The Great Advent Movement

252 Pages·2013·2.71 MB·English

The Great Advent Movement
Headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Denomination, Takoma Park, Washington, D.
The
Great Advent Movement
By EMMA. E. HOWELL
Issued by the Young People's Department!,
of Missionary Volunteers, General Conference' of
Seventh-day Adventists
GENERAL CONFERENCE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
TAKOMA PARK. WASHINGTON 12, D.C.
RENCE LIBRARY
TAKOMA PARK. WASHIN
REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSN.
TAKOMA PARK, WASHINGTON, D. C.
Printed in the U. S. A.
Copyright, 1935, by the
Review and Herald Publishing Association
Revised, 1941
Foreword
IN this abridged history of the Seventh-day Adventist de-
nomination emphasis has been laid on the message in its various
phases rather than on the men and women who so loyally
proclaimed the timely messages. Brief character sketches have
been given of some who were most closely associated with the
beginnings of the advent movement, but in the main, biographies
of men will have to be culled from other books.
We gratefully acknowledge material help and direct informa-
tion from the following books: "The Great Controversy," by
Mrs. E. G. White ; "The Great Second Advent Movement,"
by J. N. Loughborough ; "A History of the Origin and Progress
of Seventh-day Adventists," by M. Ellsworth Olsen; "Story
of the Advent Message," by Matilda Erickson Andross ;
"Founders of the Message," by Everett Dick; and "Pioneer
Stories," by A. W. Spalding.
In the revised edition of 1941, we acknowledge further
courtesies of assistance by LeRoy E. Froom and the Ellen G.
White Publications office staff. Access to original sources,
made available by the research work of these men, has led to
minor changes in some of the stories of the beginnings of this
movement. We regret that these were not available when
the first edition was prepared.
This history is written expressly for Seventh-day Adventist
young people, in order that they may see the remarkable ways
in which the Lord has led this people, and, seeing, shall be in-
spired to study and prepare for service.
As Mrs. E. G. White in her advanced years looked back over
the progress of the advent movement, she exclaimed : "In review-
ing our past history, having traveled over every step of advance
to our present standing, I can say, Praise God ! As I see what
the Lord has wrought, I am filled with astonishment, and with
confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for
the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led
us, and His teaching in our past history."—"Life Sketches,"
p. 196.
7199
A Word to Teachers
Reference Books.—It is essential that the bibliography in
this text shall be studied. The notes are addressed to the
teachers and should be included in the class assignments. If
there is not time or opportunity for everyone in the class to
study all the collateral reading, assign references to individuals
who will report briefly before the class. The texts most
generally referred to are "The Great Controversy" "Life
Sketches," "Early Writings," and "Senior Missionary Volun-
teer Studies on Bible Doctrines."
Other Sources of Information.—The Year Book, prepared
annually by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists;
the Review and Herald; the Youth's Instructor; division and
union papers; and conversation or correspondence with your
local conference workers—all are sources of information to be
used in connection with this text.
Dates.—We have endeavored to give the fewest possible
dates, but history is made by the very progress of the marching
years. The vital thing for the student is to memorize the most
important dates, and group all others about these few. For
instance, Seventh-day Adventist history disconnected from
the year 1844 would mean nothing. Visualize the events that
took place prior to this date and those following it. Again, it
is important that Seventh-day Adventists know when our f or-
eign mission work began-1874. By keeping that year in mind
it is not difficult to remember in general when the various coun-
tries were opened to the light of the third angel's message.
Other dates also can be fixed in mind by applying the law of
association.
Historical Sequence.—Make it clear and keep it prominent
in the minds of the students that the work of Seventh-day
Adventists has developed step by step ; that when one phase
of the work was introduced, it was carried along simultaneously
with the others, unless it superseded some branch. The chap-
ters in this book deal with different features from their incep-
tion to the date of printing the book; but do not let the student
accept the idea that the denomination has fostered one phase of
the work over a period of time, then another, and another. All
features have worked together for the finishing of the third
angel's message and the coming of our Saviour.
