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NEW AGE-TO-COME
MARANATHA, p 136 (Early Writings, p 75)
"I was pointed to some who are in the great error of believing that it is their duty to go to Old Jerusalem, [WRITTEN IN THE EARLY 1850'S WHEN "THE AGE-TO-COME" ADVOCATES TAUGHT THAT OLD JERUSALEM WOULD BE BUILT UP AS A CENTER OF CHRISTIAN WITNESS FULFILLING CERTAIN PROPHECIES OF THE O.T., AND THE BELIEF OF A SECOND PROBATION] and think they have a work to do there before the Lord comes. Such a view is calculated to take the mind and interest from the present work of the Lord, under the message of the third angel; for those who think that they are yet to go to Jerusalem will have their minds there, and their means will be withheld from the cause of present truth to get themselves and others there. I saw that such a mission would accomplish no real good, that it would take a long while to make a very few of the Jews believe even in the first advent of Christ, much more to believe in His second advent."
TESTIMONIES, VOL 1, p 116
"I was shown the case of Stephenson and Hall of Wisconsin. I saw that while we were in Wisconsin, in June, 1854, they were convicted that the visions were of God; but they examined them and compared them with their views of the age to come, and because the visions did not agree with these, they sacrificed the visions for the Age-to-Come. And while on their journey East, last spring, they both were wrong and designing. They have stumbled over the Age-to-Come, and they are ready to take any course to injure the Review; its friends must be awake and do what they can to save the children of God from deception. These men are uniting with a lying and corrupt people. They have had evidence of this. And while they were professing sympathy and union with my husband, they (especially Stephenson) were biting like an adder behind his back. While their words were smooth with him, they were inflaming Wisconsin against the Review and its conductors. Especially was Stephenson active in this matter. Their object has been to have the Review publish the Age-to-Come theory, or to destroy its influence. And while my husband was openhearted and unsuspecting, seeking ways to remove their jealousy, and frankly opening to them the affairs of the office, and trying to help them, they were watching for evil, and observing everything with a jealous eye. Said the angel as I beheld them: 'Think ye, feeble man, that ye can stay the work of God? Feeble man, one touch of His finger can lay thee prostrate. He will suffer thee but a little while.'"
SPIRITUAL GIFTS, VOL 2, p 273
"In August, 1858, we attended a conference at Crane's Grove, Ills. This was a meeting of considerable interest. It was immediately followed by a discussion of the Sabbath question between Elders J. H. Waggoner and J. M. Stephenson. Eld. S. was on the ground before our conference closed, and immediately commenced his lawless interruptions of our meeting, such as are very common with the no-Sabbath, age-to-come men. The discussion resulted in some good in the place, as it established one dear sister who had become unsettled as to the Sabbath by Eld. S., and another sister, who was much prejudiced when we first visited the place by the statements of Eld. S., came out decided upon the truth. But the influence of that meeting and the discussion, upon those who came in from other places, was decidedly good. Those Sabbath-keepers who came to the place sympathizing somewhat with Eld. S. went away satisfied that he was unworthy of their sympathy. Eld. S. did more to settle the minds of the wavering by manifesting the dragon-like spirit of the no-Sabbath, age-to-come heresies, than all the testimonies for truth there given. The opposition gained not a single victory."
MANUSCRIPT RELEASES, VOL 4, p 404
"God has shown me about some trying to get a substitute after the time passed, some would get Jesus upon the great white cloud, others would be looking to old Jerusalem, or as they called it the age-to-come." (Letter 8, Nov 12, 1851.)
EGW BIBLIOGRAPHY, VOL 1, p 311
"When we were in Eldorado, Wisconsin, June, 1854, Elders Stephenson and Hall stated to us that they were firm believers in the 'age to come.' We asked them if they had ever known one sinner converted, or a backslider reclaimed, as the fruits of preaching 'age to come.'"
