THIS ISSUE...
shows the time frame and relevance of the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist
church. This topic will be continued in the following issues, the next issue
of which is devoted to the importance of the life and work of William Miller.
We encourage your letters of comment and criticism and will give space for
airing your views.
We invite our readers to order the complete collection of Lest We Forget
published since 1991.
CONTENTS
[Web editor's note: A straight text file does not follow exactly the
paging of a periodical that is graphically arranged.]
Importance of Pioneers .....1
Pioneer Wives .....2
Time Lines - Pioneers, Events & Doctrines .....3
Jehovah's Stately Steppings in the Sands of Time .....4
How the Foundations Were Laid .....5
Seekers of His Glory Part I .....8
[Web Editor's Note: The page number is given at the beginning of the page.]
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Page 0001
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PIONEERS
By Fred Bischoff
Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. (Prov.
4:26)
We are living in a time when foundations are being tested. Every wind of
doctrine (Eph. 4:14) is testing us to see upon what we are established.
When the wind turns into a flood, it will be shown in a final way whether
we have built on the Rock or on the earth without foundation (Luke 6:49).
Scripture tells us that the Rock we need is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11; 10:4).
Built on Him we are secure. We need then to know Him (John 17:3). But the
stability of the person of Christ is fully seen only with an understanding
of His sayings which He personified (Luke 6:47), the foundation principles
of the Christian church (Heb. 6:1, 2). So this Person and His principles
are inseparable, both being dimensions of the Whole Being that He is. It
is in this way that we are told both to build on Christ and to build on
His teachings.
Christ in His wisdom shared that founding position, which He had as the
chief cornerstone, and upon which He built His church (Matt. 16:16-18),
with other godly men, the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). The apostles
were those who met two criteria. First they must have seen Christ, not just
casually or figuratively, but deeply and in a literal way. It was thus that
Paul could claim to be an apostle though not numbered among the twelve (1
Cor. 9:1; 15:7-9). They were eyewitnesses in a special sense. Secondly,
as the word implies, they also were commissioned in a special way to go
and tell what they had seen.
The prophets were individuals who in a similar special way were spokespersons
for God, sent with messages to "those who believe" (1 Cor. 14:22),
those who had accepted the gospel that the apostles preached. So it was
the ministry of these, "first apostles, second prophets" (1 Cor.
12:28), duplicating the ministry of Christ, that demonstrated their position
as cofounders of that which Christ was building upon Himself and them.
A parallel process was seen in the establishing of the Seventh-day Adventist
church out of the advent awakening of the early 1800's. There were godly
men and women who by faith saw that God was leading them in spite of the
disappointment they had experienced, who were eyewitnesses of the genuineness
of the work that the Lord had wrought from the beginning of the movement.
Out of the large group professing a belief in the second coming of Christ,
this remnant came, little companies of seekers after truth [1MR-52 (Letter
38, 1905)], who searched the Scriptures as for hidden treasure , looking
beyond the foundation truths of Christianity to find the foundation truths
for the last days. Out of these came those who are identified as pioneers
in our work (RH 5/25/05), or, as we like to call them, apostles of the advent.
It is of interest and importance to note that she whom the Lord chose as
a messenger did not contribute of herself to this process of discovering
the pillars of present truth for our time. She relates that she could not
understand the reasoning of the brethren , that her mind was locked , but
that when the others in their search for truth came to the point in their
study when they said, We can do nothing more, the Spirit of the Lord would
come upon me. I would be taken off in vision, and a clear explanation of
the passages we had been studying would be given me (ibid.). The Lord did
this to confirm His order of using first apostles in laying down truth,
and second prophets to confirm and instruct in the process.
Of what importance then are these first apostles of Seventh-day Adventism?
We have the words of the messenger easily available to us, for which we
must ever thank God. But how important is what the apostles of the advent
left for us? The messenger tells us how God feels about this question:
We are to repeat the words of the pioneers in our work, who knew what it
cost to search for the truth as for hidden treasure, and who labored to
lay the foundation of our work. They moved forward step by step under the
influence of the Spirit of God. Let that which these men have written in
the past be reproduced. (ibid.). The prophets confirm the words of the apostles.
We hear God calling us all to complete the affirmation of this dimension
of our foundations by doing what was stated, repeat the words of the pioneers.
Let us rise and reactivate their voice, for the storm is rising that will
sorely test our establishment upon the truth they uncovered. (References
are from NKJV)
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Page 0002
PIONEER WIVES
By Joy Radzik & Frances Foster
We do not read a lot about the wives of the pioneers, and the women who
were connected with the Millerite movement and the early years of Adventism.
However, these women had heavy responsibilities, and quietly and without
fanfare carried on their work in the home and family and wherever the Lord
opened avenues of service.
