How Important is a Good Foundation? Part 5

It was a painful experience for the Harmon family to be cast out from their beloved church, but they were not willing to give up the truth for just a place in the church. The truth was so precious to them that nothing could convince them to cast it away. Though all may forsake them they would stand firm.

This same spirit filled many of the Millerites as their churches began to close their doors to the Advent message.  Charles Fitch, who gave up his pastoral position to become a Millerite preacher, summed it up this way: “I knew that the world would reproach me. I knew that God's professed people would cast out my name as evil. I knew that the friends whom I loved most dearly would many of them, perhaps, weep over me as lost. I knew that the confidence of the churches with which I stood connected, would be withdrawn from me, and perhaps all my past prospects of a maintenance for myself and my household be entirely cut off; but I knew that my Redeemer lived-and that all power was given unto Him in heaven and on earth and that I had only to ‘seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness’ (Matthew 6:33), nothing doubting that ‘He who feeds the fowls of the air, and clothes the lilies of the field, as Solomon was never arrayed in all his glory’ (Matthew 6:26,28-29), would surely feed and clothe me and mine.’”  {1840 CF, LPN 1.57}  

                Even though the Millerites were being cast out of their churches, and hated by their own brethren, Yet they carried the message on- afraid of neither friend or foe.  As these faithful watchmen blew their trumpets to warn the world of its coming doom, they also looked for the soon appearing of their precious Savior, who was believed to come anywhere from the spring of 1843 to the spring of 1844.

                But as month after month slipped by, and no Jesus appeared, some lost their faith and turned against the truths they had once loved. Then as the very spring of 1844 came and went and still no Christ had arrived, many of the faithful believers could no longer bear the test and also left the message to bitterly oppose it and its followers. All were disappointed, but some held firm their faith.  They could not understand why their Jesus had not come, but they determined that they would trust Him to the end.

“We were perplexed and disappointed, yet did not renounce our faith. Many still clung to the hope that Jesus would not long delay His coming; the word of the Lord was sure, it could not fail. We felt that we had done our duty, we had lived up to our precious faith; we were disappointed, but not discouraged. The signs of the times denoted that the end of all things was at hand; we must watch and hold ourselves in readiness for the coming of the Master at any time. We must wait with hope and trust, not neglecting the assembling of ourselves together for instruction, encouragement, and comfort, that our light might shine forth into the darkness of the world.” Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White p. 49 

These faithful Bible students reopened their Bibles to examine were they could have possibly gone wrong in there reckoning of the time.

“When the year 1843 entirely passed away unmarked by the advent of Jesus, those who had looked in faith for his appearing were for a time left in doubt and perplexity. But notwithstanding their disappointment, many continued to search the Scriptures, examining anew the evidences of their faith, and carefully studying the prophecies to obtain further light. The Bible testimony in support of their position seemed clear and conclusive. Signs which could not be mistaken pointed to the coming of Christ as near. The believers could not explain their disappointment; yet they felt assured that God had led them in their past experience.”  The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 4 p. 241.1

In July of 1844, a camp meeting was held in Exeter New Hamster and was well attended by the disappointed faithful Millerites.  This camp meeting would later be considered one of the greatest camp meetings ever held and the one that was responsible for the sounding of the “Midnight Cry.”  Here is how it happened:

“On Sunday forenoon Elder Joseph Bates was preaching, when a man came riding at full speed into the camp, placed his horse where they kept their stock, then came into the audience, and seated himself by the family of Elder John Couch, and with open Bible, in a whisper, explained to them the cause of their disappointment, and the midnight cry that was now due.”

“Brother Bates was using as an illustration of their course in patient waiting, his experience on nearing home on a sea voyage, after a long absence. The power of God came upon Sister Couch, as she arose, and beckoned to Brother Bates. He said, "Sister, what is it?" She replied, "What you are saying is all very good, but here is a man who has light on the midnight cry." "Well," said Brother Bates, "then let him come up here on the platform, and give it to the people," and he sat down.”

“The minister who thus walked into the stand was S. S. Snow, who in a few sentences gave them the path of his midnight cry message. Elder James White was in that audience; I was not there, but got my light on the subject from those who were there.” 

Brother Snow thus questioned them; "Where are we in our Advent experience?"

Answer from the audience: "In the tarrying time."

Question: "How long was the vision to tarry?"

Answer: "Until midnight"

Question: "What is a day in prophecy?"

Answer: "A year."

Question: "Then what would a night be?"

Answer: "Six months."

Question: "Then what would Midnight be?"

