IX. Concurrence of Fulfillments Identifies “Remnant”

The year 1844, the spokesmen of the conferences held, marked not only the beginning of the judgment-hour phase of Christ’s ministry in heaven but a new phase of a corresponding movement on earth also pointed out in prophecy. This movement proclaimed the message of the third angel of Revelation 14:9-12, which specifically calls upon men to “keep the commandments of God” as well as to hold fast “the faith of Jesus” in addition to the messages of the first two angels (verses 6-8) heralding the second advent of Christ. So they, the Sabbatarian Adventists, had appeared at the time scheduled in the prophecy, and according to that prophecy they were also to have the “testimony of Jesus” in their midst, which “is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 12:17; 19:10.)PFF4 1047.3

In 1844, they contended, the light on the cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven, and its attendant judgment—hour annunciation, began really to be studied and then to be heralded in its fullness. The message was a command to “come out” of the Babylon of confusion that was still a heritage from the blighting apostasy of earlier centuries. And with these was combined the call to restore the true Sabbath. The time had only just come for fulfillment. Now these must be correlated, and the special movement resulting was to gather momentum, declaring anew that “the hour of his judgment is come.” The third angel’s message, they felt, was definitely under way, for the Sabbath truth was now linked to, and integrated into, the prophetic message. This threefold development formed “a concurrence of fulfillments,” they said, that could never come about by merely human foresight and devising. ^{36Spieer, Pioneer Days, pp. 72, 73.}PFF4 1047.4

The threefold message, now clearly due, they firmly believed, had actually begun to assume definite form and a semblance of symmetry. The larger outlines could now be clearly discerned. They realized the perfecting of these positions, and the development of detail would take time. But the conferences had successfully accomplished their purpose of unification, clarification, and consolidation.PFF4 1048.1