it
was about thirty-six years before the destruction of Jerusalem. But his kingdom has never been taken
from the earth. Although they have been hunted from one part of the earth to another; although they
have been driven into caves and dens of mountains; have been slain, burnt, sawn asunder; have
wandered as pilgrims and strangers on the earth;--yet the "blood of the martyrs has been the seed of
the church;" and Christ has had, and will have, a people on the earth, until his second coming. 1 Peter
2:9; "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people," &c. The
Psalmist says, "A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation." Psalm 22:30. I
humbly believe that Christ has quoted the sentiment contained in the 102d Psalm,
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WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0015 paragraph 1
25th to last verse: "Of old hast thou laid the
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt
endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall
be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall
continue, and their seed shall be established before thee."
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0015 paragraph 2
Here we see the Psalmist has expressed the
same sentiment that I understand Christ to have given in these two verses, which I conclude is the
proper explanation. And then the parables which follow in the remainder of the 24th and 25th chapters,
are easily understood as having reference to the end of the world; and in that way will exactly compare.
See the 31st verse of the 25th chapter: "When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gathered all
nations," &c. This verse was not fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem, for the "Son of Man" was not
seen in the clouds with power and great glory; and yet the words are, "every eye shall see him;" and as
sudden and as visible "as the lightning, that shineth from the east even unto the west, so shall the
coming of the Son of Man be." Can this have passed, and the history of the world have been silent? No.
Could all nations be gathered before him, and there be divided, the righteous from the wicked, and the
one part sent to everlasting punishment, while the other is received to life eternal, and none know it?
No. Were the Elect gathered from the four winds of heaven at the destruction of Jerusalem? No; they
were commanded to flee to the mountains; and history says they did leave that devoted city when the
Romans encompassed it with their armies. Then, could the prophecies contained in these chapters have
been fulfilled, and the world remain ignorant of some of the most important events? I answer, No. Then
the "Son of Man" did not come to the destruction of Jerusalem. If he did, where is the evidence? None,
none, not a particle. But if he did
0016
come to the destruction of Jerusalem, then it must have been his second coming; for Paul says, Heb.
9:28, "And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Can
this be true if he came to Jerusalem? The passage certainly implies that his people would have no more
sin, or afterwards would be "without sin." Experience teaches us to the contrary. Again it is said, 1
Thess. 4:16,17, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall arise first; then we, which are alive
and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall
we ever be with the Lord." Who saw this great transaction at Jerusalem? Were there no witnesses? Yes,
the apostle John lived many years after this, and wrote his Gospel, his Epistles, and his Revelation, long
after the destruction of Jerusalem. And what does he testify? In his Gospel, 14th chapter, 3d verse,
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come and receive you to myself, that where I am there ye
may be also." Again, 28th and 29th verses, "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come
again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father; for my Father is
greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might
believe." Again, 1 John 2:28, "And now, little children, abide in him, that, when he shall appear, we may
have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." And 3:2, "Beloved, now are we the
sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." And, again, in Rev. 1:7, "Behold, he cometh with clouds,
and every eye shall see him; and they also which pierced him, and all kindred of the earth, shall wail
because of him." Many more places might be mentioned in John's testimony, but not one word that he
had already come again, as some supposed. Let this, then, suffice to prove, that the "glorious
appearing,"spoken of in our text, is still future.
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WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0017 paragraph 1
And now we will examine some of the evidence
of the certainty of his coming, which is our second proposition.
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0017 paragraph 2
II. The certainty of it:
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0017 paragraph 3
1st. Because the ancient prophets all spake of it.
Jude tells us that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold the Lord cometh, with ten
thousands of his saints, &c. Balaam was constrained to admit, "Out of Jacob shall come he that shall
have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city," plainly referring to the judgment-day;
for he says, "Alas! who shall live when God doth this?" See Numbers 24:17-23. And Moses as plainly
refers to this day in Deut. 32:43, "Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of
his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful to his land and to his
people." David says, Psalm 1:3,4, "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour
before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him; he shall call to the heavens from above,
and to the earth, (that he may judge his people.") And Isa. 40:5, "And the glory of the Lord shall be
revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." In the 39th
chapter of Ezekiel, you will see the same day of judgment prophesied of in a clear and plain manner. In
Dan. 7:9,10, "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment
was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and
his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth before him: thousand thousands
ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set,
and the books were opened." Joel 3:14, "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of
the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Zeph. 1:14, "The great day of the Lord is near; it is near, and
hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty men shall cry there bitterly." Zech.
14:5, "And the Lord thy God shall come, and all the saints
0018
with thee." Mal. 4:2, "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing
in his wings, and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves in the stall." And Christ himself says, in Matt.
16:27, "For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then shall he
reward every man according to his works." The angels that stood by the disciples at the time Jesus
ascended up, and a cloud received him out of their sight, said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven? This same, Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner
as ye have seen him go into heaven." Let us take particular notice of that phrase this same Jesus, and
compare with other parallel passages, as, our God shall come, and it will prove to our satisfaction that
Jesus Christ is God, as well as man, and we may have strong consolation for our hope in his appearing,
for his promises can never fail. "Heaven and earth may pass away, but not one jot or tittle of his word
shall fail." Also take notice of the words "like manner," which agree with the often expressed sentence,
"He shall come in the clouds of heaven." We shall be led to admire the general harmony of the
Scriptures, and the agreement of the prophets in their descriptions of future events. Again, Christ says
to the church of Philadelphia, Rev. 3:11, "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast thou hast, that no man
take thy crown." "For yet a little while and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry, Heb. 10:37.
And will not the evidence I have brought from the word of God be sufficient to prove the certainty of his
future coming? And if I should argue the tradition of nations that never saw the word of God, the
conviction on the mind of men generally, that there must be a day of retribution; could I open the breast
of the reader, and show the thundering of your conscience; yes, could I see and expose the tremblings
and failings of heart, which you have had, while you have been looking with fear for those things that
are coming on the earth--of what use would it be? Would you believe it if I could raise a dead friend
who would tell
0019
you to prepare to meet your God? No. If they believe not Moses and the prophets, neither would they
though one rose from the dead. How foolish, then, would it be for me to try to prove in any other
manner what God has revealed or promised, than by the means which God has appointed. By his word
you will be judged; and if this condemns you now, (unless you become reconciled,) it will condemn you
hereafter.
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0019 paragraph 1
III. The object of his coming.
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0019 paragraph 2
1st. He comes to raise and gather his saints to
him in the air. "As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive; but every man in his own order-Christ the first fruit, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming." 1 Cor. 15:22,23. Again, "For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming
of the Lord, shall not prevent them that are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord," 1 Thess 4:14-17. "Now we beseech you,
brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him," 2 Thess. 2:1.
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death shall have no
power," Rev. 20:6. In Psalms we have the same account of the gathering of his people. "Gather my
saints together unto me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice," Psalm 50:5. Again, see
Isaiah 66:18, "It shall come that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see my
glory." "For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out. As
a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek
out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and
dark day," Ezekiel 34:11,12.
0020
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0020 paragraph 1
And now I refer you to one more passage, and
then pass on. "Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, (that is, die,) but we shall all be
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this mortal shall put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." These texts,
to which I have called your attention, will apply only to the people of God, or those who are in Christ
Jesus. I have, therefore, only been proving to you the object of Christ's coming, as it respects his people.
And I think I have plainly proved that when Christ shall appear in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory, he will raise the righteous dead, change the righteous living, gather them from among all
nations, where they have been scattered during the ages of persecution and trial. "in the dark and
cloudy day," and receive them unto himself in the air, when they will ever be with the Lord. --I will,
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0020 paragraph 2
2dly, Show that the wicked will be destroyed
from the earth by fire, and the world cleansed from the curse of sin by the same means, and prepared
for the reception of the New Jerusalem state, or the glorious reign of Christ with his people. That the
wicked will be destroyed by fire, at his appearing, we prove by the following texts: Deut. 32:22, "For a
fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth, with her
increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains." 2 Samuel 22:9, 10, 13, "There went up a
smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the
heavens and came down, and darkness was under his feet. Through the brightness before him were
coals of fire kindled." Psalm 97:2,3, "Clouds and darkness are round about him, righteousness and
judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round
about." Isa.66:15,16, "For, behold, the Lord will come with
0021
fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of
fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be
many." Dan 7:11, "I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld
even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame." Again, Nahum 1:5,
"The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and thee earth is burnt at his presence; yea, the world
and all that dwell therein." Habakkuk 3:3-5, "God came from Teman, (south) and the Holy One from
Mount Paran, (from glory.) Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise:
and his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand; and there was the hiding of his
power. Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. He stood and
measured the earth; he beheld and drove asunder the nations, and the everlasting mountains were
scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting." Also, Malachi 4:1, "For, behold, the
day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble;
and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root
nor branch." Matt. 3:12, "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his
wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt. 13:30, "Gather ye
together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn." 40,
"As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt, so shall it be in the end of the world." 49th verse, "So
shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the
just." Again, Paul to the church of the Thessalonians writes, "And to you who are troubled, rest with us;
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall
be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence
0022
of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 Peter 3:10,"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief
in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up." Rev. 18:8,
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day--death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly
burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." These passages are but a part of the word
of God which prove the destruction of the wicked--of the anti-Christian beast--and the cleansing of the
world by fire. Yet if Scripture proof can be sufficient, surely I have brought enough; and where that can
have no bearing on the mind of men, how vain should I be to search the archives of natural philosophy
to give you more evidence! for He who hath all wisdom in heaven and in earth, and who knows what is
in the mind of man, hath used the best arguments, the most persuasive means (I had like to have said)
in the power of a God to use; and indeed he says, "What could I have done more than I have done for
my vineyard." He has taught us by his own word, by the mouth of his prophets, and by examples:
witness his word on Mount Sinai, where the people heard his voice and saw the fire; witness all the
declarations of the prophets which I have read; witness Jesus Christ himself, in the parable of the tares
and wheat, and the harvest; witness, also, the destruction of the old world by water, and Sodom and
Gomorrah by fire; Jerusalem by famine, sword, and fire. These are all set forth as samples to warn us of
the approaching judgment. And yet who believes the report? Who is willing to examine the evidences-to reason candidly and to reflect seriously on these things? Who among us puts implicit confidence in
the word of God, especially in that which is unfulfilled? Any may believe in so much as has been
accomplished; but where is the virtue in such faith? Where is the blessedness of our hope in the
glorious appearing of Jesus Christ? If we are "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ," we
0023
shall examine the word of God faithfully; we shall compare scripture with scripture; we shall take notice
of the signs which Christ has given us of his coming. That the day may not overtake us as a thief, we
should live with a steady reference to that day, and rejoice more and more as we see the day
approaching.
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0023 paragraph 1
3d. I will now give some of the evidences
concerning the glorious reign which must follow his coming. The earth, being cleansed by fire, will, like
the phoenix, be revived from its own ashes. The destruction of the wicked, the end of death, sin
banished, it will lighten the world of a load of crime which has made it reel to and fro like a drunkard;
the internal fires will have spent their force on all combustible matter, and have gone out; volcanoes will
cease; earthquakes, tornadoes, and whirlwinds can no more be experienced or needed, for the cause is
gone; the earth or the heavens can no more be shaken, "that those things that cannot be shaken may
remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may
serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire." Heb 12:27-29.
Then, when this earth shall become new, by being cleansed and purified, the New Jerusalem will "come
down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice
out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God," Rev. 21:2,3. "And he carried
me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God," 10th verse. "And the city had no need of
the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof." "And I saw thrones and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I
saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which
had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark
0024
in their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years; but the
rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished."
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0024 paragraph 1
Much more evidence might be brought to prove
the personal reign of Jesus Christ with his people; but this is enough to prove the glorious and personal
reign after the resurrection; but few dispute it. But, say some, do you not believe in a spiritual reign of a
thousand years before the resurrection? I answer, I believe in a reign of grace, by the influence of the
divine Spirit, for more than 1800 years past; but when you speak of a thousand years, I suppose you
mean the same time that I call the glorious reign after the resurrection of the righteous, and before the
resurrection of the wicked. I know of no spiritual reign, mentioned in the word of God, and especially of
that duration. We argue that there cannot be a reign of peace and glory until the world is cleansed from
all wickedness, Satan is chained, and righteousness fill our world; nor until "the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Savior Jesus Christ," even the anti-Christian beast will not be destroyed, (according to
the texts we have already quoted,) until they are destroyed by "the brightness of his appearing." All
those passages which speak of this happy period of rest to the people of God, or which in any manner
allude to it, describe it as being after the resurrection of the saints, or after righteousness fills the earth,
and after the anti-Christian beast is destroyed. And even our text more than implies that we shall not
realize any great or glorious results from our hope, or collectively in a body the church will not receive
any important deliverance until the "glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." Is
this true? I say the passages of Scripture already named fix it beyond a doubt. And any one who will
examine the scripture for himself, will find that the second coming of Christ is the point to which Jesus
Christ, the prophets, and the apostles directed their disciples, as the termination of their trials,
persecutions, and afflictions; and Jesus Christ says, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." I say, I can
find
0025
nothing in the word of God to warrant me to believe that we ought to look for or expect a happier
period than we now enjoy, until he who has promised to come shall come the second time without sin
unto salvation, and cleanse us, the world, and make all things new. These things are abundantly proved
in the unerring word of God. And now, Christians, if these things are so, what manner of persons ought
we to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the day of God, "looking for
that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ"? Then let
our conversation be in heaven, from whence we expect our Savior, and stir up each other's pure minds
by way of remembrance of these things; for the time of the promise draweth nigh, when he will come
and receive us to himself, that we may be with him. How necessary, my brethren, we should examine
the word of God diligently; see if it does not give some indications, some signs, by which we may know
the "Son of Man is near, even at the door," and our "blessed hope" is about to be realized in the
"glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ." If he comes and finds us, or
some of us, in this lukewarm state, hardly having looked into his word, and, making our want of talents
an excuse, have neglected to trim our lamps, and have been very spare in holy conversation, and are
crying peace and safety when sudden destruction cometh, and perhaps have sneeringly mocked and
laughingly ridiculed the idea of Christ being near at the door, and perhaps have joined the infidel and
unbeliever in their unholy remarks on this subject, and although we have heard the midnight cry,
"Behold, the bridegroom cometh," yet we treat it with neglect or disdain, or some of us, perhaps, with
reproach,--I ask, if the Lord of such servants come and find us so doing,what will he do with us? He will
come in an hour that we think not, and cut us off, and appoint our portion among the hypocrites and
unbelievers, where shall be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. But we will suppose that he will
not come in so short a time as your speaker believes; still what do I
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0026
ask of you, my brethren? Nothing but what Jesus Christ and the apostles required 1800 years ago, I ask
you to compare these views with the Bible. Is this wrong? No. I ask you for holy conversation. Is this
wrong? No. I ask you for heavenly-mindedness. Is this wrong? No, no. I ask you to stir up each other's
pure minds, to make improvement on your one talent if no more; to come out of this cold and lukewarm
state; to trim your lamps and be ready. Are these requirements wrong? Certainly not; no, no. I ask you
again to compare scripture with scripture; to read the prophets; to stop your revilings; to take warning
by the old world; to flee from sin and the wrath which is to come; to hide yourselves in Christ, until the
indignation be over and past; to look "for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God
and our Savior Jesus Christ." Is this wrong? Then be the wrong on my head.
WM 2miller LECTURE 1 page 0026 paragraph 1
And now, my impenitent friends, what say you?
"We say, 'You know nothing about it.'" Do you believe the old world was deluged? "Why, yes." What
makes you believe it? "Because our philosophers tell us there are a great many signs remaining of the
flood, and we can believe them." And are there no signs of the near approach of the Judgment Day?
What say the prophets, apostles, and Jesus Christ? Are they not equal to your philosophers? Examine
your Bibles, and see; weigh well the evidence; your eternal happiness, the salvation of your immortal
souls, may depend on your decision. But what say you more? "We say, 'You were very unwise to fix on
the year 1843, or sooner, for this day to come; for it will not come; and then you will be ashamed." And
I hope I may be able, by the grace of God, to repent. But what if it does come? You cannot with any
propriety way positively it will not come, for you make no pretence to divination. But I say, what if it
does come? Where will you be? No space then for repentance. No, no--too late, too late; the harvest is
over and past, the summer is gone, the door is shut, and your soul is not saved. Therefore it can do you
no harm to hear, and believe, and do those things
0027
which God requires of you, and which you think you would do, if you knew he would appear. First, I ask
you to repent of your sins. Would this be right? Yes. Next, I ask you to believe in God. Is this right? Yes.
And I ask you to be reconciled to his will, love his law, forsake sin, love holiness, practice his precepts,
obey his commands. Would these things be right? Yes, yes. And last of all, and not least, I ask you to
"look for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ."
Amen.
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LECTURE 2
REV. 20:6
WM 2miller LECTURE 2 page 0028 paragraph 1 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection; on such the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
and shall reign with him a thousand years.
WM 2miller LECTURE 2 page 0028 paragraph 2 The term "Blessed and holy" is often used in Scripture,
and in many places is applied to man; but in no place without giving some characteristic mark of his
being born of God, or inheriting the fruits of the divine Spirit; and very often the word blessed is used
standing in immediate connection with the resurrection and
coming of Christ, either expressed or implied, as in Isa. 62:11,12, "Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed
unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his
reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them The holy people. The redeemed
of the Lord; and thou shalt be called. Sought out, A city not forsaken." Isa 30:18, "And therefore will the
Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy
upon you; for the Lord is a God of judgment. Blessedare all they that wait for him." Daniel says, 12:12,
"Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the 1335 days." John says, Rev. 14:13, "Blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord." "Write, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
"Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." "Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they
0029
may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." By these passages I
show you that all the children of God are included in this blessing, and not the martyrs only, as some will
have it. The next thing which will claim our attention will be to explain the resurrection spoken of in our
text, called the first resurrection. The word resurrection
signifies to revive, or resuscitate, or bring to life again, one now dead, who was once alive. It nowhere in
the word of God conveys an idea of a new creation, and the word is nowhere used in the Bible
expressing any thing less or more than a union of soul and body, and deliverance from natural death.
The word resurrectionis nowhere used in a figurative sense; it in all places has its own simple meaning,
unless our text is an exception. And without the objector can show some rule of interpretation by which
we shall be warranted to understand the word in a different sense, we must beg leave to attach to it the
simple meaning, coming to life from the grave. I know some have supposed that regeneration is
resurrection; but I cannot believe this unless they show some rule. I know some pretend to show us, in
John 5:25, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live," as a rule; but in order to make this a rule, they
must prove that Christ meant regeneration; until this is shown, we cannot admit it as any proof.
WM 2miller LECTURE 2 page 0029 paragraph 1 We shall, therefore, consider the word resurrection as
coming up out of the grave, and pass to the word first. "The first resurrection." The resurrection of the
saints is first as it respects order and time. Wherever the word resurrection is used in connection with
life or damnation, the one unto life always comes first; as in Daniel 12:2, "Some to everlasting life, and
some to shame and everlasting contempt;" John 5:29, "They that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." Here are two
samples as it respects order. One or two as it respects time: 1 Cor. 15:23, "Christ the first fruits, then
afterward they that are Christ's at
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his coming. Then cometh the end." And again, 1 Thess. 4:16, "For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall
rise first." And then our context and text shows that the blessed and holy are raised a thousand years
before the rest of the dead. If we are correct, then, Christ will come before the millennium instead of
afterwards, as some believe; and the millennium is a state of personal, and glorious, and immortal reign
on the new earth, or this earth cleansed by fire, as it was once by water; and it will be a new
dispensation, new heavens, and new earth. This will be our next proposition to prove. And, first, we
will examine the 20th chapter of Revelation, 1st verse: "And I saw an angel come down from heaven;"-this angel I consider no less a being than the Lord Jesus Christ; for it only can be said of him;--"having the
key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand." See Rev. 1:18: "I am he that liveth and was
dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, amen, and have the keys of hell and of death." And Christ
only has power to bind Satan. "That he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the
devil." Heb. 2:14. 2d verse: "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years." I suppose this verse needs no explanation. It can only be
understood in a literal sense, for it explains itself in the figures used; asdragon and serpent, often used
as figures, are explained to mean the devil and Satan. If the thousand years had been used, in this
chapter, or any where else in the word of God, in a mystical or figurative sense, it would have been
somewhere explained; but, as it is not, I consider we are to place upon it the most simple construction,
and I shall therefore understand it literally. 3d verse: "And cast him into the bottomless pit;"--by
bottomless pit, I have shown, by the proof on our first verse, that it is hell; see Rev. 1:18;-- "and shut him
up and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should
be fulfilled; and after that he must
0031
be loosed a little season." This passage must be understood in its simple, plain meaning; no mystery in
this. 4th verse: "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given unto them;"--here
we have a prophecy of the fulfilment of a promise that Christ made to his disciples, in Matt. 19:28: "And
Jesus said unto them, Verily, I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when
the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel;"--"and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and
for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years." In this description we have the whole family of the redeemed; for all that had not worshipped
the beast or his image, or received a mark, and, in one word, all that were not the servants of Satan or
sin, lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5th verse: "But the rest of the dead lived not again
until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." The rest of the dead means the
wicked dead, who do not have part in the first resurrection; lived not again, showing conclusively that it
is a natural life and death spoken of. The first resurrection is the resurrection of the saints at his coming.
Then comes in our text, which has and will be explained in the lecture. 7th verse: "And when the
thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison." We may reasonably expect that,
when Satan is let loose, all the damned spirits are let loose with him; and it has been strongly implied
they were to live again in the body, at the end of the thousand years. 8th verse: "And shall go out"--that
is, Satan--"to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth"--"ashes under the feet of
the saints," as Malachi tells us: "And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the
soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts:--"Gog and Magog"--the armies of
the wicked that were
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slain at the commencing of the thousand years, or coming of Christ, at the supper of the great God, and
battle of Armageddon; see Ezekiel 38, 39--"to gather them together to battle;"--this is their design, but
there is no battle, for Gold himself is with his people to defend them; and he destroys the wicked host,
"the number of whom is as the sand of the sea;" evidently including the whole number of the wicked:
for the figure, sand of the sea, is never used, only to express the whole class of the people named; as,
the children of Israel, the whole host of Jacob. 9th verse: "And they went up on the breadth of the
earth;"--that is, this army of Gog and Magog were raised up out of the surface of the earth, that only
being the breadth of a globular body;--"and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved
city;"--plainly showing that the New Jerusalem, the beloved city, is on the earth during the thousand
years, or how could this wicked host encompass it about? they have not climbed the celestial walls of
heaven--no; for it says, "and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them." This is the
second death, represented under the figure of fire coming down from God out of heaven; not the
conflagration of the world,--for that was in the commencing of the thousand years, when Christ came
and cleansed the world from all the wicked, and the works of wicked men,--but the justice of God, under
the figure of fire; "for our God is a consuming fire." Heb 12:29. 10th verse: "And the devil that deceived
them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, and shall be
tormented day and night forever and ever." In this verse, the final condemnation of the wicked, soul
and body, is given; and the last that God has seen fit to reveal concerning them to us is, that they are
cast into everlasting torment. In the next verse, John has another vision of the same things which he
had before told us, only in a difference point of view, or some circumstance not before clearly described.
And I sawalways implies a new view, or another vision. 11th verse: "And I saw a great white throne,
and him that sat on it, from
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whose face the heavens and earth fled away; and there was no place found for them." This is the same
throne that Daniel saw, 7:9-14; "I beheld till the thrones were cast down and the Ancient of days did sit,
whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the
fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire." 12th verse: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand
before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
This is the same as Daniel saw, 7:10: "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand
thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment
was set, and the books were opened." It is very evident that this is the beginning of the judgment, when
Christ comes in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory, to raise and judge his saints, and to
reward every man as his work shall be. 1st, because it is when the judgment first sets; 2d, because the
book of life is there, and open; and, 3d because it was at the time or before antichrist was destroyed;
and no one can believe that the anti christian beast can be on the earth during or in the millennium.
13th verse: "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead
which were in them." I conclude the apostle, after he had seen the righteous dead raised, small and
great, and stand before God, and saw the book of life open to justify them, and saw them judged and
rewarded, he then glides down to the end of the thousand years, and beheld the wicked dead given up
by those elements and places wherein they had been confined during the millennial period, to be judged
in the flesh, every man according to his works.
WM 2miller LECTURE 2 page 0033 paragraph 1 This only can reconcile some of those conflicting
passages (or seemingly so to us) concerning the resurrection; and I cannot see any impropriety in thus
understanding these prophecies; for it is the common manner of the prophets, a little here and a little
there. In all the descriptions of the resurrection of the righteous
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dead, they are represented as being gathered by the angels of God, from the four winds of heaven,
when the seventh or last trump shall sound; and it is equally as evident that their works are brought into
judgment. Although they may not be justified by their works, but out of the book of life, yet the apostle
Paul says, speaking of his brethren, "We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." Rom 14:10.
And again, 2 Cor. 5:10, "For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." And, 1
Cor. 3:13-15. "Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be
revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which
he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss: yet he himself shall be saved, so as by fire." We see, by these texts, that the books of every man's
works will be open, as well as the book of life, in the first resurrection; but, in the second resurrection,
there is no book of life open in that part of the judgment, neither are they gathered by the angels of God;
but the sea, death, and hell, delivered up the dead which were in the, and they were judged every man
according to their works; and Satan is the means of gathering them around the beloved city, where they
are judged in the flesh. By the sea, death and hell, I understand the sea, grave, and place of punishment.
The sea and the grave would give up the dissolved particles of the body, and hell (or Hades) would give
up their departed spirits; this would constitute the second resurrection. "And they were judged every
man according to their works. "They had chosen, in this life, to stand on their works; they had refused to
believe in the Mediator; they had not followed his commands, neither had they professed his name
before men, or suffered persecutions for the sake of his testimony. They had treated his word with total
neglect, or called his grace tyranny. They had said he was a hard master, and buried their
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talent in the earth. They had placed their supreme affections on the world, and made fine gold their
trust. They had persecuted the children of God in this world, and showed that they were the children of
that wicked one who slew his brother. They had prostituted their bodies to whoredom, and sacrificed to
Bacchus and Venus their first-fruits. They had professed damnable heresies, and filled the world with
their delusive schemes and sects. They had worshipped the creature, and neglected prayer to the
Creator. They had filled the world with their lies and abominations, and gloried in their shame. 14th
verse: "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." By death and hell I
understand the body and spirit. 15th verse: "And whosoever was not found written in the Lamb's book
of life, was cast into the lake of fire." "But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the
lake which burneth with fire an brimstone, which is the second death." Rev. 21:8. "Blessed are they that
do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates
into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters,
and whosoever loveth and maketh a life." Rev. 22:14,15. Then our text says, "Blessed and holy is he
that hath part in the first resurrection." This we have proved is the resurrection of the righteous dead,
who died in faith in Jesus Christ, and who should live with him at his coming; on them the second death
should have no power, "but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a
thousand years."
WM 2miller LECTURE 2 page 0035 paragraph 1 To be priests unto God and unto Christ, is to be holy; to
be a kingdom of priests of a peculiar people, that should show forth his praises by declaring to the
universe that out of nature's darkness they had been redeemed by his blood, called by his grace unto his
glorious, happy, and holy kingdom, and that they should dwell on the earth. See Rev. 5:9,10. "And they
sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take
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the book and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood,
out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and
priests, and we shall reign on the earth." See, also, Rev. 1:6, "And hath made us kings and priests unto
God, and his Father." Again, 1 Pet. 2:5,9, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood." "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people." The
passages to which I have cited your minds, prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the thousand years
spoken of in the text is between the two resurrections', a state of happiness, of glory, of holiness, and
that it shall be on the earth. It is a state of immortality, as abundant scriptures evidently prove. Where,
then, you may inquire, is the spiritual millennium which our theorists, in the present age, are teaching us
to expect? I answer, There is not a thousand years spoken of in Scripture, except in 2 Pet. 3d chapter,
and in which the judgment day is the subject of discussion, and in the chapter of which our text is a part;
and in neither of these places is any thing said about spiritual reign; neither can we find any thing in the
word of God by which we could fairly draw the conclusion of such a reign; and as it is not proper for me
to show the negative, I call on all of you to show where we may find the evidence, that is, all of you who
believe in a spiritual reign. If there is such a reign, it must be before the second coming of Christ; for
when he comes he will receive us to himself, that where he is there we may be also; no more away from
his people, for he says he will be with them, and make his abode with them, and he will be their light,
and will dwell with them, and make his abode with them, and they shall dwell on the earth. Where,
when, or how the idea of a spiritual reign of a thousand years should or could obtain a place in our faith,
having the word of God as our evidence, I cannot tell. Some say that the prophets speak often of times
or things which have not been fulfilled in our day, or under the present dispensation,
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and which would be too gross to be admitted into a state of immortality. There maybe such--yet I find
no difficulty in understanding all those passages which have been presented, or come under my
consideration, to refer to the gospel day. But how long do the prophets say that time shall be? Do they
designate any time? No; neither one, ten, one hundred, or one thousand years are mentioned in any of
those passages. Why then call it a millennium? Because Peter and John have mentioned a thousand
years. This cannot be admitted to mean any state this side of the state of immortality; for Peter says
plainly, "Yet, nevertheless, we look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
This would be a new sate, surely--nothing gross or vile in this kingdom, whoever may be king; and John
expressly says, "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years," And says, "This is the first
resurrection." Now, admit there is such a time, how or by what rule shall we call it a thousand years?
WM 2miller LECTURE 2 page 0037 paragraph 1 Again, where, in all the prophecies, can any one show
me that the church will be blessed and holy, or happy and righteous, as it may be rendered, until he
comes, that is, at Christ's second appearance? And where in the word are we to learn that the kingdoms
of this world are to be destroyed before the coming of the Ancient of days? Do we believe that the antiChristian beast, or mystical Babylon, will be on the earth during this millennial reign? No, it cannot be;
yet all must acknowledge that she is only destroyed by the brightness of his coming. Who can read the
19th chapter of Revelation, without being convinced that the marriage supper of the Lamb, the treading
of the wine-press, of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, and the supper of the great God, are
events which must take place before the millennium? And if so, who can believe that after the marriage
of the Lamb to the bride; after she is arrayed in linen clean and white, which is the righteousness of the
saints; after they have received a crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall give to all
them who love his appearing in the day,--
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Christ will not be with her in person? None. But our text tells us he will live and reign with them, and
they shall be priests to God.
WM 2miller LECTURE 2 page 0038 paragraph 1 Again: while in this state of mortality and trial, we are
called to servants and ministers of Christ; but then, in the millennial blessedness, we shall be called
priests of God and of Christ. You may ask, "Why this distinction in the language?" I answer, There is a
great difference between the kingdom of Christ, as it was established when Christ was here on earth,
and the kingdom given up to God, even the Father. The subjects of Christ's kingdom, in this state of
things, may be, and in fact are, imperfect. Hypocrites and false professors may and do obtain an
entrance into it; for an enemy hath sown tares. But the kingdom of God, no man, says Christ, can see, or
enter, without being born of God. Here they may deceive the sentinels which guard the kingdom of
Christ; but in the kingdom of God "there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."
Here the children of the kingdom are persecuted, tormented, perplexed, cast down; but in the kingdom
of God their enemies are all slain; they are comforted, glorified, justified, exalted; and not a dog to move
his tongue. Here they weep, but there will rejoice; here they sin and repent; they there will be holy
without fault before his throne. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection." Amen.
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LECTURE 3
DANIEL 8:13,14
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0039 paragraph 1 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said
unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the
transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he
said unto me, Unto two thousand three hundred days: then shall the sanctuary be cleansed;" or
justified, as it might have been translated.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0039 paragraph 2 The hearer will, at the first view of our text, perceive
that there is something very important communicated in the question and answer given; or why are
saints commissioned (as we may reasonably suppose) from the courts of heaven, to ask and answer the
question contained in the text, in presence of the prophet? And that it concerned Daniel, and us for
whom the prophet wrote his prophecy, to understand, is evident from the answer being given to Daniel-"and he said unto me"--instead of being given to the "saint," who made the inquiry. Then we are not
treading on forbidden ground, my dear hearer, to search to understand the meaning and truth of our
subject.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0039 paragraph 3 I shall then treat our subject in the following manner:
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0039 paragraph 4 1. Explain some of the figures and expressions used in
the text.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0039 paragraph 5 2. Show what the "daily sacrifice vision" is, and,
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0039 paragraph 6 3. The time or length of the vision "unto two thousand
three hundred days: then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0039 paragraph 7 1. I am to explain some of the figures used in the text;
and,
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WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0040 paragraph 1 1st, the "daily sacrifice." This may be understood, by
some, to mean the Jewish rites and ceremonies; and by others, the Pagan rites and sacrifices. As both
Jews and Pagans had their rites and sacrifices both morning and evening, and their altars were kept
smoking with their victims of beasts, and their holy fire was preserved in their national altars and
temples devoted to their several deities or gods, we might be at a loss to know which of these to apply
this figurative expression to, did not out text and context explain the meaning. It is very evident, when
we carefully examine our text, that it is to be understood as referring to Pagan and Papal rites, for it
stands coupled with "the abomination of desolation," and performs the same acts, such as are ascribed
to the Papal abomination, "to give both the sanctuary and host to be trodden under foot." See, also,
Rev. 11:2, "But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto
the Gentiles; and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." This last text only has
reference to the Papal beast, which was the image of the Pagan; but the text in consideration has
reference to both Pagan and Papal. That is, How long shall the Pagan transgression and the Papal
transgression tread under foot the sanctuary and host? This must be the true and literal meaning of our
text; it could not mean the anti-Christian abomination alone, for they never desolated the Jewish church;
neither could it mean Antiochus, the Syrian king; for he and his kingdom were made desolate and
destroyed before Christ; and it is evident that Christ had an allusion to this very power, when he told his
disciples, Matt 24:15, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel
the prophet, stand in the holy place." I believe all commentators agree that Christ meant the Roman
power--if so, then Daniel has the same meaning; for this is the very passage to which Christ alluded.
Then the "daily sacrifice" means Pagan rites and sacrifices, and the transgression of desolation, the
Papal; and both together shall tread under foot the "sanctuary and host," which brings me to show
what may be understood by "sanctuary
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and host." By sanctuary, we must understand the temple at Jerusalem, and those who worship therein,
which was trodden underfoot by the Pagan kingdoms of the world, since the days of Daniel, the writer
of our text; then by the Chaldeans; afterwards by the Medes and Persians; next by the Grecians; and
lastly by the Romans, who destroyed the city and sanctuary, levelled the temple with the ground, and
caused the plough to pass over the place. The people of the Jews, too, were led into captivity and
persecuted by all these kingdoms successively, and finally by the Romans were taken away and
destroyed as a nation. And as the prophet Isaiah, 63:18, says, "The people of thy holiness have
possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary." Jeremiah, also, in
Lam. 1:10, "The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things; for she hath seen that
the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy
congregation." The word host is applied to the people who worship in the outer court, and fitly
represents the Christian church, who are said to be strangers and pilgrims on the earth, having no
continuing places, but looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. Jeremiah, speaking of the
gospel church, says, 3:19, "But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant
land, a goodly heritage of the host of nations?" evidently meaning the church from the Gentiles. "Then
shall the sanctuary be cleansed or justified," means the true sanctuary which God has built of lively
stones to his own acceptance, through Christ, of which the temple at Jerusalem was but a type, the
shadows having long since fled away, and that temple and people now destroyed, and all included in
unbelief. So whosoever looks for the worldly sanctuary to be built again, will find themselves as much
mistaken as the unbelieving Jews were, when they looked for a temporal prince in the Messiah. For
there is not a word in the prophets or apostles, after Zerubbabel built the second temple, that a third
one would ever be built; except the one which cometh down from heaven, which is a spiritual one, and
which is the
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mother of us all, (Jew and Gentile,) and which is free and when that New Jerusalem is perfected, then
shall we be cleansed and justified; for Paul says to the Philippians, 3:20,21, "For our conversation is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to
subdue all things to himself;" that is, "they that are his at his coming." We see by these texts--and many
more might be quoted--that the spiritual sanctuary will not be cleansed until Christ's second coming;
and then all Israel shall be raised, judged, and justified in his sight.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0042 paragraph 1 2. We shall now try to understand what is meant by the
"vision,"in the text.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0042 paragraph 2 The vision, spoken of in the text, alludes to three
separate times in which God revealed unto Daniel all that may be considered a prophecy in the book of
Daniel, which vision was explained to Daniel by a heavenly messenger, called Gabriel, at three separate
times, the last of which closes the book of Daniel; which last instruction will be the subject of a future
lecture.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0042 paragraph 3 Daniel's first vision was the dream which
Nebuchadnezzar had, and which troubled him; but when he awoke, the dream was gone from him. He
then called for the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and wise men of Chaldea, to show him his dream,
and the interpretation thereof; but they could not. The king, being angry, commanded that all the wise
men of Babylon should be destroyed. Then Arioch, the captain of the King's guard, went forth to
execute the king's decree; and among the rest he sought for Daniel and his three friends, young captive
Jews, to execute the purpose of king Nebuchadnezzar upon them also. Daniel then, for the first time,
being made acquainted with the decree, went in unto the king, and desired time, and promised that he
would make known the dream, and the interpretation thereof. Time being granted, he and his three
Hebrew friends held a prayer-meeting, (not a cold and formal one, as we may reasonably suppose,) for
their
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lives and the lives of their fellow-creatures were in danger. They cried for mercies from the God of
heaven. God heard and answered their prayers, and revealed to Daniel the dream and interpretation.
After rendering suitable thanksgiving, Daniel went in unto the king and told the dream and visions of the
king. "As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass
hereafter; and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what should become to pass; but as for
me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but of the intent
that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of
thy heart. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was
excellent, stood before thee, and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his
breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and
part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his
feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the
silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the
image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth," Daniel 2:29-35.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0043 paragraph 1 This was the dream, and the interpretation was clear as
given by Daniel; and the history of the world proves it to be true, a large share having already been
fulfilled. All that remains to be accomplished is for the stone to smite the image upon his feet, and to
become a great mountain, and fill the hole earth. "The head of Gold' represented the Chaldean
kingdom; "the breast and arms of silver" represented the Medes and Persians; "the belly and thighs of
brass, which were to bear rule over all the earth," the Grecian. Alexander, a Grecian king, conquered the
world; the legs of iron, and the feet part of iron and part of clay," fitly represent the Roman
kingdom ,which still exists, although in a broken state,
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like iron and clay. This kingdom has been divided between Pagan Rome, the head wounded to death,
and Papal Rome, the deadly wound healed, both "mixing themselves with the seed of men," that is,
uniting church and state, ecclesiastical and civil, in the government. The stone denotes Christ, the God
of heaven; and the mountain the kingdom of God. His breaking the image to pieces, shows that all the
kingdoms of this world are to be utterly destroyed and carried away, so that no place can be found for
them. And the kingdom of God filling the whole earth teaches us that the beloved city, the New
jerusalem, will fill the world, and God will dwell with his people on the earth. Read Dan. 2:37-45. This
dream was in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, 603 B. C. Forty-eight years afterwards, in the
first year of Belshazzar's reign and 555 B. C., Daniel had another dream yet the same in substance.
"Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon
the great sea, and four great beasts came up form the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like
a lion, and had eagles' wings; I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the
earth, and made to stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And behold,
another beast, a second, like unto a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the
mouth of it between the teeth of it; and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I
beheld, and lo, another like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had
also four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth
beast dreadful, and terrible, and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake
in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were
before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another
little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this
horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld
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till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and
the hair of his head like the pure wool; his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
I beheld, then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake. I beheld, even till the
beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the
beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw
in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to
the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
Daniel 7:1-14. This ends Daniel's night vision, except the instruction he received from some one
standing by. "So he told me, and made me know 'the truth of all this,' of the interpretation of the things.
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the
most high shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever." We see in
this instruction that this vision and Nebuchadnezzar's dream agree in the most prominent parts; the four
beasts representing the four kingdoms, and the saints possessing the kingdom, the same as the stone
becoming a great mountain and filling the whole earth; "forever and ever" shows us that it is an
immortal state in everlasting life; "the saints" evidently includes all saints, "for they shall live and reign
with him on the earth," Revelation 5:10,20; 4:6. "Then," Daniel says, 7:19,20, "I would know the truth
of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron,
and his nails of brass, which devoured, brake in pieces,and
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stamped the residue with his feet; and of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which
came up, and before whom three fell, even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very
great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows."
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0046 paragraph 1 In these verses we learn that the fourth beast would be
diverse from the others. This was true with Rome; that kingdom first rose from a small colony of
adventurers settled in Italy. Rome, also, had seven different forms of government, while the others had
but one. We learn that this kingdom would devour, break in pieces, harass and perplex the people of
God, whether Jew or Gentile; that it would be divided into ten kingdoms, and afterwards there would
arise another power which would swallow up three of the ten kingdoms. This was all true with the
Roman government. In A. D. 476, the Western Empire fell, and was divided into ten kingdoms by the
Goths, Huns, and Vandals,--France, Britian, Spain, Portugal, Naples, Tuscany, Austria, Lombardy, Rome,
and Ravenna. The three last were absorbed in the territory of Rome," (E. Irwin,) and became the States
of the Church, governed by the Papal chair, the little horn that had eyes and a mouth that spake very
great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. This description cannot apply to any other
power but the church of Rome. "Had eyes," showing that they made pretence at least to be the
household of faith; "eyes" meaning faith, and "mouth that spake very great things," showing that the
church would claim infallibility; "whose look would be more stout than its fellows," showing that he
would claim authority over all other churches, or even the kings, the other horns. See Rev 17:18: "And
the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth." That the
little horn is a part of the fourth kingdom is evident, for it was to come up among the ten horns which
were upon the head of the beast; and there cannot be a shadow of a doubt, even in Scripture itself but
that Rome is meant by this fourth beast; for what power but the Roman will answer the description here
and elsewhere given in Daniel? "I beheld, and the
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same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and
judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the
kingdom." Daniel 7:21,22. In these verses we are taught clearly that anti-Christ will prevail over the
church of Christ until the first resurrection and the first judgment, when the saints are raised and judged,
which utterly destroys the modern idea of a temporal millennium, a thousand years before the dead are
raised and judged. This also agrees with the whole tenor of Scripture; as, "judgment must first begin at
the house of God," and "whom he shall destroy with the brightness of his coming;" when the Ancient of
Days shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, "to give reward to his servants, the
prophets, and them that fear his name, small and great, and destroy them who destroy the earth,"
described next verse, 23. "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which
shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down and break
it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall arise
after them, and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak
great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change
times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times, and the dividing of time.
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the
end," 24-26. In these verses we have the history of the fourth beast, or Roman power, during 1260
years of the close of this kingdom, which I shall, in some future lecture, show is the meaning of time,
times, and a half. We have also another clear description of the Papal power: "He shall speak great
words," &c.--the blasphemies against God, in the pretensions of the Roman clergy to divine power,
working miracles, canonizing departed votaries, changing ordinances and laws of God's house,
worshipping saints and images, and performing rites and ceremonies too
0048
foolish and ridiculous to be for a moment indulged in, and which any unprejudiced mind cannot for a
moment believe to be warranted by divine rule, or example of Christ or his apostles. And we are again
brought down to the time when the judgment shall sit: "And the kingdom, and the dominion, and the
greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the Most High, whose
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, (not temporal, as some say, or a thousand years, but an immortal
and eternal,) and all dominions shall serve and obey him." It is very evident that this verse brings us
down to the time when the kingdom of Christ will be complete "in the greatness of the kingdom." Every
word in Scripture has a meaning, and its own proper meaning, unless used figuratively, and then
explained by Scripture itself. "Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much
troubled me, and my countenance changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart."