The reminiscences of Mrs. Jennie Ayars-Kellogg in her account of "Growing
Up With the Third Angel's Message",* give us a glimpse into the lives
of these courageous distaff pioneers. Jennie's father, Hazael Manning Ayars,
married one of four daughters of a Mr. Stanbrough of New York. Mr. Stanbrough's
first wife, and mother of two of his daughters, was a Seventh Day Baptist
and had instructed her children in her religious beliefs before her death.
Each of the four daughters married a Seventh Day Baptist young man. Eventually,
Mr. Stanbrough persuaded three of his sons-in-law to give up what he termed
"this queer seventh-day religion". However, Jennie's mother and
father refused to give up their faith. Mr. Stanbrough threatened to "remember
this when I make up my will," but Mrs. Ayars declared she would rather
do right and lose a large inheritance. She held the truth of the seventh-day
Sabbath to be a more precious inheritance than her father's property.
It was no less difficult in those days to give up the material security
and physical comfort that a sizable inheritance would have afforded; and
certainly there was no less intolerance of religious beliefs that did not
conform to the popular theology of the day. But we praise God that Mrs.
Ayars, with her husband, and in concert with many other stalwart young pioneers
chose to walk in the light of truth. In place of her share in her father's
wealth, Jennie's mother chose instead the "Pearl of great price".
Jennie also recalled her marriage to Alonzo Kellogg, and the practice in
those early years of Adventism of holding meetings and Sabbath services
in various homes. It was customary for the wives to make the communion bread
and prepare the wine. Sometimes when they could not get grapes, they would
use raisins. In every instance it was the women who made it possible for
the believers to gather together in fellowship and to hold meetings and
worship services in their homes. With ready and willing hearts and hands,
they extended hospitality to friends and strangers alike. These wives and
mothers were a support to their husbands, and raised their children sometimes
under the most trying of circumstances. Opening their hearts to God's message
and their homes to God's messengers, our pioneer women made their hearts
and homes places of worship.
Excerpts from Mrs. Jennie Ayars Kellogg's account, "Growing up with
the Third Angel's Message," Advent Review & Sabbath Herald, Vol.112:15-20;
April 11 to May 16, 1953.
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Page 0003 & 0006
26 PIONEER TIME LINES
prepared by Frances Foster
[Web editor's note: The printed issue has time lines on the following
26 pioneers laid over two pages, with 1844 at the spine of the two pages.
See Time Line Image for a scan of the original.
See the revised Pioneer Time Line which is updated from the original.
(This is a tabloid, 11 inch by 17 inch PDF document.)]
Many who had a part in discovering the doctrines and laying the foundations
of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Prepared by Frances Foster
1. William Miller 1782-1849 Millerite Day for Year Prophetic Interpretation
1844. Did not become SDA.
2. Joseph Bates 1792-1872 Millerite Health Reform 7th day Sabbath Reform
SDA in 1845.
3. George Storrs 1796-1879 Millerite State of the Dead (Conditional Immortality)
Did not become SDA.
4. John Byington 1798-1887 Methodist Underground Railroad SDA in 1852 First
SDA President 1863.
5. Stephen Pierce 1804-1883 Millerite Early SDA Minister.
6. Charles Fitch 1805-1844 Millerite Designed '1843 Chart'.
7. Joshua Himes 1805-1896 Millerite Publisher, Promoter, Organizer of the
Millerite Movement (Conditional Immortality) Did not become SDA.
8. Hiram Edson 1806-1882 Millerite Early SDA SDA Understanding of the Sanctuary.
9. Samuel Snow 1806-1870 Millerite Initiated the 'Seventh-month Movement'
October 22, 1844 Did not become SDA.
10. William Farnsworth 1807-1888 Millerite Early SDA First layman to keep
Sabbath 1844/5.
11. Josiah Litch 1809-1886 Millerite Predicted fall of Ottoman Empire to
the day (Day for a Year) Did not become SDA.
12. Rachel Preston 1809-1868 Millerite Introduced the Sabbath to Washington
New Hampshire church SDA in 1867.
13. Roswell F. Cottrell 1814-1892 Seventh-day Baptist SDA in 1852 Writer,
Poet, Minister.
14. O. R. L. Crosier 1820-1913 Millerite Studied the Sanctuary truth with
Edson and Hahn Did not become SDA.
15. J. H. Waggoner 1820-1889 Evangelist, Editor became SDA in 1852 Righteousness
by Faith believer.
16. James S. White 1821-1881 Millerite Early SDA Author, Editor, Organizer
from 1846.
17. Ellen G. White 1827-1915 God's messenger to the SDA church from 1846.
18. Merritt E. Cornell 1827-1893 Millerite SDA since 1852 Evangelist (Wife
was first SDA Bible Instructor).
