MM, I guess it doesn't much matter to me if the five-month period is part of the plagues or not. In either case, I know of few people, if any, trying to place this time period before 1844. Do you know of any such interpretations? If this is after 1844, as I suspect, the time seems to be rather clearly a prophetic period based on definite time, though not Second-Advent time, and one which would clearly illustrate the point that Mrs. White is referring to Advent time in her declaration.

In the year 1840 another remarkable fulfillment of prophecy excited widespread interest. Two years before, Josiah Litch, one of the leading ministers preaching the second advent, published an exposition of Revelation 9, predicting the fall of the Ottoman Empire. According to his calculations, this power was to be overthrown "in A.D. 1840, sometime in the month of August;" and only a few days previous to its accomplishment he wrote: "Allowing the first period, 150 years, to have been exactly fulfilled before Deacozes ascended the throne by permission of the Turks, and that the 391 years, fifteen days, commenced at the close of the first period, it will end on the 11th of August, 1840, when the Ottoman power in Constantinople may be expected to be broken. And this, I believe, will be found to be the case."--Josiah Litch, in Signs of the Times, and Expositor of Prophecy, Aug. 1, 1840. {GC 334.4}

D: What do you think will happen in those "a number of days"? All we are told is that the wicked acknowledge that the ones they persecuted are the ones loved by God. This announcement takes place during the seventh plague, after the death decree was overturned by God's deliverance.

M: True, the wicked worshiping at the saints' feet happens toward the end of this time period. However, according to Ellen, this time period begins the moment Jesus leaves the heavenly sanctuary and ends when the saints behold Him in the eastern sky as a small, black cloud. In addition to the wicked worshiping at the saint's feet is everything else Ellen described in GC 613-640. Do you agree?

D: Where do you find that? You'll have to show me. Read the CHAPTER in which EGW says the announcement is made. The plagues have fallen. IT'S THE LAST PLAGUE, not the first. The time of Jacob's trouble (which occurs after probation closes) has ENDED before the announcement is made. All that stuff takes place BEFORE the announcement. The only thing that EGW records as happening AFTER the announcement is the wicked acknowledging that God loves those they had tried to kill. Then Jesus comes.

And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus stood and he laid off his priestly garment and put on his kingly robe, took his place on the cloud which carried him to the east where it first appeared to the saints on earth, a small black cloud, which was the sign of the Son of Man. While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the east which took a number of days, the Synagogue of Satan worshiped at the saints feet. Ellen G. Harmon {DS, March 14, 1846 par. 2}

Well, let's look at how EGW used the term "prophetic time".

"prophetic time closed in 1844, and Jesus entered the most holy place to cleanse the sanctuary at the ending of the days." EW 244

"The people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time [Rev. 10:4-6], reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844.--7BC 971 (1900).

This time, which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world's history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. That is, the people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time, reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844. {7BC 971.7}

She clearly says there is no "prophetic time" after 1844.

Do you agree with Ellen:


Also, Uriah Smith concurred here.

M: True, the wicked worshiping at the saints' feet happens toward the end of this time period. However, according to Ellen, this time period begins the moment Jesus leaves the heavenly sanctuary and ends when the saints behold Him in the eastern sky as a small, black cloud. In addition to the wicked worshiping at the saint's feet is everything else Ellen described in GC 613-640. Do you agree?


I appreciate all the work you put into listing everything that happens between Jesus leaving the heavenly sanctuary and appearing as a small, black cloud in the east. Here's the quote I'm referring to:

Then we heard the voice of God which shook the heavens and earth, and gave the 144,000 the day and hour of Jesus' coming. Then the saints were free, united and full of the glory of God, for he had turned their captivity. And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus stood and he laid off his priestly garment and put on his kingly robe, took his place on the cloud which carried him to the east where it first appeared to the saints on earth, a small black cloud, which was the sign of the Son of Man. While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the east which took a number of days, the Synagogue of Satan worshiped at the saints feet. Ellen G. Harmon {DS, March 14, 1846 par. 2

Dedication,

You have conveniently omitted the context for every one of those quotes. The context for each will be the "Second Coming." This was Mrs. White's topic.


Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

She is speaking of PROPHETIC TIME.

...of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord.

What troubles me is that I see so much of this trying to predict how many days or months future events will take (things not revealed and which we are clearly told not to try and predict) yet SO LITTLE attention to the meaning of those Prophetic Time lines which is the very foundation of Adventism.