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0048 paragraph 1 This ends Daniel's night vision. Two years afterwards, in
the year 553 before Christ, Daniel 7, he had another vision in the day-time, at the palace of Shushan, like
the one which we have just described, and Nebuchadnezzar's dream.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0048 paragraph 2 "Then I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and behold there
stood before the river a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher
than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and
southward, so that no beast might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his
hand; but he did according to his will, and became great." In the 20th verse, the angel Gabriel explains
to Daniel what kingdom was represented by the "ram with two horns," and says, "The ram which thou
sawest, having two horns, are the kings of Media and Persia." We see by this that the Chaldean
kingdom is left out, for the reason that kingdom was then crumbling to ruin, and the glory of the
Babylonian kingdom had faded; therefore he now begins his vision with the Mede and Persians kingdom,
and that, too, when at the height of their power and conquests. The higher
0049
horn denoted the Persian line of kings, under and following the reign of Cyrus, the Persian, son-in-law to
Darius the Mede. "And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west, on the face of the
whole earth, and touched not the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes." In the
21st verse the angel says, "And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between
his eyes is the first king." This king was Alexander, that conquered the Persians. He was not the first
king of Macedonia, but the first that had all Grecia under his control, and that conquered the world.
"And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto
him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler
against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand
before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him, and there was none that could
deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he-goat waxed very great; and when he was strong, the
great horn was broken, and for it came up four notable ones, toward the four winds of heaven." We
have in these verses a plain description of Alexander's life, conquest, death, and division of his kingdom
into four parts, towards the four points of heaven--Persia in the east, Syria in the north, Macedon and
Europe in the west, Egypt and Africa in the south. And the angel, when he gives Daniel instruction, says,
22d verse, "Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the
nation, but not in his power." Then the vision seems to slide down to the little horn. "And out of one of
them (that is, out of Europe) came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south,
and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great even to the host of heaven; and
it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he
magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the
place of his sanctuary was cast down, and a host was given him against the
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0050
daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground, and it practiced and
prospered." Two or three things in the above description clearly show that, by the little horn, in this
passage, we are to understand the Roman power, viz., Its conquering to the south, and east, and
pleasant lands, stamping on the host, magnifying himself against Christ, and destroying Jerusalem, the
place of his sanctuary, and his practicing and prospering. All this description agrees with the history of
Rome, and cannot apply to Antiochus, as some writers have supposed. But let us see what Gabriel says,
23: "And in the latter time of their kingdom (that is, the four kingdoms,) when the transgressors are
come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up, and his
power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper
and practice and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy, also, he shall
cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy
many; he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. And the
vision of the evening (in the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel 7) and the morning (in the third year of
Belshazzar, Daniel 8) which was told, is true; wherefore shut thou up the vision, for it shall be for many
days." How many days?" Our text answers, "Unto two thousand three hundred days; then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed. And it came to pass, when I, even I, Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for
the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's
voice between the banks of Ulai, which called and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
So he came near where I stood, and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face; but he said unto
me, Understand, O son of man, for at the time of the end shall be the vision. Now, as he was speaking
with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright.
And he said, behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation; for at the
time appointed the end shall be."
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WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0051 paragraph 1 Then comes the instruction of Gabriel, which we have
before given.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0051 paragraph 2 3. The time or length of the vision-- the 2,300 days.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0051 paragraph 3 What must we understand by days? In the prophecy of
Daniel it is invariably to be reckoned years; for God hath so ordered the prophets to reckon days. Numb.
14:34, "After the number of days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year,
shall you bear your iniquities, even forty years." Ezek. 4:5,6, "For I have laid upon thee the years of their
iniquity according to the number of days, three hundred and ninety days; so shalt thou bear the iniquity
of the house of Israel. And when thou has accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt
bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days; I have appointed thee each day for a year." In these
passages we prove the command of God. We will also show that it was so called in the days of Jacob,
when he served for Rachel, Gen. 29:27: "Fulfil her week (seven days) and we will give thee this also, for
the service which thou shalt serve with me yet other seven years."
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0051 paragraph 4 Nothing now remains to make it certain that our vision
is to be so understood, but to prove that Daniel has followed this rule. This we will do, if your patience
will hold out, and God permit.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0051 paragraph 5 Now turn your attention to the ninth chapter of Daniel,
and you will there learn that fifteen years after Daniel had his last vision, and sixty-five years after Daniel
explained Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and 538 years B. C., Daniel set his face unto the Lord God by
supplication and prayer; and by confession of his own sins, and the sins of the people of Israel, he
sought God for mercy, for himself and all Israel. And while he was speaking and praying, as he tells us,
Daniel 9:21, "Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at
the beginning, Daniel 8:16,17, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening
oblation. And he informed me and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee
skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplication the commandment came forth, and I am
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come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved; therefore understand the matter, and consider the
vision.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0052 paragraph 1 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and
upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint
the Most Holy. Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to
restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two
weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and
two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the Prince that shall come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood and unto the end of
the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in
the midst of the week, (or last half, as it might have been rendered,) he shall cause the sacrifice and the
oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomination, he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0052 paragraph 2 What do we learn from the above passage? We learn
our duty in prayer, and God's goodness in answering. We learn that the angel Gabriel was sent to
instruct Daniel, and make him understand the vision.You may inquire what vision? I answer, The one
Daniel had in the beginning, for he has had no other. We also learn that Seventy weeks, which is 490
days, (or years, as we shall show,) from the going forth of a certain decree to build the streets and walls
of Jerusalem in troublous times, to the crucifixion of the Messiah should be accomplished. We also
learn that this seventy weeks is divided into three parts; seven weeks being employed in building the
streets and walls in troublous times which is forty-nine years, sixty-two weeks, or four hundred and
thirty-four years to the preaching of John in the wilderness, which two, put together, make sixty-nine
weeks, or four hundred and eighty-three years, and one week the gospel was preached; John
0053
three and a half years, and Christ three and a half years, which makes the seventy weeks, or four
hundred and ninety years; which, when accomplished, would seal up the vision, and make the prophecy
true. We also learn that, after the crucifixion of Christ, the Romans would come and destroy the city
and sanctuary, and that wars will not cease until the consummation or end of the world. "All that may
be true," says the objector; "but where have you proved that the seventy weeks were four hundred and
ninety years?" I agree I have not yet proved it, but will now do it.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0053 paragraph 1 We shall again turn your attention to the Bible. Look at
Ezra 7:11-13: "Now this is the copy of the letter that the king, Artaxerxes, gave unto Ezra, the priest, the
scribe, a scribe of the law of God: perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree that all they of the
people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites in my realm, which are minded of their own free will to go
up to Jerusalem, go with thee." This is the decree given when the walls of Jerusalem were built in
troublous times. See, also, Neh. 4:17-23. Ezra and Nehemiah being contemporary, see Neh. 8:1. The
decree to Ezra was given in the seventh year of Artaxerses' reign, Ezra 7:7, and that to Nehemiah in the
twentieth year, Neh. 2:1. Let any one examine the chronology, as given by Rollin or Josephus, from the
seventh year of Artaxerxes to the twenty-second year of Tiberius Caesar, which was the year our Lord
was crucified, and he will find it was four hundred and ninety years. The Bible Chronology says that Ezra
started to go up to Jerusalem in the 12th day of the first month, (see Ezra 8:31,) 457 years before the
birth of Christ; he being 33 when he died, added to 457, will make 490 years. Three of the evangelists
tell us he was betrayed two days before the feast of the passover, and of course was the same day
crucified. The passover was always kept on the 14th day of the first month forever, and Christ being
crucified two days before, would make it on the 12th day, 490 years from the time Ezra left the river
Ahava to go unto Jerusalem.
0005*
0054
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0054 paragraph 1 If this calculation is correct,--and I think no one can
doubt it,---then the seventy weeks was fulfilled to a day when our Savior suffered on the cross. Is not
the seventy weeks fairly proved to have been fulfilled by years? And does not this prove that our vision
and the 2300 days ought to be so reckoned? Yes, if these seventy weeks are a part of the vision. Does
not the angel say plainly, I have come to show thee; therefore understand the matter, and consider the
vision? Yes. Well, what can a man ask for more than plain positive testimony, and a cloud of
circumstances agreeing with it?
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0054 paragraph 2 But one thing still remains to be proved. When did the
2300 years begin? Did it begin with Nebuchadnezzar's dream? No. For if it had, it must have been
fulfilled in the year A.D. 1697. Well, then, did it begin when the angel Gabriel came to instruct Daniel
into the 70 weeks? No, for if then, it would have been finished in the year A.D. 1762. Let us begin it
where the angel told us, from the going forth of the decree to build the walls of Jerusalem in troublous
times, 457 years before Christ; take 457 form 2300, and it will leave A. D. 1843; or take 70 weeks of
years being 490 years, from 2300 years, and it will leave 1810 after Christ's death. Add his life, (because
we begun to reckon our time at his birth,) which is 33 years, and we come the same A. D. 1843.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0054 paragraph 3 Now let us examine our subject, and see what we have
learned by it thus far. And,
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0054 paragraph 4 1. We learn that there are two abominations spoken of
by Daniel. The first is the pagan mode of worship, which was performed by the sacrificing of beasts
upon altars, similar to the Jewish rites, and by which means the nations around Jerusalem drew away
many of the Jews into idolatry, and brought down the heavy judgments of God upon idolatrous Israel;
and God permitted his people to be led into captivity, and persecuted by the very nations that they, the
Jews, had been so fond of copying after in their mode of worship. Therefore were the sanctuary and
place of worship at Jerusalem trodden down by Pagan worshippers; and the altars, erected by the
command of God, and according to the pattern
0055
and form which God had prescribed, were broken down and more fashionable altars of the heathen
erected in their room. Thus were the commands of God disobeyed, his laws perverted, his people
enslaved, the sanctuary trodden down, and the temple polluted, until at last God took away the Jewish
rites and ceremonies, instituted new forms, new laws, and set up the gospel kingdom in the world.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0055 paragraph 1 This, for a season, was kept pure from the worldly
sanctuaries and policy of Satan. But Satan, an arch enemy, found his Pagan abominations could have but
little or no effect to draw the followers of Christ into idolatry, for they believed the bloody rites and
sacrifices had their fulfillment in Christ. Therefore, in order to carry the war into the Christian camp, he
suffers the daily sacrifice abomination to be taken out of the way, and sets up Papacy, which is more
congenial to the Christian mode of worship in its outside forms and ceremonies, but retaining all the
hateful qualities of the former. He persuades them to erect images to some or all of the dear apostles;
and even to Christ, and Mary, the "Mother of God." He then flatters them that the church is infallible.
(Here was a strong cord by which he could punish all
disputers.) He likewise gives them the keys of heaven, (or Peter, as they call it.) This will secure all
authority. He then clothes them with power to make laws, and to dispense with those which God had
made. This capped the climax. In this he would fasten many thousands who might protest against some
of his more vile abominations; yet habit and custom might secure them to a willing obedience to his
laws, and to a total neglect of the laws of God. This was Satan's masterpiece; and, as Daniel says, "he
would think to change times and laws, and they should be given into his hand for a time, times, and a
half; but they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it unto the end." Therefore, when
this last abomination of desolation shall be taken away, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0055 paragraph 2 2. We learn that the vision which Daniel saw was
revealed at three separate times--1st. In Nebuchadnezzar's
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dream, which carried us down through four great kingdoms, until they should all be swept away like the
chaff of the summer threshing-floor before the wind, and no place found for them, and the glorious and
everlasting kingdom of Christ fill the whole earth. The next vision Daniel saw was similar to this; he saw
four great beasts, representing four great kingdoms, as before, and he saw the fourth beast to be
diverse from all the others, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong; he had great iron teeth, and
nails of brass, which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the people of God and the whole earth
under foot. This beast contained the two abominations which we have before spoken of; the last, under
the figure of a little horn, he saw until all these thrones were cast down, till the little horn was destroyed,
and his body given to the burning flame. Daniel saw until the Ancient of days did sit. The Son of Man
came in the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days. He saw thousand thousands ministering
unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the judgment was set, and the books
were opened. He saw the dominion, and glory, and kingdom given to the Son of Man, and to the people
of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. In the third vision, which
Daniel has coupled with the former, by saying that it was after (or like) the one which appeared unto
him at the first, he saw the three last kingdoms; gave a particular description of the two first, even
naming them--the Medes and Persians, and the Grecian. He then gives a short account of the little horn,
(having given a more general view of the fourth kingdom in the other vision,) how he would cast down
the host of heaven, and the stars, and stamp upon them; also that he would magnify himself against the
Prince of the host, Jesus Christ, and cast down the place of his sanctuary, and practice and prosper, but
shall be broken without hands, showing that the stone cut out without hand should break him to pieces.
Daniel, then, in the 26th verse, couples the two visions, the one in the evening, 7th chapter, and the one
in the morning, 8th chapter, and says, "The
0057
vision of the evening and morning, which was told, is true."
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0057 paragraph 1 3. We learn that this vision is two thousand three
hundred days long; that days are to be reckoned years --1st, By the command of God; 2d, By the
example of Jacob; and 3d, By the fulfillment of the seventy weeks of this vision, at the crucifixion of the
Messiah. We learn by the instruction of Gabriel that the seventy weeks were a part of the vision, and
that Daniel was commanded to begin the seventy weeks at the going forth of the decree, to build the
streets and walls of Jerusalem in troublous times; that this decree, given to Ezra, was exactly 490 years,
to a day, before the crucifixion of Christ; and that there is no account, by Bible or any historian, that
there was ever any other decree to build the streets or walls of Jerusalem. We think the proof is strong,
that the vision of Daniel begins 457 years before Christ; take which from 2300, leaves 1843, after Christ,
when the vision must be finished. But the objector may say, "Perhaps your vision does not begin with
the seventy weeks." Let me ask two or three questions. Does not the angel say to Daniel, (23,
"Therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision"? "Yes." Does not the angel then go on and
give his instruction concerning the seventy weeks? "Yes." Do you believe the Bible is true? "We do."
Then if the Bible is true, Daniel's 70 weeks are a part of the vision, and 490 years were accomplished
when the Messiah was cut off, and not for himself. Then 1810 years afterwards the vision is completed;
and we now live about 1803 years after; of course it must have begun within seven years of that date.
But it is very reasonable to suppose it began with the seventy weeks; for the angel said it would
establish the vision, that is, make it sure; for if the 70 weeks were exactly fulfilled at the death of Christ,
then would the remainder be in 1810 years after, which would be fulfilled A. D. 1843, as we have before
shown.
WM 2miller LECTURE 3 page 0057 paragraph 2 And now, my dear hearer, are you prepared for this
great and important event? Are you ready for the judgment to set, and the books to be opened? Let
this
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subject sink deep into your hearts; let it follow you to your bed-chambers, to your fields, or your shops.
Not one jot or tittle of the word of God shall fail. If he has spoken, it will come, however inconsistent it
may look to us. Be admonished, then, and see to it that you are prepared. Compare the vision with the
history of the kingdom and where can you find a failure? Not one. Then, surely, here is evidence strong
that the remainder will be accomplished in its time, and that time but seven years. Think, sinner, how
good God is to give you notice, and prove it a thousand fold. Remember the old world; they thought
Noah was a maniac; but the flood came, and they were reserved in chains of darkness unto the
judgment of the great day. Remember the cities of the plain. Lot was unto them like one that mocked;
but the same day God rained fire and brimstone upon them, and they are suffering the vengeance of
eternal fire. Be warned, then; fly to the ark, Christ Jesus, before the door is shut; escape to the
mountain of the house of the Lord before the Lord shall rise up to the prey, and you be driven away in
your wickedness. Amen.
0059
LECTURE 4
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0059 paragraph 1 [DANIEL 9:24]
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0059 paragraph 2 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and
upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint
the Most Holy.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0059 paragraph 3 Our text is one of the many found in the word of God,
which prove the authenticity of the Scriptures, gives us a powerful weapon against Judaizing teachers,
and meets the infidel on his own ground--the history of the world.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0059 paragraph 4 It sets a seal to prophecy that it is true, and shows that
the prophets were inspired.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0059 paragraph 5 It gives incontestable evidence against the Jew, and
proves that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0059 paragraph 6 It unlocks the wonderful vision of Daniel's four
kingdoms; also the vision of the ram, the he-goat, and the little horn.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0059 paragraph 7 It brings to view the great blessings of the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ, reveals the exact time of its accomplishment, and shows the source of the gospel,
proclaiming good news to lost man, even in anticipation of that important era when the Gentiles should
be fellow-heirs with the Jews in faith.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0059 paragraph 8 It establishes the wavering, and gives hope and
confidence to the tried and tempted child of God, that he will fulfill all his promises, according to the
letter and spirit of his word.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0059 paragraph 9 This text furnished Simeon, Anna, Nathaniel, and
0060
others, with a strong faith that they should see the consolation of Israel.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0060 paragraph 1 By this text the high priest convinced the council of the
necessity of putting to death Jesus. "Then gathered the chief priests and Pharisees a council, and said,
What do we? for this man doth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him;
and the Romans will come, and take away both our place and nation."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0060 paragraph 2 "And one of them, named Caiaphas, being high priest
that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one
man, should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself,
(not his own prophecy;) but being high priest that year, he prophesied (from Daniel's seventy weeks; for
there is not another prophecy in the Old Testament which shows what year Christ should suffer) that
Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that, also, he should gather together in
one the children of God, that were scattered abroad," John 11:47-53.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0060 paragraph 3 The high priest argues that Jesus must die for the
people.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0060 paragraph 4 The seventy weeks shows that the Messiah must be cut
off at the close of the last week, and not for himself. Also Peter had occasion to say in his epistle, "Of
which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
should come unto you, 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," 1
Peter 1:10,11.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0060 paragraph 5 Where was the exact time of Christ's sufferings
prophesied of but in Daniel's seventy weeks? Again, to this Christ alludes when he says, "My time is not
yet fully come;" And, "Then they sought to take him, but no man laid hands on him, because his hour
was not yet come:" that is, the seventy weeks were not yet fulfilled, John 7:8,30. Mark tells us, 14:41,
"The hour is come; behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."
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WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0061 paragraph 1 The seventy weeks were now being fulfilled. And then,
at last, when Jesus had completed his work, when the fullness of time had come, he finished
transgression, and made an end of sin: he then cried, "It is finished, and gave up the ghost." The seventy
weeks ended, our text was fulfilled; Christ had now become the end of the law for righteousness, to
every one that believeth; he that knew no sin had become sin for us, and Death had struck his last blow
that he would ever be able to give the Son of God. Daniel's vision is now made sure--the Messiah cut off,
the time proved true, as given by the prophet Daniel.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0061 paragraph 2 Now, ye infidels, can this be priestcraft? And, ye
Judaizing teachers, is not this the Christ? Why look ye for another?
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0061 paragraph 3 I shall now take up the text in the following manner:
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0061 paragraph 4 1. I shall show what is to be done in seventy weeks.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0061 paragraph 5 2. When the seventy weeks began, and when they
ended.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0061 paragraph 6 1. The text tells us, "Seventy weeks are determined
upon thy people and upon thy holy city;" that is, upon the Jews, who then were the people of Daniel,
and also in Jerusalem, which then was called the "holy city." The first question which would naturally
arise on the mind, would be, What for to do? The text and its context must tell us.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0061 paragraph 7 1st. "To finish the transgression." When was
transgression finished? I answer, At the death of Christ. See Heb. 9:15, "And for this cause he is the
Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that
were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."
Isaiah 53:8,"For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he
stricken."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0061 paragraph 8 2d. "And to make an end of sins." This was also
performed at this death. See Heb. 9:26, "But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared, to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself." And 1 John 3:5, "Ye know that he (Christ) was manifested to take
away our sins."
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WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0062 paragraph 1 3d. "And to make reconciliation for iniquity." Was this
also performed at his death? Yes. See Col. 1:20, "And having made peace through the blood of his cross,
by him to reconcile all things to himself." Heb 2:17, "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be
made like unto his brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to
God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0062 paragraph 2 4th. "And to bring in everlasting righteousness." "This
must be by Christ's obedience," says the objector, "and cannot be at his death." Not so fast, dear sir: let
us hear the testimony. Romans 5:21, "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign
through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." And, "By the obedience of one shall
many be made righteous." Again, see Phil 2:8, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Paul says, "I do note frustrate
the grace of God; for if righteousness came by the law, then Christ is dead in vain;" evidently showing,
that by Christ's obedience unto death, he brought in everlasting righteousness.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0062 paragraph 3 5th. "To seal up the vision and prophecy." What does
"to seal up" mean? I answer, it means to make sure, certain, unalterable. Consult Esther 3:12; 8:8.
Solomon says, "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm;" that is, make me sure in
thy love, and certain by thy power. John says, " He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal
that God is true." 1 John 3:33. Paul to Rome, 15:28, "When I have performed this, and sealed to them
this fruit;" that is, made sure the contributions. Again, to Timothy, 2 Epistle, 2:19, "Nevertheless, the
foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his." Therefore the
death of Christ would make Daniel's vision sure; for if a part of the vision should be exactly fulfilled, as to
time and manner, then the remainder of the vision would be accomplished in manner and time, as
literally as the seventy weeks had been.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0062 paragraph 4 6th. "And anoint the Most Holy." The most Holy,
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in this passage, must mean Christ; for no human being can, or ought to claim this appellation, save him
whom God hath anointed to be a Savior in Israel, and a King in Zion. See Acts 10:38, "How God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power." Also, Acts 4:27, "For of a truth against
thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the
people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined
before to be done." Heb. 1:9, "Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness
above thy fellows."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0063 paragraph 1 It will next be requisite to inquire, When was Christ
anointed?
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0063 paragraph 2 I answer, When the Holy Ghost descended upon him,
and when he was endued with power from on high to work miracles. See Isa. 61:1, "The Spirit of the
Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek: he hath
sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0063 paragraph 3 After Christ was baptized by John, and after being
tempted of the devil forty days in the wilderness, he went in the spirit into Galilee, and on the Sabbath
day he went into the synagogue, as his custom was, and he stood up to read. They gave him the book of
Isaiah. When he opened the book he found the passage which I have just quoted. After reading it he
shut up the book and sat down. He then began to say unto them, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in
your ears," Luke 4:1-21. This passage plainly proves that Christ was anointed on or before this day.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0063 paragraph 4 Other things were to be done in the seventy weeks,
such as, The cutting off of the Messiah, but not for himself. This can mean nothing less than the
crucifixion of Christ. See Luke 24:26,46. "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter
into his glory?" "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the
third day." Rom 5:6, "For when we were without strength, in due
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time (or according to the time of seventy weeks) Christ died for us."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0064 paragraph 1 "And he (Messiah) shall confirm the covenant with
many for one week." What covenant is this to be confirmed? I answer, It cannot be the Jewish
covenant, for that was confirmed by Moses many hundred years before Daniel lived. There are but two
covenants, it must of necessity be the new covenant of which Christ is the Mediator; Moses having been
the mediator of the old, and Christ afterwards of the new. If these things are so, and the gospel
covenant is meant by Daniel, then the time the gospel was preached by John and Christ is here called a
week; for Christ himself preached more than seven days. Christ kept three passovers with the Jews
after he began his ministry, and before he nailed the ceremonial law to his cross. This is stronger
evidence that a week is seven years, and that Daniel's 70 weeks are to be understood as meaning 490
years.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0064 paragraph 2 Again, "In the midst of the week he should cause the
sacrifice and oblation to cease," or, as all Hebrew scholars agree, "In the last half of the week," &c., is
the more proper translation; and it is evident that this translation would harmonize with the other parts
of the passage, "the sacrifice and oblation to cease."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0064 paragraph 3 What sacrifice and offering is this, which the Messiah
was to cause to cease? I answer, It must of course be that one offering and sacrifice for sin of which all
other offerings and sacrifices were but types. It could not be the Jewish sacrifices and offerings, for two
good reasons.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0064 paragraph 4 1st. This is but one sacrifice, and the Jews had many. It
does not say sacrifices; therefore it cannot mean Jewish sacrifices, nor offerings.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0064 paragraph 5 2d reason. The Jewish sacrifices and offerings did not
cease in, nor even very nigh, the last half of the week in which the Messiah confirmed the covenant with
many; and, even to the present day, they make oblations, it not sacrifices. It must mean that sacrifice
and oblation which the Messiah was to make to God for sin, once for all. It must mean that sacrifice
which is the antitype
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of all the legal sacrifices from the days of Abel to the days of the Messiah. Let us hear what Paul says,
Heb. 7:27, "Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and
then for the people's; for this he did once when he offered up himself."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0065 paragraph 1 See also Heb. 10:11,12. "And every priest standeth
daily ministering, and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but his
man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God." Many more
passages might be brought to show that all sacrifices and oblations which could take away sin, or in
which God the Father could be well pleased, ceased in Christ's one sacrifice and oblation. But I have
given enough to satisfy every candid, unprejudiced mind; therefore I shall,
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0065 paragraph 2 2. Try to prove when the seventy weeks began, and
when they ended.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0065 paragraph 3 The angel Gabriel tells Daniel, 9:25, "Know, therefore,
and understand, that, from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto
the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks; the street shall be built
again, and the wall, even in troublous times."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0065 paragraph 4 In this passage we have a plain declaration when the
seventy weeks began: "from the going forth of the commandment." But what commandment? we may
inquire. I answer, A command that will finally restore the Jews from their captivity under which they
then were held in bondage; also to prepare the way for them to rebuild their city, repeople the same,
and raise up the decayed walls, settle the streets, and cleanse the city of Jerusalem; and these things
would be done in troublous times. So much is expressed or implied in the declaration of Gabriel, which I
have just quoted.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0065 paragraph 5 Who would give the command? is the next question. I
answer, it must be a king who had power over the Jews to release and restore them. It must of
necessity be a king over the Medes and Persians, or it would not be in agreement with the vision in the
8th chapter of Daniel; for he is expressly told by Gabriel that the ram
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he saw, and which was the first thing he did see in the vision, were the kings of Media and Persia. And
now this same angel Gabriel has come the second time, and tells Daniel, plainly and distinctly, that he
has come to make him "understand the vision." What vision? The one Daniel had in the beginning, in
the 8th chapter. See Daniel 9:21-23.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0066 paragraph 1 Then Gabriel begins his instructions by giving him
seventy weeks of the vision, and then shows him, verse 24, when his seventy weeks begin; or, which is
the same thing, "the vision." To read and understand the matter thus far, infidelity itself must blush to
deny the premises.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0066 paragraph 2 Then, if we have settle this question, the next question
would be, Which king of Persia, and what commandment? I answer, It must be the fifth king of Persia
noted in the Scripture of truth; for the angel Gabriel, the third time he visited Daniel to give him skill and
understanding into "the vision," says, "But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth,"
Dan. 10:21. This shows that he was instructing Daniel into a vision which he before had seen, and
written in the Scriptures. See Dan. 7:1, "Then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters."
Dan 10:14, "Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days; for
yet the vision is for many days." What vision? The one noted in the Scripture of truth, says Gabriel.
Then, in Dan. 1:2, he begins his instruction to him of the vision, which he was commanded by the voice
between the banks of Ulai to make him understand, by saying, "And now will I show thee the truth.
Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all."
This fourth king was the ram pushing, and was the fifth king of Persia, being the fourth from Cyrus, who
was then standing up. See Dan. 10:1.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0066 paragraph 3 The kings, as Ezra has named them in his 4th chapter
and 7th chapter, were, 1st, Cyrus; 2d, Ahasuerus; 3d, Artaxerxes, (the first;) 4th, Darius; 5th, Artaxerxes
(Longimanus;) this last being the king who gave the commandment to Ezra to restore all the captive
Jews who were willing to go to Jerusalem.
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WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0067 paragraph 1 What commandment? is our next question to answer.
The decree given by Cyrus (see Ezra 1:1-11) cannot be the decree meant by the angel, for the four
following reasons:--
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0067 paragraph 2 1st. Cyrus was the first king of Persia, and of course
cannot be the fifth king, as we have already shown.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0067 paragraph 3 2d reason. The decree of Cyrus was two years before
the angel gave his last instruction to Daniel, and he would not have spoken of it as being future, if it has
already passed: "There shall yet stand up three kings," &c.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0067 paragraph 4 3d reason. Cyrus's decree was not given to build
Jerusalem, but "the house of God which was at Jerusalem;" neither were the walls built in troublous
times, under the decree of Cyrus.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0067 paragraph 5 4th reason. This decree by Cyrus was given 536 years
before the birth of Christ, or 569 years before his death. Therefore no rules of interpretation given in
the Scriptures could possibly show how those things were accomplished in seventy weeks, which Gabriel
has shown, in our text and context, were determined to be done. This, then, cannot be the
commandment, and harmonize with either Bible or facts.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0067 paragraph 6 Again: the decree given by Darius, Ezra 6:1-14, cannot
be the commandment to which the angel alluded, for the same reasons we have shown that Cyrus's
decree could not be the one; for this was only a renewal of the former, and this decree was issued 552
years before Christ's death.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0067 paragraph 7 The next decree or command of any king of Persia we
find in the seventh year of Artaxerxes (Longimanus.) See Ezra 7:6-28. In this decree we find the last
command of any king of Persia to restore the captive Jews. We learn that, in this decree, the king
furnished them with money and means to beautify and adorn the temple which had been built by
Darius's order a number of years before. We find that the interdict, Ezra 4:21, in which the Jews were
commanded not to build Jerusalem, is now removed by its own limitation, "until another commandment
be given from me." This decree, therefore, took off this command. We learn by
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WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0068 paragraph 1 Ezra's prayer, 9:9, that Ezra understood that the decree
to which we allude did give them the privilege of building, in, Judah and Jerusalem, the wall which had
been broken down. After Ezra had been high priest and governor in Jerusalem thirteen years, Nehemiah
was permitted to go up to assist Ezra in building Jerusalem and repairing the walls; which was done in
troublous times, under Nehemiah's administration, which lasted in all 39 years. See Nehemiah, 4th to
the 7th chapter. Ezra and Nehemiah, both of them having served as governors 49 years.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0068 paragraph 2 Here, then, we find the fulfilment of what the angel told
Daniel would be done under the command that would begin the seventy weeks, and which is the same
thing--"the vision." This decree was given 457 years before Christ: the seventy weeks began, and if they
ended at the death of Christ, which we have proved did end them, then the seventy weeks ended after
Christ 33 years, making, in all, 490 years, which is 70 weeks of years.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0068 paragraph 3 But it is evident that Gabriel has divided the seventy
weeks into three parts, and I think clearly explains the use of this division.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0068 paragraph 4 "Shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks."
Then, as if you should inquire, What is seven weeks for? he explains, "The street shall be built again, and
the wall, even in troublous times." Ezra and Nehemiah were 49 years, or seven weeks of years,
performing these very things, which ended before Christ 408. See large edition of Polyglot Bible. What
is sixty-two weeks for? The angel has already told us, "Unto the Messiah, the Prince;" that is, to the
time Christ was anointed to preach, the meaning of Messiah. Sixty-two weeks are 434 days; or weeks of
years would be 434 years, which, beginning where the seven weeks ended, 408, would end 26 years
after Christ, the year John began to preach as forerunner of Christ. Then "he shall confirm the covenant
with many for one week," making in all the seventy weeks. Thus the seven weeks ended with the
administration of Nehemiah, B. C. 408. Then the sixty-two weeks ended when John
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began to preach the gospel, A. D. 26; and the one week was fulfilled in A. D. 33, when Christ offered
himself upon the cross, as an offering and sacrifice for sin; "by which offering we are sanctified once for
all." For he need not offer himself often, as the high priest did, under the law. "But now, once in the
end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Heb. 9:26, Therefore,
"he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease." That is the only and last sacrifice and oblation that
will be ever offered in our world, which can take away sin; "for there remaineth," says the apostle, "no
more sacrifice for sin." Then let me inquire, What is the sum of the instruction of the angel to Daniel? I
will sum it up in as few words as I can.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0069 paragraph 1 After Daniel had a certain vision, commonly called "the
vision of the ram, the he-goat, and the little horn," Daniel heard one saint inquire of another, how long
that vision should be. The answer was given Daniel, that it should be unto 2300 days, when the
sanctuary should be cleansed or justified. Daniel then heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai,
which called and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. Accordingly, Gabriel came to
Daniel, and informed him that at the end of the world, or time appointed of God, the vision should be
fulfilled. He then tells him that he ram represented the Mede and Persian kingdom; and that the rough
goat represented the Grecian kingdom; gives a short history of that kingdom, and its four divisions; then
shows, at the close of these kingdoms, that another king would arise, (meaning the kingdom of the little
horn, or Roman,) describing him exactly as Moses had described the Romans many centuries before.
See Deuteronomy 28:49,50. "The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the
earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; a nation of fierce
countenance." This, no person will dispute, means the Romans. Then why not a similar description in
Daniel, 8:23? "When the transgressors (meaning the Jews) are come to the fall, a king of fierce
countenance, and understanding
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dark sentences, shall stand up, and his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall
destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0070 paragraph 1 I think the reader, divested of prejudice, cannot apply
the description given in the above quotation to any other nation but the Romans. "And through his
policy, he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand." This description agrees with Paul's man of sin, the
mystery of iniquity which worked in his day, and which would be destroyed by the brightness of Christ'
coming. See 2nd Thess. 2:3-8. "So that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he
is God." Gabriel says, "And he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many; he
shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; "that is, against God; the very same character which
Paul has described. "But he shall be broken without hand," that is, "by the brightness of his (Chris's)
coming, "as says Paul. But as Daniel has said, "By the stone cut out of the mountain without hand;" or,
as he says, Daniel 7:21,22, "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed over
them, until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the
time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0070 paragraph 2 After Gabriel had instructed Daniel thus far, he left him.
Sixteen years afterwards, Gabriel came again to Daniel, and informed him, that he had come to instruct
him, and give him skill and understanding into the vision, of which we have been speaking. He then
gives him the seventy weeks, shows what would be accomplished in that time, the cutting off of the
Messiah, and the ceasing of the sacrifice and oblation. He mentions the destruction of Jerusalem, and
the war of the little horn; the desolation of the people of God, and overspreading of abominations, He
carries us to the consummation, destruction of the little horn, called here the desolator. See marginal
reading. Gabriel, after giving the history of the seventy weeks, dwells not in detail on the remainder of
the vision, but reserves a more detailed account for the next visit, which is given unto
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us in the 10th to the 12th chapter of Daniel inclusive.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0071 paragraph 1 But the seventy weeks, of which we are more
particularly speaking, the angel Gabriel has told us when it began: at the going forth of the
commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, &c. We have found no command that will apply in all its
bearings, but the one given to Ezra, which was given in the 457th year before the birth of Christ; and 33
years afterwards Christ was crucified; which two numbers, if added, make 490 years, exactly seventy
weeks of years. We learn that Gabriel, in order to make the vision doubly sure, divides the seventy
weeks into three part, seven, sixty-two, and one, making in all seventy. He then tells us plainly what
would be accomplished in each part separately.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0071 paragraph 2 1st. Seven weeks. "The street shall be built again, and
the wall, even in troublous times," No man can dispute but that this was accomplished under the
administration of Ezra and Nehemiah. And it is very evident that these two were governors over
Jerusalem 49 years, which makes the seven weeks of years, and carries us down the stream of time to
the year 408 B. C.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0071 paragraph 3 2d. Sixty-two weeks. "Unto the Messiah, the Prince;"
that is, unto the time that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power to preach the gospel,
either in himself or forerunner John. See Mark 1:1. Sixty-two weeks of years would be 434 years. This
would carry us down to twenty-six years after Christ's birth, and brings us to the very year of "the
beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God." Mark 1:1.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0071 paragraph 4 3d. One week. "He shall confirm the covenant with
many for one week." One week would, of course, be seven years, which, added to twenty-six, would
make thirty-three years after Christ. Here, too, we find an exact and literal accomplishment of the
angel's declaration. The gospel of Jesus Christ preached by John three and a half years, and by Christ
three and half years, making seven years, called one week and then Messiah cut off, and not for himself,
Christ crucified,
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ends the seventy weeks, proves Daniel's prophecy true; establishes the vision, confounds the Jew,
confutes the infidel, and ought to establish the mind of every believer in the remainder of the vision.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0072 paragraph 1 Here, then, is a combination of facts and circumstances,
together with dates and times, which throws upon the mind such strong array of testimony, that it
would seem no rational being could withstand the proof. And me thinks I hear some say, Why all this
argument?
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0072 paragraph 2 No one but a Jew ever disputed, but that the seventy
weeks were fulfilled at the death of Christ, and that a day in his prophecy was a figure of a year.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0072 paragraph 3 I should not have been thus particular, and have
trespassed so much on your time to prove a given point in Christendom, had I not recently met with
more than one Christian professor, and even teachers in Zion, who deny that the seventy weeks ended
with the death of Christ, or that a day in this prophecy means a year. Some have gone so far in infidelity
as to deny that "Most Holy," in our text, and "Messiah," in our context, means Christ. This surely would
make a Jew blush. I agree that I never anticipated that any objection could be raised on those points,
without a wilful perversion of language, and a total disregard of the word of God.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0072 paragraph 4 But man, in his fallen state, is an unaccountable, strange
being; if his favorite notions are crossed, he will, to avoid conclusions, deny even his own senses.
Therefore it becomes necessary for me to prove, what has been considered by many, even of the
objectors themselves in previous time, given points in theology.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0072 paragraph 5 It is not more than four years since many of the clergy
and D.D.'s in the city of New York met a delegation of the Jewish patriarchs from the East, and in their
conference the clergy and doctors brought forward the seventy weeks in Daniel, as proof positive of
Jesus of Nazareth being the true Messiah. They explained the seventy weeks in the same manner I have
to you, and asked the Jews how they could avoid the conclusions? and I understand they could get no
answer. Now, suppose these same clergy and D.D.'s should meet me on the question now pending; I
should not be
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greatly disappointed if they should deny my premises. "Why would they do thus?" say you. I answer,
For the same reason that the lawyer hesitated, when he learned that it was his bull that gored the
farmer's ox.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0073 paragraph 1 "But might we not understand the seventy weeks to be
so many literal weeks, that is, 490 common days?" say you. I answer, If so, then the command to build
Jerusalem must have been given only a year and a third before Christ's death; and it would have been
very improper for Gabriel to have said, "Unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and
threescore and two weeks,": when he had already come, and had been preaching more than two years
before the weeks began. No, my friends; every reasonable controversialist must acknowledge there is
no possible way to get rid of our conclusion but to deny that Most Holy, and Messiah, means Christ, in
our text and context. And I pity, and leave the man in the hands of him who knows all hearts, that is
forced on to ground so untenable as this.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0073 paragraph 2 If I have got a right understanding of the seventy weeks,
that a day stands for a year,--and I have never been able to find a Christian expositor who disagrees with
me on this point, either modern or ancient,--then the conclusion is, as far as I can see, unavoidable, that
thee vision of Daniel is 2300 years long, and that the 490 years before Christ's death is not only the key
to unlock the commencing of the vision, but shows conclusively how and when, and manner and time,
the kingdoms of this world will be broken to pieces an carried away, and no place found for them, by the
stone which will become a great mountain and fill the whole earth.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0073 paragraph 3 For the seventy weeks must seal up the vision and make
the prophecy of Daniel true. Then, if 2300 days is the length of the vision, and 490 days of that vision
were fulfilled in 490 years ending with Christ's death, so must 1810 days end the vision, which, upon
precisely the same rule, will be fulfilled in 1810 years after Christ's death, or in 1843 after his birth,
which is the same thing.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0073 paragraph 4 But, say some, "Daniel did not understand the vision
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nor end." Then the angel Gabriel was not obedient to the heavenly command; for he was commanded
to make Daniel "understand the vision," and the vision and end are connected by the angel himself. He
says, "At the time of the end shall be the vision."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0074 paragraph 1 Again: if Daniel did not understand, the angel must
have been disappointed; for the angel says, "Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end
of the indignation; for at the time appointed, (2300 days,) the end shall be."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0074 paragraph 2 Again: if Daniel did not understand the vision and time,
then his own words cannot be taken as evidence. "A thing was revealed unto Daniel, and the thing was
true, but the time appointed (2300 days was long." This shows that Daniel understood the time; for he
says it was long. For no man would have called 2300 common days (not quite seven years) a long time
for so many great and important events, as are noticed in the vision, to transpire in. "And he
understood the thing, (that is, the time,) and had understanding of the vision." Daniel 10:1
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0074 paragraph 3 Now, let the objector quarrel with Gabriel and Daniel if
he pleases. I have their testimony, and shall give them the preference. Some say, "God has not revealed
the time."" I ask, then, Who revealed this vision to Daniel? By whose command was the answer given,
2300 days? Who revealed the seventy weeks, the "time, times, and a half"? How came Daniel by his
1290 and 1335 days? Who said to Daniel, "But go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest and
stand in thy lot at the end of the days"? Read Daniel 2:20, 23, and 28th verses, and let the objector lay
his hands upon his mouth and be silent. Has a man become so bold in sin that he will contradict angels,
defame the prophets, deny the word of God, that we may cry peace and safety, when sudden
destruction cometh? "But if ye will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither would you though one
rose from the dead." Peter says, "There shall be scoffers in the last day, saying, Where is the promise of
this coming?" God has not revealed the time of the end, say you; therefore it will be no
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harm for you to "say in your hearts, My Lord delayeth his coming."
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0075 paragraph 1 Who shall tell the friend of the bridegroom when to give
the midnight cry, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh"? For this must be before he comes--no time then to
cry; for it will be as sudden as the lightning, says the dear Savior.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0075 paragraph 2 Let the objectors look to it, that they do not reject the
council of God against themselves.
WM 2miller LECTURE 4 page 0075 paragraph 3 "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, (ignorant of the
revelation of God,) that that day shall overtake you as a thief." Amen
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LECTURE 5
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0076 paragraph 1 [REV. 13:18]
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0076 paragraph 2 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count
the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0076 paragraph 3 This text has caused as much speculation as any text in
the whole Bible; rivers of ink have been shed to explain its meaning, brains have been addled in trying
to find some great mystery which the wisdom of this world, as was supposed, could only discover; and in
trying to be wise above what was written, men have lost their balance, and fell into absurdities too
ridiculous to mention. Some have searched through all the vocabulary of Greek names, to find one
whose numerical letters would make the number 666, and they have been wonderfully blest, for they
found a number; but here again there remained a difficulty to surmount, which required as much
ingenuity as the former; but to remedy the evil, every Greek scholar chose the one his fancy dictated,
wrote his book on the number 666, and then died, and his wonderful name died with him; for every
wise Greek had his own favorite name. Also, the Latin book-worms, not wishing to be outdone by their
Greek brethren, rummaged all the old goat skin parchments and musty books in the cloisters of all the
monks in Christendom; and behold, a much greater harvest was the fruit of their labor; for now every
Latinus had three or more names to his share; and in all this wisdom, all other nations were left without
any wisdom, except
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what they borrowed from their neighbors, the learned Greeks and Latins. But I hope, my dear hearers,
that you have learned that if there is any mystery of God not explained by the Bible, it is not for us to
understand. Therefore, in treating upon this subject, I shall endeavor to present the Scripture on the
point, and then leave you to judge whether we have light or not.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0077 paragraph 1 1. Show what wisdom this is spoken of in the text.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0077 paragraph 2 2. Speak of the beast numbered, and show what beast.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0077 paragraph 3 3. The number, and what we may understand by it.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0077 paragraph 4 1. The wisdom spoken of in the text.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0077 paragraph 5 1st. Is it the wisdom of men, or of this world? I answer,
No.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0077 paragraph 6 For Paul says, 1 Cor. 2:4,13, "And my speech and my
preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power;
that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak
wisdom among them that are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world,
that come to naught. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which
God ordained before the world unto our glory." Now, if Paul would not preach the wisdom of men or
the world, surely the angel would not instruct John to use the wisdom of man or of this world, "for the
wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." 1 Cor. 3:19. And if Paul said our faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, neither would John have given any thing that depended on the wisdom of men for a
foundation of our faith. But Paul has taught us what true wisdom is, by saying, "Christ, the power of
God, and the wisdom of God;" "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." And Paul tells us how we may exercise this wisdom, 1
Cor. 2:13, "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." Here, then, my dear hearer, is the great
secret of wisdom, to compare spiritual things with spiritual; and then we have the mind and will of the
Spirit, and shall not be
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very liable to err. Let us, then, follow this rule while we try to explain.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0078 paragraph 1 2. The beast numbered in the text. And,
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0078 paragraph 2 1st. Let us inquire what beast it is. I answer, It is the
first beast. See our context, 12th verse, "And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him;"
that is, the beast which John saw come up out of the sea, (the Roman government,) having seven heads
and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his head the name of blasphemy; and the beast
which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth
of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." By this beast, I
understand the same as Daniel's fourth kingdom, the Roman government; by "names of blasphemy," I
understand the mode of worship which would be idolatrous or blasphemous; by the dragon, we must
understand the civil power of the same government giving its power to the ecclesiastical beast, whether
Pagan or Papal. 3d verse, "And I saw one of his heads, (of blasphemy, Pagan) as it were wounded to
death; and his deadly wound was healed, (by the substitution of the Papal blasphemous head;) and all
the world wondered after the beast."