19. J. N. Andrews 1829-1883 Millerite SDA in 1846 first foreign missionary
to Switzerland in 1874.
20. George Amadon 1832-1913 Publishing House Worker.
21. J. N. Loughborough 1832-1924 Millerite SDA in 1852 Evangelist Historian
Worked in England 1878-1883.
22. Uriah Smith 1832-1903 SDA in 1852 Editor and Author.
23. Stephen N. Haskell 1833-1922 SDA in 1853 Evangelist & Administrator.
24. George I Butler 1834-1918 SDA in 1856 Minister & Administrator.
25. A. T. Jones 1850-1923 Army service from 1870-1873 SDA in 1873 Author,
Editor, Minister.
26. E. J. Waggoner 1855-1916 1888 Messenger, Editor, Minister, Physician.
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Page 0004
SEE JEHOVAH'S STATELY STEPPINGS IN THE SANDS OF TIME
By Arthur Mallon
1755 Lisbon Earthquake
1780 Dark day, Moon to blood
1798 End of 1260 year prophecy
1831 William Miller begins to speak and publish on the first angel's message
and the fulfillment of the 2300 year prophecy announcing the second advent.
1833 Falling of the stars
1838 Josiah Litch wrote on the seven trumpets of Revelation and set a date
for the sixth trumpet as the fall of the Ottoman Empire on August 11, 1840.
1840 Joshua Himes published the Signs of the Times and united with William
Miller going from city to city. The fall of the Ottoman empire on August
11, demonstrated the day-for-a-year principle and many believers joined
the Advent movement. Hundreds of pastors joined Miller in preaching the
prophecies of Christ's second coming.
1842 Following the counsel in Habakkuk 2:2,3, Charles Fitch was encouraged
to develop a chart showing the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation. William
Foy was given two visions which he shared publicly until the autumn of 1844.
1844 During the winter J.N. Loughborough heard and accepted the first angel's
message. There were 256,000 conversions in the U.S.A. between 1840 and 1844.
1844 On March 12, the first disappointment took place and there was a tarrying
time. Churches began to shut their doors to the message.
1844 During the month of May, Miller called attention to the seventh Jewish
month (October).
1844 In July the Midnight Cry began. There was heavy opposition to the first
angel's message and the second angel's message was given to separate a people
out of the confused, creed-bound churches.
1844 At the Exeter campmeeting in August, S.S. Snow showed the tenth day
of the seventh month to be October 22.
1844 William Foy has a third vision; but as he saw the cost and sacrifice
required, he ceased public speaking. Soon after he sickened and died.
1844 In September, George Storrs published a pamphlet called "Six Sermons"
establishing the doctrine of the "state of the dead." His article
called, "Flat Rock", appeared in the October issue of the Midnight
Cry.
1844 In early October Hazen Foss was given a vision showing the three steps
to heaven on two separate occasions, but he refused to communicate the vision.
1844 October 22, DISAPPOINTMENT.
1844 On October 23, Hiram Edson was given a vision that the Sanctuary to
be cleansed was the Heavenly Sanctuary. O.R.L. Crosier published the Sanctuary
doctrine in the February 7, 1846 issue of the Daystar.
1844 In December, Ellen Harmon was given her first vision at the home of
Mrs. Haines.
1845 Rachel Preston, a Seventh-day Baptist, moved to Washington, N.H. and
accepted the Advent doctrines. The church of about forty members accepted
the Sabbath. An Editorial in the Midnight Cry agitated the minds of many
on the obligation to keep the Sabbath.
1845 In the February 28 issue of The Hope of Israel, T.M. Preble published
an essay calling the attention of the Advent body to the Sabbath and the
fact that it had been changed.
1845 Joseph Bates heard of the Sabbath keepers in New Hampshire and visited
them. He studied with them, and accepted the light. On his return home he
began to preach the truth from state to state. He soon saw the need to publish
a tract.
1846 On a visit to New Bedford, Mass., Miss Harmon became acquainted with
Joseph Bates. Bates urged the importance of the Sabbath upon her and James
White. They accepted his Scriptural evidence and shortly thereafter she
was shown its importance in vision.
1846 The third angel's message as connected with the other two, began to
be proclaimed. The Sabbath truth, as connected with the Ark of God and the
light developing with reference to the Sanctuary, confirmed what had been
previously shown, - that the past Advent movement was right, and in the
order of the Lord. They could now understand the meaning of the "three
steps up on the pathway to the city of God."
1847 In April, James White wrote, "since the seventh month of 1844,
the third angel's message was, and still is, a warning to the saints to
'hold fast,' and not go back, and 'receive' the marks which the virgin band
got rid of during the second angel's cry."
1848 Just at this time the Seventh-day Adventists were learning from the
Scriptures that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment was the sign, or seal,
of the living God, and that the time had arrived for the proclamation of
the sealing message of Revelation 10:1-4.