Answer: "Three months."

Question: "How long have we been in the tarrying time?"

Answer: "Just three months."

“He said, "Then it is just the midnight now, and I am here with the midnight cry." In a few sentences he explained that it was the fall of 457 that the decree went forth, and so they were short six months in their reckoning, showing them that the 2300 days would terminate Oct. 22, 1844, instead of the spring as they had previously supposed. Then, in a strong voice he said, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh on the tenth day of the seventh month, Oct. 22, 1844. Go ye out to meet Him!"  The Great Advent Movement: Its Rise and Progress by John N. Loughborough  p. 522- 523

Join us for part 6 next time. 

How Important is a Good Foundation? Part 4

Picking up right where we left off last post, let us continue in our search for truth. 

Charles Fitch and William Miller worked closely together for many years in proclaiming the first angels message.  Together with many others, they sounded the cry, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.”

“To William Miller and his colaborers it was given to preach the warning in America. This country became the center of the great advent movement. It was here that the prophecy of the first angel's message had its most direct fulfillment. The writings of Miller and his associates were carried to distant lands. Wherever missionaries had penetrated in all the world, were sent the glad tidings of Christ's speedy return. Far and wide spread the message of the everlasting gospel: ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.’”  {Great Controversy p. 368.1} 

One of the people that heard this stirring message in its early days was Ellen Harmon. In later years she wrote about her experience: “In March, 1840, William Miller visited Portland, Maine, and gave his first course of lectures on the second coming of Christ. These lectures produced a great sensation, and the Christian church on Casco Street, occupied by Mr. Miller, was crowded day and night. No wild excitement attended these meetings, but a deep solemnity pervaded the minds of those who heard his discourses. Not only was there manifested a great interest in the city, but the country people flocked in day after day, bringing their lunch baskets, and remaining from morning until the close of the evening meeting.”  

     “In company with my friends I attended these meetings and listened to the startling announcement that Christ was coming in 1843, only a few short years in the future. Mr. Miller traced down the prophecies with an exactness that struck conviction to the hearts of his hearers. He dwelt upon the prophetic periods, and brought many proofs to strengthen his position. Then his solemn and powerful appeals and admonitions to those who were unprepared, held the crowds as if spellbound.”  {Testimonies to the Church Volume 1 p. 14} 

“In May, 1842, a General Conference was convened in Boston, Mass. At the opening of this meeting, Brn. Charles Fitch and Apollos Hale, of Haverhill, presented the pictorial prophecies of Daniel and John, which they had painted on cloth, with the prophetic numbers, showing their fulfillment. Bro. Fitch in explaining from his chart before the Conference, said, while examining these prophecies, he had thought if he could get out something of the kind as here presented it would simplify the subject and make it easier for him to present to an audience. Here was more light in our pathway. These brethren had been doing what the Lord had shown Habbakuk in his vision 2468 years before, saying, "Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time." Hab.ii,2.” {1868 JB, AJB 262.1}

“After some discussion on the subject, it was voted unanimously to have three hundred similar to this one lithographed, which was soon accomplished. They were called "the '43 charts." {1868 JB, AJB 263.1}

At this conference meeting, a simple chart was presented illustrating the prophecies in a way that was easy to present and understand.  It held the Metal man of Daniel 2; The beasts of Daniel 7 and 8 and many other basic things that we believe today.  Each of these was clearly presented from the Bible with the key texts printed right on the chart.  It was a valuable tool for presenters and listener alike.  The preachers could point to any given topic, having most of the texts right there, and the people could follow along with the large pictures illustrating the point. Another added bonus was the small space that each of these charts took up, making it a very portable aid.

Soon an announcement went out in one of the small Adventist publications it read:  “Chronological Chart of the Visions of Daniel and John. It is now nearly finished; and will be ready for delivery in a few days. Price $2.50 per copy to subscribers. Published at No. 14 Devonshire Street, up stairs. Subscribers may send or call soon.” {June 22, 1842 JVHe, HST 96.35}

During the next few months hundreds of these charts were sold to millerite preachers, old and young alike.  Some of these preachers were James White; Joseph Bates; William Miller; Joshua V. Himes; Charles Fitch; Hiram Edson; and many others. 

With all the millerite preachers preaching off the same chart, the already unified message became clearer- The trumpet was given a clearer sound as it went out to the people.  

This clear, unified message was not long in sounding before great opposition began.  The Churches that had previously been open to the preaching of the prophecies started to close their doors to the truth.

