1888! What mysterious attraction draws our eyes to this century-old date? Why can't we shake it off and forget it? Why does it rival 1844 in our consciousness? 

The answer is that God Himself has built into 1888 an inescapable mystery. Even if time were to last a thousand years more His Spirit would keep that memory alive for one important reason: 1888 is the story of a divine confrontation with this people. Heaven came near to give a blessing unprecedented since the early rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The story of 1888 is the "beginning" of the latter rain. 

These authors firmly believe that God has entrusted to Seventh-day Adventists His last message of more abounding grace for the world. This message must supply a final cure for the terrible problem of sin. It must produce a beautiful change in believing humanity, and thus give evidence that the sacrifice of Christ was not in vain. Nothing can enter the kingdom of heaven "that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie."

The authors also believe that the Saviour has an immeasurable longing to return, because of His great love for the world. He yearns for His people to prepare the way. The message the Lord sent in 1888 was intended to complete His work of grace in human hearts so that the great war between Christ and Satan could be ended. But something went wrong. The Lord's plan was frustrated a century ago. What happened? Why this long delay? 

The beacon lights of that era have grown dim and in many cases have flickered and gone out. The hallmarks of Adventism have become tarnished. Our people have not verbally abandoned confidence in the second coming of Christ, but the expectation of His near return has faded. Many are bewildered and confused. The present world entices to fashion, amusements, and me-first luxury, and the appeal seems irresistible..  

Even in enlightened Seventh-day Adventist communities with a rich historical heritage, domestic infidelity has become almost epidemic. Social drinking poses a serious problem in our colleges and universities and in too many of our homes. Most Seventh-day Adventists in North America have no clear concept of a heavenly Day of Atonement or of our unique privilege of temperance and self-denial in accord with it. It is amazing that in a time of exploding scientific knowledge, we as a people generally still have only a vague concept of what Christ is doing as High Priest in His closing ministry. There is scant sympathy with Him in that work. We have Model T ideas about what the "final atonement" means. And what we do not understand we cannot communicate to our world. 

It is well known that a large proportion of our youth lack clear-cut convictions of Seventh-day Adventist identity and are not attracted to it. A series in the Adventist Review of June 1986 recognizes a new phenomenon: Adventist youth are now joining Sunday-keeping churches (see chapter 13).

Off-shoots and independent ministries proliferate. Scandals and heresies supply grist for the mills of the critics. Serious questions are raised about whether the Seventh-day Adventist church is destined to become another segment of Babylon.

The "most precious message" the Lord sent this people a century ago contains the "beginning" of the solution to all these problems. It was not a thunder-and-lightning denunciation of sin abounding in a lukewarm people. Instead, it was a message of much more abounding grace. Our increasing perplexities are the direct and certain harvest of an unbelief of that 1888 message, past and current.

Indeed, when truth is refused, error always rushes in to fill the vacuum. Human arrogance, which is so foreign to the spirit of Christlike leadership, fanaticism or heresies, could never find entrance among us except in such a vacuum. But no problem is too great to be rectified through repentance. 

Without further delay the world church must know the full story of that century-long confrontation with Christ. Ellen White often likened our 1888 default to the Jews' rejection of Him two millenia ago. This book must re-examine her letters and manuscripts as well as published statements that tell the truth. She must be allowed to speak frankly without inhibition. When the full truth is comprehended, whether these authors can disclose it clearly enough or whether others yet to come must succeed better, repentance and reformation will take place and a people will be prepared for the coming of the Lord. The Laodicean message will not fail, but will produce healing and restoration. 

Ellen White's confidence is neatly summed up in a brief word written by her son shortly before her death: "I told Mrs. Lida Scott how Mother regarded the experience of the remnant church, and of her positive teaching that God would not permit this denomination to so fully apostatize that there would be the coming out of another church" (Letter, May 23, 1915). This statement implies that there would indeed be very serious apostasy--but the Lord would not permit it to become total. Until her death she cherished the conviction that denominational repentance would eventually come. 

What Did the 1888 Message Say? 

This book is not intended to reproduce the message itself. Several other works prepared by the authors attempt to do this. But for those who do not have access to these publications or to the original sources, we list in very brief form a resume of the unique, essential elements of that message. Readers will recognize that these concepts contrast with ideas generally held by our people today (documentation is available in the books cited in the footnote):

(1) Christ's sacrifice on the cross is not merely provisional but effective for the whole world. The only reason anybody can be lost is that he chose to resist the saving grace of God. For those who are saved at last, it is God who has taken the initiative; for those who are lost, it is they who took the initiative. Salvation is by faith; condemnation is only by non-faith, which is unbelief. But true faith is distinguished from its counterfeit. 

(2) Thus Christ's sacrifice has legally justified "every man," and has literally saved the world from premature destruction. All men owe even their physical life to Him, whether or not they believe. Every loaf of bread is stamped with His cross. When the sinner hears and believes the pure gospel, he is justified by faith. The lost deliberately negate the justification Christ has effected for them. They throw away the salvation already given them. 

(3) Justification by faith is therefore much more than a legal declaration of acquittal which depends on the initiative of the sinner. Faith is an appreciation of God's initiative, and it changes the heart. The sinner has now received the atonement, which is reconciliation with God. It is impossible to be truly reconciled to Him and not also be reconciled to His holy law. Therefore true justification by faith makes the believer to be obedient to all the commandments of God. (There is a direct link between true justification by faith and sabbath-keeping).