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Page 0005
HOW THE FOUNDATIONS WERE LAID
From Ellen White, Selected Messages Book I, pages 206,207
"Many of our people do not realize how firmly the foundation of
our faith has been laid. My husband, Elder Joseph Bates, Father Pierce,
Elder [Hiram] Edson, and others who were keen, noble, and true, were among
those who, after the passing of the time in 1844, searched for the truth
as for hidden treasure. I met with them, and we studied and prayed earnestly.
Often we remained together until late at night, and sometimes through the
entire night, praying for light and studying the Word. Again and again these
brethren came together to study the Bible, in order that they might know
its meaning, and be prepared to teach it with power. When they came to the
point in their study where they said, "We can do nothing more,"
the Spirit of the Lord would come upon me, I would be taken off in vision,
and a clear explanation of the passages we had been studying would be given
me, with instruction as to how we were to labor and teach effectively. Thus
light was given that helped us to understand the scriptures in regard to
Christ, His mission, and His priesthood. A line of truth extending from
that time to the time when we shall enter the city of God, was made plain
to me, and I gave to others the instruction that the Lord had given me.
During this whole time I could not understand the reasoning of the brethren.
My mind was locked, as it were, and I could not comprehend the meaning of
the scriptures we were studying. This was one of the greatest sorrows of
my life. I was in this condition of mind until all the principal points
of our faith were made clear to our minds, in harmony with the Word of God.
The brethren knew that when not in vision, I could not understand these
matters, and they accepted as light direct from heaven the revelations given.
For two or three years my mind continued to be locked to an understanding
of the Scriptures. In the course of our labors, my husband and I visited
Father Andrews (the father of J.N. Andrews), Who was suffering intensely
with inflammatory rheumatism. We prayed for him. I laid my hands on his
head, and said, "Father Andrews, the Lord Jesus maketh thee whole."
He was healed instantly. He got up, and walked about the room, praising
God, and saying, "I never saw it on this wise before. Angels of God
are in this room." The glory of the Lord was revealed. Light seemed
to shine all through the house, and an angel's hand was laid upon my head.
From that time to this I have been able to understand the Word of God."
\Selected Messages Book One\ pages 206,207.
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Page 0008
SEEKERS OF HIS GLORY
By Ray Foster
The Seventh-day Adventist Pioneers.
Part 1
II Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
God has a purpose, an agenda for every age. The agenda for the last generation
is the most glorious, for it is written:
Hebrews 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without
us should not be made perfect.
The agenda for the last generation completes the work of all generations
of all time. The mystery of God is to be finished in the last generation:
Revelation 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when
he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath
declared to his servants the prophets.
The church is involved with the finishing of this mystery:
Ephesians 3:9-12 And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the
mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who
created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities
and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ
Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the
faith of him.
It is important that we know God has an agenda for the end-time remnant
church. Unless we know the agenda God has for us, how can we cooperate?
How can we know unless God tells us? We must be listening and searching
to know God's will and ways to hear God's agenda for us. The experience
of those who first searched and found the understanding of God's end-time
agenda for His church is thrilling indeed. We today not only need to know
what these Seventh-day Adventist Pioneers knew but we need to progress in
the knowledge and experience of God's end-time agenda for His church.
Who are the Seventh-day Adventist Pioneers?
The time of the end began when the deadly wound was inflicted on one of
the heads of the seven-headed beast of Revelation 13.
Revelation 13:1-3 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast
rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns
ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which
I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear,
and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power,
and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were
wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered
after the beast.
All the world is still wondering after the beast. That deadly wound was
given when the French General Berthier took the Pope of Rome captive in
1798. This event ended the dark ages of Papal persecution and prepared the
way for final development on earth of God's remnant church of Revelation
10:
Revelation 10:5-9 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon
the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for
ever 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: But in the days
of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery
of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go
[and] take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which
standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and
said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take [it],
and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy
mouth sweet as honey.
The world-wide movement in fulfillment of this prophecy took place in the
early 1800s. It was a bitter disappointment when Christ was expected to
return to earth on October 22, 1844, but did not. Who were those involved
in the fulfillment of this prophecy and what was their experience? These
are important questions because they relate to the finishing of the mystery
of God in and through His church so that principalities and powers in heavenly
places might know the manifest wisdom of God.
Part 2 continues next issue.
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ADVENTIST PIONEER LIBRARY
Newsletter -- Periodical -- Compact Disk -- Books -- Seminars
(Health Ministry Foundation, Inc.)
P. O. Box 1844
Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
Editorial Committee
Fred Bischoff, Gary Foster
Ray and Frances Foster
Logo: Donna Wical
Research & Layout: Marlene Steinweg
End of Vol. 1, No. 1
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