“As the churches refused to receive the first angel's message, they rejected the light from heaven and fell from the favor of God. They trusted to their own strength, and by opposing the first message placed themselves where they could not see the light of the second angel's message.”  {Early Writings p. 237.2}

This rejection of the first angel’s message resulted in the proclamation of the second.  “When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them. The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." [Revelation 14:8] This message was understood by Adventists to be an announcement of the moral fall of the churches in consequence of their rejection of the first message. The proclamation, "Babylon is fallen," was given in the summer of 1844, and as the result, about fifty thousand withdrew from these churches.”  {4SP 232.1}

The Harmon family was one of thousands that were cast out from their churches for no other reason than following the Bible and its truths.

Join us for part 5 next time. 

How Important is a Good Foundation part 3

As we get ready to continue our journey, I would like to recap a little on were we have gone so far.  In the first part we journeyed to Italy were we explored the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.  While there we learned that the tower does not have an adequate foundation which is causing it to sink, and is also making a lot of unnecessary work.

         In the Second half we toured the Great Pyramid of Giza Egypt and viewed its massive structure.  Finding it to be much larger than the Leaning Tower of Pisa and yet still standing with no trace of sinking.  We learned that an unseen rock mountain comes up under the Pyramid, giving it the sure foundation it needs to stand the test of time.

                 

Also in this second half we looked at an old story that Jesus told of two builders- One Foolish and the other Wise.  We saw how that story tied in with the two structures that we had just explored.  The Foolish builder did not waste his time with a good foundation.  Instead he built right on the soiled sand, leaving his house vulnerable when the floods and storms came.  The Bible says that great was the fall of his house (Luke 6:49).  This Foolish builder and his house remind me of the Leaning Tower of Pisa with its inadequate foundation.  Likewise the Wise builder, who carefully dug to the rock for a good foundation, reminds me of the Great Khufu Pyramid. 

The final question that we asked was, “If ‘our eternal safety depends upon our building upon the sure foundation’ (Desire of Ages p. 599.4) don’t you think we should know for sure what the foundation for our feet is?”

This time we will explore what the foundation is.  Before we get started though, we will take a quick glance at the reformation to help answer our last question.   

                In the fourteenth century the reformation began by a restoring of the Bible to the common people.  This was accomplished by John Wycliffe who has been called the, “Morning Star of the reformation.”  He was truly the “Morning star of the reformation” in more ways than one.  Yes we was one of the first reformers, but he also brought the dawning light of the Word of God in reach of the common people.  The Psalmist states, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)  The reformation could not have happened without this light from the Word of God, showing error and revealing darkness.

In the fifteenth century the world was shaken by the truth of, Righteousness by Faith, brought to view by the fearless Martin Luther.  This doctrine was key in the revealing of errors in the church.

The sixteenth century brought yet another reformer into view-John Smyth. God used this humble man to restore the doctrine of the Believers Baptism by immersion.  

So what did we, the Seventh- day Adventist’s contribute to the reformation?  One of the key things was simply the Sanctuary doctrine- Specifically the work of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary.   So how did we come to the understanding of this truth?

“God sent His angel to move upon the heart of a farmer who had not believed the Bible, to lead him to search the prophecies. Angels of God repeatedly visited that chosen one, to guide his mind and open to his understanding prophecies which had ever been dark to God's people. The commencement of the chain of truth was given to him, and he was led on to search for link after link, until he looked with wonder and admiration upon the Word of God. He saw there a perfect chain of truth. That Word which he had regarded as uninspired now opened before his vision in its beauty and glory. He saw that one portion of Scripture explains another, and when one passage was closed to his understanding, he found in another part of the Word that which explained it. He regarded the sacred Word of God with joy and with the deepest respect and awe.”  {Early Writings p. 229.1}

In this brief quote, it shows the leading of God in the life of the simple farmer, William Miller to search the Bible and especially the prophecies.  With only the aid of a Concordance William Miller went verse by verse through his Bible, not moving on to the next verse until he clearly understood the verse he was studying.  In this search of the Bible he was guided to the truth by Angels of God who gave him the “The commencement of the chain of truth” which aided him in the understanding of the prophecies.   The three Commencement dates (or starting dates) that were given him were: 677, 508, and 457. All three of these dates that William Miller was given culminated (or would end), he thought, in the year 1843. 