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0078 paragraph 3 John then goes on to describe the civil power of this
Roman Government under this last head, and shows the length of time they would exercise this last
power--"forty-two months"--which is the same as Daniel's time, times, and a half, or John's 1260 days,
mentioned Rev. 11:3, 12:6. His power to make war and overcome the saints is foretold. In the tenth
verse he shows us how this civil power should be destroyed, by captivity and the sword; and this was
fulfilled in 1798, when the pope was carried a captive into France, and the states of Italy were
conquered by the sword of the French army. In the 11th verse he gives us a discovery of the same beast
in his ecclesiastical power; Pagan Rome in the first beast, and Papacy in the image beast; and it will be
evident to any one who will examine the chapter carefully, that John was not commanded to number
the image beast--for the civil power of that beast was before
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numbered in the 5th verse,--but the beast which existed before him, which the Papal ecclesiastical beast
is an image of, or Daniel's daily sacrifice abomination, (Dan. 12:11,) the one which Paul said, "he who
now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way."
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0079 paragraph 1 In this passage it is evident the apostle alludes to the
same power, although he called it the "working of Satan." John also gives a similar description in Rev.
12:9, "And the dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the
whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." But I have another
evidence that the beast numbered was Pagan Rome, and I think it must be conclusive testimony, in Rev.
17:3. In this chapter one of the seven angels that had the seven vials came to instruct John, and to show
him "the judgment of the great whore with whom the kings of the earth had committed fornication, and
the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." "So he carried me
away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of name
so blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0079 paragraph 2 Here the same idolatrous beast, having seven heads and
ten horns, is described; the woman sitting upon this beast is the same as Daniel's little horn which came
up among the ten horns, and shows plainly that it was that part of Roman power which was prior to the
woman, and was of course called the first beast. When John saw this woman on the scarlet-colored
beast,he wondered with great admiration, and says, Rev. 17:7, "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore
didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carrieth her, which
hath the seven heads and ten horns. Thebeastthat thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of
the bottomless pit, and go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names
were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that
was, and is not, and yet is." "That was," Pagan Rome before John saw his vision, "and is not,"yet in
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its last stage of Papal Rome, "and yet is," in the same spirit, for Papal Rome is but an image of Paganism,
as says the Apostle, 2 Thess 2:6,7, "And now ye know what withholdeth, that he may be revealed in his
time, for the mystery of iniquity doth already work." And, I John 2:18, "Little children, it is the last time,
and as ye have heard that anti-Christ shall come, even now are there many anti-Christs,whereby we
know it is the last time." And again, Rev.17:9, "And here is the mind which hath wisdom;" evidently
referring John right back to our text, "Here is wisdom; let him that hath understanding," the same
asmind in the above quotation. "The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth,
and there are seven kings; five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he
must continue a short space, and the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the
seven, and goeth into perdition." These texts explain the whole matter; for it is evident that the beast
here alluded to was the seven-headed monster who was then in existence when John wrote, for five of
its executive forms of government (of which kings and mountains are figures) had fallen. Republican
Rome had five different offices under that particular form of government--her senatorial, tribunate,
consular, decemvir, and tirumvirate. These are fallen. One is, (that was when John wrote his prophecy,)
Imperial, and the other had not yet come, Kingly, which is the same as the ten horns. For when the
Western Empire fell, Rome was divided into ten kingdoms,"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten
kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast."
These have one mind, (that is, were all converted to the Catholic faith,) and shall give their power and
strength unto the beast, Papal Rome. "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and
chosen, and faithful." And although this beast, whatever form it may assume, whether Pagan or Papal,
may for a season tyrannize over and trample on the followers of Christ, through the agency
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of the evil power of empires, kingdoms, states, or republics, yet He who rules over all, will, in the end,
destroy all these powers, and himself reign King of kings and Lord over all. "And the ten horns which
thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and cut
her flesh, and burn her with fire."
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0081 paragraph 1 This text has been literally accomplished within a few
years; and those kingdoms which were of the ten, kingdoms which first gave power to the beast, have of
late persecuted and destroyed her, who is the abomination of the whole earth. Witness the
transactions of Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Naples, and Tuscany, the Seven Kingdoms
which were not plucked up by the little horn; each of these nations have in their turn resisted the power
of pretensions of the Pope of Rome, until his civil authority is reduced to a cipher in all these kingdoms.
"For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast,
until the words of God shall be fulfilled." Then must the Papal beast, the image of Paganism, be
numbered and finished, and like a weighty mill-stone sunk in the deep, he must with the Pagan beast
sink forever and ever.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0081 paragraph 2 Thus we see the two beasts, although supported by the
same power, "the great red dragon or Roman kingdom," exercising the same authority over the bodies
and souls of men, partaking of the same spirit of Satan, made like each other, one being but an image of
the other, having the same names of blasphemy on their heads, and both having, at the close of their
times, the same ten horns, and both have, and are to have, their civil power destroyed by the same ten
horns. Yet we see them kept separate and distinct. Pagan Rome must reign his time, and then the ten
horns, or kings, would take away the "daily sacrifice abomination," and place in his stead the
"abomination that maketh desolate." The last abomination was numbered in the same chapter where
our text is found, "forty and two months." And why not give us the number of the first beast? He has:
"Let him that hath understanding count the number of
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the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six." This brings
us to our next proposition.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0082 paragraph 1 3. To show what we may understand by the numbering
of the beast. And,
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0082 paragraph 2 1st. What may we understand by numbering any thing
of this kind in Scripture? For the Scripture must be our guide, as we have before said.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0082 paragraph 3 I answer, It is to count, to finish, or to destroy, when
used in a figurative sense, or in prophetic Scripture, as in Isa 22:10, "And ye have numbered the houses
of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall." They were accused by the
prophet of destroying houses, by numbering them or counting them for destruction. Also see Isa. 65:12,
"Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter." Here again it is
used in the same sense: I will reckon or count you to the sword. Again, Dan. 5:25,26, "And this is the
hand-writing that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing:
MENE, God hath numbered thy kingdom and hath finished it."
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0082 paragraph 4 As, therefore, the idolatrous and blasphemous kingdom
of Babylon was numbered and finished by God, whose decree was conveyed by the hand-writing on the
wall to the knowledge of Daniel and others, so was John commanded, by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, to write in this last book of prophecy, the MENE, TEKEL, of this last idolatrous Pagan beast. "Here
is wisdom." Let a wise Daniel, or him that hath the wisdom of God like a Daniel, or "let him that hath
understanding" in the word of God, or him that will compare scripture with scripture, "count the
number of the beast," or the number of his name.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0082 paragraph 5 Let us inquire what is the name of this beast. His name
is blasphemy, because he causes all, both high and low, rich and poor, bond and free, to worship stocks
and stones, idols of gold, and silver, and wood, that can neither see, hear, nor talk. See the 1st verse of
our context, "and upon his head the name of blasphemy," which teaches us what the name of this beast
is, and shows us
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that we are to count, or reckon, how long before the blasphemies of this Pagan power will be finished;
"for it is the number of a man." And what, you may inquire, is the number of a man? I answer again,
We must apply to God's word "the number of a man."
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0083 paragraph 1 Moses says, Exodus 23:26, "The number of thy days I
will fulfil." Job, speaking of man, says, 14:5, "Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months
is with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass." David says, Ps 90:12, "So teach us to
number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Therefore, we may reasonably conclude
that the "number of a man" is the number of his days; and the Scriptures often speak of man in
connection with his time of sojourn on the earth, calling it days; as, "few and evil have been the days of
my pilgrimage;"
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0083 paragraph 2 "died, being old and full of days;" "length of days is in
her right hand;" "all the days of thy life;" " I will wait all the days of my appointed time until my change
come." If this is the understanding of this part of our text, which I cannot see any reason to doubt, then
our text has this plain meaning. Here is need of spiritual wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count
the number of his days; for his days are numbered as a man's; they are six hundred threescore and six.
This power (Rome Pagan) would be taken away when his six hundred and sixty-six prophetic days should
end; and this brings us to show when those days began, and of course when they ended.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0083 paragraph 3 They must have begun when the Jewish rites and
ceremonies were in being; for this was the sole object of Paganism, to counteract the Jewish rituals and
draw the Jewish worshippers into idolatry, and to blend the heathen rites with theirs. They must have
begun before Christ was born, for the great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns was to stand
before the woman, (the Jewish Church,) ready to devour the man child as soon as it was born. They
could not have begun before they became connected with the Jews, for the reason that no nation is
prophesied of, or noticed in the prophecies, except they are somehow connected with the
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people of God; and for the very reason that this beast was to tread down the Jews, and finally, by
cunning, deceit, and intrigue, destroy the city and nation of the Jews, then I think the fairest conclusion
is, that when they became connected with the Jews by league, and when they had conquered Daniel's
third kingdom, the Grecian. Then, and not until then, had the Romans any part in this prophecy. This
agrees with the angel's statement, Dan 11:23, "After the league made with him, (that is, Romans,) he
shall work deceitfully, and become strong with a small (republican) people." This league was made
between the Romans and the Jews, ratified and carried into effect when the Greeks under Bachides left
besieging Jerusalem, upon the command of the Romans, and , as Josephus and Maccabees tell us, never
returned to trouble them (the Jews) any more. This league, then, took effect when the third kingdom in
Daniel's vision ceased harassing the Jews, and the fourth kingdom began its rule over the jews and the
world. This was in the year B. C. 158. Let those who wish to be satisfied of the correctness of the
foregoing statements read the 8th and 9th chapters of the 1st Maccabees, and Josephus, B. 12, chapter
10 sec. 6, of his Antiquities. Then, if this be correct, that Pagan Rome began his power in the year B. C.
158, and was to continue 666 years, when would Paganism fall in the Roman kingdom, and the "daily
sacrifice abomination" be taken out of the way to make room for the abomination of desolation? I
answer, Take 158 from 666 and you will have 508. Then in the year A. D. 508 Paganism ceased.
WM 2miller LECTURE 5 page 0084 paragraph 1 What is the history of that time? I answer, that about
the year A.D. 476 the Western Empire of Rome crumbled to pieces, and the Pagan nations of the north,
crossing the Rhine and the Danube, established ten kingdoms in what was considered the Western
Empire. France was the principal kingdom of the ten. These kingdoms were all governed by Pagan kings;
and history informs us that in the city of Rome and other places in the empire these Pagan conquerors
sacrificed men, women, and children to their supposed deities; and that in the year 496 Clovis king of
France was converted
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and baptized into the Christian faith; and that the remainder of these kings embraced the religion of
Christ shortly after, the last of which was Christianized in the year 508, and of course Paganism ceased,
having lost its head by the power of the sword, or kings who wield the sword. Here, then, was the
accomplishment of two important prophecies--the daily sacrifice abomination taken out of the way, and
the Pagan beast receiving its deadly wound by a sword; since which time we have no account of any
Pagan rites or sacrifices being offered within the bounds of ancient Rome. How exactly has the word of
God been accomplished! How just and true are all the ways of the God of heaven! And how blind are
mortals that they cannot see their own destiny in the rise and fall of others! I am astonished sometimes
when I reflect on the simple truths of the word of God, the exact fulfillment of the prophecies, that
more do not believe, repent, and turn to God.
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LECTURE 6
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0086 paragraph 1 Daniel 10:14
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0086 paragraph 2 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall
befall thy people in the latter days; for yet the vision is for many days.
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0086 paragraph 3 This is the third time the angel Gabriel came to instruct
Daniel. The first time was when Daniel had the vision of the he-goat, Daniel 8:16. This was 553 years
before Christ. The second time he came was when Daniel was praying for the deliverance of his people
from their Babylonish captivity, fifteen years after the first visit, when he instructed him into the seventy
weeks, and crucifixion of the Messiah. Now he has come in the third year of Cyrus the Persian, in the
534 B. C., 21 years after Daniel had his vision of the four beasts, nineteen after the he-goat, and four
years after the seventy weeks' instruction.
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0086 paragraph 4 After informing Daniel his purpose, as in our text, and
making some preliminary observations concerning the vision in the remainder of the tenth chapter, he
begins his teachings to Daniel, and through him to us, with the first of the 11th chapter. 1st verse, he
tells who he, the heavenly messenger, is--the same who confirmed Daniel in the seventy weeks. See
Daniel 9:1,21. And in the second verse he begins with the fifth king of Persia, the very same king who
issued the decree to Ezra to go up and build the walls of Jerusalem, which began our seventy weeks,
Daniel 9:25; Ezra 7:1-14. For the first Persian king was then on the throne, Daniel 10:1, which was the
third year of the
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reign of Cyrus, king of Persia. This was the same Cyrus who was general and son-in-law to Darius the
Mede, that conquered Babylon. Besides whom "there should be yet three kings," which three kings
were Artaxerxes, Darius, and Ahasuerus, as they are named in Scripture. See Ezra, 4,5,and 6 chapters. I
am aware that history has named four where Scripture has only named three. History names, 1,
Cambyses; 2, Smerdis, same as Artaxerxes above name in Scripture; 3, Darius, son of Hystaspes, same as
above; 4, Xerxes, same as Scripture calls Ahasuerus. Why the Scripture did not name Cambyses, if there
was such a king, I am not able to tell, unless his reign was so short (which all historians agree in) that he
had no hand in building or hindering the building of the temple at Jerusalem, as the other three kings
had, which Ezra has named. But as Gabriel did not come to tell Daniel any thing which was not "noted in
the Scripture of truth," (see Daniel 10:21, "But I will show thee that which is noted in the Scripture of
truth,") therefore the language of our text now under examination will be this--"There shall stand up yet
three things in Persia, (noted in the Scripture of truth,) and the fourth shall be far richer than they all,"
&c. This fourth king was Artaxerxes Longimanus, and is the same king noted in Ezra 7 and the first and
only king of Persia "noted in the Scriptures," who ever gave a decree to rebuild the walls and streets of
Jerusalem, especially in troublous times. We may therefore reasonably and conclusively determine that
the messenger Gabriel begins his instruction with this king's reign, the 5th king noted in Scripture. And if
so, we have another strong and forcible evidence that Daniel's vision of the ram and he-goat began with
the seventy weeks, 457 years before the birth of Christ, and 490 years, or 70 prophetic weeks, before his
death, Dan. 11: 3,4. We have the plain history of Alexander, the conqueror of the world, his death, and
division of the kingdom into four great empires. Hear what Gabriel says of him more than 200 years
before the event happened, and learn, ye skeptics, the evidence that this prophecy is of divine origin.
"And a mighty king shall stand up
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that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his
kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven, and not to his posterity,
nor according to his dominion which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others
besides those," (that is, his posterity.)
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0088 paragraph 1 Need I, then, tell my hearers that history tells us that
Alexander conquered the then known world in about six years, and that he died 323 years B. C. at
Babylon; that his kingdom was divided among his greatest generals, from which division arose four great
kingdoms, Egypt in the south, Persia in the east, Syria in the north, and Macedonia in the west, which
kingdoms lasted until conquered by the Romans? Between the years 190 and 30 B. C. nearly all these
kingdoms became Roman provinces. From Daniel 11:5,13, inclusive, we have a prophecy of the two
principal kingdoms out of these four--Egypt and Syria; and any one who may have the curiosity to see
the exact agreement between the prophecy and history, can read Rollin's Ancient History, where he has
not only given us the history, but applied this prophecy. And as I see no reason to disagree from him in
his application of these texts, I shall, therefore, for brevity's sake, pass over these texts, and examine the
text, Dan 11:14, "And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south; also, the
robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall." The king of the
south, in this verse, without any doubt, means king of Egypt; but what the robbers of thy peoplemeans
remains yet a doubt perhaps to some. That it cannot mean Antiochus, or any king of Syria, it is plain; for
the angel had been talking about that nation for a number of verses previous, and now says, "also the
robbers of thy people," &c., evidently implying some other nation. I will admit that Antiochus did
perhaps rob the Jews; but how could this "establish the vision," as Antiochus is not spoken of any where
in the vision as performing any act of that kind; for he belonged to what is called the Grecian kingdom in
the vision. Again, "to establish the vision," must mean to make sure, complete, or fulfill the same. And
if it cannot be shown that the
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WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0089 paragraph 1 Grecian kingdom was to rob the people of God, I think it
must mean some other nation which would do these acts, to which every word will apply. And to this
we need not be at a loss; for at this very time of which the angel is speaking, Rome, the least kingdom in
Daniel's vision, did exalt itself, and this kingdom did have the very marks in the vision, and in the events
following. This kingdom was to have great iron teeth; it was to break in pieces, and stamp the residue
with the feet of it. The vision also says, "He shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and practise,
and shall destroy the mighty and holy people, and that he should magnify himself," &c., the same as
exalt himself, Daniel 7:7,23; 8:10-12,24,25 verses. And it cannot be denied but that the Jews have been
robbed of their city and sanctuary by the Romans, and the Christian church has been persecuted and
robbed by this dreadful beast, the Roman kingdom. It is evident too that when this kingdom falls, the
vision will be completed, fulfilled, established: "but they shall fall," says the angel in the verse under our
present examination; "they shall fall;" that is, the ten horns in this fourth kingdom, when the vision is
fulfilled or established, and when the stone cut out of the mountain without hands shall grind them to
powder. We will take the 15th, "So the king of the north" (Rome is now the king of the north, because
they had conquered the Macedonian kingdom, and had become masters of the countries north and east
before they attacked Egypt) "shall come and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities; and the
arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to
withstand." This was about fifty years before Christ, when Pompey, a Roman general, conquered Egypt,
and made that kingdom tributary to the Romans, and afterwards entered Jerusalem, and made them
subjects of the Roman government. See verses 16 and 17, "But he that cometh against him (Pompey
coming against Egypt) "shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him, and he shall
stand in the glorious land which by his hand shall be consumed." He shall also set his face to enter with
the
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strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him," (or men of equal conditions, as it might have
been rendered.) The Roman army, of which Pompey had the command, when he went into Egypt and
Palestine, were composed of the sons of all the principal citizens of Rome, who were, according to the
laws of the republic, to serve ten years in the service of their country before they were admitted to
receive the high offices which they might afterwards be candidates for. This accounts for the language
just read in the text--"upright ones with him." And "thus shall he do: he shall give him the daughter of
woman, corrupting her; but she shall not stand on his side nor be for him." When Pompey went into
Egypt, he found that country divided between Ptolemy and Cleopatra. Pompey, after he had made
them tributary to the Romans, compelled them to settle their differences by marriage. Afterwards,
when Julius Caesar came against Pompey with his western veterans, with whom he had conquered the
west part of Europe, and in the battle fought between these two contending rivals, Pompey and Julius
Caesar, Cleopatra had the command of the Egyptian fleet on the side of Pompey; but in the midst of the
action she deserted over to Caesar with her whole fleet, which turned the fortune of the day in favor of
Julius Caesar. Pompey then fled into the Grecian isles, where he compelled many of them to declare in
his favor. But Caesar soon followed him, and at the battle of Pharsalia completely defeated Pompey,
who was slain by a band of pirates or robbers. This part we have in the 18th verse, "After this shall he
(Pompey) turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many; but a prince (Caesar) for his own behalf shall
cause the reproach offered by him (Pompey) to cease; without his own (Caesar) reproach he shall cause
it to turn upon him, (Pompey:) 19th verse, "Then he (Caesar) shall turn his face towards the fort of his
own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found." The history of Caesar's death is familiar to
every school-boy. After he had conquered Pompey, he returned to Rome, entered the city in triumph,
and a few days after, when he was about to be crowned Emperor, he was slain in
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the senate-house, before Pompey's pillar, by his own friends; "he stumbled and fell, and was not
found." 20th verse, "Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes, in the glory of the kingdom; but
within a few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger nor in battle." This verse describes Octavius
Caesar, who first taxed the Roman provinces, Judea being taxed (see Luke 2:1,5) when our Savior was
born; but Octavius Caesar, afterwards called Augustus Caesar, was not slain like his uncle Julius, nor like
his successors; but died peaceably in his bed. 21st and 22d verses, "And in his estate shall stand up a
vile person, to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom; but he shall come in peaceably, and
obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overthrown from before
him, and shall be broken; yea, also, the prince of the covenant." In these two verses we have the history
of Tiberius Caesar, who was the successor of Octavius Caesar in the Roman empire; and was one of the
most vile, profligate, bloody tyrants that ever sat upon the Roman throne. History gives us the same
account, that he obtained by flatteries the kingdom, and afterwards ruled it by tyranny. He also
assumed the name of Augustus. In his reign Christ was crucified, "the Prince of the covenant was
broken." Here ends the history of the seventy weeks. This prophetic history being divided into four
divisions, the first part is the history of the seventy weeks, to which we have been attending, which
began in the seventh year of Artaxerxes' reign, and ended in the 22d year of Tiberius Caesar's, being four
hundred and ninety years; the second part will be the history of Pagan Rome, which begins with the first
league made between the Romans and the Jews, and will carry us down six hundred and sixty-six years.
You will likewise observe that the angel goes back and begins this history with the league. 22d verse,
"And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: he shall come up, and shall become
strong with a small people."
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0091 paragraph 1 Let us in the first place inquire, Between whom is this
league made? The Romans must be one of the contracting
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parties, from the fact that the angel is talking about that government before and afterwards, and that
the fourth or Roman kingdom was to work deceitfully, "and through his policy also he shall cause craft
to prosper in his hand." See Daniel 8:25. And also from the circumstance of their being a small or
republican people at first, Rome, too, was small in territory at this time, although many nations and
kingdoms were tributary unto them; but who was the other contracting party in this league? I answer, It
must have been some people whom the angel had in view; and he, Daniel, had the same in view, or he
would have given some mark by which Daniel or the reader could have come to a just conclusion. Yes,
this was the case; for he had told Daniel in the very outset, "Now I am come to make thee understand
what shall befallthy peoplein the latter days." See our text. This, then, is the key that unlocks the whole
subject, and explains two important points in the vision. First, it teaches who are the subjects of this
vision; and, secondly, when and how the Roman kingdom became connected with the vision. If I am thus
far correct, then the angel has reference to the league made with the Romans 158 years B. C., when the
Grecian general Bachides withdrew his army from before Jerusalem, and never returned to vex the Jews
any more, as says 1 Macabees 9:72. For the history of this league, you can read 1 Maccabees 8 and
Josephus B. 12 chap. 10 sec. 6. This league was the first ever made between the Romans and the Jews,
according to Josephus. It took effect 158 years B. C., when the Grecian kingdom, at the command of the
Romans, ceased to trouble the Jews, and the Romans began to work deceitfully. Then began the Pagan
beast to exercise his influence over the people of God. And now let us pursue his history as given by the
angel Gabriel, 24th verse, "He shall enter peaceably, even upon the fattest places of the province; and
he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them
the prey, and spoil, and riches; yea, he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds even for a
time." This verse
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is a true history of the rise of the Roman power; they did scatter the prey and spoil among the provinces,
and conquered more nations by their munificence and benevolence in the outset, than by their arms or
battles. Rome bought more nations by riches and intrigue than she conquered in war; and she
compelled the Jews to submit for about two centuries to that which no nation before had been able
ever to do, viz., to be ruled by kings, governors, and high priests, appointed by the Romans, and not
chosen by themselves. 25th verse, "And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of
the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and
mighty army; but he shall not stand; for they shall forecast devices against him." This is a description of
the war in Egypt, under the government of Mark Anthony and Octavius Caesar. "Yea, they that feed of
the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow, and many shall fall down slain."
When Antony went into Egypt with a great army, Cleopatra, then queen of Egypt, deserted her
husband's standard, as she had before Pompey's, and went over to Mark Antony with all the forces she
could command, by which means Egypt became an easy prey to the Romans; so that a part of the
Egyptian army, that fed of the portion of the king's meat, were the means of destroying the kingdom.
"And both of these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall
not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed." These two kings are Antony and Octavius,
their characters agreeing with the description given in this passage; history agreeing that they ruled over
the Romans for a season jointly, and that they were both of them great deceivers and liars. History also
informs us that after Antony had conquered Egypt, he and Octavius quarrelled; Octavius Caesar declared
war against Antony, marched an army toward Egypt, and at the battle of Actium defeated Antony and
Cleopatra's forces, afterwards took Alexandria in Egypt, and Antony and Cleopatra put themselves to
death, and Egypt becomes a Roman province. This was thirty years before the
0094
birth of Christ. 28, "Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the
holy covenant; and he shall do exploits and return to his own land." Then Octavius returned to Rome.
And the next exploit that this fourth kingdom would do would be against the holy covenant. They, by
their authority, crucified our Savior, persecuted the saints, and destroyed Jerusalem; and this fills up the
acts of this Pagan history until towards the close of the reign of the Pagan beast. 29, "At the time
appointed, he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the
latter." The time appointed must mean the length of the reign of this beast, whose history the angel is
now giving, which I have shown, in a former lecture, is 666 years. "He shall return, and come towards
the south," not as the former or latter. Not as the Romans going into Egypt, the latter; nor the Syrians
going into Egypt, as the former; but Italy must now take her turn to be overrun by the northern
barbarians. Therefore the angel says, in the next verse, see 30, ("For the ships of Chittim shall come
against him;") the meaning of which is, that the Huns, which lived on the north of the Adriatic Sea, the
place where it was anciently called Chittim, under their leader Attila, (surnamed the Scourge of God,)
should ravage the Roman empire. This was fulfilled 447 years after Christ. "Therefore he shall be
grieved and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant; so shall he do; he shall return, and
have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant."
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0094 paragraph 1 About the time that Attila ravaged the Roman empire,
Christians conceived it to be a judgment of God upon the Romans for their idolatry and wickedness,
refused to bear arms in favor of the Roman emperors, which led to a bloody persecution of Christians,
and a renewal of Pagan rites and sacrifices, which had been partially suspended during the reign of
Constantine and succeeding emperors, except in the case of Julian the Apostate. "And arms shall stand
on his part," that is, the force of the empire would be on the side of Paganism. "And they shall pollute
the sanctuary of strength." They, in
0095
this passage, mean the governments or kings, established on the fall of the Roman empire in the west,
by the Huns, Goths and Vandals of the north. "By sanctuary of strength," is meant Rome. And it is said
that at the time that Rome was taken, men, women, and children were sacrificed to their Pagan deities.
"And shall take away the daily sacrifice." The angel is giving us a history of what these kings would do,
when Rome should be divided into its ten toes, or when the ten horns should arise, which the angel has
heretofore explained to mean ten kings, Daniel 7:24. This is evident by his using the plural pronoun
instead of the singular, as before, or as he will following, when the little horn obtains the power. To
"take away the daily sacrifice," means to destroy Paganism out of the kingdom. This was done by those
ten kings who now ruled the Roman empire, and would for a little season, until they should give their
power to the image beast. "And they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. They, meaning
the ten kings,shall place, shall put in the room or placeof the daily sacrifice or Pagan beast which would
now receive its death wound by the sword, that is, by the civil power of this fourth kingdom, under the
reigning power of these ten kings; for John tells us, Rev. 17:12,13, "And the ten horns which thou sawest
are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but shall receive power as kings one hour with the
beast; these have one mind, (being all Pagans,) and shall give their power and strength unto the beast;"
that is, to support Paganism. Now, this was evidently fulfilled; for after the fall of the Western Empire, A.
D. 476, and before A. D. 490, ten kings had risen upon the ruins, and formed ten separate kingdoms, and
names of which I have before given; they all being Pagans, of course they supported that form of
worship, until they were converted to the Christian faith, which happened within the space of twenty
years, Clovis, the king of France, having been converted and baptized in the year A. D. 496. By the year
A. D. 508, the remainder of the kings were brought over and embraced the Christian religion, which
closes the history of the Pagan beast, whose number
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was 666; which, beginning 158 years B. C., would end the beast's reign A. D. 508, having reigned but a
short time, (one hour, says John,) with the ten kings. We have now gone through with the angel
Gabriel's second part of the history, as we promised.
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0096 paragraph 1 I shall now go on with the illustration of the third part of
his prophetic history, which is the history of the image beast, the deadly wound healed, or what Daniel
calls "the abomination that maketh desolate." This beast would rule over the kings of the earth, and
tread the church of God under foot forty-two months, or time, times, and a half, which is twelve
hundred and sixty years, in common time, or, as the angel tells us in Daniel 12:11, from the taking away
the daily abomination to set up the abomination that maketh desolate, should be a thousand two
hundred and ninety days, showing a difference of thirty years from the statement of the actual reign of
the image beast and the other, which includes all the time from taking away down through the setting
up or reign of the image beast. Therefore, to reconcile these two statements, we must conclude there
were 30 years from A. D. 508, when Paganism ceased, before the image beast, or Papal Rome, would
begin her reign. If this is correct, then the 1290 began 508, and would end us in 1798. But the reign of
Papacy would not be set up until A. D. 538, and would end us in the same year, A. D. 1798, being 1260.
This, then is the history the angel will give us next. 32, "And such as do wickedly against the covenant
shall be corrupted by flatterers; but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits."
The ecclesiastical historians tell us that in the beginning of the sixth century, about A. D. 538, a number
of writers in that day undertook to prove that the Papal chair, together with councils of his approval,
were infallible, and their laws were binding on the whole church. These writers were highly honored and
flattered with promotion by the reigning powers; while on the other hand there were many who
opposed this power of the Pope and clergy, who were denounced as schismatics and Arians, and driven
out of the kingdoms under the control of the Romish
0097
church. 33, "And they that understand among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the
sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil many days." Those who instructed the common people,
and opposed the worshipping of images, the infallibility of the Pope and councils, the canonizing of
departed saints, were persecuted by the civil power, (the sword,) were burned by order of the
ecclesiastical courts established by the laws of Justinian, emperor of Constantinople, whose code of laws,
published about A. D. 534, gave unto the bishop of Rome power to establish courts for this purpose, and
many in the sixth century and subsequent down to a late period, "many days," suffered death,
imprisonment, and confiscation of goods, in consequence of a difference of opinion in matters of
religion, by the tyranny of this abomination, "the bloody city which has reigned over the kings of the
earth." 34, "Now, when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall cleave to
them with flatteries." This text agrees with one in Revelation 12:16, "And the earth helped the woman."
"But many shall cleave to them;" that is, many men of the world would cleave to them, and professedly
would flatter the true people of God that they were friendly at least to them, and by these means Satan
carried on his wars against the children of God. 35, "And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try
them, and to purge and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for a time
appointed." This verse shows us that even Christians would be led into some of the errors of Papacy,
and would be tried and purged, even to the end of this image beast's reign, which time is appointed, as I
have already shown, to be "time, times, and a half," 1260 years, ending A. D. 1798. 36, "And the king
shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt
himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods,
and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished, for that is determined shall be done." The king
here spoken of is the same as Daniel's little horn, which came up among the ten horns. It is the same
that blasphemed the God of
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heaven. It is mystical Babylon. Isa. 14:12-15; Rev. 13:5,6. The same Paul has described in his Epistle, 2
Thess. 2:1-9; the same image beast which we have been examining the history of; and one thing is
evident, that this beast will continue until the day that God pours out his indignation upon a guilty world
in some form or other. 37, "Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor
regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all." In this passage we have a plain description of
Papacy; they do not worship the same gods the Pagans did--"their fathers." And their clergy are
forbidden to marry; the Pope calls himself the vicegerent of God, or God on earth, having the keys of
heaven, &c. 38, "But in his estate shall he honor the god of forces; and a god whom his fathers knew
not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pleasant things." It is true that the
Pope, for ages past, has had large armies at his command, and always a body-guard to attend him in his
capital; also, that they adorn their pictures with gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pleasant
things, and that the gods they worship, such as the images of Christ, apostles, and Virgin Mary, and
canonized saints, were not known to Pagan worshippers. 39, "Thus shall he do in the most strong holds
with a strange god whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule
over many, and shall divide the land for gain."
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0098 paragraph 1 These patron saints, which the Pope divided among the
several nations of the earth, and in almost every family, each one having their patron saint to rule over
them, by the appointment of the Pope, were strange gods indeed; and rational beings might truly
wonder when they beheld the power of this last abomination over the minds and judgments of mankind.
And then, again, to see the number of kingdoms, provinces, states, and territories, which the Pope has
sold to enrich his coffers, without any more right or title to them than we have to the land in the moon,
must convince everyone that the description given must apply to the church of Rome or
0099
the Pope, who claims to exercise this great authority by his crazy title to St. Peter's chair.
WM 2miller LECTURE 6 page 0099 paragraph 1 We have now arrived to the end of the third division of
the angel's history; for the next verse tells us, "and at the time of the end," meaning the end of his
power, to tread on the church by his civil authority, or reign over the kings of the earth, and to dispose
of lands for gain I have brought you down, my kind hearer, through a long prophetic history of more
than 2200 years, and landed you in the year A. D. 1798, when the Pope of Rome lost his civil power. In
the beginning of the year 1798, on the 15th of February, a French general, Berthier, entered Rome with
a French army without resistance, deposed the Pope, abolished the Papal government, and erected the
republic of Italy. The Pope, being taken prisoner, was carried a prisoner by them first to Sienna in
Tuscany, from thence to Florence, afterwards to Grenoble, and then to Valence, in France, where he
died on the 19th of August, 1799, since which time the Pope of Rome has exercised no more of his
former power over any of the kings in Europe, or the Protestant church. We shall now close our lecture
on this history for the present, reserving the remainder of Gabriel's interesting history for another
lecture.
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LECTURE 7
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0100 paragraph 1 [DANIEL 12:8]
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0100 paragraph 2 And I heard, but I understood not; then said I, O my
Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0100 paragraph 3 PREVIOUS to Daniel's asking the question contained in
our text, he had been taught, as we have seen in our former lecture, not only the history of future
events as they would succeed each other down to the end of the world, but he had the regular order of
time specified in the duration of the little horn, "time, times, and a half," as in Daniel 7:25, and 12:7. But
he had been informed of many events which should transpire after his "time, times, and a half" should
be finished, and not having the length of the Pagan beast, or daily abomination, given to him at all, he
could not tell or understand whereabouts in his grand number of 2300 days, the end of the civil power
of the little horn, or Papal Rome, carried him: there was no rule given Daniel yet by which he could tell
when or how long after the crucifixion of the Messiah before the daily sacrifice abomination would be
taken out of the way, and the power of the little horn be established, and the abomination of desolation
set up. Be sure, Daniel had heard the whole history down to the resurrection, and had the whole vision
specified in his 2300 days. But as he saw there were evidently three divisions of the time after the
crucifixion or cutting off of the Messiah at the fulfillment of his 490 years, or 70 weeks, down to the end
of his 1810 years, which would be the remainder of his total number of 2300 years, after his 70 weeks
should be fulfilled;
0101
and having only 1260 of those years accounted for by the reign of his little horn, leaving five hundred
and fifty years to be applied on the Pagan beast, and for the events which we are to attend to after the
Papal beast lost his civil power,--therefore the propriety of Daniel's saying in our text, "Then I heard, but
I understood not." He understood not how this time was divided,and especially, how much time would
be taken up in the last division of the angel's history, beginning with the 40th verse of the 11th chapter,
where our last lecture ended, and finishing with the context of the 12th chapter, the verse previous to
our text. That this is the plain and significant meaning, is evident from what follows our text, viz., the
angel's answer to Daniel's question, "What shall be the end of these things?" And he said, Go thy way,
Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end;" that is, my mission is closed, the
words are finished, and registered in the roll of God's word, they are sealed, that is, made sure,
unalterable, will stand until every word has its fulfillment, which in the end shall be accomplished; not,as
some suppose, that Daniel's prophecy is sealed, closed up, out of sight, and cannot be understood. This
is not the way of God's dealings with us; for if this had been the angel's meaning, he would have said to
Daniel as he did to John in similar circumstances, Rev. 10:4, "Seal up those things, and write them not."
But it is the reverse; for he says in the next verse, 10, "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;
but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand." None of the wicked shall
understand what? Why, the things before spoken of--Daniel's vision and instruction. Very well, then
the wicked do right for once. Certainly, if your exposition of the former text is correct, that it is hid, and
cannot be known, they are obeying the command of the angel, close up and seal the words; and surely
they will not be condemned for obedience. "But the wise shall understand," says the angel. What shall
the wise understand? They shall understand the vision; or the words before spoken by the angel at least.
But say you, "Daniel was commanded to seal up and close the words,
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0102
so that they may never know them till the end, and the wise understand them. How can these things
be?" I answer, These texts explain each other. There is a close connection in the word of God which
must always be kept in view, and if our exposition of one contradicts another of the same connection of
like import, we may know there is a wrong in us. Now, one thing is certain,--"all Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." And
"secret things belong to God; but things revealed, to us and our children." And when I see pretended
servants of God, men of great pretence to piety and knowledge, disputing long and sharp on some
metaphysical point in theology which they nor their hearers can never understand, and when they are
asked to explain the plain declarations of God, put it off, by saying, it is sealed up, and we ought not to
try to understand it, it makes me think of Aesop's fable of the dog in the manger; of Christ's reproof to
the scribes and Pharisees, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom
of heaven against men; for ye neither go in ourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in;"
and this passage in Daniel, "The wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but
the wise shall understand." You may depend upon one thing, when you hear such declarations as the
above from the pulpit, that the speaker does not love his Bible as well as he loves his own popularity,
and studies to support his faith, the popular writers and standard authors of the day, more than the
divine revelation of God. But God is now trying his people; he is now giving them a great rule to know
their love for his word. If the word of God is to them foolishness, and they take more delight in the
popular writers of the day, they may depend upon it they are stumbling at that stumbling-stone. But
the angel tells us that many shall be purified and made white. This was good news to Daniel, and ought
to be so to us; for it is the declaration of God through the medium of Gabriel, his messenger. "And from
the
0103
time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up,
there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the
thousand three hundred and five and thirty days: but go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest,
and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." Now Daniel had all he could ask for; now he could
understand the time, and the length, and part of every division which the angel had given him in his
instruction, so far as to fill up his vision of 2300 years, (as we shall call them, having proved in a former
lecture that they ought to be so reckoned, and have been so fulfilled.) He has now learned that, to
begin and reckon back from the resurrection, which he well knew would be 1810 years after Christ's
crucifixion, he might find out when the daily sacrifice abomination would be taken away. Therefore take
1335 years from 1810 years, would leave 475 years; and he could reckon from the end of the 70 weeks,
or 490 years, to the end of pagan Rome, would be 475, from thence to the time he should stand in his
lot, would be 1335 years. Then by adding
490
475
1335
would make the sum total of his whole vision
2300 years.
And now, let us suppose he wished to know when the abomination of desolation would end, and when
it would begin. He has only to take his number, one thousand two hundred and ninety, as given him by
his angel, from his 1335, thus,-- 1335
1290
45
and he finds that 45 years before the resurrection the little horn would lose his civil power. Now, let
him take his time, times, and a half, and add, say 1260 years to 45 years, and he will find that the little
horn began his reign 1305 years before the resurrection, and 30 years after the daily sacrifice
abomination was taken away. And now he is prepared to give his vision and
0104
the instruction of the angel all their proper bearings, and prove it thus:--
1st. The seventy weeks or 490 years to the crucifixion of
Christ, ...................................................................................................................490
From crucifixion to taking away daily abomination,.......................................475
From taking away Pagan rites to the setting up abomination of desolation, ..... 30
From setting up Papal power (time, times, and a half) to the of his civil
reign, ..........................................................................................1260
From the taking away the Papal civil rule to the resurrection ........................ 45
Now add these together, and you will have the whole............................... 2300
years of Daniel's vision. Do you not, kind hearer, see by this mode, and by these last numbers given him,
Daniel could learn every part and division of the whole history down to the time when he should stand
in his lot? But now, for his instruction, we will suppose Daniel understood our mode of reckoning time;
he might have given it to us in this way:--"The 70 weeks, or 490 years, will be accomplished A. D. 33.
The pagan abomination will be taken away 475 years afterwards, which will be A. D. 508. The papal
abomination will be set up 30 years after, A. D. 538, and will continue 1260 years, A. D. 1798. After this
45 years, I shall stand in my lot, and all that come forth to this resurrection will be blessed, A. D. 1843."
"Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days." Rev.
20:6. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection."
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0104 paragraph 1 We are now prepared to give you the remainder of the
angel's instruction to Daniel, beginning where we left off in our last lecture; and you will likewise now
take notice that it is the last division, and what we now shall read to you must all take place in 45 years,
between the years 1798 and 1843. So that you may, almost all of you, judge for yourselves, upon your
own observations, whether these things are so or not.
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0104 paragraph 2 We therefore begin at the 40th verse of the 11th
chapter of Daniel, "and at the time of the end" of the papal civil power. Now, another person has
obtained
0105
this civil power: this was Bonaparte, the ruler of the French nation. This year of which we are now
treating was the very year that the French destroyed the power of the pope, and Bonaparte began his
extraordinary career in conquest and authority; and it was evident, by his success and fortune, that he
was raised up by God himself for some great and special purpose; and through him, as an instrument,
and by means of the French revolution, the shackles that had bound more than half of Europe in bigotry,
superstition, and tyranny, were burst asunder, and the inquisition and Papacy lost their power and
terror over the bodies and minds of men. At this time, then, our prophecy begins, and Bonaparte is the
person designated by the pronouns he and him in the prophecy: "And, at the time of the end, shall the
king of the south push at him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with
chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships." This is a description of an alliance entered into by
the king of Sardinia, Italy, and Spain, in the south, and Great Britain, in the north, for six years. England
engaged, in this treaty, to pay the king of Sardinia 200,000l. per annum to furnish an army of horse and
a large fleet. The command of the fleet was given to Lord Nelson. Various was the success of the allies
in the south. Spain had to recede, and finally joined the French. The king of Sardinia had to leave his
territories on the continent, and shut himself up in the island of Sardinia. The king of Naples fled to the
island of Sicily, after making a vigorous push at the French, in November, 1798, and getting possession
of Rome, while Lord Nelson took and destroyed the French fleet, near the mouth of the Nile, the same
year. But the French soon retook Italy; and this broke up this league, and the French remained masters
of almost all that belonged to the Western Empire of Rome, except Great Britain. "And he shall enter
into the countries, and shall overflow, and pass over," was literally accomplished. "He shall enter also
into the glorious land," ( or land of delight, as it might have been translated.) This, I have no doubt,
means Italy. Bonaparte fought some of his most brilliant
0106
battles in this delightsome country. The battle of Marengo was fought, if I mistake not, in June, 1800,
after crossing the Alps, and impassable barrier between France and Italy, as it was supposed by his
enemies. "And many countries shall be overthrown." It is said that Bonaparte conquered three
kingdoms at the battle of Marengo. "But these shall escape out of his hands, even Edom and Moab, and
the chief of the children of Ammon." Bonaparte, when he went into Egypt, calculated to march into the
East Indies: he advanced into Syria, where, after gaining some advantages, he received a decisive check
before St. John d'Acre, when he was obliged to raise the siege,and retreat back to Egypt with the
shattered remains of his army. So the country once inhabited by the Edomites, Moabites, and
Ammonites, "escaped out of his hands." 42, "He shall stretch forth his hands also upon the countries;
and the land of Egypt shall not escape." "Hands signifies power; and what country on the globe did not
more or less feel the effects of Bonaparte's power? Egypt, surely, did not escape; for all Lower Egypt was
conquered by his arms. 43, "But he shall have power over the treasures of gold, and of silver,and over
all the precious things of Egypt." Bonaparte, in his conquest of Egypt, levied contributions upon the
inhabitants of the country sufficient to support and pay his troops, and brought away much with him.
