Dear Friends of “Dial Daily Bread,”
October 22, 1844, is a date that will never die in the world's memory. Scores of thousands of Christians in Europe and the United States had been studying the book of Daniel, thanking God that at last the book which had been sealed for many centuries (12:4) had now at the end of the Dark Ages of papal persecution and oppression been "opened" for understanding. It was now "a little book open" in the hands of a "mighty angel" (Rev. 10:1, 2) who was a "messenger," attracting worldwide attention.
Its message had riveted on Daniel 8:14; serious readers of the Bible were drawn to Daniel's prophecies. The year-day principle was established so clearly that they saw the 2300 years of that prophecy reaching fulfillment on that date in 1844. "Then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," said the Word. They borrowed from the commentaries the idea that "the sanctuary" was this earth, and the "cleansing" therefore would be the fire of the last day at the coming of Jesus.
But the commentators were wrong; there is a sanctuary in Heaven--the real one, and that's where the world's great High Priest, Jesus, ministers. The "cleansing" is His great Day of Atonement, His final work of preparing a people to be ready when Jesus comes the second time. They were woefully uninformed about what that preparation entailed! It was to be nothing short of "self" being "crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20), and "the world [being] crucified to me, and I to the world" (6:14). A tremendous work!
The fascinating story of the "Great Disappointment" and its aftermath is told in Revelation chapter 10. Verse 11 describes the worldwide work that must (that will!) be done before Jesus can be happy to come again--every person must have a chance to hear the Good News and respond in heart. The angel said, "You must prophesy again" before the world! And that's the work that is going on now all over the world. Listen!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: October 23, 2005.
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