(4) This marvelous change is accomplished through the ministry of the new covenant. The Lord actually writes His law in the heart of the believer so that obedience is loved. This provides a new motivation which transcends fear of being lost or hope of reward. (Either of those motivations is what Paul means by his phrase, being "under the law"). The old and new covenants are not matters of time but of condition. Abraham had faith and lived under the new covenant. Many today live under the old covenant because self-centered concern is their motivation. The old covenant was the people's promise to be faithful to God; the new covenant is God's promise to be faithful to them. Salvation comes by believing God's promise to us, not by our making promises to Him. 

(5) Christ's love is active, not merely passive. As Good Shepherd, He is continually seeking the lost sheep. Salvation does not depend on our seeking Him but on our believing that He is seeking us. For us to seek Him is our believing response to His seeking us. He has taken the initiative. Those who are lost at last resist and despise His initiative in the drawing of His love. This is what unbelief means.

(6) Thus it is difficult to be lost and it is easy to be saved if one understands and believes how good the good news is. Since Christ has already paid the penalty for every one's sin, the only reason anyone can be condemned at last is continued unbelief, a hard-hearted refusal to appreciate the redemption achieved by Christ on His cross and ministered by Him as High Priest. The true gospel unveils this mysterious unbelief and leads to a repentance that prepares the church for the return of Christ. Human pride, praise and flattery of human beings, is inconsistent with true faith in Christ but is a sure sign of prevailing unbelief, even within the church.

(7) In seeking lost mankind, Christ came all the way, taking upon Himself and assuming the fallen, sinful nature of man after the fall. This He did that He might be tempted in all points like as we are, yet demonstrate perfect righteousness "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Romans 8:3, 4; the 1888 message accepts "likeness" to mean what it says, not un-likeness). Righteousness is a word never applied to Adam in his unfallen state, nor to holy, sinless angels. It can only mean a holiness that has come into conflict with sin in fallen human flesh, and triumphed over it.

Thus "the message of Christ's righteousness" that Ellen White was so happy about in 1888 is rooted in this unique view of the nature of Christ. If He had taken the sinless nature of Adam before the fall, the term "Christ's righteousness" could not make sense. The 1888 messengers saw that the teaching that Christ took only the sinless nature of Adam before the fall is a legacy of Romanism, the insignia of the mystery of iniquity which keeps Him "afar off" and not "nigh at hand." 

(8) Thus our Saviour "condemned sin in the flesh" of fallen mankind. This means that He has outlawed sin; sin has become out of date in the light of His ministry. It is impossible to have true faith in Christ and continue in it. We cannot excuse it by saying, "I am only human" or, "the devil made me do it." In the light of the cross, the devil cannot force anyone to sin. To be truly "human" is to be Christlike in character, for He was and is fully human as well as divine. For the church and its leadership to accept the message means a preparation for translation. 

(9) It follows that the only element God's people need in order to prepare for Christ's return is that genuine faith. But that is what the church lacks. She imagines herself to be doctrinally and experientially "rich and increased with goods" when in fact her root sin ever since 1888 has been a patheticunbelief. Righteousness is by faith; it is impossible to have faith and not demonstrate it in the life, because faith always works by love. Our moral and spiritual failures are the fruit of keeping alive Israel's ancient sin of unbelief.

(10) Righteousness by faith since 1844 is unique. It is "the third angel's message in verity." This means that it is greater than what the Reformers taught or what the popular churches understand today. It is a message of "much more" abounding grace. It makes sense with the unique Adventist truth of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, a work that includes the full cleansing of the hearts of God's people on earth.

There are other aspects of the 1888 message such as reforms in health and education, but our principal concern in this book is its heart as recognized by Ellen White--righteousness by faith. Getting straight on that underlies all other lasting reform. Many who think they have the 1888 message are mired in a do-it-yourself works program that is legalism. They are obsessed with a "we-must-do-this," "we-must-do-that," "we-must-be-more-faithful," "we-must-get-the-victory" sense of futility. It produces a bondage of spirit that remains lukewarmness. The true recovery of the message supplies the long dormant New Testament motivation imposed by grace.

Incidentally, it is not true that the 1888 message was opposed to church organization (see chapter 10).  

Does that Message Make Sense Today? 

The 1888 history and message supply the key to resolving our century-long confrontation with the Lord Jesus. The great "final atonement" will emerge from the shadows of confusion and become reality. "There shall be a fountain opened to the house of David [the church leadership] and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem [the organized church] for sin and for uncleanness." Some, perhaps many, will despise and reject that fountain which Zechariah speaks of, but we believe that the inner heart of God's people is honest. When they know the full truth, they will respond. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power," says the Psalmist.  

The latent genius of Adventism will yet comprehend truths as now dimly perceived. In spite of opposition within the church structure, the Adventist conscience will come to recognize Ellen White's 1888 testimony to be the gift of prophecy, "the testimony of Jesus." In its impact on honest hearts, truth will be invincible. There is every reason for hope and courage if we will simply face reality.

The world and the universe await that other angel who comes down from heaven "having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory." If it was the Lord's plan that the 1888 message be the "beginning" of that angel's work and the "beginning" of the latter rain, could anything be more important than seeking the full truth about it? 

May this book be read with a prayer for discernment and a spirit of faith and repentance. 

The authors.

April 23, 1987