' 6
Table of Contents
THE BASIS OF OUR DENOMINATIONAL HISTORY(cid:9) 9
THE FIRST ANGEL'S MESSAGE .(cid:9) 12
THE GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT OF 1844(cid:9) 26
THE SECOND ANGEL'S MESSAGE(cid:9) 31
THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY(cid:9) 34
THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE AND THE SABBATH TRUTH 39
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION(cid:9) 49
DEPARTMENTS OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST DE-
NOMINATION .(cid:9) 65
PUBLISHING DEPARTMENT(cid:9) 66
HOME MISSIONARY DEPARTMENT(cid:9) 72
SABBATH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT(cid:9) 76
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION(cid:9) 80
YOUNG PEOPLE'S DEPARTMENT OF MISSIONARY VOLUN-
TEERS(cid:9) 89
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT .(cid:9) 96
AMERICAN TEMPERANCE ASSOCIATION(cid:9) 105
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DEPARTMENT(cid:9) 107
COMMISSION ON NATIONAL SERVICE AND MEDICAL
CADET TRAINING .(cid:9) 110
MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION(cid:9) 112
THE ELLEN G. WHITE PUBLICATIONS(cid:9) 114
BUREAU OF HOME MISSIONS .(cid:9) 116
NORTH AMERICAN NEGRO DEPARTMENT(cid:9) 119
7
8(cid:9) The Great Advent Movement
PRESS BUREAU(cid:9) .(cid:9) .(cid:9) . 121
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT(cid:9) 123
EVANGELISM AND CONVOCATIONS(cid:9) • 125
OUR MISSION ADVANCE(cid:9) 138
NORTH AMERICA(cid:9) . 141
EUROPE(cid:9) 151
AUSTRALASIA AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS .(cid:9) . 171
SOUTH AMERICA(cid:9) 184
ASIA, INCLUDING JAPAN AND MALAYSIA .(cid:9) • 197
CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES(cid:9) 221
AFRICA .(cid:9) 229
COUNTING THE COST(cid:9) 243
FACTS SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS SHOULD KNOW(cid:9) 245
IMPORTANT DATES IN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST HISTORY 246
INDEX(cid:9) 247
The Basis of Our Denominational History
FROM the time that Adam and Eve were compelled to leave
their Eden home, down to the present, the coming of the Lord
has been the hope and stay of God's children. In the beginning,
however, even an approximation of the time of His coming was
withheld. It would have been a great discouragement to our
first parents and their immediate posterity if they had foreseen
that it would be thousands of years before their hopes would
be realized. Much greater would have been their temptation
to say, "My Lord delayeth His coming," and thus to put off
preparation for the event.
In mercy the Lord then veiled the future, but as the day
approaches He has not left His people in darkness. In all ages
He has had important truths intended by His grace to lead out
a people from the bondage of sin and to fit them for entrance
into the heavenly Canaan. Always He has had at least one
who would carry out His bidding in fostering these truths.
When He was about to destroy the world with a flood, Noah
was instructed to warn the inhabitants of the earth, and for
one hundred twenty years he faithfully preached and prepared
for that event.
When the time came for the children of Israel to be de-
livered from Egyptian bondage, God raised up Moses to deal
with the haughty Pharaoh. All during the halting progress of
Israel in that forty-year march through the wilderness, Moses
was, under the mighty hand of God, their leader.
John the Baptist was 'appointed a special work as the fore-
runner of the first advent of our Lord. And the twelve dis-
ciples, who had been taught personally by the Master Teacher,
had a special commission to tell the world of a risen Saviour
who would come again in the clouds of heaven.
.rvV e today are not left to grope in ignorance of the times
in which we live. The Lord down through the ages has spoken
through His prophets. If the Jews had been alert to the scrolls
of the prophets, they would not have been in darkness regarding
the first advent of our Lord. Even so, it behooves us who live
in these last days to look to the times in which we are living.
9
10(cid:9) The Great Advent Movement
NOTE."—To get the most out of this denominational history class, everyone should
understand the following lessons in the booklet, "Senior Missionary Volunteer
Studies on Bible Doctrines:"
13. The Setting lip of Christ's Kingdom
14. Empires of Prophecy
x8. The Mediatorial Work of Christ
19. The Cleansing of the Sanctuary
20. The Time of the Cleansing of the Sanctuary
The messages of the prophets are not the only basis that
we have for our belief that Jesus is soon to return to this earth.
We have the word of Jesus Himself that His followers could
know when the time of His second appearing was drawing nigh.
His disciples wanted to know, "What shall be the sign of Thy
coming, and of the end of the world ?" Read our Lord's reply
in one or more of the Gospel records : Matthew 24 :1-33; Mark
13 :1-26 ; Luke 21 :7-28.
Do we have evidence that these signs have been fulfilled?
.(cid:9) NOTE.—Find your answer in the facts given in "The Great Controversy"
concerning the following events:
The Lisbon earthquake in 1755 (pp. 304, 3o5)•
The dark day and the moon turned to blood (pp. 306-308).
The falling of the stars (pp. 333. 334)•
The entire chapter, "Heralds of the Morning," in "The Great Controversy,"
pp. 299-316, dwells upon the fulfilling of events that our Saviour said would
come to pass.
With this background clearly in mind, we see that those who
proclaimed the first angel's message had ample reasons for con-
viction that the second advent of our Lord and Saviour was
"even at the door." In no less measure was the message of
the second angel a part of God's plan. And how thrilling it
should be to us who bear the third angel's message, which is
the burden of Seventh-day Adventists, to know of a surety
that we are living in the very closing days of earth's history !
"We are living, we are dwelling,
In a grand and awful time;
In an age on ages telling—
To be living is sublime."
All notes are addressed to teachers. They are for special class assignment.
and should receive due emphasis.