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Announcing Jesus’ coming!
Manuel de Lacunza, 1731-1801Joseph Wolff, 1795-1862William Miller, 1782-1849
Child Preachers, Scandinavia
A Great religious awakening under the proclamation of Christ’s soon coming is foretold in
the prophecy of the first angel’s message of Revelation 14. An angel is seen flying “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.” (GC p. 355)
And that is just what happened. People everywhere began to study.
Our lesson this week is about three people in particular who proclaimed that Jesus was
coming again soon, but this was proclaimed in many other countries, as well.
Remember last week we talked about some warning signs that pointed to the
“time of the end”?
What were those warning signs?
The Lisbon Earthquake, November 1, 1755
The Dark Day, May 19, 1780
The Falling of the Stars, November 13, 1833
Manuelde
Lacunza
What do you think he is studying?
United States Public Domain
JosephWolff
To whom do you think he is preaching?
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William Miller
About what did he preach?
Unit
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Two texts are referenced in our lesson--Psalm 101:3
and Psalm 119:37.
Let’s look at Psalm 101:3 first.
Psalm 101:3:
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn
aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Wicked in this text is beleyah-al in Hebrew, and it means . . .
Worthless, good for nothing, wicked, causing destruction
It is translated Belial most of the time, the first time being in Deuteronomy 13:13. Let’s also look at 1 Samuel 2:12.
Those of Belial have turned from God.
Now let’s read Psalm 119:37:
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
vanity in Hebrew is shav and means . . .
Emptiness, false, lying
Let us look at Exodus 20:7--“in vain”
Deuteronomy 5:20--“false witness”
Psalm 12:2--“speak vanity”
If you wanted to look these words up for yourself, you could use Online Bible.
Manuel de Lacunza
A Jesuit priest who was born in Santiago, Chile
Expelled from Chile and moved to Italy
Began to study prophecy and 20 years
later wrote . . . United States Public Domain
THE
COMING OF MESSIAHIN
GLORY AND MAJESTYBY
JUAN JOSAFAT BEN-EZRA,
A CONVERTED JEWTRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH, WITH A PRELIMINARY
DISCOURSE,BY THE REV. EDWARD IRVING, A.M.
The book by Lacunza was written in Spanish, but Edward Irving read it and decided it needed to be translated into
English because, as he said in the dedication of his translation, . . .
My soul is greatly afflicted because of the present unawakened and
even dead condition of allthe churches, with respect to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which draweth nigh, andwhich, as I believe, is, close at
hand . . .
Edward Irving1792-1834
Born in Annandale, Scotland
United States Public Domain
stumpsaver at flickr
stumpsaver at flickr
Scothill
Annan River
Freddie Phillips
Annan River
alm
agill
So, he translated Lacunza’s book. It was published in London and widely-read in England. It helped to turn the attention of many people to the second coming of
Christ.
JosephWolff
A Jew born in Germany, near
Bamberg, but . . .
United States Public Domain
. . . when only eleven years old he left his father’s house and went out into the world to gain for himself an
education, to choose his religion and his lifework. He found a home for a time with kinsmen, but was soon
driven from them as an apostate, and alone and penniless he had to make his own way among strangers. He went from place to place, studying diligently and maintaining himself by teaching Hebrew. Through the influence of a Catholic instructor he was led to accept the Romish faith and formed the purpose of becoming a missionary to his
own people. With this object he went, a few years later, to pursue his studies in the College of the Propaganda at
Rome. Here his habit of independent thought and candid speech brought upon him the imputation of heresy. He
openly attacked the abuses of the church and urged the necessity of reform. Though at first treated with special
favor by the papal dignitaries, he was after a time removed from Rome. (GC 358)
Wolff believed the coming of the Lord to be at hand, his interpretation of the prophetic periods
placing the great consummation within a very few years of the time pointed out by Miller. To those who urged from the scripture, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man,” that men are to know
nothing concerning the nearness of the advent, Wolff replied: “Did our Lord say that that day and hour should never be known? Did He not give us signs of the times, in order that we may know at least the approach of His coming, as one knows
the approach of the summer by the fig tree putting forth its leaves?” (GC 359, 360)
Bamberg,Germany
Joseph Wolff was born near here
Thomas Depenbusch
Thomas Depenbusch
William Miller
Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
The gray-headed man who had left a comfortable home to travel at his own expense from city to city, from town to village, toiling unceasingly
to bear to the world the solemn warning of the judgment near, was sneeringly denounced as a fanatic,
a liar, a speculating knave. {CTr 336.2}
United States Public Domain
William Miller was despised and hated by the ungodly and unbelieving; but his influence and his labors were a blessing to the world. Under his preaching, thousands of sinners
were converted, backsliders were reclaimed, and multitudes were led to study the
Scriptures and to find in them a beauty and glory before unknown. (The Spirit of Prophecy,
vol. 4, pp. 220, 221)
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. (EW 229)
God called him to leave his farm, as He called Elisha to leave his oxen and the field of his labor
to follow Elijah. With trembling, William Miller began to unfold to the people the mysteries of the kingdom of God, carrying his hearers down through the prophecies to the second advent of
Christ. With every effort he gained strength. (EW 229, 230)
Miller’s home in Whitehall, NY
Jomegat
In Scandinavia also the advent message was proclaimed, and a widespread interest was kindled. Many were roused from their
careless security to confess and forsake their sins, and seek pardon in the name of Christ. But the clergy of the state church opposed the movement, and through their influence
some who preached the message were thrown into prison. In many places where the
preachers of the Lord’s soon coming were thus silenced, God was pleased to send the message, in a miraculous manner, through little children. As they were under age, the
law of the state could not restrain them, and they were permitted to speak unmolested.
{GC 366.2}
The movement was chiefly among the lower class, and it was in the humble dwellings of the laborers that the people assembled to hear the warning. The child-preachers themselves were mostly poor cottagers. Some of them were not more than six or eight years of age; and while their lives testified that they loved the Saviour, and were trying to live in obedience to God’s holy requirements, they ordinarily manifested only the intelligence and ability usually seen in children of that age. When standing before the people, however, it was evident that they were
moved by an influence beyond their own natural gifts.
Text
adunt at flickr
Tone and manner changed, and with solemn power they gave the warning of the judgment, employing the very words of Scripture: “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” They reproved the sins of the people, not only condemning immorality
and vice, but rebuking worldliness and backsliding, and warning their hearers to make
haste to flee from the wrath to come. {GC 366.3}
The people heard with trembling. The convicting Spirit of God spoke to their hearts. Many were led to search the Scriptures with
new and deeper interest, the intemperate and immoral were reformed, others abandoned
their dishonest practices, and a work was done so marked that even ministers of the state
church were forced to acknowledge that the hand of God was in the movement. {GC 367.1}
Our lesson has focused on Lacunza’s work in Italy and its publication into English in England . . .
The work of Joseph Wolff, “missionary to the world,” visiting places in Africa, Egypt, Asia . . .
The work of William Miller in America . . .
And the work of children in Scandinavia.