"And the Lybians and Ethiopians shall be at his steps." When he first went into Egypt, he landed his
army on the coast of what was anciently called Lybia, and his last battle was fought in Upper Egypt-what the ancients called Ethiopia. So both of these places were at his steps, although neither of them
was fairly conquered, as was Egypt. 44, "But tidings out of the east, and out of the north, shall trouble
him." This was what was at that time called the Holy Alliance. This was composed of most of the kings
on the north and east of France, which finally proved the overthrow of the power of Bonaparte, and the
restoration of the Bourbons on the throne of France.
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0106 paragraph 1 The news of this alliance caused him much trouble, and
also his immediate return to France. "Therefore
0107
he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to make away many." This is a plain description
of Bonaparte's campaign into Russia. He went forth with an army of 400,000 men, with fury, in order to
break up the Holy Alliance. He did utterly destroy Moscow, and laid desolate the country through which
he passed. He made away with more than 200,000 of his own army, besides the destruction of his
enemies, say many thousand more. Such a destruction of life and property in one campaign was never
known since the days of the Persians and the Greeks. 45, "And he shall plant the tabernacle of his
palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain," (or mountain of delight.) This was literally
fulfilled, in May 26, 1805, when Bonaparte was crowned king of Italy at Milan,--Italy lying between two
seas. To "plant the tabernacle of his palace" would be to establish him as king. "Yet he shall come to his
end, and none shall help him." This closes the history of one of the most powerful monarchs--the most
ambitious and fortunate of warriors, and a man of unbounded sway--that modern times had ever
produced. He had destroyed, perhaps, more than 3,000,000 lives; he had dethroned more than one half
of the kings of Europe; he had disposed of kingdoms at his will; all nations had been under the control of
his decrees; he had commanded more than two millions of veteran soldiers; the treasures of the four
quarters of the globe lay at his feet. "Yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." How soon
the tale of his end is told! A breath, and his end is come; a vapor, and he is gone. O God! the breath of
kings is in thy hand; thy word goeth forth, and it is done; thy decree passeth, and it stands fast. "He
shall come to his end, and none shall help him." Where are those kings that courted his alliance? Where
the twenty millions of French who idolized him as a God? Where are those two millions of veteran
soldiers whose bodies had been used as ramparts to mount him to glory? Where are his five brethren
who sat in the seat of kings by his power? Where is his mother, made a rich dowager by his munificence?
Where, O where is the empress Maria Louisa, and the
0108
young king of Italy? "And none shall help him." Yes, Bonaparte was by the British, after he had resigned
himself into their hands, carried a prisoner to the island of St. Helena, in the Atlantic Ocean, where he
died in exile. "He shall come to his end, and none shall help him."
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0108 paragraph 1 By this history the kings of the earth may learn, that
God can, with perfect ease, when the set time shall come, break them and their kingdoms to pieces, so
that the wind may carry them away like chaff, that no place shall be found for them.
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0108 paragraph 2I shall now examine the remainder of Gabriel's message,
contained in Daniel 12:1, "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for
the children of thy people." Michael, in this passage, must mean Christ; he is the great Prince, and
Prince of princes.
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0108 paragraph 3 The time here spoken of is when Bonaparte shall come
to his end, and none to help him. This was in the latter part of the year A. D. 1815. There are two things
for which Christ stands up for his people to accomplish; one is their faith, and the other their judgment.
Jer 3:13. Now, it is evident he did not then stand up in judgment; therefore I shall choose the former,
that he stood up to plead the cause of his people, to restrain backsliders, and to add to the church of
God many who should be saved. And blessed be his holy name, he accomplished his purpose; for in the
years 1816,17,18, more people were converted to the faith of Jesus than had been for thirty years
before. Almost, and I know not but every town in these states was visited with a shower of mercy, and
hundreds and thousands, yea, tens of thousands, were born into the invisible kingdom of the dear
Redeemer, and their names recorded among the members of the church of the first born. This has
lasted in a great measure for 20 years, and has spread over a large share of the Christian world; even the
islands of the sea have lifted up their voices to God, and the wilderness has bloomed like the rose, and
the heathen have seen of his salvation. The grace of God has distilled upon us like the
0109
morning dew, and like showers upon a thirsty soil. Surely this must be by the power of Michael, the
great Prince of the covenant. "And there shall be a time of trouble, such as there never was since there
was a nation, even to that same time." This time of trouble is yet in futurity; but is hanging, as it were,
over our heads, ready to break upon us in tenfold vengeance, when the angel of the gospel, who is now
flying through the midst of heaven, shall seal the last child of God in their foreheads. And when the four
angels, who are now holding the four winds, that it blow not on the sea nor on the land, shall cease their
holding; then the angel, standing on the sea and land, shall lift his hand to heaven and swear by him that
liveth forever and ever, that time shall be no longer, or, as it might, and, perhaps, ought to have been
translated, "that there should be no longer delay;" that is, God would wait no longer for repentance, no
longer to be gracious; but his spirit would take its flight from the world, and the grace of God would
cease to restrain men. He that is filthy will be filthy still. Mankind will, for a short season, give loose to
all the corrupt passions of the human heart. No laws, human or divine, will be regarded; all authority
will be trampled under foot; anarchy will be the order of governments, and confusion fill the world with
horror and despair. Murder, treason, and crime, will be common law, and division and disunion the only
bond of fellowship. Christian will be persecuted unto death, and dens and caves of the earth will be
their retreat. All things that are not eternal will be shaken to pieces, that that which cannot be shaken
may remain. And his, if I am right in my calculations, will begin on or before A. D. 1839. "And at that
time thy people shall delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Now is come
salvation indeed. The people of God are now to be delivered from outward foes and inbred lusts, from
the corruptions of the grave and the vileness of the flesh. Every one, the poor and despised child of God,
will then be delivered when he makes up his jewels. "And many of them that sleep in the dust
0010
0110
of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." This
verse brings us down to the resurrection of the dead, when the dust will give up the bodies of the saints,
and they shall awake to everlasting life, when death shall be finally conquered, and the grave resign up
her captive saints to victory and glory. The angel also mentions the resurrection of the wicked, and
speaks of their shame and everlasting contempt. He dwells not in detail on this second resurrection, as
though it was too painful for thought, yet tells enough to let the wicked unbeliever know his awful doom,
and is silent. "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn
many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." This verse needs no comment; it is a beautiful
figure of the righteous in glory, and the durability of that happiness in the invisible and immortal
kingdom of God. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the
end." Some have taken occasion, form these words, to say, that this prophecy was to be shut up and
sealed, that none might understand it until the end. If it was so, why give it to Daniel at all? Why note it
in the Scripture of truth? Why give to us the same instruction which made Daniel understand what
should befall the people of God in the latter day? But the plain and obvious meaning of the first part of
this verse is, But thou, O Daniel, close up your prophecy, and set your seal to the truth of it, for at "the
time of the end many shall run to and for;" that is, at the time of the end the means of travel would be
greatly extended, so that many would travel into all parts of the earth, and would increase in knowledge
of places, men, and things. "And knowledge shall be increased." Can any prophecy be more literally
fulfilled than this? The increase of travel, and the means of conveyance, and the improvement in the
arts and sciences at the present day, have astonished the projector themselves. But if it should mean
holy things, then look at the great number of missionaries sent into all parts of our world. There are but
few nations, civilized or barbarous, Christian or
0111
heathen, but what are visited by the professed ministers of Christ, and knowledge of the word of God
has increased. And within thirty years, the Bible has been translated into one hundred and fifty
languages, more than tree times the number of all languages that had received a translation during 1800
years before. Millions of copies of the Bible have been circulated within the thirty years past, where
thousand only had been circulated before. "Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, there stood other two,
the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the river, and 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 Daniel saw the two holy ones inquiring of the man clothed in linen, which stood upon
the waters of the river. This man is the same as Michael standing up for the children of thy people. The
reason I assign is, he is clothed in linen, which shows he is the high priest for the people of God. It is the
same angel that John describes, Rev. 10:1-6. This angel is represented as being the messenger of the
covenant, by having a rainbow on his head. He was clothed with a cloud pure and white like linen. He,
too, had a little book open, showing what he should do, agreeing with our explanation, spreading the
gospel for the last time through the world, standing one foot on the sea, and the other on the earth, to
keep down the power of anti-Christ, who sits on many waters Rev. 17:1,15, and the power of the kings
of the earth, until the whole elect should be sealed. See Rev. 7:1-3. And that this Angel is the Mediator
is evident. And now he closes up the mediatorial kingdom, when he says, Rev. 10:6, "That there should
be time no longer," or, as some translate it, that there should be no longer delay,which must of course
have one of two meanings--either God will no longer delay his judgments, or he will no longer wait to be
gracious. See next verse, and 2 Peter 3:9. Take either one or both positions, and it proves my object,
that a part of the 45 years, the history of which we are now considering, is taken up in spreading the
gospel, and bringing the
0112
last remnant into Christ's fold. "For this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come;" Matt. 24:14. But the question, How long to the
end of these wonders? means to the end of the reign of the beast, which the world wondered after. Rev.
13:3,7, "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." This language shows us plainly, that it is the same angel
which John saw in Rev. 10:1-7. And the same time is indicated in Revelation as in Daniel. Here in Daniel
it is in the last 45 years, and in Revelation immediately preceding the time when the mystery of God
shall be finished, all that had been declared by his servants, the prophets, the whole prophecies would
be accomplished. "And sware by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and a half."
This is the same length of time given in Daniel 7:25, which is there given as the reign of the little horn. It
is also the same time which is given in Rev. 11:2. Forty-two months, (three years and half,) to give the
holy city to be trodden under foot. Again, the same time is given, Rev. 11:3, for the two witnesses to
prophesy, clothed in sackcloth, 1260 days. Also, Rev. 12:6,14, for the church in the wilderness, and,
again, in Rev. 13:5, where the anti-Christian beast had his delegated power to continue forty-two
months. All these times ended in A. D. 1798, as we may hereafter show; when the 45 years began to
accomplish the things which I have been attending to in this lecture. "And when he shall have
accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0112 paragraph 1 This brings us down to our text, and gives us another
important and conclusive sign by which we may know we live on the eve of finishing the prophecies, and
on the threshold of the immortal and eternal state. Let us be wise, then, and secure an interest in the
inheritance among the just, that when we fail on earth, we may be received into everlasting habitations
prepared for those who love Christ.
0113
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0113 paragraph 1 But the last sign, "the scattering of the holy people;" a
part of the perilous times. How are they to be scattered? I answer, By the error of the anti-Christian
abomination, and the lo heres and lo theres, by dividing the people of God into parties, divisions and
subdivision. And methinks I hear you say, "Surely these things are already accomplished." Yes, you are
right, in part, but not to its extent; the sects are all divided now, but not crumbled to pieces; some are
subdivided, but not scattered. The time is soon coming when father will be against the son, and son
against the father. Yea, the sects are all divided now. Presbyterians are divided into Old and New School,
and then again into Perfectionists. Congregationalists are divided between Orthodox and Unitarian, old
and new measures, Unionists, &c. Methodists are divided between Episcopal and Protestant. Baptist
are divided between old and new measures, Antimasons, Campbellites, open and close communion, &c.
&c. Quakers are divided between Orthodox and Hicksites; and thus might we go on and name the
divisions and subdivisions of all sects who have taken Christ for their captain.
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0113 paragraph 2 And now let me sum up in short what we have proved
to you in this discourse. And first, I showed the length of time our history would take up, viz., 45 years.
By the numbers given in Daniel 12:11-13, his 1290 days, beginning when the ten kings, represented by
the ten toes in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and ten horns in Daniel's vision, should be converted to the
Christian faith, and the daily sacrifice abomination taken out of the way, viz, A. D. 508, which would end
us in 1798, when the Pope lost his power to reign over the kings and trample on the holy people, and
the abomination of desolation ceased his civil reign, by being deprived of his civil power by Bonaparte. I
then showed you that the number 1335 days, beginning at the same time as the 1290 days, viz. A. D.
508, would end in 1843, at the resurrection, for Daniel would stand in his lot at the end of these days.
And you have undoubtedly notice that this brought us to the same year that Daniel's whole number,
2300, brought us, which is forty-five years, the
0010*
0114
difference between the two numbers, 1290 and 1335. I then began at Daniel 11:40, and gave you the
history of Bonaparte, his wonderful career of conquest and power, and his final end. I then gave you the
history of Michael standing up, and the reformation that followed in the years 1815,16,17, even down to
the present time. The unfulfilled prophecy which must come soon upon us, the troublous times. Next
we came to the time of the deliverance of the people of God, every one that sleep in the dust of the
earth, and the resurrection. Then the angel gave us a few signs which would happen in the course of
this time, such as the running to and fro, the increase of knowledge, the nations being restrained from
preventing the gospel being preached, and scattering the power of the holy people, all which you have
many of you witnessed, and can judge for yourselves whether these things are so.
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0114 paragraph 1 I shall now leave you for the present; and may you
reflect candidly and seriously on the subject; for many of you who are now on the earth may live to
witness this fulfilment; and if unprepared then, with what regret will you look back on your present
opportunity, and wish you had improved these precious moments for the salvation of your souls, and for
the glory of God!
WM 2miller LECTURE 7 page 0114 paragraph 2 Be wise, O ye inhabitants of the earth, for the Lord will
come and will not tarry, and the day of vengeance will overtake you as a thief in the night; "but the wise
shall understand."
0115
LECTURE 8
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0115 paragraph 1 REV. 8:13
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0115 paragraph 2 And I beheld and heard an angel flying through the
midst of heaven, saying, with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth, by reason of
the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0115 paragraph 3 In prophetical scripture, the sounding of trumpets is
always used to denote the downfall of some empire, nation, or place, or some dreadful battle, which
may decide the fate of empires,nations, or places. At the fall of Jericho, the trumpet was the instrument,
in the hands of the priest of the mighty God of Jacob, which cast down her walls, destroyed the city, and
a curse pronounced against the man that should ever build up her walls again. Again, the trumpet was
the instrument by which Gideon put to flight the armies of the aliens. And the prophet Amos says,
"Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid?" Therefore we may reasonably
conclude that a trumpet is the harbinger of destructive wars, and the dissolution of empires, states, or
the earth, as the case may be. The seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation, the three last of which are
mentioned in our text, indicate the final overthrow of the powers spoken of in the prophecy. The four
first had their accomplishment in the destruction of the Jews and their dispersion, in the fall of imperial
Rome, in the overthrow of the Asiatic kingdom, and in the taking away of Pagan rites and ceremonies.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0115 paragraph 4 The last three trumpets will claim our attention in
0116
this discourse; the first four having their accomplishment under Rome Pagan; to the last three under
Rome Papal. These three trumpets and three woes are a description of the judgments that God has sent
and will send on this Papal beast, the abomination of the whole earth. Therefore we see the propriety
of the language of our text, "Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth," meaning the worshippers
of this Papal beast, the followers of this abomination. The fifth trumpet alludes to the rise of the Turkish
empire under Ottoman, at the downfall of the Saracens. Ottoman uniting under his government the
four contending nations of Mahometans, which had long contended for the power during the reign of
the Saracen empire, viz., the Saracens, Tartars, Arabs, and Turks. These, all being by profession
Mahometans, were ready to follow any daring leader to conquer and drive out from Asia (and even
make excursion into Europe) all who professed the Christian faith. They, having embraced the errors of
that fallen star, Mahomet, whose principles were promulgated by conquest and the sword, became one
and perhaps the only barrier to the spread of the Papal doctrine and power in the eastern world. Here
the Roman Church had long held a powerful sway over the minds and consciences of the Christian or
Greek church in the east, by the aid of the eastern emperor at Constantinople. But the Turks or
Ottomans, whom the Lord suffered to rise up in Bithynia, on or near the head waters of the Euphrates,
as a scourge against this Papal abomination, now became a check to the Roman power; and from this
time we may reasonably date the declension of Papal authority. Therefore on the sounding of the fifth
trumpet, Rome Papal began to show a weakness which in every succeeding age has been more and
more manifested, until her civil power has crumbled to ruin, and her ecclesiastical assumption must sink,
at the sounding of the seventh trump, to rise no more forever.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0116 paragraph 1 In the description of these trumpets we shall be able to
apply the prophecy, as the writer believes, to those events designed by the vision which John saw.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0116 paragraph 2 Rev. 9:1. "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw
0117
a star fall from heaven unto the earth; and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit." After the
downfall of Pagan Rome, and the rise of the anti-Christians abomination, Mahomet promulgated a
religion which evidently came from the bottomless pit; for it fostered all the wicked passions of the
human heart, such as war, murder, slavery, and lust.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0117 paragraph 1 2d verse, "And he opened the bottomless pit, and there
arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air was darkened by
reason of the smoke of the pit." The figures used in the text are, thebottomless pit, which denote the
theories of men or devils, that have no foundation in the word of God. Smoke denotes the errors from
such doctrine, which serve to blind the eyes of men, that they cannot see the truth. As the smoke of a
great furnace shows the great extent or effect of this error over the world. The sun denotes the gospel,
which is the great luminary of the moral world. The airdenotes the moral influence on the mind, which
is commonly called piety. As air supports or gives to the lungs animation in the physical world, so does
the piety of the heart to the moral.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0117 paragraph 2 This, then, is the true sentiment of this passage. And by
reason of the Mahometan errors which would be believed or followed by a great multitude, the gospel
and the pious influence of the same would be in a great measure hid or lost to the world.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0117 paragraph 3 3d verse, "And there came out of the smoke locusts
upon the earth; and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power." By
theselocusts I understand armies. See Joel, 1st and 2nd chapters. Therefore I should read this text thus:
And there came out from these Mahometan followers large armies, which should have great power to
execute the judgments of God on this anti-Christian beast, which had filled the earth with her
abominations.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0117 paragraph 4 4th verse, "And it was commanded them that they
should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men
which have not the seal of God in their foreheads." By grass, green
0118
things, and trees, Ps. 72:16, Hosea 14:8, I understand the true church, or people of God. By those men
having not the seal of God,&c., I understand the anti-Christian church, or Papal Rome. Then this would
be the sense: And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the true church, or people of God,
but only the anti-Christian best, or powers subject to her.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0118 paragraph 1 5th verse, "And to them it was given that they should
not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a
scorpion, when he striketh a man." To kill is to destroy. Five monthsis in prophecy 150 years. To
torment as a scorpion, &c., is to make sudden incursions and irruption into the country, &c. Then this is
the sentiment to me conveyed in the text: And the Turkish armies would not have power to destroy the
Papal powers for 150 years, but would make sudden and quick incursions into their territories, and
harass and perplex the nations under the Papal control.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0118 paragraph 2 6th verse, "And in those days shall men seek death, and
shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." About this time the Greek
church, in Constantinople, was so harassed by the Papal authority, that it gave rise to a saying among
them, that they "had rather see the Turkish turban on the throne of the Eastern Empire, than the Pope's
tiara." And anyone who has read the history of the 14th century, will see that this text was literally
accomplished.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0118 paragraph 3 7th verse, "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto
horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were, as it were, crowns like gold, and their faces were
as the faces of men." In this verse we have a description of the Turkish armies. In the first place they
are represented as being all horsemen. This was true with the Turks, and no other kingdom since
Christ's time, that we have any knowledge of, whose armies were all horsemen. They wore on their
heads yellow turbans, which can only apply to the Turks, looking like crowns of gold.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0118 paragraph 4 8th verse, "And they had hair as the hair of women, and
their teeth were as the teeth of lions." They wore
0119
long hair attached to their turbans, and they fought with javelins like the teeth of lions.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0119 paragraph 1 9th verse, "And they had breastplates, as it were
breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running
to battle." By their breastplates I understand shields, which the Turks carried in their battles; and
history tells us that when they charged an enemy,they made a noise upon them like the noise of chariot
wheels.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0119 paragraph 2 10th verse,"And they had tails like unto scorpions, and
there were stings in their tails; and their power was to hurt men five months." The Turkish horsemen
had each a cimeter which hung in a scabbard at their waist, that they used in close combat after they
had discharged their javelins, with which they were very expert, severing a man's or even a horse's head
at a blow. And from the time that the Ottoman power or Turkish empire was first established in
Bithynia, until the downfall of the Greek or Eastern Empire, when the Turks took Constantinople, was
five prophetic months, or one hundred and fifty years.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0119 paragraph 3 11th verse, "And they had a king over them, which is
the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue
hath his name Apollyon." The Turkish government had a king when they began, as before mentioned,
and he was a follower of the Mahometan faith, and truly a servant or messenger of this doctrine of the
bottomless pit. The name of their first king, who is styled in history the founder of the Turkish empire,
was Othoman or Ottoman, from whom the empire took its name, and has been called to this day the
Ottoman empire. And great has been the destruction which this government has executed upon the
world; and well may this empire be styled Destroyer, in prophecy the signification of Abaddon or
Apollyon.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0119 paragraph 4 12 verse, "One woe is past; and behold, there come two
woes more hereafter." This closes the fifth trumpet and the first woe, commencing at the foundation of
the Turkish empire in Bithynia, in the year A. D. 1298, and lasting five prophetic months, or 150 years,
which carries us down to the year A.D. 1448. When we take into
0120
view the object and design of God in sending this judgment or scourge upon the men who have not the
seal of God on their foreheads; the anti-Christian beast, who profess to be Christians, but are not; when
we compare the history of those times with the prophecy--we have been examining, and the events
which have transpired concerning the Ottoman empire, with the descriptive character given of them in
this prophecy,--we cannot, I think, hesitate for a moment to apply the fulfilment of this trumpet and
woe, to theseevents, time, and place; and must be led to admire the agreement between the prophecy
and fulfillment, and to believe this book of Revelation to be indited by the unerring wisdom of the Divine
Spirit; for no human forethought could have so exactly described these events, dress, manners, customs,
and mode of warfare 1200 years beforehand, except the wisdom of God had assisted him. And if these
things are revealed by God himself unto us, surely no one will dare to say that it is non-essential
whether we believe this part of the revealed will of God or not. Shall God speak and man disregard it?
Forbid it, O Father; and let us have "ears to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches."
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0120 paragraph 1 We shall now follow the revelation of God into the sixth
trumpet and second woe; and may we have the Spirit of God to assist us and lead our minds into the
truth of these things.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0120 paragraph 2 13th verse, "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a
voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God," 14th verse, "Saying to the sixth
angel which had the trumpet, loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates." By
the sounding of the trumpet, I understand the commencing of those judgments which were poured out
upon the earth under this trumpet; and by the "voice from the four horns of the golden alter," the
agreement of all the powers of heaven and earth to execute the design of God in this thing. By losing
the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates, I understand that God was now about to
suffer the four principal nations of which the Ottoman empire was composed, which had in vain
0121
attempted to subdue the Eastern Empire at Constantinople, and made but little progress in conquering
Europe, now to take Constantinople, and to overrun and subdue one third part of Europe, which was the
fact about the middle of the fifteenth century.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0121 paragraph 1 15th verse, "And the four angels were loosed, which
were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, to slay the third part of men." The four
angels, we may reasonably conclude, are a representation of the four nations that had embraced the
Mahometan religion, and were now under the control of the Ottoman, viz., Turks, Tartars, Arabs, and
Saracens. The time expressed in the last-mentioned verse is 391 years and 15 days. "To slay the third
part of men," is to destroy and conquer one third part of the governments or kingdoms of which the
Papal beast had the control, which was true in the end.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0121 paragraph 2 16th verse, "And the number of the army of the
horsemen was two hundred thousand thousand; and I heard the number of them." In this verse the
precise number of the army of horsemen is given, for John tells us "he heard the number of them." And
if we should understand the prophet to mean, as some suppose he does, 200,000, multiplied by a 1000,
then the sum total would be 200,000,000, which would be more men than were ever on our earth at
one time capable of bearing arms; therefore I believe this is not the meaning of the prophet, neither do I
think that it was a succession of armies during the whole period of 391 years, making the sum total of
200,000,000, for this, too, would be incredible; for allowing a standing army of 15,385,000 to be
recruited every 30 years, it would only make the two hundred millions; and this sum would be more
than five times the number of all the standing armies in the known world. And from these consideration
I have for myself given this construction, that the prophet John heard the number of 200,000 repeated,
or twice told, which would make an army of 400,000 horsemen; and this would not be incredible. And
what is to me strong proof of the fact is, that the history informs us that Mahomet II, came against
Constantinople about the year A. D. 1450, with
0122
an army of 400,000* horsemen, and after a long siege took the city in the year 1453, and destroyed the
Eastern Empire, which had stood more than ten centuries from its foundation by Constantine.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0122 paragraph 1 17th verse: "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and
them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth and brimstone; and the heads of the
horses were as the heads of lions, and out of their mouths issued fire, and smoke, and brimstone." 18th
verse, "By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the
brimstone, which issued out of their mouths." 19th verse, "For their power is in their mouth, and in their
tails; for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt." In these verses
which we have now read, we are plainly informed that it was an army of horses, and men on them,
which John saw in the vision. And the implements and manner of fighting, such as the trapping of their
horses, and the instruments offensive and defensive, gun powder and guns, are as exactly described as
any person could describe it without knowing the name by which we describe it at the present day. Fire,
smoke, and brimstone, would be the most visible component parts of gunpowder. Fire and smoke we
should see, and brimstone we should smell. And who ever saw an army of horsemen engaged in an
action but would think of John's description, "out of their mouths issued fire, and smoke, and
brimstone," and in the breech of the guns were bullets, "like heads, and with these they do hurt"? Every
part of this description is exactly applicable to an army of horsemen with fire-arms; and what is equally
strong in the evidence is, that guns and fire-arms were invented but a short time previous to this trumpsounding, and the Turks claimed the honor (if honor it can be called) of inventing gun powder and guns:
and it is equally evident by the history that guns were first used by the Turks at the taking of
Constantinople, they having one single cannon that took 70 yoke of oxen to draw it at the siege, as says
Dr. Gill on this passage.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0122 paragraph 2 *******
300,000
*Some authors say
0123
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0123 paragraph 1 20th verse, "And the rest of the men which were not
killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils,
and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor
walk." 21st verse, "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their
fornication, nor of their thefts." In these verses, we have the character of the persons or government on
whose account these plagues were sent. In the first place, they are represented as idolaters, as
worshipping devils, idols of gold, &c., full of murder, sorceries, fornication, and theft. This exactly
agrees with the description John has given of the "woman sitting on the scarlet-colored best, full of
names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and
scarlet color, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full
of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery,
Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots,and the abominations of the earth." So we see that the fifth
and sixth trumpets, and the two first woes, were sent as the judgments of God upon this anti-Christian
best, and clearly shows the decline of the power which she had exercised over the kings of the earth and
the people of God for more than eight centuries, to the commencing of the sixth trumpet, when the
Turks were let loose upon those kingdoms under the control of Papacy, conquered all Asia and about
one third part of Europe, and were in the end the means of opening the eyes of many of the inhabitants
of the world to see that the Pope's pretension of being the vicegerent of God was not well founded; for,
if he could not foresee and resist the inroads of the Turks,--that infidel nation,--surely he could not
perform those great miracle which he pretended to perform in order to support his ecclesiastical and
civil power: and individuals, and afterward nations, began to disregard his authority, excommunications,
and bulls, until his power is now but a little more than a bishop of Rome.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0123 paragraph 2 Here we see the wonder-working ways of our God,
0124
who, in wisdom and providence, suffers the corrupt and infidel nations of the earth to pull down each
other, and to bring about his purposes and designs, and will eventually destroy all the kingdoms of the
earth, by such means, and in such ways, as the prophets have foretold; and whoever lives until the year
1839 will see the final dissolution of the Turkish empire, for then the sixth trumpet will have finished its
sounding, which, if I am correct, will be the final overthrow of the Ottoman power. And then will the
seventh trump and last woe begin, under which the kingdoms of the earth and the anti-Christian beast
will be destroyed, the power of darkness chained, the world cleansed, and the church purified.
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0124 paragraph 1 See the 10th chapter of Revelation, 5th, 6th, and 7th
verses, "And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven."
This is the angel of the covenant, the great Mediator. See the first verse, "And I saw another mighty
angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud." So is Christ to come in the clouds with power and
great glory. "And a rainbow was upon his head." This shows plainly that it is Christ; for the rainbow is a
token of the covenant. "And his face was as it were the sun." The same as when he was transfigured,
Matt 17:2, "And his feet as pillars of fire." See Rev. 1:15, "His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned
in a furnace." Surely this must be Christ. "And he had in his hand a little book open." None could open
the book but the lion of the tribe of Judah--another strong proof that the angel in Rev. 10:5 is Christ.
And who but Christ could stand upon the sea and upon the earth, and lift "up his hand to heaven, and
swear by Him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that therein are, and the
sea and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer"? that is, gospel or mediatorial
time should cease. No more time for mercy; no more Spirit to strive with you, sinner; no more means of
grace; no more repentance unto life; no more hopes of heaven; for Jesus has sworn by himself, because
he could swear by no greater, that your day of
0125
probation "should be no longer." For "he that is filthy shall be filthy still." The Bridegroom has come,
and shut the door. I know, sinner, you will then cry, Lord, Lord, open unto us; but he will say unto you,
Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, for I know you not: when I called to you to open the door of
your hearts, that I might come in and sup with you, ye refused; when I stretched out my arm all the long
day of the gospel, ye regarded it not; I will now laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh.
Then will the angel, flying through the midst of heaven, cry, with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the
inhabitants of the earth; for, when the last woe is pronounced, and "in the days of the voice of the
seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of
WM 2miller LECTURE 8 page 0125 paragraph 1 God should be finished, as he hath declared to his
servants the prophets." "The second woe is past, and behold the third woe cometh quickly. And the
seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are
become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever," Rev. 11:14,15.
By these passages we learn that, when the sixth trumpet has done sounding, when the second woe is
past, then the third woe comes quickly. The seventh trump begins to sound; the mystery of God is
finished--all that has been spoken by the prophets, that is, all that concerns the kingdom of Christ; for
then will be brought to pass the saying, Death is swallowed up in victory; for, when the last trumpet
shall sound, the dead in Christ shall be raised: "For as in Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be
made alive." "But every man in his own order. Christ the first fruits, afterward they that are Christ's at
his coming." "The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second Man is the Lord from heaven." "As is the
earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly."
"And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now, this
I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit
incorruption." "Behold, I show you a mystery:
0011
0126
we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed;
for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." "Then will be
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory," 1 Cor. 15:22-54.
0127
LECTURE 9
REV. 1:20
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0127 paragraph 1 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my
right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches;
and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0127 paragraph 2 It has generally been believed that the seven churches
to whom the angel instructed John to write, were seven different and distinct churches in Asia, and by
almost all of our commentators at the present day are understood to mean seven literal churches. But
your speaker is forced, from the reasons which will hereafter be produced, to believe that these seven
churches of Asia are to be understood in a figurative sense, alluding to seven periods of the church
militant, during the Christian dispensation, down to the first resurrection, and the commencing of the
glorious reign of Christ on the earth, commonly called The Millennium. If this view of the subject should
prove to be the correct exposition of the text, how important and interesting is the subject to us who
live in the last stage of the church! Then we who live at this day, are particularly, and solemnly and
awfully, admonished in what is said by Christ to the church of the Laodiceans, that church
corresponding with our stage of the church immediately previous to the commencing of the millennial
glory; and how necessary that we should know that these admonitions do most deeply concern us!
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0127 paragraph 3 This view of the subject will then claim our first
attention. Were the Seven churches used as a figure of the whole Christian dispensation, or were they
not? I
0128
answer, In my humble opinion, they were. Because, first, the book of Revelation does evidently contain
a prophecy of things which did not concern those seven literal churches in Asia; for those churches have
long since passed away and become extinct; yet the book of Revelation contains prophecies which are
daily fulfilling, and have been for eighteen centuries. It is also said to be a revelation of things which
must shortly come to pass. "The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him, to show unto his
servants things which must shortly come to pass." Not things that have been. Yet if Christ is only giving
admonitory advice to those seven literal churches, then he is only relating their characters as they then
were, and so far as these churches were concerned it would cease to be a prophecy, and the very first
verse in Revelation would be violated. Again, 3d verse, "Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear
the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand."
We see that it is called a prophecy in this verse, and must allude to the whole book; but who will
pretend that the three chapters in the beginning of Revelation are a prophecy, if we understand them as
relating the character of seven literal churches in Asia only? None, none.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0128 paragraph 1 Again: the word seven is often used in the word of God
as a mystical number, meaning the whole, as seven spirits, seven stars, seven angels, seven candlesticks,
seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, seven thunders, seven plagues, seven mountains, seven heads,
seven eyes, seven horns, seven crowns, seven kings, and seven churches. All these are used in
Revelation and apply to or concerning the whole Gospel period. If, then, the number seven is used so
often in this book in a figurative sense, may we not reasonably suppose that it is so used in the
dedication of this book to the seven churches in Asia, and the history of those seven churches be
prophetic? for no scripture is given for any private interpretation, and surely the instruction in the
introduction of the book carries us down to the coming of Christ in the clouds--"Behold, he cometh with
clouds; and every
0129
eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindred of the earth shall wail because of him;
even so, amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and
which is to come, the Almighty." And why all this descriptive grandeur in the address to these seven
churches, if they only were meant? Surely there were other churches of equal importance at that day.
Where were the churches at Corinth, Cappadocia, Galatia, Thessalonica, Philippi, Collosse, Rome,
Jerusalem, Bithynia, &c.? Our text shows that the seven churches were to be understood in a figurative
or mystical sense. "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven
golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven candlesticks
which thou sawest are the seven churches." These seven churches are represented by "seven lamps."
See Zech. 4:2, "And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick
all of gold, with a bowl upon the top if it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven
lamps which were upon the top thereof." These seven lamps are called "the eyes of the Lord which run
to and fro through the whole earth." See Zach. 4:10. If this is true, then it readily follows that the seven
churches of Asia are only used as a figure representing the church "through the whole earth." Again: the
seven lamps, which are the seven churches, are called the seven spirits of God. Rev. 4:5, "And there
were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God." I have clearly
proved, and I think it will be admitted by all, that the "seven eyes of the Lord," and "the seven spirits of
God," are the seven churches to whom John was directed to write or dedicate his book, the Revelation
of Jesus Christ.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0129 paragraph 1 And I will now show that these comprehended the
whole church through the whole earth. See Rev. 5:6, "And I beheld, and lo! in the midst of the throne
and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had ben slain, having seven
horns,and seven eyes, which are the " seven spirits of God sent forth into
0130
all the earth." Again: when we compare the several characteristic marks or events, upon opening the
seven seals, with those marks and instructions to the seven churches, we shall be led to admire the
beauty, harmony, and consistency of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to his people. And I think the mind
will rest satisfied that this view of the subject is the truth, because it so exactly agrees with Christ's
manner of teaching by parables when he was with us in the flesh.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0130 paragraph 1 Some may inquire, "Why were those seven churches in
Asia used as figures to represent the church militant in her several conditions to the end of her militant
state?" I answer, (if we may be allowed to answer the whysof wherefores,) Because the signification of
the names of those seven churches describe the spirit and qualities of the several periods of the
Christian church, which they are brought forward to represent, which we shall attempt to show in its
proper place.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0130 paragraph 2 I shall now endeavor to take up the churches in the
order in which they are laid down to us in Revelation. (Read Rev. 2:1-7, inclusive.) 1st. The word
EPHESUS, desirable chief. This is true concerning the first age of the church, in the apostles' days, when
the Holy Ghost was given the power to work miracles, and the power to distinguish between good and
evil spirits, and when all were of one heart and one mind, and the canon of the Holy Scriptures were
filling up, and the inspired apostles were setting things in order, and establishing churches through the
world. Yes, my brethren, these were desirable times surely. But to proceed: This church is addressed by
the character "that holdeth the seven stars," the ministers and servants of him who holdeth them, "in
his right hand," under his immediate care and control, "who walketh in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks," and has said, where two or three are gathered together in his name, there will he be in
the midst of them, and has promised that whatsoever they should ask in his name it should be granted
unto them. He says, "I know thy works." In that day they brought forth fruits meet for repentance, and
they went every where preaching that men should repent; and Paul said, when preaching at
0131
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0131 paragraph 1 Athens, "But now commandeth all men every where to
repent." Yes, all, saint or sinner, high or low, rich or poor; all, all must repent. And O! my brethren, how
much we need these works at the present day! "Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen,
and repent and do thy first works." Again he says, "I know thy labor." Did not the apostles labor night
and day? 2 Thess. 3:8, "Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought, but wrought with labor and
travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you." See 1 Thess. 2:8,9, "So being
affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only,
but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail;
for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable to any of you, we preached unto you
the gospel of God." Again he says, "And thy patience." This, too, will apply to the apostles' days. For
Paul says, 2 Cor. 6:4, "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in
afflictions, in necessities, in distresses." Also, 12:12, "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among
you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. And again the apostle says to Timothy,
"But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience."
And who can read the history of the first age of the church, but will admit that works, labor and patience,
were prominent features of that age, and virtues which adorned the Christian church in its infancy, more
than any age since? "And how thou canst not bear them which are evil." Who can read Paul's
instructions to his Corinthian brethren, in 1 Cor. 5:11, without seeing this text fulfilled? "But now I have
written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother [as though such a one could
not be a real brother, but only called so] be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a
drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one do not to eat." And had the servants of Christ at the
present day the power of the apostles to discern the spirits by which we are governed, how many in this
congregation would blush when
0132
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0132 paragraph 1 "a fornicator" is mentioned! How many "covetous"
would hide their faces! How many "idolaters" would bow their heads, or "railers" would begin to
murmur at the plainness of the speaker! How many "drunkards" would not have staggered into this
house! And how many "extortioners" would have staid at home! O God, thou knowest. Or who can
read the 2d chapter of the 2d epistle of Peter, and John's first epistle, Jude, and others, and not be
convinced that the apostles could not bear with them that were evil? Again: "Thou hast tried them
which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." This sentence was fulfilled in the
apostles' days. Simon Magus, after he was professedly a disciple of Christ, was found out by Peter to be
in the "gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity." Hymeneus and Alexander, whom Paul delivered to Satan,
that they may learn not to blaspheme. 1 Tim. 1:20. Also Philetus, Demas, and Alexander the
coppersmith, were all found to be liars, and many others who went out from them, as the apostle says,
because they were not of them. And how many are there now, my brethren, among us, who, when
tribulation cometh, will be offended, and go out from us! Lord, is it I? "And hast borne, and hast
patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted." Yes, my brethren, it was for the
name of Jesus, that the primitive Christians bore the persecutions of their day. Acts 15:25,26, "It
seemed good unto us to send chosen men unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that
have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 9:16, "For I will show him what
great things he must suffer for my name's sake." Verse 41, "And they departed from the presence of
the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." And, may I not
inquire, how many of us are willing and would rejoice to suffer shame for the name of Christ? Perhaps
none. We had rather be called Rabbi, Rev., Dr., &c. We are contending for our names at the present
day; for Baptists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Free-wills, Campbellites, &c. If we do
not contend earnestly for our sect, they will decrease, and we shall come
0133
to nought. And I say, May God speed it; so that you all may fall on the word of God, and rally again
under the name of Jesus. But we will proceed with our subject. 4th verse, "Nevertheless I have
somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Can this be true? Did the apostolic
church, in its purity, so soon depart from the first principles of the gospel? Yes, in Acts 15:24,
"Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words,
subverting your souls, saying, ye must be circumcised, and keep the whole law, to whom we gave no
such commandment." Gal. 1:6, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the
grace of Christ unto another gospel." 1 Timothy,1:19, "Holding faith and a good conscience, which some
having put away, concerning faith, have made shipwreck." 2 Tim. 1:15, "This thou knowest, that all they
which are in Asia are turned away from me." And Paul further says, 4:16, "At my first answer no man
stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God lay not this sin to their charge."
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0133 paragraph 1 Many more evidences might be brought, to prove that
many, in that early state of the church, did fall away from the doctrine of grace, which Paul and the
apostles taught. And now, my brethren, how is it with us? Are we built on the truth? Have we a "Thus
saith the Lord," for all we believe and do? Are we built on "the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner-stone"? Look well to your foundation--the day is coming that will try
every man's works.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0133 paragraph 2 Verse 5, "Remember, therefore, from whence thou art
fallen, and repent and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove the
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." In this verse the great Head of the church admonishes
the Christians of their former sins in neglecting the doctrine of grace, and falling into the popular errors
of the day, which I have before noticed, and warns them of their duty to repent, which is the first and
great command under the gospel. He also gives them notice, that, except they repent, he will remove
the "desirable" state of the
0134
church into the next, which would be a state of trial, persecution, and poverty.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0134 paragraph 1 6th verse, "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the
deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." What the deeds of the Nicolaitans were, we are not able,
from the word of God, to determine; but from some things hinted at by some ancient authors, we have
good reason to believe that Nicholas, one of the seven deacons, departed from the doctrine which the
apostles taught, and preached a doctrine which was repugnant to the gospel of Christ, viz., a community
or plurality of wives, which led Paul in his instructions to say, "Let the deacons be the husband of one
wife," 1 Tim. 3:12. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." Here we
have another evidence, that the branch of the church at Ephesus was not the only church addressed in
this epistle and prophecy; for, if so, what propriety in using the word churches, in the plural, when only
one church in Asia was spoken of? No, it could not be proper, neither would it have been, as it is so
used in every epistle through the whole seven, had not Christ designed it for all the churches in a certain
age. There is also an admonition contained in these last-quoted words, to read, hear, and observe the
prophecy now given by the Spirit to John, the inspired servant of Christ; and for all the churches of the
age spoken of, to be careful to apply to themselves the admonitions, designed by the Holy Spirit for their
immediate benefit. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of
the paradise of God." How precious is this promise to the faithful and tried souls, who places all his
hope, and strength, and dependence, on one who is mighty to save, and on one who has promised to
bring him off conqueror over all the enemies of grace, and the powers of hell! Yes, and, more than all,
he has overcome and entered within the veil, as a forerunner for us who believe. May we all, by faith,
have a right to this tree of life, this paradise of God.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0134 paragraph 2 I will now examine the prophecy to the second church,
which I understand to commence about the close of the first century, and lasted about two hundred
years, until the days of Constantine, A. D. 312.
0135
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0135 paragraph 1 8th verse, "And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna,
write." The signification of the word Smyrna, is myrrh; denoting that the church in this age would be a
sweet-smelling savor to God, while she was passing through the fiery ordeal of persecution and affliction,
which always has served to weed out those obnoxious plants of pride, popularity, self-dependence--the
bane and poison of true faith, piety, and devotion. And O, my brethren, could we learn wisdom, by
what the church has already suffered in the days of our forefathers, we should be more humble, the
more worldly peace and prosperity we enjoyed. For it is only in the midst of persecution and trial, that
the church manifest great purity of doctrine or life. How well, then, might this age of the church be
compared to myrrh, when she must have been separated from worldly honors, avarice, pride, popularity,
and hypocrisy, when the hypocrite and worldling had no motives to unite with and destroy the union of
the brotherhood, and when the hireling shepherd could expect no fleece, that would suit his cupidity, to
filch from the lambs of Christ! "These things saith the first and the last, which was dead and is alive." In
these words we learn the character speaking to the church. It is no less than the mighty God, the
everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty." Now, their
works were about to be tried; although God knew them that were his, yet he designed to manifest to a
world who would be faithful even unto death, and to show that pure and undefiled religion would burn
with a brighter flame in tribulation and poverty, and the richness of that faith, which would bring off the
true Christian conqueror over the powers of the world, the temptations of Satan, and corruption of the
flesh. "But thou art rich." Yes, brethren, the true and genuine Christian is rich. For charity can suffer
long in tribulation, and the spirit of Christ will make us forsake all for his sake, and endure poverty for
the name of Jesus. "And I know," says Christ, "the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, (that is,
people of God,) and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan."
