A WORLDWIDE missionary program is one of the distinctive features of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "Unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," is the commission in the prophecy of Revelation 14.

Observers have noted this aim. In the year of the great Pan-American Missions Conference at Panama, the leading Methodist organ, the New York Christian Advocate, said of the foreign mission aim of Seventh-day Adventists: "Small though the denomination ... is, it has its missionaries scattered through every region of the globe, working ... with a consummate skill that is systematically taught as a part of their regular training."Quoted in The Review and Herald, Oct. 11, 1906.

Referring to statistics of new missionaries sent out, a Baptist organ spoke editorially:

"The three largest non-Catholic denominational bodies in the United States, with seventy-two times as many members as the Adventists of the United States and Canada, are doing less altogether in foreign mission work (in some respects at least) than the Adventists are doing."-Advance, June 30, 1927.

It sounds like appeal by exaggeration. But let it suffice. This is simply to allow others to say that this Advent Movement is a serious effort to carry the last gospel message to every nation, as the prophecy foretold.

In all this development of our world missions, the gift of prophecy has led and inspired.

It is remarkable, and instructive, to note how the spirit of opposition to this gift leads men to miss the plainest of facts. Here is a word from one who turned from the movement and began to attack the writings and work of Mrs. E. G. White. The opposer's representation, printed in another language than English, may be translated thus: "Unlike Paul, who looked out into the heathen world and saw an open door, Frau White looked out into the world and saw a shut door."

But think of it! In the first vision of this gift, in 1844, the calling out of the 144,000 of the prophecy of the seventh chapter of Revelation was described. And in a vision but a few days or weeks later, we have absolutely the finest paragraph on worldwide missions that I have ever found. Mrs. White published it as follows:

"Would that every one of you could have a view that was presented to me years ago. In my very childhood the Lord saw fit to open before me the glories of heaven. I was in vision taken to heaven, and the angel said to me, 'Look!' I looked to the world as it was in dense darkness. The agony that came over me was indescribable as I saw this darkness.

"Again the word came, 'Look ye.' And again I looked intensely over the world, and I began to see jets of light like stars dotted all through this darkness; and then I saw another and another added light, and so all through this moral darkness the star-like lights were increasing. And the angel said, 'These are they that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and are obeying the words of Christ. These are the light of the world; and if it were not for these lights, the judgments of God would immediately fall upon the transgressors of God's law.'

"I saw then these little jets of light growing brighter, shining forth from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and lighting the whole world. Occasionally one of these lights would begin to grow dim, and others would go out, and every time this occurred there was sadness and weeping in heaven. And some of the lights would grow brighter and brighter, and their brightness was far-reaching, and many more lights were added to it. Then there was rejoicing in heaven. I saw that the rays of light came directly from Jesus, to form these precious jets of light in the world."Gospel Workers, 1892 edition, pp. 378, 379.

That was the repetition for the Advent Movement of the call of the angel of Revelation 14 to go to every nation and tongue and people. The constant representation by the gift of prophecy looking toward a truly worldwide work was hard for the pioneers to understand at first. James White, the first leader in the movement, used to tell how it troubled them, when they could not see how it could be with time so short and numbers so few. It was felt that a few would be gathered out in all continents, representing all nations, but to send missionaries into all the remote lands and do a settled work in all the ends of the earth, seemed beyond their resources and abilities.

About so was the idea, I think, down to 1893, though the view of results to be expected was ever enlarging. I speak of it freely, as that was about my idea, as nearly as I can recall, when I was called to return from Europe to America, to act as secretary of the Foreign Mission Board in 1891.

But in 1893 a message came by the gift of prophecy that stirred the church into action. Mrs. White was then in Australia. From across the sea came the call to a world work with no qualifications or interpretations:

"The same work must be accomplished in Australia, New Zealand, in Africa, India, China, and the islands of the sea, as has been accomplished in the home field. Under an appropriate symbol of an angel flying through the midst of heaven is represented the work of the people of God."-The Bible Echo (Melbourne), Sept. 1, 1892.

The appeals accompanying the instruction were a clarion call to the Advent people to take up the task in earnest. It brought an awakening. After the light that came flooding in with the messages of the gift, we forgot all about what restricted ideas we had held. The believers saw that symbol of Revelation 14, the angel flying in the midst of heaven to every nation and tongue. The picture of the prophecy had been there all the time; but now it was seen that it meant the same work in all lands--publishing houses, schools, sanitariums, as well as evangelists, with the training of the young people of remote lands to carry the message to their own people. The believers caught the vision. The message rose and spread its wings yet wider, for stronger, farther, faster flight.

Observers witness this worldwide expansion of a small people, and remark upon the distinctive character of it. Some of these have scant patience with the doctrine of the gift of prophecy in the church. Some attack the movement on account of this gift, as the prophecy foretold (Revelation 12: 17 ). But the fact remains that the gift of prophecy is one great factor in arousing the spirit of missions in the hearts of Seventh-day Adventist believers. By its fruits men may know it.

At a time when the coming in of a Roman Catholic was a wonder to be dwelt upon, Mrs. White urged work directly for Catholic peoples. At the council in Switzerland, in 1887, she said:

"We should not upon entering a place build up unnecessary barriers between us and other denominations, especially the Catholics, so that they shall think we are their enemies. . . . There are many among the Catholics who live up to the light they have far better than many who claim to believe present truth. . . . From that which God has shown me, a great number will be saved from among the Catholics. There has been but little done for them except to make them appear in the worst light."General Conference File, book for 1899.

We think of these words now, when for years Catholics, Roman and Greek, have been laying hold of the gospel of the Advent message by thousands every year.