SPIRITUAL GIFTS, VOL 4B, p 152 (Testimonies, vol 1, p 411-412)
"The only remedy for the East is thorough discipline and organization. A spirit of fanaticism has ruled a certain class of Sabbath-keepers in the East. They have sipped but lightly at the fountain of truth, and are unacquainted with the spirit of the message of the third angel. Nothing can be done for this class until their fanatical views are corrected. Some who were in the 1854 movement have brought along with them erroneous views, such as the non-resurrection of the wicked, and the future age. They are seeking to unite their erroneous views and past experience with the message of the third angel. They cannot do this. There is no concord between Christ and Belial. The non-resurrection of the wicked, and their peculiar views of the age to come, are gross errors. Satan has worked them in among the last-day heresies to serve his own purpose to ruin souls. These errors can have no harmony with the message of heavenly origin. Some of them have exercises which they call gifts, and say that the Lord has placed them in the church. They have an unmeaning gibberish which they call the unknown tongue, which is unknown not only by man, but by the Lord and all Heaven. Such gifts are manufactured by men and women, aided by the great Deceiver. Fanaticism, false excitement, false talking in tongues, and noisy exercises have been considered gifts which God has placed in the church. Some have been deceived here. The fruits of all this have not been good. By their fruits ye shall know them. Fanaticism and noise have been considered special evidences of faith. Some are not satisfied with a meeting unless they have a powerful and happy time. They work for this, and get up an excitement of feeling. The influence of such meetings is not beneficial. When the happy flight of feeling is gone, they sink lower than before the meeting, because their happiness did not come from the right source. The most profitable meetings for spiritual advancement, are those which are characterized with solemnity and deep searching of heart; each seeking to know himself, and earnestly, and in deep humility, seeking to learn of Christ."
MANUSCRIPT RELEASES, VOL 8, p 227
"Sabbath eve I had a great burden, such as I have borne before. I saw that Brother Evarts must give up his age-to-come, that he had lost the power of the third angel's message, and I saw that the accursed thing must be put out of the camp, or Israel would be sickly. That accursed thing was such views as I have mentioned that Henry Allen held. He was not at the meeting at Brother Evarts, being sick. After I had the vision and told it, Brother Evarts began to confess and break down before God. He gave up his age-to-come and felt the necessity of keeping the minds of all on the third angel's message. I had as solemn a view at that time as I ever had in my life."
TESTIMONIES, VOL 1, p 333-334
"Brother J was presented before me, and I was shown that his course has not been pleasing to God. He was unstable. He has been befogged with the Age-to-Come, and as there is not the least harmony between the Age-to-Come theory and the third angel's message, he lost his love for and faith in the message, and felt irritated because so much had been said in regard to it. The third angel is proclaiming a most solemn message to the inhabitants of the earth; and shall God's chosen people be indifferent to it, and not unite their voice to sound this solemn warning? Brother J is deceived, and is deceiving others. His theme has been consecration, when his heart was not right. His mind has been divided. He has had no anchor to hold him, and has been floating about without a settled faith. Much of his time has been occupied in relating to one and another reports and stories calculated to distract and unsettle minds. He has had much to say in regard to my husband and myself, and against the visions. He has stood in a position, 'Report...and we will report it.' God sent him not on such a mission. He has not known whom he has been serving. Satan has been using him to throw minds into confusion. What little influence he had he has used to prejudice minds against the third angel's message. He has by false reports presented the visions in a wrong light, and weak souls who were not established in all the present truth have fed upon these things instead of clean provender thoroughly winnowed. He has been deceived in regard to sanctification. Unless he now changes his course, and is willing to be instructed, and cherishes the light given, he will be left of God to pursue his own course and follow his own imperfect judgment until he will make shipwreck of faith, and by his unwise course become a signal warning to those who choose to go independent of the body. God will open the eyes of honest souls to understand the cruel work of those who scatter and divide. He will mark those who cause divisions, that every honest one may escape from Satan's snare."
LIFE SKETCHES OF JAMES WHITE AND ELLEN G. WHITE (1880 edition), p 285-86 (Spiritual Gifts, vol 2, p 157)
"In a vision given me at Saratoga Springs I was shown a company in Vermont with a woman among them who was a deceiver, and the church must be enlightened as to her character lest poisonous error should become deeply rooted among them. I had not seen the brethren in that part of the State with my natural eyes. We visited them, and as we entered Brother B.'s dwelling a woman came forward to receive me whom I thought to be Sister B.'s mother. I was about to salute her when the light fell upon her face and lo! it was Mrs. C., the woman I had seen in vision. I dropped her hand instantly and drew back. She noticed this and remarked upon it afterwards. The church in Vergennes and vicinity collected together for meeting. There was confusion of sentiment among them. Brother E. E. held the age to come and some were in favor of S. Allen, a notable fanatic, who held views of a dangerous character which if carried out would lead to spiritual union and breaking up of families. I delivered the message in the Sabbath meeting which the Lord had given me. Sunday noon Mrs. C. was talking quite eloquently in regard to backbiting. She was very severe, for she had heard that speeches had been made against her fanatical proceedings. Just then Sister B. entered saying, 'Will you please walk out to dinner?' Mrs. C. instantly replied, saying, 'This kind goeth not out save by fasting and prayer. I do not wish any dinner.' In a moment my husband was upon his feet. The power of God was upon him, and the color had left his face. Said he, 'I hope it will go out! In the name of the Lord, I hope it will go out!' and said he to Mrs. C., 'That evil spirit is in you, and I hope it will go out! I rebuke it in the name of the Lord!' She seemed to be struck dumb. Her glib, smart tongue was stilled for once."