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0135 paragraph 2 Although Christ knew the hypocrites and false
professors
0136
that had rushed into his visible kingdom during a time of prosperity that the church had experienced in
its Ephesian state, or apostolic age, yet now the time had come, when that candlestick must be removed,
and the next age of the church or candlestick be set up; and the same means used by God to purify the
silver would purge out the dross, so that the kingdom would again be cleansed of its worldly,
hypocritical, and false professors.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0136 paragraph 1 10, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer."
The true child of God need not fear to suffer for Christ's sake, for the sufferings of this present evil world
will work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. "Behold, the devil shall cast some
of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days." The devil in this verse
means Pagan Rome. See Rev. 12:9,17, "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the
devil." "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." How exactly
was this prophecy fulfilled in the days of Nero, Domitian, and other Roman emperors, and how faithful
has history been to record the ten persecutions between the days of John's prophecy and the emperor
Constantine! In these ten persecutions of the Roman government, in the text called ten days, we learn
by the history of those days the church suffered a great diminution in numbers by apostasy and fear; yet
those that remained steadfast made up in graces what they lost in numbers; and it was truly a time of
trial, for many were cast into prison, and many suffered torture and death, rather than to offer sacrifices
to their Pagan gods. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Yes, my brethren,
if we can believe the history of those days, many of the dear disciples of Christ were faithful unto death,
and have long enjoyed the crown of life promised in this prophecy.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0136 paragraph 2 11, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." Here, then, we find
some of those character who will have part in the first resurrection,
0137
the blessed martyrs who were slain for the witness of Jesus. See Rev. 20:4. And in this passage we are
again commanded to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches--all, all who have ears; not the branch in
Smyrna only, but all who have ears. We have long been in the habit of giving away Scriptures to others
when it belongs to us and our children; let us therefore apply it home.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0137 paragraph 1 12, "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,"
Very earthy elevated is the signification of the wordPergamos; and this church represents the age of
Constantine, which lasted more than two hundred years, until the rise of anti-Christ, form A. D. 312 until
A. D. 538. During this age the church became very earthy, having her worldly policy, and, like the church
in the present day, attending more to the outward concerns, and the worldly part of religion, than to
inward piety and graces of the spirit, looking more for forms and ceremonies, than for the life, power,
and spirit of the religion of Jesus, spending much of their time in building elegant chapels, gorgeous
temples, high places to educate their ministry, and adorning them with pictures and pleasant things, and
filling the hearts of their worshippers with high, popular, and haughty notions. Yes, my brethren, the
age of trial was gone; the holy and secret aspirations of piety fled away, and, now she had obtained an
earthly emperor, her divine Master was forgotten. And here was the falling away mentioned by Paul, 2
thess 2:3, "Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come except there come a
falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." This, then, was the age that
prepared the church to receive that monster, the man of sin, the son of perdition, into her bosom, which
stung the church with the poison of asps, and filled the temple of God with image worship, and the
church with idolatry, selfishness, avarice, and pride.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0137 paragraph 2 "These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with
two edges." By the sharp sword with two edges, we must understand the word of God, which
denounces heavy judgments on the wicked, and cuts off the corruptions
0012
0138
and errors from the church. The Psalmist says, 149:5-7, "Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing
aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their
hand, to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people." Paul says, Heb.4:12,
"For the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart. And John saw, Rev. 1:16, "And he had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his
mouth went a sharp two-edged sword." Then this is the meaning of the passage under consideration,
"These things saith he," which hath the word of God, and showing us the importance of attending to the
subject following, by the importance of the speaker, "He that is Christ." And now, while we read or hear,
let us keep in memory that it is no less a personage speaking, than Him of whom the prophets did write;
who holdeth the stars in his right hand, and created and preserves all things by the word of his power.
Hear him.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0138 paragraph 1 "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even
where Satan's seat is. Here, again, we have an evidence that this church is mystical, "dwelling in Satan's
seat," the fourth kingdom, the great red dragon, imperial Rome, whereon the great mystical whore of
Babylon sitteth. The church, in this age, became immediately connected with this power called Satan,
which is the devil, Pagan Rome. "And thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith." In this
time of popular religion, and when many, from political and worldly motives, united their names to the
people of God, still there were some who held to the doctrine of Christ, and did not deny the faith.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0138 paragraph 2 "Even in those days, wherein Antipas was my faithful
martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth." It is supposed that Antipas was not an
individual, but a class of men who opposed the power of the bishops or Popes in that day, being a
combination of two words, Anti, opposed, and Papas, father or Pope,
0139
and many of them suffered martyrdom, at that time, in Constantinople and Rome, where the bishops
and Popes began to exercise the power which soon after brought into subjection the kings of the earth,
and trampled on the right of the church of Christ. And, for myself, I see no reason to reject this
explanation of the word Antipas in this text, as the history of those times are perfectly silent respecting
such an individual as is here named. Yet many, who opposed the worship of saints and pictures, and the
infallibility of the bishop of Rome, were excommunicated, persecuted, and finally driven out from
among men, and in the next age of the church had to flee into the wilderness. All this happened in the
kingdom of Rome, "where Satan dwelleth."
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0139 paragraph 1 "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast
there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the
children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication." The world have always
been endeavoring to draw the church of Christ into fellowship with them, and to a mixed communion of
idolatry, as Balaam taught Balak to draw the children of Israel from their God and his commands, by
mixing with the Jews in their worship, and, at the same time, by degrees, introduce their priests, their
altars and idol worship into their camp. In Constantine's day this mode of warfare was introduced with
great success by Pagan worshippers, so that in little more than two centuries the greater part of the
professed Christian church became the image of the beast of which we are now speaking, viz., Pagan
Rome. Here, then, we see the rise of Papacy on the downfall of Pagan Rome. Whosoever will take the
pains of comparing the Pagan manner of worship, forms, and ceremonies with papacy, cannot help
being forcibly struck with the similarity of the two. One deified their departed heroes and poets, the
other her departed saints and votaries. The one consulted her oracles and priests for laws and
instruction, and other her Popes and cardinal. The one had her altars, images, and statues, the other
her chapels,
0140
pictures, and crosses. Both had them erected in every public place, for the multitude to fall before and
worship. Both had their holy fire, holy water, and both claimed to perform miracles; the one by the
response of her wooden oracles, and the other by her carnal priesthood. Here, then, we see how the
church, in the fourth and fifth century, was led over the stumbling-block of Paganism, to eat things
sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0140 paragraph 1 "So, also, hast thou them that hold the doctrine of the
Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." This doctrine was promulgated in the fourth century. See the church
history, and our former observations.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0140 paragraph 2 "Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
fight against them with the sword of my mouth." Again the Lord calls for repentance, and threatens the
judgments of his word upon them that obey not. O! may we take warning, my brethren, and tempt not
the heavy judgments of God upon us, for our idolatry and fellowship of that which is not the religion of
Jesus.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0140 paragraph 3 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a
white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."
Again, all that have ears are commanded to hear, and those who remain faithful, that do not fall away,
receive a promise of spiritual food,and a name and righteousness which none can know but they who
receive it.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0140 paragraph 4 18, "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write."
The signification of Thyatira is, a "sweet savor of labor or sacrifice and contrition," and is a description
of the church, after she is driven into the wilderness by the anti-Christian beast. This church lasted until
about the tenth century; and little of her history is known to the world; but some authors have
pretended to trace her into the north-west part of Asia, and in the north-east part of Europe, where
they lived until about the tenth century, unknown unto the rest of the world, or taking but little concern
with the nations around them. Yet it is said they retained religion in its purity,
0141
and held to the doctrines of the word of God. At any rate this church is represented as being in a state
of heavy trial, and subject to seduction by some power represented by that woman Jezebel, of which I
shall speak in its place. "These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire,
and his feet are like fine brass;" representing, as in all the other declarations to the churches, that the
character addressing them is no less than the mighty God, the omniscient, omnipotent, and
omnipresent Jehovah, who says, "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, an patience, and
thy works; and the last to be more than the first." When this church existed, which was when antiChrists began her reign, there was great need of the exercise of those graces of the spirit which in this
passage are enumerated. 1st. In works they had to, and without doubt did, combat the anti-Christian
doctrines which began in the sixth century to overwhelm the Christian world, such as worshipping
angels, departed saints, subjection to councils and bishops, infallibility of the Pope, &c. They, in charity,
too, had many of their brethren to sustain while combatting these errors against the power of this beast.
They did much service in holding up the hands of their pious teachers and pastors who were not led
away by this wicked one. How much faith, too, must they have been in possession of to have withstood
the power of their councils, the excommunications of the Pope, and a majority of their brethren who
had fell into Papal errors! how much "patience" to have remained unwavering amidst persecution when
driven from their homes, their country and friends, into the wilderness, where God prepared a place for
her! and how much more necessary were their last works to support each other in exile, poverty, and
distress, the natural consequence of being driven from among men! But these things were so, according
to the best account we can obtain of those times.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0141 paragraph 1 20, "Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee,
because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce
my
0142
servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols." In this verse we have strong
testimony that the exposition we have given of the seven churches is correct; for no character given the
woman Jezebel will apply so exactly, as the woman sitting on the scarlet-colored beast, full of names of
blasphemy, "having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication."
Jezebel is a figurative name, alluding to Ahab's wife, who slew the prophets of the Lord, led her husband
into idolatry, and fed the prophets of Baal at her own table. A more striking figure could not have been
used to describe the Papal abomination. See 1 Kings 18, 19, 21 chapters. It is very evident from history,
as well as from this verse in Revelation, that the church of Christ did suffer some of the Papal monks to
preach and teach among them. See the history of the Waldenses.
21, "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not." 22, "Behold I will cast her
into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their
deeds." 23, "And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which
searcheth the reins and hearts, and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." We
cannot be mistaken in the character given to this mystical Jezebel, when we compare the descriptions
here used, and the judgments threatened, with other passages of like import in Revelation, where
mystical Babylon is described and threatened. See Rev. 9:20,21, "And the rest of the men which were
not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship
devils and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear,
nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of
their thefts."
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0142 paragraph 1 If these last texts mean anti-Christ, of which I believe
none have any doubt, that is, no commentator that I have been able to consult, then it is equally evident
that this woman, Jezebel, in this prophecy of the church in Thyatira, means the same; and the
conclusion is strong
[0143]
that the Thyatira church represents the churches in some age of anti-Christ, and the prophecy contained
in the verses we have already quoted are the judgments God has and will pour out on that great city
that rules over the kings of the earth, and has for ages past trodden the church under foot, and
contaminated the people of God by her seductions, sorceries, and fornications.
24, "But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, As many as have not this doctrine, and which have
not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden." 25, "But that
which ye have already, hold fast till I come." In these verses the church which have not fellowshipped
the anti-Christian doctrine, and have not followed the practices of the satanic blasphemies of their
abominations, are here promised to experience no other persecution except what they may experience
from the beast or woman Jezebel, which is another proof of this being anti-Christ; for the church in
Thyatira has long been extinct, if there ever was such a church, and was when the man of sin was
revealed; and yet they are promised to have none other burden until he come, as it is more than implied;
and this power is to stand until he comes. For Paul says, "Whom he shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming." This is Daniel's fourth kingdom, which was to be
broken without hand, and to be carried away like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor before the
wind, that no place be found for it.
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0142 paragraph 2 26, "And he that overcometh and keepeth my works
unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations," 27, ("And he shall rule them with a rod of iron;
as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers,) even as I received of my Father. And I will give
him the morning star." 29, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches."
WM 2miller LECTURE 9 page 0142 paragraph 3 In closing the prophecies to the churches, our divine
Instructor carries them down to that day when he shall come to be admired in all them that believe, or
to glorify his saints, to crown them his in his kingdom of glory, to break in pieces all the kingdoms of the
earth as a potter's vessel is broken to shivers, as the last text says, which
0144
proves that when Christ comes, he will bring all the saints with him, and this too when the kingdoms of
this world and anti-Christ will be destroyed. And this proves another important point in which many
good and pious people are greatly mistaken, viz., that there will not be a thousand years' happy reign
previous to Christ's coming the second time without sin unto salvation. What happy reign can there be
while the kingdoms of the earth stand as they now do; while the anti-Christian beast has power to
seduce and draw the servants of God into idolatry, and lull to her serpentine folds thousands and tens of
thousands human beings yearly, and deceive the nations by her siren song of mother church; while by
means of her poison, subtle, secret, and deep, she is undermining and sapping the foundation of every
religious sect but her own; of every civil government but such as will resign their power unto her control?
And now, while I am speaking, she is exerting an influence in this once favored land, by means of her
Jesuits, that will set father against son, and son against father, and drench our country in blood. Can this
monster of murder, iniquity, and blood, retain her life, her standing in society, and we have a happy
reign? No. She must and will sink like a millstone in the mighty deep, and God will avenge the blood of
his servants. Her flesh must be eaten by dogs; yea, the kings of the earth shall eat her flesh, and God
shall consume her with fire before the happy reign comes. "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly."
0145
LECTURE 10
REV. 1:20
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0145 paragraph 1
The mystery of the seven stars which thou
sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven
churches; and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0145 paragraph 2
In my former lectures I have given my views of
four of the churches spoken of in the text. Three more remain, which will complete the prophetic
history of the church through all the ages of the New Testament times until the state of trial shall be
fulfilled, and the church shall enter her glorified kingdom in triumph. You have undoubtedly been led,
by the comparison of the churches with the history thus far, to admire the agreement of the prophecy
of the four churches with the history of the times; and truly this is one of the greatest evidence we have
of the truth of the divine inspiration of revelation, and this evidence fixes the authenticity of the
Scriptures beyond a reasonable doubt. I shall now claim a few moments' indulgence while I attempt to
show where and when the other three churches have been or will be fulfilled. See Rev. 3.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0145 paragraph 3
1. "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis
write." Song of joy, or that which remains, is the signification of Sardis. The last signification is the one
which the heavenly Instructor has affixed himself to this church in the second verse, "Be watchful, and
strengthen the things which remain." The church preceding this had passed a long, dark, and benighted
age of the world,
13
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and every writer of these times calls them the dark ages; and truly it was an age of superstition, bigotry,
and ignorance; therefore we must reasonably suppose that but few were the true worshippers of God,
and those few enjoying but a faint knowledge of divine things. But we will pursue our course. "These
things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars, I know thy works, that thou hast a
name, that thou livest, and art dead." The same character that has addressed the other churches, still
gives himself a quality by which we may know that it is he who is called God man, having the spirit of
God, and as man governing his church as the star of Bethlehem. This church began about the tenth
century, and lasted until the Reformation under Luther, Calvin, and others. They had a name, were
called Waldenses, Valdenses, &c., "and art dead;" that is, she was or would be of little use to the rest of
the world, hiding her influence within her own sphere, and of course did not manifest her light to the
world, was inactive, idle, not performing the work which God had commanded them to perform, to set
their light on the candlestand, that it might give light to all. This was the case with the church in the
valleys of Piedmont during the time of the crusades to the Holy Land; and while the Pope had the
command of all the armies of Europe, the church lived in these valleys of the Pyrenees,nearly in the
centre of Europe, unknowing and unknown.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0146 paragraph 1
2d verse, "Be watchful, and strengthen the
things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God." Although
the church in this age retained some of the leading principles of the gospel, the ordinances were in part
retained among them, yet towards the close of this Sardis age, the Papal monks and priests were sent in
among them, and many of the Waldenses became corrupted by the Papal beast and her doctrine.
Therefore the admonition, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain."
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0146 paragraph 2
3d verse, "Remember how thou hast received
and heard, and hold fast and repent. If, therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief,
and thou
0147
shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." The judgment threatened in this verse, "I will come
upon thee," is undoubtedly a prophecy of the persecution of the Waldenses and Lollards, by the Papal
authority, and through the inquisition, as an instrument, about the close of the fourteenth century,
when, for their departure from the true doctrine of the gospel, and the commands of God, they were
persecuted and scattered among all nations, so that by the judgments of God, for their transgressions,
they were made instruments in the hands of God of spreading the knowledge of the gospel among the
nations, which they ought to have done in obedience to his word, and for the love of souls. And these
judgments served the double purpose of punishment for sin, and opening a door for a more general
display of salvation.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0147 paragraph 1
4th verse, "Thou hast a few names even in
Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy."
There were a few even in this age of moral darkness who followed Christ in his laws and ordinances, and
they receive the promise of justification before God, "walk with me in white."
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0147 paragraph 2
5th verse, "He that overcometh, the same shall
be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life; but I will confess his
name before my Father and before his angels." Whenever the phrase, "he that overcometh," is used, it
always implies, I think, in the Scriptures, that the persons addressed are, or will pass through a time of
persecution; and in this text the church in this age is shown that those only who can endure tribulation
and persecution will be acknowledged at the bar of God as the children of faith. And then this church is
again warned to hear and believe what the Spirit saith to the churches.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0147 paragraph 3
what the Spirit saith to the churches."
6th verse, "He that hath an ear, let him hear
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0147 paragraph 4
I shall now attempt to show to what age we
may calculate the Philadelphia church should answer, and when this prophecy was fulfilled.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0147 paragraph 5
Philadelphia
7th verse, "And to the angel of the church in
0148
write, These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth
and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth." This verse is a description of the character
addressing the church and gives an account of his holiness, his veracity, authority, and power, and
leaves us without a doubt that it is Jesus the son of David, the Holy One of Israel, the faithful and true
witness, he that hath all power in heaven and in earth. And he thus addresses them, 8th verse, "I know
thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it, for thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." The signification of the name of this
church, Philadelphia, is brotherly love, and this age began about the time of the Reformation; for then
God opened an effectual door for the gospel to be spread which no man or set of men, has been able to
shut. And the early reformers displayed a zeal and fearlessness in their cause which astonished their
friends and confounded their enemies. At this time, too, Christian love and fellowship was evidently one
of the strongest marks of the day and manifested that the work was of God.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0148 paragraph 1
9th verse, "Behold, I will make them of the
synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie." The characters here spoken of are
the same as those who sit in Satan's seat, who profess to be Christians, but are anti-Christians; they are
worshippers of the Papal beast, professing to be the mother church, but are only that part which are
fallen away, as Paul has told us, "there should come a falling away first, and then the man of sin should
be revealed, who opposeth, (or is anti,) and exalteth himself (calling themselves Jews, a figurative
expression, or name for Christian) above all that is called God." "Behold, I will make them to come and
worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." This sentence shows that anti-Christ
would be humbled in this age of the church and brought to take the back ground, or in some measure
lose her civil power over the Protestant church and be humbled at her feet. Has not this prophecy been
accomplished
0149
strictly according to the letter? Witness Great Britain, Germany,and other nations. And to this day she
has not been able to bring into subjection any of the Protestant states, and is only permitted to dwell
among them by toleration. And although within a few years past she seems to be making an effort to
regain her lost power and authority, yet it is but a last struggle, a dying gasp; for soon she must and will
fall, to rise in civil power no more forever.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0149 paragraph 1
10th verse, "Because thou hast kept the word
of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to
try them that dwell upon the earth." This part of the prophecy was fulfilled on or before the French
revolution, when Atheism and Deism made such rapid progress through Europe or the Roman
government, which in prophecy is called the earth. See Rev. 12:9.And it is a fact, that through this age
of profligacy and corruption, the church retained her principles as pure and with as little defection as
any age in modern times; although men of the world were led away by the plausible writings of Voltaire,
Hume, Tom Paine, and others, yet it had no effect on the Christian church: and the promise,"I will keep
thee from the hour of temptation," was fully and faithfully accomplished; and the very means that Satan
used to destroy the religion of Jesus Christ, or "the twelve fishermen," was the means of bringing the
church out of the wilderness. And those governments of the world which had for more than twelve
centuries persecuted the children of God, now granted free toleration for all men to worship God
according to the dictates of their own conscience. And from this period we may see the "angel flying
through the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth."
Now the church began to awake to the subject of missions; and while the world was tempted and tried,
the kingdoms of the earth shaken to their centre, (yet not destroyed;) while the civil power of the
mother of harlots, the inquisition of Spain, and the horrible means of torture, persecution, slavery, and
cruelty, were all swept away in one revolution,--the church, by the power
0013
0150
of Him who had promised to "keep them," passed through the fiery ordeal without the smell of fire on
her garments.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0150 paragraph 1
11th verse, "Behold, I come quickly; hold that
fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." In this verse we have notice of his second coming,
and that it would be quickly; by which I understand that the age of the seventh church, which was yet to
come, would be short, and the second coming of him, who will overcome and subdue all things, would
be quickly. He likewise admonishes us to hold fast that which we have, giving us, as I understand,
warning that the next age of the church would be an age of invention; of lo heres, of departure from the
true faith, of denying the crown of the church, the twelve stars, the apostles' doctrine. And amidst the
confusion of the doctrines and revelations of the present day, if anyone should inquire of me what
sentiment it would be best for them to embrace, I would first point them to the Bible, and second, back
to the fathers and teachers of the last century, and say, Hold fast that they held; let no man take thy
crown. Let us then, my brethren, be watchful, and remember "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." The blessings promised in this text are to be realized
when the New Jerusalem comes down from
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0150 paragraph 2
God out of heaven; then shall the spiritual born
child of heaven be a pillar in the temple of God, in that building l made without hands; then, too, will he
receive that rich inheritance that is laid up in heaven for those that love God, and there obtain that
eternal crown that immortal life which is now hid with Christ in God, and then and there realize that
"blessed hope at the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." "And he shall go
no more out" of that glorious temple; no tempting devil there, for he will be chained; no persecuting
kingdom, for they will "all be destroyed and carried away like the chaff of the summer
0151
threshing-floor. "Then will receive the new name, "The Lord our righteousness," for the Lord is there.l
Then, too, a citizen of the glorified kingdom, the New Jerusalem,married to the Lamb, and shall live and
reign with him forever and forever."He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches." This closes the prophecy to the sixth church; and now let us see to it that we do not lose the
blessings promised by refusing to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. Hear, and your souls shall
live; disobey, turn a deaf ear, refuse the offered grace, and you will die; for the soul that sinneth shall
die.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0151 paragraph 1
It now remains for me to show the age of the
seventh or Laodicean church, and the characteristic marks of that church or age. And if I am right in
considering these churches in a mystical sense, as our text more than implies, and our arguments and
references strongly prove, in my humble opinion, then, this part of our subject becomes doubly
interesting to us, who live in the very age of the fulfilment of this prophecy. Yes, my brethren, we live at
the very time when the great head of the church says,
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0151 paragraph 2
14th verse, "And unto the angel of the church
in Laodicea write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the
creation of God." Laodicea signifies the judging of the people, and may have reference to the church in
its last stage, when God would pour out his justice and judgment upon a guilty world, and upon a
haughty, proud, and self-exalted church, and spue them out of his mouth. This idea may be warranted
from the subject in connection. The address to this church begins by showing that it is the closing up of
this dispensation, by saying, "These things saith the Amen." It also teaches us that it commences the
judgment, or prepares for a judgment, by bringing forward "the faithful and true witness." It also shows
the universality of this judgment by the knowledge of the witness being "the beginning of the creation
of God."
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0151 paragraph 3
15th verse, "I know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot." To be
0152
neither cold nor hot in religious things implies a profession of religion without a spiritual life, or the
middle way between the world and Christ; taking much pains after worldly things, to the neglect of
spiritual things; endeavoring to move between the doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of men; taking the
middle ground, as I have often heard it expressed.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0152 paragraph 1
16th verse, "So then, because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." For this cause, that is, because
they are engaged more for show, honors, or profits of this world than for God, he would spue them out
of his mouth. The word spue is used in three places in Scripture, besides the one under consideration; in
Levit. 18:28;20:22; Jer. 27:27; and in all these places stands connected with the judgments of God upon
Israel, or the nations spoken of, and implies a shaking out of driving from their present standing, either
among nations or in the kingdom of christ, as the case may be. And this passage, I suppose, alludes to
the time when God hath promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven,"
Heb. 12:26. So we may expect a shaking of the church of Christ, if this is the age spoken of, that those
things which cannot be shaken may remain. This, too, is the age when the wise and foolish virgins are
sleeping and slumbering together.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0152 paragraph 2
17th verse, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked." Our heavenly Instructor has given us in this verse the reason why they
are lukewarm; "because thou sayest, I am rich." The church in this Laodicean state, like the rich man,
will be laying up goods, or making great calculations for the outward or worldly concerns of the church
for many years to come, building places for worship, establishing colleges, high schools, academies,
theological institutions, to raise up a popular ministry, that the world may be pleased, the ministry well
supported, and they become the most popular sect of the day, "increased with goods." This, too, is the
church. What shall be called the goods of the
0153
church? It is those contributions which are deposited for charitable and pious uses, such as Paul
informed his brethren to lay by them in store on the first day of the week. These will be increased to a
great and astonishing degree in this age of the church. Theological writings and publications, too, are
the goods of the church: there will be a great increase of these. "Come, see what great things we are
doing," will be the general language of the church, and the names of donors and the sums they
contribute will be published through the world. "And knowest not that thou art wretched." The
corruptions of the church will be kept out of sight; and pride, popularity, self-righteousness, depravity,
will be the besetting sins of the members and great body of public professors, and few, very few of the
ministers of the churches will be valiant or bold enough to tell them the truth. "And miserable." Real
piety will be very little enjoyed; the hopes of a large body of professors will be but the hope of a
hypocrite. "And poor." Without a tried faith, suffering but little or no persecution, the church will lack
those riches which are more precious than fine gold, the trial of their faith. "And blind," without faith,
living by things seen more than on the promises of God. "And naked," having on their own
righteousness. "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire." That is, the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, counsels the Laodicean church to buy the gold tried in the fire, which may mean either
that faith which will stand the fiery trial of temptation and persecution, or that truth which is like
"apples of gold in pictures of silver;" "that thou mayest be rich;" rich in faith or in the knowledge of the
truth; "and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed," that raiment which John saw the saints in
heaven clothed with, which is the righteousness of the saints, the imputed righteousness of Christ, "the
Lord our righteousness." If it is not so, why counsel the church to buy of him? Yes, my brethren, we are
counselled to buy a raiment without spot or wrinkle, "and that the shame of thy nakedness do not
appear." Truly, when Christ comes, and we find we have been trusting in self, although we have called
ourselves
0154
by his name, we have worn our own clothing, and eat our own bread, and instead of being clothed upon,
we shall find ourselves naked. Shall we not be ashamed before him at his coming, if we are in this
situation when he comes? O, what an awful thought! Therefore let us now receive the further
admonition, "And anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see." To anoint the eyes, in a
figurative sense, is to examine the truth and evidences of Scripture, that we may see clearly our state
and standing as it respects our character towards God and our hope in his future aid, promises, and
blessings. It is to see our sins, and feel the need of help, to know our weakness, and trust in his
strength--in one word, it is to repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. For he says, "As many as I
love I rebuke and chasten: be Zealous therefore and repent." Here, then, is one comfortable promise to
this lukewarm church. If there is any tried, chastened, penitent soul in this church, this laodicean state
or age of the church, they have the promise of his love, his everlasting love, his unchangeable love; his
loving kindness he will not take from him, although he should "visit their transgressions with a rod, and
their iniquity with stripes." Be zealous, therefore, brethren, and repent.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0154 paragraph 1
20th verse, "Behold, I stand at the door and
knock." He that is the "Amen is now at the door. In this Laodicean age of the church he comes; he
knocks by his judgments, by the fulfillment of the signs, by his word, by all the means of grace that God
has ever used to alarm the sleepy, slumbering virgins of his approach. He gives the cautionary word,
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with him, and he with me." In this passage of prophecy we are brought down to the
marriage supper of the Lamb--another and a strong testimony that the churches are to be considered in
a mystical sense, and the language or subject prophetical. For this is certainly the saying of Jesus, the
faithful and true witness; "for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev. 19:7-9, "Let us
rejoice and be glad, and give honor to him; for the marriage
0155
of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be
arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto
me, Write, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me,
These are the true sayings of God." We see, my friends, by the similarity of the sentiments given in the
marriage supper, and those admonitions and prophecies to the Laodicean church, that they must mean
one and the same event. To hear the voice of the bridegroom, and to open the door, and go out to
meet him, is the way which the bride makes herself ready; and his supping with them and they with him,
shows that it is when Christ shall come, and live, and reign with them.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0155 paragraph 1
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with
me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Here is
another expression which proves we are brought down to the end of time, "to him that overcometh."
What can the faithful and true witness mean by this expression? He explains himself, "even as I also
overcame."How did Christ overcome when he sat down with his Father? I answer, By bursting the
bands of death, by conquering the grave, he arose a glorious conqueror, and was seated at the right
hand of God. Then this is the true meaning of the text, to him, that hath part in the first resurrection,
will I grant to sit with me in my throne. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection;
on such the second death hath no power; but they shall be kings and priests of God, and of Christ, and
shall reign with him." What light may we not receive from the word of God, when taken together, when
explained by its own language, when kept unbroken! "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches." This closes what I call, and what Christ, I think, calls, a prophecy. "Blessed is
he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written
therein; for the time is at hand."
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0155 paragraph 2
This Laodicean church began about A. D. 1798,
and will last the forty-five years. When this dispensation
0156
will close, the judgment will set, and the books will be opened; the hypocrites will be spued out of the
church, and the sanctuary cleansed.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0156 paragraph 1
With the situation of the church, the character
of Christians, the doctrines taught, and the signs of the times warrant us to believe that we live in the
Laodicean age of the church? Let us for a moment examine the evidence and see.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0156 paragraph 2
1st. The situation of the church, enjoying peace
in and among the kingdoms of the earth, enjoying all the privileges of citizens without persecution,
making great and many improvements in her worldly concerns, rich in this world's goods, having at her
command many millions of funds, and almost swaying the destines of the world; great, learned and rich
men enlisting under her banner, controlling the fashions, customs, and laws of the day, swaying a
mighty influence over the education of our youth, and giving a general tone to the literature of the
world, increasing her demands for power, establishing bishoprics, presbyteries, national and state
conventions, conferences, councils, associations, consociations, societies innumerable; and all these
controlled almost exclusively by her clergy. May we not say truly, "She is rich and increased in goods?"
But is this all? No. Look at her colleges, theological schools, academics, depositories, public edifices,
presses, theological writings and publications, in almost every nation, kingdom, state, and territory, and
in this country in almost every county and town; and all this by contributions. Well may it be said, she
has need of nothing. These things, too, among all sects and denominations, one cannot outdo another
apparently, yet each is striving for the mastery.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0156 paragraph 3
2d. The character of Christians generally. In
speaking of the character of our brethren, it becomes the speaker to be very careful and unassuming,
for God has not made him a judge over his brethren. Therefore, to judge this one is right, and that one
wrong, we shall leave for the judgment seat of Christ. But on a general scale surely we may be allowed
to examine and compare ourselves with the prophecies. In all ages back, Christians, when living godly,
have been a poor, despised, persecuted
0157
people, pilgrims and strangers in the world, plainly showing that this is not their continuing city, but that
they are seeking one to come. But is it so now? Have not professors generally, for more than thirty
years, been seeking for the riches of this life, for the honors of the world, and following the fashions of
the times as greedily as men of the world? Yes. And can we distinguish a professor of religion in our
public assemblies from a man of the world, except we are informed? No. Where, then, do Christians
plainly show they seek a better country? Nowhere. May we not live in the same neighborhood with
professors for years, and not hear them recommend the religion they profess? Yes. But do we not hear
the same persons talk freely, flippantly, and zealously about he world, the politics and the fashions of
the day?
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0157 paragraph 1
Yes. Is it not a general complaint with all of our
churches, of coldness, of a want of spiritual life, and a great failure in active spiritual duties? Yes. Has
not a spirit of sloth and supineness seized upon professors generally? Do not many think, if they have a
hired servant to talk religion, and visit the widow and fatherless, and keep themselves unspotted from
the world, for them it is enough? Yes. And does not all this, and much more which might with truth be
said on this point, declare loudly that the professors of Christianity, generally, are in a lukewarm state?
Yes. We must respond, Yes.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0157 paragraph 2
The doctrine taught. Here again your speaker
feels a diffidence in speaking on this subject, knowing that many great, learned, and good men differ on
this point; but we must all stand or fall to our own Master, and I must answer how I speak or shun to
declare the whole counsel of God. Your speaker believes that the depravity of the human heart, our
dependence on God, and indebtedness to grace, are abundantly taught in the Scriptures. See Eph. 2:413. But how stands this doctrine with our public proclaimers at the present day? Some few may preach
it, but there is more than ten to one who do not preach it, or, if they do, they so cover it up by their
plausible and specious reasoning, that the force of the doctrine and the object of the inspired
0014
0158
writers are wholly lost. We are now taught that man can make himself a Christian as easily as he can
turn about in the highway; that obedience or baptism is regeneration; that works are the medium of
acceptance with God, and that the righteousness of Christ is not imputed. How can such doctrine be
more clearly pointed out than it is by the "faithful and true witness" to the Laodicean church? "And
knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." That is, they
know not their depravity. "I counsel thee to buy of me (see here their dependence on God) gold tried in
the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of
thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see." Grace, grace,
from the foundation to the top stone. Surely, my dear friends, no candid observer of the doctrine
taught at the present day, but what must in his heart acknowledge that the doctrine taught by many,
among the different sects, is the same described by our divine Master in the prophecy to the Laodicean
church.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0158 paragraph 1
The signs of the times. In the close of Christ's
instructions to the church under consideration, he says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any
man hear my voice," &c. Daniel says, "At that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince that
standeth up for the children of thy people." And Christ says, "For many shall come in my name, saying, I
am Christ, and shall deceive many." These were particular signs given by Christ and the prophets. And
how have these come to pass? Witness the great and many reformations which for thirty years have
progressed in our land, in Europe, and the islands of the seas. See also the word of God published, in
whole or in part, among all nations. See the missionaries of the gospel running to an fro through the
whole earth. Do not these indicate that Christ stands at the door, and that his voice has gone out even
unto the ends of the world, and that Michael has stood up for the children of thy people? Yes. Again:
how many new sects have arisen, how many false Christs have come in this blaze of gospel light, and are
drawing away
0159
their hundreds and thousands after them! It is almost incredible, when we take into view the light and
knowledge under which we live; but all go to prove that Christ is nigh, even at the door.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0159 paragraph 1
In reviewing our subject, we learn by the events
of the Sardis church, and by the admonitions given, our duty to guard against the introduction of errors
into the church, and to strengthen ourselves in the truth; and likewise of being active in all the duties of
religion, that we may not only have a name to live, but have the life and power of the gospel, that we
may resist all the temptations and fiery darts of the enemies of the church.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0159 paragraph 2
By the church of Philadelphia, we learn that if
we keep the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, he will keep us from those trials and
judgments which he sends on an ungodly and rebellious people, and that God has opened a door for
the spread of the gospel, which no power on earth will be able to shut, until the angel standing on the
sea and on the land, shall swear that time shall be no longer. We also learn the importance of having
brotherly love and perseverance in holy things, that no man take from us the crown which is laid up for
those that love God, and which will be given to them who remain steadfast in Christ Jesus at his coming,
which is promised quickly to this church.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0159 paragraph 3
By the Laodicean church, we learn the
important lesson that we cannot serve two masters; we cannot love the present evil world, and at the
same time be the servants of God; that to be lukewarm in religion is to be cast out of his presence, and
call down the vengeance of God's final judgment upon our heads, and, while we may flatter ourselves
that we are righteous, find to our everlasting shame, that we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and
naked.
WM 2miller LECTURE 10 page 0159 paragraph 4
Think, O think, my dear friends, you that are
trusting in your own goodness, when that day of justice shall come, and the faithful and true witness
shall stand against you, when your goodness shall pass away like the morning cloud, and the righteous
Judge shall pronounce.
0160
the dreadful sentence, Depart--what must be your feelings! The world, which you here worshipped, is
burning up; the friends with whom you here associated are gone to meet the Lord in the air, or are
sinking with you into endless and hopeless misery. The Savior, whose name you are now ashamed to
own, or whose righteousness you think you need not, is now your Judge, seated on a great white throne,
from whose face the heavens and the earth shall flee away. Think, O sinner! where wilt thou be found!
LECTURE 11
REV. 5:9,10
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0160 paragraph 1
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to
God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our
God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0160 paragraph 2
There is such harmony, beauty, and knowledge
in every part of the word of God, that the Bible student, whose heart is interested in the same, has often,
while reading, been led to stop and admire the order, wisdom, and light which burst upon his
enraptured vision, at the unfolding of the figures and truths which until that moment, perhaps, lay in
darkness, doubt, and obscurity, and seemed to be wrapped up in a mysterious veil that almost makes
the reader quail, and come to the conclusion that he is treading on forbidden ground; but, perhaps, in
an unexpected moment, the inspired penman, seemingly having anticipated our ignorance or darkness,
throws out a spark of that live coal which had touched his lips, and our darkness is dispelled, ignorance
vanishes before the fullness of knowledge of the word of God, and we stand reproved and admonished
for our stupidity and ignorance in the figures and truths before explained. Our text is a brilliant spark of
that fire which is upon the alter between the cherubims, and gives us a clear ray of light to discover the
allusion of the figures contained in the fourth and fifth chapters of this book. It is conveyed unto us by
way of a chorus, like the angel's
14
0162
song at the birth of our Savior in Bethlehem of Judea. It explains to us in a divine song what the four
beasts are, and gives a key to unlock the mystery of the twenty-four elders, and clearly shows who
opens the seals of the book. I shall, in illustrating this subject, inquire
1. Who they were that sung this new song;
2. Show the song, and the occasion of it; and,
3. Speak of the reign and the place where.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0162 paragraph 1
1. We are to inquire who are the singers in this
grand chorus. The prophet calls them "the four beasts," or, as it might have been more properly
translated, four animate beings; and the "four and twenty elders," he also calls them "saints," See the
8th verse, "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down
before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of
the saints." Then comes in our text, "And they sung a new song," &c. The four beasts is a figurative
representation of the whole New Testament church, not only in character, but in chronology,
representing the four different stages of trial through which the church should pass in her pilgrimage in
the wilderness of this world, before she would enter the visible kingdom of her glorious Redeemer, the
new Jerusalem, and reign on the earth. And every individual Christian, who may live any length of time
after his conversion, passes through some or all of these states of trial. The four and twenty elders are
the twelve patriarchs, which are sometimes called prophets, and the twelve apostles of the Lamb. For it
is said, we are built on the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ being the chief corner-stone; and
figuratively it may represent the faithful and true ministers of Jesus Christ, the same as the twenty-four
courses of the priesthood under the Jewish economy. See 1 Chron. 24:7-19. And the four beasts are
typified by the four grand divisions of the Jewish camp under Moses. The first, on the east, was to
follow the standard of Judah; that on the south side, and second in the march, was the standard of
Reuben; on the west side, Ephraim, and his was the third standard in the march; on the north side was
Dan's
0163
standard and Dan brought up the rear in the march of the Jews through the wilderness. What their
several standards were, I cannot tell, except that of Judah, which marched in front, immediately after
the ark, which in all probability was a lion. And our "first beast" under consideration was "like a lion,
and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a
flying eagle." These represent the four grand divisions of the gospel church. The first represents the
church in the apostolic age, when the church went forth, bold as a lion, preaching and proclaiming the
gospel among all nations. The second state or division of the church was the times of persecution and
slaughter by the Roman emperors, represented by the calf. The third state of the church was in
Constantine's day, when the church enjoyed privileges as a man, and became independent, and like a
natural man, proud, avaricious, and worldly. The fourth and last state of trial was when the antiChristian beast arose; and, under the scourge of this abomination, the church having two wings given
her, like the wings of an eagle, she flew into the wilderness, where, a place being prepared for her, she is
nourished from the face of the serpent a thousand two hundred and threescore days, Rev. 12:6,14.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0163 paragraph 1
This of course would include the whole
Christian church until Christ's second coming, when anti-Christ will be destroyed, and the church
delivered from all her foes, and brought into her New Jerusalem state, where John now sees in his vision
the whole family of the redeemed, singing the grand chorus as in the verses following our text. "And I
beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders;
and the number of them was the thousand times ten thousands and thousands of thousands." In this
vision John has the same view which Daniel had in his vision. See Daniel 7:10. Daniel saw the same
throne, and the same numbers stood before it; which proves, almost beyond a doubt that Daniel's vision
carries us into the eternal, immortal, and glorified
0164
state; for John, in the next verses, carries us into the eternal state of the righteous.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0164 paragraph 1
12th verse, "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory,
and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as
are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said,
Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever."
Nothing can be more evident than that John here saw the whole family of the redeemed, as they will be
after the first resurrection; for he gives the several situations of every part of the whole family as they
actually were, that is, in body, or the situation of their bodies at that very time when he was writing,
"every creature," that is, in person, in their bodies, as they will be after the resurrection; not all mankind,
as some vainly suppose, but those who are redeemed, or who may hereafter be redeemed, "out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." See our text. If it had been "all nations," &c., he
would not have said, "out of," &c. Therefore we must take the whole in connection. But John saw every
creature whose bodies then were some of them in heaven, as Enoch and Elijah; every creature who was
then alive on the earth, like himself and brethren; every body of the saints that had slept and been
buried under ground, or in the sea, and all the saints who were yet in the loins of their fathers. In one
word, he saw the whole general assembly, and church of the first born, whose names were written in
the Lamb's book of life. These four beasts are the same living creatures which Isaiah saw when he had a
view of the glory of God. Isa. 6:1-3, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a
throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims; each one had
six wings: with twain he covered his face, and with twain he
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covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the
Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." Ezekiel also saw the same living creatures that Isaiah
calls "seraphims," and John "four beasts." Ezekiel calls them "cherubims." See Ezek. 1 and 10 chapters.
John says, Rev. 4:8,"And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him," the same as Isaiah's
"seraphims." These wings are the graces of the Spirit, as is strongly implied by Ezekiel 1:12, "And they
went everyone straight forward; whither the spirit was to go they went; and they turned not when they
went." "With two they covered their face"--humility and repentance; "with two they covered their
feet"--that is, they walked by two of the graces, faith and patience, faith in God and patient in
tribulation; "and with two they did fly"--hope and love. They "mount up with wings as eagles; they shall
run and not be weary, walk and not faint," says the prophet Isaiah, 40:31. And again John says, they
were "full of eyes before and behind, and they were full of eyes within;" showing that they would have
just views of sin, of God, and his word, and of themselves: they could look back and see their sins, and
the pit from which they had been delivered, and with gratitude remember their Redeemer. They could
with eyes of faith look forward and believe in the promises of God, and have a view of the glory that
shall be revealed at his second coming. With eyes within, they could look into their own hearts, and see
the remaining corruption and hidden depravity that lie lurking in every corner of the soul, and by this
means put off the old man with his deeds. They are represented by John as being praying souls, "and
golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints." Every one had these vials, says John. How
then, I ask, can the prayerless man or woman think to join this celestial throng? "Having every one of
them harps;" showing that all of them would have new hearts, be born of God; so they would be
enabled to sing in the New Jerusalem state the new song.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0165 paragraph 1
John saw
These are the characters and persons which
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represented by the four and twenty elders and the four beasts. I shall now,
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0166 paragraph 1
song, and the occasion of it.
2. Show what we may understand by the new
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0166 paragraph 2
The prophet John had been led by the angel
through seven different stages of the church, by the vision of the mystery of the seven stars and seven
golden candlesticks, under the name of the seven churches of Asia, which ought to be understood
symbolically down to the time when the judge stands at the door ready to enter in to the supper of the
great God, when all wicked flesh will be destroyed, and till the marriage supper of the Lamb arrives,
when all the righteous will be raised, enter into the glorified state, and live an reign with him on earth.
