Many concluded that great changes took place on the tenth day of the seventh month, closely connected with the final destiny of men, but as yet there was no well-defined position as to what did take place.
Joseph Marsh, editor of the Voice of Truth, Nov. 7, 1844, says:
“We did believe that he would come at that time; and now, though we sorrow on account of our disappointment, yet we rejoice that we have acted according to our faith. We have had, and still have, a conscience void of offense in this matter, toward God and man. God has blessed us abundantly, and we have not a doubt but that all will soon be made to work together for the good of his dear people, and his glory.
“We cheerfully admit that we have been mistaken in the nature of the event we expected would occur on the tenth day of the seventh month; but we cannot yet admit that our great High Priest did not on that very day accomplish all that the type would justify us to expect. We now believe he did.”
Where are we in the fulfillment of prophecy? soon became a matter of most interesting inquiry. Some yielded to the clamors of the church and world, who called for confessions that they had been mistaken at least in the time, and among this number were several able ministers. Their fearful course greatly increased the anxiety to understand the real position. The hour was a most trying one. There seemed to be a strong inclination with many to draw back, which ripened in them into a general stampede in the direction of Egypt. Finally, not a few settled, with more or less clearness, upon a position embracing the following points:
1. That the parable of the ten virgins represented the great Advent movement, each specification illustrating a corresponding event connected with Second-Advent history.
2. That, in answer to the inquiry, Where are we? the point of time was reached, when the words of our Lord following the parable were applicable, “Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matt. xxv, 13.
3. That the time had come to liken, or to compare, the experience of those who were looking for the kingdom, here called the kingdom of Heaven, with an eastern marriage, and that in order to do this, both must be matters of history, showing that each specification in the parable was already fulfilled.
4. That the time when to compare Second-Advent experience with the events in the marriage was definitely pointed out by our Lord when he says, “Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins.” When? He had just closed a description of two kinds of servants in chapter xxiv, one servant giving meat to his master’s household in due season, the other smiting this good and faithful servant, and in his heart saying, “My Lord delayeth his coming.” Just then may the events connected with Advent history be compared with the specifications of the parable. These two servants had been engaged in the same work. But by some means one begins to say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and smites his fellow. No one who wished to see, could fail to see a clear fulfillment of this illustration in the labors and general course of Advent ministers soon after the passing of the time. All came up to that time apparently a band of brothers. The time passed. Some became impatient and cast away their confidence in the work, confessed to a scoffing church and world, and because others would not confess as they had done, that a human or satanic influence had controlled them, they were ready to smite those who were strengthening the Master’s household with the bread of Heaven.
The spiritual food for that time was by no means that teaching which would let them down from the position they had taken, and send them weeping and mourning back to Egypt. But meat in due season was those expositions of God’s word which showed his hand in the movement, and such cheering testimonies as are quoted in the foregoing pages in vindication of the Advent movement. How humiliating and painful the fact that Satan is permitted to bring the spiritual warfare within the Second-Advent ranks.