TESTIMONIES, VOL 2, p 690-691
"I have been shown that you were cherishing erroneous views in regard to the future, views savoring of the pernicious sentiments of the Age-to-come. You sometimes talk out these ideas to others. But they are not in harmony with the body. You do not make a right application of Scripture. When Jesus rises up in the most holy place, and lays off His mediatorial garments, and clothes Himself with the garments of vengeance in place of the priestly attire, the work for sinners will be done. The period of time will then have come when the mandate will go forth: 'He that is unjust, let him be unjust still...and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.'"
MANUSCRIPT RELEASES, VOL 3, p 243-44
"The next day we went to Claremont and took the car for Royalton. Tuesday, the same eve, the conference commenced. Brother Butler was at that meeting, also Brother Josiah Hart, who was so strong on the time, and after it passed by, got a substitute, "the age to come," and was carrying that about. Such confusion and distraction has followed the time, and fighting against the visions! They had also lost the power of the third angel's message and some of them were in complete darkness. Brother Hart was stiff and unyielding enough. I got up and told him what God has shown me concerning him. Brother Butler began to break away and come into the clear light. Thursday we seemed to have gone about as far as we could, and to have done all we could, yet there was much more to be done in order for things to be set just right."
EGW BIBLIOGRAPHY, VOL 1, p 219-20, 222, 23
"Brother Butler was at that meeting; also Brother Josiah Hart, who was so strong on the time, and after it passed by, got a substitute, the 'age to come,' and was carrying that about, and such confusion and distraction has followed the time and fighting against the visions! They had also lost the power of the third angel's message, and some of them were in complete darkness. Brother Hart was stiff and unyielding enough.
"I got up and told them what God had shown me about some trying to get a substitute after the time passed. Some would get Jesus upon the great white cloud, others would be looking to old Jerusalem or, as they called it, the 'age to come.'...
"Brother Everts is a blessed brother, but has been in the 'age to come' all over and he said he could not give it up. After I had the vision and told it, Brother Everts began to confess and break down before God. He gave up his 'age to come' and felt the necessity of keeping the minds of all on the third angel's message."
MANUSCRIPT RELEASES, VOL 8, p 226
"We stopped (Brethren Holt, Wheeler, James, and self) a few days and wrote. Wednesday Brethren Holt and Wheeler went to Vergennes, Vermont, to inform them that we should be there Sabbath and Sunday. Brother Butler carried us to Vergennes Thursday, forty-four miles. Sabbath day it was very stormy, but he went three miles to Brother Evarts; there were but few who could attend that meeting on account of the storm. Brother Evarts is a blessed brother, but has been in the age-to-come all over, and he said he could not give it up. When we were there he was in a very dark place."
1888 MATERIALS, p 784
"There were quite a number of the First-day Adventists present. They are believers in the age to come, and disbelievers in the pre-existence of Christ before He came to our world. Although I had not the slightest knowledge of the faith of those present, being a stranger to the people, yet the remarks were so fitting to those present that Brother Jones, elder of the church, said he thought they would accuse him of telling me; but we came directly into the meeting without one word of conversation with anyone. I dwelt particularly upon the divine character of Jesus Christ."
SPIRITUAL GIFTS, VOL 2, p 295
"At the time of the Crane's Grove, (Ills.), conference and discussion several of the age-to-come, no-Sabbath preachers designed to bring out before the public some of the reports in circulation. But when they learned that we were prepared for them, Elder Stephenson stated to my husband that they had concluded to do nothing about it! I will here give two of these testimonies, also some others which have been sent to me by those who have read the printed sheets of this book."