Then it is perfectly natural that after we had read the history of the church through all her trials,
persecutions, and imperfections, we should be led to see her deliverance on the other side of the banks
of Jordan, or beyond the power of death, and to hear a part, at least, of that new song which no man
can sing unless he is redeemed from the earth.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0166 paragraph 3
In the second and third chapters of Revelation,
we have the history of the church, as I have endeavored to show in my lectures on the churches. In the
fourth and fifth chapters we have a view of the glorified state, and the characters given of those who
will enjoy the privilege of that state, the song which will employ the golden harps, and the place where.
The characters I have already given. The song is represented as a new song. It is new because it is sung
only in that state where all things are made new. See 2 Pet. 3:13, "Nevertheless we, according to his
promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." Rev. 21:5, "And he
that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." Now John saw, in Rev. 4:2, the same
throne, and him that sat upon it, and in the verse above quoted he speaks as though he had mentioned
before "him that sat upon the throne." And as he has not mentioned him in this language in any other
place, we may have strong reason to believe that the time and subject matter is the same in the 4th
chapter of Revelation as in the 21st
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chapter. Again: we are expressly told that no man could learn the new song, but those who are
redeemed from the earth, Rev. 14:3. And redemption from the earth is no where spoken of until the
resurrection of the body. Christ says, in Luke 21:27,28, "And then shall they see the Son of Man coming
in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and
lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." And Paul says, Rom. 8:23, "Even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies." In this state
they can sing, "For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation." It is also a holy song; for they cry, "and rest not day and night, saying,
Holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." The church in this state are not
all holy; they have but a faint view of the holiness of God's character, his law or government; neither
could they endure the sight; for when God has seen fit to reveal a small part of his holiness, men have
fainted under it. Isaiah cried out, "Woe is me." Ezekiel fell upon his face, Ezek 1:28. Daniel's comeliness
was turned into corruption, so that he retained no strength, Dan. 10:8. Therefore it is evident that this
holy song can only be sung in a state of immortality, when we shall be holy, even as God is holy. This
new and holy song will not cease, for they rest not day and night, which proves it to be in the eternal
state. And the dress and crowns of the elders, "clothed in white raiment," and they had on their heads
"crowns of gold," and they "cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to
receive glory, and honor, and power"--all proves that the new song is sung after the second coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ; for Paul tells us, that a crown is laid up for him which the righteous Judge shall give
him at that day; and not only him, but to all them also that love his appearing. So neither the elders nor
the beasts can sing this new song until the New Jerusalem is formed, their bodies redeemed from the
earth, and they brought into the eternal state of the
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righteous. It will not be sung until the last child is born into the kingdom--the last enemy conquered-the elect gathered from the four winds of heaven, and the cap stone brought forth, when the heavens
will ring with this general chorus. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty: blessing, and honor, and
glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever; and
the four beasts will say, Amen."
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0168 paragraph 1
text, and the place where.
3. I shall now show the reign spoken of in our
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0168 paragraph 2
There is much speculation at the present day on
the reign of Christ on the earth, which is promised in his word, and in the text. Some have supposed
that it would be purely spiritual, by the Holy Spirit's influence, when all, or a large share of mankind who
then should be on the earth, would be regenerated and become the subjects of his spiritual kingdom;
that there would be no tempting devil to deceive, nor any kingdoms on the earth, but what would be
subject to Christ's spiritual reign, and the church would enjoy a long Sabbath of rest; and the longdesired period of some who profess to be the servants of Christ would come; when church and state
would be united, and war would cease to the end of the world, and the world would increase in riches,
arts, and science to an amazing degree, beyond anything we have yet conceived; thousands would
inhabit the earth where there are but tens now, and man would live to a good old age, and nations be
born in a day. This theory is the most rational one I have been able to discover, aside from the glorious
reign of Christ with his people in a state of immortality.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0168 paragraph 3
To the above theory I have many scriptural
objections. Although the advocates of this theory call it spiritual, yet a large share, if not all, are
temporal blessings of this kingdom, and are exactly the same that the Jews believed they should possess
at Christ's first coming. Again: they must suppose, if this be true, that the rulers of the world must all be
Christians, or professedly so. Then what must we say to Christ's words, "My kingdom is not of this
world"? and again, "In the
0169
world ye shall have tribulation"? The world hate you, and if ye live godly, ye shall suffer persecution,
and these (meaning the whole family of the redeemed) have come out of much tribulation. How could
those millions who are born or live in this happy period, come out of great tribulation? But where do
the advocates of the above system prove their doctrine? Some pretend to bring the same passages in
the Old Testament that the Jews did, to prove their temporal kingdom over the Gentiles, and do not see
that much of the Old Testament prophecy was, and has been fulfilled in its typical sense. And it is very
easy to show that the passages they pretend to bring in the Old Testament were all fulfilled 1800 years
ago.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0169 paragraph 1
But, if they had believed in this theory, would
not some of the New Testament writers have mentioned this important period? I remember, when I
was but a child, of hearing an old minister of the gospel make a remark like this: --"All the Old Testament
prophecies," said he, "which were not fulfilled when Christ came in the flesh, are carried into the New
Testament, and further explained." I then thought there was reason and propriety in the remark; I think
so still, for the two witnesses must and will agree. And where do the believers in this system bring us
one word from Christ? Not one. But we can show much to the contrary. The parable of the tares and
the wheat carries us to the end of the world; and he expressly says, "Let them grow together until the
harvest." His prophecy and parables in Matt. 24 and 25 give us a prophecy until his second coming, and
not a word about a happy period previously, but much about lo heres, and lo theres, and wicked
servants beating and bruising their fellow-servants, and eating and drinking with the drunken, saying in
their hearts, My Lord delayeth his coming. Can this be a millennium? No. Too much devil in such
conduct as this. Where does Paul, a very prominent writer, give us a hint of these important things? He
must have understood the Old Testament as well as some, if not all, of our modern divines. But he, too,
has given the reverse. In his epistle to the Thessalonians, he tells us
0015
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plainly, "Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth,
and destroy by the brightness of his coming," 2 Thess. 2. In his 2 Thess. 1, he tells them of the necessity
of patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations; which, he says, is a manifest token of the
righteous judgment of God; and then goes on to show Christ's coming, and destruction of an ungodly
world; nothing that looks like a millennium in this, or any part of Paul's writings, before Christ's second
coming. Where, then, shall we find it in the New Testament? Perhaps they may say in Rev. 20; but this
chapter can never be given to them until they do away with the first resurrection; all in that chapter is
after the first resurrection, and, of course, is after the personal and second coming of the Savior; and all
the arguments to do away or destroy the word resurrection are so futile and weak that it needs no
argument to refute them; for what could do it in that place might in every other case, and we should be
Sadducees at once. James, Peter, and Jude mention the last days in their epistles, and describe them as
being very wicked, yet make no mention of a day of the spread of the gospel in this wonderful manner.
James speaks of their heaping up treasures for the last days. "Behold, the hire of the laborers who have
reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have
reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and
been wanton: ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the
just; and he doth not resist you. Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord, for the
coming of the Lord draweth nigh." Can this be the millennium? No! unless proud, earthly pleasure,
wantonness, and murder, are the spirit of their millennium. Yet, if it is temporal, this would be the most
likely fruits, if we judge of the future by the past; for the greater the temporal blessings, the greater is
man's rebellion. Read the second and third chapters of 2 Peter, where he expressly speaks of the last
days. "Knowing this first, that there shall come, in the last days, scoffers, walking
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after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?" &c., agreeing with what Christ
said the wicked ministers would be doing when he comes. They would say in their hearts, My Lord
delayeth his coming. Can there be this happy time described in the above theory? All must answer. No.
Then let this suffice as answer to the above theory, until our opponents prove their own sentiments by
the word. There are many more branches of the above system, but none that I have seen but are liable
to the same objections.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0171 paragraph 1
I shall now undertake to prove that this reign is
in the immortal state, after the resurrection; that Christ will be present with his people, and, of course,
personally, and that it will be on the earth.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0171 paragraph 2
after the resurrection.
1. Then I am to prove that it will be immortal
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0171 paragraph 3
The present reign is called, in Scripture, a reign
of grace; "So might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." This
reign has been ever since Christ was in the world, for 1800 years past. We shall now show that this reign
must continue until after the resurrection of the dead. See 1 Cor. 15:23-26; "But every man in his own
order; Christ the first fruits, (resurrection;) afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh
the end, when he shall have given up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall put down all
rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last
enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Here we have plain Scripture that the same reign of grace must
continue unto eternal life; and in the other text, until the resurrection of them that are Christ's, and
death, the last enemy to the church, is destroyed. Where, then, shall we get in a spiritual or temporal
reign" We see evidently there is no change of the reign of Christ in the gospel of grace, from the
apostles' days until the time comes when the saints shall possess the kingdom in the immortal state.
Paul says, Rom 5:17, "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one, much more they which receive
abundance of
0172
grace and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." Here the saints are
promised to reign after the gift of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall give all those who love
his appearing at that day,) in life, that is, eternal life. See 21st verse. 1 Peter 5:4, "And when the chief
Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." This must, of course, be
in the immortal state, for it fadeth not away.
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0172 paragraph 1
2. That Christ will be present with his people in
a state of immortality, can hardly be doubted when we read such texts as these:--John 12:24, "If any
man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my servant be." Again, John 14:3,
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am
there ye may be also." So much for Christ's promise to his disciples. And now let us read his prayer to
his Father on this point, John 17:24, "Father, I will that they, also, whom thou hast given me, be with me
where I am, that they may behold my glory." Paul says, 1 Thess. 4:17, "And so shall we ever be with the
Lord." "For it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him as he is." Our text says, "And hast made us unto our God kings and
priests." Rev. 20:4,6, "And they lived and reigned with Christ." "And shall reign with him." 21:3, "And I
heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0172 paragraph 2
3. "And we shall reign on the earth," says our
text. Not under its present dispensation, but after it is cleansed by fire; after the wicked are destroyed
by fire, as the antediluvians were by water, after the resurrection of the saints, and when Christ's prayer,
taught to his disciples, shall be answered, "Thy will be done on earth, even as in heaven." When the
bride has made herself ready, and married to the bridegroom, he will then move her into
0173
the New Jerusalem state, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, where we shall reign with him
forever and ever on the new earth and in the new heavens; "and God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain; for the former things are passed away." Then the whole earth "shall be full of his glory;" and then,
as says the prophet Isaiah, 54:5, "For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy
Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called."
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0173 paragraph 1
And then, my dear hearer, if you have had your
heart broken off from sin; if you have by faith been united in spirit to the Lamb of God; if you have
patiently endured tribulation and persecution for his name,--then you will live and reign with him on the
earth, and this earth will be regenerated by fire and the power of God, the cursed destroyed, sin, pain,
crying, sorrow, and death banished from the world, and mortality clothed upon by immortality, death
swallowed up in victory. You will rise up in that general assembly, an clapping your hands with joy, cry,
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is now come." Then you will be in a
situation to join the grand chorus, and sing the new song, saying, "Thou art worthy, for thou was slain,
and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,
and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth, saying, with a loud
voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honor, and glory, and blessing." And all who meet in that grand assembly will be then heard to shout,
"Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb
forever and ever." And methinks I can now see every one who loves our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in
this assembly, rising upon their feet, and in one united prayer of faith, crying, "Come, Lord Jesus, O
come quickly."
0015*
0174
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0174 paragraph 1
But you, O impenitent man or woman, where
will you be then? When heaven shall resound with the mighty song, and distant realms shall echo back
the sound, where, tell me, where will you be then? In hell! O think! In hell! a dreadful word! Once more
think! In hell! lifting up your eyes, being in torment. Stop, sinner; think! In hell! where shall be weeping,
wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Stop, sinner, stop; consider on your latter end. In hell! where the beast
and false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." I entreat of you to think-in hell! I know you hate to hear the word. It sounds too harsh. There is no music in it. You say it grates
upon the ear. But think, when it grates upon the soul, the conscience, and the ear, and not by sound
only, but a dread reality, when there can be no respite, no cessation, no deliverance, no hope! You will
then think, yes, of this warning, of a thousand others, perhaps of this hour, with many more that are lost;
yes, worse than lost, that have been squandered in earthly, vain, and transitory mirth, have been abused;
for there have been many hours the Spirit strove with you, and you prayed to be excused. There was an
hour when conscience spake; but you stopped your ears and would not hear. There was a time when
judgment and reason whispered; but you soon drowned their cry by calling in some aid against your
own soul. To judgment and reason you have opposed will and wit, an said, "in hell, was only in the
grave. In this vain citadel, on this frail house of sand, you will build, until the last seal is broken, the last
trump will sound, the last woe be pronounced, and the last vail be poured upon the earth. Then,
impenitent man or woman, you will awake in everlasting woe!
WM 2miller LECTURE 11 page 0174 paragraph 2
Be warned; repent; fly, fly for succor to the ark
of God, to Jesus Christ, the Lamb that once was slain, that you might live, for he is worthy to receive all
honor, power, and glory. Believe, and you shall live. Obey his word, his spirit, his calls, his invitations;
there is no time for delay; put it not off, I beg of you; no, not for a moment. Do you want to join that
heavenly choir and
0175
sing the new song? Then come in God's appointed way; repent. Do you want a house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens? Then join in heart and soul this happy people, whose God is the Lord.
Do you want an interest in the New Jerusalem, the beloved city? Then set your face as a flint Zion-ward;
become a pilgrim in the good old way. "Seek first the kingdom of heaven," says Christ, "and then all
these things shall be added unto you."
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LECTURE 12
REV. 5:5
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0176 paragraph 1
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not:
behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose
the seven seals thereof.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0176 paragraph 2
The book of Revelation has been called by
thousands a sealed book; and many a dear saint, while in this imperfect state of vision and knowledge,
has wept much, because they could not read and understand the book. For it is very evident that the
book of Revelation is not only interesting in its symbolical an mystical descriptions, natural scenery, and
figurative language, but it is rich in truth,and the communication of events then hid under the veil of
futurity, and would only be unfolded to the natural visions of men, many ages to come. John has
written this book after the laws of nature; that is, he has seemed to copy after some of the richest and
most picturesque scenes in nature's laws. He has, in revealing truths to our minds, followed the same
steady course that fountains of water do in their course to the sea. He begins as it were back upon the
mountains, where the head may be but a fountain, and there gives us a description of the source. He
then glides gently along through the vale below, winding between hills and mountains, visiting in his
course the hamlets of the peasant, the villages of men, the populous towns and cities of commerce,
until he lands us or leaves us in the ocean of eternity. At first he appears to be describing some bubbling
fountain or gentle spring, and swelling
0177
in importance as he proceeds, brings in and adds every important stream of event, deepens and widens
in his course, until he makes his prophetic history like a deep-flowing river, bearing upon its bosom the
gallant ships and galley with oars. At first, he describes a pebbly brook murmuring along the hills,now
and then bursting into view with some gentle fail, then gliding softly away, until it meets some rugged
head-land, shifts its course, and almost seems to retrace its path; then, suddenly bursting from the hills
in cataracts of foam, bounding from rock to rock, leaping into the vale below, he again seems to follow
the alluvial flats and receives his tributary streams, winds on his way, until it falls at its mouth by a
tremendous leap into a gulf of waters, and is swallowed up in the waves of the sea.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0177 paragraph 1
Four times the Revelation seems to bring us
down in this manner, as though he had begun on one mountain, and traced four different streams of
history down to the great ocean of eternity; like the river of Eden, which watered the garden, becoming
four heads of four great rivers, which watered and encompassed the whole land, taking different points
of the compass, but falling at last into the ocean, Gen. 2:10-14; and all these having seven tributary
streams in their course. The seven churches of Asia is a history of the church of Christ in her seven
forms, in all her windings and turnings, in all her prosperity and adversity, from the days of the apostles
down to the end of the world. The seven seals are a history of the transactions of the powers and kings
of the earth over the church, and God's protection of his people during the same time. The seven
trumpets are a history of seven peculiar and heavy judgments sent upon the earth, or Roman kingdom.
And the seven vials are the seven last plagues sent upon Papal Rome. Mixed with these are many other
events, woven in like tributary streams, and filling up the grand river of prophecy, until the whole ends
us in the ocean of eternity.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0177 paragraph 2
This, to me, is the plan of John's prophecy in the
book of Revelation. And the man who wishes to understand this book, must have a thorough
knowledge of other parts of the word of God. The figures and metaphors used
0178
in this prophecy, are not all explained in the same, but must be found in other prophets, and explained
in other passages of Scripture. Therefore it is evident that God has designed the study of the whole,
even to obtain a clear knowledge of any part. I shall then pursue the following method:
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0178 paragraph 1
of him who sat on the throne.
1. Explain the book which was in the right hand
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0178 paragraph 2
opening
2. Give the history of the seven seals, and their
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0178 paragraph 3
1. I am to explain what is meant by the book.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0178 paragraph 4
The book is often spoken of in the word of God.
Sometimes we hear it spoken of as a little book, open, in the hands of the angel; and sometimes it is
commanded to be sealed up; and sometimes to be unloosed, as in our text. The question arises, What
can this book mean? It cannot mean the book of Revelation, for John was commanded not to seal the
sayings of this book, Rev. 22:10. Neither could it be the prophecies, for the were commanded to be
read every Sabbath day by the Jews,and were so read. Yet John tells us, in our context, "That no man,
neither in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon;
and I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look
thereon; We see, plainly, that it could not apply to the law, nor the prophets, to the Old or New
Testaments, for these were committed to the Jews, and also unto us Gentiles, and were to be read by all
men; but this book they could not open, read, nor look thereon. There is one more book which answers
to John's description, which no man, neither in heaven, nor no earth, nor under the earth, as yet been
able to look thereon, or open and read, as we have any account of; and which according to the whole
tenor of the Scripture, will never be opened, read, or looked upon, until the last seal is broken, and the
judgment sits. "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened;and
another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which
were written in the books." In this book, which
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is called the book of life, the names of all the redeemed in heaven, in earth, or under the earth, are
written, which are not known to any man, neither will be known, until the last seal is broken open; for
the judgment will declare who is on the Lord's side. For the apostle tell us, plainly,"Our lives are hid with
Christ in God; that, when he appears then we shall appear with him in glory." And John tell us, Rev.
21:26,27, "And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it, and there shall in no wise
enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they
which are written in the Lamb's book of life." "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life,
was cast into the lake of fire." Again: "And they whose names were not written in the book of life, from
the foundation of the world, shall wonder," &c. This book, although we are abundantly informed there
is one, in the right hand of him that sitteth upon the throne, no man, as we are any where informed, has
been able to look upon it, or open it, or to read its contents. This, then, is the book, on account of which
John wept to know its contents. And so it has been with all Christians. They are anxious to know
whether their names are written in the Lamb';s book of life. But you must first learn, my dear brother in
Christ, to live by faith; and faith, too founded on the book in which you can look--of which you may read
the promises, the prophecies,and commands. But into the book of life you can never look, until the
Lamb of God shall open the seventh seal, and the righteous dead be raised, to meet with the dear Savior
in that world of glory, when the book will be opened in the presence of the universe, and he will own
you as his, and crown you with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0179 paragraph 1
2. I shall now give the history of the seven seals,
with the time of their opening. After the prophecy of the seven churches,in the 2d and 3d chapters of
Revelation John has a view of the heavenly host, singing the grand song, and gives us a description of
the heavenly choir, and a part of the song. He likewise introduces the book, sealed with seven seals,
and shows who can
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open the book, in the fourth and fifth chapters. These we have attended to, in a former lecture.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0180 paragraph 1
We shall now begin with the sixth chapter, 1st
verse, "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder,
one of the four beasts, saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat on
him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth conquering and to conquer." The
"beast," in this passage, is the first, which was like a lion, representing the church in its first state, in the
days of the apostles, when the church went every where, preaching the word, bold as a lion. The white
horse, and him that sat upon him, represent Jesus Christ going forth in the power of the gospel. This is
proved by the passage, Rev. 19:11-14, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he
that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His
eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written that no
man knew but he himself, and he was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The
Word of God." This is the same personage as the other, and both places represent the same thing, only
the first description is representing the spread of the gospel in the beginning of the gospel day, the
other at the end of the gospel period, under which we are now living. Therefore the first seal will be
closed by the same. 3d and 4th verses, "And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second
best say, Come and see. And there went out another horse, that was red; and power was given to him
that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and there was
given unto him a great sword." The red horse denotes blood and carnage, and has reference to the
times of persecution in the days of Nero and other Roman emperors, and answers to the same time as
the Smyrna church. "Given unto him a great sword," shows that the power would have great authority.
The second beast spoken of in this passage is the representation of the church, which was like a calf,
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showing that the church would be given to the slaughter, like a calf fatted for the market, during the
period of the opening of this seal, which period lasted until about A. D. 318, when Constantine put a
period to the persecutions of the Christians.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0181 paragraph 1
5th and 6th verses,"And when he had opened
the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo, a black horse; and he that
sat upon him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, a
measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, and see thou hurt not the oil
and the wine." The third beast, which represents the church, under this seal, had a face as a man, and
shows that the church would be like a natural man, proud, haughty, independent, selfish, ambitious,
covetous, and worldly. This seal was opened in the days of Constantine, when religion became popular,
and was a stepping-stone to power; and this seal agrees with the Pergamos church, as to time and place.
The black horse denotes error and darkness; and when the church became connected with worldly
power and wisdom, she lost her purity of doctrine and practice, and adopted, in her creed, maxims and
principles congenial with the natural heart, and forms and ceremonies for show and parade, rather than
the humbling and cross-bearing life of the followers of Jesus. The balances denoted that religion and
civil power would be united in the person who would administer the executive power in the government,
and that he would claim the judicial authority both in church and state. This was true among the Roman
emperors, from the days of Constantine until the reign of Justinian, when he gave the same judicial
power to the bishop of Rome. The measures of wheat and barley for a penny denote that the members
of the church would be eagerly engaged after worldly goods, and the love of money would be the
prevailing spirit of the times, for they would dispose of any thing for money. The oil and wine denote
the graces of the Spirit, faith and love, and there was great danger of hurting these, under the influence
of so much worldly spirit. And it is well attested,
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by all historians, that the prosperity of the church in this age produced the corruptions which finally
terminated in the falling away, and setting up the anti-Christian abominations.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0182 paragraph 1
7th and 8th verses, "And when he had opened
the fourth seal, I heard the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and
his name that sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him; and power was given unto them over
the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with beasts of the
earth." The fourth seal opened in the year A. D. 538, when anti-Christ first arose, for the fourth beast
was like a flying eagle. "And to the woman was given two wings of an eagle, that she might fly into the
wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, times,and a half, from the face of the
serpent." The pale horse is named, in this passage, death. And hell followed, showing us plainly that it
is the anti-Christian power which would have the ascendancy over one fourth part of the earth, during
the opening of this seal. "Power was given unto them," shows conclusively that it is the same power
mentioned in Rev. 13:2-5, "And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." "And
there was given him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to
continue forty and two months." Again, 7th verse, "And it was given unto him to make war with the
saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindred, and tongues, and nations." In
our text he says, "Power was given to kill with the sword," that is, to make war, which was fulfilled in
Europe, when the papal power sent out large armies to exterminate the heretics, as they were called,
who would not worship the beast of his image. "And with hunger;" this was fulfilled by the same power
imprisoning and starving to death many thousands of persons who were suspected of opposition to her
ungodly pretensions. "And with death;" inventing the most cruel and bloody means of torture that
were ever imposed upon our world; to inflict death in every possible shape that men or devils could
invent.
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WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0183 paragraph 1
Thousands and tens of thousands suffered
death under the most excruciating torments that the Inquisition could devise. "And with the beasts of
the earth;" after they had glutted their thirst for blood in every possible shape that man could inflict,
thousands were thrown to ferocious beasts, to be destroyed by them. The time and place of the
opening of this seal we cannot be mistaken in. It must have been during the bloody and persecuting
reign of the papal church.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0183 paragraph 2
9th-11th verses, "And when he had opened the
fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the
testimony which they held; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true,
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were
given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season,
until their fellow-servants also, and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be
fulfilled." On the opening of the fifth seal, there is no beast to say, "Come and see," for this very good
reason--the church has not changed her position, and is yet in the wilderness, like the flying eagle.
Therefore, under the fourth beast, the church is likewise under the control of the same anti-Christian
power as under the fourth seal, but the difference appears to be only in one thing--the church appears
to enjoy a little respite from her persecuting enemy; and it would seem by the language of the souls of
the martyrs that they are now looking for a day of vengeance, which God hath promised upon them who
worshipped the beast or his image; and the inquiry is, How long before this day of vengeance will come?
The answer is given to these praying souls to rest a little season, and they are informed there must be
one more day of little season of persecution, when their brethren must be killed in like manner with
themselves; and when that is accomplished, they would then experience the last promise of God, the
resurrection. This seal was opened about the beginning of the 18th century, A.D. 1700 when the bloody
persecutions against Protestants ceased, and the nation of the world began to enjoy religious freedom.
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WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0184 paragraph 1
12th-17th verses, "And I beheld when he had
opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake." On opening of this seal there is a great
earthquake. This earthquake is spoken of in other places in this book and alludes to the French
revolution; and of course this seal opened about A. D. 1790. "And the sun became black as sackcloth of
hair, and the moon became as blood." Sun sometimes denotes rulers or kings, as in the case of Joseph's
dream, when the sun, moon and stars made obeisance to him, meaning his father, head over all Israel,
his mother, and his brethren; for where the king is called thesun, the queen is called the moon, and
inferior rulers are called stars, as Christ is called sun of righteousness, because he is king of Zion. The
church is called the moon, because she is the bride of Christ. Ministers are called stars because they are
inferior rulers in Christs kingdom. Therefore I understand this to mean in that revolution when the king
lost his authority, and tried to disguise himself, and fled from his own subjects, afterwards was
beheaded. The queen, too, became blood, and all the nobility of France fell to the earth. One decree
levelled all titles and distinctions with the commonalty, like a fig-tree casting her untimely figs. "And the
stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a
mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together." The heavens must mean
that circle in which the planets move; and if that is to be understood figuratively, so must this. Heavens
must then mean the laws and government of France. These were all swept away, or rolled up and laid
away like an old parchment out of date or use. "And every mountain and island were moved out of
their places." Mountains and islands are figures of large and small governments, and in the French
revolution every government was removed from their legitimate sovereigns, except England, in the old
Roman empire,and given to kings of Bonaparte's creation. And certainly all the kingdoms in Europe
were changed form what they were before; so that when legitimacy was restored, the ancient kings
could not and have not found their kingdoms
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in the same situation they were in before the revolution. "And the kings of the earth, and the great men,
and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman,
hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the rocks and mountains, Fall
on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb."
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0185 paragraph 1
It is a well-known fact to all who are conversant
with the history of the French revolution that almost every king in Europe had to flee from his kingdom
during the apace of about five and twenty years: the king of Portugal to Brazil; the king of Spain to
France; the king of France fled to England; the Pope died in exile; the king of Sardinia left his kingdom
and fled to the island of Sardinia; the king of Naples to the island of the same name; the king of Austria
left his capital; and the king of Prussia took shelter under Russia; the emperor of all the Russians left
Moscow to its fate; and Bonaparte himself fled to the island of Elba, and died a prisoner on St. Helena.
The great men and chief captains, and all orders and degrees of men, had to flee from the land of their
fathers, and seek an asylum among strangers. So true was this passage of Scripture fulfilled that many
writers and divines actually supposed that it was the last great battle and supper of the great God. "For
the great day of wrath which will immediately follow the sealing time which he gives us in the next
chapter.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0185 paragraph 2
Rev. 7:1, "And after these things I saw four
angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that it should not
blow on the earth,nor on the sea, nor on any tree." Daniel tells us, 7:2, "I saw in my vision by night, and
behold, the four winds, then, means the opposing elements, war and contention. These principal
elements of war and contention God would restrain for a little season, so they should not fan up the
spirit of war and strife, neither in the Roman government, (called earth,) nor on the great
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nations, (called great sea,) nor on individuals or small societies of men, (called trees;) and this has been
remarkably fulfilled for twenty years past. Not a particle of opposition has been experienced against the
translation and spread of the Bible, or the missionary cause. Kings have been nursing fathers, and
queens nursing mothers, to help forward the cause of God. The wind of Papacy has been kept down by
the angel, so that all the opposition they could raise has been weak and inefficient. The Mahometan
wind has not blown a blast for twenty years; the idolatrous and pagan nations of the East have, by some
invisible power, been kept in check; the infidel and deistical principles of the West have been held in
complete subjection by the same invisible hand, until the servants of God should be sealed. Therefore,
since the French revolution, none of these four winds of opposition to Christ have been permitted to use
any physical force, as formerly, to suppress the spread of the gospel through the earth. "And I saw
another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice
to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea." The angel here spoken of as
ascending from the east, is the angel standing on the land and on the sea, with a little book open, and
the same that is represented in another place as flying through the midst of heaven having the
everlasting gospel to preach to them who dwell on the earth. Coming from the east, the place of light,
and having the seal of the living God, shows plainly that it is the angel of the gospel. The four angels are
the four messengers of God, who suppress those four opposition principles, until the sealing time shall
be over, "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of
Gold in their foreheads." The four angels are here commanded not to let these four winds of opposition
hurt the earth, sea, or trees, until the sealing times is past, which is the same time spoken of, Daniel 12:1,
"Then shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people." "And I
heard the number of them which were sealed; and there were sealed a hundred forty and four
thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel."
0187
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0187 paragraph 1
John first gives us an account of the number
that were sealed in his day, out of all the tribes of Israel. They were sealed, as he tells us when he wrote,
it being finished in the close of the Jewish dispensation. It being a complete number, 144,000, and
therefore could be numbered; and as these were sealed at the close of that dispensation, so John now
saw in vision a great number, which no man could number, sealed at the close of the Gentile
dispensation, of which he has been prophesying; for after he has gone through with numbering twelve
thousand in every tribe, he then says, Rev. 7:9, "After this I beheld," that is, after this sealing, by which
144,000 had been sealed among the Jews, he beheld, "and lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the
Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." This evidently refers to the last sealing time
among all nations; for he again hears them singing the grand chorus song, as at the close of the history
of the seven churches, "And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and
the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: blessing,
and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be unto our God forever and
ever, amen."
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0187 paragraph 2
This shows us that we are again brought down
the stream of time, to hear a part, at least, of the song which no man can sing, but those whose bodies
are redeemed form the earth. "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which
are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said unto me, These are they which come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb."This passage shows who those were that John saw, and
how they obtained the honor and glory, which John saw them possessing, through great tribulation, and
the blood of the Lamb "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and
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serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them;" the
same as in Rev. 20:6, "And they lived and reigned with him," in the New Jerusalem state; for he goes on
to describe this state of happiness, which John does in Rev. 21:1-5, compared with the two following,
and there can be no doubt on the mind that John is describing the same in one place as in the other.
"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living
fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." There can be no doubt left on
the mind of any man, that John has, in these passages, given us a view of the New Jerusalem in the
immortal state. We have been permitted to hear a part of the new song, and have received, in the
passage just read, the blessed promises contained in that beloved city.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0188 paragraph 1
And now, we only wait for the last seal to open.
"And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an
hour." Zechariah says, 2:13, "Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord; for he is raised up out of his holy
habitation!" Habakkuk says, 2:20,"
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0188 paragraph 2
But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the
earth keep silence before him!" From these passages I should infer, that when God arises up to the prey,
when his great white throne is set in the heavens, and when the Son of Man shall come in the clouds of
heaven, with power and great glory, then will all flesh be silent before him. And it is reasonable to
suppose that the whole universe of rational beings who may be permitted to witness that grand scene,
will be so filled with wonder and awe at the sight of the glory of God, that they will be silent. Then, too,
will the redeemed souls, while the great Judge is separating them from the wicked, while they are rising
to meet their Lord in the air, be silent. They will, like the children of Israel, stand still, (besilent,) and see
the salvation of God. And the wicked world, who have scoffed at the idea of Christ's second coming,
who have said, "Where is the promise of his coming?" and laughed and ridiculed
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the servants of Christ, who have cried to them, in their midnight revels, "Behold, the bridegroom
cometh," will be silent. Then will those servants who have "said in their hearts, My Lord delayeth his
coming," and "begin to beat and bruise their fellow-servants," who have proclaimed his coming, "and to
eat and drink with the drunken," be silent. Then, too, will all the false prophets, who have cried Peace,
peace, when there was no peace, be silent, when they see the frowns of an angry judge whom they
have disregarded. Then shall those who have promised the wicked life, though he should not turn from
his wickedness, be silent. Then, every one found in that great assembly, when the Son of Man shall
come in the clouds, and all the holy angels with him, and all the saints who have slept, and all nations
then shall be gathered before him, and every eye shall see him; then, I say, will everyone found in this
vast multitude, not having on the wedding garment, be silent; for the Scripture says, "He was
speechless."
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0189 paragraph 1
And now, my dear friends, what say you? Have
you wept much to know whether your names are written in the Lamb's book of life? "Weep not," for
"behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed to open the book." And he says, "He that
overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot his name out of the book of
life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Therefore, "rejoice, because
your names are written in heaven," says the dear Savior.
WM 2miller LECTURE 12 page 0189 paragraph 2
But you, my impenitent friends, who have never
wept, nor confessed your sins to God, who have been more anxious to have your names written in the
book of fame, of worldly honor, of the riches of this world, than in the book of life, remember, you too
will weep when all heaven is silent--when the last seal is broken--then you will see the book, and your
name blotted out. Then you will weep and say, "Once, my name was there; I had a day of probation; life
was proffered; but I hated instruction, I despised reproof, and my part is taken from the book of life.
Farewell, happiness, farewell, hope! Amen.
LECTURE 13
REV. 21:3
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0189 paragraph 3
And I will give power unto my two witnesses,
and they shall prophecy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0189 paragraph 4
The two witnesses in our text have caused as
much speculation among the writers on the New Testament, as any other passage in the word of God.
Some have supposed that it was a succession of orthodox divines, whom God had raised up to witness
to the truth, during the time specified, which all agree is twelve hundred and sixty years. And those
writers who have taken this side of the question, have endeavored to find some favorite divines, among
their sect, answering to the description given of the two witnesses. Upon this construction every sect
might claim the honor of giving to the world the two witnesses. And were this explanation true, instead
of two witnesses, we should have more than eight hundred; for ever sect must have a set, and I dare not
give preference to any. this would destroy the idea of two witnessesat once.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0189 paragraph 5
Other writers have fixed on the church as the
two, clergy and laity; but here are many difficulties to encounter, the same as above. Every sect must
have their own church and clergy, or admit at once that they are not the true church. But let us now
come to the word of God. And if the word of God does not explain the "two witnesses," I shall despair
of ever coming to the truth on this subject, for I am commanded by Christ himself to call no man master.
I shall, then,
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WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0191 paragraph 1
witnesses.
1. Attempt to show what the Bible calls the two
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0191 paragraph 2
clothed in sackcloth.
2. What we may understand by their being
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0191 paragraph 3
3. Their history, prophecy, and time specified.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0191 paragraph 4
1. What is the Bible account of the two
witnesses? And, first, What is a witness? I answer, A witness is a person, or legal instrument, testifying
to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, on matters of fact which are supposed to be
known no way buy through testimony, either oral or written. Oral testimony is given by a person who is
sworn to tell the whole truth, as above, and relate what he actually knows, by the medium of his own
senses, and no more nor less. The apostles were such witnesses; for they testified to the things which
Christ did in public. And when Judas fell by transgression, Peter informed his brethren that one must be
chosen, "of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out
among us, beginning at the baptism of John, unto the same day that he was taken up from us, must one
be ordained to be a witnesswith us of this resurrection." But these could not be the "two witnesses;"
for here were twelve. But we learn by this history what a witness must be. He must go in and out; he
must know by actual observation, or he could not testify any thing concerning Christ. That was the
manner of oral testimony in that day, and so it is at the present. This, then, precludes the idea at once
of any men, or set of men, being Christ's witnesses at the present day, or since the days of the apostles.
But, says the objector, does not the word of God call all Christians witnesses for Christ? I do not know of
any scripture where Christians are called witnesses, except the prophets and apostles, or inspired
writers, that is, concerning Christ. They may witness a good profession, or they may witness for
themselves, that they believe in Christ or his word; but further they cannot go. They are not witness
either to the person of Christ, to his works, death, miracles, or resurrection and ascension; and if there
was no other testimony but oral, we should be no better off than the darkest Hindoo or most ignorant
Hottentot.
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WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0192 paragraph 1
But, thanks be to God, he has not left us
without a witness. There is a better testimony than all Christendom, which is written: and it is this
which I hold in my hand; it is the word of God. It tells the truth; "for not one jot or tittle of this word
shall fail." It tells the whole truth, "that the man of God may be perfectly furnished to every good
work." It tells nothing but the truth; for it is the truth indited by him who cannot lie.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0192 paragraph 2
You are well aware, my friends, that written
testimony is considered in all courts, under all laws, to be stronger than any oral testimony whatever.
For instance, take the last will and testament of any man; if it was written or indited by himself, signed
by his own hand, sealed with his own seal, in presence of witnesses chosen by himself, and ratified by
his death,no oral testimony can be brought against it; unless the instrument itself shows some
contradiction or discrepancy, it cannot be destroyed. So it is with these two testament, revealed,
indited, confirmed, witnessed, and ratified, by the death of the testator, the Lord Jesus Christ. And
although wicked men and devils have endeavored to show some contradiction or discrepancy in its
testimony, it has stood the shock of ages, the wreck of kingdoms, and will stand when these heavens
and this earth shall pass away with a great noise and the elements melt with fervent heat; for by this
word we must all be judged; by these witnesses we shall be justified or condemned. Christ says, "Search
the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me." The
angel tells John, in the next verse following our text, that the two witnesses "are the two olive trees, and
the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." The angel, in his allusion to the two olive
trees, quotes the prophet Zechariah, 4:3, "And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl,
and the other upon the left side thereof." Here the olive trees are used in a figurative sense, and
properly denote the "sons of oil," of the two cherubims which stood over the ark, and spread their wings
over the mercy seat. The wings of the cherubims stretched from either side of the house to the centre
over the mercy seat, and their faces turned inward down upon the mercy seat,
0193
and the glory of the God of Israel was above the cherubims. These cherubims are a lively type of the Old
and New Testament. The signification of cherub is "fullness of knowledge;" so, is the word of God, "that
the man of God may be thoroughly furnished, perfect in every good work.": They have the whole truth,
all we can know about Jesus Christ in this state. They stand on either hand of Christ, one before he
came in the flesh, pointing to a Messiah to come, by all its types and shadows; and like the cherub
whose wings touched the outer wall of the room and reached to the centre over the mercy seat, so did
the Old Testament reach from the creation of the world down to John's preaching in the wilderness, and
like the cherub looking down on the mercy seat, it testified of the Messiah. The other cherubim's wings
reached form the centre over the mercy seat, and touched the other wall of the room, while his face
was turned back upon the mercy seat. So does the New Testament begin at the preaching of John, and
reveals all that is necessary for us to know, down to the end of the world. And all the ordinances of the
New Testament house look back to the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and are to
continue until his second coming and end of the world. These cherubims were made of olive trees, and
overlaid with pure gold, 1 Kings 6:23-28. Again: the angel tells Zechariah what the two olive trees are,
Zech.4:4-6, "So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my
lord?" (the two olive trees.) "Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest
thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is
the word of the Lord unto Zerubabel, &c. Here we are plainly told that the two olive trees are the word
of the Lord, and the angel tells John, Rev 11:4, that "the two witnesses are the two olive trees and the
two candlesticks." As candlesticks are the means of light, so is the word of God. Candlesticks are used
in Scripture in the same sense as lamps. And David says, "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to
my path." Therefore I humbly believe that I have fairly and conclusively proved
0194
that the two witnesses are the Old and New Testament. And I will,
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0194 paragraph 1
witnesses being clothed in sackcloth.
2. Shows what we may understand by the two
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0194 paragraph 2
Sackcloth denotes a state of darkness, as in Rev.
6:12, "The sun became black as sackcloth of hair;" that is, the sun became dark, invisible, and did not
give its light. Just so during the dark ages of papal rule, the word of God was darkened by monkish
superstition, bigotry, and ignorance in its sacred principles. It did not give its true light, because the laws,
doctrines, and ordinances were changed by the laws of the Latin church; its doctrine was perverted by
the introduction of the doctrine of devils and the anti-Christian abominations: its ordinances were so
altered as to suit the convenience of carnal men; and it was obscured, because the common people
were forbidden to read it, or even to have it in their houses, by the Papal authority. It was hid from the
world in a great measure; for the Papal beast, the church of Rome, forbade its translation into any
language except the Greek and Latin, which languages ceased to be spoken in the Roman government in
the middle of the sixth century. Sackcloth denotes great calamities and troubles, as in the days of
Hezekiah, 2 Kings, 19:1,2, "When king Hezekiah heard (the threatenings of the king of Assyria,) he rent
his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth; "also, the Ninevites put on sackcloth at the preaching of
Jonah when their city was threatened with a final overthrow. So with the two witnesses; while they
were clothed in sackcloth, it was the time of great calamity and trouble to the people of
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0194 paragraph 3
God; persecution raged without any mitigation
in some or all parts of the Roman government, and the church of God, which was fed and nourished by
the "two witnesses," during her residence in the wilderness, was threatened with a final destruction by
the Papal armies, the inquisition, and every other means that could be devised by wicked men or devils.
But God has preserved his word, through all the persecutions of the Roman power. I shall now,
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0194 paragraph 4
specified in the text
3. Show their history, prophecy, and time
0195
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0195 paragraph 1
1st. Their history, contained in Rev. 11:5-13,
inclusive. Let me read and explain. 5th verse, "If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their
mouth, and devoureth their enemies, and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed."
If any man shall add or take away from the book or revelation of God, "God shall take away his part out
of the book of life, and out of the holy city;" and " God shall add unto him the plagues that are written
in this book." This verse has been verified in our day in the history of deistical France. The rulers of
France, in the revolution, proclaimed a war of extermination against the fishermen's Bible, as they were
pleased to term it; and within six years they exterminated themselves, the republic, and almost their
principles. The kingdom was deluged in blood; anarchy was the law of the land; and the judgments
denounced by this word were literally accomplished, so that deists themselves stood appalled at the
horror and confusion their own principles had brought upon their heaven-daring crimes.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0195 paragraph 2
6th verse, "These have power to shut heaven,
that it rain not in the days of their prophecy." Allusion is here had to "the three years and a half," in the
days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up, Luke 4:25, which is the same time the witnesses
prophesy clothed in sackcloth, 1260 days, forty-two months, thirty days to a month; that being common
time, and this prophetic. The Scriptures are the means which God has made use of to convert sinners
from error to truth, from sin to righteousness, and to convey the knowledge of grace,(which in this verse
is compared to rain,) to a lost and perishing world. During the reign of anti-Christ, 1260 years, the
church in the wilderness, and the two witnesses clothed in sackcloth the same 1260 years, the doctrine
of grace in Jesus Christ was but partially taught. Much of the professed Christian world have been
taught that doing penance, purchasing indulgences, obeying the holy Catholic church, or performing
some outward act for pardon, would answer them heaven and happiness. But when the Scriptures
began to be read and understood, and where the doctrine of grace in
0196
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0196 paragraph 1
Jesus Christ has been published by the
translation and circulation of the word of God, how different the scene! Now, we can hardly find a
Roman Catholic who will pretend that heaven is purchased by infliction of bodily torture, by doing
penance, or by a monastic seclusion from the world; neither do we see them selling indulgences, and
promising the holders pardon for the most abominable crimes. And but rarely do we hear the
infallibility of the mother, or holy Catholic church, advanced from pulpit or press. Why this mighty
change in public sentiment? Because the reign of grace is not withheld; the two witnesses are no longer
clothed in sackcloth; "Michael has stood up, that standeth for the children of thy people." And the
"angel is flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell
on the earth." "And have power over the waters to turn them to blood." By waters,we understand
people; and by blood, wars. This text has been amply fulfilled in the wars of Europe, fighting for
religious tenets and ecclesiastical power, claiming their prerogatives from the two witnesses, and
wresting and perverting the word of God to their own destruction. "And from thence come wars,
tumults, fightings," because they understand not. "And to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as
they will." In Old Testament times, it was the word of God, through Moses and Aaron, that smote Egypt
with the ten plagues, and through Joshua the Canaanites. So, in New Testament times, the seven last
plagues, and the three woes, are denounced against the anti-Christian beast, who dwells on and has
great power over the earth. "As often as they will," meaning as often as they have prophesied of them,
so often will the plagues be sent. Not one jot or tittle of the word of God will fail.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0196 paragraph 2
7th verse, "And when they shall have finished
their testimony," that is, when the 1260 years are about fulfilled, the "beast that ascendeth out of the
bottomless pit;" this beast is the same as the little horn, Papal Rome, and is said to ascend out of the
bottomless pit, because it is founded on error. The principles taught by this beast were first Paganism,
and ended in Deism,
0197
which are not built on the word of God; and, therefore, have no foundation, and may truly be said to be
"bottomless." "Shall make war against them." The governments, under the authority of Papal Rome,
shall endeavor to exterminate the "two witnesses," the word of God. "And shall overcome them, and
kill them:" have power over them, pass laws or edicts against them, and, by this means, destroy their
usefulness, life, and activity. For where the Scriptures are not read, and believed in, they become a
dead letter; but when read, and believed, "they are spirit, they are life," John 6:63.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0197 paragraph 1
8th verse, "And their dead bodies shall lie in the
streets of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."
