Slow Emergence From Mistaken Views

These strikingly impressive experiences, with additional revelations and divine providences, finally led the disciples to abandon their mistaken views and come into harmony with God’s purpose. But so cautious and slow were they in making changes that it literally took years to comprehend the fullness of God’s purpose, and to preach and teach accordingly.AGP 255.2

These strange incidents, so clearly set forth in the Scriptures, did not merely happen. Nor were they merely mistakes of men. They were divine providences, the purpose of which we may not fully understand. But they show that God’s accepted leaders and His chosen people may be right in the main, yet be sincerely mistaken—even regarding important truths. They also show that those who hold some mistaken views are not, therefore, necessarily wrong in other things. Limited views, or imperfectly understood truths regarding certain particulars, do not of themselves, therefore, set aside the fundamental verity of the movement with which they may be connected. If that movement holds to its basic principles, and continues to advance, increased light will eventually be given, the mistakes will be revealed and rejected, and correct views take their place.AGP 255.3

Thus it has all worked out, as will hereafter be shown, in the great second advent movement of 1844. The movement in general, the disappointment in particular, and the full correction of the error were made subjects of divine prophecy. They were foretold in the tenth chapter of Revelation.AGP 255.4

Here a message “that there should be time no longer” is represented as being proclaimed on land and sea by a “mighty angel come down from heaven.” Indicative of something not clearly understood, the heavenly messenger was “clothed with a cloud.” The joy of the expectation and the bitterness of the disappointment are symbolized by the “little book” that was eaten and that, after being sweet in the mouth, was turned into bitterness. That God had still a great work for those to do who had passed through this experience, is indicated by the divine commission, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”AGP 256.1

The details of this prophetic picture coincide in every particular with the experiences in the world-wide, advent movement just prior to 1844. The verses that follow in the eleventh chapter of Revelation show briefly but forcefully how by the reed given by an angel the prophecy was made clear through measuring “the temple of God,” or the sanctuary, in which they soon saw the closing ministry of Christ. They then discovered their mistake in supposing that the sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days was the earth. This explained the cause of their disappointment.AGP 256.2