Since Christ ascended up into Heaven, His followers have expected His return.

A study of history
will reveal that almost every generation has had those who believed it would be during their
lifetime. Often, this has included some form of time-setting.
he !reat Advent "ovement also carried a message setting the time for the return of Christ. #hile
they were correct as to the time, they were wrong as to the event. On October $$, %&'', Christ
entered the "ost Holy (lace in the Heavenly Sanctuary, beginning the last phase of His High
(riestly ministry prior to His return.
Since %&'', Christ)s return has been more dependent upon the state of His people than anything
else. %&'' mar*ed the close of the last prophetic period in history and began more intensely a
period of the Signs of the imes.
However, because it has now been over a century and a half since Christ entered His "ost Holy
(lace ministry, renewed attention has been given to the prophetic boo*s of +aniel and the
,evelation, including the time prophecies. he time periods under the closest scrutiny have been
those in +aniel chapter %$ - the %$./, %$0/ and %112 days.
3n researching this topic, 3 have rarely found two interpretations of these periods to be the same.
However, most agree that these periods are literal days, no longer bound by the day4year principle
of interpretation. 3n this paper, we will be loo*ing at three 5uotes from the pen of 6llen #hite which
these people almost without exception use to establish the future application of these time
prophecies.
7he people of !od need to study what characters they must form in order to pass through the test
and proving of the last days. "any are living in spiritual wea*ness and bac*sliding. hey *now not
what they believe. 8et us read and study the twelfth chapter of +aniel. 3t is a warning that we shall
all need to understand before the time of the end. here are ministers claiming to believe the truth
who are not sanctified through the truth. 9nless a change comes in their lives, they will say, :"y
8ord delayeth His coming.:; <Lt. 161, to A. G. Daniells and W. W. Prescott, 30-07-1903=
3t is put forth that the 7warning; in the twelfth chapter of +aniel is the time periods. However, these
are not all that is found in +aniel %$. At the beginning of this chapter, "ichael <>esus= our High
(riest stands up, signalling the close of probation. At this point there is no more chance for
salvation. #hile there is no evidence that the 7warning; is the time periods, there is evidence that it
is the nearness of the close of probation. One paragraph before the above, she writes?
73 am deeply moved by the unprepared condition of our churches. One thing we must do. #e must
*eep our feet in the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. #e must ma*e no missteps
now.; <ibid=
She then calls to attention the first and second chapters of Colossians 7as an expression of what
our churches in every part of the world should be.; 8i*ewise, in the paragraph after the one in
5uestion, she points to a chapter in 8u*e.
7,ead the $%st chapter of 8u*e. 3n it Christ gives the warning, :a*e heed to yourselves, lest at any
time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drun*enness, and cares of this life, and so
that day come upon you unawares. @or as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face
of the whole earth. #atch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to
escape all these things, and to stand before the Son of man: <8u*e $%?1'-1.=.;
3t is not the day of Christ)s coming which determines the eternal destiny of those living upon the
earth. 3t is the when "ichael stands up and probation closes. he last paragraph of this letter
where she continues this train of thought also carries the idea of being ready for the close of
probation.
7he signs of the times are fulfilling in our world, yet the churches generally are represented as
slumbering. Shall we not ta*e warning from the experience of the foolish virgins, who when the call
came, :Aehold the bridegroom comethB go ye out to meet him,: found that they had no oil in their
lampsC And while they went to buy oil, the bridegroom went in to the marriage supper with the wise
virgins, and the door was shut. #hen the foolish virgins reached the ban5ueting hall, they received
an unexpected denial. he master of the feast declared, :3 *now you not.: hey were left standing
without in the empty street, in the blac*ness of the night.;
here is nothing which indicates that the 7warning; in +aniel %$ has anything to do with a future
application of prophetic time periods. hose who see* a 7present truth application; to the
prophecies of +aniel by searching the time prophecies miss the point altogether. he present truth
of the boo* of +aniel is that we shouldn)t still be here. Christ should have come long ago. 3t is
because of the hardness of men)s hearts that we are here, not because some prophetic periods
have not yet come to pass.
he second 5uote which is used in the establishment of these prophetic time periods is the
following?
73n the Scriptures are presented truths that relate especially to our own time. o the period Dust
prior to the appearing of the Son of man, the prophecies of Scripture point, and here their warnings
and threatenings pre-eminently apply. he prophetic periods of +aniel, extending to the very eve of
the great consummation, throw a flood of light upon events then to transpire. he boo* of
,evelation is also replete with warning and instruction for the last generation. he beloved >ohn,
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, portrays the fearful and thrilling scenes connected with the