This verse teaches us, that the word of God would be made a dead letter, by the authority of one of the
principal kingdoms out of one of the ten into which the Roman government was divided, and that they
would be guilty of the same sins that Sodom and Egypt were guilty of; and, also, of crucifying our Lord,
that is, in a spiritual sense. This will apply to France in particular. France, previous to, and in the French
revolution, was guilty of Sodomitish sins; she also had held in bondage, like Egypt, the people of God;
and, in France, Christ had been crucified afresh in his people, on St. Bartholomew's eve, A.D. 1572, when
50,000 Huguenots were murdered in one night. The people of God are called Christ's spiritual body, 1
Peter 2:5; Col 1:24.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0197 paragraph 2
9th verse, "And they of the people, and
kindreds, and tongues, shall see their dead bodies three days an a half, and shall not suffer their dead
bodies to be put in graves." This decree, or edict, should be generally known among all nations; and
although they could not prevent the witnesses from lying in the streets of the great city three years and
a half, yet the nations about them would prevent the Scriptures from being buried, or put out of sight.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0197 paragraph 3
10th verse, "And they that dwell upon the earth
shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two
prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the earth." We learn by this text
0017*
0198
that the nation, who would suppress the reading of the word of God,would make great rejoicings upon
this occasion, and congratulate each other upon the destruction of the Bible, as they would suppose, for
this reason, because the doctrine and precepts of the Bible would be hateful and disagreeable to them.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0198 paragraph 1
11th verse, "And after three days and a half,
[years,] the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell
upon them which saw them." After the Bible would be dormant three years and a half, God would so
order in his providence, that they would again be permitted to be read and enjoyed as usual, and the
Bible would again stand upon its own foundation, or merits, and would again have their bearing on the
hopes and fears of mankind, and the governments of the world, and their enemies would see it and
tremble.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0198 paragraph 2
12th verse, "And they heard a great voice from
heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither; and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their
enemies beheld them." This verse shows us that many voices would unite in calling for a general spread
of the Bible through the world, and that the Bible would be exalted among the nations, and great
multitudes of them circulated, and the enemies of the word of God could not prevent it. Here we have a
plain and distinct prophecy of the Bible societies.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0198 paragraph 3
13th verse, "And the same hour was there a
great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men [names or
titles] seven thousand, and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." At the
same hour the witnesses would be slain, there would be a great revolution, and one of the ten kingdoms,
which had given their power and support to the Papal beast, would fall; and seven thousand names, or
titles of nobility, in church and state, would be destroyed; and this revolution would produce great fear
among the nations, and some would acknowledge that the word was fulfilling, and God was producing
these wonderful events. Here we again see exactly depicted the French revolution, and its effects;
0199
and we cannot see but the whole of this prophecy has been literally fulfilled.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0199 paragraph 1
In the beginning of the sixth century, about A. D.
538, Justinian, emperor of Constantinople, in his controversy with the Arians, and other schismatics in
the Greek church, constituted the bishop of Rome head over all others, both in the western and eastern
churches, who, by his authority, suppressed the reading of the Bible by laymen, pretending that they
could not read and understand without the assistance of the clergy. About this time, too, the Latin
language ceased to be spoken in Italy, and the Greek and Latin both became dead languages. The Bible
at that time not being written or translated into any other languages in Europe, it became an easy task
for the bishop to obscure the doctrine and discipline of the word of God, so far as suited his convenience,
and to obtain universal power over the minds and consciences of men, and clothe the Scriptures in
sackcloth. If, then, the Scriptures were first clothed in sackcloth in A. D. 538, and were to prophesy 1260
years in this situation, their prophecy would end in 1798. About the close of the eighteenth century, in
consequence of the abominable corruptions of the church of Rome being exposed to public view, the
men of the world began to treat revelation as a fiction, and religion as priestcraft; and instead of
searching for the pillar and ground of the truth, "their imaginations became vain, and their foolish minds
were darkened." They declared war against the Bible, the "two witnesses," which war became general
all over Europe and America. Some of the most eminent and principal writers in this controversy were
in France, the principal kingdom among the ten, into which Rome had been divided at the close of the
fifth century; and so successful were these writers, that almost the whole nation of the French became
Deists, or Atheists, in a short time. This nation had long been guilty of the abominations of the antiChristian beast, the sins of Sodom and Egypt, and the persecution of those who protested against her
national corruptions: the slaying of the witnesses; their lying in a dead state three years and a half in the
street
0200
of the great city; the revolution spoken of in this prophecy--all happened in the French revolution,
between the years 1793 and 1798. A decree was passed by the council and directory of France,
prohibiting the Bible to be read in public, in any of the chapels in France, and Bibles were gathered in
heaps, and bonfires were made of them, and great rejoicings were had all over the kingdom at the
downfall of priest craft, as they called it; and particularly at Lyons, where the Scriptures were publicly
dragged through the streets, with circumstances of the greatest contempt, and other things transacted
in the exultation of their triumph, which are too shocking to narrate. Let it suffice, then, to say, that
after three years and a half the Bible was again permitted to be read, and religion had free toleration in
France; and what is equally as remarkable, is, that the same year a few individuals in London established
what has since been styled the Bible society, which has been instrumental in sending Bibles among all
nations, and of translating them into more than 150 languages since that period; and almost all the
writers, who acknowledge the Bible to be the two witnesses, do agree that the events, prophesied of in
this passage, were literally accomplished in the French revolution. Now, the Bible is more than restored
to its former state in society; it is exalted, and every person can have, and read, and examine for
themselves into its sacred truth. It is also a fact, that the progress of the Bible society has exceeded the
most sanguine expectations of its advocates; and the Atheists and Deists of our day appear to be
perfectly confounded at these events. Instead now of declaring open war against the Bible, they make
pretense at least of drawing their rules of morality from this blessed book; and the man who should now
undertake to strike down the word of God, would be considered either a madman, or a fool. One thing
more: In the French Revolution, the names of title of men were abolished; and it is said by some writers,
that, in the long list of titled nobility, and the great catalogue of priestly orders, there were seven
thousand destroyed at once. Well might the remnant be affrighted, and give glory to the God of heaven!
0201
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0201 paragraph 1
history of the two witnesses.
Let us now for a moment see what follows the
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0201 paragraph 2
14th verse, "The second woe is past, and behold,
the third woe cometh quickly." The second woe began by the civil wars in France and Germany, and
ended in the French revolution; and the third woe will come quickly. It is the last great woe denounced
against the woman sitting upon the scarlet-colored beast, and against the earth, which she hath filled
with her sorceries, and the kingdoms of this world, which must all be destroyed under this woe.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0201 paragraph 3
15th verse, "And the seventh angel sounded,
and there were great voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of
our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." The third woe and seventh trumpet are
both the same thing, (see Rev. 8:13;) and the seventh trumpet is the last trump, when the dead shall be
raised. See 1 Cor. 15:52. It is evident, also, that we are carried into the eternal state forever and ever.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0201 paragraph 4
16th verse, "And the four and twenty elders,
which sat before God on their seats, fell on their faces and worshipped God." By the four and twenty
elders, I understand the true ministers of Christ, alluding to the twenty-four courses of the priesthood
appointed by David, 1 Chron. 24.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0201 paragraph 5
17th verse, "Saying, We give thee thanks, O
Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great
power, and hast reigned." This is the language of every humble and devoted minister of Jesus Christ,
who makes the word of God his study, and believes in the overruling hand of God as accomplishing the
great designs therein revealed.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0201 paragraph 6
18th verse, "And the nations were angry, and
thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give
reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great,
and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth."
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0201 paragraph 7
This verse shows us what takes place at the
sounding of the seventh trumpet and third woe, which the angel
0202
says will come quickly after the French revolution, if I am right in my explanation of the two witnesses.
It is morally certain that the word of God is not now in an obscure state; it is not hid from the world,
neither is clothed in sackcloth. It is true that many voices have united in the Bible societies to spread
the knowledge of the word of God; and that it is translated into about all the known languages in the
world. It is almost absolutely certain that the French people are the nation that is compared to Sodom
and Egypt, in the passage we have been examining; and likewise the earthquake spoken of is the French
revolution. Then if the two witnesses are the Old and New Testament, we are certain the third woe is
coming quickly, and the seventh trump must shortly begin to sound, as I have already proved in my
lecture on the trumpets, in the year 1839. You have undoubtedly seen, my friends, that we are likewise
brought down to the judgment, when God will reward the righteous, and destroy the wicked, who have
persecuted the saints and trampled them under foot.
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0202 paragraph 1
And once more let me inquire how it stands
with you, my dear hearer. Are you prepared for that great and solemn day? Are you ready to meet the
judgment? The two witnesses will appear for or against you. Their testimony will not fail. Do you
believe them? He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned. "The word
that I have spoken," says Christ, "the same shall judge you in the last day." Why will you not be warned?
If half the evidence that I have brought of our being on the end of this dispensation, was brought to
prove there was a great treasure hid in your field, how soon would you search and how diligently would
you seek until you found it!
WM 2miller LECTURE 13 page 0202 paragraph 2
In this book, of which we have now been
speaking, are durable riches, gold tried in the fire, seven times purified. "Search for it as for hidden
treasures; seek and you shall find." Can you tell me where the word of God, the Bible, has failed of being
accomplished literally, and in the time specified? Many events have been foretold, the times given, and
not one failed. How can you disbelieve? How can you shut your eyes
0203
against so much light? Where will you have an excuse in the day of judgment? I have repeatedly
brought you down to this time, and shown, by Scripture proof, the judgment must commence
immediately. You are in your hearts convicted that what has been declared concerning the two
witnesses, in this discourse, is true. And if so, your reason must teach you that what follows under the
third woe must be equally as true. "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of
the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the
prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them
which destroy the earth."
0204
LECTURE 14
REV. 12:6
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0204 paragraph 1
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where
she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and
threescore days.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0204 paragraph 2
The history of the church, in all ages of this
present world, is but a history of persecution and blood, when we follow her through all dispensations
form Adam to Moses, and from Moses to Christ; so likewise from Christ's first coming down to his
second appearance, the church have experienced, and according to the whole tenor of Scripture, must
expect to realize from the kingdoms and men of this world, this one promise at least, "In the world ye
shall have tribulation." These facts are so plain and obvious, that it has given rise to a common saying
among almost all writers, that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." Yet there is a bright side
to her history; for she has come out of all her persecutions more purified, more faithful, and with more
energy, to persecute the work her divine Master has left her to perform. And one other things is certainGod has preserved her, whether in the wilderness or among the nations of earth, in an extraordinary
and miraculous manner; even her enemies themselves being her judges. Where has a kingdom stood
when all the nations about them have conspired their overthrow? Where is the Assyrian and populous
Nineveh? Where is Chaldea, the queen of nations? Where is the Grecian empire, once the colossus of
the world? Where is imperial
0205
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0205 paragraph 1
Rome? Gone, gone, by the power of earthly
foes. But behold the church of Christ and of God, delivered first from Egyptian bondage by the mighty
arm of the God of Jacob, led by miracles through the wilderness forty years, brought into the promised
land, although all the nations of the earth were her enemies, preserved as a nation through the rise and
fall of mighty empires, and experiencing a reverse of fortune only when she courted the aid of worldly
kingdoms, or suffering diminution only when she adopted the more popular worship of heathen idolatry.
Yet in her lowest estate, God told his servant the prophet, that "he had reserved seven thousand that
had not bowed the knee to Baal." And if men would reason on the subject of religion as they do on
other subjects, there could not be an infidel in the world. For nothing is or can be more manifest than
the miraculous interposition of Providence in the preservation of his people through the most severe
trials, heaviest afflictions, and deadliest hatred of all men, that men or societies ever endured.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0205 paragraph 2
Our present discourse will show us the history
of the church by prophecy, through the darkest age the church has ever been permitted to experience
since the days of Abraham.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0205 paragraph 3
woman" in our text.
1. I shall show what we may understand by "the
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0205 paragraph 4
the great red dragon and beast.
2. I shall show what we are to understand by
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0205 paragraph 5
the chapters of our text.
3. I shall give the history of the woman given in
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0205 paragraph 6
their beginning and end.
4. The time specified in the text, 1260 days,
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0205 paragraph 7
1. What may we understand by woman in our
text? I answer, We must understand the people of God, in all ages of the church, whether among the
Jew or Gentile: she is called a womanbecause she is the spouse of Christ; she is likewise called a woman
because of her dependence on Christ for all things. As a man is the head of the woman, so is Christ the
head over all things to the church, says the apostle. As the woman depends on her husband for a name,
for food, and for raiment, so
0206
likewise the church on Christ, for a name--"And thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of
the Lord shall name," Isa 62:2-5. "And they were called Christians first at Antioch." For food, our text
says, "that they should feed her there," &c. The prophet Isaiah says, 60:11, "He shall feed his flock as a
shepherd." John 6:53, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in
you." For raiment, the psalmist, speaking of the church, says, "She shall be brought to the king in
raiment of needlework; her clothing is wrought gold." The angel to the seven churches says, "He that
overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment." And again, "I John, saw the holy city, New
Jerusalem, coming down from God, out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." This
shows conclusively that the people of God are compared to a woman. And now let me show,
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0206 paragraph 1
2. What we may understand by the great red
dragon and beast that persecuted the church, or woman that fled into the wilderness.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0206 paragraph 2
The red dragon is the same power as Daniel's
fourth kingdom, the Roman, for the description is the same, having ten horns; his character, too, is the
same. Daniel says he should break in pieces the whole earth, and stamp the residue with his feet; that
he should work deceitfully, &c. John says that the dragon drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and
did cast them to the earth, and that he deceiveth the whole world. The Roman government, then, must
be the apocalyptical red dragon beast, having seven heads and ten horns. The Roman power is called
red, either because of their persecuting and bloody spirit, or on account of their emperors wearing
purple robes, when dressed in state; either might be sufficient to entitle them to the appellation "red."
"Dragon" is undoubtedly given the Roman government from the fact that the Romans changed their
forms of government so often, having seven different forms in about five hundred years, and from their
deceitful, cunning, intriguing manner by which they obtained power over the nations around them, that
they
0207
were properly a nondescript; and could not be described by Daniel or John by any thing seen on earth;
and therefore they took one of the inhabitants of the bottomless pit, "the dragon," to describe to us by
figure this dreadful, persecuting, and bloody power. The red dragon is, therefore, used as a figure to
denote Pagan Rome, and the woman sitting on the scarlet-colored beast to denote the church of Rome,
or Papal Rome; and both together, civil and Papal, make the anti-Christian abomination, which would
drive the church of Christ into the wilderness, where she would be fed 1260 days, or time, times, and
half a time. I shall,
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0207 paragraph 1
twelfth chapter of Revelation.
3. Give the history of the woman, as in the
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0207 paragraph 2
Verse 1, "And there appeared a great wonder in
heaven," --John saw this wonderful sight as transpiring under the gospel day, or government of God,
with his people in the gospel, the circle in which the church moves, here called heaven,--"a woman
clothed with the sun," the church adorned with gospel light; as the natural sun gives light to the world,
so does the gospel the church, --"and the moon under her feet." This shows us that John had a view of
the church while it was in its Jewish state. For the moon represents the ceremonial law, which was
typical of the gospel, like the moon shining in a borrowed light, and liable to change when the Shiloh
should come. "Under her feet," shows that she walked or stood on the ordinances of God's house,
which, like the moon, pointed to the sun both before and after Christ. "And upon her head a crown of
twelve stars,"--first the twelve patriarchs, afterwards the twelve apostles, Eph. 2:20. Like stars they are
smaller lights in the government of God, and teachers under the law and gospel.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0207 paragraph 3
Verse 2, "And she, being with child,"--having the
promise that the seed of the womanshould bruise the serpent's head,--"cried travailing in birth,"-denoting prayer in faith,--"and pained to be delivered,"--that is, an anxious and deep longing for the
advent of the promised Messiah, when she expected deliverance from bondage, sin, and all her foes,
Matt. 13:17.
0208
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0208 paragraph 1
Verse 3, "And there appeared another wonder
in heaven,"--another sight or view of God's government of the world in connection with the gospel,-"and behold, a great red dragon"--a figurative representation of the Roman kingdom.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0208 paragraph 2
Verse 4, "And his tail drew a third part of the
stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth." Judea became a Roman province before the Messiah's
advent, which is figured by the tail, and the Jews had for a number of years been governed by tetrarchs
or kings of the Romans' appointment. The Jews were governed by three different offices, figuratively
called stars--kings, high priest, and sanhedrim, or the seventy elders. When, therefore, the Jews were
deprived of their right to appoint their own kings, one third part of their rulers fell to the Roman power,
in this passage called "earth."--"And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be
delivered,"--Herod was then king of the Jews, at the birth of Christ, a representative of the Romans,
because he was supported by their authority,--"for to devour her child as soon as it was born." Herod
sought the young child's life, to destroy him. See Matt. 2:13.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0208 paragraph 3
Verse 5, "And she brought forth a man child," -Jesus Christ, born of a virgin. "For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given," &c. Isa. 9:6,7. "Who
was to rule all nations with a rod of iron," denoting the power of Christ to break in pieces and subdue all
the kingdoms of the earth. Psalms 2:9. Rev. 19:15--"and her child was caught up to God and his
throne." Christ has ascended up on high, and is seated at the right hand of the Father until he makes his
enemies his footstool." See John 6:62; Eph. 4:8-10.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0208 paragraph 4
Verse 6. "And the woman fled into the
wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God." The church had grown weary of the protection of
the Roman power, for she found, by woeful experience, that whenever she placed herself under the
protection of this red dragon, he destroyed some of her blessed privileges, and brought in a flood of
errors, which caused divisions and subdivisions in the church. The Jews had tried their friendship
0209
and protection for more than two hundred years before and after Christ, and the event proved the
destruction of their nation and place. The Christians, too, had tried the friendship of the same power,
under Constantine and succeeding emperors, for little more than two hundred years, beginning A. D.
313, and ending in A. D. 538, as we shall show; which so corrupted the Romish church that she became
the anti-Christian abomination, and the true children of God were driven into the wilderness out from
her connection with the anti-Christian church, "the city of the nations," as she is called. But God took
care "that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days," which is 1260
years, from A. D. 538 until 1798, during which time a free toleration of religious rights were not
permitted in any of the kingdoms which formerly composed the Roman empire; but God raised up
teachers among them, who retained in a good degree the doctrine and purity of the word of God, and
practiced the ordinances as they were delivered to the saints in the apostles' days: yet but little is known
of them for six or seven hundred years.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0209 paragraph 1
Verse 7, "And there was war in heaven." After
the prophet John had given us a history of the church, as in the preceding verses, he now goes back to
bring up the history of the dragon, the Roman kingdom, and begins his history in the days of Christ and
his apostles. "Michael and his angels fought"--Christ and his apostles. See Matt. 10:34, "Think not I am
come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword"--"against the dragon," against
principalities and powers, and wickedness in high places.--"And the dragon fought, and his angels,"
imperial Rome and worldly men.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0209 paragraph 2
Verse 8. "And prevailed not, neither was their
place found any more in heaven." Rome could not prevail against the kingdom of Christ or the gospel;
for it differed materially from the Jewish mode of worship; and although Rome in her Pagan state could
find easy access into the Jewish sanctuary, because of the similarity of their worship, yet when Christ set
up his gospel kingdom they were excluded, for none could enter this kingdom without regeneration,
faith, and repentance.
18
0210
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0210 paragraph 1
Verse 9, "And the great dragon was cast out,"-Rome Pagan was deprived from having any authority in the gospel kingdom, as Christ says in John 12:31,
"Now shall the prince of this world be cast out"--"that old serpent,"--Rome Pagan is compared to the old
serpentbecause he works deceitfully and deceives the church, (woman,) as the serpent did Eve, the
woman in the garden,--"called the devil," because they devour and persecute with a devilish spirit,-"and Satan," because satan-like he claims power over all kingdoms of the world--"which deceiveth the
whole world."--This may be said of Rome, for she conquered more nations by deceit and flattery than by
fair warfare.--"He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." This was literally
fulfilled when Christ cut off the Jews and all unbelievers; when he said, "My kingdom if not of this
world;" when he excluded the kingdoms of this earth from participating in the spiritual kingdom which
they claimed on account of their authority among men.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0210 paragraph 2
Verse 10, "And I heard a loud voice saying in
heaven,"--many voices in the church under the gospel dispensation,--"Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ."--This represents the grand chorus of
all the saints, when they discover the true principle on which the kingdom of God is built. This was
literally true at the day of Pentecost.--"For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused
them before our God night and day." The Romans had, by drawing the Jews into idolatry, caused them
to sin against God in all their evening and morning sacrifices. And by these means, they were accuse
before God, that is, God was angry with them, and destroyed our brethren, the Jews.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0210 paragraph 3
Verse 11, "And they overcame him by the blood
of the Lamb,"--by the blood of atonement, all believers in Christ do finally overcome the powers of
darkness and princes of this world,--"and by the word of their testimony,"--preaching and testimony of
the apostles.--"And they loved not their lives unto the death"--
0211
suffered martyrdom. This was fulfilled in the death of the apostles and others.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0211 paragraph 1
Verse 12, "Therefore rejoice ye heavens, and ye
that dwell in them." It was a matter of great joy among the primitive Christians, to be counted worthy
to suffer persecution for Christ's sake. "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth,"--those who live under the
Roman government,--"and of the sea,"--meaning the principal kingdom among the ten kingdoms.
France is generally meant by seain this prophecy. "For the devil is come down unto you, having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." The devil means destroyer, and the three
woes, and seven last plagues, were all to be sent upon the earth and sea, which denote wars,
revolutions, and changing of governments. These things would prevail in the close of this Roman
kingdom, and war would be the closing up of the earthly scene of this fourth kingdom which Daniel saw
and John has been describing under the figure of the "great red dragon."
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0211 paragraph 2
Verse 13, "And when the dragon saw that he
was cast unto the earth,"--when the Roman government saw they could have no control in the things of
Christ's kingdom, they hated the church and the doctrine that taught that Christ's kingdom was not of
this world, and they "persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child." which is the church that
had a Savior born unto her, Christ Jesus, the Lord of life and glory.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0211 paragraph 3
Verse 14, "And to the woman was given two
wings of a great eagle,"--by which wings I understand the means God used between the Arian and Papal
controversy, at the time of the division of the Greek or eastern church from the west or Roman church,
which happened in the reign of Justinian, emperor of the east, about A. D. 538, when the controversy
arose concerning the worshipping of departed saints, images, and the infallibility of the church at Rome.
In this controversy, many privately withdrew themselves, and settled in the northwest part of Asia and
in the north-east part of Europe, and after a number of years colonies were sent by them
0212
into Piedmont and valleys of the Alps, where it is supposed the true worship of God was retained during
the dark ages of Papal ignorance, bigotry, and superstition. (See Milner's Church History, and Benedict's
History of the Baptists.)--"that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place," -- a separation from the
world, as says the voice from heaven, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins,
and that ye receive not of her plagues,"Rev. 18:4.--"where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a
time,"-- fed and nourished by the spirit and word of God 1260 years. "from the face of the serpent"-from the knowledge of Papal Rome.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0212 paragraph 1
Verse 15, "And the serpent cast out of his
mouth waters as a flood after the woman,"--waters, in prophecy, means people, Rev. 17:15. Therefore I
understand this prophecy to have been fulfilled when the Pope, the head of Papal Rome, sent forth his
armies and inquisition to subdue the heretics, as he called them, who dwelt in the valleys of the Alps,
which was about the beginning of the thirteenth century,--"that he might cause her to be carried away
of the flood"--exterminated and destroyed by his armies and inquisition.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0212 paragraph 2
Verse 16, "And the earth helped the woman,
and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth."
This verse was fulfilled in the wars which followed the above-mentioned time of persecution, in which
the German princes helped their subjects against the armies of the Pope, and destroyed and swallowed
up many of the papal armies, from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century. Or, as some authors have
supposed, the waters which the dragon cast out of his mouth was the flood of errors which arose about
the time of the French revolution, under the name of Deism, which was calculated to destroy the
doctrine of the gospel, as they vainly supposed, backed up by the republican armies of France, and
afterwards by the power of Bonaparte, who was finally subdued by the combinations of the kings of the
earth. But, as this transaction seems to me to be too
0213
late to affect the woman in her exiled state, I have inclined, in my humble opinion, to my first exposition
of these texts.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0213 paragraph 1
Verse 17, "And the dragon was wroth with the
woman,"--Papal Rome was angry with the true church,--"and went to make war with the remnant of her
seed." This war has not yet come; for it is evident by the expression "remnant of her seed," that it
means the last of the church "who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ." This is the last struggle of this anti-Christian beast, and is described in many places as the last
great battle, or the supper of the great God. Such expressions as"and went," as though this power
would go to some place out of their own territory, and "the kings of the east might be prepared," show
that they will go west. I am, therefore, constrained to believe that this battle of the dragon's last power
will be in America; and if so, it must be mainly in these United States. It will be a battle on political
principles, as we may learn by the passage in Rev. 16:13-16, "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs
come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the
false prophet;"--the "unclean spirits" shows that it is political principles; and, like the frogs in Egypt, it
will pervade all the departments of life--the social, civil, and religious. By "dragon," we must understand
the kings of the earth; by the "beast," Papal principles, or the church of Rome; by the "false prophet,"
Mahometan power;--"for they are the spirit of devils, working miracles,"--that is, spirit of deceit,
separating friends, dividing kingdoms, states, societies, churches, and families, and crumbling every
man-made institution, and levelling to the dust all law, order, and bond of union, which the wisdom of
man may have invented,--"which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world."This
shows the universal spread of this fanatical spirit of disorganization, and it will finally lead to "gather
them to the battle of that great day of God almighty." "Behold, I am come as a thief. Blessed is he that
watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked
0214
and they see his shame." We are here notified that his coming will be like a thief to those who are
engaged in this political warfare, and in those popular and men-made societies of the day; and we are
told that those will be blessed who watch, that is, for his coming, and the signs of the times, and that
keepeth his garments unspotted form these worldly institutions, which engender strife and animosity
among brethren. Be warned, dear Christian, "enter into thy chamber, and hide thyself for a little
moment, until the indignation be over and past, that ye need not be ashamed before him at his
coming." It will also be a battle of religious principles, as is evident by the following scripture, Rev. 19:1116, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful
and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his
head were many crowns; and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself, and he was
clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which
were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his
mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod
of iron; and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." This passage
proves that there will be at the close of this dispensation, immediately preceding the marriage of the
Lamb to his bride, a great and last struggle between error and truth, between infidelity and the word of
God. And you may inquire perhaps, and with propriety too, How shall we know on which side we are
engaged in this great war of principle? I answer, "In righteousness," he doth make war. But, say you,
we are so prone to follow tradition or prepossessed notions, and think we are right, that, like Paul, we
may be found at last fighting against God. You must see to it, that you are "faithful and true," have faith
in his name, "and his name is The Word of God." This is your only rule--The Word of God. Be careful; lay
yourselves on this word. Try yourselves by this standard. If your life, faith, experience,
0215
and hope, are built on this foundation, you can never fail; for he that is The Word of God, is "KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Again: it is to be a literal battle with the sword, for Christ says, "He that
taketh the sword shall die by the sword." And kings, Papal Rome, and the Mahometans, have ruled the
world by the sword, and their swords, during all the days of their power, have been red with the blood
of their subjects, and the innocent victims of their hate. And in Rev. 19:17-20, it is evident, by the
"fowls" spoken of in the 17th verse, is meant, warriors in favor of liberty who are to "eat (destroy) the
flesh (strength or power) of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh
of horses, and them that sit on them, (armies are undoubtedly meant in this passage,)and the flesh of all
men," who are engaged in favor of kings, papal Rome, or false prophet, "both free and bond, both small
and great." "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to
make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army." "And he gathered them together
into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon," (awake to the spoil,) Rev. 16:16-21.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0215 paragraph 1
These will be the means the dragon will use in
his last great struggle to gain ascendancy over the minds, consciences, and bodies of men. He will fan
up their political animosities; he will stir up strife and division among religious communities; and, last of
all, and not least, he will encourage an intolerable thirst for blood. In which battle Christ will come,
chain the dragon, give his body to the burning flame, confine the spirits of all who worship the dragon,
beast or false prophet, in the pit of woe; raise the saints, purify, cleanse, and glorify them with his own
glory.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0215 paragraph 2
4. We are to speak of the time the saints, or
church, were to be in the wilderness, "one thousand two hundred and threescore days." I believe all
commentators agree that these days are to be understood years; and, as I have proved this point in a
former lecture, I need not stop to argue this given principle at this time, but will proceed to give some
proof when this time began
0216
and when it ended. The time given in our text is the same length of time as given by Daniel for the reign
of the little horn. See Daniel 7:25. It is, also, the same time John has given for the image beast to have
power "to continue forty and two months." Thirty days to a month is 1260 days, Rev. 13:5. It is, also,
the same length of time that was given the Gentiles to tread the holy city under foot. See Rev. 11:2.
Also for the witnesses to prophesy, clothed in sackcloth. Rev. 11:3. And there can hardly be a shadow
of a doubt but that all these times had their beginning and ending at one and the same time. If so, then
the arguments use heretofore may have their proper bearing in this place.
WM 2miller LECTURE 14 page 0216 paragraph 1
But let us consider a few things in addition to
our former reasons. 1st. What may we understand by the woman "fleeing into the wilderness," and
"from the face of the serpent." We must consider it in a state of obscurity; this was true in the time we
have state, A. D. 538. Historians tell us but little about any regular church but the Roman church, and
this has never been in an obscure state; of course the Roman is not the church in the wilderness. But
they do tell us that, in the days of Justinian, emperor of Constantinople, there were many schismatics, as
they were called, who opposed the power of the bishop or pope of Rome, and doings of councils in the
east and west, and a large share of the latter part of Justinian's life was spent in religious broils and
expelling from his kingdom these schismatics; and code of laws which he published about A. D. 533,
forbade any Christians any rights or privileges as citizens in his empire who would not acknowledge the
bishop of Rome as head. And in these laws he gave the bishop power to hold courts and try all matters
of faith within his kingdom. These, and other things of like import, drove all true followers of the word
of God to seek a rest out of the jurisdiction of the city of nations; and, of course, became outlaws to the
Roman government. Then, if we fix the beginning of the exile of the church at the same time of setting
up anti-Christ, A. D. 538, then the church was in its exiled state until A. D. 1798, which would be the
1260 years. It is here worthy of
0217
remark, that the code of laws passed by Justinian were in full force in the kingdoms belonging to, or
under the control of, the pope of Rome, respecting the rights and privileges of those who might differ
from the Catholic faith, until the French took Rome, in 1798, and declared Italy a republic; when free
toleration was given for any religious opinion or privilege whatsoever. Here, then, the church, in
whatever form she might appear, was permitted to enjoy the rights and privileges of citizens, and to
worship God as their conscience might dictate. This is the first time, during the 1260 years, that free
toleration of religion was granted in any kingdom where the Catholic church had power; and, although
Catholic princes and popes have since had rule in Italy and France, yet they have never dared, as yet, to
pursue their former intolerant course of conduct toward Protestants. And it is very evident, my dear
friends, that the church is now out of the wilderness; that is, if she ever was; for there never has been a
time since the days of the apostles, no,nor even then, that the church, in all its several branches, has
enjoyed greater privileges than for nearly forty years past. She has spread her wings over every land,
and carried the news of salvation into every language on the known world. Her reapers have followed
the sowers of seed, and there is handsfull of corn in the tops of all the mountains; but the harvest is
short. The church has had rest as long as she has ever had since Christ left her and ascended to his
Father. The dragon begins to show his anger; the trumpet begins to sound to the onset; the armies of
the beast begin to muster for the battle, they are furbishing their swords for the slaughter; the kings of
the earth are combining against the freedom of their subjects; the great men and nobles are riveting
closer the chains of their vassals; tyrants are braiding in firmer knots their scorpion whips for their slaves;
expediency has taken the room of moral law, and anarchy has crowded order from his seat; mobs have
taken the place of judges, and law is popular will; the liberty of the press is but the nod of demagogues,
and freedom of speech is
0218
called fanaticism. Division seems to be the order of the day, and our valuable institutions are tottering
to their base. Be warned, then, O my friends, to seek safety under the banner of the gospel before the
armies are filled up. "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."
"The spirit of prophecy"
LECTURE 15
REV. 16:17
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0218 paragraph 1
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into
the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0218 paragraph 2
This text is the account we have in the word of
God of the last plague that will ever visit our world, or the inhabitants who hereafter will be permitted
to dwell thereon. That is evident, because it is the seventh of the last seven. For John says, Rev. 15:1,
"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for
in them is filled up the wrath of God." And the wrath of God is filled up, that is, the cup of God's wrath
of which he will make all nations drink; and he will give unto Babylon "the cup of the wine of the
fierceness of his wrath."
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0218 paragraph 3
Then it cannot be uninteresting to those how
wish or who may desire to learn where and when the last plagues have been poured out, and how many
yet remain for us to experience. These seven last plagues have had their shadows in the plagues which
God sent on slave-holding Egypt, when he delivered his people, the Jews, from their Egyptian bondage,
the least of which plagues destroyed Pharaoh and his host, just in the moment when Israel were
shouting deliverance on the banks of the Red Sea. So likewise, in the seven last plagues, they are
poured out upon spiritual Egypt, slave-holding Babylon, who has enslaved the people of God for
centuries, and has trafficked in the bodies and souls of men. She, like
0220
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0220 paragraph 1
Egypt, has appointed task-masters over the
church, and has endeavored to strangle her children in the birth. She has commanded the kings and
rulers of the earth to destroy the children of the church, as did the Egyptians the Hebrew midwives; but
the church has found favor in the eyes of some of the kings and princes of the earth, and the earth has
helped the woman, and her children are not all dead. And their cry has gone up to the Lord of Sabaoth,
and he has come down in these seven last plagues to deliver his people from the hand of the spoiler,
and from the power of the beast, and anti-Christian abomination; and when this last vial is poured into
the air, all the doctrines of men and devils, and all the theories of men and the wisdom of this world will
be confounded and brought to nought. The Lord will overwhelm with the red and fiery wrath of his last
judgment the kings of the earth, the beast or Catholic church of abomination, the false prophet and all
his followers, the great men of the earth, mighty men and captains, tyrants, slave-holders, rich and poor,
bond and free: all who have worshipped the beat or his image, will, like the host of Pharaoh, be
destroyed in the general conflagration of the world, and the saints will shout deliverance in the New
Jerusalem state. I shall, therefore,
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0220 paragraph 2
the seven vials of wrath.
1. Give the history of the seven last plagues, or
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0220 paragraph 3
done."
2. Show what may be understood by "It is
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0220 paragraph 4
1. Then we are to give the history of the seven
vials or last plagues; and for this purpose we must give a comment on the sixteenth chapter of
Revelation. Verse 1, "And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go your
ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth." This verse shows us that these plagues
are poured upon the earth at the command of him who sits in the temple of God. Verse 2, "And the first
went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men
which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image." This first vial was
poured upon the earth, meaning the kingdom of the beast or the Roman government. A noisome, a
grievous sore, indicates
0221
the dissolution of the body afflicted, and that the constitution is laboring under some inward disease, or
affected by contagion from without. It is therefore a fit emblem to represent the exposure of the
corruptions of the church of Rome, and breaking out of those loathsome diseases of internal
abominations which had been hid for ages from the world by the cunning craftiness of this Papal beast.
The men spoken of in this passage are those who worship the beast, and who are the professed
followers of this corrupt society, and all who live under the influence and control of the idolatrous city of
nations, and who traffic in her indulgences and abominable practices. This vial then began to be poured
out when the Protestants first published to the world the corruptions and abominable practices of the
church of Rome, when the world began to see the noisome and grievous sores that covered the men
who pretended to preach or proclaim the doctrine, laws, or commands of this beast. And of course this
plague was sent on the Romish church about the year A. D. 1529, under the preaching of Luther, Calvin,
and others who opposed and exposed the corruptions of the church of Rome.
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0221 paragraph 1
Verse 3, "And the second angel poured out his
vial upon the sea, and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea." The
sea, in prophetic language, is the centre of some great nation, or society of men, as in a restless and
turbulent state; and the things living in the sea, are the persons living under the power or control of this
nation, or society. Living soul denotes those persons who have been born of the Spirit, and are in
possession of that living faith in God,and love for all men. "As the blood of a dead man." There is
something very striking in this figure--not an ordinary figure of blood, which denotes war and mortal
controversy, but cold, congealed blood; the blood of a dead man denoting a massacre in cool blood,
without any resistance on the part of those murdered. This vial was, then, poured out in France, the
principal kingdom in the Roman ten horns, in the year A. D. 1572, at the massacre of the Huguenots on
St. Bartholomew's eve, when 50,0000 were slain in one night, and the streets
0019*
0222
ran blood, as Sully tells us, in some places angle deep, in the city of Paris. This massacre was in cold
blood; for the same historian tells us, that the king stood in his balcony, and shot down his naked and
defenseless subjects as they were fleeing through the streets. This happened in France, the stoutest of
the Papal horns--the chief instrument in establishing, building up, and supporting that cruel, murderous
power of Papacy.
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0222 paragraph 1
Verse 4, "And the third angel poured out his vial
upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood." By "rivers and fountains of water," I
understand the nations and states who live around the centre, or sea, as it was called in the preceding
vial. By "blood," I understand destructive war. "And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art
righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou has judged thus. For they have shed
the blood of saints and prophets, and thou has given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. And I
heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments."
In these verses we have the reasons given, why they were visited with this scourge of war, because, in
the preceding vial, they had shed the blood of saints; which proves that the exposition of that vial, which
I have already given, is correct. This vial, then, was poured out upon the nations that had given their
strength and their power to the beast; and the governments were filled with war and blood. This vial
was poured out about A. D. 1630, and lasted nearly fifty years. Spain and Portugal carried on a bloody
and destructive war for more than thirty years of this time. France was torn by civil and intestine wars
during a long period. The civil wars in England began under king Charles I., 1642, which lasted with but
little cessation, until king George 1, ascended the throne, in 1714. Germany was filled with blood,
between the contentions of the Evangelical league and Catholic league, "which gave rise to a ruinous
war, which lasted thirty years." See Guthrie, vol. 1, page 443. This war was headed, on the part of the
Protestants, by Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, who was killed at the battle of Lutzen,
0223
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0223 paragraph 1
A. D. 1632, which war lasted until; the peace of
Munster 1648. The other kingdoms of the ancient empire of Rome were more or less drenched in blood,
and civil wars, on account of their religious tenets, and contention of their rulers and sovereign princes.
These were the heavy judgments which God saw fit to inflict upon the kingdoms and states of the
church of Rome, for the innocent blood which she had shed of the Protestants who had protested
against her cruel and blasphemous practices. "For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and
thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy." "And the fourth angel poured out his vial
upon the sun, and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with
great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues; and they repented
not to give him glory." The sun is the great source of light and heat, and, in prophetic language, is an
emblem of the gospel, as explained in the 19th Psalm, 4-10. "Their line has gone out through all the
earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun," &c. To
"scorch men" with fire, signifies to make men angry; "great heat," uncommonly angry, vengeful,
malicious. This vial was poured out in the last century, when the gospel was proclaimed in these
kingdoms of the beast. Now, during the greater part of the last century, and in all the kingdoms were
the gospel was preached, there were manifested insidious attempts and systematic opposition against
the gospel of Jesus Christ, or the Holy Scriptures. This opposition was headed by Frederick, king of
Prussia, and aided by all the wits, men of genius and learning, as they boasted, of all Europe and
America; and in their secret assemblies, or clubs, they went so far as to calculate about what length of
time it would take for them to destroy the exterminate the religion of the "Galilean and his twelve
fishermen;" and no writers that have ever wrote took such unwearied pains, showed so much virulence
and anger, blasphemed the name of God to such a degree, as these writers; and none, either before or
since, have ever dared to exhibit the like. "And they repented
0224
not to give him the glory." I believe it is not known, that any of these principal deisitical writers were
converted to the religion of Jesus Christ before their death, to give God the glory. Yet I think we have
some account of many of them dying in horror, at the frightful view of the future, on consequence of
their blasphemous lives against the majesty of the King of kings. Therefore, in the history of the Deists
in the eighteenth century, we have the history of the plague of the fourth vial. "And the fifth angel
poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed
their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their sores, and
repented not of their deeds." "The seat of the beast' must mean those ten kingdoms on which the
woman sitteth, which is ancient Rome. "Full of darkness" must mean full of wickedness, confusion, and
every evil work. "Gnawed their tongues for pain" shows shame, disgrace, and disappointment. This vial
was poured out in the French revolution, about 1798. When Bonaparte began his extraordinary career,
exalted to the pinnacle of power, he dethrones the pope, (whose power and authority had made kings
and emperors quail at his feet, who had ruled over the nations with despotic sway for more than 1200
years,) and makes Rome the second city of France; conquers the ancient monarchies; deluges every
country with blood; master every king; gathers spoils from every land, and humbles cities in the dust;
changes the laws of kingdoms, and destroys the most sacred constitutions of the Roman states. In this
revolution among the Roman kingdoms, and under this vial, the bastille was demolished, the inquisition
destroyed, torture suppressed, and the power of the Papal clergy restrained. Their kingdoms were full
of darkness; they were troubled, chafed, and grieved; a thousand plots were laid; many times they
confederated against him, the master spirit of the times; but they prevailed not, until this vial had its
accomplishment on the seat of the beats. Yet, after all this wonderful display of God's judgments upon
the beast and kingdoms of ancient Rome, they repented not, but, Pharaoh-like, they blasphemed
0225
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0225 paragraph 1
God, because of their pains and their sores.
"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried
up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." The scene has now changed from Europe
to Turkey. The "river Euphrates" mean, in prophecy, the people of that country bordering on the river,
and, of course, refers to the Turkish power, as I have formerly shown in my lecture on the fifth and sixth
trumpet. "Water thereof was dried up," is an emblem of the power and strength of that kingdom being
diminished, or taken away. This vial was poured out on Turkey, by the loss of a great share of the
empire; first, Russia on the north, in her last war with the Turks, took away a number of provinces; then,
by the revolt of Ali Pacha; then, by the rising of the Greeks; since, by the Albanians and Georgians, and
other distant parts of the empire, becoming disaffected; which, all together, have so wasted the power
of the Turks, that, now, it is very doubtful whether she can maintain her power against her own
intestine enemies; and, to compare her now with her former greatness, would be like comparing a
fordable stream with the great river Euphrates; so that the way now appears to be prepared for the
kings to come up to the battle of the great day, in which the false prophet is now to take his part, as we
shall see in our next verse.
