"There is nothing that Satan fears so much," wrote Ellen White in 1887 while in Europe, than that "the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour out His Spirit upon a languishing church and an impenitent congregation." [1] For nearly forty years the Advent people had looked forward to "the times of refreshing" (Acts 3:19), when the latter rain would be poured out on the church, thus enabling and empowering the loud cry message of Revelation 18 to be demonstratively given throughout the world.
In one of her earlier visions Ellen White was told that "it is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel" that would enable God's people to "speak forth the truth with great power" amidst the most trying circumstances. [2] The latter rain and loud cry, although distinct from one another, could never be separated--the latter rain being the cause and the loud cry the effect. Rather than being just an increase in divine power, the latter rain as at Pentecost would bring an increase in light and understanding. If accepted, taken to heart and experienced, this enlightening and empowering message would enable and empower the loud cry to blanket the earth with the end-time gospel message of God's abounding grace. Ellen White would reiterate these connections many times during the years following the 1888 Minneapolis session:
When the mighty angel descends from heaven, clothed with the panoply of heaven and gives strength to the third angel, the power of the message is felt by them. The heavenly showers fall on them. The latter rain drops in their vessels. [3]
Those who follow in the light need have no anxiety lest that in the outpouring of the latter rain they will not be baptized with the Holy Spirit. If we would receive the light of the glorious angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory, let us see to it that our hearts are cleansed, emptied of self, and turned toward heaven, that they may be ready for the latter rain. [4]
We have now the invitations of mercy to become vessels unto honor, and then we need not worry about the latter rain; all we have to do is to keep the vessel clean and right side up and prepared for the reception of the heavenly rain, and keep praying, "Let the latter rain come into my vessel. Let the light of the glorious angel which unites with the third angel shine upon me; give me a part in the work; let me sound the proclamation; let me be a co-laborer with Jesus Christ." [5]
When the Spirit was poured out from on high [on the clay of Pentecost], the church was flooded with light, but Christ was the source of that light; his name was on every tongue, his love filled every heart. So it will be when the angel that comes down from heaven having great power, shall lighten the whole earth with his glory. [6]
Others, writing in the context of 1888 and its aftermath, have also expressed these same connections. A. G. Daniells, former General Conference president, stated that Ellen White's writings clearly place "the latter rain visitation with the loud cry, the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, and the flooding of the earth with the light of the third angel's message.... It will be seen that all these events are associated together to be in operation at the same time.... The appearance of one is a signal for all to appear." [7]
Leroy Froom, writing of the message of 1888, went so far as to suggest that the "Latter Rain" was "synonymous with the Loud Cry" because of their close, inseparable connection. [8]
The Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, describing the sequence of end-time events, states that "the latter rain, in turn, qualifies the church for bearing witness in the 'loud cry' and to stand firm during the last great time of trouble." [9]
Woodrow Whidden summarizes these thoughts in his biography of E. J. Waggoner: "The loud cry is an expression commonly invoked by Seventh-day Adventists to describe the role of the aroused remnant church to proclaim effectively the last message of mercy and warning to the world. It will be the immediate effect of the latter rain empowerment of the Holy Spirit." [10]*
The point seems clear: The loud cry cannot begin without the latter rain having begun--without the attending latter rain providing the loud cry with its enlightening and transforming power. The two go hand and hand. The appearance of one signals the presence of the other.
1888 General Conference Approaching
While in Europe in 1885-1887, only months before the 1888 Minneapolis Conference, Ellen White was given a sense of the important events soon to take place in the church. Here she was told that "there is much light yet to shine forth from the law of God and the gospel of righteousness. This message, understood in its true character, and proclaimed in the Spirit, will lighten the earth with its glory.... The closing work of the third angel's message will be attended with a power that will send the rays of the Sun of Righteousness into all the highways and byways of life." Yet she was also shown that the "spirit that controlled the Pharisees is coming in among this people, who have been greatly favored of God." Such a condition would allow Satan to "work upon the unconsecrated elements of the human mind" and many would "not accept the light in God's appointed way." [11]
Such insights into the condition of the ministry in the church left Ellen White "horribly afraid to come into our [1888] conference," [12] which she would describe in a circular letter to the leading brethren as "the most important meeting you have ever attended." [13] With perhaps as many as 500 attendees, including 96 delegates representing the 27,000 church members around the world at that time, the results of such a gathering of church leadership would have lasting impact on the Advent movement. [14] At the "very commencement" of the meetings however, Ellen White discerned a "spirit which burdened" her. [15] Only two days into the meetings, she would ardently state that "the baptism of the Holy Ghost will come upon us at this very meeting if we will have it so." [16] Yet, facing pharisaical attitudes and strife that erupted during the Ministerial Institute preceding the General Conference, she could only ask: "How shall we stand in the time of the latter rain?" [17]
Ellen White soon realized that "the spirit and influence of the ministers generally who have come to this meeting is to discard light" [18] and "opposition, rather than investigation, is the order of the day." [19] As the Lord wrought in their midst, "some did not receive the blessing. They had been privileged to hear the most faithful preaching of the gospel, and had listened to the message God had given His servants to give them, with their hearts padlocked." Instead of rejoicing in the message given by Alonzo T. Jones and Ellet J. Waggoner, they "used all their powers to pick some flaws in the messengers and in the message, and they grieved the Spirit of God." Yet those who "did receive the message were charmed with the presentation of the free gifts of Jesus Christ," [20]