close of earthEs history, and presents the duties and dangers of !odEs people. Fone need remain
in ignorance, none need be unprepared for the coming of the day of !od.; <,H, $2-/0-%&&1=
he sentence which says, 7he prophetic periods of +aniel, extending to the very eve of the great
consummationG; is that which we are especially loo*ing at. +epending on which interpretation
you encounter, the 7very eve; may be said to refer to either the deliverance of !od)s people by the
voice of !od or the close of probation, among other things. 3n establishing her meaning, we need
to establish how she used the phrases 7prophetic periods; and 7great consummation;.
6llen #hite uses 7great consummation; to refer to the second advent of Christ, and it is found in
the following places <some 5uotations repeated in other places=? AA, p. $./B 6d., p. %0/B !C%0%%,
p. 1$', 120B (9,, $'-/'-%0/$B ,H, $&-/1-%&&$B 8t. HH, to #m. 3ngs, /0-/%-%&01.
he phrase 7prophetic periods; is used much more fre5uently by Sr. #hite. #e will give here only
a few representative statements?
>esus did not come to the earth as the waiting, Doyful company expected, to cleanse the sanctuary
by purifying the earth by fire. 3 saw that they were correct in their rec*oning of the prophetic
periodsB prophetic time closed in %&'', and >esus entered the most holy place to cleanse the
sanctuary at the ending of the days. <6#, p. $'1=
73 was shown what did ta*e place in heaven at the close of the prophetic periods in %&''. As >esus
ended His ministration in the holy place and closed the door of that apartment, a great dar*ness
settled upon those who had heard and reDected the message of His coming, and they lost sight of
Him.; <6#, p. $2%=
7he preaching of a definite time for the Dudgment, in the giving of the first message, was ordered
by !od. he computation of the prophetic periods on which that message was based, placing the
close of the $1// days in the autumn of %&'', stands without impeachment. he repeated efforts
to find new dates for the beginning and close of the prophetic periods, and the unsound reasoning
necessary to sustain these positions, not only lead minds away from the present truth, but throw
contempt upon all efforts to explain the prophecies.; <GC1911, p. 457=
:And the angel which 3 saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
and sware by Him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein
are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein,
that there should be time no longer.:
7his message announces the end of the prophetic periods. he disappointment of those who
expected to see our 8ord in %&'' was indeed bitter to those who had so ardently loo*ed for His
appearing. 3t was in the 8ordEs order that this disappointment should come, and that hearts should
be revealed. Fot one cloud has fallen upon the church that !od has not prepared forB not one
opposing force has risen to counterwor* the wor* of !od but He has foreseen. All has ta*en place
as He has predicted through His prophets. He has not left His church in dar*ness, forsa*en, but
has traced in prophetic declarations what would occur, and through His providence, acting in its
appointed place in the worldEs history, He has brought about that which His Holy Spirit inspired the
prophets to foretell. All His purposes will be fulfilled and established.; <s. 3!, "#esti$on%
concernin& t'e (ie)s o* Prop'ec% +eld ,% -r. .o'n -ell,/ 06-1!-1096=
6very use of the term 7prophetic periods; refers to the large periods of %$./, %$0/, %112 and $1//
years, which reached their fulfilment on October $$, %&''. As can be seen especially in the last
two 5uotes, the prophetic periods ended in %&'', at which time Christ <from ,evelation %/=
declared the close of the prophetic time periods. >ohn Aell, to whom the last testimony was written,
was advocating a future fulfilment of the prophetic periods, as well as that the third angel)s
message was yet future.
he last maDor statement used to establish a future time period is an ambiguous account of a
message that a Arother Hewit was teaching.
7Arother Hewit from +ead ,iver was there. He came with a message to the effect that the
destruction of the wic*ed and the sleep of the dead was an abomination within a shut door that a
woman, >eIebel, a prophetess had brought in and he believed that 3 was that woman >eIebel. #e
told him of some of his errors in the past, that the %112 days were ended and numerous errors of
his. 3t had but little effect. His dar*ness was felt upon the meeting and it dragged.;
Gods Kingdom
Grace
Satans Kingdom
Debt
Capital City Jerusalem
(Habitation of Peace)
Babylon
(Confusion)
Principle Creatie Perertie
Goernment !ype "ut#ority Control
Citi$ens#ip "doption Performance
%egislation &elations#ips Be#aiour
'nforcement C#oice (orce
)alue *n#eritance Position
Currency C#aracter Possessions
Social (oundation (amilies State
'ducation %a+ P#ilosop#y
&eligion C#ristocentric 'gocentric
Holiness (ruit Deeds
Seal Sabbat# C#aos
Banner %oe (ear
&epresented by %ig#t Dar,ness
-.#ere is t#e +ay +#ere lig#t d+ellet#/
"nd as for dar,ness0 +#ere is t#e place t#ereof/1
(Job 23456)
!#e .ay of %ig#t
Blessing
!#e Place of Dar,ness
Cursing
!rut# %ies

Glory S#ame

(ait#7Hope7%oe Doubt7Despair7(ear

&est %ust

&ig#teousness Sin

%ife Deat#
!#e t#ief comet# not0 but for to steal0 and to ,ill0 and to destroy4
* am come t#at t#ey mig#t #ae life0 and t#at t#ey mig#t #ae it more abundantly8
(Jo#n 59459)
(or eery one t#at doet# eil #atet# t#e lig#t0 neit#er comet# to t#e lig#t0 lest #is
deeds s#ould be reproed8 But #e t#at doet# trut# comet# to t#e lig#t0 t#at #is deeds
may be made manifest0 t#at t#ey are +roug#t in God8
(Jo#n 24:90 :5)