After several years of studying his Bible in this way, William Miller was deeply impressed that he needed to tell the world what he had learned from his study of the Bible.  This greatly troubled him, as he was somewhat shy and just a simple farmer.  But the Spirit of God would not leave him alone. Day and night he would hear a voice speaking to him, “Go tell it to the World! Go tell it to the world!”  Oh how he tried to ignore this voice, but it would not leave!  One day, after breakfast, as he sat down in his desk chair to study before going out to his work, the impression came upon him with such force that he must “Go tell it to the World.”

"The impression was so sudden, and came with such force, that I settled down into my chair, saying, 'I can't go, Lord.' 'Why not?' seemed to be the response; and then all my excuses came up - my want of ability, etc.; but my distress became so great, I entered into a solemn covenant with God, that, if he would open the way, I would go and perform my duty to the world. 'What do you mean by opening the way?' seemed to come to me. 'Why,' said I, 'if I should have an invitation to speak publicly in any place, I will go and tell them what I find in the Bible about the Lord's coming.' Instantly all my burden was gone, and I rejoiced that I should not probably be thus called upon; for I had never had such an invitation. My trials were not known, and I had but little expectation of being invited to any field of labor.  

"In about half an hour from this time, before I had left the room, a son of Mr. Guilford, of Dresden, about sixteen miles from my residence, came in, and said that his father had sent for me, and wished me to go home with him. Supposing that he wished to see me on some business, I asked him what he wanted. He replied, that there was to be no preaching in their church the next day, and his father wished to have me come and talk to the people on the subject of the Lord's coming. I was immediately angry with myself for having made the covenant I had; I rebelled at once against the Lord, and determined not to go. I left the boy, without giving him any answer, and retired in great distress to a grove near by. There I struggled with the Lord for about an hour, endeavoring to release myself from the covenant I had made with him; but I could get no relief. It was impressed upon my conscience, 'Will you make a covenant with God, and break it so soon?' and the exceeding sinfulness of thus doing overwhelmed me. I finally submitted, and promised the Lord that, if he would sustain me, I would go, trusting in him to give me grace and ability to perform all he should require of me. I returned to the house, and found the boy still waiting. He remained till after dinner, and I returned with him to Dresden.” ~ 1853 SB, Memoirs of William Miller p. 97-98

This was only the beginning of William Millers calls to preach.  As soon as he arrived home from Dresden there was an invitation for him to speak in Poultney Vermont.  And so the invitations came pouring in.  Soon others began to see the light and proclaim the prophetic truths.  One of these was Charles Fitch. 

“In May, 1842, a General Conference was convened in Boston Massachusetts. At the opening of this meeting, Brother Charles Fitch…”

Join us for part 4 next time.

How Important is a Good Foundation Part 2

As we prepare to travel to Egypt you may want some cool clothes as it may get quite warm.  But besides that, let’s get stated. 

                Meandering along the Egyptian landscape winds the Nile River with its lush green river banks and tall waving palm trees.  It winds its way around large crowded cities and small bustling towns, through meadows and past mountains.  But the most impressive place it paces is the Capital City, Cairo Egypt.  This is the place that many tourists come and stay, for it is not far from many Historic attractions.  Today we will squeeze through its busy streets on our way to our site of interest.  

Located about ten miles from this swarming city lays the Great Giza Plateau with its famous Pyramids.  Today the Great Khufu Pyramid, or otherwise known as the Great Pyramid of Giza, will be our main interest.   

This Pyramid is different from all other pyramids in that no dead king has ever been found to have been buried here.  And also this pyramid is the only pyramid found to have an ascending passage.  This Pyramid has some very interesting things about it that we do not have time to get into in this brief visit.

The Great Pyramid of Giza in not called Great for any small reason. The mere footprint of the base of this pyramid covers over 13 acres, with an astounding volume of some 90 million cubic feet.   It towers roughly 454 feet into the air, which is equivalent to a modern 48-story building.  It is composed of over 2.5 million blocks of lime stone.  Each one of these blocks weigh in at an amazing weight of 2 to 70 tons.  It is stated that "You could build 30 Empire State buildings with the masonry of this one Pyramid.”  But the big question is, “Why is this Pyramid still standing?” “Should it not have sunk by now, sitting in the sand like it is?”  “The Leaning Tower of Pisa is sinking and it is a much smaller structure, set in seemingly better conditions.  So why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa sinking, and this Great Pyramid of Giza not sinking?”

Well the answer to all these questions lies beneath the sandy ground.  Under this Great Pyramid rises a great rock mountain, giving it the sure foundation it needs to stand the test of time.  The Leaning Tower of Pisa does not have anything like this mountain to keep it standing, so it sinks.  But this Great Pyramid has a Rock Mountain sustaining and holding it firm.