Minister G. B. Starr, who would later spend ten years with Ellen White in Australia, was one who received a rich blessing at Minneapolis, where "the subject of Righteousness by Faith was emphasized." Here he was witness as Ellen White "daily threw influence in decided words with the presentation of this subject." Starr would also recall later that she "stated that this marked the beginning of the Latter Rain and the Loud Cry of the Three Angels Messages." [21] F. H. Westphal, who arrived late to the conference, [22] also rejoiced in the message that was "sweet music to my soul." He went back to his home in Wisconsin, "and told the church that the Latter Rain had started." [23]
While on the one hand, Ellen White was compelled to speak words of support at Minneapolis for Jones and Waggoner and the message they taught she was also instructed to express the "dangers of resisting the Spirit of God." [24] As a result of her support of Jones and Waggoner, many thought there was "some mistake in [her] testimony," and the position and work that God gave her at the conference "was disregarded by nearly all. Rebellion was popular." Such a course, she stated, was "an insult to the Spirit of God." [25] In what might be one of her most sobering statements regarding 1888, Ellen White quoted Zechariah 13:6 and applied it to the way her inspired Testimonies, given in defense of the message and the messengers, were treated at Minneapolis: "Christ was wounded in the house of His friends." [26]
As early as 1885, Ellen White had warned that when the "most remarkable movements of the Spirit of God" were to come upon the church, "brethren may arise and in their sense of paring everything done after their style, lay their hand upon God's working and forbid it." [27] In fact, she declared it was possible that "when the Spirit of God comes it will be called fanaticism, as in the day of Pentecost." [28] Such frightening possibilities were fulfilled at Minneapolis in 1888.
In the months and years following the Minneapolis experience Ellen White would describe how "all assembled in that meeting had an opportunity to place themselves on the side of truth by receiving the Holy Spirit, which was sent by God in such a rich current of love and mercy. But ... the manifestations of the Holy Spirit were attributed to fanaticism." [29] She would dolefully declare that "Satan succeeded in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them." [30] Even after the turn of the century she was "instructed that the terrible experience at the Minneapolis Conference is one of the saddest chapters in the history of the believers in present truth." [31]
Give the People a Chance
Yet God is merciful; the showers from heaven would not be shut off without first giving the people a chance to receive the most precious message. In one of the last ministers' meetings of the 1888 Conference Ellen White questioned, "What was the use of our assembling here together and for our ministering brethren to come in if they are here only to shut out the Spirit of God from the people?... If the ministers will not receive the light, I want to give the people a chance; perhaps they may receive it." [32] True to her word, Ellen White, along with A. T. Jones, E. J. Waggoner, and others took the precious message to the churches around the country throughout the coming months.
At the Adventist school in South Lancaster, Massachusetts, in January of 1889, Ellen White, A. T. Jones, and S. N. Haskell took part in tell days of meetings where "the simple story of the cross was shared." Ellen White later described how "the glory of God came into that meeting ... but it did not come only to a few, but at this time like a tidal wave it swept through that congregation, and what a time of rejoicing." [33] S. N. Haskell penned that the meetings were "characterized by the outpouring of the Spirit of God.... A solemn impression rested upon many that it was a few drops of what will be experienced by those who have a part in the closing work,--in the loud cry of the third angel's message that will ripen off the grain for the harvest." He then rhetorically asked: "Can it be true that we are really in the midst of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? which will increase in power and extent until it swells into the loud cry of the third angel's message?" [34]
Many more camp meetings were held that year, up to the 1889 General Conference, where Ellen White, Jones, and Waggoner shared the message with similar results. Many people found a new experience as they heard and took to heart the message presented. However, many, including several of the leading brethren, continued to fight against the message and the messengers. While attending camp meeting in Kansas, Ellen White wrote pointed remarks to those who continued their stubborn resistance: "Think ye not that the heavenly Watcher sees four unbelief and opposition? Think ye not your ridiculing, scoffing words are never to appear before you again? Even the outpouring of the Spirit of God you have treated with contempt, and have passed your unsanctified judgment upon." [35]
The 1889 General Conference opened with a different spirit than the 1888 Conference the year before. During the first weekend of meetings, many bore "testimony of the blessings received during the past year, of the blessed light they had received and cherished, which was justification through faith." This led Ellen White to declare that the "Spirit of the Lord was in our midst." [36] She reported to her daughter-in-law, Mary White, that "thus far, not one voice of opposition is heard. Unity seems to prevail." She did add, however, "at the same time there are a number who apparently stand where they did at Minneapolis." [37]
But by the end of the conference Ellen White was giving warnings of the danger that lay ahead because of the plans that were being speedily laid for the control of the work under the guidance of those who were still in opposition to the message sent of God. She knew that a work needed to be done "or many will not be prepared to receive the light of the angel sent down from heaven to lighten the whole earth with his glory." She recognized that they would not be ready for "the time of the latter rain, to receive the glory of God," if they were "cherishing roots of bitterness brought from the conference at Minneapolis." She went so far as to say that "Baal, Baal," would be the choice resulting from "infidelity to God" coming into our ranks:
The religion of many among us will be the religion of apostate Israel, because they love their own way, and forsake the way of the Lord. The true religion, the only religion of the Bible, that teaches forgiveness through the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, that advocates righteousness by the faith of the Son of God, has been slighted, spoken against, ridiculed. It has been denounced as leading to enthusiasm and fanaticism. [38]
Notes: