Has the Loud Cry Begun?

HAS THE LOUD CRY BEGUN?

Question No. 10:

Sister White wrote in 1892 that the Loud Cry of the Third Angel’s Message had already begun; please explain why others claim that it is yet future. And what makes it “loud”?

Answer:

There must be a marked difference between the voice of the message before the Loud Cry, and the voice of the message in the Loud Cry; otherwise it would not be called “loud.”

The message swells to a Loud Cry by virtue of an “addition” which gives it “power and force.”–Early Writings, p. 277. The only conclusion admissible, therefore, is that since the church has never accepted an additional message, and since there has never come one (other than that in The Shepherd’s Rod publications) that would give “power and force” to the old message, the Loud Cry could not have begun at any time previous to this.

Moreover, the “abominations” in the church have not only kept back the Loud Cry but have also even silenced the fainter cry which precedes it. Indeed, “the angel of the church of the Laodiceans,” being unfit even to finish the proclamation of the message in its fainter cry, must be altogether unfit to proclaim it in the Loud Cry. Obviously, if he does not now quickly repent and accept the additional message which is to begin the Loud Cry, then not only will he not help proclaim it but he will even be “spued out.”

“…only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One,” warns the Spirit of Prophecy, “will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it [the Third Angel's Message] when it shall have swelled into the loud cry.”–The Review and Herald, No. 19, 1908.

So while the fainter cry is proclaimed by those who have, as well as by those who have not, overcome temptation, the Loud Cry is to be proclaimed only by those who have.

Though the Loud Cry was to have begun by 1892, it was muffled when the church rejected the message of Righteousness by Faith in 1888. Thus, the scroll which contained the “additional” message that was to give “power and force” to the Third Angel’s Message, for the time then being ceased unrolling. And consequently, instead of becoming the light of the world, the church herself went into darkness. Seeing this, the Spirit of Truth made a fearful pronouncement of doom upon unrepentant Laodiceans, while giving joyous promise of future glory to all who will arise and walk in the light that proceeds from the throne.

“How will any of our brethren know when this light shall come to the people of God?” was the sweeping question then asked by Inspiration. And the inspired answer was: “As yet we have certainly not seen the light that answers to this description. God has light for His people, and all who accept it will see the sinfulness of remaining in a lukewarm condition.”– The Review and Herald, Oct. 7, 1890.

“In the manifestation of the power that lightens the earth with its glory, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their expectations and ideal, they will oppose the work. Why, they say, should we not know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?”–Bible Training School, 1907. (Reprinted in The Review and Herald, Nov. 7 1918.) This statement plainly projects the Loud Cry into the future from 1918.

“The love of Christ, the love of our brethren, will testify to the world that we have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Then will the message of the third angel swell to a loud cry, and the whole earth will be lightened with the glory of the Lord.”–Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 401.

IS THE FORMER RAIN THE PENTECOSTAL POWER?

Question No. 11:

“The Shepherd’s Rod” says that the former rain is the Spirit of Prophecy, and that the latter rain is the closely related pre-Pentecostal message, or “teacher of righteousness,” which the church is now receiving, and that the Pentecostal “power” is still another thing. But “The Desire of Ages” says that the “former rain” was the “outpouring of the Spirit in apostolic days,” and the “latter rain,” the Pentecostal outpouring itself, is to occur in the last days. What is one to believe?

Answer:

Both books are endeavoring to say what the Bible says, and in order to bring harmony we must re-study the subject directly form the Bible, specifically from Joel’s prophecy: “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” Joel 2:23.

No one should fail to see that Joel’s prophecy calls for double fulfillment. Although those who are promised the latter rain, are told that they have already been given the former rain, yet when the latter rain falls upon them, it brings the former rain with it, both coming upon them in the first month. The marginal rendering for the rain designates it a “teacher of righteousness.” Now, if the former rain repeats and comes down with the latter rain in the same month, then the fact stands out that the former rain in the apostles’ day is the one of which The Desire of Ages speaks, and that the former rain which falls in the month of the latter rain, is the one of which the Rod speaks.

In the natural realm, the former rain bursts and sprouts the seed and the latter rain brings the blade to full development. So in the spiritual realm, “the former rain” must denote a heaven-sent message to germinate the spiritual seed, and the “latter rain,” a subsequent message to ripen the grain for the spiritual harvest. In thus bringing the receiver to full maturity of righteousness, the former and the latter rains represent two teachers of righteousness. In the complete application, the two latter-day rains therefore are not only the outpouring of the first pre-Pentecostal truth, the teachings of Christ in His day, the type, but are also the initial outpouring of the last pre-Pentecostal truth, the advanced Truth in our day, the antitype. First there must be the revelation of Pentecostal truth before there can be given the Pentecostal power to proclaim it: “And it shall come to pass afterward [after the former and the latter rain],” says the All-knowing One, “that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.” Joel 2:28.

Accordingly, these two manifestations of the Holy Spirit are seen to be inseparable. The first develops a people by teaching them in righteousness; the second fully matures them, and clothes them with power to proclaim the truth in righteousness. In consequence, there is given in the first phase of the work “a teacher of righteousness” who trains an army of under-teachers of righteousness for the carrying out of the second phase.

Since there was to be a revelation of truth in the apostles’, in Sister White’s, and in our day The Desire of Ages is correct in saying that, at that time (when it was written), the former rain was the “rain” of truth in the apostles’ day. But as today the former rain is not only the truth of the apostles’ day but also that of Sister White’s day, the Rod is correct in saying that her writings are “the former rain” today, and that the latter rain, as Joel shows, is directly applicable to the last message–the message of today (Joel 2:23). Thus only (with the former rain being the writings of Sister White, and the “latter rain” beingthe Rod) can both former and latter fall at the same time, as required by Joel 2:23. And the Spirit’s power, being subsequent to the former and latter rain, is therefore yet future.” — Answerer Book No. 1, pp. 82-88.

Tagged as: final harvest, former rain, Holy Spirit, latter rain, Loud Cry, pentecost