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. But the beloved of God, who were oppressed,
accepted the message, "Babylon is fallen," and left
the churches.
Near the close of the second angel's message, I saw a great light
from heaven shining upon the people of God. The rays of this light
seemed bright as the sun. And I heard the voices of angels crying,
"Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him!"
This was the midnight cry, which was to give power to the second
angel's message. Angels were sent from heaven to arouse the discouraged
saints and prepare them for the great work before them. The most
talented men were not the first to receive this message. Angels
were sent to the humble, devoted ones, and constrained them to
raise the cry, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out
to meet Him!" Those entrusted with the cry made haste, and
in the power of the Holy Spirit sounded the message, and aroused
their discouraged brethren. This work did not stand in the wisdom
and learning of men, but in the power of God, and His saints who
heard the cry could not resist it. The most spiritual received
this message first, and those who had formerly led in the work
were the last to receive and help swell the cry, "Behold,
the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him!"
In every part of the land, light was given upon the second angel's
message, and the cry melted the hearts of thousands. It went from
city to city, and from village to village, until the waiting people
of God were fully aroused. In many churches the message was not
permitted to be given, and a large company who had the living
testimony left these fallen churches. A mighty work was accomplished
by the midnight cry. The message was heart-searching, leading
the believers to seek a living experience for themselves. They
knew that they could not lean upon one another.
The saints anxiously waited for their Lord with fasting, watching,
and almost constant prayer. Even some sinners looked forward to
the time with terror; but the great mass manifested the spirit
of Satan in their opposition to the message. They mocked and scoffed,
repeating everywhere, "No man knoweth the day nor the hour."
Evil angels urged them on to harden their hearts and to reject
every ray of light from heaven, that they might be fastened in
the snare of Satan. Many who professed to be looking for Christ
had no part in the work of the message. The glory of God which
they had witnessed, the humility and deep devotion of the waiting
ones, and the overwhelming weight of evidence, caused them to
profess to receive the truth; but they had not been converted;
they were not ready for the coming of their Lord.
A spirit of solemn and earnest prayer was everywhere felt by the
saints. A holy solemnity was resting upon them. Angels were watching
with the deepest interest the effect of the message, and were
elevating those who received it, and drawing them from earthly
things to obtain large supplies from salvation's fountain. God's
people were then accepted of Him. Jesus looked upon them with
pleasure, for His image was reflected in them. They had made a
full sacrifice, an entire consecration, and expected to be changed
to immortality. But they were destined again to be sadly disappointed.
The time to which they looked, expecting deliverance, passed;
they were still upon the earth, and the effects of the curse never
seemed more visible. They had placed their affections on heaven,
and in sweet anticipation had tasted immortal deliverance; but
their hopes were not realized.
The fear that had rested upon many of the people did not at once
disappear; they did not immediately triumph over the disappointed
ones. But as no visible tokens of God's wrath appeared, they recovered
from the fear which they had felt and commenced their ridicule
and scoffing. The people of God were again proved and tested.
The world laughed and mocked and reproached them; and those who
had believed without a doubt that Jesus would ere then have come
to raise the dead, and change the living saints, and take the
kingdom, to possess it forever, felt as did the disciples at the
sepulcher of Christ, "They have taken away my Lord, and I
know not where they have laid Him." -