These two stories, of these famous and grand structures, remind me of another story that Jesus told, The old story of a Wise and a Foolish builder.  The Wise builder, it simply states, Dug deep into the ground and laid the foundation for his house upon a rock.  When the tempests and floods came, the Wise builder’s house stood firm.  The Bible writer Luke describes the strength of this house in this brief statement, “when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Luke 6:48)  Now the Foolish builder did not bother wasting his time with the extra work.  Instead He built his house upon the solid sand.  I will let Luke describe the state of this Builder’s house when the same floods came his way.  “The stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it (the house) fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”  (Luke 6:49)

Now that we have looked at these two immense structures, The Leaning Tower of Pisa and The Great Pyramid of Giza.  We can see what a difference a good foundation can make.  Now the question we need to ask is, “Do we need a good foundation to plant our feet upon?”  I will let Mrs. White answer this one.  “Our eternal safety depends upon our building upon the sure foundation. Multitudes are today building upon foundations that have not been tested. When the rain falls, and the tempest rages, and the floods come, their house will fall, because it is not founded upon the eternal Rock, the chief cornerstone Christ Jesus.”  {DA 599.4} 

If “our eternal safety depends upon our building upon the sure foundation” don’t you think we should know for sure what the foundation for our feet is?

Join us for part three next time as we explore what our foundation is.

How Important is a Good Foundation?

Today we are going to travel. On this trip we will be making a stop in Italy and another one in Egypt.  No one needs a passport or a visa, but we do need thinking caps.

Before we get started though, I’d like to tell you a little about the journey we are going to take.  We will be exploring two ancient structures, both still standing.  They both have a story to tell, and though mysterious it may seem, their stories are a question for us.  Let’s get started.

 Nestled by the Arno River, sits the beautiful Town of Pisa Italy perfectly back dropped by the tall Tuscany Hills. Near the Historical center of this beautiful town sits the famous Miracle Square, with its Cathedral, Baptistery, and of course the Bell Tower.  The Bell Tower, otherwise known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, is going to be the main interest for this stop in Italy.  

Picture Used from telegraph.co.uk

The tower has a rich history dating back to the time when the foundation was laid beginning in 1173, but we do not have time, in this brief visit, to explore its vast history, so we will just try to catch the highlights before we have to go on to our next stop in Egypt. 

One of the questions that some of you may be asking is “Why does this tower lean?”  This is actually a very easy question to answer.  In 1178 when the work had progressed to only the second floor, it was discovered that the Tower was sinking.  This was due to a mere three meter foundation, set in weak, unstable soil. The village of Pisa actually got its name in 600 B.C. from a Greek word meaning “Marshy Land” and the Free Standing Bell Tower of Miracle Square is not the only thing “sinking” in Pisa.  The Cathedral and Baptistery are also sinking, and it is interesting to find that there are several other “Leaning Towers” in this same city. 

The Towers weight is estimated at an astounding 16,000 tons.  It is no wonder that the Tower is slowly sinking with the inadequate foundation it has, set in the soil that it is set in.



Used from fabmums.com

In 1990 it was discovered that the Tower was leaning an amazing 5.5 degrees over its foundation.  That is some 16 or so feet that the top was leaning out over the base.  Immediately crews were set to work to bring the tower into a more stable position.  Loose sandy soil was dug out from the High side in an attempt to bring the Tower the other way.  Heavy weights were then applied, once again to the high side, causing it to settle even more.  In the end the Tower was brought to a safer lean of 3.99 degrees.  They might have been able to bring it the rest of the way, but they left it somewhat leaning because “The Leaning Tower of Pisa” is a tourist attraction and they most likely would have lost the attraction when they lost the lean. 

For over eight hundred years this amazing Tower has been standing.  But what a different story we could have told, if only it had had the foundation it needed.  Just think for a moment with me, If it had the foundation it needed, it may have still been an attraction for Tourists, but it would have never needed all the time and work that was put into it to try to save it. How badly do we need a good foundation to plant our feet upon?

Well I do fear that our time here in Pisa has come to a close, but I will not soon forget this amazing Tower and its story.  As we prepare to travel to Egypt you may want some cool clothes as it may get quite warm.  But besides that, let’s get stated. 

Join us again for part two next time.  “How important is a good Foundation part 2”

Information for this post was gleaned from:  Wikipedia; towerofpisa.info;  TLC Family;  BBC News for 1990 on Leaning Tower of Pisa;  and a few other sites.