We present this thread in response to a question asked by one of our forum members (on another Christian forum we frequent) under our study on Revelation, Part 170

Why didn’t anybody interpret Revelation the way you do before Charles Russel Taze and Ellen G. White came along? The commonalities are astonishing.

Because prior to Pastor Russell no one had explain the symbolism of Revelation as well as he did, this is key to a correct interpretation of Revelation, and this was not because of any special knowledge or education on his part, but because the “due time” had come and the Lord chose him as his chosen angel or messenger to the seventh stage of the church, “a faithful and wise servant” to be the dispenser of “present truth”, “meat in due season” to the household of faith (Matt 24:45.

Only one “angel” (messenger) was appointed to each stage of the church, and they have all given their message to any who would hear, including the last. The purpose of this message is to–“Make all (that is, those who would listen) see what is the fellowship of the mystery (What are the conditions of fellowship, joint heirship with Christ, membership in the true Church) which…has been hid in God…to the intent that NOW (the “due time” having arrived) might be made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God“–“which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is NOW revealed.” (Eph. 3:5-9,10)

Thus, the importance for each individual believer to properly identify whom that messenger was so that they can receive the proper message, or “meat in due season”.

This messenger according to Matt 24:46 would have to be someone who was proclaiming the Parousia (presence) of the Lord around the time of his arrival, NOT anyone who was suggesting he would come at some later time, that he was delaying his arrival (As specified in Verse 48).

This would not only exclude all the prominent church leaders of orthodoxy at that time, as well as Ellen G. White, for not one of these was heralding the presence of Christ at the time save the Pastor, but likewise those of our day.

No! all of orthodoxy scoffed and ridiculed the Pastors proclamation and continue to do so even now, even as they scoffed at the messages given by all the previous six angels. But even so it was prophesied by the Apostle Peter that such would be the case.

“…knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His (Greek: Parousia, presence)? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Pet 3:3, 4)

Apparently, our Lord’s great prophecy has fallen upon deaf ears, viz.

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the (Greek: Parousia, presence) of the Son of Man be. 

For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, SO ALSO (or in like manner) will the (Greek: Parousia, presence) of the Son of Man be.” (Matt 24:37-39)

The words of this prophecy were hidden both from the worldly wise (the professing church) as well as the Lord’s true people until the “due time” for its revealment.

As it is written:

“And he (the Angel of the Lord) said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words (of this prophecy concerning the fulfillment of events to take place at the end of the age, the “times and the seasons”, the Parousia of our Lord, the great time of trouble, the deliverance of Israel, the resurrection of the just and the unjust, the increase of knowledge, travel and etc.) are closed up and sealed till the time of the end (1799 A.D., at which time they will BEGIN to be understood, NOT that they would be understood immediately, but gradually). Many shall be purified, made white, and refined (put through severe trials, tested and approved), but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked (the worldly minded) shall understand, but the wise shall understand.” (Dan 12:9, 10)

This prophecy is fulfilled, none of the wicked (the worldly wise, a.k.a. the church nominal, the professing church) understands, but rather are left in darkness as to the Lord’s Parousia.

“Eyes they have, but see not, ears but they perceive not.”

So too this prophecy is fulfilled:

“But the day of the Lord will (Greek: heko, HAVE COME, pass tense) as a thief in the night…” (2 Pet 2:3:10)

BOTH the houses of Israel (Isa 8:14; Heb 3:5, 6), the nominal fleshly house and the nominal spiritual house have stumbled over the same thing, both have failed in the time of their visitation (Luke 19:44), both were unaware of the presence of the Lord and the harvest work going on (the separation of the wheat [the true Church] from the tares [the false or professing church]). The harvest is the “end of the age” (Matt 13:39). We are already at the end of the Age.

It is a shame indeed that most Christians are in the darkness about this. As our Lord said, “You can discern the face of the sky; but cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matt 16:3) as the Jewish house failed to discern the signs of the times at the end of their age so too the professed people of God today.

The problem is that too many Christians are looking to the sky, rather than to their bibles to ascertain the Lord’s presence. When the Lord said to “watch” he did not mean to look to the physical heavens, no what he meant was that we have a much surer way of determining his presence (in fact the only way of determining his presence) “We have the surer word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts…” (2 Pet 1:19)

Indifference to time prophecies is a clear evidence of a lukewarm Christian (Rev 3:16); as the majority of God’s professed children were ignorant of Christ’s presence at the first advent so too at his second advent.

We will attempt to address the similarities and or differences between Bible Students and Seventh Day Adventist in our next post.