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0225 paragraph 2
"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come
out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false
prophet; for they are the spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth
and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty." Now if we can
decipher this passage, we can tell what are now and what will be the signs of the times. "Three unclean
spirits." By this we must understand three wicked principles. "Frogs" I understand to show us that it is
political. As frogs came over the land in the judgment on Egypt, and pervaded every house, even the
palace of the king, so do politics. "Mouth" denotes orders or commands. The dragon is
0226
a figure of the kings of the earth. The beast is used to represent Papacy. The false prophet evidently
represents Mahometanism. These have all the spirit of devils. The devil pretends to claim power over
all the kingdoms of the world, (see Rev 12:9,) there called the devil. Papacy is said, in Rev. 13:2, to
receive its power from the dragon, and to come out of the bottomless pit, and shall go into perdition; of
course, must belong to Satan's kingdom. the false prophet, too, is to be "cast alive into a lake of fire
burning with brimstone." All these powers have pretended to work miracles, to establish their authority
over the bodies and souls of men. But what are the principles which each of these teach their political
followers? The dragon and his political party, in whatever nation they may appear, (as all three of these
political principles must pervade the whole earth,) will support tyranny, slavery, and aggrandizement of
the few at the expense of many. The beast and his political party will be known only by their hypocrisy,
bigotry, and superstition. Their principal object will be to operate on the hopes and fears of men, and so
gain an ascendancy over the minds of the individuals who may be so unfortunate as to be found in their
ranks. The false prophet will fill his party with notions of infidelity, lust, and conquest. And the spirit of
all these parties, working at one and the same time, in all nations, and among all people, will produce an
effect which only can be known to mortals in experiencing the conflict. "Behold, I come as a thief.
Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."
This verse gives us notice of the near approach of him who hath all power in heaven and earth. "For
when they say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day shall overtake you as a thief." Watch, therefore, for
if ye have put on the Lord Jesus Christ, keep your garment, and let none take your crown, that you may
be found of him without spot and blameless. "And he gathered them together into a place called, in
the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon;" that
0227
is, "Where the Lord will declare his precious fruit." This gathering is the same spoken of in Matt. 25:32,
"And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a
shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." In the place Armageddon, the Lord will manifest who are
his; he will separate the chaff from the wheat, the wicked form the just. The wheat he will gather into
his garner; they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, while the chaff will be burnt with
unquenchable fire. His own right hand shall save us while his last plague shall be poured out upon the
head of his enemies. "And the seventh angel poured his vial into the air; and there came a great voice
out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done." The seventh and last vial of God's
wrath will be poured into the air about the year 1840, if my former calculations are correct, when this
judgment will have a quick and rapid circulation over the whole globe. Like the air, it will pervade every
kingdom, circulate into every nation, sow the seeds of anarchy in every society, and disorganize every
bond of union among men, except the gospel. "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and
a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so
great." Voices, political strife. Thundersis an emblem of divisions. Lightning is a representation of anger
and war. Great earthquake denotes a great revolution. And there will be, when this vial is poured out,
political strife among all nations, divisions among all sects, societies, and associations of men upon earth.
Anger, war, and bloodshed will fill the countries with horror and dismay; and a great revolution, such as
was not since men were upon earth, so mighty a revolution and so great. "And the great city was
divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came in remembrance
before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." The great city is the
woman which reigneth over the kings of the earth, says the angel, Rev. 17:18. And the woman is Papacy.
Papacy must also be divided into three parties, to show
0228
her dissolution. And the cities of the nations fell. As citydenoted the papal power and religion, so does
citiesrepresent the power and religion of all other nations. Therefore all the power, and all national
religion, will fall in and under this vial, and the anti-Christian power will be judged; all their sins, cruel
persecutions, and bloody deeds, will be brought into judgment into remembrance before God, and he
will fill to her the cup which she has made others drink, and she in her turn must drink the dregs. "And
every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." Islands and mountains are figures of great
and small kingdoms and governments. This text alludes to the same time and circumstances which
Nebuchadnezzar's dream does, Daniel 2:35,45--when the stone cut out without hands shall smite the
image upon his feet, and all the kingdoms of the earth be carried away, that no place shall be found for
them. In this verse it is, the "mountains were not found." "And there fell upon men a great hail out of
heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent, and men blasphemed God because of the plague of
the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great." This closes the history of the seven last plagues,
and this storm of hail is the last part of the seventh vial; it is the closing up of the judgments of God on
an ungodly world. Whether we are to understand this hail figuratively or literally, I am not able to say;
but my prevailing opinion is, that we are to understand it literally, for this reason--I have never been
able in the word of God to find any figurative explanation, although it is used in a number of places with
particular reference to the last day. Isa 28:17, "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to
the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hidingplaces." 30:30, "And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lightning
down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with
scattering, and tempest, and hail-stones." Ezek 13:11,13. "Say unto them which daub it with
untempered mortar, that it shall fail; there
0229
shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hail-stones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be
an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hail-stones in my fury, to consume it." Ezek. 38:22, "And
I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him and upon his bands, and
upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hail-stones, fire an brimstone."
Also, Rev. 11:19, "And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great
hail."
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0229 paragraph 1
By reading the connection of these texts, you
cannot but be struck with the agreement of the prophets in their descriptions of this last and dreadful
judgment of God upon the world. All of them evidently fix it on the last day; all call it apparently a rain
of great hail-stones, like those which fell upon Egypt in the days of Moses. Exodus 9:23-25, "And Moses
stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon
the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the
hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And
the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt, all that was in the filed, both man and beast; and the
hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field." This, it is evident, is the type of the
last part of the seventh plague.
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0229 paragraph 2
And now, my friends, will you believe? Six of
these plagues have accomplished in as literal a manner as we could expect, after a fair and scriptural
explanation of the figures and metaphors used. And again I ask, Do you believe? You think, perhaps,
you will wait until you see the hail come, and then you will believe. But will you not recollect that our
text says, "And they blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail?" Will you thus tempt God
through six successive judgments, and wait for the last before you will believe? What hope or prospect
have you that the seventh will do what the six preceding could not do--that is, make
0230
you believe? Is there one rational conviction that you will be then convinced? No, no one. Then will
you not see and learn wisdom by what is gone before? Pharaoh had no space for repentance under, or
even just before the last plague. And so it will be with you; the door will have been shut before any part
of the seventh vial will be poured out, for then will be heard a great voice reverberating through the
upper vault of heaven, and, sounding even to the dark cells of the pit of woe, shaking the middle air with
its deep-toned thunder, and, like the lightning, darting its vivid flash of fire from east to west, will pierce
the deafest ear, and make the hardest heart to break, although a thousand fold more hard than the
adamantine rock, saying, "It is done." This brings me to show,
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0230 paragraph 1
2. What we may understand by "It is done."
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0230 paragraph 2
The first question which naturally arises on the
mind is, What is done? When Christ was about expiating for the sins of the world; when he was closing
up the work which his Father gave him to do on earth in the flesh; when the spirit was about leaving the
tenement of clay which it had inhabited through a life of thirty-three years of pain, sufferings,
deprivations, sorrows, groans, and tears, made more acute by temptations trying as the arch-demon of
hell could invent; suffering reproach from the haughty Pharisee, and the more obstinate Sadducee, and
contempt and ridicule from the base rabble of his own people; persecuted even until death by the envy,
malice, and hatred of those who had received boons and blessings of life at his hands,--he had saved
them from disease, death, and the rage of demons; yet, in this moment of great need, he was forsaken
of all; they stood afar off; and when he was about giving up the ghost, he cried, "It is finished!" and
bowed his head, and died. The fratricide man could do no more; he had followed him to death; beyond
that the envy of his brother could not reach him. The rabble, who a few days before had cried, Hosannas
to the Son of David! this day were crying, Crucify him! crucify him! now could cry no more, but with
downcast looks, returned into the city. The Pharisees and rulers could do no more; they had plotted his
death, and obtained
0231
their object; but into the dark recess of the tomb they dare not, they would not, follow. The great red
dragon (the Roman power) had sought his life when a child, but the hour had not come. Herod sought
his life when a man, but he could not succeed until the last day of the seventy weeks should be
accomplished. Then the powers of earth, had control, the heavens hid their faces; nature stood back
aghast, and the material world shuddered with a groan. Then, at that awful, fitful period, he who had
been the object of all this malice, cried with a loud voice, "It is finished!" The work on earth in the flesh
is finished; the temptations of Satan are finished; the persecution of his brethren are finished; envy,
malice, and hatred towards the person of Christ are finished; the power of earth, hell, and wicked men
to do any thing with him, is finished; death has no more terrors over him. It is finished.
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0231 paragraph 1
Although Christ had finished his work, and had
endured all the sufferings which he was to finish; yet in his spiritual body, the church, the measure of his
sufferings was to be filled up. His people must pass through the same scenes in the world as their divine
Master had experienced from satanic temptations and the hatred of the world. "The world will hate you
and persecute you for my name's sake, even as they hated me before they hated you," says our blessed
Redeemer. Therefore the same manifestations of cruelty, contempt, persecution, and death, were to be
acted over again in the church until the 2300 years should be accomplished, when Christ would come
again, receive home his weary, persecuted people, conquer death, and him that had the power of death,
which is the devil. "And there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It
is done." The power of earth, hell, and wicked men over the dear people of God, is done. Their
temptation in the flesh is done; their trials, persecutions, sufferings, darkness, fears, and death itself, are
done. As the sufferings of the head was finished in Christ, so will all the pains of the body be completed
when the seventh and last vial shall be poured into the air, and
0232
cleanse the atmosphere from all noxious vapors, pestilence, and death. "Then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed," and then will the great voice form the throne say, It is done. These old heavens and this old
earth will have passed away, and the New Jerusalem come "down form God out of heaven, prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband," Rev. 21:3-6.
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0232 paragraph 1
"And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying,
behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,and
God himself shall be with them and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the
former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write; for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, it is done."
Here we have the same expression as in our text, having the same identical meaning, the same "great
voice," in one as in the other; the same throne, and the same voice speaking, alluding to the same
period of time when the old things are done away and the new heavens are finished, to the same point
in prophecy, "the end." Therefore, as we have passed the sixth vial, the seventh and last hangs
trembling in the air. The drops of this vial are already contaminating them minds of men; already we
see the unclean spirit going forth; the great city is being divided, and the signs of the heavens denote a
moral conflict, and on the earth a speedy revolution.
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0232 paragraph 2
Then, my fiends, let us be wise; let us make
peace with Him who has power to save or to destroy. For we learn by our subject that the world and
worldly scenes are passing away; every vestige of mortal grandeur, every form of carnal pride, every
fashion of human glory will soon be eclipsed by the grandeur of that great white throne from whose
face the heavens and earth will flee away, and the great voice from the throne will sound the last
requiem, "
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0232 paragraph 3
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0232 paragraph 4
skies,
It is done."
Yet when the sound shall tear the
And lightning burn the globe below,
Saints, you may lift your joyful eyes;
WM 2miller LECTURE 15 page 0232 paragraph 5
you."
There's a new heaven and earth for
0233
LECTURE 16
MATT. 25:1.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0233 paragraph 1
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened
unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0233 paragraph 2
Parables are always given to illustrate some
doctrine or subject which the speaker wishes to communicate, and is an easy or familiar manner of
making his hearers or readers understand the subject, and receive a lasting impression. Nothing has so
good an effect on the mind as to teach by parables moral precepts or spiritual truths. In this way we are
taught by visible things, or familiar objects, to realize, in some measure, the truths and subjects
presented. This was the manner Christ taught his disciples and followers, that their memories might the
more easily retain, and be often refreshed, when they beheld any scene like the representation of the
parable; and in this way, they might always keep in view the important truth that is likened to the
parable. A parable, rightly applied and clearly understood, gives good instruction, and is a lasting
illustration of the truth. But if we apply the parable wrong, if we put on a false construction, it will serve
to lead us into an error, and blind us, instead of producing light,--as Christ said of the Pharisees, he
spake to them in parables, that, "seeing, they might see and not perceive, and hearing, they might hear
and not understand." Men often explain parables by fancy, to suit their own notions, without any
evidence but their own ingenuity; and by this means there will be as many
0020
0234
different explanations as there are ingenious men. But I dare not trifle thus with the word of God: if we
cannot, by the word of God, explain, we had better leave the same as we find it, and not attempt what
must only result in guess-work at last; but follow Scripture rule, and we cannot get far from the truth.
Christ has given us rules by which to explain parables, by explaining some himself. The explanations
given by Christ of the parable of the tares and the wheat, is a rule that will bear in about all cases. That
he has given rules, is very evident in his answer to his disciples, when they asked him concerning his
parables. Mark 4:13, "And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? How, then, will ye know all
parables?" That is, if ye understand how I explain this parable, you will know how to explain all others;
but if you do not understand how I explain this, you cannot explain all others." This is the rule. Christ
made all the prominent parts of a parable figures; such as the sower, Son of man; good seed, children of
the kingdom; tares, children of the wicked one; harvest, end of the world; reapers, the angels; "as,
therefore, the tares are gathered and burned, so shall it be in the end of the world," &c. Here is a
sample; good seed, tares, harvest, and reapers, are figures representing other things, as we have shown.
"But how," say you, "shall we always know what these figures represent?" I answer, By the explanation
given in other parts of the Bible. For the word of God is its own expositor, or it can be of no manner of
use to us; for if we have to apply to any other rule, to explain the Bible, then, the other rule would be
tantamount, and have a precedence, and the Bible must fall of course. But it is not so. Then, to explain
our subject, I shall,
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0234 paragraph 1
the parable.
1. Show what is meant by the figures used in
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0234 paragraph 2
and,
2. The time to which this parable is applicable,
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0234 paragraph 3
3. Make an application of our subject.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0234 paragraph 4
1. I will explain the figures in the parable; and,
1st, "kingdom of heaven" means the gospel day, or circle
0235
of God's government under the gospel dispensation. This I shall prove by the word of God. Matt. 3:1,2,
"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand." That is, the gospel day is come. Again: "Jesus came into Galilee
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
hand." Luke 16:16, "The law and the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is
preached." That is, the gospel day commenced with John, since which time the gospel is preached.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0235 paragraph 1
"Ten virgins" means mankind in general, in a
probationary state, liable to be wooed and betrothed to the Lord, under the gospel, and during the
gospel day. See Isaiah 62:1-5, "For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee; and
as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." It is evident, by the
second verse, that Gentiles and Jews are both included in this prophecy.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0235 paragraph 2
"Five wise virgins" is a figure of believers in God,
or the children of the kingdom. Psalms 45:13,14, "The king's daughter is all glorious within; her clothing
is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle-work; the virgins, her
companions that follow her, shall be brought unto thee." "That I might comfort thee, O virgin daughter
of Zion." Lam. 2:13.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0235 paragraph 3
"Five foolish" represents the unbelieving class
of mankind, while in this probationary state, under the means of grace. This will be sufficiently proved
by the following passages--Isa. 47:1, "Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit
on the ground; there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans." Jer. 46:11, "O virgin, the daughter of
Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured." These texts prove, beyond a
doubt, that the wicked class of men are called virgins by the Scriptures.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0235 paragraph 4
only can tell us about the New Jerusalem; that only
"Lamps" is a figure of the word of God; for that
0236
can inform us when Christ will come again to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The word of God is the
means of moral light, to light our steps through moral darkness, up to the coming of the bridegroom to
receive the bride unto himself. This I shall prove by the Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp to my feet,
and a light to my path." Also, Prov. 6:23, "For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and
reproofs of instruction are the way of life."
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0236 paragraph 1
"Oil" is a representation or emblem of faith; as
oil produces light by burning, so does faith, in exercise by the fire of love, produce more light, and gives
comfort in adversity, hope in darkness, love for the coming bridegroom; and the light of faith assists us
to watch for his coming, and to know the time of night, and to go out to meet him: such are called the
children of light, because they are believers, children of faith, "sons of oil." "Because of the savor of thy
good ointment, thy name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins love thee," Sol. Song,
1:2. "Faith works by love." See 1 John 2:27, "But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth
in you; and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things,
and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." It is evident, that the
anointing here, and elsewhere spoken of, means faith, faith in his name, &c.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0236 paragraph 2
"Vessels" represent the persons or mind that
believes or disbelieves in the word of God, as in 1 Thess. 4:4, "That every one of you should know how
to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor." Also, 2 Tim. 2:21, "If any man, therefore, purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor."
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0236 paragraph 3
"Bridegroom" is the figurative name for Christ;
as the prophet Isaiah says, "And as a bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over
thee." And Christ says, "How can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, while the bridegroom is
with them?" alluding to himself. This proves that Christ means himself, in person, by the bridegroom in
the parable.
0237
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0237 paragraph 1
"The door was shut," implies the closing up of
the mediatorial kingdom, and finishing the gospel period. I shall prove this by Luke 13:25-28, "When
once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to
knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know ye not
whence ye are. Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunken in thy presence, and thou hast
taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye
workers of iniquity; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0237 paragraph 2
"Marriage" is the time when Christ shall come
the second time without sin unto salvation; gather his elect from the four winds of heaven, where they
have been scattered during the dark and cloudy day; when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to
be admired in all them that believe; when the bride hath made herself ready, and the marriage of the
Lamb is come, then he will present her to his Father without spot or wrinkle, and there marry the bride
before his Father and the holy angels; removes her into the New Jerusalem state, seats her upon the
throne of his glory, where she will ever be with the Lord. When this takes place, the whole body will be
present; the whole church must be there, not a member missing, not a finger out of joint. She will be
perfect in beauty, all over glorious. See Rev. 19:7-9, "Let us rejoice and be glad, and give honor to him,
for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted
that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
Daniel says, "Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 days." John says, "Blessed and holy is
he that hath part in the first resurrection." All these are at one and the same time; and how can we
expect to be free form sorrow, mourning, and tears, until the bridegroom comes and moves us into the
beloved city? Rev. 21:2-4, "And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out
0238
of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them," &c.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0238 paragraph 1
"Midnight cry" is the watchmen, or some of
them, who by the word of God discover the time as revealed, and immediately give the warning voice,
"Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." This has been fulfilled in a most remarkable
manner. One or two on every quarter of the globe have proclaimed the news, and agree in the time-Wolf, of Asia; Irwin, late of England; Mason, of Scotland; Davis, of South Carolina; and quite a number in
this region are, or have been giving the cry. And will not you all, my brethren, examine and see if these
things are so, and trim your lamps and be found ready?
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0238 paragraph 2
"Trimming the lamps." You will recollect, my
friends, that the word of God is the lamp. To trim a lamp is to make it give light, more light, and clearer
light. In the first place, to translate the Bible would make it give light, in all languages into which it
should be translated. Then, to send to or give every family in the known world a Bible would make the
Bible give more light. And thirdly, to send out true servants of God who have made the Bible their study,
and true teachers, who would teach the holy precepts and doctrines contained therein, and to employ
many Sabbath school teachers, would in the hands of God be the means of its giving clearer light. This
would be trimming the lamp; and so far as the foolish virgins assisted in translating the Scriptures, in
sending them among all nations, and employing missionaries and teacher to teach mankind its principles,
so far would they trim their lamp: but if they had no faith in it, their light would be darkness, and the
lamp to them would go out. If the friend of the bridegroom should proclaim the approach of him whom
they all expected, and should prove it ever so plain by the lamp, but having no faith, the lamp would go
out; they would not be ready to enter into the marriage supper, and the door would be shut. This is
undoubtedly the meaning which Christ intends to convey in this parable. I shall, therefore, show,
0239
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0239 paragraph 1
2. The time this parable is applicable to.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0239 paragraph 2
In the chapter previous our Savior had
answered three questions which his disciples had put to him on the mount of Olives, when they came to
him privately, "saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?" That is, when Jerusalem should be levelled
with the ground. "And what shall be the sign of thy coming?" That is, his second coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory, as he had before informed them, which is yet future. "And of the
end of the world," or, as some translate it, "end of the age," to which I am perfectly willing to agree; but
what age? is the question. I answer, The gospel age, or the kingdom of heaven. See 14th verse, "This
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come." "The law and the prophets were until John, since which time the kingdom of heaven is
preached." The Jewish economy is no where called the kingdom of heaven; but this expression belongs
exclusively to the gospel; and of course any age in which the gospel or kingdom of heaven is preached
can never be applied to the Jewish age. Any novice in Scripture interpretation must readily admit this.
These were the questions proposed by the disciples to their divine Master, and were answered in the
following manner: From the 4th to the 14th verses inclusive of the 24th chapter of Matthew, Christ
informs his disciples of the troubles, trials, persecutions, and distress which they and his followers
should suffer, down to the end of the gospel age. He also informs them by what means they must
suffer--by false brethren, by deceit, by wars, rumors of wars, clashing of nations, earthquakes, afflictions,
death, hatred, offenses, betrayals, false prophets, coldness, iniquity, famines, and pestilence, and these
to the end of the gospel age. From the 15th to the 22d inclusive he alludes to the destruction of
Jerusalem, and particularly gives his followers warning of what they shall suffer, and informs them what
to do at that time; he tells them what to pray for, and how to escape from the siege, and how to avoid
certain consequences which must follow this great tribulation.
0240
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0240 paragraph 1
From the 23d to the 28th inclusive, he warns his
disciples against the error that false teachers would promulgate, that Christ did or would come at the
destruction of Jerusalem. He told them plainly to "believe it not," for his second coming would be as
visible as the lightning, and then every man would be gathered to his own company; so there would be
no room for deceit.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0240 paragraph 2
In the 29th verse he prophesies of the rise of
anti-Christ, the darkness and fall of many into superstition and error, and the persecution of the true
church. 30th and 31st verse, He gives a sign of his coming, the mourning of the tribes of the earth, and
then speaks of his coming and what he will do. 32, Is the parable of the figtree. 33, He enforces it by
saying, "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door." 34th
and 35th verses, He gives his disciples a comfortable promise, which was to this amount, that his
children should not be all destroyed from the earth. But "this generation shall not pass till all these
things be fulfilled." To prove the word generation is so used, I will refer you to Psalm 22:30, "A seed
shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation." 1 Peter 2:9, "A chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation." The word generation, in the Scriptures, when used in the singular, I
believe almost invariably means the children of one parent; as the generation of Adam, children of
Adam, chosen generation, children of God, generation of vipers, children of the devil. So Christ, talking
to his children, and instructing them only , says, "This generation shall not p[ass till all these things be
fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." His kingdom shall not
be destroyed nor given to another people.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0240 paragraph 3
36th verse, He informs his disciples that the day
and hour of his coming is known only to God, has never been revealed, meaning day and hour only,
whether at midnight, at cock crowing, or in the morning.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0240 paragraph 4
Verses 37-44, inclusive, He informs them that
his coming will be like the deluge; unexpected to the wicked, as then. He tells them the manner; that he
will
0241
separate the righteous from the wicked; one shall be taken and another left. He then gives them a
charge to watch, and repeats, "they know not the hour." Christ illustrates his warning by the figure of
the good man of the house, and then charges them to be also ready, as the good man would, if he know
in what watch the thief would come, showing us plainly that all true believers will know near the time,
as Paul says, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day shall overtake you as a thief."
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0241 paragraph 1
From 45-47, he tells us of the faithful and wise
servant who watches and gives warning of his coming, and speaks of the blessings that servant shall
inherit when he comes and finds him so doing.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0241 paragraph 2
48-51, Christ gives us the marks of an evil
servant: 1st mark, he will "say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming." He may not preach or speak
against Christ's coming; no, he will only say it to himself. But he will not say he will never come; no, he
will only think in his heart, "My Lord delayeth his coming." When he hears the voice of the faithful
servant saying, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh," he will say nothing in public against it; no, not so bad
as that. Neither will he say anything in favor of the cry; but mutter in his heart, "My Lord delayeth his
coming." The second mark, "And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants." It does not say he will beat
and bruise his fellow-servants, or the faithful servant who watches and cries; but he shall begin to smite,
&c., meaning he will begin the persecution, set others on, and himself he will keep back, in his heart
deceitful. 3d mark, "And to eat and drink with the drunken." To eat and drink with the drunken--it does
not say he gets drunk; no, it only says he eats and drinks with them that are so. By this I understand he
fellowships with them, and is engaged in, and employs his time, his talents, his mind, to build up some
popular and worldly object, which men of the world would be pleased in promoting. He courts popular
applause; he seeks to please men more than God. "The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he
looketh not for him, and in an hour he is not aware of. And shall cut him
0242
asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth."
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0242 paragraph 1
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened
unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth go meet the bridegroom." I think we cannot be
mistaken in the application of this parable. "Then," that is, at the time when the wise servants are
looking for and proclaiming his coming, and when the evil servant says in his heart, My Lord delayeth his
coming. Then, too, when he will come, and they that are ready go in to the marriage, and the door is
shut. This must mean the time when Christ comes to judgment, for he cuts off the evil servant, and
appoints him his portion, and shuts the door against the foolish virgins; and when they knock, he opens
not, but tells them, I know you not.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0242 paragraph 2
Where, then, is the millennium? say some.
After the judgment sits, and not before; after the bridegroom comes, and the beloved city is completed;
when Christ shall move his saints home, and live and reign with them on the new heavens and new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. If there could have been a millennium before Christ should
come and gather his saints into one body, it must be a very imperfect one. A part of the body in heaven,
a part in the earth, and the remainder under the earth; separated, divided, wounded, and torn by
enemies and death, absent from our head. No, it cannot be; if in this life only we have hope, we are of
all men most miserable. If we are to have a temporal millennium, why did not our Savior mention it on
the mount of Olives, as preceding his coming? He did not, neither has any of the apostles; but all speak
of troublous times, departure from the faith, iniquity abounding, and the love of many waxing cold in
the latter days. Our parable, to which we are now attending, says, at midnight there was a cry made,
Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. "At midnight;" this teaches us that at the time
of his coming there will be much apathy and darkness on this subject; that is the coming of the
bridegroom. The parable implies the same. "For while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and
slept." Can we not bear witness that
0243
this has been the true state of the church for a number of years past? The writers on the word of God
have adopted in their creeds, that there would be a temporal millennium before Christ would come. I
call it temporal, because they have all of them taught that it would be in this state of things, not in an
immortal state, neither in a glorified state; and the Christians would have all kingdoms under their
control; that is, in a temporal sense; and that they would be married and given in marriage, until the
coming of Christ after this 1000 years, or, as some say, 360,000 years. This has been, and is yet, the
prevailing opinion among our standard writers and great men. No wonder, Christ says, they will say in
their hearts, My Lord delayeth his coming, and that the wise and foolish are all sleeping and slumbering
on this important subject. For while we look for a temporal kingdom, behold, he cometh and destroys
all that is perishable, all that is temporal, and erect upon these a new heaven and a new earth, which is
immortal, and that fadeth not away, eternal in the heavens. I shall now,
3. Make an application of our subject. And,
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0243 paragraph 1
1st. The time of the fulfillment of this parable is
evidently come, in part at least. The world for a number of years have been trimming their lamps, and
the wise and foolish have been engaged in translating the word of God into almost every language
known unto us upon the earth. Mr. Judson tells us that it has been translated into one hundred and fifty
languages within thirty years; that is, three times the number of all the translations known to us before.
Then fourfold light has been shed among the nations, within the short period of the time above
specified; and we are informed that a part if not all of the word of God is now given to all nations in their
own language. This, surely, is setting the word of life in a conspicuous situation, that it may give light to
all in the world. This has not been done by the exertions of Christians or professors only, but by the aid
of all classes and societies of men. Kings have opened their coffers, and favored those engaged in the
work; nobles have used their influence, and have cast
0244
into the treasury of the Lord of their abundance; rich men have bestowed of their riches; and in many
cases the miser has forgot his parsimony, the poor have replenished the funds of the Lord's house, and
the widow has cast in her mite. How easy to work the work of the Lord when the hearts of men are
made willing by his power! But shall we forget those who have forsaken the land of their fathers, the
home of their nativity, and have spent lonesome years of toil among strangers, yes, worse than
strangers,among heathen idolaters, and the savage of the wilderness, in the cold regions of the north,
and under the scorching rays of a vertical sun, among the suffocating sands of the desert, or in the
pestilential atmosphere of India; who have risked their lives to learn a language, and prepare
themselves to trim a lamp for those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death? No, we will not forget
them; the prayers of thousands have ascended before the golden altar, morning and evening, on their
behalf, and Israel's
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0244 paragraph 1
God has been their protector. Surely we may
hope that these have oil in their lamps, who have sacrificed so much to bestow a lamp upon others. But
remember, my brethren, the Lord he is God, and let him have all the glory. This is the time, and the
same time that Gabriel informed Daniel, "many should run to and fro, and knowledge should increase."
This, too, is the same time when the angel flying through the midst of heaven had the everlasting gospel
to preach to them who dwelt upon the earth. Here are Christ's words fulfilled, where he says, "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."
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0244 paragraph 2
2dly. It is plain to any diligent observer of the
sign of the times, that all the societies for moral reform in our world at the present day are parts of the
fulfillment of the parable, giving more light. What of our Bible societies? Are not these trimming the
lamp for millions of human beings? thirty years past, more than three fourths of the families in what we
call Christian lands were without the lamp of life, and now nearly all supplied. Many of those who sat in
heathenish darkness
0245
then,, are now rejoicing in the light of God's book. And much of this had been performed through the
instrumentality of Bible societies, and not only through the agency of the church, but political men, men
of the world, the great men, merchants of the earth and those who trade in ships, all who live under the
influence of the gospel, the "kingdom of heaven," have engaged in the work. Will not the most skeptical
acknowledge, that this society has succeeded beyond the most sanguine expectation of its most ardent
advocates? And is not this strong circumstantial evidence that the Bridegroom is near, even at the door?
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0245 paragraph 1
3d. The missionary societies of all sects and
denominations, which have been established within forty years, have as far exceeded all former
exertions of this kind as the overflowing Nile does the waters of the brook Kidron. See the missionary
spirit extending from east to west, and from north to south, warming the breast of the philanthropist,
giving life and vigor to the cold-hearted moralist, and animating and enlivening the social circle of the
pious devotee. Every nation, from India to Oregon, from Kamtschatka to New Zealand, have been
visited by these wise servants (as we hope) of the cross, proclaiming "the acceptable year of the Lord,
and the day of vengeance of our God," carrying the lamp, the word of God in their hands, and oil, faith
in God, in their hearts. All classes of men are engaged in this cause, from the gray hairs of old age down
to the sprightly youth of ten years. Who, then, can doubt but that the virgins in this sense have and are
trimming their lamps, and the bride is making herself ready? "Go ye out to meet him."
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0245 paragraph 2
4th. The Sabbath schools and Bible classes are
but a part of the fulfillment of the parable, yet clearly an evidence that he virgins are now trimming their
lamps. This system of teaching the young and ignorant took its rise between forty and fifty years since,
at the very time that the Christian world were praying, and ardently praying, for the coming of Christ,
before that part of the Savior's prayer was forgotten, "Thy kingdom come." From a little fountain this
stream of water has become
0021
0246
a great river, and encompassed the whole land. Every quarter of the globe are drinking at this fountain
or stream of knowledge, and the youth are taught to trim their lamps. And when the bridegroom shall
come, may we not reasonably hope that he thousands of the young men and young women who have
assisted in giving light to others, may be found having oil in their vessels, and their lamps trimmed and
burning, and they looking and waiting for the coming of their Master, that when he comes they may rise
to meet him in the air, with ten thousand of their pupils, who will sing the new song in the New
Jerusalem forever and ever? Search diligently, my young friends, and see to it that ye believe in this
word, "which is able to make you wise unto salvation."
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0246 paragraph 1
5. Tract societies are of much use, and are an
efficient means to help trim the lamps; like snuffers that take away the preventives to the light, so are
tracts. They take away from the mind the prejudice that thousands have against reading the word of
God. They remove those rooted and groundless opinions which many have that they cannot understand
the Bible; they serve to excite the mind to this kind of reading; they enlighten the understanding into
some scriptural truths; they are pioneers, in many instances, to conversion; they can be sent where the
word of God cannot at first be received; in one word, they are the harbingers of light, the forerunners of
the Bible. And in this, too, all men in this probationary state seem to be more or less engaged, from the
king on the throne down to the poor peasant in the cottage, writing, printing, folding, transporting,
paying, or reading, these silent little messengers of the virgins' lamp. "Then all those virgins arose and
trimmed their lamps." Has not God's hand been seen in all this? Yes, glory be to him who hath disposed
the hearts of men to work the work that God bids them, and to fulfill the blessed word which he hath
given them. This institution took its rise about the same time with the Bible society.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0246 paragraph 2
6. Temperance societies. These serve one
purpose in trimming the lamps and preparing the way for the
0247
virgins to go out and meet the Bridegroom. Our world, twenty years ago, might be called a world of
fashionable drunkards; almost all men drank of the intoxicating bowl, and thought it no harm. But when
the lamp began to dart its rays around our tabernacles, it was found by woful experience that those who
drank of the poisonous cup were totally and wholly unprepared to receive the warning voice, or hear
the midnight cry, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh." No, "they that were drunken, were drunken in the
night," says the apostle. "Therefore let us watch and be sober." And Peter tells us, "But the end of all
things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." How foolish would it have been for a
drunken man to be set on a watch, or a praying man to be found drunk! Therefore, in order that men
might be in a suitable frame of mind to receive instruction at the close of this dispensation and be in a
situation to listen to the midnight cry, God ordered the virgins, and they arose and trimmed their lamps;
and in all
human probability thousands who would have met a drunkard's grave if this society had not arose, are
now watching, with their lamps trimmed and burning, ready to meet the Bridegroom at his coming.
Perhaps this temperance society is the virgins' last resort. The Judge stands at the door; go ye out to
meet him. This society, like the others before mentioned, is a general thing, and all sects,
denominations, and classes of men are engaged in it, and it has an important influence upon all men
who are in this probationary state, and who may be termed, as in our text, "virgins." This society is of
later origin than the others, and seems to be a rear guard to wake up a few stragglers which the other
societies could not reach. And now, drunkards, is your time; Wisdom stands at the door and knocks; let
go the intoxicating bowl, be sober, and hear the midnight cry, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh." For
your souls' sake drink not another draught, lest he come and find you drunken, "and that day come
upon you unawares, and find you sleeping." O, be wise, ye intemperate men, for they only went in to
the marriage who were found ready, "and the door was shut."
0248
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0248 paragraph 1
"Then came also the other virgins, saying, Lord,
Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not. Watch, therefore,
for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." "But the wise shall
understand," says Daniel, 12:10.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0248 paragraph 2
And now, my Christian friends, let me inquire,
Are your lamps trimmed and burning? And have you oil in your vessels? Are you prepared for the
coming Bridegroom? And are you awake to this important subject? What say you? If this parable, to
which I have directed your minds, has reference to the last day and the coming of Christ; if the "virgins"
has reference to all men in this probationary state, and dividing them into two classes, wise and foolish;
if the "lamp" is the word of God, and "oil" means faith in his word, or grace in the heart, as some say,-then my conclusions are just, and the evidence is strong that we live at the end of the gospel kingdom,
and upon the threshold of the glorified state of the righteous. Then examine your Bibles, and if you can
as fairly prove any other exposition of this parable, as I have this, then believe yours, and time must
settle the issue; but if you can find nothing in the Scriptures to controvert plainly my explanation, then
believe, and prepare to go out to meet the Bridegroom; for behold he cometh. Awake, ye fathers and
mothers in Zion; you have long looked and prayed for this day. Behold the signs! He is near, even at the
door. And, ye children of God, lift up your heads and rejoice, for your redemption draweth nigh. For
these things have begun to come to pass. And ye, little lambs of the flock, remember Jesus has
promised to carry you in his arms, and that he will come and take you to himself, that where he is there
ye may be also. But remember, all of you, the wise had oil in their lamps, and they were trimmed and
burning. Search deep; examine yourselves closely, be not deceived; and may the Spirit which searcheth
all things, and knoweth what is in the mind of man, assist you.
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0248 paragraph 3
But, my impenitent friends, what shall I say to
you? Shall I say, as the master in the parable, "Behold, the
0249
bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him"? Prepare to meet your Judge. Now he has given you a time
for repentance; you have had a probationary season, and possibly now the scepter of mercy is held out
to you. Repent, or it will soon be said to you as Jeremiah said to the virgin, the daughter of Egypt, "In
vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured;" or as in the parable, "I know you not."
Have you no oil in your lamps? Delay not a moment; believe the gospel, and you will live; believe in the
word of God; receive the love of the Bridegroom, and make no delay; for while they went to buy, the
bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.
O, think what must be the exercise of your minds when these things shall be real; when you will stand
without and knock, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us. Again I ask, will you repent, believe, and be saved?
Are you determined to resist the truth until it is too late? Say, sinner, what think ye? "We will risk the
consequence. We do not believe in your day you tell us of. The world is the same it always was; no
change, nor ever will be; but if it should come, it will not this ten thousand years; not in our day,
certainly. You do not believe yourself. If you did we should call you a fool."
WM 2miller LECTURE 16 page 0249 paragraph 1
Are these your arguments, sinner? Yes. Well, if
I had brought no more, no stronger arguments than these, I would not blame you for not believing, for
not one of yours can you or have you supported with a particle of proof. They are mere assertions; your
believing or not believing will not alter the designs of God. The antediluvian believed not. The citizens
of the plain laughed at the folly of Lot. And where are they now? suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
0250
LECTURE 17
LEVITICUS 26:23,24
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0250 paragraph 1
And if ye will not be reformed by me by these
things, but will walk contrary unto me, then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet
seven times for your sins.
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0250 paragraph 2
We are in the habit of reading the judgments
and threatening in the word of God, as denunciations against some other people but ourselves. We are
very fond of throwing back upon the Jews what, upon the principle of equity and justice, would equally
belong to us Gentiles. By this mode of reasoning, wicked, unbelieving idolaters, murderers,
whoremongers, adulterers, and all liars, may and do resist the force of God's word, and flatter
themselves, in their lustful career, that the judgment is past, and that they may go on in sin with
impunity. But it is not only this abominable class of mankind who pervert the word of God to their own
condemnation, but many of those who profess to be pious and even teachers and expounders of the
word, do take the same unholy ground to limit the Holy One in his justice and judgment. And by this
means they not only wrest the Scriptures to their own condemnation, but others, who follow their
pernicious ways, are led into the same errors, and the way of truth is evil spoken of.
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0250 paragraph 3
This manner of expounding Scripture has been
used as the last resort against my appeals to the heart and consciences of sinners to prepare to meet
God in judgment. Let me use what passage I please in the Scriptures, whether in the Old or New
Testament, these
0251
wicked, lustful flatterers of mankind, are ready, with a host of learned commentaries, to show that it
was applied to the Jews, and to them only; and then taunt me with their witty saying--"What! you, a
unlearned man, think to teach us, contrary to our great and learned commentators!" This, my friends, is
the only argument that has ever been produced against my warnings, and proofs of God's near
approach to judge the world in righteousness. And here, too, I pledge myself to show that many, and
perhaps that, in many cases, a major part, of these commentators are on my side of the question. I
know that, in the subject now about to be presented, this argument will be used--"O! that had reference
to the Jews only;" and you will, like the wicked Jews, put far off the evil day, until you are caught in the
snare, and perish in the pit. The Jews in the days of the prophets said, Ezek. 12:27, "The vision that he
seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off." You see, in this
sample given us of the Jews, that the same ungodly , wicked perverting, putting off on to others what
belongs to us in the visions and threatenings of God against sin, was manifestly the character of the Jews
in that day, as it is in ours. The difference is only circumstantial. They put it off a great while to come;
we, a great while back. They cast it forward on the backs of the Gentiles; we throw it back into the faces
of the Jews. This is the wicked disposition of man in his natural state--self-righteous and selfjustificatory. Therefore, use this weapon if you please; it will only discover to angels and men your true
character, and God's justice in your condemnation. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but
whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy," Prov. 28:13. Yet we shall find some things, at
least, true,--that the law of God and punishment for sin are the same in all ages, and will be the same in
all eternity. If the sins of the old world brought the flood and destruction upon the ungodly, so will the
sins of the present world, if committed in the same ungodly spirit, bring down similar judgments
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and destruction upon us. If Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain, were destroyed for their
abuse of the blessings which God had given them, so shall we be destroyed for our abuse of similar ones.
And if the Jews, for their pride, arrogance, self-sufficiency, idolatry and departure from the known
commands of God's house, were punished with the sword, pestilence, captivity and persecution; so,
most assuredly, will the people of God, in every age, whether under Jews of Gentiles, suffer the like or
similar judgments. This can be proved abundantly in all parts of the word of God, and in the history of
the church in every age. And did we not pervert the word of God to support our sectarian principles,
and to gratify our lustful appetites, we might foresee the consequence of apostasy from God, his laws
and commands; as we can foresee the effects of any or all the laws of nature, with which we are so well
acquainted. When leaves put forth we know that summer is nigh. When the wind blows long from the
south we know it will bring rain. Just so true are all the moral laws of God. Sin will bring death, and
pride must bring a fall. The laws of God's house are equally as permanent as the laws of nature; and
grace or mercy, call it which you please, are founded upon the law of cause and effect as strong as the
laws of adhesion and repulsion. Go where you will, --climb up to heaven, or dig into the depths of hell, -you will find an immovable, fixed, and an eternal law of cause and effect. Let a man love his Maker,
obey his laws, and he is happy. Let him love self only, and disobey the laws and commands of God, and
misery is the lot of his inheritance, although the world was at his command. Here, then, is the great
secret, that mankind must be reformed, or they can never be happy; in one word, they must be born of
the Spirit, or they cannot enter the kingdom of God.
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0252 paragraph 1
The text is a prophecy of God himself, given to
Moses, and by him revealed to the people; and is a part of those lively oracles which has been continued
as binding upon us, who live under the gospel light, as upon them who lived in the days of the typical
priesthood.
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WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0253 paragraph 1
It is a prophecy of what would happen to the
people of God as a punishment for conduct therein specified. I shall, therefore, in explanation of our
subject, show,
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0253 paragraph 2
1. For what the people of God are punished;
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0253 paragraph 3
2. Show how they are punished; and,
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0253 paragraph 4
3. The time they will be punished.
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0253 paragraph 5
1. First, then, we are to examine the cause of
their punishment. The text tells us that it is because they "will not be reformed by me by these things,
but will walk contrary unto me;" that is, unto God.
WM 2miller LECTURE 17 page 0253 paragraph 6
1st. A perverse will. We should suppose that a
man who has had his will subdued by the love and Spirit of God, could not be in possession of a will so
diametrically opposed to the will of God. Yet history and facts show us plainly that it is so. David, a man
after God's own heart, did perform, by his own will, that which was strictly forbidden in the law and
commands of God. Peter, too, after his Lord told him he was every whit clean, and after he boldly
asserted that, if all men should forsake Christ, he would not, immediately and willingly, as it is implied,
cursed and swore, and said he knew not the man. I am aware that the theory of the present day is
contrary to the idea that the Christian has two wills, carnal and spiritual; but, upon this theory, I cannot
account for the idea of Christians being punished at all, either on the principle of justice or equity.
Therefore I am constrained to believe that, in the heart of a Christian, there are two wills. Sometimes
he is in subjection to the will of God, and enjoys the sweets of reconciliation; and again his own will
governs and controls his acts, and he must feel the chastising rod of his heavenly Father for his wilful
disobedience or neglect of his religious duty. It cannot be the will of God that his people "will not be
reformed by him." Here is another idea conveyed in our text, which shows that the heart of a Christian
is not wholly pure,--"will not be reformed by God;" showing the same independent spirit that our
primitive father an mother did in the fall, "to be as gods." We cannot bear the idea of being dependent
on God for our reformation. Let us have the power of doing it ourselves, and we will not reject it; but
to say
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we are wholly dependent on God is a hard doctrine: we will not subscribe to such humiliating terms.
How can we tell sinners to reform, if they cannot do it? "Where is my guilt? If I cannot reform myself,
surely God would be unjust to condemn me for not doing what I cannot do." And thus you argue,
throwing all the blame upon God, when all that God has required in the text, is, that you should be
willing that he should do the work of reformation for you. And surely God must be the best workman of
the two. God says he punishes us, for "ye will not be reformed by me." This, my Christian friend, is our
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