Ms 1, 1852

March 18, 1852,¹

This date differs from that of a parallel account of the vision—Ms 2, 1852—which is headed “Extracts From Sister White's Vision at the General Conference in Ballston, New York, March 14, 1852.” There is no necessary discrepancy. Most probably March 14 was the date of the vision and March 18 the date when the account was formally written up or copied.

n.p.1EGWLM 325.1

The Nations. Remarks in Vision.²

This is a third-party account of Ellen White's vision of March 14, 1852. A. T. Jones claimed in 1893 that a certain “O. Hewitt” was present when Ellen White received the vision and had “secured” a copy. (This was most likely Oren Hewett, despite the variant spelling, the only person with that initial and surname in the Review from this period.) This may or may not mean that Hewett was the scribe. According to J. N. Loughborough, the manuscript was “found among Brother Bates's papers, after his death,” which raises the possibility that it was Joseph Bates who recorded the vision. One typed copy of this manuscript, dated May 3, 1903, bears Ellen White's handwritten interlinear comments (inserted in this text between the < > symbols), indicating her acceptance of the contents. Whether she also wrote her own report of the vision is not known.

A study of the parallel account of the March 14 vision in Ms 2, 1852, suggests that at least part of the Ms 1 text consists of Ellen White's explanations of her vision to the gathered assembly after coming out of vision rather than her utterances while in vision. In either case it is necessary to observe certain precautions in interpreting the text. Not only is it written by another person, but its intermittent, discontinuous character means that there is often insufficient context available to make the meaning of individual statements clear or to understand the overall structure of the vision.

See: A. T. Jones, “The Third Angel's Messsage—No. 24,” General Conference Daily Bulletin, Mar. 26, 1893, p. 518; J. N. Loughborough, Questions on the Sealing Message (1916), p. 12, as in Words of the Pioneers.

1EGWLM 325.2

This manuscript is published in entirety in Ellen G. White, Spalding and Magan's Unpublished Manuscript Testimonies of Ellen G. White, pp. 2a, 3.1EGWLM 325.3

Preparing for earth's final events. Utterances while in vision and1EGWLM 325.4

explanations given after coming out of vision.1EGWLM 325.5

Thou wouldest not want him to step out if thou knewest thy situation. That desire was to disenthrone these kings, but that could not be, for kings must reign till Christ began to reign.1EGWLM 325.6

I saw in Europe just as things were moving to accomplish their desires, there would seemingly be slacking up once or twice, thus the hearts of the wicked world would be relieved and hardened, but the work would not settle down (only seem to), for the minds of kings and rulers were intent upon overthrowing each other, and the minds of the people to get the ascendancy.³

See: Ms 2, 1852 (Mar. 14), note 10.

1EGWLM 325.7

I saw that all minds were intensely looking and stretching their thoughts on the impending crisis before them.1EGWLM 326.1

The sins of Israel must go to judgment beforehand.⁴

Based on 1 Timothy 5:24. See Ms 2, 1852 (Mar. 14), note 11.

Every sin must be confessed at the sanctuary, then the work will move. It must be done now. The remnant in the time of trouble5

See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Time of Trouble.”

will cry, My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?6

See: Ms 2, 1852 (Mar. 14), note 12.

1EGWLM 326.2

The latter rain⁷

See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Latter Rain.”

is coming on those that are pure—all then will receive it as formerly.1EGWLM 326.3

When the four angels let go,⁸

For early interpretations of the four angels of Revelation 7:1-3 see notes on Ms 1, 1848 (Nov. 18, 19); EGWEnc, s.v. “Seal of God.”

Christ will set up His kingdom.1EGWLM 326.4

(None receive the latter rain but those who do all they can) <to water others with truth, eternal truth.> Christ would help us. All could be overcomers by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus. All heaven is interested in the work. Angels are interested.1EGWLM 326.5

Think ye that He will bring His hand to Himself until He has accomplished the object for which He stretched it out? Yea, more bitter hatred against those that keep the law than against the Catholics.⁹

Sydney E. Ahlstrom, in his authoritative study A Religious History of the American People, considers the first half of the nineteenth century to be “the most violent period of religious discord” in American history, a period when “a bitter and secretive form of anti-Catholic nativism reached the very threshold of national power.”

See: Sydney E. Ahlstrom, A Religious History of the American People, p. 555.

1EGWLM 326.6

Truth, the truth, let it shine. Hold them by the side of truth. What are they rich in? They seek falsehood, deception, and cunning. Behold! where is their strength? Is it in the truth? A mere knowledge of the truth will never save.1EGWLM 326.7

How long then, angel of God, before the message will go with a loud voice?¹⁰

See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Loud Cry.”

Other things to be accomplished. They must make themselves more vile. If Jesus should make His appearance in their midst, they would despise Him. They advocate their errors for a while, until the people get disgusted with it, then they add another.11

It is possible that this is an allusion to the condition of the popular churches whose “errors” would continue to accumulate before earth's final events. Prior to 1852 Sabbatarian Adventists had thought of the “fall” of the churches as a past event, culminating in 1844 with the second angel's message of Revelation 14 and the call to leave the churches of “Babylon.” In June 1852, however, James White first published a broader view of continuing deterioration in the churches after 1844, leading to a future and final warning to come out of Babylon, a view that was to become the dominant one among Seventh-day Adventists. It may be that this vision, given a few months earlier, in March 1852, provided the impetus for James White's seminal article.

See: [James White], “Babylon,” Review, June 24, 1852, p. 9. For a survey of early developments in the understanding of the second angel's message, see P. Gerard Damsteegt, Foundations of the Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission, pp. 179-192.

Nights upon their beds, horror gets hold of them. Can ye not see it? Live unto God. He has gotten them safe in the snare. The honest are getting disgusted. Satan works at the very ones that do him the most harm. God can make them a host against their enemies.1EGWLM 326.8

Ye give up too quick. Ye let go too soon that Arm! The arm of God is mighty. Satan works in different ways to steal the mind off from God. Victory, victory, we must have it over every wrong. A solemn sinking into God. Get ready. Set thine house in order. <These words were spoken in vision.>1EGWLM 327.1